Lawrence Davidson Movies

Ian Bertram (Robert Lindsay) is a mathematical genius who works as an accountant for a multinational firm based in England. When he meets Cary Porter (Molly Ringwald), who recently started working for the same company, Ian immediately falls in love and quickly proposes marriage. Cary accepts, and they plan a modest wedding, but when Ian's accounting skills earn him the admiration of company head Herbert Dreuther (John Geilgud), Herbert offers to pay for a honeymoon in Monte Carlo and give them a ride back on his yacht. But while Mr. Dreuther means well, he has problems with his memory, and once Ian and Cary get to Monte Carlo, Herbert has forgotten all about them. Stuck at the hotel with a large bill that he can't afford, Ian works out a plan to win at roulette; his scheme works, and he earns enough to pay their bill, get them home, and have plenty left over. But his sudden success at the gambling tables makes Ian drunk with power, and Cary discovers that her new husband has turned into a power-hungry tyrant. Strike It Rich was adapted from the novel Loser Takes All by Graham Greene; it has been shown under the novel's title, as well as under the title Money Talks. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Christopher Walken stars in John Irvin's graphic adaptation of Frederick Forsythe's novel about a mercenary sent to overthrow the government of an African country. Walken is Shannon, an American soldier of fortune who has staged incidents in Central America and Africa that helped topple governments. Shannon decides to take on one more mission when American businessman Endean (Hugh Millais), working for a large mining company wanting to move into an African country, hires Shannon to scout out the terrain of the country and see if the government is weak enough to be overthrown. Shannon assumes the guise of a photographer for a nature magazine and travels through the country, meeting a wide-array of people. But the government becomes suspicious of Shannon and throws him in jail, where, between torture sessions, he meets an imprisoned dissident leader. Through his imprisonment, Shannon comes to understand more fully the struggles of the African country. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Estelle Taylor was at the peak of her career when she made this drama -- her role in The Ten Commandments a year earlier had put her in the public eye, and her romance with boxing champ Jack Dempsey (along with their subsequent marriage) made her a prominent face in the newspapers and fan magazines. Taylor plays Gloria Dawn, who weds James Malvern (Lawford Davidson), a wealthy philanderer who doesn't let his marriage interfere with his love affairs. The couple honeymoons in the Canadian wilds, and Pierre duCharme (Mahlon Hamilton), the caretaker of Malvern's estate, falls in love with Gloria. He rescues her when her canoe is about to go over the falls. Back in town, Malvern lures Anne Cabot (Mary Thurman), the governor's sister, to his home. As a result of his involvement with Anne, Malvern is murdered, but circumstances point to duCharme as the killer. He is sentenced to death, but Gloria tracks down the real killer, and tells the governor (Edmund Breese) about his sister's involvement in Malvern's life. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide