The following is commentary on Episode No. 40 ("Take It on Trust") from members of AFAMILYATWAR-LIST. If you wish to add your thoughts to what is being said on this page, become a part of our discussion group by clicking the "Join" button.

 

 


 

 

Richard Veit

From out of the blue, on the very day that Ian Mackenzie is planning to surprise Freda with a proposal of marriage, his own marital past comes back to haunt him. Ex-wife Mary pays a visit, ostensibly to ask him to assist her in finding a secretarial position on a hospital staff. Mary’s true ambitions are evident enough for most anyone to see—notably his discerning mother—and yet kindly Ian (blinded by the inevitable ties that still remain) makes the mistake of accommodating her, even going so far as to extend an invitation for her to stay in the back room. This is unacceptable to Freda, who has no desire to be just one of the women in Ian's life. Writer Roy Russell achieves a delicate balancing act here, somehow managing to view the dilemma from both sides of the gender spectrum, and doing so with honesty and insight.

Many viewers will identify with Ian Mackenzie, for he finds himself stymied at every turn by Freda’s seemingly unreasonable attitude. Poor Ian cannot win. When he chooses not to inform her of the volatile situation that confronts him, Freda comes to resent his silence on the subject, suspecting that there is more to it than he cares to admit. Then, when he speaks openly, she spews such unhelpful commentary as “Better late than never, isn’t it?” Clearly, Freda is in no mood to judge things objectively from Mr. Mackenzie’s perspective. She becomes quarrelsome, turning every one of his peace overtures into further points of contention.

Conversely, if we take time to sympathise with Freda Ashton’s viewpoint, her justification seems equally valid. After all, Ian willingly has taken his former wife under his wing, far beyond the call of what might be construed as Christian charity, and asked her to stay under his own roof. Worse yet, he becomes suspiciously uncommunicative with Freda, as if to hide his secret visitor from her scrutiny. Once the truth is known, Ian resorts to defending himself by uttering such patronising remarks as “Look, I think you’re making a great deal of fuss about very little” and “Don’t you think you’re being just a little bit childish?” These are not well calculated to enlist her understanding.

Mary Ramsden is so manipulative that it is easy to see why both of her marriages have failed. “May I bolt the front door as I go up?” she purrs to Ian. She is quite inconsiderate (and even hateful) when she answers the telephone and then, holding the receiver where Freda can hear, announces, “Ian, love, it’s for you.” A revealing moment occurs when Ian gives Mary an impersonal peck on the cheek, and she receives it like a slap in the face. Liza Ross is quite good in her meaty role.

To Mary’s credit, she does know when to bow out of the picture, and she does so with the practiced fluency of someone who often has relied upon fabrication to get what she wants from life. Suddenly she recalls that Pauline in Blackpool invited her some time ago to help out with the RAF boys who are training in the Winter Gardens. This will solve the problem, she declares, and Ian is quick to agree. Then, just when things have taken a turn for the better, Ian clouds his future with Freda by extending the promise of yet another helping hand: “Oh, if it doesn’t work out…” Ian Mackenzie is ever the gentleman, but, as he freely admits elsewhere, the art of communication is not one of his strengths.

Some random comments about “Take It on Trust”…

Joyce Heron is a delight as Ian Mackenzie’s mother. Of all her lines in this episode, my favourite comes after the scheming Mary insists that all she wants from Ian is some advice, and Mrs. Mackenzie responds, “If that’s all you want, Mary, I’m glad to see you.” Touché!

I like that scene in the hospital’s linen room. When words fail Ian, as they so often do, he takes Freda in his arms and kisses her warmly, explaining, “That’s the only way I can tell you how I feel. Now, the rest is up to you.”

Meanwhile, on the Ashton front, I feel sorry for Harry Porter when he approaches Edwin for a loan. The dialogue is marvelous when he accepts Edwin’s generosity with the words, “I shall never be able to repay you,” and then, realising his misstatement, quickly adds, “What a thing to say!” Their laughter is so natural that it makes one think the actors themselves were caught up in the amusing moment.

I always enjoy watching Paul Brett as little John George. He appears to be unpredictable on the set, but his impromptu chatter contributes an air of spontaneity to the proceedings, keeping the other actors on their toes for ad-libbing challenges that may lie ahead.

How nice it is to see John and Margaret so happy together in that kitchen scene when she informs him that she is expecting. Surely their rocky marriage will survive, founded as it is on the bedrock of love. Non-British viewers may well wonder what John meant with his reference to “Darby and Joan.” According to Wikipedia, Darby and Joan are "a happily married couple who lead a placid, uneventful life." The term is used disparagingly to describe younger people who are perceived to favour spending their evenings in, or following pursuits seen as "middle-aged." In Britain, clubs for senior citizens are appropriately called Darby and Joan Clubs. John Darby and his wife, Joan, were first mentioned in a poem by Henry Woodfall in 1735. One stanza reads:

Old Darby, with Joan by his side
You've often regarded with wonder.
He's dropsical, she is sore-eyed
Yet they're ever uneasy asunder.

I find it interesting to discover that two members of the production team for “Take It on Trust” later went on to pen installments in the three-volume set of “A Family at War” novels: scriptwriter Roy Russell and associate editor Jonathan Powell.