| Fate Takes a Hand | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Australian 1-sheet poster | |
| Directed by | Max Varnel |
| Written by | Brian Clemens |
| Produced by | The Danzigers |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Jimmy Wilson |
| Edited by | Spencer Reeve |
| Production company | Danziger Productions Ltd. |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date |
|
| Running time | 72 min. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Fate Takes a Hand is a 1961 British anthology drama film directed by Max Varnel and starring Ronald Howard and Christina Gregg. It was written by Brian Clemens and produced by The Danzigers.
Plot
The recovery of a post bag stolen in a robbery fifteen years earlier has varying consequences for the lives of five of the recipients of the letters when the Post Office decides that the post should be delivered. Several lives are changed, as witnessed by a newspaper reporter and a Post Office security guard who follow up on several of the letters.
Cast
- Ronald Howard as Tony
- Christina Gregg as Karon
- Basil Dignam as Wheeler
- Willoughby Goddard as Rollenshaw
- Jack Watson as Bulldog
- Peter Butterworth as Ronnie
- Mary Laura Wood as Sandra
- Noel Trevarthen as Bob
- Sheila Whittingham as Jenny
- Michael Peake as Ross
- Laidman Browne as Maxwell
- Derek Blomfield as Briggs
- Valerie Gearon as Peggy
- Valentine Dyall as Wilson
- John Gabriel as Matt Little
- Brian Cobby as Mark
- Peter Swanwick as Preeny
- Bruce Beeby as Inspector Phillips
- Arnold Bell as Finch
- Michael Anthony as Fuller
- Carl Duering as Mike
- Liza Page as Lola
- Reginald Hearne as warder
- Peter Bennett as Max
- Angela Douglas as secretary
- Robert Webber as Wayne
- Eric Dodson as janitor
- Gilda Emmanueli as Sally
- Larry Noble as tough
- Andrew Kane as young boxer
- Martin Wyldeck as doctor
Critical reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Extravagantly unlikely omnibus film made up of five widely assorted vignettes with twist endings. The script is pat and the production values unremarkable, but the blend of comedy, drama and sentiment is bearable in an ingenuous kind of way."
AllMovie called it "a throwback to the British "portmanteau" films of the 1950s."
TV Guide gave the film two out of four stars, and writes that "the effect of the late letters' delivery to the recipients makes for five delightful little tales. Good performances all the way around."
References
- "Fate Takes a Hand". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
- "Fate Takes a Hand". The Monthly Film Bulletin. 29 (336): 52. 1 January 1962 – via ProQuest.
- "Fate Takes a Hand (1961) - Max Varnel | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related". AllMovie.
- "Fate Takes A Hand | TV Guide". TVGuide.com.