PINK STRING AND SEALING WAX

UK, 1946, 89 minutes, Black and white.
Mervyn Johns, Googie Withers, Gordon Jackson, Jean Ireland, Sally Ann Howes.
Directed by Robert Hamer.

Pink String and Sealing Wax is a very good title for a potboiling Victorian melodrama set in Brighton. The film focuses on a pub managed by a drunken brute and his wife, played by Googie Withers. She decides to get rid of her husband and imposes on a very simple young man (played by a very young Gordon Jackson) to obtain poison to do the deed. Mervyn Johns portrays his stern patriarchal father.

The film is familiar material, life in provincial Britain in the Victorian era, respectability at the surface but passion underneath the surface erupting into murder.

The film was directed by Robert Hamer at Ealing Studios. Hamer tended to direct serious films at the studios including San Demetrio London, a segment of Dead of Night and It Always Rains on Sunday, also with Googie Withers. However, he also directed Kind Hearts and Coronets and directed Alec Guinness in Father Brown, To Paris With Love and The Scapegoat.

1. The appeal of Victorian period film, melodrama? Tone of the title? The film as an example of post World War II British film making: sets, the repertory of actors, characterisation, atmosphere and themes?

3. The study of evil in human nature: the opening and the condemnation of the murderers, Victorian justice, the chemist and his presence at the court and his decision, family life, the presentation of low life, the character of Pearl and her murder, Gay? How interesting and deceptive was this study of evil?

4. The film as a study of repression by good people who are self-righteous and disbelieving in evil? As illustrated in the Button home, the various emotional tangles, reactions and rebellions? The consequences of these tangles and a web of further evil? How credible was this?

5. The film's portrait of Victorian respectability, lovelessness, self-righteousness in the name of good and religion?

6. The film's focus on Button, as demonstrated in his work, his ability in the court, his mood as he returns from the court and his encounter with his wife, the reaction of his various children, his demands and interference in their lives and careers, his ridicule of David's love, his prohibiting the singing career, the inability to communicate with him, the nature of his harshness? Which sequences illustrated this best? The effect of his righteous harshness of his wife, her statement at the end about being willing to leave him? The humiliation of David and driving him literally to drink and to evil? His harshness on the girls and their inability to understand, their going behind his back?

7. The presentation of family life? Normality on the surface and yet the poison within the family? The evil that they could be driven to in terms of drunkenness, association with Pearl, deception?

8. The good side in the singing career, the interview with the singer, the audition, the winning of the scholarship? Sutton's reaction to the news about the scholarship?

9. How authentic was the atmosphere of the tavern world: people in the tavern, prostitutes and their jealous talk, the prostitute who protested to be a lady? Dan and his playing with women? Joe the big man who was so jealous? Pearl and her leading men on? How well characterised were these people?

10. The atmosphere of the emotional clashes? Amongst the people in the tavern, Joe and Pearl? Danny and the women? David becoming involved in this? His being used by Pearl and others in their fight? His naivete in believing this? The incident with taking Pearl to the laboratory and the consequences?

11. How credible a woman was Pearl? Her class and place in society, her work, relationship to Joe, leading on Danny, her motivation? The shallowness of her love and her hatred? Her determination to kill her husband and the charade she put on? melodrama at his death? Her tears and her naivete in her attempts at blackmailing Sutton? The build-up to her suicide and its dramatic portrayal?

12. How well drawn was the character of David? Credible in this kind of society, frustrated, the drinking, the response to Pearl? His kindness to her in taking her to the laboratory? Becoming her victim? His willingness to tell the truth to his father? The possibility of reconciliation with his father?

13. The build-up to Pearl's attempt to blackmail Sutton, his confrontation with her, with David? His calm approach and his ability to relent and find a solution?

14. The opening sequence of the Brighton newspaper and the conclusion with the same sequence? The importance of this? The historical note?

15. How valuable a portrayal of human nature, crime, evil, and the critique of an age?