He Who Rides a Tiger ** (1965, Tom Bell, Judi Dench, Paul Rogers) – Classic Movie Review 6450

Tom Bell (1933–2006).

Director Charles Crichton’s 1965 British independent film thriller stars Tom Bell as burglar Peter Rayston, who comes out of jail for the eighth time and has a little love with the easily-led social worker Joanne (Judi Dench) and a lot of problems with police Superintendent Taylor (Paul Rogers) while going back to his old life of daring robberies.

Joanne tries to reform him, but after she snubs his romantic advances, Rayston plans and executes a series of audacious burglaries

The young Judi Dench.

There is a fair bit to admire in this interesting if slow-moving, slightly stale character study cum crime story, handled with emotional tension and attention to detail by Crichton.

The exceptional cast gives Trevor Peacock’s often tedious, soft-centred screenplay their very best shot. Obviously, it is a treat to check out the young and callow Bell and Dench.

Also in the cast are Kay Walsh, Ray McAnally, Jeremy Spenser, Ralph Michael, Peter Madden, Inigo Jackson, Annette André, Edina Ronay, Nicolette Pendrell, Frederick Piper, Rita Webb, Robin Hughes, Jimmy Gardner, Howard Lang and Naomi Chance.

It is shot in black and white by John von Kotze, produced by David Newman, scored by Alexander Faris and designed by Seamus Flannery. It runs 103 minutes and is distributed by British Lion Films.

Old Indian proverb says: ‘He who rides a tiger can never dismount.’

The film is based on the life of real-life Irish cat-burglar Peter Scott (18 February 1931 – 17 March 2013), described as the ‘King of the Cat Burglars’, ‘Burglar to the Stars’ and the ‘Human Fly’, though he described himself as a ‘master idiot’. Scott was in Dartmoor prison when the film was released and profited little from it.

It was Crichton’s last film for 23 years, till his spectacular return with his final movie A Fish Called Wanda (1988).

Busy stage, film and TV actor Trevor Peacock (born 19 May 1931) is best known for playing Jim Trott in the BBC comedy series The Vicar of Dibley, He is also a noted songwriter, writing the 1960s pop classic ‘Mrs Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter’, recorded by Herman’s Hermits and hits for The Vernons Girls. He played the father of Father Christmas in the 2007 film Fred Claus starring Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6450

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