Jack Douglas Movies

In this last gasp of the "Carry On" series, minus most of the "Carry On" players, Jim Dale plays Spanish map-maker Christopher Columbus, who has a plan to navigate a new route to India, bypassing the Sultan of Turkey (Rik Mayall) and his sky-high tributes. He convinces King Ferdinand of Spain (Leslie Phillips) and Queen Isabella (June Whitfield) to finance his trip, and he sets off for points east with a cabin boy in tow. But what Columbus doesn't realize is that his cabin boy is, in fact, a cabin girl. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

An old-fashioned drama about old-fashioned values in an old-fashioned town called Shillingbury, this conventional film may not be quite the ticket for a more cynical, demanding audience (whatever their age). Pop musician Peter (Robin Nedwell) and his wife Sally (Diane Keen) take refuge in Shillingbury when their mod, mad life in the Big City gets more than they can handle. The problem is that the small town's band assaults the senses, especially the musical senses, every time the group gathers to play. They can empty out a room quicker than a fire alarm. So Peter agrees to take them on, coach them, and bring back an audience. As a result, the band members rebel because they love their old leader, Saltie (Trevor Howard) and resent his being shoved aside. Their rebellion, it turns out, produces exactly the opposite of what everyone in the town had expected, including themselves. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

The long-running series of British "Carry On" comedies was nearing the end of the line when this 28th film in the cycle was released in 1976. Set in World War II, Carry On England explores what happens when the British military decides to set up an experimental mixed-gender anti-aircraft battery. While commanding officer Captain Melly (Kenneth Connor) is a stickler for military discipline, it soon becomes obvious that the interaction of male and female soldiers doesn't lend itself to a crack fighting unit, though it makes for plenty of broad physical comedy, especially with Major Bloomer (Windsor Davies), Melly's second-in-command, on deck. Judy Geeson, Patrick Mower, Jack Douglas, and Joan Sims lead the supporting cast. This feature was followed by That's Carry On (1977), a "greatest hits" collection of highlights from the series, and Carry On Emmanuelle (1978), which marked the end of the series until 1992's Carry On Columbus. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The British comedy group chalks up another few laughs as some folks attempt to camp out on the location of an archaeological dig. Unfortunately, the dig in question happens amid the busyness of the holiday season; matters grow more complicated when a sexy female Russian woman (Elke Sommer) joins in, and soon an oversized wolfhound and a mynah bird with a naughty turn of phrase become implicated, creating additional panic and chaos. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide

The "Carry On" gang returns with Sidney Fiddler (Sid James) conning the local council into running a beauty pageant to promote their community. He's thrilled with the prospect of entertaining all the lovely young contestants, but his girlfriend has a different plan in mind. Soon, a women's liberation group invades the premises and takes over -- promptly ruining everything. ~ All Movie Guide

Essentially a one-joke comedy hanging on the thinnest of plots, this routine series of slapstick situations is directed by Don Chaffey and concerns the ineptitude of an Air Force officer, Captain Kingsley (Jimmy Edwards). The likeable Captain has a fixation on mechanical contrivances, but at the same time he is an accident waiting to happen. The wait is never long, and so the Prime Minister himself orders everyone into action when the Captain comes up missing -- who knows what disaster may lie in the wings. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Still extremely busy with his film and radio career, Richard "Red" Skelton made his weekly TV debut on September 30, 1951, with this live, half-hour program from New York. Wasting no time, Skelton reprised several of his favorite characters, including hayseed Clem Kadiddlehopper (performing a duet with musical director David Rose), perpetually soused Willie Lump Lump, con artist San Fernando Red, and inept Sheriff Deadeye. He also performed a visually oriented opening routine, showing how different members of the armed services might hitch a ride (the Navy man's unspoken expletives raised several eyebrows amongst viewers and critics alike). Appearing in support were the Skylarks singing group, performing "Hallelujah," and Lucy Knoch, who delivered the commercials. The trade paper Variety complimented Skelton for the slick professionalism of his opening program, noting that he avoided the deliberately fluffed lines and "breaking up" that had typified his radio series (though this new-found artistic discipline would soon evaporate). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Exclusive Tomorror Show interviews with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr find legendary television talk show host Tom Snyder offering fascinating insight into the effects of "Beatlemania" on the musician's lives while exploring exactly what happened after the biggest rock and roll act on the planet called it quits. Originally aired on April 25, 1975, the interview with Lennon comes just as the &Imagine" songwriter began his five-year hiatus from public life, and would ultimately stand as his last televised interview. The McCartney and Starr interviews ran in December of 1979 and November of 1981 respectively, and finds both of the former Beatles branching out into successful solo careers. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide