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]
| Penny Gold | |
|---|---|
UK theatrical poster
| |
| Directed by | Jack Cardiff |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by | George H. Brown |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Ken Hodges |
| Edited by | John Trumper |
| Music by | John Scott |
Production | Fanfare Films Ltd. (as A Fanfare Film) |
| Distributed by | Scotia-Barber (UK) |
Release date |
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Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Two policemen investigate a series of murders involving rare stamps.
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.
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 note:, "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]
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