To the Victor

John Loder is the new shepherd in town, and his border collie, Owd Bob, is a wonder. The next croft over is run by Will Fyffe, and his black dog has won the annual cup for sheep dogs every year. However, sheep have been found with their throats torn out, and Fyffe's animal is accused.... and when Owd Bob wins the cup and Loder wins Fyffe's daughter, Margaret Lockwood, Fyffe goes to pieces.

It's a marvelous performance by Will Fyffe, and Robert Stevenson's direction is spot on. There's a half hour spent on the competition, and it's a fascinating and beautiful event, shot in Exmoor in Somerset, a far piece from the Cumbrian background of the Alfred Ollivant novel it's based on. While the other performers seem to offer standard characters, Fyffe's scoundrel is always compelling.