John Bull Movies
- 1962
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One of the key "angry young man" films which helped define the British "Kitchen Sink Drama" style of the late 1950's and early 60's, this story centers on Colin Smith (Tom Courtenay), a bitter young man from a working-class family. Uninterested in school and determined not to follow his father into factory work, Colin and his friend Mike (James Bolam) make their pocket money through petty crime, until they're arrested after the robbery of a baker's shop and sentenced to Borstal (British reform school). The Governor of the school (Michael Redgrave) takes a keen interest in Colin, but he cares less for his rehabilitation than his gifts as a broken-field runner; Colin finds himself torn between the need to please his captors and his determination not to play along with what he sees as a corrupt system. The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner was the first film for Courtenay, whose performance earned him the "Most Promising Newcomer" prize at the 1962 British Film Academy awards. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Courtenay, Michael Redgrave, (more)
- 1962
The Webster Boy is a case of a weak script and strong actors combining for a mediocre tale about a love triangle. John Cassavetes is Vance Miller, an American with a serious gambling addiction who is just through with serving time and ready to finally go back to England. His objective is to find his long-lost love Margaret (Elizabeth Sellars) and try to start life over with her. When he does find Elizabeth, she is happily married to Paul (David Farrar) and is the mother of fourteen-year-old Jimmy (Richard Sullivan). As Vance upsets the apple cart trying to win Elizabeth away, young Jimmy faces taunts at school and a sadistic school master -- and doubts as to who his real father might be. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Cassavetes, Elizabeth Sellars, (more)
- 1957
In this adventure, an American is forced by smugglers to sail his boat from Barcelona to Tangiers. The ruthless fugitives then kill his son, and harm his shipmate, sending the pilot, himself an ex-smuggler into such a rage that he kills two gang members and helps police capture the survivors and bring them to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1952
Brilliant plastic surgeon Philip Ritter (Paul Henreid) loses the love of his life, concert pianist Alice Brent (Lizabeth Scott), to her manager, David (Andre Morell). As a balm to his wounded pride, Dr. Ritter Henreid makes over a hideously scarred female criminal into the spitting image of the woman who jilted him (the girl is played by Mary McKenzie "before," and, of course, by Lizabeth Scott "after"). Alas, he cannot make over her personality as well, and soon she's run off with her own crooked crowd. A not-bad precursor to Hitchcock's Vertigo, A Stolen Face was produced by Britain's Hammer Films, and distributed in the U.S. by Lippert. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Henreid, Lizabeth Scott, (more)
- 1951
Cheer the Brave is a minor British domestic comedy, good for a few laughs during its scant 62 minutes. Elsie Randolph plays the domineering wife of downtrodden Geoffrey Keen. As if wifey isn't enough of a terror, Keen has to contend with mother-in-law Marie Ault. Keen finally gets the gumption to skeedaddle when Randolph's first husband Jack McNaughton make a return appearance. Cheer the Brave was the first directorial effort of former editor Kenneth Hume, who also wrote and produced it. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
