Harry H. Corbett Movies
The son of a British army officer, Harry Corbett was born in Burma and raised in Manchester. After working as a radiographer, the deceptively oafish-looking Corbett began his acting career in repertory; during this period he added the initial "H" to his billing to avoid confusion with a popular ventriloquist of the same name (when asked what the "H" stood for, his standard answer was "H'anything.") Spending several seasons with Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop, he made his film bow in 1957, playing brutes and lunatics before gaining TV fame in the BBC sitcom Steptoe and Son. The precursor to the American series Sanford and Son, Steptoe cast Corbett as the long-suffering son of irascible junk dealer Wilfred Brambell (his role was essayed by Demond Wilson while Brambell's counterpart was Redd Foxx). Honored with the OBE in 1976, Harry H. Corbett went into virtual retirement thereafter; he died in 1982, at the age of 57. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
When a brilliant doctor fathers 837 genius sons through an artificial insemination program, it seems like every woman on the planet wants to birth one of the exhausted medico's super smart babies. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1977
The British "Adventures Of..." series can be described as a dirtier "Carry On" (if such a thing is possible). Christopher Neil plays the title character in 1987's Adventures of a Private Eye. Neil's life is plunged into peril when he agrees to deal with a blackmailer. To achieve his purposes, our hero is obliged to make love to every beautiful girl he meets; it's meant to be satirical, but the laughs often take second place to the heavy breathing. If nothing else, Adventures of a Private Eye treats us to a performance by the delectable 1960s leading lady Suzy Kendall. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
This video contains a trio of episodes from the popular British sitcom that chronicles the hilarious travails of a junk man and his son. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1972
This video contains a trio of episodes from the popular British sitcom that chronicles the hilarious travails of a junk man and his son. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1972
This video contains a trio of episodes from the popular British sitcom that chronicles the hilarious travails of a junk man and his son. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1972
This video contains a trio of episodes from the popular British sitcom that chronicles the hilarious travails of a junk man and his son. In addition to the title episode, this video contains "Loathe Story," and "And So to Bed." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Steptoe and Son was the British TV precursor to the American sitcom Sanford and Son. Wilfred Brambell, the "clean old grandfather" from the Beatles' A Hard Day's Night, starred in the "Fred Sanford" role as an irascible cockney junk dealer. Harry H. Corbett was the British series' "Lamont", albeit a far more oafish character. This theatrical-feature adaptation of Steptoe and Son tends to stretch the premise rather than develop it. Still, the stars do their best with the mediocre material at hand. And, to be fair, the film was popular enough to inspire a sequel, 1973's Steptoe and Son Ride Again. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
A collection of English humor in the form of sketch film are provided on this film which was assisted by comedians Feldman and Chapman. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Forsyth, Joan Sims, (more)
- 1966
Horace Quilby (Michael Bentine) is a sandwich-board advertising man who gets a tour of London and sees some of the city's most offbeat and outrageous characters in this situation comedy. British blonde bombshell (Diana Dors) co-stars. Watch for Michael Chaplin (son of Charlie) as a beatnik artist. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Bentine, Dora Bryan, (more)
- 1966
One of several satirical films in the British "Carry On" series, this is a broad spoof of horror films in general and of Universal monster movies in particular. The buffoonish heroes -- a pair of inept Scotland Yard inspectors named Bung and Slowbottom -- are investigating the disappearance of several women in the vicinity of Hocomb Woods when they cross paths with mad scientist Dr. Watt (Kenneth Williams) and his slinky, sexy vampire sister Valaria (Fenella Fielding), both of whom have been turning the abducted women into statues. Joining in the fun are the resident werewolf, the mummy, a pseudo-Frankenstein monster and a gaggle of ghouls resurrected by Watt's diabolical experiments. Goofy fun for those looking for a decidedly British take on Addams Family-style monster antics. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harry H. Corbett, Kenny Williams, (more)
- 1965
In this British wartime comedy, a group of captured con-artists must choose between jail terms or military service. Naturally they choose the army. Once they are assigned to a post they set up successful gambling and liquor operations. When they go overseas, they do the same thing. They are then asked to start a social club to boost morale. They do so, and the operation is only a hair's breadth away from being a brothel. They attempt to keep the joint a secret from visiting Parliamentary members, but it is not long before the cathouse is out of the bag. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harry H. Corbett, Stanley Baxter, (more)
- 1964
A British charwoman and her colleagues strike it rich on the stock market when she discovers a wastebasket filled with market tips in this drama. Later they decide to use their money for good after they overhear a wicked financier planning to destroy the cleaning woman's neighborhood. Together they manage to save the neighborhood. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peggy Mount, Harry H. Corbett, (more)
- 1964
This British comedy comes from Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, writers of the hit television program Steptoe and Son. Harry H. Corbett (who played Steptoe, Jr. on the tube) is Hemel, a canal-cruising bargee who is dead-set against marriage. He goes about his freewheeling ways until he finds out that he has impregnated one of his playthings (Julia Foster). Unfortunately for him, the young woman's father (Hugh Griffith) is the lock-keeper and he is not about to get out of this predicament without a vow or two. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harry H. Corbett, Hugh Griffith, (more)
- 1964
This is a somewhat sensitive story of a virgin 39-year-old British soccer fan who goes to a bar with a bunch of his pals and is goaded into betting that he can sleep with the sassy waitress. What he doesn't know is that she overhears the bet and decides to call better's bluff. They take off to her apartment and carry on an all-night conversation in which finally ends in less talk and more tickle. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harry H. Corbett, Diane Cilento, (more)
- 1963
This British comedy drama of the lower classes features actors with such thick cockney accents that some prints of the film were subtitled. James Booth stars as Charlie, a merchant seaman who returns home to the East End after two years to find that his wife Maggie (Barbara Windsor) has taken up with another man, a married bus driver named Bert (George Sewell). After taking his brother Fred (Roy Kinnear) hostage in a pub, Charlie gets a reunion with Maggie, who shows up pushing a pram. It seems she's given birth to a child, and the father's identity is uncertain. Charlie and Maggie reconcile, but not before a vicious row with Bert, who doesn't want to give up his girl. Windsor, a BAFTA Best Actress nominee for her role, also performed the film's title song. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Booth, Barbara Windsor, (more)
- 1963
Released in the US as A Boy Ten Feet Tall, Sammy Going South is a rugged youngster's-eye-view adventure set in South Africa. 10-year-old orphan Sammy (Fergus McClelland), who resides in Port Said, tries to locate his only relative, who lives 5000 miles away across the desert in Durban. After the death of his first guide, an erstwhile peddler, Sammy is rescued by a wealthy tourist (Constance Cummings). Not anxious to return to Port Said, Sammy escapes his benefactress and links up with a crafty old hunter/diamond smuggler (Edward G. Robinson), whose life is saved by the boy. When the police search for Sammy, they arrest the old man, who has been a fugitive for years. When Sammy is finally united with his Aunt (Zena Walker), he learns that the old smuggler has willed him his fortune. Released in the US at 88 minutes, Sammy Going South was restored to its full 118 minutes for television. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward G. Robinson, Fergus McClelland, (more)
- 1963
Alf (Joe Brown) is a young man from London's East End who tries to rise above his impoverished conditions. His parents worry that he will fall into a life of crime hanging around his neighborhood buddies. When he is inspired to write the song "What A Crazy Gang", his efforts pique the interest of a songwriting publisher. His parents still worry about Alf finding steady employment despite the promise of a financial windfall in this teen beat musical. The most famous of the groups to perform in the film are Freddy and The Dreamers, who would later score top ten hits on both sides of the Atlantic with "I'm Telling You Now", "You Were Made For Me"and the novelty smash dance hit "The Freddy." Led by frantic Freddy Garrity, his lively and comical stage machinations belied his vast musical and songwriting talents directly inspired by the late Buddy Holly. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Brown, Susan Maughan, (more)
- 1962
More of a corny propaganda film for a British social engineering policy program of the 1960s than a serious attempt to tackle an issue, this youth drama is notable chiefly because it features an early performance by David Hemmings, four years before he rose to prominence in Blow-Up (1966). Bert (Hemmings), Bill (David Andrews), and Johnnie (Ray Brooks) are a trio of juvenile delinquents in Bristol who lose their driver's licenses after a 100 mile-per-hour accident on their motorcycles. Bored without their speed machines and alienated in their economically-depressed factory town, they assemble a rock band with the aid and encouragement of Smith (Kenneth More), the choir director of a local church who offers his facilities for rehearsal space. The band becomes involved with a youth awards program devised as a community outreach vehicle by the Duke of Edinburgh and the British government, and despite some lingering moments of dissension, they begin to turn their lives around, encouraged all the while by a hopeful adult community. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenneth More, Ray Brooks, (more)
- 1962
In this mystery, a real estate agent begins looking for a jewel thief's stashed loot. He must find it before the robber's widow and other criminals find it first. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1960
This is a routine tale about the vice squad versus pornographer and blackmailer Augie Cortona (Terence Morgan). After the petty criminal gets out of prison, he discovers his old partners in crime are not interested in him anymore, and the prostitution ring he once bossed is controlled by someone else. His solution is to set up a fake photographer's and model's studio during the day that becomes a place where porno photo men can do their work at night, as call girls engage in their trade with unsuspecting customers. The photographs bring in extra lucre through a blackmail scheme -- Cortona makes the hookers' clients pay to keep their activities quiet. As he is building up this racket, a gangland boss is out to get him -- and so is the vice squad. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Terence Morgan, Hazel Court, (more)
- 1960
Veteran British "heavy" Donald Pleasence has the 1960 programmer The Big Day all to himself. Pleasence plays a businessman who has overextended himself financially, and overplayed his hand in his personal life. His already rocky marriage is further threatened by his impatient mistress. Adding to his headaches is his go-getting brother-in-law, whose salesmanship savvy may very well lose Pleasence his job. Donald Pleasence is so much better than his material in The Big Day that it might be advisable to turn the sound down and revel in his silent emoting. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
Cover Girl Killer demonstrates that the sleaze market was as active in 1960 as today. In this grindhouse quickie, some looney tune is bumping off photographer's models. A Hugh Hefner-type girlie mag publisher, anxious that his talent pool not be depleted, sets a trap for the killer. The publisher's top model, a pneumatic blonde, allows herself to be used as bait. There's epidermis aplenty but no outright nudity in Cover Girl Killer; still, the film found its way on the "art house" circuit in the early 1960s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
An unfortunate sailor (Tony Wright) gets implicated in a murder he never committed in this confusing drama by David Eady. After a bookie is murdered, the sailor is caught in an ever-tightening vice that would trap him as the killer unless he can clear himself. Along the way to struggling free and tracking down the real culprits, several unsavory characters cross his path as well as a rather interesting woman (Shirley Eaton) who sets romantic sparks flying. Although director Eady and the cast have done their best with the story, it is too thin to survive even the short running time of 69 minutes. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Wright, Shirley Eaton, (more)
- 1960
In this drama, a prison inmate escapes and discovers that his partner has married the very cop that arrested him and has used the robbery loot to open a coastal resort. The fugitive convict is quietly followed by an inspector who arrests them all at the holiday camp. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
