She Fell Among Thieves (TV) [1980] Malcolm McDowell

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She Fell Among Thieves (1980)


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078247/

The 17th episode that aired in 1978 as part of the British television series, BBC2 Play of the Week, She Fell Among Thieves also has the lofty distinction of being the first BBC drama to launch PBS networksΓΓé¼Γäó wildly successful and long-running series, Mystery! upon its 1980 air-date.

Adapted by Tom Sharpe from Dornford YatesΓΓé¼Γäó novel for veteran and award-winning television director Clive Donner, the ΓΓé¼┼ômysteryΓΓé¼┬¥ element of the work is virtually nonexistent as right from the start, we recognize that Thieves actually seems more at home in the genres of high camp or Gothic B-movie horror.


Malcolm McDowell ... Richard Chandos
Eileen Atkins ... Vanity Fair
Michael Jayston ... Mansel
Karen Dotrice ... Jenny
Sarah Badel ... Virginia
Philip Locke ... Acorn
Richard Pearson ... Father Below
Freda Jackson ... Lafone

Essentially a British tourist on holiday whoΓΓé¼Γäós worried about being held for months by the French police if he reports a deceased man flowing quickly downstream when all he has as evidence is a shoe-- while Richard initially decides to grow through political, diplomatic channels involving the consulate and British higher-ups, soon enough and without a whole lot of logic, he decides to get involved himself and solve the mystery.

And, of course while amateur sleuths provide entertaining fodder and anyone familiar with McDowellΓΓé¼Γäós turns in projects such as Clockwork Orange or Heroes (or anything in between), realizes that the man who brought author Anthony BurgessΓΓé¼Γäó most wicked creation Alexander DeLarge to life for KubrickΓΓé¼Γäós Orange is more than capable of taking care of himselfΓΓé¼ΓÇ¥in the case of She Fell Among Thieves-- weΓΓé¼Γäóre not exactly dealing with the benign and low-key crimes of most classic British drawing room mysteries.

The made-for-television movie is anchored by a ferocious and devious portrayal by Eileen Atkins as Vanity Fair (not to be confused with the novel or Mira NairΓΓé¼Γäós film starring Reese Witherspoon) as a cross between Norma Desmond and Baby Jane looking gaudy and frightful with blood red lipstick and twilight blue eye shadow that appears on her face twenty-four hours a day. And with Vanity Fair, we're presented with one dastardly stepmother who would easily give Snow WhiteΓΓé¼Γäós Wicked Queen and Sleeping BeautyΓΓé¼Γäós Maleficent a run for the title of a much more literal version of Queen ΓΓé¼┼ôB.ΓΓé¼┬¥

While she would never stoop to something as cliched as a veritable ΓΓé¼┼ôshotgun wedding,ΓΓé¼┬¥ AtkinsΓΓé¼Γäó twisted widow who bosses around a lowly group of villains is more than happy to do whatever it takes to ensure that her beautiful, young stepdaughter breaks the contractual obligation stipulated in her deceased father's will by marrying before she comes of age.

With time running out and millions on the line that would fall to the lovely Jenny (Mary Poppins and Three Lives of Thomasina star Karen Dotrice), thereby taking away Vanity Fair's power as the Mistress of Chateau JezreelΓΓé¼ΓÇ¥Vanity steps up her plan of torturous action trying to drug Jenny and any available groom into the shackles of matrimony.

If you can watch the movie as a sort of gothic camp fairy tale, it's not that bad, as Chandos is consciously playing the part of knight-errant. The film has a wonderful hook, opening on a previous attempt to get Jenny married, one that fails when the groom passes out, having been drugged by the best man, Candle, who despite years of service to Vanity Fair has fallen in love with Jenny. He and Jenny attempt to flee, but it ends rather badly for CandleΓΓé¼ΓÇ¥it is his corpse that Chandos encounters in the river. It's a stylishly shot sequenceΓΓé¼ΓÇ¥in fact, the whole movie has a certain flair.

Acting is also a plus. McDowell handles the role of Chandos with aplomb, not batting an eye as he is basically drafted into service as an undercover agent. Eileen Atkins, though, steals the show; her turn as Vanity Fair is a scene-chewing marvelΓΓé¼ΓÇ¥imagine Bette Davis somewhere in between All About Eve and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, and add crack. She sees all, knows all, and has a caustic wit that matches her ruthlessness. A female Moriarty, if you will. That arch personality makes the grim concluding tableaux seem perfectly appropriateΓΓé¼ΓÇ¥it's just one additional plan that she's worked out well in advance.