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Topic Summary

Posted by: BoyScoutKevin
« on: April 12, 2015, 07:44:30 PM »

Part III

13. One wonders, if the story of "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" did not play a part in Ken's inspiration in this film.

14. A foreshadowing of what Ken would be capable of doing in the future.

15. And the ending is nonsense. Just as the ending of his "Salome's Last Dance" is nonsense. Though, that ending, I find, is one of Ken's most memorable, and one of the few endings that I remember.

16. The film is also one of historical significance, as Ken captures on film the London and Londoners of yesterday. The London and Londoners, which no longer exists today.

And as this is the last part, . . .

Next time: something different from Ken.

Posted by: BoyScoutKevin
« on: April 04, 2015, 08:36:35 PM »

Part II

08. The man in dark glasses, who is suppose to be blind, he is so obvious, when he looks at something, I am surprised that no one has--apparently--cotton on to the fact that he is not blind.

09. Where does Ken get his ideas for his films? Is it an original idea from the mind of Ken? Or was he inspired by something else? With the "living doll" in this film, I can't help but wonder if Ken was not inspired by the ballet "Coppelia" for this film.

10. Miming playing a musical instrument. Here the clarinet. This may be the 1st time that Ken had someone mime playing a musical instrument in one of his films, but . . .?! It'd not be the last time. Angus (Peter Capaldi) would mime playing the bagpipes in "Lair of the White Worm," and Kevin (Chris Pitt) would mime playing the harmonica or mouth organ in the same film.

11. One notices how carefully the men are at stepping over the "doll" in the film. If it really was a "doll," I'd doubt that they'd be careful.

12. Ken makes good use of the bombed out buildings of London in this film, as he did when he was working as a photographer. Thus . . .?! Who came 1st? Ken the filmmaker or Ken the photographer?

Next time: Part III

Posted by: Iain Fisher
« on: March 28, 2015, 11:44:55 PM »

The credits in chalk





Shirley Kingdon of course became Ken's wife Shirley Russell.

Posted by: Iain Fisher
« on: March 28, 2015, 11:33:15 PM »

Quote
I like the credits. Instead of doing the film credits the usual way, just chalk them up on whatever is available, and then film that.

That was stunning.  I'll try and get an image of that and put it on the site

Quote
The sad thing is, you look at the film and you realize that even a decade after the War has ended, London was still dealing with the effects. It was not till a decade later and the "Swinging '60's" that London finally managed to shake off the effects of the War.

Rationing, where the sale of food had to be restricted and everyone had a ration card which shopkeepers had to check before selling you food etc, ended in 1954, just a few years before the film.
Posted by: BoyScoutKevin
« on: March 27, 2015, 09:35:07 PM »

Part I

01. I like the credits. Instead of doing the film credits the usual way, just chalk them up on whatever is available, and then film that.

02. The movie reminds me of the motion pictures from the silent film era. Where the moving picture would be accompanied by some music, and the dialogue would appear on title cards. What we seem to have here is the "Peep Show" equivalent of title cards.

03. I wonder where Ken Russell got the performers who appeared in the film.

04. And the dental condition of the average Brit has gotten much better since 1956.

05. The sad thing is, you look at the film and you realize that even a decade after the War has ended, London was still dealing with the effects. It was not till a decade later and the "Swinging '60's" that London finally managed to shake off the effects of the War.

06. And how would London in 1956 compare with say . . .
a Berlin -- a Moscow -- a New York City -- a Paris -- a Rome -- or a Tokyo.
I'd imagine there would be certain similarities.

07. Not only a film, but a historical look at London in the '50's.

Next time: Part II