John Temple-Smith Movies
In The Island of Dr. Moreau, which is based on a novella by H.G. Wells, Braddock (Michael York) is a decent young Englishman who has unaccountably been saved from being thrown overboard from a ship sailing in a remote area of the Pacific by the mysterious Dr. Montgomery (Nigel Davenport). Dr. Montgomery is accompanying a cargo of animals destined for a tropical island. At first an "honored guest" (prisoner) on that island, he is finds his contacts with the natives increasingly disturbing, for they are not like any men he has ever seen. Eventually it transpires that these "men" are experimental reconstructions from wild animals made by a particularly sinister scientist, Dr. Moreau (Burt Lancaster). He feels that he is in danger from the animal/men and from Dr. Moreau himself and does not know where to turn. This story was also filmed in 1933 as The Island of Lost Souls, starring Charles Laughton as the monomaniacal Dr. Moreau and was remade yet again in 1996 with Marlon Brando in the title role. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Lancaster, Michael York, (more)
Set in first century England, The Viking Queen is a loose retelling of the legend of Boadicea (also sometimes known as Boudica), the queen of the native Britons, who were known as the Iceni. In the year 60 A.D., the Roman governor general Justinian (Don Murray) attempts to rule over the island from wisdom as well as strength, believing that winning over the hearts of the Iceni people will work better for the Empire than brutalizing them. He has help from his cultured advisor Tiberion (Niall MacGinnis), and finds an ally (and much more) in Salina (Carita), the daughter of the late King Priam (ilfred Lawson), who has been chosen to rule the Iceni. Together, Justinian and Salina attempt to share responsibility for ruling the island nation, and to make the laws and the tax system fairer for the Iceni -- they also discover that they actually love each other and want to marry. Their romance and their attempts at bringing more civilized rule are thwarted by treachery on both sides. Among the Iceni, the Druids, led by the high priest Maelgan (Donald Houston), oppose the Romans because their rites (involving human sacrifice) have been banned, and Maelgan wishes Salina to fulfill the destiny that he has prophesized for her: to take up arms against the invaders. The wealthy Iceni merchants, led by the procurer Osiris (Dennis Shaw), oppose Justinian because of the higher taxes that he has imposed on them. Among the Romans, Justinian's military commander, Octavian (Andrew Keir), doesn't care for diplomacy or persuasion, except at the point of a sword. Conspiracies abound in both camps, which leads to Justinian being called away, and, in his absence, Octavian destroys the treaty between the two peoples. Finally, Salina is forced to take up arms and lead her people in open revolt against the Romans. The two would-be lovers face each other in battle, where, in the achieving victory, Justinian learns precisely how fierce and proud a warrior and a queen Salina is. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Murray, Carita, (more)
- 1962
In this engaging costume melodrama of skulduggery on the low seas set back in the 18th-century, the swamps of a small seaside town and the nocturnal activities of the towns' men provide the atmosphere and action. The Royal Crown suspects a bit of smuggling is going on in this locale, and they send Captain Collier (Patrick Allen) and his crew to check it out. As the Captain gets into his investigation, mysterious swamp phantoms cloud up the real issue which seems plain enough to see. Captain Collier suspects that the odd village vicar (Peter Cushing) might be hiding something, and what better way to do that than by fortuitous ghosts to scare away the curious -- or by posing as someone he is not? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Cushing, Yvonne Romain, (more)
Jayne Mansfield, Marilyn Monroe's blond competition in the late '50s and early '60s, stars in this crime melodrama as Billy, the leader of a gang of thieves. She charms Jim (Anthony Quayle), a widower with a young daughter, into joining the group effort on a particular robbery. After the heist, Jim personally stashes away their stolen loot while she leads the police off in another direction. But the unfortunate new recruit ends up in the clinker for five years while the others go free. Once out of jail, Jim is brought up short -- Billy has allied herself with another man and her gang has money to spare -- though not enough money, they decide. Against Billy's wishes, the gang takes drastic measures to get at Jim's hidden cache of loot from the robbery that sent him to jail. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jayne Mansfield, Anthony Quayle, (more)
- 1959
Berlin provides the backdrop for this crime drama that centers on a military doctor falsely accused of dealing illegal drugs. Determined to prove his innocence, he escapes from the MPs and ends up holing up in the apartment his wife rented. He doesn't know that she has sublet the flat to a nightclub singer. When he finds out, he begs the singer to assist him. She is attracted to him and agrees. The doctor believes that his wife is behind the black-market dealings, but in the end, they find the real culprit. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Van Johnson, Hildegarde Neff, (more)
- 1957
The always reliable Griffith Jones is afforded the leading role in the British Account Rendered. Jones plays a victim of circumstance, accused of murdering his wife Ursula Howells. With the police breathing down his neck, Jones endeavors to prove his innocence. He is aided in this effort by the lovely Honor Blackman ("Pussy Galore" in Goldfinger and the first female star of the long-running TVer The Avengers). Account Rendered is based on a novel by Pamela Barrington. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
Director Peter Graham Scott adapted the screenplay of the British The Big Chance from a novel by Pamela Barrington. William Russell plays a travel agency clerk who pines away for socialite Adrienne Corri. Unable to support Corri in the manner in which she is accustomed, the desperate Russell seeks out ways of realizing some quick money. He decides to rob the agency where he works-major mistake. The Big Chance goes from crime to punishment in a greased-lightning 61 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1956
In this thriller, a man discovers that the bank notes he has just received actually belong to someone else--a man who is attempting to save his near-bankrupt fur business by buying pelts infected with anthrax. Later the shady furrier is killed. The first man discovers that he was done-in by an ex-con who is killed after his fur-filled truck crashes and explodes. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1956
In this crime drama, a policeman sacrifices his career keep his daughter from being implicated in a bank job. Her actions caused his carefully constructed case against a crime boss to crumble. Still, even as a civilian, he continues to chase after the crook. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1956
In this comedy-thriller, a woman returns to the country to see her godmother only to learn that the old woman has mysteriously disappeared. She quickly enlists the aide of a doctor to help her look. Like her godmother, the woman ends up in the clutches of the robbers. The fugitive thieves have been using the godmother's house as a hide-out and home base. The women are saved by the brave doctor and the police squad he brings with him. The bandits are captured and locked away. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1954
Some good performances and a fun chase scene, but there is little else to commend this movie. It's a pretty hackneyed plot wherein the editor of a magazine falls in love with the boss' daughter but the relationship is complicated by the boss' wife, who is also putting the moves on the hapless editor. Then, to make things even worse, he's accused of embezzlement. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1953
Sometimes listed as a horror film, the British Girl on the Pier is a Spartan little melodrama starring the alluring Veronica Hurst as the title character. The wife of wax museum curator Campbell Singer, Hurst carries on with Singer's partner Ron Randell. Killing Randell, the cuckolded husband tries to hide the body among his waxworks. The police eventually catch on when Singer proves too clever for his own good. Girl on the Pier doesn't pretend to be a classic; on its own terms, it's an agreeable 65 minutes out of your life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1951
Rona Anderson plays a wealthy young Englishwoman, long estranged from her father. She returns home when papa dies, reluctantly agreeing to listen to the will reading. It soon becomes clear that some unknown party is out to bump off Anderson as well--though she is the only person who stands to benefit from her father's demise. Director Terence Fisher, later a foremost purveyor of horror at Hanner Films, deftly handles shocks of a more mundane sort herein. Home to Danger is just long enough at 66 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
