Feb 27th    
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood**
(US 2019)        
Sony/Tri-Star/Tencent. 109m.

An investigative journalist interviews a much-loved children's TV personality who turns the tables on him and helps him come to terms with his abusive dying father.
Warm-hearted drama ideally suited to this star, although even Hanks's sincerity can't completely eradicate the slight feeling of unease attaching adult elements to children's television, with a clever mixture of fantasy and reality.

Written by: Micah Fitzerman-Blue, Noah Harpster, based on an article by Tom Junod.
Producers: Youree Henley, Peter Soraf, Marc Turtletaub, Leah Holzer.
Director: Marielle Heller.
Starring: Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Chris Cooper, Susan Kelechi Watson, Enrico Colantoni, Maryann Plunkett, Christine Lahti.
Photography: Jody Lee Lipes.
Music: Nate Heller.
Production Design: Jade Healy.

Feb 24th   
Convoy**       
(GB 1940)     
Ealing. 90m. bw

A British Navy destroyer has to serve in one more convoy, encountering a German pocket battleship.
Serviceable wartime drama, fairly subtle and unpretentious as morale-boosting propaganda (and an interesting precursor to In Which We Serve and Ealing's later post-war drama The Cruel Sea), with some interesting future faces of note, and a love triangle sub-plot that doesn't work emotionally, but this hardly matters.

Written by: Patrick Kirwan, Pen Tennyson.
Producer: Michael Balcon.                     
Director: Pen Tennyson.
Starring: Clive Brook, John Clements, Judy Campbell, Edward Chapman, Edward Rigby, Penelope Dudley Ward,  Michael Wilding, John Laurie, Albert Lievein, Anton Diffring, Stewart Granger, Hay Petrie, Mervyn Johns. 
Photography: Roy Kellino, Gunther Krampf.
Music: Ernest Irving.

+ partially filmed on the Felixstowe estuary at Halfpenny Pier, Harwich

Feb 20th  
Three Ages**  
(US 1923)     
Metro/Joseph M. Schenck. 63m, bw. silent

In modern, Roman and caveman eras, a simpleton seeks to win his sweetheart over his physically superior rival.
Simplistic Keaton spoof of Intolerance with basically the plot repeated three times over, with some occasionally quirky humorous variations. It was his first feature venture beyond 3 reels however, and later efforts greatly improved, so this first effort can be forgiven.

Written and Directed by: Buster Keaton, Eddie Cline.
Producer: Joseph M. Shenck.
Starring: Buster Keaton, Wallace Beery, Margaret Leahy, Joe Roberts, Lillian Lawrence, Kewpie Morgan, Blanche Payson.
Photography: Elgin Lessley, William C. McGann.

Preceded by:
The Germ War**
(GB 1968. 15m.; Telling little information short - applicable for these times too - about the adventures of germs infecting households.; w, d: Clive Mitchell; for Maxwell Munden/British Gas.)

Feb 14th  
Lady and the Tramp***   
(US 1955)     
Walt Disney. 76m. Cinemascope

In an American community of the early 20th century, a stray dog falls for a refined cocker spaniel.
Splendidly crafted canine animation, aspiring to do for dogs what Bambi did for deers and forest life. Somehow it lacks the passion or the intensity of Disney's earlier films, but nonetheless oozes charm and the semi-naturalistic, semi-comedic dog characterisations are a sure-fire winner.

Written by: Erdman Penner, Joe Rimaldi, Ralph Wright, Don DaGradi, Joe Grant, from a story by Ward Greene.
Producer: Walt Disney, Erdman Penner.
Directors: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske.
Voices of: Barbara Luddy, Larry Roberts, Peggy Lee, Bill Thompson, Bill Baucom, Stan Freberg, Alan Reed.
Music/Songs: Oliver Wallace, Sonny Burke, Peggy Lee.

Feb 8th  
The Great McGonagall   
(GB 1975)                           
Tigon British/Darlton/Oppidan. 85m.

Surreal historical fantasia on the life of 19th century poet William McGonagall, made on the cheap inside three weeks at Wilton's Music Hall, with its comedians unrestrained (unfortunately) in less than vintage form, where anything goes, including even a moment of outtakes halfway through.

Written by: Joseph McGrath, Spike Milligan.
Producer: David Grant.
Director: Joseph McGrath.
Starring: Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers (as Queen Victoria), Julia Foster, John Bluthal, Valentine Dyall.
Photography: John Mackey.
Music: John Shakespeare, Derek Warne.

Preceded by:
Our Gang in
Seeing the World*  
(US 1927. Pathe. 20m. bw. silent; Pictorial Little Rascals travelogue mainly following James Finlayson around actual locations in Europe.; w: H.M. Walker; d: Robert McGowan, F. Richard Jones; s: James Finlayson, Allen Hoskins, Charlie Hall, Stan Laurel; ph: Art Lloyd.)