Terence de Marney Movies
- 1956
Van Johnson portrays a blind American writer living in London. Blessed with an acute hearing sense, Johnson overhears a kidnapping plot but neither his friends nor the authorities believe him, chalking up his story as the product of a writer's imagination. Disgruntled, Johnson vows to scuttle the kidnapping himself -- with the assistant of his fiancée Vera Miles. Despite his handicap, Johnson puts the pieces together using sounds as evidence and guidance. Ultimately Johnson finds his life in danger when he corners the criminal in a dark alley. 23 Paces to Baker Street was one of several ''50s 20th Century-Fox films shot on location in London to take advantage of Fox's "frozen funds" -- money earned by the studio in England which by law could only be spent in that country. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Van Johnson, Vera Miles, (more)
- 1969
In the hip and swingin' London of the '60s, a young window washer, Ginger (Victor Henry) divides his time between picking up the cleaning rag and picking up women in the hip London pubs. One girl he meets is the pretty and demure Jill (Susan George), who his best friend Dwyer (Jack Shephard) takes a shine to. When Ginger agrees to becomes a caretaker at an old man's mansion and a wild party results, he asks Dwyer to look after Jill. Dwyer takes that invitation as a chance to seduce Jill. Later, when Ginger is informed by Jill that she is pregnant, he takes it upon himself to marry her. No sooner are they married than Jill's intimidating mother arrives to announce that she will be taking up quarters with the newlyweds. Now Ginger has to decide whether he should trade in his swingin' ways for a staid domestic life. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor Henry, Susan George, (more)
- 1966
William Sylvester, the "Token Yank" in several low-budget British horror films of the 1960's (before his rise to fame as Dr. Heywood Floyd in 2001: A Space Odyssey), stars as a grieving widower (both his wife and child were killed in a car accident) who takes an unusual and hazardous job accompanying an archaeologist (Edward Underdown) and his daughter (Diane Clare) on a North African tomb-hunting expedition. After their arrival in Morocco, they learn of legends involving a Moorish vampire who haunts the tomb. Before long, the lonely Sylvester has succumbed to the seductive wiles of a mysterious woman (Alizia Gur), who begins to bend him to her will. It is left to Clare to come to his rescue, but her attempts place her in even greater jeopardy; ultimately it is Sylvester who must break free of Gur's evil clutches and destroy her himself. This passable vampire yarn makes good use of the exotic location but suffers from lethargic performances and a slack pace. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1959
In the ninth episode of the series Bonanza, we get an episode-length flashback into history. While working on the Ponderosa, the Cartwrights are fired on by an old sourdough who claims they're on his land, presenting them with a deed signed by Mr. Henry T.P. Comstock. Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene) and his sons have a good laugh and proceed to tell the man about Comstock (Jack Carson), a two-bit grifter always on the run from one man's rope or another, who inadvertently struck one of the largest silver deposits ever found while trying to cheat a group of miners. We glimpse the Cartwrights in relatively early days on the ranch, see Hoss' good nature, Adam's seriousness, Little Joe's recklessness (especially where pretty women are concerned), and Ben's concern that gold-fever doesn't destroy the land around him. And we witness the naming and founding of Virginia City, as a by-product of Comstock's attempted swindle. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
- 1962
Very freely based upon the book by Thomas DeQuincey, Confessions of an Opium Eater is set in San Francisco during the Tong Wars of the 1800s. Lotus is one of a group of women kidnapped from China and brought to the United States, where they are to be traded in exchange for precious opium. Fortunately, Lotus and her compatriots are rescued by mysterious benefactors and are spirited away. Soon after, DeQuincey sneaks into Chinatown and contacts a merchant by the name of Chin Foon. Both men share the mark of the Moon Serpent, signifying that they work for the enigmatic Ling Tang, who is the mastermind behind the human auctions. Foon instructs DeQuincey to locate Lotus. He finds her but tries to escape with her, rather than handing her over to Foon. His treachery is discovered, and he admits that he is working for both sides in the Tong conflict. He escapes and, stumbling through the bowels of Chinatown, discovers many other bizarre secrets. He also learns that another of Tang’s employees, Ruby Low, is not as loyal as supposed. DeQuincey continues prowling around Chinatown; obviously, he has some sort of plan in mind – but what is it? And who is he really working for? ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
- 1955
Although the French Foreign Legion became increasingly anachronistic in the 1950s, films like Desert Sands helped to perpetuate the glamorous legend of this mercenary aggregation. Ralph Meeker heads the cast as a bold legionnaire who falls in love with gorgeous Arab girl Marla English. Alas, Marla is the daughter of shiek John Carradine and the sister of vengeful Keith Larsen, both of whom have vowed to kill all Legionnaires within shouting distance. Larsen eventually discovers that his real enemy is not Meeker, but the duplicitous Carradine. Director Lesley Selander staged most of the action scenes in the manner of his western films, with excellent results. One of the scriptwriters of Desert Sands was Danny Arnold, later the prime mover of TV's Barney Miller. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ralph Meeker, Marla English, (more)
