Drusilla Wills Movies

Though it pales in comparison to the Royal Shakespeare Company's epic staging of the original novel in the early 1980s, this compact adaptation of Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby is most entertaining on its own terms. Derek Bond plays the title character, a resourceful young Britisher forced to protect his family against the demonic machinations of his wicked Uncle Ralph (Cedric Hardwicke at his most odious). Cast out into the cold cruel world, Nicholas Nickleby deals adroitly with friend and foe alike, eventually coming full circle to mete out just desserts to his unspeakable uncle. With only 108 minutes' running time at his disposal, screenwriter John Dighton (later a mainstay of the Ealing Comedies) was forced to eliminate several of the novel's 52 highly distinctive characters and intricate subplots. There is evidence that there was even more cutting after the film was completed; for example, the tatty touring theatrical troupe managed by the delightfully pompous Vincent Crummles (Stanley Holloway) appears only in a series of abrupt vignettes, while Crummles himself is confined to a mere handful of lines and gestures. Still, many of Dickens' colorful characters are vividly realized, especially the unfortunate, mentally challenged Smike (Aubrey Woods). When released in America, Nicholas Nickleby was pared down to 95 minutes, with surprisingly little damage to the continuity. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Like the better-known (and more popular) A Canterbury Tale, Welcome Mr. Washington is a sometimes amusing, sometimes poignant dramatization of what happened when American troops "invaded" England during WW II. Dismissed as "overpaid, oversexed and over here," the Yanks face some hostility while trying to adjust to British manners and mores. But when a farming community finds itself dangerously short-handed at harvest time, the American GIs pitch in and help their British brethren in true "hands across the sea" fashion. Real-life American army lieutenant Donald Stewart is cast as the nominal romantic lead, his lack of professional polish all the more obvious in his scenes with the talented Barbara Mullen. The film is stolen by Peggy Cummins as a precocious teenager, some three years before Cummins was brought to Hollywood to star in Forever Amber (which, as it turned out, she didn't). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A set of flashbacks to 19th century London provide the action in this British wartime film, in which a wealthy girl (Phyllis Calvert) becomes friends with a young waif (Margaret Lockwood) while at school. The waif later becomes a governess for the girl, but betrays their relationship by having an affair with her friend's husband (James Mason). The Man in Grey did exceptionally well in England at the time of its release, and later spawned a cavalcade of similar movies. ~ John Bush, Rovi

In this comedy, an aged spinster leaves her communist nephew $20,000. Before she died, he and she constantly argued about her decadent capitalistic ways, but now that he has her fortune, he begins singing a different tune. At first he decides to give his nation's unemployed an equal share of the fortune, but when he realizes that they will only get a penny a piece he begins to question the wisdom of such actions. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

With a plot that twists like a plumber's snake, this is more a story of family secrets than anything else, in which the British commander of a West African garrison has to prevent the exposure of an ugly scandal involving his daughter. The story was based on a novel by Lewis Robinson entitled The General Goes Too Far. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi

In this musical comedy, a Cockney flower girl is in love with a policeman whom she wants to marry. Unfortunately, her father opposes the union because he is involved in a little crooked investing. Fortunately, the young woman wins a lottery and is able to find wealth and marital bliss. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Philip Godfrey's Gothic novel The Grange Mystery was the basis for the British melodrama The Black Abbott. John Stuart heads a gang of crooks who break into the home of British nobleman Richard Cooper. The plan is to hold Cooper for ransom in his own home, but to make it seem as though everything is normal. But the resourceful Cooper proves to be quite a handful for the allegedly clever criminals. Featured as a secondary kidnaper is American actor Ben Welden, later a mainstay of the Superman television series. The Black Abbot was distributed by the British arm of Hollywood's RKO Radio Pictures. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When a young Norwegian girl is obsessed with becoming a star, her benefactor organizes a crazy publicity stunt to get her a studio contract. ~ Rovi

In this British comedy, a fellow goes on a Spanish vacation and finds himself mistaken for a famous matador. Mayhem ensues when he suddenly is placed in the bullring. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this gritty drama, an epileptic john has a seizure and kills a hooker. His mother hides her distraught son. Meanwhile, the prostitute's boyfriend is accused and convicted for the crime. Just before he is to hang, the real killer confesses his crime. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi