John Chapman Movies

This film offers a glimpse into the abuse of disabled people in residential homes while also offering a look into the human spirit. The Skallagrigg is said to be "the mythical protector of disabled people," and 16 year old Esther who suffers from cerebral palsy wants to find him. Esther had lived most of her life in a rehab center for the handicapped. When her widowed father John, finally comes to take her out, Esther is bitter until she convinces him to help her quest for the Skallagrigg. They are accompanied by Esther's friends Raj, a cynical young man in a wheelchair, and Tom who suffers from Down's syndrome. Esther and John become closer as they discover that the Skallagrigg is a really a palsied fellow named Arthur who has been horribly abused in a nursing home. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Often cited as the archetypal "Britcom," the BBC comedy series Terry and June starred Terry Scott and June Whitfield in the title roles. Having reached middle age, Terry and June Medford moved from the big city to the pastoral community of Purley in Surrey. Despite June's efforts to enjoy the tranquility of country life, Terry just plain couldn't avoid getting into trouble, especially with his taciturn neighbors and his boss, Sir Dennis Hodge (Reginald Marsh), who always managed to show up at the most inopportune and embarrassing moments. Among the supporting characters was Terry's coworker Malcolm, played over the years by three different actors, and Malcolm's missus, Beattie (Rosemary Frankau). Terry and June was so popular that the leading actors often appeared, in character, on other BBC programs, such as Jim'll Fix It and Swap Shop. Most British viewers quickly recognized the series was essentially a continuation of the earlier sitcom Happy Ever After, with basically the same characters bearing different names (reportedly this was the result of an uncompleted contract between the network and the producers). Sixty-five half-hour episodes of Terry and June (plus a handful of seasonal specials) were telecast over an eight-year period, beginning October 24, 1979 and ending August 31, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sleaziness abounds in this grim drama about a stripper who starts a new life without her drug-addicted husband. While working at a posh downtown nightclub she becomes romantically involved with both the owner and his handsome son .When her husband finally finds her, she begs him to kill the club owner, but he has other ideas. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this British comedy, two look-a-likes, an airman and a secret agent, find double trouble when they are assigned a top-secret task by their government. The airman is to impersonate the agent to confuse the Nazis while the real agent sneaks into France to investigate the new buzz bombs. Unfortunately, their orders get switched and the airman ends up in France. When he is accidentally shot back to Europe inside one of the defused bombs, the airman becomes a national hero. Meanwhile the real agent tries and tries to prove his true identity. No one listens. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

After years of faithful supporting service, British comic actor Ronald Shiner was finally rewarded with a few leading roles in the 1950s. In Not Wanted on Voyage, Shiner plays cockney ship's steward Higgins, who tends to the needs of the various passengers on a Tangiers-bound luxury liner. When a valuable necklace is stolen from one of the vacationing dowagers, Higgins and his buddy Hollebone (Brian Rix) decide to play detective, hoping for a huge reward upon recovering the missing item. Along the way, Higgins and Hollebone find it necessary to disguise themselves as Arabs, leading to a wacky slapstick chase. Even those filmgoers who'd seen and heard the wheezy gags in Not Wanted on Voyage in earlier films were amused by the breezy ridiculousness of the project. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide