4. The Beast With Five Fingers (1946), dir. Robert Florey

[strange_complex]

I saw this film this evening with ms_siobhan and planet_andy at the Cottage Road cinema. It was actually being shown as part of the Headingley Literary Festival (oh yes - we have one!), on the grounds that it is based on this short story (thanks to ms_siobhan for the link!) written by an author who grew up here: William Fryer HarveyThe evening began with a short talk by a local

Comments

[segh]

I remember watching it in my room as a teenager, and towards the end my father tapped on the door and then insinuated his hand round the doorframe, and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

[strange_complex]

Heh, that sounds like such a Dad-ish thing to do! Mine has done much the same on many an occasion. :-)

[ms_siobhan]

I'm just still full of the excitement that I saw my beloved Peter Lorre on a big screen!!!!, but you're quite right about the feistyness of the leading lady - she didn't faint or have to be rescued, she sorted it all out in a scared but I'm not standing for this kind of nonsense manner and she did have the most gorgeous dresses.

I loved it when she annoyed the nephew and father by saying she would accept the bequest after all and the effects were amazing - especially when the hand was 'dying' in the fire - I almost felt sorry for it.

But oh my word how fabulous was Peter Lorre? :-)

[strange_complex]

Yes, I'd forgotten about announcing that she would accept the bequest. In fact, now that you come to mention it, she did that right after the leading man had stated on her behalf (and without bothering to consult her) that she would not want to accept it. So actually that was well feminist! She might as well have stood up and said "Well, thank-you, man, for telling me and everyone else in the room what I think, but actually I think the exact opposite and am now going to act on it. Hah!"