Hamilton Dyce Movies

The Pied Piper eschews the romanticism of Robert Browning's poem and returns to the grim Grimm Brothers source. Pop singer Donovan plays the 14th century piper hired by duplicitous burgomaster Donald Pleasance to rid the town of Hamelin of its rats. The piper does what he's asked, but is denied the payment promised him; in revenge, he leads all of Hamelin's children out of town, never to be seen again. Though the story is a familiar one, this 1972 Pied Piper is not a kiddie movie. Director Jacques Demy's depiction of the 14th century as a muddy, backward, superstitious, disease-ridden, vermin-infested era transforms this fable into a squalid tale of revenge (incidentally, all those repulsive rodents are real; note John Holmes' screen credit as "rat trainer"). Donovan is quite good in the lead, and is matched by a remarkably restrained Jack Wild as the crippled boy. If you want the sugary sweet Pied Piper that your mother used to recite at bedtime, stay away from this film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the second episode of the four-part story "Spearhead From Space," the "new" Doctor (Jon Pertwee) joins U.N.I.T. members Brig. Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney) and Dr. Liz Shaw (Caroline John) in investigating a strange meteor shower. The trio soon discovers that the meteorites are pods for the Nestene Consciousness -- and it isn't long before they are gathered up by a sinister plastics manufacturer named Channing, who uses the pods to create the Autons, deadly creatures with weapons for hands. First telecast January 10, 1970, "Spearhead From Space, Episode 2" was written by Robert Holmes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the four-part story "Spearhead From Space," the final pod has been found and the Nestene Consciousness is able to reconstruct itself on Earth. This will mean disaster for everyone on the planet unless the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) finds some way of disabling the Consciousness' warriors, the Autons. More than one commentator has noticed the remarkable resemblance between this Doctor Who continuity and Nigel Kneale's sci-fi classic Quatermass II. First telecast January 24, 1970, "Spearhead From Space, Episode 4" was written by Robert Holmes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A sneezing epidemic claims the lives of several prominent ear-nose-throat specialists. The only clue tying the deaths together is an empty envelope, found at the scene of each tragedy. Steed and Tara manage to trace this slim lead to a sinister nursing school. Written by Jeremy Burnham (a frequent guest actor on the series), "You'll Catch Your Death" was first shown in America on October 7, 1968, and was seen in England on October 16; the episode is also known as "Atishoo, Atishoo, All Fall Down." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Years before the story proper in The Wrong Box gets under way, a "tontine" is drawn up on behalf several young British boys. Each of the boys' parents had placed 1000 pounds in a pool, to be invested and expanded upon. The resultant fortune will go to the last surving member of the tontine. A series of montages depicts the various demises of the heirs (our favorite occurs when one of them is inadvertently beheaded while being knighted by Queen Victoria). Finally, only two of the tontine participants are left: aged brothers Ralph Richardson and John Mills. On his last legs, Mills is determined that Richardson will not outlive him, and to that end attempts to kill his brother; each attempt fails spectacularly, with the doddering Richardson none the wiser. Standing to benefit from the tontine are Mills' dimwitted med-student son Michael Caine and Richardson's greedy nephews Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. When Richardson is supposedly killed in a train wreck, Cook and Moore don't want the authorities to find out, so they appropriate what they think is their uncle's corpse and ship it home in a box. Thus it is that Caine finds the body of a perfect stranger on his doorstep. The farcical complications begin flying about thick and fast from this point onward. Among the participants in this wacky gigglefest are such formidable talents as Peter Sellers, Tony Hancock, Wilfred Lawson, Thorley Walters, Norman Rossington, Irene Handl and Cicely Courtenedge. Based on a novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Wrong Box is a delightful harkback to the glory days of Britain's Ealing comedies. We were so wrapped up in the story that we didn't even notice all those TV antennae sprouting up on the rooftops of Victorian London. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A high-class costume drama with a substantive historical basis, Becket is the true story of the friendship between King Henry II (Peter O'Toole) and Thomas à Becket (Richard Burton), a royal courtier and confidant whom Henry appoints as Archbishop of Canterbury. As Becket takes his duties with the Church seriously, he finds himself increasingly at odds with the King, who finally orders the death of his once-close companion when he continues to defy the throne. Burton is very good and O'Toole is even better: both men were nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, while Edward Anhalt's screenplay, based on the stageplay by Jean Anouilh, won for Best Adapted Screenplay. The basic theme of separation of church and state still reverberates today, while the top-notch production values ensure Becket's place as one of Britain's better historical epics. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

In this mystery, two friends go to Africa, but only one returns. That one, believing his partner dead, assumes his pal's identity in hope of getting his inheritance. Meanwhile, back in Africa, the true heir survives. He is paralyzed from the waist down, and suffers amnesia, but he lives. A lady friend returns him to England. When the imposter discovers that the heir is still alive, he plots his death. Unfortunately, it is he who is killed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

London's federation of diamond merchants is being plagued by a vicious gang of smugglers. Steed and Cathy pose as husband-and-wife gem dealers in hopes of flushing out the villains. Ultimately, Cathy is targetted for death by the smugglers, but here as elsewhere, she proves to be up to the challenge. First telecast in England on December 1, 1962, Death on the Rocks was written by Eric Paice. The episode made its American cable-TV bow on February 7, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide