Harry In Your Pocket (1973/MGM Limited Edition Collection DVD) + Under The Hammer (1994/Acorn DVD Set)
Picture: C+/C Sound: C/C+ Extras: C- Film/Episodes: B-
PLEASE NOTE: Harry In Your Pocket is a web-only DVD release that can be ordered
from Amazon.com and accessed from the sidebar of this site while supplies last.
Scams and
crime in “polite society” always make for interesting storytelling since that
is where supposedly nothing bad happens.
Since the first murder mystery had someone dying in high society where
people have money and the butler got blamed because it was convenient. Here are two recent releases in that
tradition that are not bad at all.
Bruce
Geller (Mission: Impossible, Mannix) was usually a television name
where he had amazing success until an airplane accident cut his life short, but
Harry In Your Pocket (1973) is one
of his few forays into theatrical filmmaking and he directed this decent,
interesting and sometimes comic thriller about a ring of pickpockets who do
what they can to make the most money in the least amount of time. The experts are two pros (James Coburn and
Walter Pidgeon) who are always on the hunt for money and even new talent, but
in such a delicate line of thievery, who can you trust?
Enter a
couple (Michael Sarrazin, Trish Van Devere) who are into each other, but are
not having the success they would like to in life. Though reluctantly, the older pros take on
the new couple so they can learn how to pickpocket and just about anyone,
though it is not smooth sailing in the beginning and the more they get to know
each other, the more they all have to trust each other or be busted. The James David Buchanan/Ron Austin
screenplay is not bad and set free of the confines of weekly TV characters,
Geller is able to put the character out on a limb with less predictability and
he has everyone here in top form to work with.
Coburn
and Sarrazin were on a particular roll when they made this film and why it has
not been on DVD or Blu-ray for that matter sooner is odd, but it is nice to
finally have it available, even if it is in this limited pressing. This is a film anyone serious about suspense
or con job films should consider a must-see.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image looks good for its age (despite the
disclaimer that the materials are the best available) with a very well-edited
(by Arthur Hilton) and smart cinematography by Director of Photography Fred J.
Koenekamp (Patton, Billy Jack) is smooth throughout, while
the Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono can be weak in more spots than expected, but the Lalo
Schifrin’s score is another good one.
Then
there is another series by John Mortimer, the creator of Rumpole Of The Bailey (reviewed elsewhere on this site) that is
another pleasant surprise. Under The Hammer (1994) is set in the
art world like the hit series Lovejoy,
but has a very different approach. Richard
Wilson (One Foot In The Grave, also
reviewed elsewhere on this site) and Jan Francis (the 1979 John Badham Dracula) are friends and art experts
and auctioneers who try their best to make a living without being defrauded or
making mistakes, but it is also about their lives and the world they live in,
which includes history, privilege and what they love. Sir John Gielgud also shows up on occasion as
an ace art expert.
Sadly,
this only lasted seven hour-long shows, but it the kind of gem Acorn tends to
issue every month or so. I liked it, am
amazed it took me this long to catch up with it and recommend it.
The 1.33
X 1 image in all seven episodes is filmed, but is a bit softer than I would
have liked, which is a shame since they had Peter Jessop (The Harder They Come, classic episodes of The Avengers) as their Director of Photography and they really
ought to consider creating Blu-rays and new HD transfers for this underseen
series. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
fares better with good separation, but shows its age a little bit as
expected. A text profile of Mortimer is
sadly the only extra.
- Nicholas Sheffo
