Wings of Mystery ( 1963 )

The Children's Film Foundation made a number of good little mysteries in the 1960s, one of which was Wings of Mystery, released in 1963. This British film tells the story of a brother and sister ( Hennie Scott and a young Judy Geeson ) who try to help their brother Ted ( Richard Carpenter ) when he is accused of stealing a new secret alloy from the iron plant where he works. The children suspect McCarthy, another employee, who will be taking a trip to Belgium to race pigeons. They believe he snuck the alloy sample out of the plant by tying it to the feet of a pigeon and will be selling it to foreign agents. Since the children are also avid pigeons racers, they follow him to Belgium in an attempt to apprehend him. 

Pigeon racing films are quite rare and this is one of the best in the genre. Audiences get to witness some splendid action shots of the pigeons in flight, especially that of Sir Lancelot who was the lead pigeon in Wings of Mystery. 

Unfortunately, the performances of the human actors are rather stiff, but CFF films were never known for featuring quality acting ( most of them cast new young actors or children from the villages where the pictures were being filmed ). Wings of Mystery does have one talented youngster - Judy Geeson, who was only 15 years old at the time. Geeson would go on to have quite a long career in both film and television starring opposite Sidney Poitier in To Sir, with Love ( 1967 ), Joan Crawford in Berserk ( 1968 ), and John Wayne in Brannigan ( 1975 ). 

Also in the cast is Patrick Jordan, Arnold Ridley, and Anthony Jacobs. The movie is only 55-minutes long so it is worth checking out, and if you enjoy it, take a peek at Sky Pirates ( 1977 ), another CFF release, this time with children who use their model airplanes to battle diamond smugglers. 

The Doombolt Chase ( 1978 )

HTV, an independent British production company, released a number of memorable children's television series throughout the 1970s and 1980s....one of which was The Doombolt Chase, a six-part adventure serial that aired in March 1978.

Don Houghton, a writer who contributed to several Doctor Who and Sapphire & Steel episodes, penned the screenplay for this clever sci-fi adventure which centers around the British navy. When Commander David Wheeler ( Donald Burton ) rams and destroys an unarmed vessel without a motive he is court-martialed
and later imprisoned. His son Richard ( Andrew Ashby ), who believes that his father received secret orders to ram the vessel, embarks on a search for information that might clear his name. Joining him in the hunt are his friends Lucy ( Shelley Crowhurst ) and Peter ( Richard Willis ). Their investigations lead them into a dangerous web of intrigue and espionage involving secret codes and a deadly new weapon of war known as the Doombolt. 

The Doombolt Chase was the second of two naval-themed adventure serials produced by Peter Graham Scott that were aimed at teenage audiences ( Scott had also produced the chilling 1977 Children of the Stones serial ). It is an exciting little production that combines authentic action scenes with location filming, numerous plot twists, a spunky theme song, and some fine acting by veteran Brits such as Peter Vaughn and Frederick Jaeger. 

The Doombolt Chase has been beautifully restored and is currently available on DVD through Network Distributing Limited. If you're interested in this series, you may also enjoy Follow Me ( 1977 ). To check out other Network DVD release reviews simply click here! 

The London Connection ( 1979 )

Before there was Agent Cody Banks there was Luther Starling. Nearly thirty years prior to when the whiz kid spy hit the big screen Disney released The London Connection, the first adventure to feature Agent Starling. He wasn't your average juvenile spy either - he was a handsome college-aged man with several government missions under his belt. Whenever the CIA had a particularly delicate - and difficult - task that needed to be done they called on Luther. 

After completing a dangerous mission to retrieve top-secret documents, Luther tells his superiors that he is off on a six-week holiday in Europe. His first stop is London, England to visit his pal Roger, but before he can even leave Heathrow Airport he finds himself caught in a web of espionage too tempting to resist. Dragging his friend Roger along for the ride, Luther sets out to capture the head of "Omega", a spy ring that has kidnapped a professor for his scientific formula. The British Secret Service keep a watchful eye on Luther and Roger's movements as they attempt to rescue the professor. 

The London Connection, was released as a feature film a part of a double bill with The Aristocats on December 29, 1979. Later, it was aired on television on Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color as The Omega Connection. The film was an exciting blend of action, comedy and espionage, introducing all the best elements of the James Bond series to children. 

A peppy score by John Cameron accompanied our heroes as they traveled throughout London in various modes of transportation, including a Morgan three-wheeler, air balloon, speed boat, and motorcycle. 

Uncle Sam keeps Luther well-equipped with loads of clever gadgets disguised as everyday toiletries, such as a razor dart gun, wire shooting belt, shaving cream motorized grappling hook, and a hairbrush telescope. "Q" could take a tip or two from Luther's outfitters. 

The London Connection was filmed, appropriately, in London, showing audiences views of downtown London, the new Scotland Yard, and Heathrow-Airport. Binfield Manor in Berkshire stood in as Omega's headquarters where, like SPECTRE, the members of this nefarious organization plotted their crimes. The manor house appeared in numerous television films of the 1970s and 1980s, including Murder is Easy ( 1981 ). 

Jeffrey Byron is excellent as Luther, as is Larry Cedar as his trusty friend Roger, bringing just the right amount of youthful zest to the parts. Also cast is a slew of recognizable British faces including Nigel Davenport as Omega's ringleader; David Kossoff as Professor Buchinski; Roy Kinnear and Frank Windsor as two bumbling British agents; and Mona Washbourne as Roger's absent-minded Aunt Lydia. 

The London Connection has an amusing script and is enjoyable fare for young and old alike. Its colorful, fun, and the pace never slackens. The characters are so appealing that one would hope there was a sequel. Indeed, the screenwriters hinted that a sequel may well have been planned for Luther to continue his espionage adventures in France. Whatever did become of The Paris Connection?