Norman Eshley Movies
British actor Norman Eshley played leads in a few feature films during the 1970s, but he is best known for his work on television. In features he usually played enigmatic or chilling personalities. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1994
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This 90-minute Cadfael mystery gets under way when the lovely Iveta (Tara Fitzgerald) balks at the prospect of her arranged marriage to the wealthy and powerful Baron Huon. Amateur sleuth Brother Cadfael (Derek Jacobi) of Shrewbury Abbey is drawn in to the situation when both the Baron and Iveta's guardian are found dead. Who did it? And why did the Baron ride off to parts unknown on the day of his wedding? Adapted by Paul Pendar from the novel by Ellis Peters, "The Leper of St. Giles" was originally telecast in England on June 12, 1994, then subsequently aired on the American public-TV anthology series Mystery. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
George and Mildred originated as a spin-off of the popular British sitcom Man About the House. Thus, the feature-length version of George and Mildred can be labelled a spin-off of a spin-off. Brian Murphy plays George, landlord of an apartment building chock-full of lechers and satyrs. Yootha Joyce (who died shortly before the release of this film) plays Mildred, George's sexless, humorless spouse. We must have a plot, so George finds himself mistaken for a notorious assassin. The American equivalent of George and Mildred was The Ropers....a spin-off of Three's Company....which was the American equivalent of Man About the House. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
British sleaze artist Pete Walker applies his characteristic sleazy, ultra-violent touch to this audacious, Catholic-bashing tale. A deranged, sex-mad priest (Anthony Sharpe) exploits the sanctity of his office as a means of harassing young women who confide their sins in his confessional, recording their confessions in order to blackmail them into doing his vile bidding. Eventually, evidence of these transgressions reaches other members of his parish (including his mother), prompting him to bump them off in creative ways, utilizing the trappings of his profession -- strangulation by rosary, arsenic-laced communion wafers, bludgeoning by incense burner, etc. Much criticism has been leveled against this film for its unabashed attacks on Catholicism, but it's really Walker's trademark amoral approach to filmmaking that elicits a strong urge to take a hot bath after viewing. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Produced with the full cooperation of the Royal Navy, the long-running British drama series Warship was set aboard the HMS "Hero." Its action taking place during WWII, the series concentrated on the individual travails of the ship's officers and seamen. Several different commanders took the helm during the series' four-season, 45-episode run, played by such stage luminaries as David Savile and John Lee. Warship was originally telecast from 1973 to 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Savile, John Lee, (more)
- 1973
Color of Blood has a central situation that, in other circumstances, might have been ideal for a situation comedy. A young lawyer's assistant, played by Katherine Schofeld, wants to make a good impression on her first important assignment. While riding on a train, she spots a man she assumes to be her boss' client: he isn't. But Color of Blood is not a sitcom but a murder melodrama. The man mistaken for the client is actually a murderer, and the girl's anxiousness to please may result in her own demise. Shot on videotape, Color of Blood was originally telecast on ABC's Wide World Mystery anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This riff on Wait Until Dark is a mixed bag but still manages to offer a few surprises. Brian Clemens' script starts off with a clever premise and offers some solid moments of suspense. Unfortunately, See No Evil begins to drift in its final third, when it introduces one too many plot complications to keep the identity of the killer a mystery. As a result, it loses track of its heroine (the viewer will lose track of how many scenes Mia Farrow spends stumbling around and shouting for help during the latter part of the film). That said, Farrow makes a likeable heroine and is surrounded by a professional cast turning in solid performances. Better yet, director Richard Fleischer gets plenty of opportunities to show off his directorial skills during the many setpieces and he's definitely up to the task: the scenes where Farrow faces off with the killer in her deserted house are staged effectively and make great use of sound as a tool for suspense. Ultimately, See No Evil is second-tier thriller material but it is made with enough skill to make a decent time-killer for anyone in the mood for a few thrills. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mia Farrow, Dorothy Alison, (more)
Though Roger Moore was born in England and established himself as star of the British TV series The Saint, Crossplot represents Moore's very first British theatrical film. He stars as an advertising executive swept up in a plot to murder a visiting African statesman. Lensed in "swinging" London, the film is "mod" to an almost depressing degree, obscuring what is at base a solid espionage thriller. Moore ultimately thwarts the villains by decoding a message secreted in a crossword puzzle -- hence the film's title. A climactic shootout in Hyde Park tops this dry run for Roger Moore's subsequent stint as James Bond. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roger Moore, Martha Hyer, (more)
- 1968
Immortal Story was directed by Orson Welles, who also stars as a fabulously wealthy, but bitter and dictatorial, European merchant. Soured on life, Mr. Clay (Welles) decides to play games with the lives of others. He decides to make the "immortal" legend of a sailor seducing a rich man's wife come true and even picks the sailor (Roger Coggio) himself. Through Mr. Clay's machinations, the sailor beds a beautiful younger woman (Jeanne Moreau) whom Clay pays to pose as his own wife. There's little more to the story than that, but Welles weaves his short tale with an economy and expertise which proves he hadn't lost his touch by 1969. Based on a story by Isaak Dinesen, The Immortal Story was originally made for French television; it was also the only Orson Welles-directed film to be released in color. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Orson Welles, Jeanne Moreau, (more)
The Lost Continent is a crazy-quilt of a film, with chunks of several unrelated plotlines sewn together willy nilly. Eric Porter plays Lansen, the captain of a tramp steamer who has agreed to deliver contraband dynamite for a hefty price. His passengers are a polyglot of the good, the bad and the worse. Shipwrecked on an mysterious isle in the Sargasso Sea, Lansen and party find themselves prisoners of a bizarre inbred colony still governed by the long-abandoned edicts of the Spanish Inquisition. The film is no more coherent than the original Dennis Wheatley novel Uncharted Seas, but that doesn't detract from its endearing wackiness. To their credit, the cast members of Lost Continent play the script straight, which merely adds to the kinky fun. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Porter, Suzanna Leigh, (more)
