'The Capone Investment', John Thaw pre-Regan series...

[Villain]

I've just bought and started watching this interesting six parter made by Southern TV, I read that it was made in 1973 and first shown in 1974 but part of the dialogue refers to it being set in the middle of 1972. It's about a £60m hoard secreted away somewhere in England by Al Capone in the '20s as a way of avoiding the US taxman, JT plays the son of a businessman with dodgy background searching for the dosh along with Isobel Black (an ITC regular back in the day), while Glynn Owen ('Man At The Top', 'Howerd's Way' and 'The Professionals') plays the copper on the same trail, aided and occasionally hindered by a DI6 man played very nicely by Peter Sallis, always good for a sinister guest star spot. The production values aren't too bad although there is some back projection during the 'in car' scenes, the location stuff is shot on 16mm film while the studio bound stuff was recorded on video tape, typical of the period really. As for the cars used, JT drives a very nice early dark blue Triumph Stag with a Coventry issued J reg' number, Peter Sallis wafts about in a Silver Birch over Admiralty Blue Rover P5B Coupe and Glynn Owen is driven around in a Mexico Brown Rover P6 3500 Auto. One of the villains goes about in a handsome red K reg's Merc Benz 'W' Series saloon. Both of the Rovers bear  Solihull 'XC' factory reg' numbers with K suffixes so were no doubt part of the company's press fleet at the time. The incidental music is good but quite sparse, similar in style to 'The Ipcress File' but probably not as good, sadly the main theme is bloody awful! Worth a look though, particularly for seeing John Thaw in 'Regan' mode at least a year before the Sweeney pilot was made, he even wears a polo neck and a brown suit...  .


Villain 

[Arthur Pringle]

Not seen this, pretty sure it was on talkingpicturestv recently in the early hours, an abridged version I think. Odd how we're not so enthusiastic about Thaw's other roles, I suppose everything pales in comparison with his performance as Regan.

I heard the theme on youtube, bloody awful yes-

[Villain]

I had it in my Amazon shopping basket for months and bought it the other day along with Series 2 of 'The Gentle Touch', there are quite a few other forgotten early '70s series waiting to be bought too. It's certainly well written and JT gives a good performance, but I think if it had been made by Euston Films it would have been a little stronger overall. Still worth a punt though, it's similar in style to another Southern TV series, 'Dangerous Knowledge' which was made in '76 starring John Gregson.


Villain 

[Where's The Money]

I could be confusing this with a film I stumbled upon one night on Talking Pictures. Apologies in advance if I am confusing this with something else.
The 'film' I saw involved people getting 'bumped' off. Someone is electrified in the pool and some poor sod is knocked of his bike, even though he is given plenty of warning of intent by the perpetrator, I thought it was just woeful. I bet later in life John Thaw looked back on it with a big grin. 
Made Acorns Antiques look like a Noel Coward production. 

[Dirty Epic]

I was going to ask about whether this is any good as I noticed it was coming on Talking Pictures TV in a few weeks time?

It certainly seems worth a watch with Ian Kennedy Martin at the helm and not just John Thaw but Glyn Owen and Peter Sallis (in what seems to be a non comedy role) and an interesting premise of Al Capone's associates taking some of his ill-gotten gains to the UK and setting up enterprises here.

I hope it doesn't turn into something disappointing like Mitch or worse Gangsters for me.

[Dirty Epic]

Apr 19, 2020 18:44:27 GMT Where's The Money said:

I could be confusing this with a film I stumbled upon one night on Talking Pictures. Apologies in advance if I am confusing this with something else.
The 'film' I saw involved people getting 'bumped' off. Someone is electrified in the pool and some poor sod is knocked of his bike, even though he is given plenty of warning of intent by the perpetrator, I thought it was just woeful. I bet later in life John Thaw looked back on it with a big grin. 
Made Acorns Antiques look like a Noel Coward production. 

Edit: just had a proper look at your post WTM, hmmm, doesn't look good from that mate. Will record it and see!

[Where's The Money]

Apr 21, 2020 10:50:07 GMT Dirty Epic said:

Apr 19, 2020 18:44:27 GMT Where's The Money said:

I could be confusing this with a film I stumbled upon one night on Talking Pictures. Apologies in advance if I am confusing this with something else.
The 'film' I saw involved people getting 'bumped' off. Someone is electrified in the pool and some poor sod is knocked of his bike, even though he is given plenty of warning of intent by the perpetrator, I thought it was just woeful. I bet later in life John Thaw looked back on it with a big grin. 
Made Acorns Antiques look like a Noel Coward production. 

Edit: just had a proper look at your post WTM, hmmm, doesn't look good from that mate. Will record it and see!

Hi Dirty Epic. I may have the wrong programme and may have confused it with something else thus don't let me put you off.
From what I remember John Thaw spends most of the time shouting his lines. And I love Mr Thaw, thus never critical of him and anything he is normally in. 
If you like the countryside there are some cracking shots of jolly old England. 

[Arthur Pringle]

It's on talkingpicturestv on May 20th, the version shown is an edited 'tv movie' version, the original was shown in 6 parts.

They also show an Armchair Thriller 4 parter with Ian McShane called 'High Tide' as one film.

[Steve Austin]

Apr 21, 2020 16:39:19 GMT Arthur Pringle said:

They also show an Armchair Thriller 4 parter with Ian McShane called 'High Tide' as one film. 

I watched that a couple of weeks ago.  It was OK, narrated again by McShane as he did in "Sewers Of Gold".  Not sure about this style of film, means that they don't need to film as many scenes I guess as everything is being explained for you.  I would watch this again though.

[Harryshand]

Surprisingly for a Southern TV production it is almost entirely filmed around the village of Chipperfield in Herts. The only other location I've spotted is Cookham for the river scenes. an entertaining romp not to be taken too seriously.