- 1965
Also known as Monster of Terror, this British-made horror opus is very loosely based on H.P. Lovecraft's story "The Colour Out of Space". The story begins with an American scientist (Nick Adams) paying a visit to the remote estate of his fiancee's family (located in Lovecraft's fictional Arkham County, Massachusetts) and finding many of the surrounding flora and fauna horribly mutated by strange radiation. The source of the contamination is discovered to be a glowing meteorite kept hidden in the basement by his girlfriend's father (Boris Karloff), who has been using the radiation to mutate local plant life. As one might expect, the experiment has gotten a bit out of hand... and poor mommy has changed into something unspeakably horrible. Designed as a vehicle for Karloff (who is excellent), this is a decent freshman effort from director Daniel Haller (formerly Roger Corman's production designer), but the effectively creepy atmosphere would have been greatly assisted by a better script -- perhaps one more loyal to the source material. The same story was adapted (again, loosely) in 1987 for The Curse. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Boris Karloff, Nick Adams, (more)
- 1966
Doctor Who inaugurated its fourth season on September 10, 1966, with episode one of the four-part "The Smugglers." The TARDIS materializes in a cave off a seacoast, but the Doctor (William Hartnell) doesn't know where he is or what year he's in. Soon, however, the Doctor and his companions Ben (Michael Craze) and Polly (Anneke Wills) learn they've arrived in 17th century Cornwall -- smack in the middle of a hotbed of intrigue involving smugglers, pirates, and a mysterious murder. Written by Brian Sayles, "The Smugglers, Episode One" no longer exists in the BBC archives -- nor, for that matter, do episodes two, three, or four, save for a few brief fragments (including, in the case of this episode, the murder that sets the plot in motion). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Hartnell, Annika Wills, (more)
- 1947
Herbert Lom essays a dual role as a team of trapeze artists. When a circus colleague finds himself in possession of a winning lottery ticket, the twins conspire to kill the man and claim the fortune for themselves. One twin makes certain to establish an alibi for the other, so that no one will suspect the pair of the crime. But blood isn't quite as thick as greed, and the twins come to a bad end when they fall out over their ill-gotten gains. Dual Alibi uses its meager budget to its advantage; most of the film is photographed with deep, dark shadows, which serve to hide any deficiencies in the split-screen work. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Terence de Marney, Phyllis Dixey, (more)
- 1933
Bookie Allan Jeayes wins a fortune at the race track when he gets a copy of tomorrow's newspaper which unfortunately also contains his obituary. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1960
Arrested during a barroom brawl in a small and unfriendly town, Paladin (Richard Boone) groggily awakens in his jail cell to find he has been accused of murder. It seems that one of the other incarcerated brawlers has been mysteriously killed in his cell--and as a stranger in town, Paladin has been "elected" to shoulder the blame. With the town's marshal (Martin Balsam) under pressure to mete out justice, Paladin places his fate in the hands of a mercurial young woman named Maggie (Joanne Linville)--who knows more than she should about the tragic incident. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
The aristocratic Deverall family engages the services of Paladin (Richard Boone) to save the life of wealthy, arrogant young Pierre Deverall (Ed Nelson). Although he has been accused of murder and sentenced to hang, Deverall is smugly certain that his "good name" will prevent his execution. But Paladin doubts this, especially considering Deverall's very close association with a notorious outlaw (or group of outlaws) known as The Black Handkerchief. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
Recently returned from hunting Tigers in India, sportsman Ellsworth (Parley Baer) declares that he has been placed under a curse. Unless he can find a way to prevent it, Ellsworth is convinced that he will be killed by a huge tiger--even though he lives in Houston! Drawing upon his own experiences in India, Paladin (Richard Boone) does everything he can to dissuade Ellsworth from his seemingly unfounded fears...but this is one curse that is not to be taken lightly. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1939
The British I Killed the Count was based on the tricky stage puzzler by Alec Coppel. Cockney comedian Syd Walker plays it more or less straight as Scotland Yard inspector Davidson, at present trying to determine who murdered the much-hated Count Mattoni (Leslie Perrins). The dilemma isn't that Davidson is suffering from a lack of witnesses. In fact, four different people come forth to confess to the killing--each of them with plenty of motive and opportunity. Originally released in the US by Grand National in 1939, I Killed the Count was reissued the following year as Who's Guilty? by Monogram. The original Coppel play was later adapted as a two-parter on TV's Alfred Hitchcock Presents. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Syd Walker, Ben Lyon, (more)
- 1935
Basil Gill depicts playwright Shakespeare in this drama featuring discussions with various friends along with scenes of his plays. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1967
In this complex British mystery, an undercover narcotics agent go to the Mediterranean to foil the plans of two smugglers. Upon arrival, one of the partners is beaten and killed by a man and his mistress. The disguised agent begins working to gain the trust of the remaining smuggler, but one day arrives to find him stabbed to death. Naturally, he is accused of the crime by the local detective. The agent's home organization then sends out another agent to help him. Together they learn that the mistress was the perpetrator of all the crimes. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1960
While escorting four prisoners through the desert, Capt. Jim Pattisall (Alan Hale Jr.) is wounded in an Apache attack. Bart Maverick (Jack Kelly) takes over from Pattisall, making certain that the foursome is safely delivered to prison--a task that proves problematic when the prettiest of the prisoners, Daphne Tolliver (Joanna Barnes) tries to charm her way to freedom. Adding to Bart's burden are a pair of pursuing bank robbers, to say nothing of scalp-happy Apache brave Red Feather (Gary Murray). Featured as the Indian chief is silent-film veteran Charles Stevens, the grandson of legendary Apache warrior Geronimo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
In San Francisco, Bart (Jack Kelly) suspects that one of the town's leading citizens, Van Buren Kingsley, is a swindler. Before long, Kingsley shows his hand by arranging for Bart to get beaten up and shanghaied. In typical Maverick fashion, Bart tries to turn the tables on the duplicitous Kingsley by setting up a sting operation involving a cache of valuable diamonds. Watch for veteran character actor Sig Ruman, aka "Concentration Camp Ehrhardt" in the Jack Benny film To Be or Not to Be, in a supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
Never one to turn down a beautiful woman--especially one with a lofty title--Bart (Jack Kelly) lends $10,000 to Countess Michelle de Barot (Roxane Berard), accepting her pearl necklace as security. Unfortunately, the necklace turns out to be just as phony as the Countess. Teaming with his brother Bret (James Garner), Bret concocts a counter-swindle to get even with Countess Michelle and her equally larcenous uncle, Baron de Montaigne (played by the brilliant Marcel Dalio, some distance removed from his starring roles in the Jean Renoir classics La Grande Illusion and Rules of the Game). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Mickey Shaughnessy guest stars as Mr. Muldoon, a self-proclaimed (and somewhat oversized) Irish leprechaun. Hoping to convince a skeptical Bart Maverick (Jack Kelly) of his magical powers, Muldoon offers to grant Bart five wishes, the first one being for money. Unfortunately, the cash that Muldoon hands over to our hero is exactly the same amount that was recently lifted in a payroll robbery. Originally slated to air on January 14, 1962, this episode was rescheduled to February 11 before its ultimate network debut on April 15. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
In his first "solo" episode, Bart Maverick (Jack Kelly) agrees to protect Daisy Harris (Kathleen Crowley) during a hazardous journey through the Badlands. Even though Daisy explains that she'd been forced to kill her previous escort in self-defense, Bart gallantly remains by her side, even going so far as to pose as her husband--a deception which may end up sealing his doom! "The Jeweled Gun" was later reworked as "A Rage for Vengeance", in which Bart's brother Bret was the central character. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
Kit (Doris Day), an American married to wealthy London businessman Tony Preston (Rex Harrison) becomes the terrified victim of a mysterious stalker, who she hears but can never see. She is threatened by the eerie, high-pitched voice as she walks in the thick London fog. She then begins receiving repeated threatening telephone calls. The now totally panicked Kit is nearly killed when someone pushes her in front of a bus. Unfortunately for Kit, no one but she hears the voice or the telephone calls and neither Tony, Kit's visiting aunt Bea (Myra Loy), or Scotland Yard take any of these incidents seriously. The only one who seems to believe Kit is Brian Younger (John Gavin), a construction foreman, but Kit is not convinced that she can trust him. The tension builds to a thrilling climax as Kit flees for her life on a scaffolding outside her apartment building. Midnight Lace is an exciting thriller, with many surprising plot twists and a nice sinister performance by Rex Harrison. Roddy McDowall is also fun as the son of Kit's housekeeper, who keeps hitting up his mom for money. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Doris Day, Rex Harrison, (more)
- 1957
Robert Bray, best known to baby-boomers as "Ranger Corey" on TV's Lassie, is cast as Mickey Spillane's rough-edged private eye Mike Hammer in My Gun is Quick. Mike's mission this time out is to solve a murder and a jewel robbery. He faces opposition from two warring criminal gangs, but when has that ever stopped him in the past? Co-starring as a typically Spillanesque cool blonde is Whitney Blake, who like Bray later gained TV fame in a more sedate role on the weekly sitcom Hazel (incidentally, Ms. Blake is the mother of actress Meredith Baxter). Not quite as accomplished as Robert Aldrich's classic Mike Hammer yarn Kiss Me Deadly, My Gun is Quick works well within its modest limits. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Bray, Whitney Blake, (more)
- 1949
A champion prizefighter receives an eye injury in the ring and is forced to retire. The loss costs him everything including his wife and his life savings causing him to spiral down into a deep depression until a childhood friend shows up to lift his spirits. Unfortunately, the ex-boxers association with his old gal pal leads him to get involved with ruthless gangsters. Tragedy ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
