Sandra Dorne Movies
Who better to play the slatternly Suky Tawdry in Peter Brooks' 1952 film version of The Beggar's Opera than British "blonde bombshell" Sandra Dorne? Though never as famous as such sex symbol contemporaries as Diana Dors and Marilyn Monroe, Dorne worked steadily in films well into the late '80s, nearly always cast as trollops, good-time girls, and "other women." In the later stages of her film career, she was seen in such heavy-breathing melodramas as The Devil Doll (1964) and All Coppers Are? (1972). Sandra Dorne was married to actor Patrick Holt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1952
Scotland Yard detective Patrick Holt is hot on the trail of a gang of thieves. Holt goes undercover, joining the gang and participating in a few heists. The gang catches on, but decides not to kill Holt under their next caper. Will our hero be able to contact the Yard in time save his neck? 13 East Street was produced by Robert S. Baker and Monty Berman, the same team responsible for the popular 1960s TV adventure series The Saint. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1953
Alf Donkin (Jerry Desmonde) and his two nitwitted brothers (C. Dernier Warren and Mark Daly) adopt an orphaned baby girl. She grows up to be the delectable Pauline Stroud, whose beauty and vulnerability prompts the good-hearted Alf to be all the more protective of her. When Pauline falls in love with a crook (Peter Hammond), Alf and his siblings try to prevent their foster child from making the mistake of her life. Alf's Baby was based on It Won't Be a Stylish Marriage, a play by A.P. Dearsley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1956
When John Preston (Christopher Lee) comes out of nowhere to settle in Deanbridge, he rises quickly in the town's small circle of leaders and meets Sally, the daughter of a leading family. He asks her to marry him, but then he begins to have repeating nightmares about a passionate blonde blackmailer. He consults the local doctor (Alexander Knox), who decides that Preston is unconsciously suppressing events from his past and should try to recover his memory before he gets married. This is an average psychological mystery worth watching for the good performances. ~ Michael P. Rogers, All Movie Guide
- 1972
When three old acquaintances are thrown together after several years, they are shocked to realize that they are looking at each other from different sides of the law. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1949
Norman Wooland, who in 1948 made an excellent impression as Horatio in Olivier's Hamlet, is awarded top billing in the 1949 British comedy All Over the Town. A gentle satire of provincial politics, the film stars Wooland as ex-soldier Nat Hearn, who returns to his newspaper job after the war. Upset that the paper compromises its journalistic integrity to satisfy local businessmen, Nat takes over the publication and radically alters its editorial policy. This brings him into conflict with the regional political bigwigs, and also puts a strain on his romance with Sally Thorpe (Dinah Churchill). Director Michael S. Gordon co-adapted the screenplay from a stage comedy by R. F. Delderfield. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norman Wooland, Sarah Churchill, (more)
- 1962
Cathy poses as a journalist to find out why a circus clown (Robert Rietty) is trying to murder Steed. It turns out that the clown is a functionary of the Mafia, and that Steed is getting too close for comfort to the "organization's" American drug-smuggling operation. It also turns out that the clown wants to escape the clutches of the Mafia himself. . .or does he? Originally telecast in England on March 2, 1963 (and finally shown in America on February 27, 1991), "Conspiracy of Silence" was written by Roger Marshall. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
Posing as a crooked airline steward, Steed is able to join an international diamond smuggling ring. After arriving in New York, he is accused of killing a girl in a traffic accident and cannot account for his actions during the tragedy. Suspecting that Steed has been drugged, Keel investigates, thereby uncovering an insidious and wide-ranging blackmail scheme. Written by Max Marquis, "Diamond Cut Diamond" was originally telecast live on February 18, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Hugo is mad as heck, and he's not going to take it any more! Hugo is the dummy used by the Great Vorelli, a ventriloquist and hypnotist who wows London with his amazing act. Hugo can walk as well as talk, and he does other interesting things. Neglecting his statuesque mistress Magda, Vorelli pursues a pretty volunteer from the audience named Marianne; he know she is a wealthy heiress, and is after her money as well as her charms. Following a charity concert at Marianne's country estate, he mesmerizes the girl, who then falls into a baffling coma. When (in one of the movie's best sequences) a jealous Magda challenges the hypnotist over his attentions to the younger woman, Vorelli lulls her into submission, then gets rid of her, using Hugo to ensure his own alibi. Marianne's journalist boyfriend Mark investigates the mysterious murder and discovers another killing in Vorelli's past with interesting connections to the present. This underrated British horror story could be the best filmed variation on the "dummy with a soul" theme inaugurated by a brief sequence in Alberto Cavalcanti's classic 1945 anthology Dead of Night and continuing more recently with Magic (1978.) Fine photography by Gerald Gibbs, convincing performances by Bryant Halliday, Sandra Dorne and Yvonne Romain and flawless animation and editing of Hugo's scenes provide a galvanizing elaboration of the original, somewhat skeletal, concept. A rental video is hard to find, but available. ~ Michael P. Rogers, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bryant Halliday, William Sylvester, (more)
