Programmes 2009

JANUARY 3rd We start the new year with an evening of two documentaries that were made to celebrate the lives of comedic characters. The first is about Panto Dames that includes Terry Scott, Billy Dainty and George Lacey among others. The second is an independent production on Max Wall that was made in 1975. It was filmed mainly at the Richmond Theatre in Surrey and shows Max performing in his one man show. Extra  items will also be included in the programme presented for us on 16mm by David Erskine.

JANUARY 17th Grahame Newnham will give a short talk on how 9.5mm films were originally made. This will be followed by the screening of some optical sound 9.5mm  titles. Included will be the lost British Lion Feature "It's A Grand Old World" made m 1937. An episodic comedy starring Sandy Powell with Cyril Richard Frank Pettingell and Gary Marsh. It was directed by Herbert Smith.

JANUARY 31st This eveningis main film is "Mr Ace" (USA 1946) and stars George Raft and Sylvia Sidney with Stanley Ridges, Sara Haden and Jerome Cowen. In this drama a spoiled congnesswoman is backed by a gangster. The support material will include a Three Stooges comedy and a Charlie Chase short. These will be on Super 8mm with the feature on 16mm. Presented or us by Cliff Perriam.

FEBRUARY 14th As a special tribute to Leslie Halliwell who died twenty years ago in January 1989 we will show his favourke feature "The Bride of Frankenstein" (USA 1935) with Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Ernest Thesiger, Valerie Hobson and Elsa Lanchester among others. It was direceted by James Whale. The supporting programme will be devoted to Laurel and Hardy as they were Leslie's top comedy duo, he loved all their  films.  Presented by Graham Murray and all on 16mm.

FEBRUARY 28th Cineaste and Film Historian Tony Sloman presents an illustrated  talk on how the coming of sound inspired moviemakers and how the public warmed to the great performers of The Film Musical on the silver screen. This will be followed after the interval by the screening of a TV special edition of Clapperboard transmitted in May 1979 and contains numerous clips from his films. Shown for us by Graham Murray from his own collection.

MARCH 14th The comedian Jimmy Edwards died back in 1988. A variety performer who featured in a number of films. Tonight we show him in "Bottoms Up" (GB 1959) a comedy based on the TV series Whacko! The cast includes Arthur Howard, Martita Hunt ,Sidney Taffler, Raymond Huntley, Reginald Beckwith and many others.The screenplay was by Michael Pertee and it was directed by Mario Zampi. It is presented by Tony Saffrey on 16mm who will include some supporting material. Click here to view programme.

MARCH 28th "Sing As We Go" (GB 1934) which starred Gracie Fields was considened to be one her best films. This evening we will show it complete on 16mm. It was directed and produced by Basil Dean from a story by J.B. Priiestley. Also to be seen are John Loder, Dorothy Hyson, Stanley Holloway, Olive Sloan, Frank Pettingell and others. It contains interesting sequences of industrial Lancashire in the thirties. Short films will make up the programme that is presented by David Wyatt.

APRIL 18th The Group 9.5 Annual General Meeting. This will be followed by a selection of films as time permits.

MAY 2nd St. Gabriel's Annual Spring Fair. Doors open at 11.00am, only £1 on the door. Plenty of  dealers and sellers along with the bring and buy. Light refreshments will be available. Non-members and friends welcome.

MAY 16th A full programme of 9.5mm optical sound presented by Graham Murray. The feature is 'The Man in the Mirror'(GB 1936), a comedy with Edward Everett Horton, Genevieve Tobin, Ursula Jeans, Garry Marsh. Alastair Sim, Felix Aylmer and others. It was directed by  Maurice Elvey and produced by Julius Hagen, A selection of shorts will complete the bill.

MAY 30th 'Old Mother Riley's New Venture'(GB 1949) is tonight's main film. It stars Arthur Lucan  and his real. life wife Kitty McShane. This is one of 15 barnstorming comedy films that they made. This example was directed by John Harlow who entered the industry in 1927 as assistant director  at Elstree. Plenty of slapstick that just keeps on coming. Some interesting short titles will complete the programme, Presented on Super 8mm by Graham Sinden,

JUNE 13th Two short features are included in this evening's programme of 9.5mm optical sound. They both date from 1935 and are today basically lost productions from British Lion, we have "Marry the Girl', a comedy starring Sonny Hale with Judy Kelly, Winifred Shorter, Hugh Wakefield, C. Denier Warren and Wally Patch. It was directed by Maclean Rogers. Also 'Jury's Evidence', a modest thriller with Hartley Power and a young Margaret Lockwood at just 24 taking the leading roles. They are supported by Eve Gray, Nora Swinburne and Sebastian Shaw. It  was directed by Ralph Ince who was American and originally an actor, he died in 1937 at the age of 51. Presented by Grahame Newnham from his extensive collection.

JUNE 27th "Woman on the Beach (USA1947) is tonight's feature. A melodrama starring Joan Bennett and Robert Ryan with Charles Bickford, Nan Leslie and Walter Sande, It was directed by Jean Renoir who wrote the screenplay with Frank Davis and based on the novel 'None So Blind' by Mitchell Wilson. Some supporting shorts will complete the programme which is  presented by Tony Saffrey on 16mm.(click here for programme notes).

JULY 11th St. Gabriel's Annual Auction. All items will be welcomed but must be moving picture image related. The normal 10% will be deducted for club funds. Short films will complete the evening as time permits.

JULY 25th 'This'll Make You Whistle'(GB 1936) is this evening's feature. It was directed and produced by Herbert Wilcox and stars Jack Buchanan and Elsie Randolph with Jean Gillie, William Kendall, David Hutcheson and many others. It is a sunny mixture of songs, dancing and humour from a screenpplay by Guy Bolton and Paul Thompson. Supporting material will complete the programme presented for us by Grahame Newnham on 16mm.

SEPTEMBER 5th St Gabriel's Annual General Meeting which will be followed by some 9.5mm optical sound titles. Along with a few shorts will be the 5 reel feature 'A Wife Or Two' (GB 1936). This is another British Lion release which is a lost film. It stars Henry Kendall and is a comedy, also in the cast are Nancy Burne, Betty Astell, Gary Marsh and Wally Patch. It was directed by Percy Maclean Rogers and based on a play by C.B. Poultney and Roland Daniel. Screened for us by Graham Murray.

SEPTEMBER 19th Tonight we have the British Comedy 'Please Turn Over' from 1959 which was directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers from a screenplay by Norman Hudis. It has a strong and extensive cast headed by Ted Ray, Julia Lockwood and Jean Kent. In good supporting roles are Leslie Phillips, Joan Sims, Lionel Jeffries, Tim Seeley, Dilys Laye and Charles Hawtrey. Also to be seen are Colin Gordon, Joan Hickson, June Jago, Noel Dyson, Cyril Chamberlain and others. It was based on a West End success. Some supporting titles will also be included. Presented by Tony Saffrey on 16mm.

There is now a 3 week gap as our annual Get-together at Harpenden Public Halls is on Sunday 27th September.

OCTOBER 10th  Another seldom seen British feature is screened tonight - 'Face in the Night'  made in (1956)  is a crime thriller. It was written by Norman Hudis and John Sherman from a novel by Bruce Graeme.Directed by Lance Comfort, it stars Lisa Gastoni, Griffith Jones, Eddie Byrne, Clifford Evans, Victor Maddern, Joan Miller, Leslie Dwyer, Leonard Sachs and Barbara Couper. Some supporting shorts will complete the programme that is presented by Graham Sinden and all on 16mm. Please note that this programme replaces the previously advertised 9.5mm show

OCTOBER 24th Tonight's main film is the rarely seem British feature 'Desperate Moment'.
Made in 1953 it stars Dirk Bogarde and Mai Zetterling with Albert Lieven, Philip Friend, Carl Jaffe, Simone Silva and other familiar faces of the time. It is a melodrama with criminal involvement that climaxes in a car chase. It was directed by Compton Bennett who was a former band leader and commercial artist. He started in the film industry as an editor for London Films. Short items will complete the programme, presented by Sebastian Wheen on 16mm.

NOVEMBER 7th Another seldom seen British feature is screened tonight - 'Miss Pilgrim's Progress' made in 1949 is a comedy with a bright central performance. It was written and directed by Val Guest with his wife Yolande Donlan playing the leading role. She is well supported by Michael Rennie along with Garry Marsh, Emrys Jones, Valentine Dyall, Jon Pertwee, Reginald Beckwith, Peter Butterworth, Avril Angers and others. Some supporting shorts will complete the programme that is presented by Graham Sinden and all on 16mm.

NOVEMBER 21st A full programme of 9.5mm optical sound, screened for us by Grahame Newnham from his extensive collection. Again we have two short features that are sadly lost films, both being British Lion productions from the thirties. First is 'The Flying Squad' from 1932 (4 reels). It is based on a short story by Edgar Wallace who wrote the screenplay and stars Henry Wilcoxon, Harold Huth and Carol Goodner. Also Abraham Sofaer and Edward Chapman in small roles. It was directed by F.W.Kraemer. Also 'The Interrupted Honeymoon' made in 1936 (6 reels), a comedy directed by Leslie Hiscott. The cast is headed by Claude Hulbert, Francis L. Sullivan, Jane Carr, Rob Wilton and Hugh Wakefield. Also seen are Jack Hobbs, Martita Hunt, Wally Patch and Glennis Lorimer who was the original 'Gainsborough Picture Girl' - bowing in the logo frame before the main credits. Some interesting shorts will also be included.

DECEMBER 5th 'Wolf Call' (USA 1939) is a low-budget Monogram picture that is screened by Tony Saffrey on 16mm. It stars John Carroll and Movita, a Mexican actress who later married Marlon Brando. It was directed by George Waggner and is an outdoor adventure based on a novel by Jack London. Tony will also show on 16mm a documentary entitled 'The Selznick Years' - all about the life and times of David O. Selznick. Click here for programme notes.

DECEMBER 19th St.Gabriel's Christmas social with wine, soft drinks and a cold buffet.
Also on the menu will be a selection of light entertainment films to complete the evening.

Programmes 2010

JANUARY 9th We start the new year with 'The Dresser' (GB 1983) a highly rated production in colour that was directed by Peter Yates. It is a valuable record of a play based on the touring career of Donald Wolfit whose dresser the author was. It stars Albert Finney,  Tom Courtenay and Edward Fox with Zena Walker, Eileen Atkins, Michael Gough and Betty Marsden. Presented by David Erskine on 16mm.