Susan George Movies
The daughter of a musician father and showgirl mother, Susan George was a British showbiz veteran before she was 10 years old. A Corona Stage Academy graduate, George was 12 when she was cast in the London production of The Sound of Music. The sweetness-and-light roles would fall by the wayside as George matured into a very sexy young woman. In films from 1967, George was usually cast as a blonde "tease," sometimes innocent (the gang-rape victim in Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs [1971]), sometimes not (the 1974 crime-caper flick Dirty Mary Crazy Larry). In addition to such recent acting assignments as the BBC TV series Stay Lucky (1993), George has been executive producer of two features, Stealing Heaven (1988) and That Summer of White Roses (1989). Susan George's partner in these production ventures was her husband, actor Simon MacCorkindale. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Made by the then 23-year-old director Michael Reeves, who died after making only one more movie, the notable Witchfinder General (1968), this is an unusual horror film concerning an elderly couple who conduct experiments with mind control, hoping to experience the lost excitements of youth through their subject, a young man whom they have persuaded to become a guinea-pig in the name of science. Once the process has begun however, a conflict ensues between the couple, the woman urging their subject to commit crimes in the pursuit of even greater thrills against the wishes of her husband, which in turn results in a horrific comeuppance for both, the price exacted for meddling in things beyond the province of humanity. With the casting of veteran actor, Boris Karloff in this swinging sixties setting, this is a rare example of the merging of two styles of horror movie-making, the old school which Karloff represented almost gone by the late sixties, a new, grittier contemporary genre waiting to succeed it. ~ Mark Hockley, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Boris Karloff, Catherine Lacey, (more)
Harry Palmer (Michael Caine), the reluctant secret agent from The Ipcress File (1965) and Funeral in Berlin (1966) -- both (like the source for this movie) based on novels by Len Deighton -- is back again in Ken Russell's Billion Dollar Brain. Having left Britain's espionage service, Palmer is scraping out a living as a private investigator, but he's still willing to give his old boss Colonel Ross (Guy Doleman) the bum's rush out of his office when he comes calling, offering a raise and promotion if he'll return. But Palmer ends up working for Her Majesty's government anyway -- a letter arrives, with a key and money, and telephoned instructions by a mechanical voice connect him up with a carefully sealed parcel (filled with what an x-ray reveals as eggs) that he must transport to Helsinki. No sooner does he get there than he discovers that an old friend, Leo Newbigin (Karl Malden), and his young lover Anya (Françoise Dorléac) are behind the trip, and that the man who was supposed to receive the parcel is dead. The eggs contain dangerous viruses stolen from a secret British laboratory, and England wants them back and wants to know why they were stolen. That assignment immerses Palmer in a deadly game of deception, double-dealing, and triple-crosses on all sides, as he finds that Leo is working for a privately operated intelligence network, set up by a rabidly right-wing Texas oil man, General Midwinter (Ed Begley Sr.).
The billion-dollar super-computer of the title, built by Midwinter, runs a network of spies and assassins aimed at the destruction of the Soviet Union. That interests Palmer's old friend, Soviet security chief Colonel Stok (Oskar Homolka, in an almost movie-stealing performance), very much, and he, too, wants to know what Palmer knows. And then there's Leo, who has taken millions from Midwinter, supposedly to establish a secret underground in Latvia, waiting for the signal to rise up against the Soviets occupying their country that will spread across the Baltics and beyond and bring down the Soviet government. He's taken the money, but all Harry find when he goes into Latvia is motley bunch of broken-down black marketeers whose orders are to kill him and make it look like the work of the Soviets. And there's Anya, who is sleeping with Leo, trying to seduce Harry, and seems to have an agenda all her own, but in whose interest? If it's all a little confusing, so was the book on which it was based, but there's enough striking visual material, courtesy of cinematographer Billy Williams, and engrossing performances (and a wry sensibility), courtesy of director Ken Russell and screenwriter John McGrath, that the leaps in plot, logic, and setting don't matter that much, and it is great fun. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
The billion-dollar super-computer of the title, built by Midwinter, runs a network of spies and assassins aimed at the destruction of the Soviet Union. That interests Palmer's old friend, Soviet security chief Colonel Stok (Oskar Homolka, in an almost movie-stealing performance), very much, and he, too, wants to know what Palmer knows. And then there's Leo, who has taken millions from Midwinter, supposedly to establish a secret underground in Latvia, waiting for the signal to rise up against the Soviets occupying their country that will spread across the Baltics and beyond and bring down the Soviet government. He's taken the money, but all Harry find when he goes into Latvia is motley bunch of broken-down black marketeers whose orders are to kill him and make it look like the work of the Soviets. And there's Anya, who is sleeping with Leo, trying to seduce Harry, and seems to have an agenda all her own, but in whose interest? If it's all a little confusing, so was the book on which it was based, but there's enough striking visual material, courtesy of cinematographer Billy Williams, and engrossing performances (and a wry sensibility), courtesy of director Ken Russell and screenwriter John McGrath, that the leaps in plot, logic, and setting don't matter that much, and it is great fun. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Karl Malden, (more)
