Eight O'Clock Walk [DVD]

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Attenborough is good in his part as the innocent man facing a guilty verdict under a tonne of prosecution circumstantial evidence. There are a few sub-plots; the trial judge has family issues and the man's barrister becomes ill, and his inexperienced son is asked to take on the case. I can't help feel that I have seen this kind of story loads of times. It brings nothing new except the relationship between the prosecuting barrister and his son as the junior defence barrister who is trusted to defend Attenborough due to the senior defence lead being called away. I couldn't help feeling that some of the sub-plots were unnecessary (the judge's family troubles make no difference to the story and the barrister's illness seemed a somewhat elaborate way of introducing the inexperienced son.) Is this, then, the story of an innocent man, the failure of British justice (which it could easily have been), or the skill of a promising, but inexperienced barrister? (Or all three?) Everything hinges on the brilliance of the inexperienced barrister and, of course, a lot of chance. Could this really be how an accused man would behave and could his fate rest in the lap of the gods, rather than the work of the police? I was not convinced; the police fail to conduct any real investigation whatsoever (aside from doing everything to incriminate their only suspect); this was left to the barrister. Are barristers supposed to be detectives? Would the police be able to bring a case, based on what appear to be circumstantial and very flimsy evidence? The eyewitnesses' stories were easily discounted and how likely would it be that the real guilty party might actually be one of the witnesses? (If you'll forgive a reference to another film, "Yes, my marrow" [Maurice Denham] - if you watch the film and know the actor, you'll know what I'm on about).

Kinematograph Weekly said: "Human, thoughtful and down-to-earth crime melodrama, pivoting on the Old Bailey.... Finely acted, shrewdly directed and flawlessly staged, it should intrigue and grip all classes." [6] The film was shot at Shepperton Studios and on location in London. The film's sets were designed by the art director Norman G. Arnold. It was the final film of the independent producer George King, and was distributed by British Lion. Chapman, J. (2022). The Money Behind the Screen: A History of British Film Finance, 1945-1985. Edinburgh University Press, p. 358 I have always liked Richard Attenborough. He was a true "great" and this film shows how versatile he was as an actor. I cannot rate it as a 5 star film, merely because some of the story is a little too "circumstantial" for me. I will try to explain. Newly weds Tom ( Richard Attenborough - The Magic Box) and Jill Manning ( Cathy O'Donnell - Detective Story) are still in their honeymoon phase which is why when a young girl asked Tom to help her find her missing dog he was unaware that it was April Fool's day and he was being pranked. But later on Tom finds himself being arrested when the young girl is found murdered and witnesses saw him with the girl. With no money his wife Jill manages to find inexperienced lawyer Peter Tanner (Derek Farr) to defend him which brings Peter up against his father Geoffrey (Ian Hunter) who is the prosecutions lawyer.By the numbers murder mystery drama starring Richard Attenborough as a London cab driver who is on trial on a murder charge accused of murdering a young girl.

Fans of the "Willy Wonka" stories will be fascinated to hear a reference to "Gobstoppers", obviously a real type of British treat. The kids involved in the prank obviously went out of their way to harass complete strangers, and in the case of cab driver Attenborough, nobody saw him leave after the young victim managed to get away from him. The shadow of a man wearing a hat is seen ominously at the listings of the day's cases, giving a hint to the possibility that he was the perpetrator. Child's Play (1954) A group of kids, led by brainbox Horatio Flynn (Christopher Beeny - later of Upstairs Downstairs fame - in an…Variety said: "Suspense thriller good for local consumption but under-dramatized for U.S. taste.... The youngsters are all natural, and at times amusing. Lance Comfort keeps to his usual high standard of direction." [8] I probably enjoyed this movie for all the wrong reasons. I love a courtroom drama, and this one gives unusual glimpses of the court's "cast" waiting in the wings. The jury waiting to be selected (or not). Court officers dishing round papers. Cleaning ladies polishing the marble floor. The judge and his supporters gathering in the corridor. The clerk handing His Lordship the traditional nosegay (Sweet Williams). The judge has troubles of his own - his wife is in hospital for an operation that she doesn't survive. Despite receiving this awful news he is kind and fatherly towards a very young witness. (Though he abandons his poor daughter, sobbing off-stage.)