On the Fiddle

On the cusp of international fame, Sean Connery took a lead role in this star-studded film adaptation of R.F. Delderfield’s story of a couple of lovable service dodgers who become accidental heroes. His performance here gives no inkling as to what lay in his future (Pedlar Pascoe is certainly NOT a smooth, suave sophisticate!) but his screen presence is undeniable. Taking second lead to Alfred Lynch, Connery's obvious charisma and screen presence make him the focus of almost every scene in which he features - something that did not escape Broccoli and Saltzman's notice when they were looking for someone to play a certain Commander Bond. Lynch is no lightweight in the acting stakes either, and though his métier was always strong drama (The Hill, Manhunt, David Rudkin's Wednesday Play entry House of Character) he turns in a likeable and highly watchable performance as the proto-Arthur Daley wide boy Horace Pope.