The Brit-dodge of using a faded US
star to lock in distribution here sent many a thesp oversea, as Ginger Rogers
here, playing in Twist Of Fate a "showgirl" victimized by crooks
Stanley Baker and Herbert Lom. Wonder how these UK up-and-comers regarded has-beens who in many cases weren't nearly as capable performers,but got
billing and prominence thanks to a name still recognizable, if not potent. Robert Lippert used
a same device in his prolific deal with Exclusive/Hammer for supply of crime
thrillers using talent below even Ginger Rogers' by-then station: Caesar
Romero, Paulette Goddard, Dane Clark --- all of these and others knew England
as buffer between features back home and surrender to TV there. Twist Of Fate
might generously be called "British Noir," but falls well short of
ones more deserving of placement in that category. Ginger Rogers is a bit
grizzled for her lead, at 43 a full seventeen years older than romance partner
Stanley Baker, his hair unconvincingly grayed to narrow the gulf. Twist Of Fate
ran on TCM in full-frame, though 1.85, or approaching wideness, was intended
ratio, this further hobbling a minor pic that needs all the presentational help
it can get.
Your post is timely for me as I have been watching these "Brit noirs" lately via ClassiFlix, which has many of the Hammer-Lippert titles. I wondered at what kind of deal snagged so many American performers to be (obvious) "anchors" for these overseas productions. Some are better than others but none seem to have quite the same panache that their American (B movie) counterparts do. I have yet to watch Twist of Fate, though.
A very good Brit Noir currently available for Netflix viewing is CLOUDBURST, starring Robert Preston as a government Cryptographer out for vengeance against his wife's murderers. Preston gives a particularly affecting performance as the grieving, but revenge obsessed husband. This overseas job may have convinced him he needed to return to the stage, much to Broadway's benefit.
I really like CLOUDBURST and am glad you brought it up as it is one of my favorites of this era and style of movie. In fact, it's my favorite Robert Preston movie altogether. Highly recommend it.
Timely for me as well, as I'm heading to a Brit-noir double bill at the Music Box in Chicago tonight--"Night and the City," and "It Always Rains on Saturday." That said--"grizzled" is a little harsh to describe a 43 year old, isn't it (said the 44 year old)?
4 Comments:
Your post is timely for me as I have been watching these "Brit noirs" lately via ClassiFlix, which has many of the Hammer-Lippert titles. I wondered at what kind of deal snagged so many American performers to be (obvious) "anchors" for these overseas productions. Some are better than others but none seem to have quite the same panache that their American (B movie) counterparts do. I have yet to watch Twist of Fate, though.
A very good Brit Noir currently available for Netflix viewing is CLOUDBURST, starring Robert Preston as a government Cryptographer out for vengeance against his wife's murderers. Preston gives a particularly affecting performance as the grieving, but revenge obsessed husband. This overseas job may have convinced him he needed to return to the stage, much to Broadway's benefit.
I really like CLOUDBURST and am glad you brought it up as it is one of my favorites of this era and style of movie. In fact, it's my favorite Robert Preston movie altogether. Highly recommend it.
Timely for me as well, as I'm heading to a Brit-noir double bill at the Music Box in Chicago tonight--"Night and the City," and "It Always Rains on Saturday." That said--"grizzled" is a little harsh to describe a 43 year old, isn't it (said the 44 year old)?
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