DANGEROUS DAVIES

UK, 1981, 106 minutes, Colour.
Bernard Cribbins, Bill Maynard, Bernard Lee, Joss Ackland, Maureen Lipman.
Directed by Val Guest.

Dangerous Davies is a British telemovie - an enjoyable and interesting police and detective story. It contrasts with some of the more spectacular television series of the '70s and '80s: The Sweeney, The Professionals. Bernard Cribbins has a very good role as Davies, an ordinary kind of policeman who solves the mystery. There is an excellent supporting cast.

Direction is by Val Guest, a veteran of the British Film Industry since the '30a - as writer and as director.

1. An interesting and entertaining police story, mystery? The London and British atmosphere and style?

2. The popularity of the police in television series in the '70s and '80s? Praise of the police? Criticism of corruption? American styles? British styles? The picture of crack squads, daring action? The cynicism about police corruption and the critique? The influence on this film?

3. The atmosphere of London: locations, authentic atmosphere? The pace? The style of the flashbacks and their sepia tone? Action sequences? Musical score?

4. The setting: the investigation, the mystery, the characters, types, police work? Dangerous and his friends? The establishing of the situation for audience interest?

5. The structure: the one story of the investigation to two stories about the present and the past? The insertion of the flashbacks? The audience experiencing the techniques of detective work? The puzzle, the clues, the pieces? The search for more information? Danger? The breaks? The conclusion? Audience interest maintained in the investigative style?

6. Bernard Cribbins' personality as Dangerous? In himself, policeman, detective, his age, skills in work? The ordinary man? His integrity? His dog and the humour of the companionship of the two? His old friend - almost the equivalent of a pet dog! His interest in people, compassion? His humorous style? Straightforwardness? Capacity for meeting people, eliciting information? His strength, action? violence and his receiving violence? Drinking? His being put on the case, gaining momentum in his investigation? As a character, qualities, credibility?

7. The murder in the past: Celia, family, friends, the club with the teenagers, sexual relationships, her body being unearthed? The reconstruction? The death and the revelation? The investigations, the police cover-up? The point made about 15 years passing and people's tongues being looser because not so afraid of consequences as they were at the time?

8. The sketch of the family: the mother and her caution, the drink with Dangerous, the information? The father and the bashing? The sister and her supplying clues? Sending for the police? Celia's reputation? The rehabilitation of her reputation? The Catholic background?

9. The group having grown up and the picture of their subsequent lives, marriages? Ena and her deductive style, drinks? Bill and his being called William? His having Celia's panties? The trunk? The supplying of information?

10. Boot and his running the sex shop, the photo, his friend in the sex shop, the train-ride?

11. The policeman and his wife, his being in the asylum, thinking himself Peter the Great? The information from Tarantella? His relationship with her? The discovery of the bike?

12. The visit to Bristol and the old man, his story and the information about the information about the identity of the killer?

13. The man belonging to the Salvation Army, his past, his religious conversion?

14. The background of criminals in London? The contemporary story and its link with the past?

15. The police, the patrol, the party, the drinks, the cover-up? The policeman with the information and his posting his letter to himself? Its being unsealed?

16. Police officials, their integrity, the investigations? The irony of the presentation of the medal to Yardbird?

17. Yardbird in the background of the story? His attitude towards Davies? The irony of the revelation of the truth?

18. An atmosphere of realism, authenticity? Experience of human nature - criminal activity, ordinary activity, violence, murder?