- 1949
The British Don't Ever Leave Me stars "cute" Jimmy Hanley as a would-be criminal who is dragooned into a kidnapping plot. Among the potential victims is teenaged Sheila Farlane (Petula Clark), the daughter of Shakespearean actor Michael Farlane (Hugh Sinclair). When the plan goes awry, Sheila and her friends decide that they're having fun being kidnapped and refuse to go home! Featured in the cast is a young Anthony Newley, who'd recently gained fame as the Artful Dodger in Oliver Twist. Don't Ever Leave Me is hardly memorable, though it managed to get plenty of American TV airplay in the 1950s and 1960s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jimmy Hanley, Petula Clark, (more)
- 1950
A smuggler's headquarters, an Irish castle, is inherited by Walter-Ellis who is ignorant of the smugglers' activities. ~ All Movie Guide
A restaurant worker (Lanah Pellay) is fired from a posh London eatery, so the man returns with a band of terrorists, who have their own ideas about how to run a restaurant, and they begin feeding new customers with old customers. Motorhead provides the music. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lanah Pellay, Nosher Powell, (more)
- 1947
The story in this war drama is totally fictional. It is the tale of the secretary for the Nazi Party who escapes from Hitler's bunker just before it is destroyed in the Battle of Berlin. He goes to England. There he sets up "The Eyes That Kill," an organization devoted to building up a Fourth Reich. He is, of course, defeated. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1956
His career as a western star having recently come to an end in the US, Wayne Morris is the star of the British The Dynamiters. Morris plays an American insurance investigator, trying to get the goods on an elusive gang of London thieves. The crooks invariably wipe out all evidence by dynamiting the places they've plundered. While snooping around, Morris takes a break in a nightclub, where a musical number called "Soho Mambo" is thrust upon us. One nice side effect of The Dynamiters was that, by working in London, Wayne Morris was available to co-star in Stanley Kubrick's prestigious antiwar drama Paths of Glory. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wayne Morris, Sandra Dorne, (more)
The Anglo-American musicomedy Happy Go Lovely is set in Edinburgh, Scotland, during a major film festival. The gathered throngs are aghast when unknown dancer Janet Jones (Vera-Ellen) steps daintily from a limousine owned by a Scottish millionaire. A few miles earlier, the girl had thumbed a ride from the limo driver, but the public doesn't know this, and soon rumors are flying. Before she knows what has happened, Jones has become the festival's main attraction. She is also romanced by B.G. Bruno (David Niven), whom she assumes to be a reporter but who, of course, is the millionaire in disguise. Ostensibly a musical, Happy Go Lovely is limited to two songs, though both are performed con brio by the fabulous Vera-Ellen. The film was produced independently by N. P. Rathvon and released by Rathvon's former studio, RKO Radio. It was shot in black and white but is now reportedly only available in a colorized print. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Niven, Vera-Ellen, (more)
- 1952
Jenny, a pretty, independent, factory worker takes a holiday in Blackpool with her friend Mary. She has a week-long affair with Alan, the mill-owner's son, and attempts to conceal it with the collusion of her roommate. This stratagem backfires when Mary is killed. When both sets of parents learn of the liaison and decide that the two must be married, Jenny gives them all a surprise. This third remake of the classic British screenplay Hindle Wakes, gives a more realistic and touching portrayal of life in working-class England than its 1931 predecessor, one of the earliest "talking pictures" from Britain (two silent versions preceded.) It is gritty and rather sad, but presents a frank and compassionate female perspective on the "traps" of sex and marriage. Lisa Daniely is affecting as the thoughtful heroine, and Sandra Dorne delightful as her racy, carefree, girlfriend. ~ Michael P. Rogers, All Movie Guide
Tony Richardson attempts to re-create the glory days of Tom Jones in this adaptation of the 1742 Henry Fielding novel. Peter Firth stars in this picaresque tale as Joseph Andrews, a young servant switched at birth who undergoes a series of romantic escapades. Joseph even has the fortune of becoming the personal footman to Lady Booby (Ann-Margaret). Joseph's romantic peccadilloes cause consternation among a collection of stuffy noblemen and women in 18th-century England. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann-Margret, Peter Firth, (more)
