THE LONG ARM
UK, 1956, 96 minutes, Black and white.
Jack Hawkins, John Stratton, Dorothy Alison, Glyn Houston, Geoffrey Keen, Sidney Tafler, Ralph Truman, Ian Bannen.
Directed by Charles Frend.
The Long Arm covers material that became popular in many television series over the decades. However, in 1956 it was in the tradition of British film-making, small-budget, gritty almost documentary-like films about police investigations. The archetypal film of this kind was the 1950 Blue Lamp with Jack Warner and Dirk Bogarde which led to the TV series Dickson of Dock Green.
This time Jack Hawkins is the superintendent from Scotland Yard. The film focuses on the methods of detection used by the police from Scotland Yard, robberies, hit-and-run killings, crime day by day.
The film is detailed in its presentation of its characters and way of life. The film was directed by Charles Frend, an editor of many significant British films in the 1930s who began directing in 1940. Successful films include Scott of the Antarctic, A Run For Your Money (which he also wrote), The Cruel Sea and Lease of Life.
In the history books, it is pointed out that this was the last film made at Ealing Studios after a very successful career during the late 40s and 50s, especially with its local comedies.
1. Why? was this an interesting and enjoyable film?
2. The significance and tone of the title? And its relationship to law? Audience interest in law and its long arm, and audience respect for law and its working out?
3 Comment on the documentary flavour of the film, black and white Photography, location photography, authenticity of peoples and places and dialogue?
4. How impressive was the characterisation of people? Conventional characters? Real people? The tone and naturalness of the dialogue? The ordinariness of the police concerned and the natural tone and behaviour?
5. How much was the film helped by Incidental characterisation, especially the garage man, the retired housekeeper, the man who was run over and his wife? What was so special about their contribution?
6. How interesting was the character of Tom Halliday? the career that he had built up, the picture of home life, relationship with Con and wife, his relationship to the younger man and the younger man as a reflection of him, his motivation for being a policeman, his skill, his dedication, his humanity (the comedy of the phone call), the courage that he had, his final achievement? What values of the British police did he stand for?
7. How interesting a character was Ward in comparison with Halliday? Up and coming, over zealous, his girl friend, his skill, his potential within the police force? (Did he have Halliday's sense of humour?)
8. How impressive was the presentation of Scotland Yard and its work? The various officials, their wanting results, the cooperation?
9. The portrayal of hunches and the ability to follow up with files?
10. How successful was this structure with our seeing of the criminal and our searching for him with the police, the gradual build up to our trapping him with the police? How did this retain interest and audience suspense?
11. How interesting was the criminal in himself - his setting up his alibis etc, the mystery about him, his greed? The relationship with his wife, the characterisation of Mrs Elliott and her giving money for the dead man and her appearance as the ruthless Mrs Gilson?
12. Comment on the contribution on the incidental characters? Shone and his criminal background and respectability, Creasy as informer, the rock's safe manufacturer, the paper people explaining how to track papers, the festival hall manager persuaded by the police? Why did they seem real in this film?
13. How important were the family sequences - how real, did they give a human tone to the film?
14. The way that the trap was filmed - the two fruitless nights built up to the final night, the chase and the drive-in?
15. How did this film compare with modern T.V. series? What values in human living, what values in human entertainment?
