Thrills at home—on Bank holiday

T.V. After the Bank Holiday weather, viewers, especially those whom ITV reaches, must have enjoyed having two hourand-a-half films laid on for them. It was more than a full cinema programme, laid on in the home.
Though I recognise that old films are a TV "escape", we have certainly not progressed sufficiently in creating a new TV dramatic art to make a good film anything but a relief from a good deal of what is on offer, especially from Commercial.
The first film, "Dark Journey", given by ITV, had the interest of showing a large number of stars, familiar to the older among us and probably unknown to the present younger generation. It is pleasant to meet them again, though I personally cannot quite overcome a rather eerie feeling when 1 know that they have since died.
It also showed us Vivien Leigh at the beginning of her career, and one could watch for the signs of the great future actress. But on the whole it was a difficult film to follow owing to its jerky technique.
When it was over, one wondered whether bed or the B.B.C.'s "Foreign Correspondent" was the better choice. My decision was made because I noted that Alfred Hitchcock had directed the film. How right my decision was! It was a magnificent thriller, every shot of which revealed the master of excitement, suspense and the welcome dry lighter touch.
The closing scenes when the Clipper was shot down were better in their way than anything I have seen since. What a wealth of good film material TV could show us if it wanted to or if it is allowed to. I hope "The Vanishing Lady" will he shown one day.
"First Novel" (B.B.C.) raises the question whether documentary material is best presented straight or in fiction form. I imagine the latter is the more popular with
viewers generally and it was certainly a success in this particular instance. To me it was specially interesting in that, unlike most documentaries, the subject was very familiar to me. I thought it quite fair, though some publishers may deplore the high importance attached to the use of an agent by writers.
RADIO. When I sit back and reflect on the differences between radio and TV programmes I have to admit that for entertainment value television. on the whole, wins. For giving serious enjoyment and for programmes with some meat in them, the radio is still far ahead. Programmes where the speaking voice plays an important part are undoubtedly better. In the telling of stories. for instance, the speaker is not distracting us with his mannerisms or his dull face. One is able to concentrate far more on what the man is saying.
Fr. Martindale, S.J., has a delightful radio voice and his talk on St. Ignatius last week was packed with those anecdotes which he always puts over with such skill. I enjoyed every minute of the talk and I do hope those who had heard Chabrier's Rhapsody Espana in the Promenade Concert stayed near their radio sets to hear about another aspect of Spanish life.
ON Sunday mornings in the Home before the one o'clock news, B.B.C. correspondents from many parts of the world can be heard giving their impressions of local news and views. With the present Suez Crisis on last Sunday's dispatch from Egypt was particularly interesting and brought home to me, at least, something of what the ordinary Egyptian is thinking about it all, This weekly programme is well worth listening to.
Joan Newton