Saturday, February 28, 2009

The Voice of Merrill and James Robertson Justice

You don't have to go to the city to find interesting things.

This morning a local animal welfare charity had a sale underneath the Old Grammar School here in Market Harborough. And I bought a DVD from them.

It was the 1952 film The Voice of Merrill, which stars Valerie Hobson and James Robertson Justice.

With it came a catologue from its publisher, Odeon Entertainment. As you will see from their website, they specialise in reviving British films that are so obscure that even I have never heard of them.

Talking of James Robertson Justice, here is a plug for James Hogg's biography What's the Bleeding Time? The website says the book is sold out, but no doubt you could find a secondhand copy.

2 comments:

Frank Little said...

Does the biography explain why JRJ appeared in "The Magnet" (still, as far as I know, the only film to be shot extensively on the streets of Wallasey) under a nom de guerre? Was it connected with his standing for Labour in the general election?

Jonathan Calder said...

I have not read the book, but that is the reason usually given. I wonder if the Wirrall was quite as middle class in 1950 as The Magneet makes it seem.

Saw James Fox playing Charles Powell the other day - still going strong 59 years on. It is sad that everyone has him confused with his brother these days.