- 1951
In this actioner, a young British factory worker living in the 1930s chucks his job in favor of motorcycle racing. He is quite successful, becomes an egomaniac, loses his wife, and learns his lesson. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dirk Bogarde, Bonar Colleano, (more)
- 1949
The action in the British Marry Me! centers around a marriage bureau. Utilizing the "omnibus" approach made popular by such films as Quartet, director Terence Fisher relates the stories of four separate marriage-bound couples. The cast (including Derek Bond, Susan Shaw, Patrick Holt, Carol Marsh, David Tomlinson, Zena Marshall, Guy Middleton and Nora Swinburne) is quite appealing, and the production values are of the highest caliber. It would have been nice, though, to spend more time getting to know the individuals involved in the four playlets. Marry Me! is not a remake of the 1932 film of the same name. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Derek Bond, Susan Shaw, (more)
- 1960
The title of this British farce, one assumes, does not refer to the producers' assessement of its box office success. Richard Murdoch, Sandra Dorne and Jon Pertwee star as, respectively, an American secret agent, a pretty British customs official, and a vain TV star. This less-than-dynamic trio sets about to foil a gang of smugglers. They do, but not before a lot of furniture is smashed and a lot of clothes torn asunder. Yes, it's funny, but for a whole 77 minutes? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
Looking rather spent, Tom Conway walks through the British programmer Operation Murder. Conway is a poverty-stricken doctor who happens to have a rich cousin. Conspiring with his partner Patrick Holt, Conway schemes to kill his cousin, passing off the death as a mishap on the operation table. The plan is almost foolproof, but.....Operation Murder was another of the multitude of inexpensive Danzinger Brothers productions, released throughout the English-speaking world by United Artists. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
The moral dilemma of a reluctant American spy is chronicled in this psychological drama. He becomes an agent after he, originally a pilot, is grounded during WW II. He is trained to assassinate a Paris lawyer suspected of colluding with the Nazis. During his rigorous training for the killing, the new spy begins to have doubts about his upcoming assignment; these doubts increase when he actually meets his prey as the spy is unsure that the lawyer is really guilty. Still he fulfills his grim duty. Later he learns that the lawyer was innocent. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Albert, Paul Massie, (more)
- 1978
- R
Shortly before her untimely death at age 33, British sex symbol Mary Millington starred in Playbirds. The film concerns danger and intrigue in the world of sex-magazine publishing, a plot device that allows for acres and acres of nude female flesh. A villain is a serial killer, preying on the cover girls of Playbird magazine. Glynn Edwards and Gavin Campbell costar in this low-low budgeter, which rather refreshingly has no artistic pretensions whatever. Please don't be shocked when we tell you that Playbirds is rated R. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1955
In this police drama, a cop finds his recently killed partner replaced by an Alsatian police dog. While he adjusts, the one who killed his partner plans to crack a safe. After he breaks in, he is accosted by the cop and his dog. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1953
The British Roadhouse Girl was released in the US as Marilyn, but don't go looking for Ms. Monroe around these parts. Sandra Dorne plays Marilyn, the sexy young wife of ill-tempered garage owner Leslie Dwyer. Assuming that his wife is fooling around with mechanic Maxwell Reid, Dwyer begins punching Reid out. Defending himself, Reid accidentally kills his boss. Marilyn helps Reid cover up the crime, and together the two strike out to find a new life. Several months later, the couple is running a just-getting-by roadhouse. Wealthy Ferdy Mayne agrees to lend the couple some money, figuring the Marilyn will offer her affections as repayment. But things take a sorry turn when Mayne begins to suspect that Reid has committed a murder. Though based on a play by Peter Jones, Roadhouse Girl seems heavily indebted to James M. Cain's The Postman Always Rings Twice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Based on Anthony Kimmins' stage success The Amorous Prawn, this British light comedy stars Joan Greenwood as the wife of an Army general (Cecil Parker). Having fallen upon hard times, the wife hits upon a scheme to raise some quick cash. She opens her husband's highland headquarters to visiting salmon fishermen, a circumstance that displeases the general when several of those anglers turn out to be handsome young men. On the assumption that American audiences would think The Amorous Prawn was a film about shrimp instead of salmon, the US distributor added the "Mr." to the original. When filmgoers failed to respond, the picture was re-retitled The Playgirl and the War Minister, a shameless attempt to exploit the then-current Profumo political scandal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ian Carmichael, Joan Greenwood, (more)
