Ian Carmichael Movies

Dark Obsession is a slow, English-made, psychological thriller dealing with erotic obsession, guilt and betrayal. Sir Hugo Buckton (Gabriel Byrne), an aristocrat strapped for money, is married to beautiful, sensual and successful Virginia (Amanda Donohoe). His alcoholism and his envy of her lead to his obsessive jealousy and belief in her lack of fidelity. During one drunken evening while out driving with friends, Hugo hits and kills a pedestrian who resembles Virginia. When Hugo begins to receive vague blackmail letters, he suspects one of his friends, and the group begins to plot a murder. Dark Obsession has all the ingredients of a first-rate thriller but fails despite its excellent cast to generate any excitement. The pace of the film is languid, the motivations of the characters are unclear, and after the accidental death, nothing much really happens. Dark Obsession, originally released as Diamond Skulls, despite the best efforts of its cast, is a thriller that fails to thrill. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide

A seemingly harmless man comes to a small town with a deadly mission in mind in this British made-for-television movie. Jack Shepherd stars as Peplow, a reserved man who meets up with a disenchanted, crippled veteran (Peter Egan) on the day of their town's annual fair. Unbeknownst to the curmudgeon vet, Peplow has come to town for more than just the fair. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide

Based on the story by Kenneth Grahame, this animated episode follows the adventures of Rat, Mole, and Toad. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Based on the story by Kenneth Grahame, this animated episode contains more adventures of Rat, Mole, and Toad. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Based on the story by Kenneth Grahame, the fourth volume of this series features another animated episode of the wonderful adventures of Rat, Mole, and Toad. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Screenwriter George Axelrod turns Alfred Hitchcock's classic comedy-thriller into a capering screwball comedy showcase for Cybill Shepherd and Elliot Gould in this style-less remake of The Lady Vanishes. On an express train traveling through pre-World War II Germany, Amanda Kelly (Cybill Shepherd) befriends a cute old nanny, Miss Froy (Angela Lansbury). But when Miss Froy disappears and the rest of the passengers profess no knowledge of the old woman, Amanda and Robert Condon (Elliot Gould -- the only person aboard who will believe her story about the missing woman -- search the train trying to find out what happened to Miss Froy. In the meantime, they uncover an insidious German plot and fall in love. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

The multipart From Beyond the Grave features Peter Cushing as the owner of a sinister antique shop. Utilizing the various artifacts in his establishment, Cushing metes out retribution to customers who try to bamboozle him. The quartet of horror playlets included herein are "The Gate Crasher," "An Act of Kindness," "The Elemental," and "The Door"; all originally appeared in short-story form in Ronald Chetwynd-Hayes' The Unbidden. The British cast includes David Warner, Donald Pleasence, Ian Bannen, Diana Dors, Nyree Dawn Porter, Ian Carmichael, Ian Ogilvy, Lesley-Anne Down, and Margaret Leighton. This Amicus production was also released as Creatures and The Creatures from Beyond the Grave. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ian Carmichael stars as Dorothy L. Sayers blue-blooded detective in this made-for-TV thriller. Armistice Day in 1922 finds a number of old soldiers relaxing at the exclusive Bellona Club, but it turns out one of them is a bit too relaxed -- General Fentiman (Ralph Truman) is dead. As it happens, Fentiman's sister, Lady Dorland, passed away the same day, and since the distribution of her sizable estate hinges upon which sibling died first, Lord Wimsey (Charmichael) is brought in to unravel the truth. It soon becomes obvious that Fentiman was murdered, and the deeper Wimsey digs into the case, the stickier the issue becomes as he discovers an ugly web of treachery involving Fentiman's heirs. Originally produced as a four-part mini-series for the BBC (and aired in the United States on the PBS anthology series Masterpiece Theater, Lord Peter Wimsey: The Unpleasantness At The Bellona Club also stars Derek Newark as Bunter, John Welsh as Mr. Murbles, and Vivien Heilbron, John Quentin, and Terence Alexander as the Fentiman heirs. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Smashing Time attempts to turn British actresses Rita Tushingham and Lynn Redgrave into a female Laurel and Hardy. The film's second mistake is to prolong the joke for 96 minutes. Tushingham and Redgrave play a couple of dimwitted North Country girls who head to London, in hopes of breaking into the mad, mod world of fashion modeling. Instead they spend most of their screen time getting in each other's way and wreaking havoc on innocent pedestrians. The comic "highlight" of Smashing Time is supposed to be a mammoth pie fight; but outside of one cute throwaway gag involving a street minister, the sequence makes one wish, in the words of Laurel and Hardy buff Leonard Maltin, that Smashing Time "had been handled by someone other than [director] Desmond Davis." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Lotte Tarp plays Miss 44 in this raunchy British/Danish sex farce, so it's a sure bet that the title doesn't refer to the calibre of a gun. Not much happens: there are some lovely shots of Copenhagen, and some lovelier shots of bosomy Danish starlets. Ian Carmichael must have needed a new suit or something, else why would he have agreed to this inexpensive programmer, which could do nothing for his career, and didn't. British comedian Tony Hawes is curiously billed as "Narration for Voice of Monty Landis," though Landis (best remembered for his many guest appearances on the TV series The Monkees) doesn't appear to have an active role in the proceedings. Oh, well: man does not live by Citizen Kane alone. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Considered a bit too sacrilegious for general consumption in 1963, the Boulting brothers' Heavens Above was simply ahead of its time, and has since accrued a loyal and vocal following. Peter Sellers plays an idealistic British reverend with a bad habit of telling the truth at all times. He also follows his conscience whenever possible, resulting in several cleric decisions that shock his wealthy, landed-gentry parishioners. By inviting such "undesirables" as gypsies and West Africans to worship freely in his church, Sellers rouses the ire of the rest of his white-bread flock. He does, however, compel the selfish owner (Isabel Jeans) of a laxative firm to "see the light" and to sell off all her holdings on behalf of the poor and downtrodden. Unfortunately, by doing this the woman wrecks her business--which is the principal source of income for the community where Sellers works. Retreating from town with an angry mob on his heels, Sellers relocates on a tiny island in the Pacific. Since the island is the site of a missile base, and since the local astronauts have shown signs of agnosticism, where else is there for Sellers to go...but up? Heavens Above was inspired by a notion cooked up by iconoclastic British satirist Malcolm Muggeridge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A battered houseboat on the Thames provides the setting for this romantic British comedy. Two newlyweds rent the leaky floating home. The trouble begins when the husband decides to move the scow to a better location. The rickety barge disrupts river traffic. Next the two get lost in a fog bank. When it finally lifts, they find themselves in France. Fortunately, their landlord's yacht is moored nearby and they are able to borrow some petrol. The landlord bets that he can beat them across the Channel with his yacht. The race begins. The yachtsman gets terribly drunk and his cannot stay on course. The newlyweds win the race. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide