Edward Dentith Movies
- 1992
A Jewish Londoner embarks on a journey to find himself after learning some shocking news about his past in this eccentric British comedy. As the film begins, Leon (Mark Frankel) is already in a time of transition, having quit his job for moral reasons and assumed a position in his mother's catering firm. His life is thrown into even more disarray when a bizarre coincidence reveals the truth behind his birth: not only was his birth the result of artificial insemination, but a lab mix-up means that his real, biological father is a complete stranger. The confused Leon sets out to find his "real" dad, and unexpectedly discovers that he is descended from a family of Yorkshire pig farmers. Co-directors Vadim Jean and Gary Sinyor move their story in fits and starts, allowing room for countless digressions, from a torrid affair with a outrageous artist (Maryam d'Abo) to the accidental breeding of a rather unique pig. While the film proves uneven, fans of the quirkier varieties of British comedy should find Leon the Pig Farmer's off-beat tone and taste for surrealistic details suitably entertaining. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mark Frankel, Janet Suzman, (more)
Set in India during World War II, this fair action drama relies heavily on the good acting talent gathered to convey its slight, uninvolved story. Gregory Peck is Col. Lewis Pugh, backed up by Roger Moore as Capt. Gavin Stewart, David Niven as Col. Bill Grice, Patrick MacNee as Major Crossley, and several others -- all retired and past the age for active duty. At issue are three German freighters that are parked in the waters off Goa, the Portuguese coastal colony on the subcontinent of India. Since Portugal is neutral, the regular army cannot destroy the freighters, and it is up to the retired army officers and a large corps of over-the-hill volunteers to take on the mission of eliminating the German ships. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gregory Peck, Roger Moore, (more)
- 1979
- R
This routine espionage drama is based on a novel by Graham Greene about a low-level British informant who is caught in a trap. Castle (Nicol Williamson) has a desk job in British intelligence. Around him are heavyweights like Col. Daintry (Richard Attenborough), Sir John Hargreaves (Richard Vernon), and Percival (Robert Morley) who will cold-bloodedly stop at nothing to do their jobs as they see fit. And Castle certainly is a nobody compared to them. One day when a friend of his in Africa needs some help, Castle is conned into supplying the Eastern block countries with info on demand. No one suspects him because of his low position, but when his office partner is hauled off, Castle begins to rethink his situation. This was director Otto Preminger's last film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Attenborough, John Gielgud, (more)
- 1968
In the fourth episode of the eight-part story "The Invasion," the Doctor (Patrick Troughton) and Jamie (Frazer Hines) are rescued from sinister electronics executive Tobias Vaughn (Kevin Stoney) by an old friend, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney). Now aligned with a group called U.N.I.T. (United Nations Intelligence Taskforce), the Brigadier elicits the Doctor's aid in preventing Vaughn from taking over the world. But the villain is equipped with an "army" of his own -- comprised of the Doctor's perennial enemies, the Cybermen. "The Invasion, Episode 4" was originally shown on November 23, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Patrick Troughton, Frazer Hines, (more)
- 1968
In the fifth episode of the eight-part story "The Invasion," megalomanic electronics executive Tobias Vaughn (Kevin Stoney) plots to double-cross his powerful allies, the Cybermen. Meanwhile, the Doctor (Patrick Troughton) and the agents of U.N.I.T. try to prevent the Cybermen from carrying out their plans for world domination. On another front, the Doctor's companions, Jamie (Frazer Hines) and Zoe (Wendy Padbury), are trapped along with photographer Isobel Watkins (Sally Faulkner) in the London sewer system. Originally shown on November 30, 1968, "The Invasion, Episode 5" apparently no longer exists. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Patrick Troughton, Frazer Hines, (more)
Peter Sellers stars as an inmate in a "model prison" run by Maurice Denham. Though Sellers is disinclined to escape (he's never been as comfortable in his life), he is convinced to do so by phony vicar Wilfred Hyde-White, who breaks into jail to outline a robbery scheme. Hyde-White's plan is to have Sellers and his cellmates David Lodge and Bernard Cribbins take a brief "vacation" from jail, pull off a big-time robbery, then return undetected to prison, thereby establishing a perfect alibi. Within its 87-minute time span, Two-Way Stretch takes satirical potshots at political bleeding hearts, obese Middle Eastern potentates, and regulation-bound British police officials. One cannot be faulted for wishing that Peter Sellers had stuck to engaging small-scale British farces such as this and had never ventured into such unamusing big-budgeters as The Bobo and There's a Girl in My Soup. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Sellers, Wilfrid Hyde-White, (more)
- 1960
This romp through the comedic world of spy-chase stories starts with Dick Lanchester (David Tomlinson), a less-than-brilliant British diplomat, taking an atomic scientist to a NATO meeting. A simple escort service turns into disaster when the so-called scientist steals major secrets and escapes with the sensitive material on a roll of film -- but not for long. The precious negatives are gobbled up by a racehorse, and the chase begins. The scientist and his fellow spies are after the racehorse, the British security network is after the spies, and meanwhile, there is the matter of how to retrieve the film... ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Tomlinson, Cecil Parker, (more)
- 1958
When the English Civil War is winding down but the Roundheads and Royalists are still at odds with each other, it is decided that the King, Raymond, should be moved from England to France for safekeeping. When the Cavalier assigned the task is thwarted by the discovery of the scheme, other measures must be taken. Good action scenes with a smidgen of romance thrown in for good measure. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi
- Starring:
- George Baker, Sylvia Syms, (more)
