Roy Purcell Movies
- 1977
Larry Doomer (Martin Shaw), ex-fiancee of New Avenger Purdey (Joanna Lumley), is determined to get even for the death of his father. To this end, Doomer has targetted an Arab diplomat for assassination. Unfortunately, Doomer's misguided missile will not only wipe out the diplomat, but all of the Parliament as well. Guest stars Martin Shaw and Lewis Collins) were later reteamed on the popular British action-adventure series The Professionals. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Macnee, Gareth Hunt, (more)
- 1973
In the third episode of the four-part story "The Three Doctors," the ancient and revered Time Lord Omega (Stephen Thorne) has vowed to destroy his brethren and take over the universe. To this end, he traps the current Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and the two previous Doctors (William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton) in a huge, roving black hole. The Doctors try to summon aid from the other Time Lords, but there is not enough energy in the universe to rescue them from their current plight. First telecast on January 13, 1973, Doctor Who: The Three Doctors, Episode 3 was written by Bob Baker and David Martin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, (more)
- 1973
In the conclusion of the four-part story "The Three Doctors," the first, second, and third Doctor (played respectively by William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, and Jon Pertwee) are still trapped in Omega's black hole, along with the third Doctor's friends Jo (Katy Manning), the Brigadier (Nicholas Courtney), and Sgt. Benton (John Levene). Using their combined energies, the three Doctors attempt to escape their cosmic prison and to prevent the vengeful time lord, Omega (Stephen Thorne), to carry out his terrible campaign of revenge against his own race. Without giving away the ending, it can be noted that actor William Hartnell retired after the completion of filming. First telecast on January 20, 1973, Doctor Who: The Three Doctors, Episode 4 was written by Bob Baker and David Martin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, (more)
- 1973
In the second episode of the four-part story "The Three Doctors," the present Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and his two predecessors (William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton) investigate the strange, roving black hole in space which has been depleting the Time Lords of their energy. It turns out that the instigator of this crisis is the vengeful Time Lord Omega (Stephen Thorne), who intends to destroy his brethren for abandoning him in time and space -- and to either control the universe, or dash it to bits. First telecast on January 6, 1973, Doctor Who: The Three Doctors, Episode 2 was written by Bob Baker and David Martin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, (more)
- 1972
Doctor Who celebrated its tenth year on television with the epochal four-part adventure "The Three Doctors." Attacked by an unknown entity, the Doctor (Jon Pertwee), Jo (Katy Manning), the Brigadier (Nicholas Courtney), and Sgt. Benton (John Levene) take refuge in the TARDIS. Worried that the vessel will not accommodate the Brigadier, the Doctor contacts his home planet Gallifrey for advice -- only to discover that the power of his fellow Time Lords is being syphoned off by a mysterious black hole in space. It is up to the "third" Doctor and his two previous incarnations (played by William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton) to save their species, and, by extension, the rest of the universe. According to legend, this adventure came into being when former Doctor Who star William Hartnell approached the series' producers, asking for a guest spot; though this is inaccurate, it is unfortunately true that Hartnell's illness prevented him from appearing in the same scenes with his successors Troughton and Pertwee. Debuting December 30, 1972, Doctor Who: The Three Doctors was written by Bob Baker and David Martin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, (more)
- 1971
In the third episode of the six-part story "The Mind of Evil," the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) once more crosses the path of his arch-rival, the Master, who has assumed the guise of mild-mannered Professor Emil Keller, and infiltrated a world peace conference. It doesn't take long for the Master to wreak his usual havoc, this time by utilizing a mind-altering nerve gas. The Doctor knows what is going on, but he still doesn't know why. Written by Don Houghton, "The Mind of Evil, Episode 3" first aired on February 13, 1971. Originally filmed in color, this episode currently exists only in a black-and-white version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning, (more)
- 1971
In the first episode of the six-part story "The Mind of Evil," the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and Jo (Katy Manning) head to Stangmoor Prison to see the Keller Machine, a new rehabilitation aid. Alas, the deployment of the machine causes several other observers to literally die of fright. Somehow, this phenomenon is related to an upcoming World Peace Council -- and somewhere in the background lurks the Doctor's perennial nemesis, the Master. Written by Don Houghton, "The Mind of Evil, Episode 1" first aired on January 30, 1971. Originally filmed in color, this episode currently exists only in a black-and-white version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning, (more)
- 1968
