Cyril Conway Movies

Scripted by Frederick Forsyth from his own novel, The Fourth Protocol is a fact-based spy thriller. The titular protocol is a secret agreement between America, Britain and Russia to cease smuggling nuclear weapons into their respective countries. This figures into the schemes of several rogue spies, who hope to destroy NATO by embarking on just such a smuggling endeavor. Russian agent Valeri Petrofsky (Pierce Brosnan) is ordered to stage a nuclear accident in England, then arrange the evidence to point to the Americans. British intelligence agent John Preston (Michael Caine) begins wondering why such nuclear-weapon components like lithium are showing up in the unlikeliest places. Ignored by his superiors, who figure that Preston is merely an old-line anti-Commie paranoic, Preston gathers the clues that will enable him to find out who's behind the potential breaking of The Fourth Protocol. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Peter Ustinov makes his second appearance as Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in this adaptation of the popular Agatha Christie mystery. When noted stage star Arlena Marshall (Diana Rigg) is found murdered while visiting a posh island resort, Poirot is called upon to find the culprit, but given Marshall's shrewish personality and propensity for making enemies, the question isn't "Who wanted to see her dead?" but "Who didn't?" The suspects include Rex Brewster (Roddy McDowall), a writer penning a biography of Arlena that the actress tried to stop; Odell and Myra Gardener (James Mason and Sylvia Miles), theatrical producers who were financially shafted when Arlena refused to appear in a show; Arlena's husband, Kenneth (Denis Quilley); Kenneth's lover, Daphne (Maggie Smith); Patrick Redfern (Nicholas Clay), who was having an affair with Arlena; and Christine (Jane Birkin), Nicholas' wife. Ustinov would play Poirot again three years later in the made-for-TV feature Thirteen at Dinner. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Lantern-jawed British comedian Frankie Howerd, best known to American TV fans as the star of the raucous historical satire Up Pompeii, heads the cast of The Runaway Bus. Howard plays Percy Lamb, a novice bus driver assigned to drive a coach from one London ariport to another. Alas, the city is enveloped in a thick fog, and poor Percy gets lost, along with his half-dozen passengers and a hidden cache of stolen gold. Most of the film's best moments go to Margaret Rutherford as a not-so-sweet old lady and Belinda Lee as a spy-novel addict. Petula Clark, who was already a top recording star in 1954, appears as a perky airline hostess. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Laurence Olivier makes his singing debut in this lively adaptation of John Gay's 18th century theatrical piece The Beggar's Opera. Olivier stars as Captain MacHeath, the leader of all bandits and cutthroats in England. MacHeath is in love with Polly Peachum (Dorothy Tutin), the daughter of beggar king Peachum (George Devine). He has also dallied with Lucy (Daphne Anderson), the offspring of corrupt constable (Stanley Holloway) Lockit. Since it is in the best interest for both Peachum and Lockit to rid the world of MacHeath, the two conspire to imprison and hang the scoundrel, but an unexpected turn of events rescues MacHeath from the executioner's noose. Adapted for the screen by Dennis Canaan and Christopher Fry, The Beggar's Opera manages to retain the raffish charm of the stage original while still being wholly cinematic in approach and execution. The same basic story was later retooled by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill as The Threepenny Opera. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this crime comedy, the bumbling son of a recently deceased crime boss does his best to follow in his father's footsteps, but it is to no avail. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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

High Treason is a British espionage thriller filmed in the style of such American "docudramas" as The House on 92nd Street. Enemy saboteurs infiltrate the industrial suburbs of London, intending to plant high-powered bombs at several factory sites. Their motivation is to cripple the British economy and enable subversive forces to insinuate themselves in the government. The saboteurs are thwarted not by the traditional counterintelligence agents but by workaday London police officers. Director Roy Boulting also cowrote the screenplay of High Treason, which moves swiftly enough for its plot inconsistencies to be ignored. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

One of many cinematic collaborations between actress Anna Neagle and her real-life husband, director Herbert Wilcox, this light, romantic "drawing room" comedy was Britain's biggest box office hit of 1948. Neagle stars as Judy Howard, the niece of wealthy art collector Joshua Howard (Tom Walls), for whom she also works as a personal secretary. Uncle Joshua's newest employee is a footman, Richard (Michael Wilding), whose aristocratic bearing seems out of place on a lowly domestic servant. As Judy begins falling for Richard and he for her, the plucky girl discovers the truth. Richard is indeed a member of the upper class, hiding out in working class disguise because he believes that he accepted a bogus payment for his family's valuable art collection and fears their wrath. Of course, no one is in a better position to help Richard with his transaction than Judy and her uncle. Voted England's most popular actress every year for nearly a decade after WWII, Neagle's career in America never materialized. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

In this mystery, the last entry in the Inspector Hornleigh series, Inspector Harker and his assistant take a two-week vacation to the English seaside. Just as the vacation is about to end, a fellow guest in their boardinghouse drives over a cliff and is burned to death. The local cops consider it an accident, but the Inspector has his own suspicions and begins to investigate. He soon exposes a gang of crooks planted the car with another body to cash in on an insurance policy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide