Alchemi gives us a fun, themed puzzle on the easy side for a Prize crossword – if you knew the subject.
Happily I did. The theme is Kenneth More (3D) and five of his most famous films:
23/13 Reach for the Sky
11 Genevieve
1/20 A Night to Remember
5/12/30 Doctor in the House
10/29 The Thirty-Nine Steps
Of these, Reach for the Sky was the first answered, but when I got Genevieve I realised the connection between these two and that there might be a theme. I spotted the clue at 3D which easily fell, then went searching for other clues mentioning “film”. I was thinking of The Thirty-Nine Steps and wondering if it was present before I found the clue for 10/29. Perversely, the one I don’t remember is A Night to Remember, but with the anagram and crossing letters it had to be “A Night …” for something.
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 7 | NEVER | At no time cut switching poles (5) SEVER (cut) S/N (switching poles) |
| 9 | OBLATIONS | Bolt is on a roll, giving gifts to the church (9) (BOLT IS ON A)* AInd: roll. A concept nailed into my mind with fear after reading Phillip Pullman’s Northern Lights with its General Oblation Board (G.O.B.) |
| 11 | GENEVIEVE | German scenery essential to compete against Spain’s film (9) G[erman] [sc]ENE[ry] VIE (to compete) V (against) E (Spain) ‘Genevieve‘ is a classic car, a 1904 Darracq driven in the London-Brighton motor rally |
| 14 | HECTARES | Ha! Without current, the race is off (8) (THE RACE [i]S)* AInd: off. ha is the symbol for a hectare |
| 16 | OUST | Get rid of author after sacking media relations guy (4) [pr]OUST Proust is the author from whom a PR man (media relations guy) must be removed. |
| 17 | SABRE | Weapon bears recycling (5) (BEARS)* AInd: recycling – could’ve made a joke by using rattling for the anagram indicator but that may have made it too obvious |
| 18 | SPUR | Projection of old city on small parking sign (4) S[mall] P[arking sign] UR (old city) |
| 23/13 | REACH FOR THE SKY | Film about Australian chap stopping halfway to Scottish river, then getting cooler (5,3,3,3) Guessed from the K and enumeration RE about, A[ustralian], CH[ap] (stopping halfway), FORTH (Scottish river), ESKY (cooler – Esky is an Australian brand of coolers). The story of Douglas Bader. Possibly the most famous film here. |
| 25 | EMBALM | Preserve man with degree hiding in tree (6) Is this MBA (Masters of Business Administration – man with degree) or M[an] BA (degree)? inside ELM |
| 26 | MAKER | Creator‘s pen missing, right? (5) MA[r]KER |
| 27 | EUPHONIUM | Audible accusation of charlatanry at character from behind shows some brass (9) Homophone “You Phony!” then MU< (character from behind) |
| Down | ||
| 1/20 | A NIGHT TO REMEMBER | Film no great hit, surprisingly, having got Middle Eastern decoration right (1,5,2,8) (NO GREAT HIT)* AInd: surprisingly, then ME (Middle Eastern) MBE (decoration) R[ight]. Which night? Titanic night! |
| 2 | AVENGERS | Those retaliating for victory celebrations during outrages (8) VE (victory celebrations) inside ANGERS (outrages) |
| 3 | MORE | Extra starring in today’s films (4) DD and main theme Wiki link for Kenneth More |
| 4 | BLUEBEARD | Multiple uxoricide due to get embroiled with rabble (9) (DUE RABBLE)* AInd: get embroiled. Bluebeard got through a few |
| 5/12/30 | DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE | Film of clean Greek city including time on what river? (6,2,3,5) DO (clean), then T[ime] inside CORINTH (Greek city), EH (what) OUSE (river) The first of the Doctor film series – it didn’t last as long as the Carry Ons, only 6 sequels |
| 6 | ASPENS | Note poet drops queen shows trees (6) A (note) SPENS[er] (losing ER – dropping Queen) |
| 8 | REVOKE | Countermand vicar’s replacement of holy man in Midlands city (6) STOKE (Midlands city) ST/REV replace ST (saint = holy man) with REV (vicar) |
| 10/29 | THIRTY-NINE STEPS | Penis sent wild by triple-X film (6-4,5) triple-X = 3 times 10 = THIRTY, (PENIS SENT)* AInd: wild. Let’s see the trailer on Youtube |
| 15 | GASOMETER | Tank in Malaga – some terrified (9) Hidden in malaGA SOME TERrified |
| 19 | PLATINUM | It’s extremely valuable fruit in a can? Quite the opposite! (8) A TIN (a can) inside PLUM (fruit) |
| 21 | SHARKS | Aboard ship, listen for fish (6) HARK (listen) inside SS (aboard ship) |
| 22 | SMOOTH | Quiet about debate being superficially sophisticated (6) SH (quiet) around MOOT (debate) – last in |
| 23 | ROMANS | Superior forces finally surround country in book (6) [superio]R [force]S surround OMAN – the 6th book of the New Testament |
| 24 | ASKING | Questioning how the Prince of Wales would like to spend his last days (6) AS KING |
| 28 | PEST | It’s a nuisance Poland is in France (4) P[oland] EST (‘is’ in French) |
Easy? Yes, perhaps.
But I liked this very much.
Despite once more all these films from long long ago, I could find them all without asking Mrs Wiki. Had no idea who Mr More was but got him too!
I particularly liked the definition of 14ac and the homophone of 27ac.
Thanks beermagnet.
In 10,29 you said “Let’s see the trailer on YouTube”.
Of what? Not a ‘penis sent’, I hope.
Yes, this was good.
For which thanks to Alchemi.
Honor Blackman was in A Night to Remember and was the original 2d leading lady.
A Night to Remember was one of my first in (but I had to get Reach for the Sky to get the theme). The one I had trouble remembering was Doctor in the House. I associated that with Dirk Bogarde and James Robertson Justice, but had forgotten More was in it.
I enjoyed this puzzle even though my knowledge of the theme made it a quicker solve than it might otherwise have been. I’m glad I didn’t have to try and parse THIRTY-NINE STEPS. All of the films made regular appearances on TV when I was young.
I enjoyed this as it brought back happy memories of long ago. I remember being taken to see Doctor in the House and Genevieve as a child. For once I knew all the films and what’s more I have actually seen them all too, which is unknown for me, but for some reason I entered Guinevere instead of Genevieve which held me up briefly in the NW.
Liked 27ac
10/29 is smutty and brilliant.
I didn’t know anything of the thematic elements, beyond the film names themselves, but my Time Out film guide came in useful. It seems to be far from complimentary.
Thanks to beermagnet for the blog and to the rest of those commenting, because you appear to have enjoyed the puzzle, which is always my aim. Now I just need third-rate blogger flashling to come and ritually pronounce it a fourth-rate puzzle by a fifth-rate hack and my cup of joy will be full.
On the topic of being a bit easy for a prize puzzle and the films all being a bit ancient, Kenneth More would have had his 100th birthday the day it appeared in the print edition. So this was a centenary puzzle which happened to fall on a Prize puzzle day rather than a prize puzzle which happened to have a theme, if you see what I mean.
Sorry to disappoint Alchemi, quite liked it
🙂
Thanks, BM. I’ll respectfully take minor issue with “if you knew the subject”, since I hadn’t a Scooby about the subject and I still completed and enjoyed this, which is a good sign indeed.
Thanks BM and Alchemi.
I used to think Kenneth More was a lightweight, but as I grow old I have changed my mind, and recently had a season of him chez my cinema room, including his (rather definitive)Father Brown. Light but not lightweight I would say.
At last an ENJOYABLE puzzle, something for everyone.