ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 (1976) Wednesday 27 July 9.00-10.50pm Legend (Channel 41)
Essentially a clever remake of the Howard Hawks classic Rio Bravo (1959), this is a brilliant B-thriller, in an urban setting, and remains one of director John Carpenter’s best films. Street thugs besiege an abandoned police station where the father of a murdered girl has taken refuge.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? (1962) Thursday 28 July 9.00-11.10pm BBC 4            
The feud between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis is one of Hollywood’s great legends. Their one teaming, directed by Robert Aldrich, also enjoys legendary status. Two former screen queens, and sisters, share a dilapidated mansion and their enmity is given full rein . . . .

SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959) Saturday 30 July 1.15-3.10pm BBC 2
GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (1953) Saturday 30 July 3.55-5.25pm BBC 2            
Marilyn Monroe died 60 years ago on the 5th of August and the BBC is showing two of her most popular films. Some Like It Hot, with Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon both outstanding, is her best film; Gentlemen made her a star. The repeat showings, Thursday 4 August, are preceded by a rare 1999 interview with Jane Russell, who was Marilyn’s co-star.

MUSIC BOX (1989) Monday 18 July 9.00-11.30pm Talking Pictures (Channel 82)
HEAR MY SONG (1991) Monday 18 July 11.45pm-1.55am Film Four            
Welcome to a Film Society Week in miniature: two of our early successes are making relatively rare appearances on Freeview!
Music Box has Jessica Lange defending her father, accused of being a war criminal, in court. Directed by Costa-Gavras, a master of the political thriller, members gave it 83% in our 1991-92 season. Hear My Song opened our 1992-93 season and earned an impressive 89%. Ned Beatty turns in a fine performance as tenor Josef Locke.
BETTE DAVIS
Ms Davis was the Meryl Streep of her day, earning 11 Oscar nominations and twice winning the coveted statuette. BBC 2 is showing two of her classics (Dark Victory and Now, Voyager) Saturday afternoon and repeated Thursday evening. The latter performances are preceded by a rare broadcast of the 1983 documentary Bette Davis: the Benevolent Volcano at 8pm.

​ Your chairman has felt the urge to be active again! My intention is to select one film each week, from the Filmview channels, for your consideration. Not necessarily the best film scheduled that week, but one that is interesting and well worth a look!
9 – 15 JULY 2022
RAILROADED! (1947) Monday 11 July 6.00-7.30pm Talking Pictures (Channel 82)              
Railroaded! Is a fine, low-budget example of the tough film noir that was typical of its period, American studios (PRC in this case) and director. (Anthony Mann worked on seven such films, between 1947 and 1950, before directing Hollywood A-product such as The Glenn Miller Story and Strategic Air Command.) In this one, a young innocent (Ed Kelly) is framed by a psychopathic killer (John Ireland, who is excellent), when a robbery goes wrong.
Spot the Star: Ellen Corby (Grandma Walton) has an uncredited role.
‘Tight, suspenseful crime opus, well above average.’ (Steven H. Scheuer)