New Year Catch Up Part Three - Films

First Friday Film Night of the Year was accompanied by the traditional beer and an excellent pork pie, but slightly marred by the tendency of the audience to drop into a sound sleep.

After a day's walking in the fresh air I'm afraid I was just as guilty as Arthur and both of us slept through parts of the first film on the agenda: The Marx Brothers' Animal Crackers.



 We both woke up a bit for the next item which was the first episode of the excellent television comedy drama: Tutti Frutti. Paul Newman (Image via RottenTomatoes.com)
(not Tuttsi Fruttsi as Chico would have it).

This was fondly remembered as the first time we had become aware of Emma Thompson, Robbie Coltrane and Richard Wilson amongst a terrific ensemble cast.

The main feature, and finale of the evening, was Harper, aka The Moving Target, starring Paul Newman as the eponymous private eye. It is, not surprisingly for a Newman vehicle, very enjoyable but I'm afraid towards the end my eyelids were very heavy again. In future I must try and get plenty of sleep before Film Nights.

The film, made in 1966, was again one chosen by Arthur out of nostalgia for his Brighton Essoldo years. Well-written by famous screen-writer William Goldman it has definite echoes of Bogart for me, which are underlined by a turn by the great man's missis playing the woman who hires him to find her husband. The plot becomes rather complex especially for viewers who are watching it through half-closing eyes, but it has echoes of the great wise-cracking smart aleck gumshoes in films like The Big Sleep and with a great cast and writing it is a classy picture and a good start to the film year.