Noel Dyson Movies

John Hurt plays the British jockey Bob Champion in this true story of how Champion overcame cancer and the rigors of chemotherapy for an impressive personal and professional comeback. Just as Champion is in the middle of a vacation in Kentucky, he finds out he has cancer, and, like others before him, submits to the full, painful treatments of multiple injections and radiation, suffering as much or more from the cure as from the illness (these treatments are graphic). Gaunt and nauseous, Champion also endures realistic meetings with his doctors that hold forth no guarantee of a cure. His eventual remission leads to yet another grueling physical schedule to get him back into shape for the Grand National Steeplechase -- a 30-fence, well-publicized race that offers difficult hurdles for both the horses and their jockeys. If the 115-minutes running time of this film were cut in places, it would create a better, trim and slim, fast-paced telling of an even more focused tale. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

The British TV sitcom Father Dear Father originally ran from 1968 through 1973. Veteran farceur Patrick Cargill starred as a divorced father with two nubile daughters. Complications ensued when the girls moved into the flat just below Cargill's. You may recognize this property as the basis for the 1980s Ted Knight series Too Close For Comfort. This feature-film version of Father Dear Father merely rehashes plot devices from the series; neither of the property's original writers, Brian Cooke and John Mortimer (of Rumpole of the Bailey fame) seem to have been involved in the movie adaptation. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based on the novel by Aldous Huxley, the four-episode British miniseries Point Counterpoint was set in 1920s London. Concentrating on a group of dissolute young intellectuals, the story was a biting satire on the false, hypocritical, and often dangerous values of those with nothing but time on their hands. Lyndon Brook was cast as Huxley's alter ego Phillip Quarles, who quietly recorded the many fads and foibles (among them political fanaticism, open infidelity, and even a "necessary" murder) indulged in by his friends. First broadcast in Britain in 1972, Point Counterpoint was reedited as a five-parter and telecast in America as part of PBS' Masterpiece Theatre beginning February 18, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When a builder writes a serious drama, the world views it as a comedy and it turns into a huge success. ~ Rovi

In this youthful drama, based on a true story, a group of boarding school girls who have lost their virginity begin to proudly wear yellow teddy bear pins to show that they are now worldly women. One of them, a troubled 16-year old who has been ignored by her parents, is quite pleased when she finally gets her pin. Unfortunately she also gets pregnant. Her impregnator is a window washer and aspiring pop singer. She needs an abortion and is assisted by a helpful hooker who also helps her become a streetwalker so she can raise the cash for the operation. The girls father is outraged when he learns the truth, but he blames the school's biology teacher, not his daughter. He is angry with the educator because she knew all about the teddy bear club and was the one who talked about sex with them. The teacher resigns after being reprimanded. Before she does though, she gives an emotional speech to the school board. Meanwhile the troubled girl, runs away to London. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this melodrama set during WW II, a Frenchwoman ignores common sense and tries to pursue romance with a handsome Nazi captain. It is a passionate affair that ends tragically when her brother, an underground Resistance fighter, is killed. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this crime drama, three criminals break into a man's store so they can get into the bank next door. The trouble really begins when the store owner suddenly shows up. The robbers take him hostage. A man walks past, sees trouble, and tries to assist. Unfortunately, he too is captured. Fortunately, the police show up and capture the three crooks. They also arrest the owner and the passerby because they think they too are involved. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi