The Glory Boys (1984)/The Contract
(1988/Gerald Seymour
Cold War Spy Collection/British TV Mini-Series/Acorn Media DVD Set)
Picture:
C Sound: C+ Extras: C Episodes: C+
Gerald
Seymour is a writer of spy thrillers and especially found his work being
adapted for television during the Cold War.
We were impressed, for instance, by this out-of-print DVD for The Waiting Time back in 1999 with John
Thaw:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/615/Waiting+Time+(1999/Spy+TelefilmBFS
Now,
Acorn Media has issued a set of DVDs of two earlier adaptations of his work as
British TV mini-series. Though good and
ambitious, they are not as good as the Thaw project, but interesting enough to
revisit.
The Glory Boys has Rod Steiger as an Israeli
nuclear expert targeted by an unusual alliance of the PLO and IRA. A duo of protectors led by Anthony Perkins is
out to prevent this, but this will not be easy.
Despite the Cold War being over, the groups involved still exist of
course and this has not dated as badly, but it also has a slower pace than
needed and is more about the characters than plotting and action. However, this undercuts the pace and goes on
too long. That is odd since it is
directed by Michael Ferguson, a Producer and Director on the underrated spy
classic The Sandbaggers (reviewed
elsewhere on this site) and Seymour
did the teleplay adaptation from his own book.
Alfred Burke (Public Eye) and
great Joanna Lumley (New Avengers, Sapphire & Steel) also star.
The Contract is a tale of defection as a
British agent is asked to help the USSR’s top missile designer escape
the Iron Curtain. When families and an
unexpected trip through a then-divided Germany come into play, things get
complicated. Kevin McNally, Bernard
Hepton, James Faulkner, Hans Caninenberg and Brigitte Karner co-star in this
decent adaptation again with Seymour
adapting his book for television. The
Director Ian Toynton moved on to direct a Saint
telefilm in 1989 and episodes of Relic
Hunter, Providence, Crossing Jordan, 24 and
two shows he also serves as producer on: The
O.C. and Bones. This has dated more than Glory, but is also
worth a look.
The 1.33
X 1 image was shot on film in both cases, but these transfers are very soft and
seem to be from an older analog NTSC source.
Too bad, because the effort was made for these to look good and some
money was definitely spent on each of them to be event projects. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono fares better, not
sounding as dated and making viewing easier.
Extras include text bios of the casts and Seymour.
- Nicholas Sheffo
