John Fraser Movies

In the second episode of the four-part story "Logopolis," the Doctor (Tom Baker) tries to repair the TARDIS' chameleon circuit by traveling to the planet Logopolis, a world ruled by mathematicians. Unfortunately, his calculations are sabotaged, and as result, both he and the TARDIS begin to shrink into nothingness -- the first stage in what turns out to be the total breakdown of the Universe's structure. First telecast March 7, 1981, "Logopolis, Episode 2" was written by Christopher H. Bidmead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the third episode of the four-part story "Logopolis," the titular planet becomes the temporary home base of the Doctor (Tom Baker), who along with his companions Adric (Matthew Waterhouse), Lylla (Sarah Sutton), and Tegan (Janet Fielding), has been gathered by the Watcher (Adrian Gibbs) to prevent a total breakdown of the universe's structure. The instigator of this temporal outrage is the Doctor's old enemy, the Master (Anthony Ainley) -- who, this time, may have hoisted himself with his own petard. First telecast March 14, 1981, "Logopolis, Episode 3" was written by Christopher H. Bidmead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Far East and the Land Down Under are about to have a head-on collision in this action drama. Fang (Jimmy Wang Yu) is an undercover detective from Hong Kong sent to Australia to crack open the operation of a Sydney mob boss named Wilton (George Lazenby). Fang puts his skills as a hang glider pilot and martial arts master to work as he sets up Wilton for a literally explosive finale. Samo Hung (aka Kim Po Hung), later to become a major martial arts star in his own right, appears in a supporting role and has an impressive battle with an Australian cop. The film also features the song "Sky High" by Jigsaw, which would go on to become a Top 40 hit. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Which will be victorious; commonsense which seems sound during the day or the unsettling effects of the night? This story is adapted from an Ambrose Bierce tale. ~ All Movie Guide

Doctor in Clover is the next-to-last entry in the British "Doctor" comedy film series. After losing his government job, doctor Gaston Grimsdyke (Leslie Phillips) signs up for a medical school course with his old tutor-nemesis Sir Lancelot Spratt (welcome back, James Robertson Justice). What follows is the standard melange of double- and single entendres, not to mention the usual dalliances with such underdressed lovelies as Shirley Ann Field, Fenella Fielding and Elizabeth Ercy. A subplot involves a rejuvenation serum that is disastrously applied to the behemothlike Sir Lancelot. Though allegedly based on the original "Doctor" novel by Richard Gordon, any resemblance is purely coincidental.Doctor in Clover was also released as Carnaby MD, in deference to the "Swinging London" craze. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The first English-language film of director Roman Polanski is a psychological thriller in the vein of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) and his own later film Rosemary's Baby (1968). Catherine Deneuve stars as Carol Ledoux, a Belgian manicurist living with her sister, Helen (Yvonne Furneaux), in a London flat. Simultaneously attracted and repulsed by sex, Carol is a virgin who finds her sister's relationship with a married man, Michael (Ian Hendry), extremely disturbing. When her sister and Michael go on holiday, Carol begins to disintegrate mentally, hallucinating bizarre encounters, being forced into taking a sabbatical from her job and ultimately committing a pair of murders in her deranged state. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

