Distant Trumpet (1952) User Reviews

Men of Two Worlds

[richardchatten · 3/10 · 23 July 2020]

Unseen for nearly seventy years until resurrected this afternoon by Talking Pictures.

Terence Fisher's career slump between the folding of Gainsborough and finding steady employment at Exclusive probably hit it's absolute nadir with this drab, talky little independent production written and produced by actor Derek Elpinstone.

A very poor man's 'The Citadel', it picks up after brother doctor Derek Bond relocates to Africa, although he himself plainly never leaves Kensington.

Uninspiring Drama

[malcolmgsw · 3/10 · 24 September 2020]

When a film has not been seen for nearly 70 years you hope that it is an undiscovered masterpiece.Sadly this is not the case.The fact that the film was made at Viking Studios gives you that clue that it will be underwhelming.This film makes an hour seem like a day.

Silence from a distance.

[DoorsofDylan · 3/10 · 28 August 2023]

As the Wings of Danger (also reviewed) soared over,I decided to check Talking Pictures free catch-up site for other titles by film maker Terence Fisher, where I discovered that Talking Pictures had found, what was a very obscure Fisher movie, leading to me picking up a trumpet.

View on the film:

Detailed in the excellent Terence Fisher Master of Gothic Cinema by Tony Dalton that after his first contract with Hammer ended, the director joined this project, (by a studio which shut down after this production) and when asked about his feelings on the title said that "It was just a quick project that I agreed to direct and then regretted it."

Despite the bad memories he had, directing auteur Terence Fisher still finds space to highlight the Gothic Horror path he would take in the future, via the sequence where Richard falls ill, being covered by Fisher & cinematographer Gordon Lang in icy shadows, and a shard of light backed by Classical music bellowing from above.

Although he was, with Oliver Hunkin and Bernard McNabb, the writer of the terrible screenplay, which lands with a thud every time the racist dialogue is left hanging in the air, which is pulled down by a dire attempt at Melodrama, and also a co-producer, Derek Elphinstone gives an utterly flat performance as Richard, with Elphinstone destroying any chance to create drama between brothers Richard and David with a bone-dry line delivery that gets drowned out by the sound of a trumpet.

The original Hyacinth Bucket!

[j-p-collins95 · 8/10 · 30 December 2022]

Thought I'd take a few minutes to give a positive review in contrast with the two previous reviews which are truly dismal.

The first thing that struck me was what happened in the waiting room. A male patient had just left and we are left with three middle+aged ladies. One comments disparagingly, 'It's the National Health Service'. In other words, Look at the riff+raff we're having to mix with now that health care is free (since 1948). I hadn't even noticed the man's clothes, and in those days there were class distinctions, and you could tell which class someone was from just by their clothes. Funny, eh? It was only then that I really noticed that the female trio were done up like a dog's dinner, with huge hats and fur coats; one actually looked like Patricia Routledge's character though at least she never thought it cool to wear a dead dog draped over her shoulders ++ I'm referring of course to fox stoles, complete with head, legs and tails. Another world. These rich women paid well to employ the doctor as a sympathetic ear as they complained about their imaginary illnesses.

When the doctors, brothers, swapped places the poorly one used to dealing with real illnesses in Africa, was irritatedly twiddling a pencil listening to some woman blathering about nothing, could take no more and suddenly then snapped as did the pencil. He eventually resolved to give them some real medicine: the truth; interestingly, they didn't all react according to type. To find out more you'll have to watch it next time it comes on, and to find out that you'll have to sign up to Talking PicturesTV (free!) to get the monthly schedule.

Lots more good stuff in the picture and on TPTV!