Richard Johnson Movies
British supporting and sometimes lead actor Richard Johnson studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art as a teen, gained experience in John Gielgud's repertory company, and served in the British Royal Navy during WWII before becoming a professional actor. Dark and handsome, Johnson found steady employment on-stage, in films, and on television in the U.K. and the U.S. He often works with the Royal Shakespeare Company. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1981
Higgins (John Hillerman) opens Robin's Nest to his former Royal Army commander, Brig, Allistair ffolkes (Richard Johnson). Having been instrumental in capturing several IRA terrorists, ffolkes is now faced with the challenge of staying alive long enough to testify against them. In his efforts to keep fflokes out of harm's way, Magnum (Tom Selleck) is frustrated by a pair of taciturn Naval Intelligence secret-service agents who refuse to tell him anything more about the assignment than what he already knows--which, truth to tell, isn't very much! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
Portrait of a Rebel: The Remarkable Mrs. Sanger was written by Blanche Hanalis, a specialist in turning out quality teleplays with a feminist slant. Bonnie Franklin stars as pioneering birth-control advocate Margaret Sanger, who in the early part of the 20th century conducted a 25-year battle to have her views legitimized by the puritanical, male-dominated medical establishment. The film covers the years 1912 through 1917, starting with Sanger's work as a New York City public health nurse. Appalled by the deaths brought about by self-induced abortions, Sanger campaigns to enlighten uneducated "lower-class" women in the proper methods of birth control, eventually opening her own clinic. Her efforts are rewarded with public scorn, attacks from various censorship advocates (her informational pamphlets are deemed "pornographic") and frequent jail terms. In order to spice up an already fascinating story, the film places undue emphasis on the brief romance between Ms. Sanger and British sexual-liberation guru Havelock Ellis (Richard Johnson). Portrait of A Rebel might make a piquant double feature with the 1995 cable-TV Margaret Sanger biopic, which starred Dana Delany. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
Based on a Noel Coward comedy, this is a story set in 1735 at a chateau outside of Paris. The Compte de Vriac is celebrating with some family friends the newly announced betrothal of his son when an unexpected guest arrives--the Marquise de Kestournel. She has been a mistress to the Compte in the past and when she makes the announcement that she is going to stay with him at the chateau from now on, complications are inevitable. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1980
Haywire was adapted for television by Ivan Davis and Frank Pierson from the best-selling autobiography of Brooke Hayward. Played herein by Deborah Raffin, Brooke is the daughter of legendary Broadway producer Leland Hayward (Jason Robards) and the brilliant stage and film actress Margaret Sullavan (Lee Remick). The much-married Leland is overindulgent but aloof and casually cruel; the lovely Margaret is an emotionally unstable perfectionist. The residue of this dysfunctional family relationship includes the suicides of Ms. Sullivan and Brooke's sister Bridget (Dianne Hull), and the confinement to a mental institution of Brooke's brother Bill (Hart Bochner). How Brooke herself survives this "haywire" situation provides the meat of this 2-hour film. Brooke's brother William Hayward was the producer of Haywire, which originally aired May 14, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square was the original title of this British caper film. David Niven does his suave 'n' blase bit as a criminal mastermind planning a giant bank heist. Richard Jordan co-stars as an American ex-con tapped to oversee the operation. Gloria Grahame, in one of her last roles, masticates the scenery as Jordan's rude-and-crude mom. The Big Scam picked up a third title when it was released to video as The Mayfair Bank Caper. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
This sudsy made-for-television melodrama is based on a Barbara Cartland novel and follows the romantic exploits of an American heiress who sets sail for exciting Paris at the turn-of-the-century. Initially she is going there to meet her fiance, but once there she ends up falling in love with a French journalist and nearly losing her life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Linda Purl, Timothy Dalton, (more)
This audaciously disgusting spectacle from the late master of gruesome horror, Lucio Fulci, was posited as a semi-sequel to George Romero's Dawn of the Dead, which was released in Italy as Zombi. Tisa Farrow and a group of vacationing tourists travel to an island where they find a doctor (Richard Johnson) who is attempting to cure a condition that reanimates the dead. Things quickly get out of control as undead Spanish conquistadors crawl from their graves hungry for human flesh. The nauseatingly graphic set-pieces by Gianetto de Rossi include a close-up of a woman's eye being pierced by a large shard of wood and a zombie fighting a Great White shark underwater. This relatively well-made shocker was enormously popular worldwide and led to the zombie-gore film becoming the dominant motif of 1980s Italian horror. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tisa Farrow, Ian McCullough, (more)
Il Fiume del Grande Caimano a low budget, monster-on-the-loose Italian horror film provides more chuckles than goosebumps in all but the least-sophisticated viewer. Joshua (Mel Ferrer) is a businessman who allows his greed to overcome his misgivings when he builds a resort on the turf of an alligator god. Alice (Barbara Back) and Daniel (Claudio Cassinelli) come to the aid of the terrorized tourists and help them all escape. This film, directed by Sergio Martino and released under a variety of names including Alligators, The Big Caimano River, and Big Alligator River has bad special effects and poor acting despite its very attractive cast. Fans of horror films should look elsewhere. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- 1978
- R
In this melodrama, a tough, embittered pianist is angry because he never achieved the glory he felt he deserved. His life changes when he meets a young woman dying from leukemia. She helps him to feel more confident and then gets him a Paris booking. As his star begins to rise, she begins to die. She is on her deathbed the night before his big performance, and at first, the pianist refuses to leave her, but she pleads with him to go and so he does. Somehow, the woman musters the last of her strength and manages to make it backstage to hear him play. She happily dies listening to him play. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Johnson, Pamela Vincent, (more)
This hokey Italian monster movie -- distributed in the U.S. through Roger Corman's New World Pictures under the title Screamers -- was rescued from certain cinematic obscurity thanks to New World's hilariously misleading one-sheet campaign, which boldly declared "WARNING! You will actually see a man turned inside out!" Caveat Emptor, viewers... there is nothing of the sort on display in the film itself. All that's available is a silly sci-fi story about diabolical mad scientist Joseph Cotten busily turning the inhabitants of a remote island into water-breathing "fishmen" to serve the island's sadistic overlord (Richard Johnson), who is trying to uncover the lost treasures of Atlantis. On hand as the nominal sex interest is Barbara Bach as Cotten's daughter, who possesses some sort of telepathic contact with the fishmen, but mainly just poses as seductively as possible while feeding and tending to the rubber-suit mutants. Corman inserted some new prologue footage with Mel Ferrer for the New World print, as well as a few gory scenes intended to snag some R-rated exploitation appeal, but the end product is still laughable as ever. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Bach, Claudio Cassinelli, (more)
British sado-exploitation guru Pete Walker directed this mundane horror-mystery about an American pop star (Jack Jones) who, after a long hiatus, decides to return to England in an attempt to jump-start his career and finds himself immersed in a supernatural mystery involving the grisly murder of his estranged wife at their London flat. Through revelations provided by his wife's ghost, he attempts to solve the murder -- which may have been committed by something not entirely human. Although nowhere near as bloody as Walker's notorious cult classics Schizo or The Confessional, this is still rather gruesome stuff, enlivened somewhat by the presence of Pamela Stephenson as the latest object of Jones' affection. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Jones, Pamela Stephenson, (more)
This documentary is in the tradition of Mondo Cane, and shows Peruvians and Bolivians behaving in savage, bizarre and unusual ways by modern Western standards. For instance, in one Inca-influenced area, a llama is sacrificed in the ancient way used before the Conquistadors brought Christianity to the region. In another, a museum's collection of ancient Incan pornographic pottery is explored. There are other scenes which are more repugnant, and are less easily described; at least one involves bestiality. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
This fifth film version of A.E.W. Mason's "Sun Never Sets" adventure novel The Four Feathers was adapted for television by Gerald DiPego. Following the death of British general "Chinese" Gordon at Khartoum, 19th-century gentleman officer Harry Favershem (Beau Bridges) is summoned to active duty in the Sudan. Though not a coward, Favershem fears that he'll turn coward in the heat of battle, thereby costing the lives of his comrades; thus, he opts to stay in England. Three of his disgruntled fellow officers each send Favershem a white feather, the symbol of cowardice. When a fourth feather is handed to Favershem by his fiancee (Jane Seymour), Favershem vows to prove himself in battle--and to personally hand back the four feathers to his accusers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Malcolm McDowell plays a World War I air ace, in charge of an elite squadron. Outwardly a bastion of courage, McDowell dies a little every time one of his boys is killed. To steel his nerves, he takes to drink, which has an adverse effect on his abilities. Christopher Plummer staunchly portrays McDowell's commanding officer. Aces High is a remake of Journey's End (1930), which in turn was based on a play by R.C. Sheriff. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Malcolm McDowell, Christopher Plummer, (more)
This handsomely-mounted historical epic concerns the birth of the Islamic faith and the story of the prophet Mohammed -- who, in accordance with the tenants of Islam, is never seen or heard (any physical depiction of the prophet is considered a heinous sin within the faith). In Mecca in the 7th century, Mohammed is visited by a vision of the Angel Gabriel, who urges him to lead the people of Mecca to cast aside the 300 idols of Kaaba and instead worship the one true God. Speaking out against the corrupt political and military leaders who rule Mecca, Mohammed and his followers struggle to worship God as they see fit, which eventually leads them into exile in Medina. However, one day God gives Mohammed a message to return to Mecca and take up arms against their oppressors -- while recruiting as many followers as they can along the way. With the help of his uncle, a brave warrior named Hamza (Anthony Quinn), Mohammed and his followers return to Mecca to liberate the city in the name of God. The Message (originally screened in the U.S. as Mohammed, Messenger of God) proved to be highly controversial during its production and initial release. Unfounded rumors had it that Mohammed would not only be depicted in the film, but that he was to be played by Charlton Heston or Peter O'Toole. This resulted in angry protests by Muslim extremists, until director Moustapha Akkad hired a staff of respected Islamic clerics as technical advisors. The advisors butted heads with Akkad, and they quit the production, which led the Moroccan government to withdraw their permission to film in their country. In time, Akkad ended up shooting on location in Libya under the sponsorship of Muammar Qaddafi, which presented a whole new set of political and practical problems for the filmmakers. Finally, when the film was scheduled to premier in the U.S., another Muslim extremist group staged a siege against the Washington D.C. chapter of the B'nai B'rith under the mistaken belief that Anthony Quinn played Mohammed in the film, threatening to blow up the building and its inhabitants unless the film's opening was cancelled. The standoff was resolved without explosion or injuries, though the film's American box office prospects never recovered from the unfortunate controversy. The Message was shot in two versions, one in English and one in Arabic (entitled Al-Ris-Alah), with different actors taking over some of the roles due to language requirements. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Quinn, Irene Papas, (more)
- 1975
- PG
Actor Richard Johnson wrote the original story for this taut suspense drama that stars Rod Steiger as Niall Hennessy, a man who plans to blow up the British Parliament in retaliation for the accidental death of his family in Belfast. Johnson plays Scotland Yard-inspector Hollis, an expert in the struggles of Ireland, who under Commander Rice (Trevor Howard) attempts to locate Hennessy. Hennessy has journeyed to London with a plan to substitute himself for MP Burgess (Hugh Moxey) and, wiring himself up as a human bomb, to destroy the British power structure. In a twist, IRA leader Tobin (Eric Porter), realizing that the explosion will lead to more British repression on Northern Ireland, also travels to London to try to kill Hennessy before he can explode his bomb. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Steiger, Lee Remick, (more)
- 1975
- R
The Cursed Medallion may not be a household title, but it certainly has received generous airplay on the many UHF television stations throughout the land. The titular medallion is a gift presented to young Nicole Elmi. Once the girl places the gift around her neck, she is possessed by the spirit of a dead child. Actually, it's worse than that: the deceased youngster was a murderess. Richard Johnson and Joanna Cassidy are the "name" stars in this internationally produced chiller-diller. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Like other productions of Antony and Cleopatra, this 1974 version assumes that the audience is familiar with events that took place before Mark Antony's affair in Egypt with Cleopatra. These events include the assassination of Julius Caesar and the formation of a ruling Roman triumvirate of Mark Antony, Octavius Caesar and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. When the armies of the triumvirate track down the armies of the assassins during a civil war, Egypt refuses to participate on the triumvirate's side. Antony summons Queen Cleopatra to Tarsus, Cicilia (present-day Turkey), to explain Egypt's position. But Antony falls in love with her and returns with her to Alexandria, Egypt. Shakespeare's play -- and thus the film -- begins there, in Alexandria. Captivated by Cleopatra's (Janet Suzman) beauty and charm, Antony (Richard Johnson) dallies in Egypt, forgetting his duties as soldier and statesman, until he receives word that his wife, Fulvia, has died and that Rome is on the brink of a new civil war, this time against Sextus Pompeius, the son of the late Pompey the Great. After Antony returns to Rome, Octavius (Corin Redgrave) berates him for neglecting affairs of state. However, they reconcile after Antony agrees to marry Octavius' sister, Octavia (Mary Rutherford). Upon hearing of the marriage, Cleopatra becomes enraged. Meanwhile, the triumvirs -- Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus make peace with Pompeius. Then Antony, accompanied by his new wife, goes to Athens to take command of Roman armies fighting the Parthians. Taking advantage of Antony's absence, the ambitious Octavius defeats Pompeius in a new war, deposes Lepidus, and consolidates his power. Angry, Antony sends his wife, Octavia, to Rome to protest. Meanwhile, still in love with Cleopatra, Antony returns to Egypt and resumes his affair with the alluring queen. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide
This hysterical horror film was the most successful of numerous Italian possession films produced in the wake of The Exorcist. Lead Juliet Mills (Nanny and the Professor) was married to co-screenwriter Roberto d'Ettore Piazzoli at the time, which might explain her willingness to curse in a guttural voice, spin her head, and throw up in this crude and sexist film. Mills plays the cheating wife of San Francisco record producer Gabriele Lavia (Profondo Rosso) and gets pregnant after a fling with Richard Johnson. What Mills doesn't know is that Johnson is a Satanist, and she is bearing the Antichrist. Child star David Colin, Jr. returned in the otherwise unrelated Beyond the Door II, while director Ovidio Assonitis went on to rip off Jaws with the giant octopus-epic Tentacoli. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Juliet Mills, Gabriele Lavia, (more)
- 1973
Produced for British television, Murder in Mind was evidently slated for American release as part of ABC's Wide World Mystery anthology. We can't find its network debut date, though it sure got plenty of play on a local basis throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s. Richard Johnson, Zena Walker, Donald Gee and Christina Greatorex star in this intricate puzzler. The story concerns a real-life murder involving a mystery writer and his wife. Suspects are plentiful, and it's up to a workaday policeman to piece things together. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
- PG
In the uncertain days following the end of World War II, disillusioned German soldiers wander aimlessly over the charred countryside of Italy. Two of these soldiers are rounded up by their superiors and charged with desertion--surrender or no surrender. Despite an Allied edict that the Germans are no longer permitted to stage military trials, the two hapless conscripts are sentenced to death by firing squad. The Fifth Day of Peace was based on a true story. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Except for the omission of several passages in the original play, this 1970 adaptation of Julius Caesar faithfully retells Shakespeare's account of events surrounding the assassination of Caesar in 44 B.C. The film begins when Caesar John Gielgud is at the height of his power after conquering Pompey "the Great" in a civil war. Important senators worry that Caesar means to become king, diminish their power, and abolish their beloved Roman republic. Two senators, Cassius Richard Johnson and Brutus Jason Robards, hatch an assassination plot involving other disenchanted Roman citizens. Although a soothsayer warns Caesar of trouble ("Beware the ides of March") and his own wife reports ominous signs ("A lioness hath whelped in the streets; and graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead"), Caesar decides to go to the senate on the ides (March 15). Upon arrival, the conspirators greet him with daggers. In his funeral oration, Mark Antony Charlton Heston extols Caesar and incites the citizens against Brutus and the other conspirators. Brutus and Cassius flee Rome with their armies, but Antony and two other sympathizers track them down with their armies. When the tide turns against the conspirators, Brutus and Cassius commit suicide. As does Shakespeare's play, the film leaves the discerning viewer wondering who was the real villain -- Caesar, because of his ambition for power, or Brutus, because of his underhanded plot to maintain the status quo. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlton Heston, Jason Robards, Jr., (more)
