Thora Hird Movies

This British drama was originally created for British television but was later released in the U.S. It is based on a true story and chronicles the struggles of Deric and Diana Longden, a happily married couple who try to cope with Diana's inexplicable degenerative disease which causes occasional paralysis of her extremities and periodic blackouts. The doctors have no clue as to what ails her. Their love sustains them, but finally Diana comes to grips with the fact that the illness may prove fatal. She decides that before she goes, they should find Deric a replacement. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

John Michael Phillips directs this British live-action musical, based on the children's story by Beatrix Potter. A tailor (Ian Holm) needs to finish a project before Christmas, so a group of mice help him out unexpectedly. Also starring Thora Hird, Jude Law, and students from the Royal Ballet School. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Marlon Brando delivers a respectably creepy performance in the Michael Winner directed The Nightcomers -- a film inspired by the characters in Henry James' The Turn of the Screw. On a British country estate, two recently-orphaned children, Miles (Christopher Ellis) and Flora (Verna Harvey), live on their own with only a nurse, housekeeper, and gardener as companions. Miles and Flora are particularly fascinated by the gardener, Quint (Marlon Brando). In fact, fascinated to the point of obsession, the boy and girl model their young lives after him. When Quint becomes involved with the prim and proper nurse, Miles surreptitiously views their love-making and keeps it in mind for future reference. Gradually, Miles and Flora adopt the gardener and the nurse's love-hate relationship for their own, copying their adult behavior with child-like abandon. Finally, when the housekeeper finds out and decides to fire the gardener and the nurse, the children are thrown into a panic. Not wanting their two favorite subjects to be separated, the children decide to take things into their own hands. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

This is a somewhat sensitive story of a virgin 39-year-old British soccer fan who goes to a bar with a bunch of his pals and is goaded into betting that he can sleep with the sassy waitress. What he doesn't know is that she overhears the bet and decides to call better's bluff. They take off to her apartment and carry on an all-night conversation in which finally ends in less talk and more tickle. ~ Rovi

Based on James Barlow's novel The Burden of Proof, this is a thoughtful drama revolving around the relationship between a schoolteacher and his students, in particular a fifteen year old girl (played by the debuting Sarah Miles, although she was in fact 21 at the time), who has become infatuated with him. But when he rejects her advances during a school trip to France, out of spite she accuses him of rape. The resulting court-case dominates the latter stages of the film.
In its depiction of school life there does seem to be a ring of truth, even if the situations are somewhat exaggerated and for its time this was very strong stuff with its controversial scenario. But the early 60s was an era when film-makers were challenging social taboos, and subjects that had until then remained off-limits were being explored. Victim (1961) is another good example of this trend. As the movie also examines the precarious state of the man's marriage, this also gives more poignancy to his predicament. A fine cast is employed here, including a young Terence Stamp who went on to become a major star of the late 60s. ~ Mark Hockley, Rovi

One of the many "B"-grade British comedies meant to fill the lower half of a double-billing, Over the Odds is about bookkeeper George Summers (Glenn Melvyn), who has opted to marry one more time after his first wife left him. Unfortunately, his ex-wife's harridan mother-in-law (Marjorie Rhodes) did not leave with her daughter. Now the new wife and the old mother-in-law are at loggerheads -- not a recipe for the beginning of a successful marriage. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

This hastily assembled sequel to the popular British service farce Up the Creek finds David Tomlinson returning in the role of Lt. Fairweather, skipper of the not-so-good ship Aristotle. This time, however, Fairweather's enterprisingly larcenous bos'un is played not by Peter Sellers but by music-hall favorite Frankie Howerd. The plot finds the Aristotle being sold to a mythical middle-eastern country. Assigned to deliver the vessel to its new owners, Fairweather discovers that his faithful bos'un has once again sold tickets to passengers, in direct violation of regulations. The resulting comic complications are as predictable as they are hilarious. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This British drama chronicles the exploits of a brutal Liverpudlian gang leader/would-be rock star who finds himself inducted into the army. The troubled youth undergoes basic training and emerges a man. Later his best friend from boot camp is killed by the camp bully. Courageously, he stands up to the bully and wounds him. Fearing retribution, he flees the barracks. Time passes and he eventually rights the wrong, matures, and marries his singing partner. Songs include: "Isn't It a Lovely Evening?" "These Dangerous Years," and "Cold, Cold Shower." ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Tired of the humdrum routine at a staid British woman's prison, brassy American chorine Angela Booth (Beverly Michaels) busts out. Scotland Yard decides to allow Angela to roam free, hoping that she'll lead them to her partner in crime, who unbeknownst to her is a notorious traitor and killer. Blonde Bait was originally released in Great Britain as Women without Men. For American consumption, a few new scenes were shot, featuring Hollywood actors Jim Davis, Richard Travis, and Paul Cavanagh. Direction of the finished product was credited to the film's editor, Elmo Williams. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this comedy, the lives of two families get turned topsy-turvy when their respective young sons win a large football pool. The two share the winning ticket and the trouble begins when their parents get greedy and begin trying to devise way to get the hefty pot all to themselves. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Beloved British comedian Norman Wisdom made his second film appearance in One Good Turn. This time, nebbishy Norman plays a jack-of-all-trades, employed by an orphanage. After a steady series of slapstick setpieces, our hero sets about to save the orphanage from the hands of its creditors. Those who've noted a remarkable resemblance between the vehicles of Norman Wisdom and Jerry Lewis will not be dissuaded by One Good Turn, in which the star ladles on the sentiment and pathos with a trowel. Like most of Wisdom's films, One Good Turn did better in the U.S. as a "Late Late Show" entry than a theatrical release. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi