Donald Sinden Movies

Adapted from the historical novel by Edith Nesbit, this family-oriented comedy-drama concerns Richard Barnstable (Nicholas Farrell), an eccentric widower and father of five who is trying to perfect a new form of refrigeration. Barnstable's tinkering doesn't bring in much money and his children suddenly find themselves spearheading a campaign to save the family's home from creditors. Barnstable's brood receive some unexpected help from a noted explorer (James Wilby) and a sympathetic female doctor (Gina McKee). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Ben Kingsley stars in this solid adaptation of the Edith Wharton novel (filmed previously in 1929 as The Marriage Playground). Kingsley plays Martin Boyne, an engineer in 1920s Europe who, after five years of correspondence, is planning to travel overseas to marry the recently widowed Rose Sellars (Kim Novak). On his way to marry Rose, he stops off in Venice to visit his old friend Cliffe Wheater (Joe Don Baker), who with his wife Joyce (Geraldine Chaplin) has a large group of children. Rose then contacts Martin, telling him that due to complications arising from her husband's will, he should wait another year before marrying her. Meanwhile, Cliffe and Joyce's fifteen-year-old daughter Judith (Siri Neal) arrives at Rose's door with the younger children. Because of marital problems, the children convince Martin to become their guardian. But Martin, spending too much time around Judith, ends up falling in love with her. Tongues begin to wag and Rose, crestfallen, leaves for France. Martin and Rose split up and Martin disappears in shame, trying to get control of his life and all that he has lost. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

The fourth and final season of the British "culture-clash" sitcom Two's Company stars Elaine Stritch as Dorothy McNab, an overbearing, overtalkative American mystery writer living in Chelsea, and Donald Sinden as Dorothy's highly proper butler, Robert, who never lets his position get in the way of saying exactly what he thinks of his impossible employer. The first of this season's seven episodes is "The Club," in which Dorothy and Robert unite against unfair snobbery. "The Clergy" puts hero and heroine at odds with organized religion. "The Salesman" once more proves that the extravagant Dorothy can't be trusted with a farthing. "The Visiting Scots" is a haggis-baggis of zany ethnic humor, British style. "The Silence" finds Dorothy and Robert uncharacteristically speechless. "The Rolls-Royce" allows the viewers the vicarious pleasure of seeing the wealthy make fools of themselves. And the final episode, "The Friendly Aristocrats," thoroughly belies its title. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Back after a year's absence (save for the 1976 special "A Loving Christmas"), the British sitcom Two's Company still stars Elaine Stritch as Dorothy McNab, an abrasive and demanding American mystery writer living in Chelsea, and Donald Sinden as Dorothy's "veddy" proper butler, Robert Hiller, who makes no secret of his disdain for Dorothy's temper tantrums and has a delightfully wicked habit of speaking his mind at all times. The first of season two's seven episodes is "The Reluctant Traveller," wherein Dorothy is obliged to make a return trip to America -- but Robert's fear of flying may put a crimp in the journey."The Burglary" finds Robert the prime suspect when Dorothy's home is robbed. In "The Rubbish," Dorothy and Robert are at war again over household trivialities. Despite its title, the episode "The Honeymoon" is anything but. In "Robert's Record Player," Dorothy is sued for "noise pollution" as the result of Robert's devotion to Bach (at top volume). "The Guests" offers another choice example of Yankee boorishness colliding head-on with British propriety. And in "The Cleaning Ladies," Dorothy's peculiar habit of alienating anyone who works for her boomerangs disastrously -- and hilariously. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Lee J. Cobb's last film is in this light romantic comedy starring Roger Moore as Michael Scott, an arms dealer who comes complete with a sophisticated playboy patter for the ladies. During war games, Michael attempts to sell weapons to NATO forces by trying to interest NATO general Steedman (Lee J. Cobb) in his wares. Opposing his sale is feminist reporter Julia Richardson (Susannah York), who is not impressed with either his job or his come-hither endearments. But, as happens to most movie feminists, she ends up putting her values on the back burner and she falls in love with Michael. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

This Disney family adventure, directed by Robert Stevenson in his Jules Verne mode, concern a group of explorers who travel to the Arctic Circle in 1908 to explore the uncharted wastes of the North Pole. Sir Anthony Ross (Donald Sinden), a rich Londoner, organizes an Arctic exploration team in hopes of locating his missing son. Providing expert advice is Prof. John Ivarson (David Hartman), a professor of Nordic history. As the group explores the frozen tundra, they come across an unknown valley, skirting the borders of a giant volcano, that turns out to be a lost Viking kingdom. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

The British TV sitcom Father Dear Father originally ran from 1968 through 1973. Veteran farceur Patrick Cargill starred as a divorced father with two nubile daughters. Complications ensued when the girls moved into the flat just below Cargill's. You may recognize this property as the basis for the 1980s Ted Knight series Too Close For Comfort. This feature-film version of Father Dear Father merely rehashes plot devices from the series; neither of the property's original writers, Brian Cooke and John Mortimer (of Rumpole of the Bailey fame) seem to have been involved in the movie adaptation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this pre-Monty Python parody of private-eye movies by Graham Chapman and John Cleese, someone has stolen nerve gas that paralyzes victims from the waist down. Now the bumbling boys at Rentadick, Inc. must find them before it is too late. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this feather-weight version of Evelyn Waugh's novel Decline and Fall, Paul Pennyfeather (Robin Phillips) is an Oxford divinity student who finds himself expelled after a gang of drunken freshmen remove his pants and he is accused of exposing himself to a girl. Looking for work, he retains the services of an unsavory employment agency that secures a position for him at a sleazy Welsh boarding school for boys, presided over by the colorful Dr. Fagan (Donald Wolfit). On staff at the school are an assortment of distasteful screwballs; Mr. Prendergast (Robert Harris) is a withdrawn former clergyman; Captain Grimes (Leo McKern) is a one-legged two-timer with his eye on Fagan's daughter Flossie (Patience Collier); and Soloman Philbrick (Colin Blakely) is an undercover criminal posing as Fagan's butler. All hell breaks loose during the school's annual Sports Day, but Paul manages to meet a wealthy patron of the school, Margot Beste-Chetwynde (Geneviève Page), who hires him to tutor her son. At her estate, Margot seduces Paul, and Paul proposes marriage. But before the wedding, Margot asks Paul, as a favor, to travel to Tangiers on a business trip. He agrees but is soon arrested for trafficking in prostitution. Sent to jail, he runs into Philbrick and Captain Grimes, and now Margot has to scheme to get Paul out of jail. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

In this confusing drama, the IRA, intrigue, psychiatric analysis, and a young man framed for murder are thrown together in a series of events that were perhaps originally intended to highlight the psychological aspects of the case under study. One night, eighteen-year-old Harry Jukes (British rock 'n roller Adam Faith in his first dramatic role) is driving down a deserted country road when he gets a flat tire. A policeman stops to help him out when a truck drives by, and the next thing Harry knows, the policeman is lying dead on the road and Harry is literally holding a smoking gun in his hand. From there to his arrest and trial is a brief hop, skip, and then a jump into prison to await his execution. His lawyer thinks he did it, but his psychiatrist (Anne Baxter) disagrees -- and sets out to prove she is right. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Donald Sinden and Peggy Cummins co-star as Pelham and Gay Butterworth in this routine comedy about a married couple whose hopes of acquiring an instantaneous fortune are suddenly dashed. When Gay finds out she is going to get a huge inheritance, the young couple go on a spending spree. Just a tad late, she also learns that the inheritance will be doled out one week by one paltry week -- unless her husband dies or they divorce. After all else fails, the couple decide to divorce and then remarry later, quietly -- but even this plan suddenly hits an unexpected hitch. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide