Antoinette Cellier Movies
- 1947
East Indian actor Sabu is consistently better than his material in the sociological melodrama End of the River. The story concerns Mancel (Sabu), an Akuna Indian youth living in the forests of Brazil. Betrayed by a treacherous tribal chieftan, Mancel is branded an outlaw and exiled from his village. Forced to scrounge for a living in the white man's world, he runs afoul of corrupt political forces, ending up on trial for his life. The defense counsel (Maurice Denham) tries to convince Mancel that not all white men are demons, and to help the boy come to terms with his own inner turmoil. Despite its powerhouse cast, End of the River suffers from indifferent and sometimes downright lackadaisical performances; still, it deserves praise for trying to tackle a difficult subject with a semblance of intellence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Basil Appleby, Dennis Arundell, (more)
Four pilots are forced to bail out, and they end up stuck upon a remote tropical island filled with beautiful women. This musical comedy chronicles their adventures. Things go well for the flying Sea Bees as the women fawn upon them and cater to their every whim. Soon they find themselves four wives, and it is not until it is nearly too late that they discover why there are no men on the island--- all husbands are expected to commit suicide following their honeymoons. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1943
Headline serves as a vehicle for handsome David Farrar, who in 1943 was Britain's fastest-rising leading man. Farrar is cast as Broogle, a crime reporter who'll do anything-ANYTHING-for a story. When the wife of the publisher disappears after witnessing a murder, Broogle ignores Scotland Yard's warnings to "lay off" and endeavors to solve the mystery himself. The film's best performance is rendered by BBC radio favorite Richard Goolden, cast as a self-styled "psychological" detective. While genuine journalists howled at the innacuracies in Headline, audiences ate it up. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1943
Released in the US as The Randolph Family, Dear Octopus was based on the internationally popular play by Dodie Smith. The story is motivated by the Golden Wedding anniversary of Charles and Dora Randolph (Frederick Leister, Helen Haye). As the relatives gather, each reveals his or her personal quirks and shortcomings. Caught in the middle is family secretary Penny Fenton (Margaret Lockwood), who has the unenviable task of sorting and smoothing out the family's many deep-set hostilities and jealousies so that a good time will be had by all. The basic premise of Dear Octopus is established early on; the rest of the film is variations on a single theme, albeit consistently amusing ones. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Margaret Lockwood, Michael Wilding, Sr., (more)
- 1941
The modest but intriguing British melodrama At the Villa Rose was released in the U.S. by Monogram and given the more prosaic title House of Mystery. A gang of clever thieves kill a wealthy woman in hopes of stealing her gems. But the thieves aren't clever enough to ascertain the location of those gems, so they consult a phony spiritualist (Ruth Maitland). Then they decide to dispose of the mystic by framing her for the murder. Inspector Hanaud (Kenneth Kent) is called in on the case, meticulously piecing the puzzle together and determining the identities of the real culprits. House of Mystery was based on a story by A.E.W. Mason, better known for such British-empire tomes as The Four Feathers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenneth Kent, Judy Kelly, (more)
- 1940
In this British murder mystery, Scotland Yard investigates a puzzling killing of an Italian count. The Yard assigns a detective, who is to retire the next day, to solve the puzzle. Three people confess the crime. The late count's wife is the daughter of one of them. Apparently the count had abused her. Another of the confessors was in love with the girl. The third confessor's reason is unclear. Eventually the wife, who had been in hiding, steps forward and offers her own confession. Interestingly, none of the four are guilty. Fortunately, by the story's end, the real killer steps forward and justice prevails. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1939
In this comedy, an office clerk marries his secretary on the sly, their secret honeymoon is interrupted when he is sent to give advice to a wealthy client in the country. Although he is there to offer his counsel on matters strictly financial, he soon helps the fellow solve his romantic problems too. As soon as he is finally finished, he returns to his patient bride and they embark upon their long-awaited honeymoon. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1939
