[Inspector Abberline]

The Treasure of Abbot Thomas (1974)
This M..R.JAMES story was published in Ghost Stories of an Antiquary in 1904.It tells the story of The Rev. Justin Somerton (Michael Bryant) a scholar of medieval history who come across some clues to a mysterious treasure hidden by a disgraced Abbot Thomas.With the help of Lord Peter Dattering (Paul Lavers) they discover some clues to where the treasure might be hidden on a stain glass window and in some Latin text. But they ignore the warning that the treasure has a guardian,and Somerton goes into the bowels of the abbey searching for the hidden treasure. Lawrence Gordon Clark gives us another dose of M.R.James spookiness,adapted by John Bowen who has writing credits longer than an elephants trunk,and seems to have written for nearly every tv series worth watching. The film has a very oppressive atmosphere, it has that creakiness of an old photograph. Bowen has also added a very interesting aspect as Somerton is asked to help Lord Peter in helping him to oust some fraudulent psychics a Mr and Mrs Tyson who are scamming Lady Dattering (Virginia Balfour) Peters mother. Reverend Justin Somerton is pretty much the driving force of the story, after he manages to reveal the fake mediums he then goes on the hunt for the treasure. Michael Bryant is excellent as Somerton ,he's cold calculating and an intellectual, but Bryant manages to convey him as quite charismatic character who has his believes pretty much shattered by the end of the story. Theres a great deal of atmosphere especially towards the end as the guardian of Abbot Thomas makes his presence known.As Lawrence Gordon Clark freely admits ,he never had the time or money to give the effects much justice,but for me the effects have a crude and old school look and feel that no CGI effects can give . Beware the slug.