In this confused parody, a lovely South Seas island girl travels to England following her father's death and becomes the ward of her cousin. The women is exotically beautiful and men turn into fools whenever she passes by. But the innocent lass has no idea that she is so lovely and seductive. At one point she poses nude for an artist and nearly starts a riot amongst the normally staid upper-crust gentlemen. In the end, the beautiful native girl marries the son of her kindly cousin who eventually becomes the head of his father's school. Meanwhile his father moves to the girl's native island. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Squire Trevenyan (Peter Cushing), magistrate of an 18th century coastal village where a little smuggling has always gone on (and been tolerated), learns that a group of wreckers have moved into the district, destroying ships and slaughtering their survivors in order to steal the cargo. The local populace, consisting mostly of tradesmen, honest fishermen and some part-time smugglers, all want the wreckers stopped, and appeal to the squire; but Trevenyan also learns that his son Christopher (John Fraser) is involved with the daughter of a tradesman who receives stolen goods. He intends to act on wreckers and smugglers alike, and gets the support of the local nobility (Miles Malleson). But then Christopher Trevenyan is caught up in a killing -- in self-defense -- of one of the wreckers, and the squire is so certain of the corruption of the village, that he declines to use his son as a witness against the wreckers. Rather, he brings in soldiers and starts a campaign against the smugglers and fishermen, the wreckers' leader, Black John (Bernard Lee), standing with him and diverting attention from himself. The citizenry appeals to a local highwayman known as the Captain (William Franklyn), who proceeds to kidnap Christopher, with a vow to kill him if two convicted men are transported to a colony. The squire is now trapped -- Black John, who is eager for the sentences to be carried out so that the troops can be withdrawn and his wreckers return to work, threatens to denounce him if he delays deporting the men; and Trevenyan rationalizes his decision as being in keeping with the law, even though it will cost his son's life. The only way out for the innocent parties on all sides can come from Christopher's bravery and the Captain's sense of honor, and the slim chance that they find a common goal that will spare young Trevenyan's life. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

Fitzjohn (Peter Sellers) is a retired general who is miserable at home with his shrewish wife Emily (Margaret Leighton). He dreams of younger days when he enjoyed the platonic company of the beautiful Ghislaine (Dany Robin). After many years, she shows up at his door and expresses her desire to take their relationship beyond the platonic level. When his plans are temporarily postponed, he leaves her in care of his right hand man. His aid and Ghislaine fall in love, prompting Fitzjohn to begin court-martial proceedings against his unfaithful aide. When the lineage of his aide is discovered, he tries to halt the trial in this ironic comedy taken from the play by Jean Anouilh. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

When French playwright Pierre Corneille wrote El Cid, a fanciful version of the life of 11th-century Spanish hero Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar, aka "El Cid", an attempt was made to honor the "classic unities" and to compress the whole story into a single day! Be assured that the 1961 film version of El Cid is more faithful to the actual chronology. Charlton Heston adds one more character to his gallery of historical portrayals as El Cid, the disgraced Spanish knight who rids his country of its Moorish conquerors. The triumphs of El Cid's military life are not matched by his private affairs; he is betrayed by his bride Chimene (Sophia Loren) and is made a political pawn by the avaricious Spanish landowners. El Cid has a climax unique in the annals of movie epics: the final assault against the landgrabbers is led by a dead hero. El Cid established the short but generally profitable reign of producer Samuel Bronston as the King of the Epics; his imprint on the film is much stronger than that of director Anthony Mann. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Peter Finch portrays the titular flamboyant Irish poet/playwright in The Trials of Oscar Wilde. The storyline, lifted to a great extent from actual court records, recounts Wilde's late 19th century libel action against the Marquis of Queensbury. The author loses, whereupon he himself is tried for sodomy due to his homosexual affair with the Marquis' son, Lord Douglas. Wilde is sentenced to prison; the public humiliation leads to the once-proud writer's immortal poem The Ballad of Reading Gaol--and to his premature death in 1900. The film had to tiptoe around certain touchy legalities, in that sodomy was still a punishable offence in British courts in 1960. The US title for this film was The Trial of Oscar Wilde, effectively killing the ironic double meaning of the plural British title. In certain regions, the film was shown as The Man with the Green Carnation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

1957's The Good Companions was the second film version of the well-known J. B. Priestly play. The story revolves around the Dinky Doos, a provincial musical troupe living from hand to mouth. Eric Portman, Celia Johnson and John Fraser are three Britons from various classes and walks of life who become involved in the fortunes of the Dinky Doos. Pooling their resources, the diverse "good companions" save the troupe from disbanding. Good-natured and high-spirited, Good Companions might have even been better had the director adopted a more intimate and less showbizzy approach. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide