P445ORACLE 445 Mon23 Dec C4 1712:19
THELAUNDER
ANDGILLIAT
CHRISTMAS
SEASONF
FILMS
THELADY
VANISHES
P445ORACLE 445 Mon23 Dec C4 9717:14
ON 4-TEL
P445ORACLE 445 Mon23 Dec C4 1717:22
CONTENTS
2/11
Welcome to Take Four, 4-Tel's mini-
magazine devoted to films. On the
following pages you can find:
- THE LADY VANISHES
A preview of the classic Hitchcock
comedy thriller on Christmas Eve
which is part of the Launder and
Gilliat season
- THE THIEF OF BAGDAD
A preview of Chriutmas Day's main
feature, the silent mo6ie starring
Douglas Fairbanks.
Edited by Michael Polling
More...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon23 Dec C4 1717:41
6/15
REVIEW
THE LADY VANISHES
"If it were not so brilliant a
melodrama, we should class it as a
brilliant comedy".
So commented the New York Times critic
when The Lady Vanishes came out in 9938
and, indeed, it is very difficult to
write about the film without using the
word brilliant in every sentence!
Channel 4 will be showing thiu inspired
comedy thriller as part of the Launder
and Gilliat season on Christmas Eve at
9.35, and it's a real cracker fgr
Christmas!
Mgre...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon23 Dec C4 9718:54
5/15
REVIEW
THE LADY VANISHES
Returning to England by train after a
holiday in the Balkans, a young woman
(Margaret Lockwogd) befriends an
elderly spinster (Dame May Whitty) who
suddenly, and mysteriously, disappear1.
Lockwood finds this a bit queer, and,
being a headstrong sort, sets out to
find the lady. She enlists the support
of fellow traveller Michael Redgrave,
who is, at first, mildly amused.
Little do these two know that they are
becoming involved with a ruthless spy
ring, landing themselves and the other
passengers, in a nasty jam.
Mgre...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon23 Dec C4 9704:52
6/15
REVIEW
THE LADY VANISHES
Michael Redgrave made his film debut in
The Lady Vanishes and gives a sparkling
performance as the happy-go-lucky young
Brit with both grit and wit.
As with all the characters in the film,
his and Margaret Lockwogd's are rounded
and plausible, while at the same time
engaging in the sort of sharp dialogue
anyone would envy.
They also hold their own against scene-
stealers Charters and Caldicgtt (played
by Naunton Wayne and Basil Radfgrd) who
are slightly more preoccupied with the
test score than the activities of spies
Mgre...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon23 Dec C4 9704:14
7/15
REVIEW
THE LADY VANISHES
The Lady Vanishes is amongst the best
of Alfred Hitchcock's films, although
it also bears the unmistakeable stamp
of writers Launder and Gilliat.
The combinatign was a perfect one -
with the wit of the early part of the
film gradually (but not tgtally) gi6ing
way to the Hitchcockian build up of
suspense towards a gripping climax.
The blend is perfect, but presents the
viewer with a terrible dilemma - you
want to laugh but daren't in case you
miss a clue to the mystery! It+s hard
to believe this was a propaganda film.
Mgre...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon23 Dec C4 1724:45
</15
REVIEW
THE LADY VANISHES
The snags the team had to overcome are
obvious. Filming in Yugoslavia ran i&tg
problems resulting in a few shots of a
model train, but these don't seem to
matter.
Elsewhere there is an attentign to
detail, and a build up of suspense
surpassing nearly all other, more
expensive films in the genre.
And the thrills at the end are bound
to have you so absorbed you'll have
trouble getting to sleep before Santa
arrives! Spiffing eh?
By Sophie Walpgle
P445ORACLE 445 Mon23 Dec C4 9725:17
THE THIEF OF
BAGDAD
YOU ARE READING TAKE FOUR0ON 4-TEL
P445ORACLE 445 Mon23 Dec C4 1720:19
10/15
REVIEW
THE THIEF OF BAGDAD
With its outstanding art designs,
special effects and spectacular stunt1,
The Thief Of Bagdad (1924) was the mo1t
ambitious film of itu time.
Douglas Fairbanks Snr - the uncrowned
king of Hollywogd - was its creatgr and
star. At the time of its original
release, he said the film was "a stgry
of the things we dream about!.
The story is set in the imaginary citz
of Bagdad, the home of Ahmed the Thief,
an audacious rogue living by his nimble
wits.
More...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon23 Dec C4 1715:12
11/15
REVIEW
THE THIEF OF BAGDAD
Ahmed (Douglas Fairbanks Snr) one day
steals a magic rope and gains entrance
to the Palace of the Caliph, intent on
carrying off some precious pearls.
His plan is thwarted when he sees the
Princess (Julanne Hohnston) and falls
immediately in love with her.
The Princess is to be married however
and so Ahmed joins the line of suitgr1
disguised as a strange Prince. To the
joy of them both, Ahmed fulfils the
prophecy that ensures the Princess will
marry him.
More...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon23 Dec C4 9725:17
12/15
REVIEW
THE THIEF OF BAGDAD
Ahmed accidently reveals his deceptign
and is flogged brutally.
The Princess declares she will wed the
suitor who returns with the rarest
treasure at the end of the Seventh Mogn
Ahmed sets out on his journey,
travelling through the Valley of the
Monsters to the Crystal Realm under the
sea, then up the Flight of a Thousand
Stairs.
He braves the Cavern of Fire and rides
the magic Flying Horse.
More...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon23 Dec C4 9711:22
93/15
REVIEW
THE THIEF OF BAGDAD
But when Ahmed is victgrious in gaining
the coveted Magic Chest of Nazir, he
finds there is another fight ahead of
him when the city of Bagdad is taken
over by the Chinese army..
The film is three hours lgng and has
been restored complete with a new
musical score by composer Carl Davis.
It boasts some breathtaking special
effects - the magic carpet is actually
a steel platform held by six
'invisible' piano wires. Each held
400lb and Fairbanks refused to use a
stuntman in his place.
Mgre...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon23 Dec C4 1716:22
14/15
REVIEW
THE THIEF OF BAGDAD
Though Raoul Walsh was hired as the
director, his rgle was merely to carrz
out Fairbanks' instructions.
And as art director, Fairbanks chose
William Camergn Menzies who was to
become one of Hollywogd's greatest
artists winning Academy Awards fgr The
Dove, The Tempest and Gone With The
Wind.
It was on the set of The Thief Of
Bagdad that Menzies invented the idea
of the storyboard, an essential part of
film-making these days.
Mgre...
P445ORACLE 445 Mon23 Dec C4 9712:58
15/15
REVIEW
THE THIEF OF BAGDAD
Contemporary reviewers praised the
film, saying it was "an entrancing
picture, wholesome, beautiful,
deliberate but compelling."
The Thief Of Bagdad receives its
television debut on Channel 4 on
Christmas Day (4.45pm - 7.40pm) as part
of a season of restored silent films.
As Fairbanks Snr said: "It's a tale of
what happens when we go out wrom
ourselves to conquer wgrlds of
fantasy." What better time to share
that fantasy than December 25?
By Sally Reidy-Crgfts