Jump to content

Penny Gold

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Penny Gold
UK theatrical poster
Directed byJack Cardiff
Written by
  • David D. Osborn (as David Osborn)
  • Liz Charles-Williams
Produced byGeorge H. Brown
Starring
CinematographyKen Hodges
Edited byJohn Trumper
Music byJohn Scott
Production
company
Fanfare Films Ltd. (as A Fanfare Film)
Distributed byScotia-Barber (UK)
Release date
  • 22 June 1973 (1973-06-22)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Penny Gold is a 1973 British crime film directed by Jack Cardiff and starring James Booth, Francesca Annis, Nicky Henson and Joss Ackland.[1][2]

Two policemen investigate a series of murders involving rare stamps.

Premise

[edit]

A police detective investigates the murder of a young woman, and discovers that the crime is connected to her surviving twin sister and an extremely valuable postage stamp.

Cast

[edit]

Critical reception

[edit]

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "A depressingly mediocre film from Jack Cardiff, who has here succeeded in recreating the Merton Park second-feature murder mystery of a decade ago, complete with raincoated copper (and matey assistant), voice-over flashbacks, guest heavies, and a parochial Thames-side location (not too far from the studios). One half-expects Russell Napier to materialise at any moment, pick up a phone, say "Hello. Inspector . . . what", and dash off in his black Wolseley, bell clanging, to investigate a houseboat homicide. True, the avuncular Napier rarely got into colour and never got the girl in the end (whereas James Booth, with a smile and a wink, and a pat of Francesca Annis' hand, does both); but the rest is familiar enough to set Edgar Wallace's bust revolving once again. It is difficult to fathom the purpose behind a dispiriting throwback of this kind, unless it be to tap the remnants of the nostalgia market. If so, the barrel is being well and truly scraped."[3]

Time Out noted: "a brilliant opening sequence, otherwise this flat-footed British thriller is hampered by something like the world's worst script, including flashbacks no one would ever conceivably flash back to, and by a cumbersome storyline about big league stamp trading."[4]

Sky Movies wrote: "The spirit of the British crime movie of the Fifties lives on in this old-fashioned thriller about the hunt for a rare stamp as the Penny Gold of the title. Jack Cardiff directs with obvious affection for a genre long past but it's hard on such distinguished players as Francesca Annis and James Booth not to have more meat on which to bite."[5]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Penny Gold". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Penny Gold". BFI. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009.
  3. ^ "Penny Gold". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 40 (468): 151. 1 January 1973 – via ProQuest.
  4. ^ "Penny Gold". Time Out London.
  5. ^ "Penny Gold". Find and Watch.
[edit]