Kate finds romance in Scottish castle

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32971, 18 July 1972, Page 4

Kate finds romance in Scottish castle

Kate found romance in a most unlikely setting when she took her final bow on Sunday as a principal of “Take Three Girls.” Set in a Scottish castle, “Keep Hoping” used some of the stock in trade of a thriller of years ago, with more than a hint here and there of the melodrama of Victorian times. But Kate threaded her way through a forbidding collection of castle residents into the arms of a business management consultant, John Erskine, played by Lyndon Brook of “Point Counter Point.”

Kate was there to do some cataloguing for Lady Worthington (Sylvia Coleridge) aged and infirm, lonely and embittered. Around her she had the grim Mrs Garvey (Joan Scott), mother of the mentally deficient Dermot (David Harries), and the equally unattractive Mr Garvey (John Garrie), with his unsavoury personal history. There were some skeletons in these closets, and they were rattled satisfactorily. There were other vivid threads in this tangled pattern, but things were not as bad in the castle as they had seemed to be. Until this was clear, however, dramatic close-ups of the Garveys and Dermot were used regularly to heighten the drama—a very familiar technique, but there, an effective one.

It would all have been rather ridiculous without acting of quality, but the piece was strongly handled. Sylvia Coleridge made Lady Worthington very real and recognisable and David Harries as the idiot Dermot played a difficult part with a chilling distinction. Hugo Charteris gave Erskine some telling, acid lines. But all the complications of the story were challenged in interest by Kate’s baby Aeneas, a scene-stealer if ever there was one, by the fascinating castle in which the story was played, and by the attraction of the Scottish scenery.

Des O’Connor, one week from the end of his series, behaved himself rather better than usual. The sketches in the bed department of the store, and the party aftermath, were much more amusing than most of the comedy fare his show has provided. # * # There were plenty of gentle laughs, too, in “The Test,” when Dad’s Army met and defeated the A.R.P. warden’s

team at cricket —this al- 1 though the opposition in- 1 eluded none other than F. S. ; Trueman, of Yorkshire and ; England fame. Arthur Lowe was splendid again, especially in his Catrcnising lecture when he ad his team out for an extraordinary net practice. And the slow dignity of his bowling, treated with anything hut dignity in the match was also delightful. Corporal Jones’s wicketkeeping added vastly to the fun, and Sergeant Wilson batted with a semblance of style which suggested John Le Mesurier was anything but at a loss in this role. Trueman himself was interesting. He had a few lines, which he handled with considerable aplomb, and he was permitted to deliver a remark attributed to him in cricket’s mythology—about pinning a batsman to the sight-screen. And for the cricket enthusiast, there was one brief glimpse of Trueman bowling, with what is regarded as one of the best fast bowling actions of recent times.

& & & After O’Connor, cricket and Kate, there was a very fine interview with Professor Harvey Cox of Harvard University. He ranged widely over a variety of topics—a stimulating look at the man and his ideas. It was a plea-

sure to hear someone express his thoughts so eloquently, yet with a basic simplicity and clarity.—PANDORA.

CHTV3 2.00 p.m.: News. 2.03: On Camera. 2.44: Matt Lincoln. Drama. 3.35: Presenting Nana Mouskouri. Music. (Repeat.) 4.05: Bewitched. Comedy. 4.30: Play School. 4.55: Clutch Cargo. Cartoon. (Repeat.) 5.01: Huckleberry Hound. Cartoon. (Repeat.) 5.27: News, weather. 5.30: Catweazle. Comedy. 5.57: Women’s Report. 6.12: The Partridge Family. Comedy. 6.40: Handy Hints. (Final.) 7.00: Network news. 7.22: Weather. The South Tonight. 7.45: Coronation Street. 8.17: Alias Smith and Jones. Western. 9.15: Newsbrief. 9.17: Gallery. Current affairs. 9.55: Tuesday Trimming. 10.04: The Bold Ones. Drama. 11.00: Late news, weather.

NATIONAL LINK [lncluding 3YA Christchurch <690 kilohertz); 2YA Wellington (570 kilohertz); 4YA Dunedin (750 kilohertz); and 3YZ Greymouth (920 kilohertz).] 7 p.m.: N.Z.B.C. Sports News. 7.5: Sun Songs. 7.30: On Stage New Zealand. 8.30: Weather and News. 9.0: Advocate Impeccable. 9.30: Let the Peoples Sing (4). 10.0: An Interlude with Percy Faith. 10.30: N.Z.B.C. News, Comment, Weather. 10.45: Elephant Bill. 11.0: 8.8. C. News and Commentary. 11.15: All Night Programme. 3YC, CHRISTCHURCH (960 kilohertz) 7 p.m.: The Corelli Concerti grossi, Op 6. 7.14: Schubert: Clare Watson (soprano), Hubert Giesen (piano). 7.28: Beethoven: Romance in G, Op. 40. 7.45: Letter from

America. 8.0: South German Radio Symphony Orchestra under Moshe Atzmon. 8.49: Verdi: Macbeth. 9.49: Haydn: Sonata for harpsichord, two horns, violin and cello. 10.0: Paroles de France. Chez Maitre Rabelais. 10.15: Hahn: Infidelite; Le Rossignol des lilas; Faure: Serenade Toscane; Debussy: Noel des enfants. 10.25: Debussy: Homage to Rameau. 10.32: Messager: Ballet Suite. 3ZB, CHRISTCHURCH (1100 kilohertz) 7.45 p.m.: Top of the Top Forty. 8.2: Motoring with Robbie. 8.30: Top Team Quiz. 9.5: Sweet Music. 9.30: Moscow Coach. 3ZM, CHRISTCHURCH (1600 kilohertz) 9 p.m.: Ground Hogs in Concert; 10.30: Top of the Top Forty.