Peter-Spotting
      Card #34

 
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1978

THE LEGACY

Columbia-EMI-Warner
directed by Richard Marquand
starring Katharine Ross, Sam Elliott,
John Standing, Roger Daltrey
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A vivacious American couple (Katharine
Ross and Sam Elliott) join a very odd
gathering of guests at a stately British
home. An horrific inheritance beckons,
and as the invitees are culled one-by-one,
so a terrifying legacy is revealed...

This cooky, spooky thriller feels rather
like a Hammer film, but that's no real
surprise because it's written by the
studio's former horrormeister
Jimmy Sangster.

And Star Wars fans will recognise the
director's name, because Richard
Marquand went on to helm Return
of the Jedi.

And waddaya know, Hammer and
Star Wars are both writ large on
Peter Diamond's CV, aren't they?

Filming took place at Loseley House in
Guildford, with Peter employed as the
stunt arranger.

Roger Daltrey chokes to death, John
Standing makes a very high fall and
Charles Gray is burnt alive - so
Peter was kept rather busy. And as
you can see below, he also took on
his own acting role...
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Peter plays an EVIL GROUNDSMAN
who does his upmost to protect the
Walsingham-Mountolive legacy. And he
puts in a trio of appearances.

45mins in, our hero and heroine attempt to
steal two horses from Ravenhurst stables,
but find thelseves hindered by a couple of
the employees...

"Hey! Where do think you're
 going, young fella!"

There's a tussle with the horses. Punches
are thrown. That's when Peter spys the
confrontation. He thrusts his broom into
a crackling bonfire, and lights it up like
a flaming torch!



Peter jabs that fiery torch at Maggie (Ross)
and Pete (Elliott) again and again. And
the horses rear and whinny, until he's
sent sprawling, and the couple gallop off!




Come the 52nd minute our jolly couple are
driving frantically around and around the
narrow county lanes in a smart black car
when they encounter roadworks.

"The light's green,
  just take it easy!"

But as they negotiate the traffic lights,
so they find a ruddy great Scammell truck
bearing down on them. And it's no
surprise to see our favourite
groundsman behind the wheel.

The trucks thunders on as the car slews,
careens through the bollards and clips
a digger!




But it's not so bad after all, because
the twisted resolution of the film features
all the crazy estate workers lined up to
greet the home's new inheritor, and
her fiancé. And Peter's there again.
But he's all subservient now, with
his cap in hand - what a devil!