Maggie King Movies

The checkered career of a man who has for years pulled off an imposture of being a dentist, despite his disastrous record with patients, is at the center of this offbeat comedy. "Doctor" Gordon Fairweather (Greig Pickhaver) has skipped town just ahead of the British police, who would love to get their hands on him. His story is told by his most loyal patient's daughter Vanessa (Jacqueline McKenzie), who worked as his nurse and wanted to marry him, and by his much-abused patient and potential father-in-law George Prestcott (Patrick Blackwell), who eventually had a mouth only a (real) dentist could love. It seems that Fairweather started out in Australia and had a bit of mental trouble before he struck out for Britain. It is amusing to note that the director of this movie, Chris Kennedy, is himself a former dentist. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

This two-part TV movie, produced in Australia, was based on the tragically true story of an Australian teenager (John Polson) condemned to death for dealing in drugs in Malaysia. Part One set up the circumstances which landed Polson and his friend Hugo Weaving on Malaysia's death row. In Part Two, Polson's mother, played by Julie Christie, races desperately against time to save her son from the gallows. She enlists the support of the Queen of England, the Pope, and a large international organization of concerned citizens--but the Malaysian government remains unmoved. Evocatively filmed in Macao, Dadah Is Death had the bad luck to premiere on American TV opposite the highly rated miniseries Favorite Son. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A Doll's House is a 90-minute TV adaptation of the 1879 play by Henrik Ibsen. Julie Harris stars as Nora Helmer, the dutiful wife of Torvald Helmer (Christopher Plummer). Though Torvald loves his wife, he considers her a child and a possession. What he doesn't know is that, years earlier, Nora saved his life by borrowing money when he was seriously ill. Now Nils Krogstad (Hume Cronyn) the man who lent Nora the necessary funds, has returned, expecting a special sort of restitution. Torvald's reaction to the crisis transforms Nora from a "doll-wife" into an emancipated woman no longer dependent upon the largess of the men in her life. Richard Thomas, future star of The Waltons, is cast herein as Ivor, the Helmers' young son. Adapted for television by James Costigan, A Doll's House was originally telecast November 15, 1959, on NBC's Hallmark Hall of Fame; the program was originally shown in color, though existing kinescopes are in black-and-white. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi