H.E. Bates Movies

My Uncle Silas tells the story of a mischievous reprobate in rural England in the early 20th century. The production consists of five episodes based on a collection of short stories H.E. Bates published in 1939 to relive the memories of his youth in Northamptonshire. Albert Finney stars as the title character, a kind of over-the-hill Tom Jones who lives life to the fullest -- and then some. Silas' misadventures are presented through eyes of his great nephew, Edward (whom Silas calls Ned), a ten-year-old who spends a summer vacation with Silas. The boy learns an important lesson from the old fellow: carpe diem. In episode one, "The Wedding," Silas and his relatives celebrate the wedding of his son. At the reception, Silas gets drunk, toasts the couples, and dances well into the night with the lovely bride. Ned can only marvel at his uncle's "eloquence" and stamina. In episode two, Silas and Ned paper walls at a hotel at which liquor is forbidden and the proprietor neglects his wife. By the time the walls are papered, Silas has rehabilitated the proprietor. He not only appreciates his wife, but he also begins to serve liquor. In episode three, Silas wins over a proper lady by serving her the best tea she ever tasted (because, unknown to her, it's spiked with booze), and comforts her on her deathbed. In episode four, Silas jogs himself into passable shape to box a brute named Goliath, and in episode five, he tells Ned a stirring tale from his youth in which he and his friends go swimming in the nude and impish creatures called girls steal their clothes. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide

Based on the novel by H.E. Bates, this period drama stars Embeth Davidtz as Bella Ford, a woman living in rural England during the Victorian era. Bella fell victim to Arch Wilson (Greg Wise), a unprincipled man who claimed to be from the nearby village. He seduced her only to vanish without a trace when she became pregnant. When she is outcast after her child is stillborn, a kindly villager named Ben Wainwright (Tom Bell) allows her to stay with his family in exchange for helping with the chores. However, the presence of a young and beautiful woman in the house creates a certain amount of tension between Ben, his wife (Gemma Jones), and sons Jedd (James Purefoy), a soldier; Matty (Kent Anderson), a shoemaker; and Con (Ben Chaplin), a homebody and social misfit. Con takes a shine to Bella and eventually proposes marriage; Bella accepts, but matters become complicated when she discovers that the dastardly Arch has returned to the village. Ismail Merchant served as executive producer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The four-part One Moment in Time was another miniseries based on the works of H.E. Bates, of Country Matters fame. Set during WWII, the story centered upon Elizabeth (Alison Elliott), who threw caution and convention to the wind when she fell in love with RAF pilot Splodge (Robin Davies). Although some of the standard wartime romance clichés were in attendance, there were enough surprises to keep the audience awake and alert. One Moment in Time was broadcast in 1985 by the BBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Set in England during WWII, this drama, also known as Soldiers in Skirts, stars Glenda Jackson as Alice, a bitter woman whose husband is captured and held as a Japanese prisoner of war. When a wandering soldier, Barton (Brian Deacon), comes by her farm, she invites him in for tea. They fall in love. In order to remain in the town with Alice and escape the military police who are looking for deserters, Barton disguises himself as a woman. A sergeant (Oliver Reed), who commands a tank unit, comes to town and makes advances toward Barton, whom he thinks is a woman. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

George Marshall directed this breezy romantic comedy starring Tony Randall and Debbie Reynolds. Randall plays Lorenzo Charlton, a stuffy tax investigator sent to the farm of Pop Larkin (Paul Douglas) and Ma Larkin (Una Merkel) to find out why they haven't been paying taxes. He discovers that the Larkins, instead of money, use a homegrown barter system. Their complex economic network causes Lorenzo to drink one home brew too many. Awakening from a hangover, he sees a vision of loveliness before him -- the Larkin's spunky daughter Mariette (Debbie Reynolds). Enraptured by Mariette, he decides to stick around and help the family out of their onerous tax burden. Further research reveals an ancestral claim dating to the Civil War -- in reality, the government owes the Larkins $14 million. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

An H.E. Bates novel was the source for this psychological wartime drama set in Burma. Canadian pilot Gregory Peck and two comrades-in-arms crash in the Burmese wilds. The three men are forced to hack and crawl their way to safety, surrounded on all sides by the Japanese. Peck's subordinates don't completely trust their leader, and not without reason: Peck's nerves have been at the breaking point for months, and this experience may send him around the bend. But the ordeal strengthens Peck's psyche. Despite its American star, director and distributor (United Artists), The Purple Plain is a British production; thanks to its top-drawer production values and evocative color photography by Geoffrey Unsworth, the film brought in customers on both sides of the big pond. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide