Grazina Frame Movies
- 1965
Released in Great Britain as The ABC Murders, The Alphabet Murders stars a well-disguised Tony Randall as Agatha Christie's brilliant, insufferable Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Unfortunately, director Frank Tashlin chooses to open the film with one of his Pirandelloian gimmicks by introducing Randall out of make-up as himself, then cutting to Randall as Poirot. This has the effect of taking the audience "out" of the picture, and it takes a while for the film to recover. On its own, the plot is a good one, as Poirot investigates a series of murders, with the victims arranged alphabetically. There's also a well staged mid-film sequence, in which leading lady Anita Ekberg, as Amanda Beatrice Cross, supposedly comes to a soggy demise. But in never deciding whether to play "straight" or for laughs, The Alphabet Murders ends up a wildly uneven experience. Best bit: Poirot inadvertently confronting another Agatha Christie creation, Miss Marple (played without screen credit by Margaret Rutherford). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Randall, Anita Ekberg, (more)
- 1965
A group of high-spirited youngsters finds friendship, love, and music together while working summer jobs at a holiday camp in this Merseybeat musical. Gerry (John Leyton) is a bartender who fantasizes about being a famous pop star. Christina (Grazina Frame) is an upper-class bird who sneaks off to be a waitress against the wishes of her Aunt Winifred (Hazel Hughes), who would rather she keep up her operatic voice lessons with the great Italian maestro Professor Bastinado (Ron Moody). Susan and Jennifer (Susan and Jennifer Baker) are boy-crazy twins who work in the nursery, and Timothy Gilben (Mike Sarne) is the arrogant nightclub singer who signs on as the camp's entertainer before realizing his audience will be a gaggle of preschoolers. The camp's annual talent show is to be televised live this season, so the gang sets aside their jockeying for each other's affections long enough to form a musical group. They need to practice in secret to keep Christina away from her meddling Aunt Winifred, but Gerry's father (Michael Ripper) recognizes the Professor as a Cockney comic from the old music hall days, and the outed Bastinado is forced to help the kids if he wants to keep his secret. British Invasion pop stars Freddie and the Dreamers appear as five musical, madcap chefs and sing two numbers, while Liverpool beat group the Mojos supply some hard teenage blues during a swinging dance club scene. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Leyton, Freddy and the Dreamers, (more)
- 1964
This British comedy comes from Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, writers of the hit television program Steptoe and Son. Harry H. Corbett (who played Steptoe, Jr. on the tube) is Hemel, a canal-cruising bargee who is dead-set against marriage. He goes about his freewheeling ways until he finds out that he has impregnated one of his playthings (Julia Foster). Unfortunately for him, the young woman's father (Hugh Griffith) is the lock-keeper and he is not about to get out of this predicament without a vow or two. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harry H. Corbett, Hugh Griffith, (more)
- 1963
Alf (Joe Brown) is a young man from London's East End who tries to rise above his impoverished conditions. His parents worry that he will fall into a life of crime hanging around his neighborhood buddies. When he is inspired to write the song "What A Crazy Gang", his efforts pique the interest of a songwriting publisher. His parents still worry about Alf finding steady employment despite the promise of a financial windfall in this teen beat musical. The most famous of the groups to perform in the film are Freddy and The Dreamers, who would later score top ten hits on both sides of the Atlantic with "I'm Telling You Now", "You Were Made For Me"and the novelty smash dance hit "The Freddy." Led by frantic Freddy Garrity, his lively and comical stage machinations belied his vast musical and songwriting talents directly inspired by the late Buddy Holly. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Brown, Susan Maughan, (more)
- 1963
In this crime drama, a con-artist's mark finds himself in deep trouble after he gets drunk, goes to the apartment of an attractive grifter and discovers that her partner has been slain (something that shocked her too!). The real trouble begins when the fellow accidentally touches the murder weapon belonging to the leader of a Soho gang, and then allows the woman to con him into taking care of the corpse. His actions catch the watchful eyes of the cops; he is soon arrested. Things look bleak for the hapless fellow until his fiancee and friends rally together, catch the con-woman, call the cops and get him acquitted. In the end, the con-woman is killed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
