Brian Nissen Movies

Richard Rich, who directed several full-length animated features for Walt Disney Studios, helmed this ambitious cartoon feature about the founder of the Islamic faith. In the year 610 A.D., the city of Mecca had become overrun with criminal and immoral behavior, dominated by crooked businessmen, gamblers, and drunkards. The Quarysh, the ruling body that controlled Mecca, had been overtaken by corrupt men who served the needs of the wealthy at the expense of the common people. The lone exception among the Quarysh was the forthright and principled Abu Talib (Eli Allem), who championed the rights of the poor and disadvantaged. Abu Talib was also the guardian of Muhammad, his nephew, whose parents died when he was young. A man of deep faith, Muhammad prayed every day in a cavern on the outskirts of town, and one day he was visited by the angel Gabriel, who gave him the task of spreading a new faith to the world which would honor the one God who watched over all. Muhammad took this charge seriously and set out to tell the world of this new faith, but the men of the Quarysh were threatened by Muhammad's teachings, so much so that he was forced to exile himself to Medina in order for the new faith to survive. In accordance with Islamic law, Muhammad is never shown onscreen in this film. Muhammad: The Last Prophet was originally scheduled for release in the United States in early 2002, but following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the film was shelved in the U.S. due to widespread hostility and misunderstanding toward Muslims -- ironically, just the attitudes the film was created to confront. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Disney's original animated feature film The Swan Princess was loosely based on the famous ballet Swan Lake. In that film, Princess Odette is about to marry Prince Derek, but he is too enamored of her beauty, so she flees the kingdom. The villainous sorcerer Rothbart kidnaps the princess and turns her into a swan. The customary Disney animal sidekicks rescue the Swan Princess and eventually reunite her with Prince Derek, who learns to appreciate her for more than just her beauty. In this sequel, Odette (Michelle Nicastro) and Derek (Douglas Sills) are about to celebrate their first wedding anniversary when they find that the kingdom's fields have been set afire. It's the work of Knuckles, slave to the villain Clavius (Jake Williamson). Clavius hopes to steal a globe containing the forbidden powers with which he wants to enslave the world. Clavius kidnaps Queen Uberta (Christy Landers), and when Derek attempts to rescue her, he too is captured. Odette turns herself back into a swan to save the prince. Once again, Jean-Bob the frog, Speed the turtle, and Puffin the bird come to her assistance to thwart the plans of Clavius. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi

Bernard Lee plays an irresponsible British warrant officer who loses his post in Warsaw. Lee is reassigned to a navy underwater weapons establishment in Portland. Humiliated, he falls for the entreaties of enemy spy William Sylvester, who recruits him to steal secret papers. Lee convinces a female coworker (Margaret Tyzack) that Sylvester is a NATO agent; thus, the woman is unwittingly sucked into the spy ring. The British turncoat outsmarts himself when he begins spending more money than he makes, arousing the suspicions of the government. Ring of Spies was based on the real-life Portland espionage scandal which dominated British headlines throughout the very early 1960s. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Fur Collar is the principal clue in a mystery involving an espionage ring. Reporter John Bentley, assigned to the Paris beat, does his best to route out the spies. When his enemies try to assassinate him, Bentley pretends to be dead, the better to work undercover. Martin Benson co-stars as Inspector Legrain, Bentley's friendly enemy. Fur Collar was assembled by the ill-named production firm of Albatross. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this crime drama, a young man must prove himself innocent of murder to clear his name and marry the daughter of a baronet. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this comedy, a pair of newlywed workers at an ad agency find themselves unable to honeymoon when she is suddenly assigned to work in the US. While she is gone, her husband begins falling for his sexy secretary, but then realizes he is making a terrible mistake and decides to stay true to his wife. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Laurence Olivier was the director, co-screenwriter (with Alan Dent), and star of this robust adaptation of Shakespeare's drama, which, as Bruce Eder has written, "was the final, crowning glory of the British studio system and the end of the great cycle of British films aimed at international audiences." Olivier begins his Richard III with Edward IV (Cedric Hardwicke) being crowned king. In the background of the celebration, Richard (Laurence Olivier) jealously views the proceedings and begins to pick off those obstructing his pathway to the throne. Eventually, Richard becomes king and, after proceeding with a succession of intrigues and duplicities, he finds his kingdom in dire peril, set upon by Henry Tudor (Stanley Baker) and mustering a final defense for his realm at the Battle of Bosworth. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Originally filmed in 1934 (see entry 84314), R.C. Sheriff's venerable stage comedy Badger's Green was given another screen treatment in 1949. The plot is the same as before: a group of villagers revolt when their precious cricket field is threatened with demolition by a fat-cat business firm. Most of the character names remain the same as well, with one curious exception: the heroine, played by Barbara Murray, is named Jane Morton rather than Molly Butler. Though shorter than the 1934 version, the 1949 Badger's Green enjoys far better production values. Still, the comedy content is rather dated, especially the jokes concerning class consciousness. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Laurence Olivier's adaptation of Henry V is one of the finest Shakespeare films ever made, full of rousing action, beautiful colors, and passionate performances. Henry V is the story of the newly crowned king of England, who fights the French for possession of Normandy. Olivier's direction is inventive, beginning the film as if it were a performance at the Globe Theatre, and having it slowly expand so the final battle scenes take place in realistic settings. Released in 1944 during the height of World War II, Henry V didn't receive an American release until 1946, upon which Olivier won a special Academy Award for "his outstanding achievement as actor, producer and director in bringing Henry V to the screen." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

Demi-Paradise stars Laurence Olivier as a Russian inventor (accent and all). In Europe to promote his new propeller device, Olivier is put off by English customs and manners-or, rather, the lack of the latter. No one in 1939 England trusts a foreigner, least of all one of those shifty "Reds", but when Russia and England become allies against the Nazis, the previously persona non grata Olivier is welcomed with open arms. Penelope Dudley Ward co-stars as Olivier's previously suspicious landlady, who ends up falling in love with him. Demi-Paradise was made before the comic quaintness that afflicted Olivier's later performances set in, thus his Russian portrayal is straightforward and most convincing. The film was released in the US as Adventure for Two. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi