the black panther

The Black Panther_720p(480P)

source: The Black Panther

Trailer—The Black Panther

The Black Panther

We were all sick to our stomachs when this thing came out in 1977. The Leslie Whittle case had rolled across the news for months and months and most kids were afraid to go out at night. Kaye Alexander looked sick to her stomach every time she read the news. For some opportunistic cast, producer and director to capitalise on the crime and Whittle family misery to make a few quid was absolutely disgusting. It was centre stage in our local video shop for months and I don't think anyone hired it about from the local weirdos and paedos. Cheapskate media is always willing to have a laugh at our expense. Video nasty? Made all the * films look tame. Hang your heads in shame.

I enjoyed this dramatisation of a true crime committed in the early 70's, but feel guilty for doing so. I remember the enormous headlines that this series of armed robberies, murders and the kidnapping of a teenage girl received at the time and how shocking they were. Donald Sumpter gives a convincing portrayal as the unpredictable Donald Nielson the ex soldier who rules his home as if he his still in the army. His wife and daughter are clearly afraid of him, although they have no inkling of his evil activities, with his long spells away from home accounted for by carpentry contracts. This drama centres almost entirely on the perpetrator and his activities including the extensive planning he does before he carries out his crimes. So, we get little insight into the long running police investigation where many people were dead before Nielson was finally caught. Maybe that could be another film, or perhaps it has been done already.

"The Black Panther" is the sad story of a man who should have stayed in the Army, as he needs to live in a military environment (see the 360° panoramic sequence in his private room full of weapons and military accessories - his wife and daughter do not seem to know what's happening inside, the movie doesn't say clearly). That killer needed to be in the infantry charging on the enemy, but definitely not being a burglar awakening everybody doing so much noise, getting mad and killing without reason. He fails everything he does, he wants to steal but succeeds only to kill. Fantastic performance by Donald Sumpter as the killer. And bright direction by Ian Merrick who directed only one other movie which seems forgettable.

Living in the surrounding area of where the crimes took place I was pleased to find that the film followed the truth of what actually happened very closely.I enjoyed the film immensely,I thought it was well acted and well shot.

Donald Sumpter is flawless in his portrayal of Donald Neilson, a pretty weird guy. I saw this on tape when I was about five or six, and fifteen years later I still remember certain scenes very vividly. By all accounts one of the most factual true crime pictures ever made.