The British I Killed the Count was based on the tricky stage puzzler by Alec Coppel. Cockney comedian Syd Walker plays it more or less straight as Scotland Yard inspector Davidson, at present trying to determine who murdered the much-hated Count Mattoni (Leslie Perrins). The dilemma isn't that Davidson is suffering from a lack of witnesses. In fact, four different people come forth to confess to the killing--each of them with plenty of motive and opportunity. Originally released in the US by Grand National in 1939, I Killed the Count was reissued the following year as Who's Guilty? by Monogram. The original Coppel play was later adapted as a two-parter on TV's Alfred Hitchcock Presents. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Syd Walker, Ben Lyon, (more)
- 1937
A Somerset Maugham novel was the source of the British The Tenth Man. John Lodge plays George Winter, a self-made businessman who lets nothing get in the way of his climb to the top. Whenever he meets a competitor who can't be bought, Winter destroys the man through methods both legal and underhanded. When one of his victims threatens to expose his tactics, Winter kills him -- just seconds before learning that his desperate gesture was thoroughly unnecessary. Not an entirely successful Maugham adaptation, The Tenth Man is worthwhile if only to see the usually heroic John Lodge in a thoroughly despicable role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Lodge, Antoinette Cellier, (more)
- 1937
The murder of a songstress promotes the investigation by reporter Jim Martin (Hugh Wakefield) to clear the name of Lady Constance Gaye's (Antoinette Cellier) missing brother. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1937
The building of the great Canadian-Pacific Railroad that stretched from Montreal to Vancouver is chronicled in this realistic drama. Amidst the country's wild grandeur, two gambling vagabonds find themselves in a railroad boomtown where they hope to win a lot of the workers' money. While there, one of the gamblers falls in love with the daughter of the construction leader. He decides to abandon gambling in favor of good old- fashioned hard labor on the line. Meanwhile, the other gambler is robbed by a greedy bar maid and ends up giving up his life so that the railroad can continue. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Arlen, Lilli Palmer, (more)
- 1936
Hollywood leading-man John Lodge later became governor of Connecticut. Before he turned to politics, however, Lodge found time to squeeze the British melodrama River of Unrest into his schedule. Lodge plays a county inspector, smack in the middle of yet another set-to between the British and the Irish. John Loder, a British officer in love with Irish colleen Antoinette Cellier, is force to shoot rebel-fighter Niall MacGinnis. Loder has no inkling that MacGinniss was the brother of Cellier. She uses his ignorance to lure Loder into a trap, cursing herself all the way but remaining loyal to her people. River of Unrest was based on The Trouble, a play by Dudley Sturrock and Noel Scott. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Antoinette Cellier, Niall MacGinnis, (more)
- 1935
His Hollywood career a thing of the past, director Herbert Brenon returned to his native England in 1934, where he continued making films until his retirement in 1940. Brenon's first project upon his arrival in London was the feature-length documentary Royal Cavalcade. Covering a 25-year period, the film is an encapsulation of the comings and goings of the British empire since the 1910 coronation of King George V. The highlights, drawn from the newsreel files of several English and European archives, include Captain Scott's arrival at the South Pole (and the tragic aftermath), the First World War, the Roaring 20s, and the Depression. Of special interest to show-biz buffs is the footage of the first Royal Command Performance at the Palace in 1911, featuring such matchless performers as Anna Pavlova and George Robey. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1935
In this drama, a cub reporter from the Daily Gazette attempts to catch a bank robber. He is assisted by a woman who wants to provide him with valuable information. Unfortunately she is killed before he can meet with her. The reporter eventually finds the crook, catches him and sends him to the police. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1935
This musical features the BBC bandleader trying to deal with his musicians in the recording studio. Meanwhile, outside the studio, his music helps save a band in the jungle from cannibals, helps a group of mountain climbers get out of a foggy area, and starts and ends relationships. ~ Steve Huey, All Movie Guide
