Double X: The Name of the Game [Double X] * (1992, Simon Ward, William Katt, Norman Wisdom, Bernard Hill, Gemma Craven) – Classic Movie Review 12,994

Sir Norman Wisdom OBE (4 February 1915 – 4 October 2010).

The 1992 British crime thriller film Double X: The Name of the Game stars William Katt as an American tourist who comes to a Scottish hotel, where he saves the life of an English safecracker (Norman Wisdom).

Writer/ producer/ director Shani S Grewal’s 1992 British crime thriller film Double X: The Name of the Game is based on the short story Vengeance by David Fleming, and stars Simon Ward, William Katt, and Norman Wisdom.

William Katt stars as an American tourist called Michael Cooper, who comes to a Scottish hotel, where he saves the life of Englishman Maurice Rigby/ Arthur Clutten (Norman Wisdom) and then becomes involved in the nefarious dealings of property developer Edward Ross (Simon Ward) and his evil gang, the Organisation.

This lame-brained British gangster thriller stirs kidnap, murder and hidden documents into its soupy, unpalatable plot. And it certainly comes to something when Wisdom (appearing here after such a long gap in his first film role in 20 years as the ageing safecracker Maurice Rigby/ Arthur Clutten) provides the film’s most attractive acting performance. However, nevertheless, there are solid performances from several British acting worthies too, notably Bernard Hill as the brutal gang leader Ignatious ‘Iggy’ Smith.

The cast are Simon Ward, William Katt, Norman Wisdom, Bernard Hill, Gemma Craven, Leon Herbert, Cloë Annett, Derren Nesbitt, and Vladek Sheybal.

Cloë Annett gets an ‘introducing’ credit in her feature film début.

It is the last film of Vladek Sheybal, who died in 1992. A member of the Polish underground in World War Two, he was captured and interned in concentration camps twice, and escaped each time.

It was shot at Monkey Island, Bray, Berkshire, England; Portpatrick, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland; and Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.

Sir Norman Wisdom OBE (4 February 1915 – 4 October 2010) is best known for his 1953 to 1966 comedy films produced featuring the hapless character Norman Pitkin. His subsequent career was largely confined to TV, but he also toured the world with a hit cabaret act.

Double X [Double X: The Name of the Game] is directed by Shani S Grewal, runs 97 minutes, is made by String of Pearls, is released by Feature Film Co (UK), is written by Shani S Grewal, is shot by Dominique Grosz, is produced by Shani S Grewal, and is scored by Raf Ravenscourt.

Release date: June 5, 1992 (UK).

Odeon Entertainment released it on Region 2 DVD on 25 February 2007 in the UK in the rather optimistic The BEST of BRITISH Collection.

The cast are Norman Wisdom as Maurice Rigby/ Arthur Clutten, William Katt as Michael Cooper, Gemma Craven as Jenny Eskridge, Simon Ward as Edward Ross, Bernard Hill as Ignatious ‘Iggy’ Smith, Chloë Annett as Sarah Clutten, Leon Herbert as Ollie, Derren Nesbitt as The Minister, and Vladek Sheybal as Pawnbroker.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,994

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