Harry Fowler Movies

In this youthful drama set in London, two rival gangs, the Battersea Bats and the Victoria Victors, feverishly prepare for the big soapbox derby. The former group has come up with an exceptional design that is rumored to be unbeatable and so the Vics set out to steal it. They engineer the heist so that it looks as if the car's designer swiped it from his own group. Fortunately, the Bats learn the truth, get their car back, and win the race. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The Diplomatic Corpse has been rendered lifeless by a couple of foreign diplomats. London reporter Robin Phillips suspects much, but can prove little. Going beyond the law, Phillips unearths a sinister conspiracy (there's a nice conspiracy?) He also rescues girlfriend Susan Shaw from the villains. Montgomery Tully could direct a film like Diplomatic Corpse in his sleep, which may well have been the case. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Birthday Present is a bitter half-hour anecdote stretched to 100 minutes. Tony Britton plays a British toy salesman who purchases a watch for his wife's birthday while visiting the Continent. Not wishing to pay the customs duties, he hides the watch upon his return to England. Britton is caught with the goods, and his life is never the same afterwards. Intended as a slice of raw realism, Birthday Present plays more like a cautionary social studies film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this suspense movie, a Yankee mercenary is hired to blow up an Arab dignitary. A gun battle thwarts the bombing and the mercenary's lover gives her life to protect the Arab. The grieving soldier the goes after the man who hired him. The two foes shoot each other dead. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The Anglo-American Behind the Headlines is not a remake of the 1937 RKO "B" of the same name, though both share a newspaper setting. Reporter Paul Carpenter heads the investigation of a murder case. The victim was black-mailing showgirl Hazel Court, and as usual there's a plenitude of suspects. Also as usual, the journalists prove to be quicker on the uptake than the cops on the case. Behind the Headlines was based on a novel by Robert Chapman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, the lives of two families get turned topsy-turvy when their respective young sons win a large football pool. The two share the winning ticket and the trouble begins when their parents get greedy and begin trying to devise way to get the hefty pot all to themselves. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The British-filmed The Blue Peter was released in the US under the title Navy Heroes. This was an oblique reference to the protagonist, a wartime hero played by Kieron Moore. Disoriented and aimless after the war, Moore accepts a job as a physical trainer at a school for boys. In helping these kids find their proper niche in society, Moore helps himself to find his own ultimate purpose in life. Filmed in color, The Blue Peter scores best in its exterior scenes, wherein we see the salutary results of Moore's tough but compassionate training methods. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this remake of Jack Ahoy! (1934) a sailor is left alone on a South Sea island to guard supplies by the British Royal Navy. Unfortunately, they forget about him. A decade later he has become one of the native islanders. The trouble begins when the navy suddenly remembers and sends a ship to save him. Unfortunately, the man is happy and doesn't want to go back. He ends up staying and training navy jungle commandos for an assignment to recover a stolen submarine. The hapless sailor ends up captured himself. Fortunately, his native lover saves him and helps bring back the purloined submarine. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Based on The Hand and the Flower, a novel by Jerrard Tickell, A Day to Remember stars Stanley Holloway as Charley Porter, captain of London darts team. When the team travels to the French town of Boulogne for the annual darts tournament, a good time is had by all--and more besides. Jim Carver (Donald Sinden), one of the team's members, is reunited with a little French girl he'd befriended during the war, who has now developed into a beautiful young woman (Odelle Versois). And Fred Collins (James Hayter) makes a poignant journey to the hotel where he'd honeymooned with his late wife (Brenda DeBanzie). The film works best as a low-key comedy-drama; it is least successful when it ventures into O. Henry territory and strains for "surprise" story twists. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

John Hayter is Samuel Pickwick is this delightful filmization of Dickens' seriocomic novel. Mr. Pickwick is chairman of the Pickwick club, a scholarly league operating in mid-19th century London. The club's avowed purpose is to scrupulously study everyday life in England-not to improve or remonstrate, but simply examine, as a scientist would examine life under the microscope. The episodic storyline transports the Pickwicks all over town, from the fashionable digs of ever-in-debt roue Mr. Jingle (Nigel Patrick) to debtor's prison. The Candide-like Mr. Pickwick survives his many experiences (including a duel and breach of promise suit) with the invulnerability of innocence. The Pickwick Papers was produced, directed and adapted by Noel Langley, a brilliant, hard-drinking wit who once upon a time had labored on the screenplay of Hollywood's The Wizard of Oz. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Inspired by the recent success of The Blue Lamp, I Believe in You is a multiplotted British drama about parole officers. Several short character vignettes pass our way as the film studies the various methods employed by the officers in dealing with their charges. The film settles upon Cecil Parker, a compassionate official who takes special interest in the parolees. Parker tries simultaneously to reform a hardened criminal, and to dissuade a budding juvenile delinquent from a life of perdition. The semi-documentary approach established early in I Believe in You gives way to sentiment as the film winds down. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

"Angels One Five" is the cognomen bestowed upon a group of WW II British fighter pilots. The squadron leader is Tiger Small (Jack Hawkins), who is taken out of commission after an accident. Despite the protests from his fellow flyboys, Tiger insists upon taking to the air again, thereby setting the stage for the film's exciting and inspirational finale. Angels One Five differs from other combat films in that the battles generally take place offscreen; the progress of the principal characters is relayed to the audience via radio reports and control-room charts. If this sounds dull and static, it isn't: in fact, Angels One Five is among the best of the "Battle of Britain" war epics. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide