THE VIOLENT MEN

US, 1955, 96 minutes, Colour.
Glenn Ford, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, Diane Foster, Brian Keith, May Wynn.
Directed by Rudolph Mate.

The Violent Men is a standard western of the mid-50s, filmed in colour and Cinemascope on fine locations. The plot is familiar – a Union civil war officer plans to sell his ranch after the war but finds himself in difficulties, being offered a low price, seeing the bully-boy tactics on the ranch, witnessing murders. This builds up to a confrontation – and, of course, a shoot-out and a happy ending.

The cast is particularly strong, Glenn Ford was at the peak of his popularity at this time. Barbara Stanwyck, as always, is a strong screen presence. Edward G. Robinson is the villain. Brian Keith appears in an early role.

The film was directed by cinematographer, Rudolph Mate, who made a number of action films in the 40s and 50s including DOA and Paula.

1. The emphasis and description of the title? Its application to the main actors? The application to Martha? was this a conventional western? Enjoyable?

2. How well did the film use audience expectations of the range wars, power struggles, the unsettlement of the Civil War period? How dramatic the study and the conflict?

3. The appropriateness of the wide screen and colour photography? Western locations, the town, the range, the Wilkinson’s household> The musical score?

4. Audience identification with the plot? sympathy for John Parrish and his experience after the Civil War, sympathy for those were oppressed by the Wilkinsons, lack of sympathy for the land baron and his powerful wife? How well did the film work within these conventions and these types of the West?

5. How interesting was John Parrish as hero for this film? The background of the Civil War, his injury and recovery, his attitude towards the land and his wanting to get away from it, his backing by Caroline and her wanting to get away at any price? What changed his mind to go against the Wilkinsons and their offer? The clash with Lee Wilkinson? The seeming courtesy of Martha and yet her ruthlessness? The clash with Cole? The clash with Judith and her judgment on him? Parrish’s support of his men, their loyalty? His shrewdness in his tactics with Lee Wilkinson? The ruthlessness of Cole and his henchmen, the ingenuity of the ambush and Parrish’s defeat of Wilkinson? The irony of letting his house be burnt down? The vengeance of burning the Wilkinson mansion? How ruthless a man was Parrish? The final vindication, the new alliance with Lee against Martha and Cole? The importance of the break with Caroline? The conventional happy ending by the union with Judith?

6. How intense a portrait did Edward G. Robinson give of Lee Wilkison? His origins on the range, the violence of the range wars and his injury, Martha’s ambitions in marrying him, her blindness? Lee not realising Martha’s ambition? His love for his daughter? His violence, but yet not as violent as that of Cole? A man who tried to be fair in his old age? The discovery of his being left crippled to be burnt alive? The confrontation with Martha? His alliance with Parrish? A man of the west?

7. The character portrayal of Martha? Her ruthlessness, staying with Lee, for power and ownership, her summoning Cole and her liaison with him, Cole seeing through this, the hostility of her daughter? Her manoeuvring of Parrish, her pressurising of Cole and Lee, the violence of leaving her husband to die? Ordering the attack on Parrish? Her fright on seeing what had happened? Her discovery of her husband being alive? The irony of her being killed in vengeance by Cole’s girlfriend?

8. The character of Cole? The weaker brother, ruthlessness, his liaison with Martha, seeing through her? The confrontation with Parrish? His vengeance against Martha?

9. The portrait of Judith, her relationship with her parents? The romantic aspects of her life? Tough on the range? The comparison with Carolyn? Her relationship with Parrish?

10. The supporting characters, the sheriff, his role in the town, his assistant? The various cattlemen? The stock sequences: confrontations in the saloons, the cattle stampedes? The ingredients of a popular western?

VIOLETTE ET FRANCOIS

France, 1977, 98 minutes, Colour.
Isabelle Adjani, Jacques Dutronc, Francois Arnoul, Serge Reggiani, Lea Massari.
Directed by Jacques Rouffio.

Violette et Francois is a mixture of American ‘Fun with Dick and Jane’ and the Australian 'Mouth to Mouth1. It is a slice of life, the portrayal of a young French couple coping with the economic situation as well as their emotional problems. It is very well acted and glossily portrayed. It does look similar to many French films of the mid-seventies - with their insight for portraits of human nature, French sentiment, French pessimism. Isabelle Adjani, of The Story of Adele H. and The Tenant, is the focus of attention and is very effective in the central role. So also is Francois.

1. The impact of the film, its characters and themes? France in the 1970s, parallels with economic situations in other countries?

2. Settings, real and authentic? Colour photography? Musical Score?

3. The older generation? Violette’s mother, gofather? Their stances, care for their daughter, opposition to Francois?

4. Francois’ parents? Their backgrounds, stances, support of their son?

5. Violette, her strength of character? Her attitude towards her mother, clashes, the differences because of Francois? The attraction, going out, partner, love, marriage? The details of their life at home, difficulties, financial hardships? Her reaction to his behaviour and its effect on their relationship?

6. The contrast with Francois? His work as a real estate agent, with the audio visuals, selling things on the stall? A man in his early twenties, his capacity for loving relationships, fathering the child? His lack of responsibility in marrying? The importance of the role of his father, going to see him, the discussions, his father's telling him he wasn't his son? His meeting his mother and the presentation of his mother and her personality? Their presence at the wedding? His going to his father after the arrest? His decision to marry Violette and the happiness of the wedding and the early months? The irony of his seeing another woman and the sexuality without love? His wanting to work, yet his compulsion to steal? His ability for shop-lifting, the scenes in which he exercised this? His quick thinking to rescue difficult situations for example the incident with the fur coat? His self-image and self-respect in the light of his shop-lifting?

7. The film's attention to details of ordinary day-to-day living in the apartment, shopping, feeding the baby etc.? The growth of love within this framework?

8. The visual portrayal of the shop-lifting: the stealing of the red dress from the window, the super-market and putting the cans in Paul's clothes, Francois training with the overcoat? The sequence of the various escapades, the dangers for Violette and her fear? Her being caught and interviewed and the effect on her? The effect of his being arrested? Coping with surveillance, shop detectives?

9. The importance of the role of the parents - the distance of Violette from her mother, the complex relationship of Francois with his parents and his attitude to marriage and his child?

10. The portrait of friends, Violette's friend and her support, the people working on the magazine and the attention to sequences in producing the magazine?

11. The ironies of the magazines failure and all that that had meant to them? The effect on Francois’ self-image and the marriage?

12. What happened in the breakdown of the marriage? What were the final issues? Francois and his going home and staying at home with his father? His lack of communication with Violette and Paul? Violette and her walking the streets with the baby, settling down with someone else, the tone in the letter and its being read over the scenes of their individual loneliness? The fact that they did love one another? Did they have a future together?

13. The importance of the editing of the film, the interspersing of memories, the overlap of dialogue on consequent sequences?

14. How typical a French film? French atmosphere, the way of life, character and atmosphere? Insight into human nature?

LES VIOLONS DU BAL

France, 1974, 110 minutes, Colour/Black and white.
Jean- Louis Trintignant, Marie- Jose Nat, Gabrielle Doulcet, David Drach.
Directed by Michel Drach.

Les Violons Du Bal is a film about a director (the equivalent of Michel Drach himself) wanting to make a film about his childhood in France during World War Two and the plight of the Jews. He is able to organise the production for the film and then in flashback there are scenes of the film and of the director's childhood. Audiences are familiar with this kind of material from such films as Louis Malle's Lacombe Lucien and his Au Revoir les Enfants.

Jean- Louis Trintignant was one of the most significant French actors in the latter part of the 20th century and brings dignity to the role of the director. Michel Drach's then wife Marie-Jose? Nat portrays his mother and his son David portrays him as a child in the film. There is a moving performance by Gabriellie Doulcet as the grandmother.

This was the year that Francois Truffaut made Day for Night so there was a focus at the time on the details and conflicts in film-making. However, the emphasis is very much on a memoir of the war years in France.

1. The significance of the French title, the English sub-title? The indic¬ation of themes?

2. Describe the overall impact and effect of the film. The black and white photography, the later use of colour? The significant presentation of past and present? The sets and the revisiting of old sets in present conditions? The initial discussions about the making of the film, the discussion about commercial film-making and audience expectations? How did this provide the setting for the themes of the film?

3. Comment on the film's distancing its audience and yet involving it? How did it do this? The presentation of the identity of the director, his son and wife taking the parts? The effect of the change from the direc¬tor into a professional actor? What message was communicated about film-making, of making films on serious themes in the present, producers and big budgets as regards humane themes? As a vehicle for communicating messages about the war and the past?

4. The importance of the initial impact of the 1970s background? The details of film production, the seeking out of locations, the quality of photography, the student and the discussion with the actor? The prof¬essional actor taking the director's place? The significance of the ending and comments?

5. The importance of seeing the film as a selection of memories, autobiograph¬ical memories? Audience response to this as differing from response to fiction? The shift from past to present and the emotional impact on the audience? Response to the personality of the director? His promoting himself? His using film to explore himself and his memories?

6. What were the main themes of the films war, childhood, France, Jews, oppression, poverty, humanity? How well were these themes presented and explored? How significantly?

7. The film's focus on David? How appealing and engaging a child actor? His being filmed initially with his parents? With the professional star? His personal style and the qualities of his acting? The authenticity? As portraying his father? The presentation of the young Jewish boy in France, in the war? At school, at home, suffering? Understanding and not understanding? Being involved in suffering, especially the escape? As growing up into the film director?

8. The 1940's themes were clear. What influence did they have in the 70s? The film's showing the interplay of themes during these times?

9. The portrayal of war and its horror? The focus on the Germans, on their oppression? The fact that no deaths were visualised? Yet the experience of terror and suffering?

10. The film's war message through the portrayal of family? The importance of the family bonds and ties? The humanity and warmth of love and kissing?

11. How significant was the presentation of Jews in France? The explanation of Jews in France at the time? Christianity? The young boy's presence tinder a false name at a Christian school and its effect? His bringing this home to his family?

12. Natalie and the presentation of the brothers? The portrayal of character in depth?

13. Comment on the detail of the film in presenting life, home, school. The child's view of being a Jew? The Catholic school? The boy telling his cousin the truth? The boy involved in such a desperate escape?

14. The sympathetic portrayal of the mother? How important was the strength of her character? Her relationship with her son? Her coping with situations? Her relationship with Melanie? Melanie's way of life in Paris? Her helping the family?

15. The portrayal of the Germans and their stealing what the family had?

16. The portrayal of the French helpers: their helping, yet their greed and exploiting, leaving the family in danger?

17. Comment on the momentum of the desperate escape. How involved did the audience become? Why? The skill in film-making in this portrayal of escape?

18. The optimism behind the making of this film and exploring of values? The pessimistic basis also about human nature, war and greed? How valuable a film experience?

THE VIRGINIA HILL STORY

US, 1974, 74 minutes, Colour.
Dyan Cannon, Harvey Keitel, Allen Garfield, John Vernon, Robbie Benson, Liam Dunn.
Directed by Joel Schumacher.

The Virginia Hill Story is a brief telemovie about the prostitute who became Bugsy Siegel's girlfriend. Bugsy Siegel and his story was portrayed at greater length in Warren Beatty's Bugsy where Beatty himself played Bugsy Siegel and his wife Annette Bening played Virginia Hill. In that film Harvey Keitel played Mickey Cohen. Keitel is Siegel here and is presented in a much more sympathetic vein than the usual gangster tradition. The focus is on Virginia Hill as an ambitious woman, wanting the make connections, capitalising on her relationship with Siegel who was involved with the building of Las Vegas.

There is a good supporting cast, a strong screenplay written by Joel Schumacher. Schumacher had been a costume designer, on films like Sleeper and Interiors, before moving into screenwriting with The Virginia Hill Story. He also moved into direction. From 1974 he had a long and prolific career as a film director, flamboyant in style, making such interesting films as Falling Down, two of the John Grisham films, The Client and A Time to Kill, two of the Batman films, Batman Forever and Batman and Robin - for which he was attacked. His smaller-budget films are often stronger than the big films for example Flawless, Tigerland, Phone Booth. He also directed the film version of The Phantom of the Opera.

1. The quality and interest of this telemovie? Bringing the gangs theme and Americana into the home?

2. The telemovie style, commercials, close-ups, locations? Court¬room styles? The tempering of violence?

3. Audience interest in and involvement in the structure: the present, the flashbacks? The moral that was being drawn about gangsters, human beings, American society, justice?

4. The fact that the film was a true story: facts, styles of the past, America examining its conscience, bringing gangsterism up to the fifties? How well did the film recreate the era: in the countryside, in the cities, overseas?

5. Dyan Cannon's style as Virginia Hill? Why the choice of this particular woman for a film? The memory of this kind of woman from the backblocks to a gangster's moll, to a wealthy woman, to losing it? The glamourising of a gangster? How was she the symbol of an era? Why present her in the seventies, in a television movie?

6. The complexities of character in Virginia: the presentation of her at home, in the thirties, her family, origins, work? Poverty and the fascination of wealth? Her going to the city, associates? Her gradually being involved in gangsterism? As a cover? Violence, the cover-up of her friends, her going to Europe? The importance of her returning home during this time? The importance of the enthusiasm of her brother? The importance of the phone calls from America to Europe and the bridging of two worlds?

7. Virginia in the court: close-up, memories, sympathy, her answer spontaneous and contrived? Later, a mystery woman? Her death?

8. The men in her life, their memories, associates, gambling, money, gangsters - as types, persons?

9. Contrast family, brother and admiration.

10. View of the U.S.? Examining heritage and ralues.

VIRGINIA CITY

US, 1940, 121 minutes, Black and white.
Errol Flynn, Miriam Hopkins, Randolph Scott, Humphrey Bogart, Frank McHugh?, Alan Hale, Gwinn Williams, John Litel, Douglas Dumbrill, Maroni Olsen, Russell Hicks.
Directed by Michael Curtiz.

Virginia City is a big-budget western from Warner Bros 1940. It was directed by Michael Curtiz, the Hungarian director who had made a great impact in Hollywood during the 1930s and made such films as The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex and The Adventures of Robin Hood. After Virginia City he made some classic action adventures including The Sea Hawk, The Sea Wolf and Santa Fe Trail. He won the Oscar in 1942 for Casablanca. In the late 1940s he mellowed somewhat and did a number of musicals and comedies including My Dream Is Yours and Romance on the High Seas with Doris Day. He also made a number of spectaculars in the mid-50s with the new processes of Cinemascope and Vistavision, The Egyptian, White Christmas, We're No Angels. His last films were Francis of Assisi and The Comancheros in 1961.

Virginia City has a civil war background. Errol Flynn plays an officer from the north, Randolph Scott an officer from the south. They are both in love with Miriam Hopkins. There is a plan to make a transfer of gold bullion to Virginia City, Nevada, to aid the south. Scott is in charge. Flynn has to stop the transfer. A complication arises when a moustachioed Humphrey Bogart as an American Mexican bandit wants the gold for himself. This was almost the last of Bogart's supporting roles. He was soon to appear in The Maltese Falcon and High Sierra and make his mark as a leading man and classic star. The supporting cast includes the regulars at Warner Bros at the time.

The film is colourful, action adventure - but does not have quite the impact as other classic westerns of the period.

1. How good a western from the forties? Comment on the big style and its impact.

2. Warner Bros, westerns, black and white photography, use of locations and studios, big stars, rousing musical background etc.?

3. This western as a piece of Americana? The background of the Civil War? Sympathy and antipathy on both sides? The hindsight on the heritage of America? The forming of the Union? How much insight into the spirit of America and patriotism?

4. How important was the structure: the adventure, the introduction of the characters, the setting up of the conflict, the chase? The details of the sub-plots and their intricacy?

5. The importance of the tense opening: the clash between North and South, the atmosphere of prison and cruelty, the need to escape, the theme of vengeance, the explosion? The introductions of Julia and Vance and their subsequent importance?

6. Comment on the war situation and the need for money? The loyalty of the Southerners, concocting the plot and the plan for getting the money from Nevada? Insight into the reality of the Civil War?

7. The atmosphere of Virginia City and its importance, the Nevada atmosphere, the feeling of the frontier town, details of its characters and ways of life, the bars, Julia singing, the doctor etc.? Northern and Southern spies in this town?

8. The background of the coach trip, the talk, especially between Julia and Kerry, Morell and the clash with the bandits? Setting the atmosphere for further plot complications?

9. Kerry Bradford as the hero of the film? The Errol Flynn type? The importance of his personality and character? A Northern hero? His job and his dedication? The attraction to Julia and love? His outwitting Morell? The importance of his associates, his ingenuity?

10. The contrast with Vance? As efficient, as loyal Southern hero? The rivalry with Julia? How much audience sympathy was there for Vance?

11. The significance of Julia and the various crises and decisions? Her relationship to both men? Temptations to betrayal? Her final decision? Did she do the best?

12. The Southerners' use of the Morell plot and its success?

13. The atmosphere of the wagon trek, the survival, the boy and his dying? The plight of the people and their dedication to get the money to the South?

14. The atmosphere of the pursuit, the murder at the frontier post, the device of the divided wagon train?

15. The Morell siege as bringing the film to a climax? The excitement and interest? The heroism and the unity in defence?

16. The irony of the hiding of the gold and subsequent court case, the ending of the Civil War?

17. How valuable are westerns of this kind as illustrating America's view of its own history?

THE VIRGIN SOLDIERS

UK, 1969, 96 minutes, Colour.
Lynn Redgrave, Hywel Bennett, Nigel Davenport, Nigel Patrick, Rachel Kempson, Jack Sheppard, Michael Gwynn, Roy Holder.
Directed by John Dexter.

The Virgin Soldiers is a story of young men doing their national service in Singapore and Malaya in 1950. It shows a group of ingenuous young men, away from home, confused, not sure about the waging of war in an Asian context. They are also preoccupied with their own personal problems and there is a focus, of course, on sexuality.

Hywel Bennett is the centre of attention as Private Brig. Lyn Redgrave is the romantic interest. Various veterans like Nigel Davenport and Nigel Patrick are the sergeant and the sergeant-major.

The film recreates the atmosphere of 1950, the war in the jungle. However, the film does not put an emphasis on action, rather focusing on the men themselves.

However, in retrospect, this was the era of Catch-22, of M*A*S*H, of How I Won the War, of Oh, What a Lovely War - which means then that there was a worldwide perspective somewhat critical of the war, especially the experience of Vietnam in the 1960s. The films often exaggerated, showed farcical aspects of war and soldiers' behaviour, cowardice becomes heroism. It is interesting in retrospect to look at these black comedies about war in the light of subsequent decades.

The film was written by John Hopkins, film and television writer of such films as Thunderball and Murder by Decree and the breakthrough television series of the mid-60s, Talking to a Stranger. The film was directed by John Dexter, better known as a theatre director, winner of two Emmys for Equus and M Butterfly. His few films include Pigeons and the transgender film I Want What I Want with Anne Heywood (1972).

There was a sequel of sorts in 1977, Stand Up, Virgin Soldier - it bore little relationship to the original and was more of a sex comedy vehicle for Robin Asquith, popular at the time in The Confession of ... series.

1. The tone of the title and its meaning? Inexperienced soldiers, the sexuality emphasis? The irony of the title for their experiences in Malaya?

2. What tone did the credit sequences give? The use of the Virgin Soldiers’ march, the sketches behind the credits, the cover? did this fit in with the rest of the film? What expectations did it raise for the audience?

3. How well did the film portray British and Malayan life in the fifties? The attitude of people towards war, Britain, morals in the fifties? Have these views changed appreciably? Where? Are such outpost situations still current?

4. How well portrayed was the Singapore background? The use of locations, jungle, military compounds, schools, brothels, the streets, trains? The outpost atmosphere, the military atmosphere and its repercussions on behaviour and emotions, the training situation? The attempts of making men out of boys?

5. What comments did the film make on the young Britons? As adolescents, beginning their jobs, two years out of their lives, changing and growing, their response to violence, to being alone, isolation from Britain, emotional question, sexuality?

6. How did the details of camp life emphasise these themes and portray the individuals? The initial waking up and the sergeant’s progress through the, dormitories? The different people waking up, their differing styles, the homosexual couple? How well portrayed were these types throughout the film or did they remain as types?

7. How attractive was the hero himself? His background as a clerk? His gentleness, style of life with the others, the quality of their talk, their dares at the brothels, his staying with the Malayan girl and nothing happening? His daring walk with Philippa? Her singling him out at the dance? HOW well portrayed as a character throughout the film? His response to life in Malaya, military, to finding the dead man’s blood, soaked documents, violence? Could the audience identify with him and the situations through him?

8. How Interesting a character was Phillipa? Was she credible? Her role as a teacher, relationship with her parents, the singleminded militariness of her father, the frivolity of her mother with the gold fish etc? her being taunted by them? Phillipa's off-handedness with the hero? During the talk? her using him at the dance? Later being rescued by him? Her staying on after the incidents? What future could she have?

9. The importance of sexuality in the film? The implications of the title of virginity, with the hero and Philippa? How successful was the interweaving of the losing of virginity for them both? Philippa and her use of the sergeant? The hero and his gentleness with the Malayan girl? Dramatic impact of these sequences?

10. How did the film use dance as a focus of life in Malaya? Drab, tawdry? The soldiers and the drink, arrival of the nurses, the forced jollity?

11. How did the film communicate its theme of morals for these men on the outposts? the role of the officers in organising morale?

12. How did the riot intrude on the military life? The lightheartedness of the sexual escapade and the trousers, contrasting with the barricade of men and the sudden killing?

13. How did the train ride bring the film to a climax? The drama and violence of the siege? The number of deaths?

14. The ironic comment on the coward - and the previous build up of his role in training, his endless stories, his contrast with the sergeant and the sergeant’s behaviour towards him?

15. What was the audience’s response to the new recruits arriving? How young they looked, seeing them through the eyes of the hero, the sergeant going back to train them?

16. How important is varied experience for life? The implications of the film here?

17. How well did the fimn explore its themes of war', violence, society, emotions, boredom etc.?

THE VIRGIN QUEEN

US, 1955, 92 minutes, Colour.
Bette Davis, Richard Todd, Joan Collins, Jay Robinson, Herbert Marshall, Dan O' Herlihy, Robert Douglas, Leslie Parrish.
Directed by Henry Koster.

The Virgin Queen gives Bette Davis another opportunity to perform as Elizabeth I after her 1930s performance in The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (with Errol Flynn). Here an older Queen Elizabeth, with Bette Davis at her best in this kind of autocratic role, is involved with Sir Walter Raleigh (Richard Todd, a popular leading man at this period) and Lord Leicester, the veteran Herbert Marshall.

There is an interesting supporting cast with Dan O'Herlihy and Robert Douglas, frequently a villain in this kind of film. Jay Robinson had just been Caligula in The Robe and Demetrius and the Gladiators. Joan Collins had moved from the United Kingdom and was appearing in a number of Cinemascope, colourful films including Land of the Pharaohs and The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing. This popular cast made the film popular with contemporary audiences in the mid-50s as well as the veterans who wanted to see Bette Davis.

The film is entertaining, is more of a pageant rather than a psychological drama. It was Oscar-nominated for its costume design.

The director was Henry Koster who came from Germany in the 1930s, directed a number of films with Deanna Durbin, made some pleasant comedies in the 1940s including The Bishop's Wife and Come to the Stable and then made the first Cinemascope film, The Robe. He followed it with a number of films like this and some domestic comedies in the 1960s with Maureen O'Hara and James Stewart like Mr Hobbs Takes a Vacation, Take Her She's Mine.

1. How well communicated was the personality of Elizabeth through this film?
Bette Davis's portrayal and its characteristics? The personality of the real Elizabeth? As a woman, as a queen, as a politician? Her personal whims, her changes of mind?

2. How successful a swashbuckling film was this? Why? The opening sequences and fights? The career of Walter Raleigh? The finale?

3. How well communicated was the character of Sir Walter Raleigh? Was he a rounded character? Or a mere historical figure? Initial ambitions? His ambitions to go to the new world? His maneuvers to get to the queen through Leicester? His relationship with Elizabeth? His enmity with Sir Christopher Hatton? His manipulating? His marriage to Beth? His fending himself from Elizabeth’s whims?

4. How important was the conflict and contrast between Elizabeth and Raleigh? As man and woman? In terms of love and emotion? In terms of chivalry (his famous cloak)? In a contrast of moods? In terms of politics and power? In terms of life and death and execution?

5. How visionary was Raleigh in his ambitions? His using of others? His nimble wit in arranging for the ships to leave?

6. How interesting were the court intrigues? The character of Sir Christopher Hatton as a villain? His assistant Chedwick? The political meetings and cabinet discussions? The manoeuvres to discredit Raleigh at the end?

7. Was the film successful as a genuine love story between Raleigh and Beth? Why did they all in love? The nature of their love? The secret meeting and their private marriage? Beth’s change of heart? Her decision to stand by Raleigh?

8. Ho important was caprice in the film? The caprice of power in Elizabeth? Thc caprices of Raleigh? The caprices of Hatton?

9. How melodramatic were the final sequences? Elizabeth’s change of heart? The role of Lord Derry. The imprisonment and the confrontation in the tower? The escape and the final deaths?

10. Was this an adult adventure film and character study? Was it more geared to popular audiences and even y0unger adventure audiences?

VEILS OF BAGDAD

US, 1953, 82 minutes, Colour.
Victor Mature, Mari Blanchard, Virginia Field, Guy Rolfe, James Arness, Gregg Palmer, Nick Cravat, Ludwig Donath, Leon Askin.
Directed by George Sherman.

Veils of Bagdad is typical of many of the small-budget supporting features that were made by Universal Studios in the 1950s. They starred many of the stars and starlets at that studio - Mari Blanchard being one of the more prominent in the early 50s. They often had strong actors, that is in build, like Victor Mature or Jeff Chandler or else had early vehicles for Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson. British Guy Rolfe, who was a villain in Ivanhoe, specialised in sinister villains.

The film is familiar plot material from any of the Arabian Nights stories with contacts between the Ottoman empire and Bagdad, alliances to foil uprisings in the mountains of contemporary Iraq.

This film is as enjoyable as any of the others - nothing startling, just one of those well-made supporting films which are able to transcend their time and appeal to audiences over the decades.

1. How entertaining an Arabian nights adventure? The continued appeal of these settings and stories to the popular audience?

2. Conventions of the genre? The portrayal of Baghdad, viziers and pashas, heroes, heroines and their dancing? Adventure, intrigue, wars, romance? How well portrayed here?

3. Colour photography, music, dancing? Fights?

4. How credible was the plot? The background of the Ottoman empire in the 16th century? The intrigues of Istanbul and Suleiman the Magnifi¬cent? The hero, his infiltrating the palace, the villains and their intrigues, the heroine and her dead father? Sufficient for the purposes of this kind of adventure?

5. Victor Mature as hero? Strong and tough? Appropriate for the film? His Robin Hood-like character and baud of men? Relationship with the vizier, the pasha, the vizier's wife? The heroine and her help? The dangers and his rescues, fighting? Duel at the end? Happy ending?

6. The heroine and her dead father, revenge? The vizier and his typical intrigues? The weak pasha? The vizier's wife and her love for gold? The spy in the palace and his torture? The wrestlers, the band of outlaws following their leader?

7. The ingredients of the basic story of good and evil, heroism, deception and intrigue?

8. A good example of this kind of film? Ordinary?

THE VALLEY OF THE KINGS

US, 1954, 86 minutes, Colour.
Robert Taylor, Eleanor Parker, Carlos Thompson, Kurt Kasner, Victor Jory, Leon Askin.
Directed by Robert Pirosh.

The Valley of the Kings is very entertaining Boys' Own adventure kind of material. Beautifully photographed in Egypt with attractive settings in an archaeological dig at the turn of the century, the plot is of goodies and baddies and robberies and villainy. The heroic team are Robert Taylor and Eleanor Parker who also appeared at this time in Above and Beyond and Many Rivers to Cross. Nothing special, but quite entertaining in its way.

1. Audience interest in excavations, archaeology? The thriller conventions blended with this background?

2. The adventure conventions, period setting, danger, greed, intrigue, fights? The conventions of archaeology and exploration? Romance? The usual ingredients, how well blended?

3. The colour photography, the importance of the Egyptian locations and the way these were used? As settings for the drama, for example the opening, sailing on the Nile, the fight on the top of the statue? The Egyptian atmosphere of the music?

4. The film was suggested by archaeological books. Was the basic plot credible? Investigations in Egypt in the 19th century, the involvement of English and Americans? Anne's father and his involvement? Her wanting to explore and prove his theories? Mark and his work? The background of greed and international intrigue? Sufficient for the purposes of this film?

5. Mark as a Robert Taylor hero? Credible in archaeology? His work, shrewdness, clash with Philippe? Anne as a conventional heroine? Her relationship with her father, her husband? Mark’s accusation that she was self-centred? The truth in this? Philippe as the conventional villain? A weak character, pressurized?

6. The minor characters especially those involved with the intrigue? Were they well developed? Sufficiently for the purposes of the film?

7. How much knowledge did the film presuppose? How well did it fill in its background? The credibility of such archaeology. excavations in Egypt itself, specially the final climax and the opening of the tomb with its evidence?

8. Which were the most memorable sequences? To do with the theme, the adventure?

9. The basic presuppositions in the audience of good and evil? Right and wrong? Heroism? Romance?

THE VALLEY OF GWANGI

US, 1969, 96 minutes, Colour.
James Franciscus, Gila Golan, Richard Carlson, Laurence Naismith, Freda Jackson.
Directed by Jim O' Connolly.

The Valley of Gwangi has more than a touch of Jurassic Park long before Jurassic Park. The main value in seeing this particular film is that it is an example of the special effects of expert Ray Harryhausen, a veteran of many films including Jason and the Argonauts and the various Sinbad stories and the classic Clash of the Titans.

The film focuses on a circus in Mexico managed by Gila Golan. It has a small horse as one of its attractions - but gypsies want the horse returned to the Valley of Gwangi. An American cowboy assists in the process but captures a tyrannosaurus rex which he brings to the circus. An English professor is also interested in the dinosaur. James Franciscus is the cowboy, Laurence Naismith is the professor.

On looking again at the synopsis of The Valley of Gwangi, one wonders whether it was also read by Michael Crichton and lent inspiration to Jurassic Park.

1. The quality of the film as science fiction, the adventure, matinee material, a monster fiction?

2. The importance of the Mexican setting, the circus backer und, the monsters and their pre-history, Mexico? How well were all these ingredients blended?

3. The settings, the colour, the technical quality of presentation: monsters, the blending of human action? enjoyment, fright?

4.. The circus and the people who belonged to the circus? Their attraction, neney? Inter-relationships and quarrels?

5. Kirby as the hero: the type, hard, the hero, changing, heroics? A believable hero?

6. Teresa and her role in the circus, as jilted, loving Kirby, involvement with him in the expedition, the threat of the monsters, the heroics, her changing at the end with love for Kirby and foregoing the attraction of the monster?

7. Comment on the other characters: the gypsies and their superstition, their fore¬telling of disaster, meeting then by the waysides of the Mexican roads? The circus people and their clashes? Their involvement in the expedition?

8. The professor and his ambitions, cynical about superstitions, over reaching himself in scientific investigation, the nature of his death, the reasons for his death?

9. How interesting was the presentation of the small horse? The theories about pre-historic animals?

10. Response to the valley, the monsters, the fights between the monsters, their threats to the humans?

11. The response to the finale in the arena, the monster caged, audiences feeling sorry for him? His wrecking the cage and frightening the people?

12. The moral points made about interference with nature?