Reed de Rouen Movies

As the Ottoman Empire collapses throughout Turkey in 1922, a number of adventurers from all over the world sign on to protect the locals from thieves and marauders--for a hefty price. Two such mercenaries are Adam Dyer (Tony Curtis) and Josh Corey (Charles Bronson), who are hired by provincial Turkish governor Osman Bey (Gregoire Aslan). Adam and Josh are expected to protect their boss' gold shipment, and to provide safe conduct for Osman Bey's three daughters. Along the way, our "heroes" decide to forget their mission and abscond with the gold, but their plans are foiled by their own inherent ineptitude--and by the bothersome interference of duplicitious Colonel Elci (Fikret Hakan). You Can't Win 'Em All is best described as a "western with fezzes." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the third episode of the four-part story "The Gunfighters," the plot continues to thicken in the hours just prior to the gunfight at the OK Corral. Rescued from a lynch mob, Steven (Peter Purves) faces a new threat in the form of gunslinger Johnny Ringo (Laurence Payne). The Doctor (William Hartnell) is torn between rescuing Steven and coming to the aid of the still-imperiled Dodo (Jackie Lane). Written by Donald Cotton, "Johnny Ringo" was originally telecast on May 14, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this suspenseful espionage film a British agent and a man from NATO attempt to bust a communist spy ring. Following the discovery of a roll of top secret microfilm following a plane crash, the two finds themselves embroiled in a complex web of treachery and double agents. Fortunately, they survive all and bring the rogue spies to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

While returning from a vacation in Chile, Dr. Keel tries to help the victims of a cyclone in Mexico. He soon stumbles onto a particularly nasty example of industrial pollution. Another doctor swears vengeance against the wealthy financier responsible for this ecological outrage, forcing Keel to put his return-to-England plans on hold and to prevent a brutal (if somewhat justified) murder. Written by John Lucarotti, "The Far Distant Dead" was originally broadcast August 19, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this British comedy, an amiable demolitions expert finds himself entangled with a band of criminals masquerading as doctors. In this guise, the thieves attempt to build a tunnel between the hospital and the bank next door. The expert successfully blows open the vault, and the criminals escape with their loot, leaving the hapless safecracker to take the rap. Five years pass before he is released from prison. The man has learned his lesson and tries to reform by taking a job in a small resort. More trouble ensues when he sees the most prominent citizen in town cheating his neighbors by selling bogus shares in the future of the town. To stop him the ex-safecracker enlists the aid of his old gang who begin masquerading as American soldiers offering to build a missile base in the town. Naturally the avaricious businessman desires a piece of the pie and so buys back all of the land he had sold. Using his special talent, the hero blows up the villain's land. Fortunately, the real American army gets involved by offering to rebuild the destroyed town on the land, causing the townsfolk to cheer the former con-man on as the police haul him back to prison. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Naked Fury is a 60-minute British crime quickie. Four robbers kill a night watchman while knocking over a warehouse. They kidnap the daughter (Leigh Madison) of the murdered man and hole up in a squalid shack. One of the robbers (Kenneth Cope) falls in love with the hostage, triggering a falling out with his fellow crooks. Final score: Hostage 1, Crooks 0. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Robert Stack stars in this sea-faring historical epic as John Paul Jones, the first great hero of the American Navy. While originally a loyal soldier of the King's army, Jones in time becomes a fervent supporter of the American Revolutionaries, and he volunteers to lead the colonists' ragtag fleet to impressive victories against the British Navy; during a battle against the British ship Serapis, Jones utters the deathless words "I have not yet begun to fight." While his brave and intelligent leadership helps win America its freedom, his appeals to Benjamin Franklin (Charles Coburn) and the other leaders of Congress to strengthen the United States Navy fall on deaf ears; Jones is eventually branded a troublemaker, and in time, he is ordered to Russia, where he is to help guide the fleet of Catherine The Great (Bette Davis). Jones leads the Russian Navy to stunning victories in the Black Sea, reestablishing his reputation as one of the great military minds of his day. John Paul Jones also features a rousing score by the great film composer Max Steiner. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Kenneth More portrays a British gunsmith who travels to the American West. After winning a rigged poker game, More is appointed sheriff of Fractured Jaw, a wide-open town where law officers are plugged and planted on a regular basis. He befriends hard-bitten saloon gal Jayne Mansfield, who doesn't give the gentlemanly More much chance of survival. Using his wits, and blessed with a generous amount of raw luck, Sheriff More escapes death at every turn, finally becoming the "blood brother" of a previous hostile Sioux tribe. With the help of his Native American friends, More brings law and order to Fractured Jaw. The film's main advantages are Kenneth More, who is superb as always, and Jayne Mansfield, giving one of her best and least mannered performances. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this murder mystery, a woman's brother is killed in a freaky accident, or so she believes. Fortunately for her, an American journalist is more suspicious and so begins roaming the London streets in search of the killer. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Top Secret gets under way when George (George Cole), a janitor in a research plant, accidentally comes into possession of the plans for a revolutionary atomic weapon. As George embarks on his annual vacation, the research security team embarks on a nationwide search for the hapless broom-pusher. Meanwhile, the Russians get wind of the incident and intercept George, plying him with liquor and empty promises so that he'll hand over the plans to them. All the while, George never knows what the fuss is about: he thinks that the British and Soviet authorities are interested in his new plans for a modern sanitary system! No one takes Top Secret seriously--certainly not Oscar Homolka, who delivers a bravura performance as a Russian secret agent who wistfully yearns for the glories of the Czarist days. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

You Can't Fool an Irishman is a heavy-handed satire of Hollywood movie cliches. Famed producer Stefan Wurlitz (Tommy Duggan) arrives in a tiny Irish village, hoping to film an epic biopic on the life of St. Patrick. Trouble is, Wurlitz hasn't a brass farthing to his name. When female pubkeeper Mrs. McDermott (Josephine Fitzgerald) discovers that Wurlitz, despite his Teutonic surname, is as Irish as a four-leaf clover, she comes to his rescue. Cast as the producer's movie-starlet leading lady is Shirl Conway, who later co-starred on TV's The Nurses. You Can't Fool an Irishman might make an interesting companion piece to the strikingly similar And God Spoke (1993). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide