Thur Mat

 

Review:

“It’s Christmas week, and in the office of City & Colonial Bank in Haversham, it’s a quiet day. The small staff is managed by Harry Fordyce (Peter Cushing), a business-only nerd who exudes no warmth, no holiday spirit, and does not fraternize with the help. He won’t even let the staff put up Christmas decorations.

Today there is a ten pound discrepancy and he’s making a big hullabaloo about it, even though the error was spotted.

In walks Colonel Gore Hepburn (Andre Morrell), who represents the bank insurance company. He is doing a surprise inspection of the security. When he’s alone with Fordyce, he informs him that he’s a thief, there to steal the bank’s money, and that he’s holding Fordyce’s wife and child hostage. One signal from the window, and they’re done with.

Hepburn has the robbery planned down to the second, and Fordyce must play along. In the outer office, Hepburn acts like an efficient man, checking out the floor signals. Fordyce is a wreck but tries not to show it. He carries out all of his instructions, which include putting the money into suitcases (Hepburn’s “luggage”).

Very suspenseful film, and one wonders if Hepburn will be able to get away with the robbery, and if Fordyce will be implicated in any way. 

Peter Cushing is tremendous in the role of Fordyce, cold, stern, and highly disciplined, living a life where there are no shades of gray and mistakes are not permitted. As Hepburn, Andre Morell is excellent, charming even when he’s talking about the most deadly things.

The ending is a little rushed and a tiny bit confusing, but the story is a nice little take on “A Christmas Carol” with Scrooge Fordyce learning a few life lessons. Highly recommended. I saw this on a double disc with “Stop Me Before I Kill.””

4 replies on “Thur Mat”

  1. here here!!

    what a delightful movie!

    quite reminiscent of the movies I grew up with/on the the 50/60s.

    i shall forward it on to most all I know.
    thank you Mr JH.

    now, I must look for the other in that double feature.

    thank you again sir.

    Redacted

  2. Yikes! Redacted, that film looks scary! I haven’t seen the other yet and maybe just might not😱😳😬!!

    Also, I always really enjoy Moosh’s photos, but the 2 ladies in the ‘boot’ (trunk to us) is a bit off putting. Looks like they normally would be riding brooms. It could be the pic just didn’t translate well, but….😳.

  3. Miss Toodles,
    I agree the screen cap is a bit off putting. I chose to sleep rather than view it ( it was 0200 local).
    maybe another time. but the site may have better, hard to find flix to view.

    your comment on the females made chuckle aloud.
    No disagreement. I thought they looked more like members of the oldest “profession”.
    Both are closely linked anyway.

    If I may-
    do you read https://theconservativetreehouse.com/?

    june 5 in particular has some interesting observations.

    G-d’s best to you and yours.

    Redacted

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