Red-Barracuda An elderly clothing store worker asks his boss if he could have a new coat to replace his old battered worn-out garment. He is denied this one wish by his cold hearted boss and so asks his tailor friend if he could make him one instead. His friend agrees to make one for cost only but, sadly, the old man is soon thereafter fired from his job and quickly dies of pneumonia. He returns as a ghost to his friend and they steal a coat from the shop, one that he considered his right given his many years of loyal service.This short was directed by Jack Clayton, who would go on to helm important films such as The Innocents (1961), another film about ghosts although coming from an entirely different place. This small-scale movie actually went on to win an Oscar for best short film. It is very well executed with very good acting by all involved. It packs an emotional punch too, with its simple story about friendship and loyalty handled in a way that never goes for over sentimentalism and achieves its objectives by more subtle means. The moment when the old man disappears into the darkness is really a very sad moment indeed and it is done so simply yet so poignantly. A very good example of what can be achieved in the short film format.

margaret8541 I saw this film tonight December 2008 on TV and it was a grainy black and white. That is the worst thing I can say about it. I have in the past seen David Kossoff and Alfie Bass in many films but none ever had the impact that this film had on me. David Kossoff has always been regarded as a very good actor and so he was in this film. But I know Alfie Bass more for the comedy roles that he has played. His performance in this film was outstanding. I see that he was nominated for a Best Actor Award and I think his performance was Oscar standard. This film has made more of an impression on me than any of the more recent films made with big stars and big budgets. I would recommend this film to anybody who enjoys a good story, great acting and older films. I give it 9 out of 10 only because I don't believe that it is possible for human beings to be perfect.

MARIO GAUCI Celebrated British fantasy short from an equally famous source, a story by the great Russian novelist Nikolai Gogol which has been filmed several times (I own two other adaptations myself: the 1952 Italian version and a 1954 TV program also made in Britain: interestingly, both of these had served as dramatic showcases for comic stars i.e. Renato Rascel and Buster Keaton[!] respectively). For the record, yet another acclaimed cinematic rendition of the tale is the Russian one from 1959.In the case of the film under review, however, the essentially low-key handling benefits tremendously from the presence of character actors in the central roles (and also by emphasizing their Jewishness): Alfie Bass – some of his mannerisms here would be reprised in Roman Polanski’s horror spoof THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS (1967)! – is the poor and meek clerk, who wishes to own an overcoat that would shield him from the cold environment at his workplace (ironically, a textile business), and David Kossoff the modest but “Number One” tailor he entrusts with the task.Actually, the film begins with Bass’ funeral – and Kossoff buries the coat with him, the former having died (of a broken heart from being sacked) before it was completed. Subsequently, the tailor is visited by the ghost of the clerk – recounting the animosity with his employer, how the ownership of the overcoat became a question of dignity and pride, how he lost his job and ensuing lonesome death. Bass, however – who feels spited, having been shown no gratitude for the service he diligently rendered for so long – asks Kossoff to accompany him to the shop intending to ‘abscond’ with a piece of expensive fabric (finally settling on a sheepskin coat).Director Clayton boldly chose to treat ghost stories with the same level of realism accorded to a gritty drama (see also THE INNOCENTS [1961], on whose R2 SE DVD this short was thankfully made available) and for which he employed cinematographer Wolfgang Suschitsky (especially effective are the transitions from the present to Bass’ recollections and back again) and composer Georges Auric (who supplies a lovely score). The end result – which emerged both an Oscar and Venice Film Festival winner – is fascinating and virtually flawless, ensuring its solid reputation (for a short subject) among cineastes.

j-b-w-1 Those who have written eloquently of their love for this picture may by now have found it.If they have not, they should know that it is available as a splendid extra on the BFI DVD of Jack Clayton's The Innocents. Worth going multi-region if not in Region-2!Both films look very good and The Bespoke Overcoat seems to have gained a few minutes since its original release: it does not begin with the deathbed scene described by a previous poster but with a pre-title sequence in a graveyard.I hope this is helpful.