And there we have it. The first Troughton story I didn’t like. The Enemy of the World is a six-part story that was written by David Whitaker and ran from 23 December, 1967 to 27 January, 1968. Set on Earth in the far distant year of 2018, the only thing that made this story…
Morocco (1930) – Josef von Sternberg
My foray into romance and melodrama following my screening of The Blue Angel for the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book continues with this film starring Marlene Dietrich in her first Hollywood picture opposite Gary Cooper. It was also von Sternberg’s movie Our characters all arrive in Morocco, Gary Cooper as Tom…
Magnum, P.I. (1981) – Tropical Madness & Wave Goodbye
Robert Hamilton writes an episode this week, well, originally aired 12 November, 1981, that causes some great strain on Thomas’ (Tom Selleck) and Higgins’ (John Hillerman) relationship in Tropical Madness. When a young English woman, Jennifer Chapman (Devon Ericson), seems to prefer Higgins to Magnum, Thomas is a little suspicious, but Higgins, flattered by…
Solo (2013) – William Boyd
Bond is back in this continuation of the original Ian Fleming novels featuring 007. It’s 1969, and James Bond has just celebrated his 45th birthday when he is given his latest assignment by M. And thus begins an adventure that is far more in line with the literary Bond than his big-screen interpretation, that…
The Rockford Files (1977) – The Mayor’s Committee from Deer Lick Falls & Hotel of Fear
This week finds Jim (James Garner) in all kinds of trouble as he gets caught up in a murder scheme, and Angel (Stuart Margolin) becomes a target of a hitman! First up is The Mayor’s Committee from Dee Lick Falls, which aired 25 November, 1977, and was written by William R. Stratton. The phone gag…
F for Fake (1973) – Orson Welles
The final Orson Welles recommended title following my screening of Citizen Kane for the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book, is this entertaining, quick-cutting, documentary about frauds, forgery, and fakery. Wandering delightfully from subject to subject, Welles regales the viewer with a number of stories, most based in fact, about lies and…
The Blue Angel (1930) – Josef von Sternberg
The next section I`m jumping to in the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book, is Romance and Melodrama, and this has provided me with my first introduction to the films of Marlene Dietrich, specifically, The Blue Angel. A bit of a superior-type professor, Immanuel Rath (Emil Jannings), runs a tight ship in the classroom,…
Doctor Who (Patrick Troughton) – The Ice Warriors
The TARDIS and its travellers find themselves on Earth during a new major ice age, with human scientists trying to find a way to halt the encroaching glaciers, but a discovery in the moving ice is about to up the ante as an alien menace is awakened! The Ice Warriors was a six-part serial…
Chimes at Midnight (1965) – Orson Welles
So I’m getting back on track with the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book, and am getting ready to finish up my time with Mr. Welles. I was quite looking forward to sitting down and watching this one, as I do like my Shakespeare, and I was quite interested to see how…
Magnum, P.I. (1981) – Memories are Forever
This two-parter originally aired as a single full-length feature episode, and gave Thomas (Tom Selleck) even more background for his character. It originally aired 5 November, 1981 and was written by Bellisario. While working on a divorce case, Magnum thinks he spots someone from his past on a passing yacht, and it shakes him to…
