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Dr Syn....
Jul. 28th, 2024 09:10 am How wonderful if the mild-mannered, grandfatherly vicar of the parish were actually a former pirate turned head of a smuggling gang who dresses as a scarecrow to terrorize the local populace. It never happened of course. At least, we don't think it did, but if the man got away with it we'd never know. What we do know is that smuggling gangs used church property to stash their contraband- and the local clergy winked at it- or were terrorised into winking at it. Anyway it's a grand notion- and well done, Russell Thorndike, for coming up with it.
Legend says he invented Dr Syn to entertain his sister- the actor Sybil Thorndike- when they were holed up in a south-coast hotel and there was a thunderstorm and they couldn't sleep.
The story became a book. I read about half of it once. It wasn't very good. But then neither are the original Robin Hood ballads. The idea is greater than its encasement
Then the book became a series. The later volumes- all prequels- are full of incident. I supect they dilute the original idea. A character like Syn doesn't need to be expounded. The less we know about him the more impressive he is.
There have been three film versions. I saw the first of them- a Disney movie for heaven's sake- when I was a kid. The scarecrow costumes terrified me, but they only show up in the first few minutes and the rest of the movie is dull. Dr Syn is played by Patrick McGoohan and his deputy, Mipps, by George Cole....
Last night I happened upon the 1937 version. It was George Arliss's last film and Margaret Lockwood's first. Rather too much of it takes place indoors- which is a pity because the landscape of Romney Marsh is unique and unearthly- but it moves with a zip and Arliss is splendid- in spite of being around 70 at the time- which is a bit old to be playing an action hero.
The third movie is a Hammer production starring Peter Cushing. I ought to hunt it down..
I imagine a future version that will combine zip with atmosphere and give full rein to the spookiness and yo-heave-hoing of the original story. It will be shot on Romney Marsh and exploit it to the full.
One can dream....
Legend says he invented Dr Syn to entertain his sister- the actor Sybil Thorndike- when they were holed up in a south-coast hotel and there was a thunderstorm and they couldn't sleep.
The story became a book. I read about half of it once. It wasn't very good. But then neither are the original Robin Hood ballads. The idea is greater than its encasement
Then the book became a series. The later volumes- all prequels- are full of incident. I supect they dilute the original idea. A character like Syn doesn't need to be expounded. The less we know about him the more impressive he is.
There have been three film versions. I saw the first of them- a Disney movie for heaven's sake- when I was a kid. The scarecrow costumes terrified me, but they only show up in the first few minutes and the rest of the movie is dull. Dr Syn is played by Patrick McGoohan and his deputy, Mipps, by George Cole....
Last night I happened upon the 1937 version. It was George Arliss's last film and Margaret Lockwood's first. Rather too much of it takes place indoors- which is a pity because the landscape of Romney Marsh is unique and unearthly- but it moves with a zip and Arliss is splendid- in spite of being around 70 at the time- which is a bit old to be playing an action hero.
The third movie is a Hammer production starring Peter Cushing. I ought to hunt it down..
I imagine a future version that will combine zip with atmosphere and give full rein to the spookiness and yo-heave-hoing of the original story. It will be shot on Romney Marsh and exploit it to the full.
One can dream....