Ramon (Francis DeWolff) is the Armenian merchant who lives in his mansion outside of London. He has augmented his income over the years by blackmailing his clients. Fearful of retribution, he installs a room in his mansion that is supposedly impenetrable, complete with a hotline to Scotland Yard in the event of a break-in. One by one, Ramon's friends and associates are murdered, as the trail of blood oozes closer to his door. Scotland Yard sends out special agent Meredith (Bernard Lee) at the request of the local police commissioner (A.J. Brown) after the local lawmen are baffled. Meredith must apprehend the killer before he can strike again in this suspenseful crime mystery taken from the novel by Edgar Wallace. This feature first appeared in 1960. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Knight, Francis de Wolff, (more)
- 1967
Adapted from a novel by Brian Marshall, the four-part British miniseries The White Rabbit was the story of WWII hero Wing Commander Yeo-Thomas. Played by Kenneth More, the protagonist was seen joining the French resistance during the early stages of the Nazi occupation. Though at first successful in eluding the enemy, Yeo-Thomas was ultimately captured and placed in a concentration camp -- but the story was far from over. The White Rabbit was originally telecast in Great Britain from September 16 to October 7, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenneth More, Neal Arden, (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
Set in the 1950s in Britain, this award-winning social comedy by director and co-writer John Boulting features Ian Carmichael as the inept Stanley Windrush, a hopeless twit with -- we are to believe -- an Oxford degree. Unlike others in his social circle, Stanley wants to work. When he tries out for jobs in industry with the full expectation of working his way into a management position, he sets off disasters and alienates his interviewers. So his uncle gives him a job in his munitions factory, knowing what an idiot he is, and relying on him to eventually cause a strike (the uncle needs this for his own reasons). Fred Kite (Peter Sellers in a performance that would launch him as an international star) takes Stanley under his wing yet that does not exactly turn out as expected either. Stanley screws up by accidentally being too efficient, and the entire British work force is affected. If one can accept a portrayal of factory workers as shiftless men unwilling to work, and managers as good 'ole boys whose jobs are gained only by networking, then this film will be all the more entertaining. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ian Carmichael, Peter Sellers, (more)
- 1956
Hot on the heels of Safari came another Columbia-released, African-filmed adventure, Beyond Mombassa. Matt Campbell (Cornel Wilde) arrives in Kenya on a double quest. He hopes to locate a valuable uranium mine, and also to learn the "whos, whats and whys" of his brother's murder. Joing Campbell's safari are missionary Ralph Hoyt (Leo Genn) and Hoyt's niece Ann Wilson (Donna Reed). After several attempts are made on Campbell's life, he comes to the conclusion that one of his travelling companions was responsible for his brother's death. Sure enough, the villain has not only dispatched Campbell's brother, but has also arranged the evidence so as to place the blame on a legendary tribe of "leopard men". As for why he does it, it is best to see Beyond Mombassa for further details. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cornel Wilde, Donna Reed, (more)
- 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
- 1953
In this bright British comedy, we meet Capt. Henry St. James (Alec Guinness) as he stands before a firing squad and then learn of the curious chain of events that brought him to his fate. Henry is a ship's captain ferrying a steamer between Gibraltar and North Africa on a regular basis, and he's taken the notion of "a girl in every port" to a whole new level; he has a wife on each side of the water. In Gibraltar, there's Maude (Celia Johnson), an even-tempered housewife who keeps the house tidy and has dinner ready when Henry likes it. In North Africa, mate number two is Nita (Yvonne DeCarlo), who is a sultry fun seeker who likes to hit the nightspots and dance 'till dawn. Between the two of them, Henry would seem to have the best of both worlds; Chief Officer Ricco (Charles Goldner) openly envies Henry's remarkable romantic situation. But things start to go sour when Maude suddenly decides she's a stick in the mud and wants to start living it up, while Nita becomes a homebody and begins learning to cook; Henry is none too happy about either development, and before long he finds he has no spouse on either shore. The Captain's Paradise was trimmed from 93 to 84 minutes for its initial United States release. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alec Guinness, Yvonne De Carlo, (more)
- 1953
A Georges Simenon novel was the source for the Anglo-American The Man Who Watched Trains Go By. Claude Rains stars as Kees Popinga, chief clerk for a Dutch trading company. Scrupulously honest, Popinga goes off the deep end when he discovers that his employer has been cooking the books to support a mistress. Upon learning that his boss intends to abscond from Brussels to Paris with company funds, Popinga prevents this from happening by stealing the money himself. Through a series of wild coincidences, he winds up entangled with the very woman (Marta Toren) who'd caused his boss' downfall. The Man Who Watched Trains Go By was released in the U.S. as Paris Express. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claude Rains, Märta Torén, (more)
