10.12.11

go down death (1944)


"the short stick is too short a weapon to fight the devil with."
Big Jim Bottoms (Spencer Williams) runs a successful juke joint which is threatened when a new preacher (Samuel H. James) arrives in town and woos his punters into the church. Big Jim, his livelyhood on the line sets out to blackmail the preacher, but his Aunt who raised him knowing his plan beseaches the Lord to stop him...
Flawed religious piece by and for an African American audience, and as such an interesting historical watch.

the spy's wife (1972)


"Selling Toys it's got S.P.Y. written all over it."
Hilda Tyler (Dorothy Tutin) is the titular wife of Tom (Tom Bell), a spy, and whilst he goes off on business, she is left alone. But is she up to some spying of her own?
A short drama, with a nice twist at the finish.

all the right noises (1971)


"Can't we go on for a little while?"
Len (Tom Bell) is a lighting engineer in the theatre has a fling with a precocious young girl in the chorus, Val (Olivia Hussey). Complicating events is Joy (Judy Carne), Len's wife and mother of his two children, and Len's confusion when he finds out Val is not yet 16.
A seventies suburban take on the kitchen sink drama, which foregoes histronics and fireworks, but still holds your attention with the strong central performances of Bell and Hussey.