Karry Best movie of this year hands down!

Stellead Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Spoonixel Amateur movie with Big budget

Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

JohnHowardReid Producer: Michael Balcon. An Ealing Studios Production.Following the huge success of "Kind Hearts and Coronets" on the American art circuit, this film was belatedly released by Pentagon Pictures Corporation in the U.S.A. in 1950. New York opening at the Art Theatre (sic): 3 October 1950 (sic). U.K. release through General Film Distributors: 7 January 1946. Australian release through British Empire Films: 12 December 1946. 8,301 feet. 92 minutes. Cut to 75 minutes in the U.S.A. (Available on a 7/10 Optimum DVD).SYNOPSIS: Victorian domestic crime drama, set in Brighton.COMMENT: Attractively in period with lavish production values, sets and costumes, directed with a meticulous attention to detail, but failing somewhat on the personal side. Although the dialogue is commendably natural and realistic, the characters are stock, one- dimensional figures that even skillful performances by Johns, Withers and Jackson cannot wholly disguise, while the lesser roles are simply played as caricatures — albeit well-played by such as Marsh and Piper. Alas, neither Sally Ann Howes nor Jean Ireland are particularly appealing and too much footage is given to them. Also Johns' more humanistic approach in the final reel is hard to swallow and the conclusion itself is well-nigh incredible.Still, it's a beautifully photographed and evocatively nostalgic period pic.

gsygsy A regrettably subdued film from a first-rate director. He hadn't really got into his stride when he made this. Its studio setting feels as if it were something of a straitjacket for him.There are compensations, though. There is an excellent leading lady, Googie Withers, who smolders superbly. Mervyn Johns is likewise splendid as a rigid paterfamilias. There a number of imaginatively shot scenes, notably the main act of villainy. And there are a couple of unintentionally hilarious moments, such as when a subplot character sings HOME SWEET HOME to gain the attention of Dame Nellie Melba - no, I'm not making that up.Ronald Hamer's masterpieces were soon to come: IT ALWAYS RAINS ON Sunday (again with Ms Withers) and KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS.

kidboots Robert Hamer was an up and coming Ealing director who had already been paired with Googie Withers in one of the best stories from "Dead of Night", "The Haunted Mirror". Ealing was a studio specializing in programmers during the thirties but after "Dead of Night" started to make a name as a diverse studio with their own particular brand of comedy ("Passport to Pimlico", "The Lavender Hill Mob") and bleak drama ("It Always Rains on Sunday" and later "Mandy") and glorious Googie Withers was occasionally on hand to add her professionalism and terrific acting skills. I agree with the reviewer who said that Withers was not restricted to any genre - she was as good in period costume as she was playing an up to date woman ("The Haunted Mirror" ) or a drab slattern ("It Always Rains on Sunday").Toward the end of the war film makers hit pay dirt with a series of lurid Victorian melodramas, one critic called Gainsborough Gothic - "The Wicked Lady", "Fanny By Gaslight" etc and one of Ealings contributions was the ambiguously named "Pink String and Sealing Wax". The title seemed to come from the unusual way the chemist did up his little parcels but even the symbolic significance escaped me unless it was the neat and tidy way Sutton wanted his life to run. It could have stood on it's own as a lurid murder story (along the lines of "Ivy") and Googie Withers was a long time being introduced as the mercenary Pearl but the subplot involving the harsh family life of the chemist's children didn't take too much away from the more salacious doings down at "The Dolphin".Mervyn Johns, a really unsung actor, plays dour Edward Sutton who runs the chemist shop and when seen walking jauntily along the street, a bystander remarks "Oh, the girl must be going to hang" - Sutton being the foreman of the jury!! He rules his household with a rod of iron - scoffing at his son David's (youthful Gordon Jackson, his "Hudson" days long in the future) efforts at poetry writing, forcing his older daughter, Victoria, into a teaching career when her heart is set on opera and taking younger daughter Peggy's (Sally Ann Howes) pet guinea pigs away to experiment on!! Nice bloke!!!In despair David walks down to "The Dolphin" where he becomes entangled with Pearl, the predatory wife of the local publican. He is soon under Pearl's spell and when he takes her to the chemist's to dress her cut hand she spins him her side of the story about how her brutal husband beats her and leads her a miserable existence, conveniently leaving out her promiscuous and provocative ways. She is keen on low life Dan Powell who says he would be keen on her - if she were a widow but Pearl doesn't need much encouragement and when innocent David, in an effort to engage her in conversation, commences a run down on how various poisons work, Pearl instantly steals some in her handkerchief the minute his back is turned. With the knowledge she has garnered it looks like being the perfect murder until Dan's discarded mistress Louise puts two and two together and goes to the police!!I thought it ended pretty dramatically - I definitely didn't want to see a trial where Googie was given her just deserts, but also the "humanizing" of Edward Sutton when he realises his son could be implicated in the sordid affair was a little too pat - perhaps the scene where his wife stood up to him in his treatment of Victoria helped as well!!Highly Recommended.

Alex da Silva Pearl (Googie Withers) is unhappily married. She is having an affair with the unscrupulous Dan (John Carol) and befriends David Sutton (Gordon Jackson) who works at his father Edward's (Mervyn Johns) chemist shop. A chemist shop gives you access to poisons........so guess what Pearl has in mind for husband Joe (Garry Marsh)? Can she get away with her plan...? Mervyn Johns, John Carol and Googie Withers put in the best performances. In fact, the whole cast are good, apart from Sally Ann Howes who plays "Peggy" and, despite a couple of funny moments, is as wooden as ever. Even the comedy character of "Miss Porter" played by Catherine Lacey is on the right side of irritating. Unfortunately, the story only develops when Pearl is on screen. There are 2 definite parts to the story and the better episodes take place at the pub. What a shame that large sections of the film are devoted to family life at the Sutton household. We really don't need the storyline concerning the 2 daughters, Victoria (Jean Ireland) and Peggy. Mervyn Johns is a good enough actor to portray tyrannical power without back-up from these women. Victoria wants to pursue a singing career against her father's wishes. After being subjected to her shrill voice on more than one occasion, the audience can only take his side in this matter. There is one very cringeworthy scene where we are subjected to her singing the whole of "There's no place like home" to a professional singer and it's just terrible. She sings on several more occasions in which she just becomes excruciatingly annoying. We even have to home in on her voice during a church scene where the congregation are singing a hymn......Stop it!......She sounds crap! I was slightly let down by the ending to this film - it seemed a cop-out. I wanted to see a trial and maybe a final twist - I think the best option for Pearl would have been to leave town sharpish! Despite the tedious sections of atrocious singing in this film, it is a film that is worth keeping to watch again.