John Carson Movies

Filmed on location, An African Dream stars John Kani as a black African resident of the early 20th century who spends several years in England. Having received a "proper" white man's education, he returns to his homeland as a teacher. While his illusions about bridging the gap between the white and black populations in Africa are doomed to failure, he finds a unexpected kindred spirit in the form of Kitty Aldridge. A white resident of a recently established British colony, Kitty is attracted to the idealistic Kani, and he to her. That their relationship fosters resentment from others is indicated by the "PG for violence" rating bestowed upon An African Dream. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the second episode of the four-part story "Snakedance," the Doctor (Peter Davison) has lost control of the TARDIS, which is in the hands of his companion, Tegan (Janet Fielding) -- who, in turn, has become the mind-slave of the malignant force Mara. Arriving on the planet Manussa, the brainwashed Tegan prepares to help the Mara use a local celebration to revitalize itself to its full malevolent power. Written by Christopher Bailey, "Snakedance, Episode 2" first aired on January 19, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the conclusion to the four-part story "Snakedance," the Doctor (Peter Davison) prepares for a showdown with the malignant mind-force Mara on the planet Manussa. First, however, the Doctor must find the "still point" within himself. Even if he succeeds in this, is it too late to rescue Tegan (Janet Fielding), whose mind has been enslaved by the insidious Mara? Written by Christopher Bailey, "Snakedance, Episode 4" first aired on January 26, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Julius Grace is the husband of middle-aged Faith Brook. Or, rather, he was: long before the story begins, Julius dies. The thrust of this 1978 British drama is the effect that Julius' demise has upon Brooks and her young daughters-twenty years after the fact. Originally presented as a multipart TV miniseries, After Julius contains some nudity, which posed very little difficulty to British censors but which was deemed unacceptable by American taste-arbiters. After Julius is based on the popular novel by Elizabeth Jane Howard (sidebar: star Faith Brook is the daughter of British stage and film star Clive Brook). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Jane Austen's well-intending cupid comes to the screen once again in this adaptation of her popular novel starring Doran Godwin in the title role and John Carson in the role of Mr. Knightley. Having already orchestrated the marriage of longtime friend Miss Taylor, the scheming Emma next sets her sights on local vicar Mr. Elton. As Emma plots to find love for the vicar and her protégée Harriet Smith, her longtime friend Mr. Knightley looks on with a bemused mix of delight and dismay. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A wonderfully atmospheric outing from Hammer Films, who diverged from their often successful variations on Universal's classic monsters into the world of zombies, a genre which had yet to receive its infusion of terrifying new blood with the 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead. The plot, which owes a debt to the Bela Lugosi chiller White Zombie, involves a mad Cornish squire, who solves an annoying labor crisis in his tin mines by turning local villagers into voodoo-controlled zombies. Dr. Thompson (Brook Williams) and his daughter Alice (Jacqueline Pearce) soon discover the unpleasant nocturnal habits of the shambling undead slaves -- including their tendency to go on murderous rampages when not directly under the squire's control. At the request of Alice, Sir James Forbes (André Morell) arrives on the scene to investigate. The superb script by Peter Bryan employs an interesting subtext about the rift between the British aristocracy and the exploited working class, but the film is less a political allegory than a spooky, atmospheric horror opus that ranks among Hammer Films' finest. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

John Carson (not Johnny Carson, as listed in some source books) stars in the grim British programmer Act of Murder. Carson plays an actor who still carries a torch for his ex-mistress Justine Lord, even though she is now happily married to Anthony Bate. With cold-blooded resolve, the actor conducts a campaign to drive Bate to a nervous breakdown. Instead, the distracted husband is driven to commit murder. Act of Murder was given a limited American release by Warner Bros. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Montgomery Tully, that phenomenally fast British directing machine, whipped up another espionage programmer with 1964's Master Spy. Stephen Murray stars as a Russian scientist who escapes from a Communist prison to go to work for the British. Despite his seeming sincerity, Murray's superiors suspect that he's a "plant," sent to monitor nuclear secrets on behalf of the Reds. It's more complex than that: Murray is a British spy, posing as a Russian defector, posing as a possible informer.... While only 71 minutes, Master Spy has enough plot twists for a library-full of Fleming and LeCarre. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Steed is assigned to transport a shipment of live corneas to Switzerland to be used in a delicate eye-graft operation. But when one of the surgeons involved is murdered, Steed and Cathy uncover a sinister plot involving a sightless millionaire (John Carson). Also figuring in on the proceedings is a cache of valuable jewels. Written by Martin Woodhouse, "Second Sight" was originally broadcast in England on November 16, 1963; it remained unseen in America until March 14, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Set-Up was another in the long-running British second-feature series based on the works of Edgar Wallace. Maurice Denham plays a businessman who blackmails ex-con Brian Peck into committing a robbery. Peck is told to break into Denham's house and steal some valuable jewels so that the businessman can collect the insurance. But when Peck arrives at the crime scene, he comes across the body of Denham's wife--and is promptly accused of the murder. Inspector Jackson (John Carson) is the dogged detective who unravels the insidious plot woven by the crafty Denham. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This drama by director Anthony Asquith, a noted lynchpin in British cinematic history, may wear too many hats to be identified as either an adventure, a treatise on non-violence, a psychological study, or whatever. It is all of these things as it starts out in the midst of a revolution in a fictional South American country. David Niven is Tom Jordan, the sometimes disagreeable manager of a British plantation. When it becomes apparent that the leader of the country will be forced to flee for his life, Tom and his wife Claire (Leslie Caron) end up chauffeuring the wounded President Rivera (David Opatoshu) out of there. Tom and Claire are in the midst of marital troubles -- which tend to pale when their car lands in quicksand in a river bed, or when she is unexpectedly threatened by a frightening band of young men while out exploring an abandoned village. And for the pacifist Tom, the worse is yet to come when he is forced to either kill or be killed. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

In this crime drama, an ex-con goes looking for his late cellmate's hidden loot. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi