Supergrass (2007 TV Movie) User Reviews

Solid and interesting docu-drama despite the debt owed to Life on Mars

[bob the moo · 26 July 2007]

In 1970's London violent gang crime was running rampant. Armed bank robberies were regular occurrences and the police were struggling to deal with driven, organised men with plenty of the "bottle" required to pull off these quick "in/out" jobs. One of the more prolific of these robbers was Derek "Bertie" Smalls but when Smalls was captured, he offered Scotland Yard a deal – complete immunity from prosecution in return for names and details of countless bank robberies going back over years. This marked the start of the period of the "supergrass" – a trend that shocked the underworld but would not be a system free from problems and failures.

Thank Life on Mars for this documentary I think, because the recreation of the scenes on the streets, cells and courtrooms of the 1970's do owe a certain amount to the success and popularity of that show. That is not to suggest that the dramatic recreations and the Sweeny-style acting is all this film has to offer, because it is still an interesting docu-drama that looks back at the period in the 1970's where informants were heavily used by Scotland Yard. As a documentary, it makes for an interesting and accessible summary of the period's success and its downfall.

It does this by providing a clear narration from Tim Roth but mainly but getting good contributions from police officers and journalists from the period, picking back over the bones. The robbers are not really represented apart from some gruff fellow explaining about the code of honour, but the police coverage is good, particularly the main man himself – Lundy. The drama parts are not ever fantastic but they are never as poor as I have come to expect from this type of thing. They do help create a sense of period and they do make the history come alive by putting faces and characters to what would otherwise have been just a collection of names that I had never heard of.

The eventual link to modern times is made right at the end and, in my opinion, could have been made a lot better than just one sentence. However, as a docu-drama it does work. Sure it is more a record than an investigation with great insight but I found it interesting nonetheless and it was nice to have the re-enactments manage to avoid ham in the acting and dialogue.

Supergrass

[davefmccann31 · 22 December 2012]

Is a very good TV film that gives a good insight to the 1970's gangster and the rise of the Supergrass; it was this film and among a few others that prompted me to include a section in the new book A Madness Shared by Two;

"Super-Grasses", is a chapter from the new book; A Madness Shared by Two that's about the life of the Eriksson twins and the murder of Glenn Hollinshead; - based on an in-depth examination of the BBC documentary; Madness in the Fast Lane. The author claims the sisters were likely involved in a drug smuggling ring, and that a 'deal' may have been made with the police. The book exposes a police cover-up, and say this is probably due to the reason the twins were under "obbo", - police observation at the time of the M6 incident. It further exposes the edited-out 27sec of film footage from the original documentary, that proves the twins were first arrested under the 1983 Mental Health Act, millions have questioned; 'Why was Sabina released after only 5hrs from this crazed act on the motorway?' The Hollinshead family never knew of this film footage, and now are seeking legal action. In another first, it also reveals that the coroner's report indicates two weapons were used, and that Sabina could be totally innocent of his murder/manslaughter, and that the real killer/s could still be on the loose!

"Supergrass" is a slang term for an informer who "grasses" on other members of the gang. One of the first police "grasses" to receive the 'Supergrass' nickname, was Bertie Smalls, real name Derek Creighton [1935-2008], born in the East End of London. I once see him in a night club in Tottenham, called Elton's. He had a kind of Bob Hoskins look and sound about him, a short, squat man, who loved to emphasis his Cockney accent. Throughout history there's been 'grasses', the police were able to jail the Kray twins on the evidence given by gang member Leslie Payne. One of Britain's most active armed robbers, Bertie "Smalls" was arrested in 1973. Yet despite being involved in many violent crimes in London and the south-east area, he negotiated himself a deal with the Director of Public Prosecutions, Sir Norman Skelhorn, whereby he would go "QE", which means to give Queen's Evidence, in trials of his fellow-robbers in exchange for complete an utter immunity. Although Smalls was generally described as Britain's first Supergrass, the former Flying Squad 'governor' from Scotland Yard, Detective Superintendent Leonard "Nipper" Read, always maintained it was Leslie Payne, adviser to the Kray twins, who gave evidence against them in 1969, who should have had the title.

In October 1967, Reggie Kray is alleged to have been encouraged by Ronnie to kill Jack "the Hat" McVitie, an associate of the Kray gang who had failed to fulfil a contract, which was to kill Leslie Payne. Ronald Kray gave a gun and £100 to McVitie with instructions to murder Payne and the promise of a further £400 Some say it was more; £1,500 when the 'job' had taken place. McVitie was lured to a basement flat in Evering Road, Hackney, and not far from where I was born and lived, on the pretence of a party. As he entered, Reggie Kray pointed a handgun at his head and pulled the trigger twice, but the gun failed to discharge. Ronnie then held McVitie in a bear-hug, whilst Reggie was handed a carving knife, and stabbed McVitie in the face and stomach, then driving the knife deep into his neck, whilst twisting the blade.

As we know, according to the pathology report into Glenn Hollinshead's death, there were four stab wounds and no defence marks. If he too was held like that of McVitie, though obviously not in bear-hug from the front, but someone held Glenn's arms from behind, this would account for the lack of defence wounds.

For more details and photos etc. - check the website A Madness Shared by Two dot com. obviously all lower-case.