- 1968
The Strange Affair is a fragmentary "'60s" interpretation of a straightforward Bernard Toms novel. Michael York plays a rookie London policeman, appalled at the corruption surrounding him. He does not find comfort in the fact that his own superior (Jeremy Kemp) is just as crooked as the crooks. Susan George is the obligatory "mod" girl with whom York conducts a brief affair. Like many British films of its period, it seems more concerned with inducing pop-art headaches than simply telling its story. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael York, Jeremy Kemp, (more)
- 1968
Based on a popular British novel by Nell Dunn, Up the Junction was a made-for-TV movie in 1965 before being remade for theatrical release in 1968. It features Suzy Kendall as Polly, an upper-class Chelsea girl who decides to relieve her boredom by slumming in a working-class section of London called Battersea. She gets a job in a candy factory and becomes friends with co-workers Rube (Adrienne Posta) and Sylvie (Maureen Lipman), two sisters. Polly takes up with Peter (Dennis Waterman), who dreams of leaving Battersea and becoming rich. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Suzy Kendall, Dennis Waterman, (more)
A couple tries to hold their relationship together despite the twenty-three year gap in their ages in this romantic comedy/drama. Scott Wardman (Charles Bronson) is an 39-year-old American author living in England who supports himself by writing pornographic novels. Scott meets Twinky (Susan George), an attractive young woman who tells him she's almost 20. Scott quickly falls for her beauty and charm, but he discovers her definition of "almost" is looser than that of most people -- it seems Twinky is only 16 years old. In a moment of romantic impulse, Scott and Twinky travel to Scotland and get married, but Twinky's parents are less than enthusiastic when they hear the news. Scott soon brings his new bride to New York City to meet his friends, and while they're not as upset, they have a hard time believing this is true love, especially after the differences in Scott and Twinky's ages become increasingly apparent. Lola (also released as Twinky) was an early film credit for director Richard Donner, who at the time was still best known for his work in television. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Susan George, (more)
In this Cold War espionage-thriller, adapted from the novel of John Le Carre, two veteran British intelligence operatives, Leclerc (Ralph Richardson) and Haldane (Paul Rogers), recruit a young Polish defector (Christopher Jones) to check on some missiles in East Germany. Avery (Anthony Hopkins) is the British agent assigned to help him to cross the East German border. Once behind the Iron Curtain, the recruit meets a sympathetic German girl (Pia Degermark) who tries to help him to evade the East German secret police and to complete his assignment. ~ Yuri German, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Jones, Pia Degermark, (more)
- 1969
- PG
Child Bride was the original release title for the British Charles Bronson vehicle Lola (which in some areas bore a third title, Twinky). Bronson plays a middle-aged author who falls in love with 16-year-old Susan George. Their subsequent marriage causes such friction with George's family that she and Bronson are compelled to move from London to New York. Here the marriage is roundly condemned by Bronson's family. Before this can be ironed out, Bronson and George realize that their marriage was a mistake from the get-go, and they gradually drift apart. Filmed in 1969, Lola didn't receive a widespread release until 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
In the hip and swingin' London of the '60s, a young window washer, Ginger (Victor Henry) divides his time between picking up the cleaning rag and picking up women in the hip London pubs. One girl he meets is the pretty and demure Jill (Susan George), who his best friend Dwyer (Jack Shephard) takes a shine to. When Ginger agrees to becomes a caretaker at an old man's mansion and a wild party results, he asks Dwyer to look after Jill. Dwyer takes that invitation as a chance to seduce Jill. Later, when Ginger is informed by Jill that she is pregnant, he takes it upon himself to marry her. No sooner are they married than Jill's intimidating mother arrives to announce that she will be taking up quarters with the newlyweds. Now Ginger has to decide whether he should trade in his swingin' ways for a staid domestic life. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor Henry, Susan George, (more)
Ziggy (Mark Lester) is the young boy who witnesses the murder of a visiting black official by the police. Much like the boy who cried wolf, Ziggy has been known to stretch the truth and exaggerate. He is unable to convince the adults that he witnessed the killing. The murderous cops are soon on his trail as he hits the road with his sister (Susan George)and her boyfriend (Tony Bonner). The real police soon follow, after convincing his parents that Ziggy has told the truth for once. The boys grandfather (Lionel Jeffries) is the retired Colonel, a lighthouse keeper and lovable curmudgeon. Jeremy Kemp is the police chief, and the main heavy is played by Peter Vaughan. The boyfriend's car is cornered on a treacherous cliff where the villains try to ram the vehicle to the jagged rocks below. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Lester, Lionel Jeffries, (more)
- 1970
A Lancashire lass refuses to eat the meal her mother has prepared for her. Her thick-eared father (James Mason) insists that she ingest every bite. This seemingly minor incident snowballs into big trouble for everyone concerned. Hard to believe, but this was based on a very popular stage play by Bill Naughton. The comic edge is blunted by the film's use of real Bolton locations, which tend to make the exaggerated passions and gesticulations of Mason and his family seem more pathetic than humorous. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Mason, Susan George, (more)
The first horror film from notorious British director Pete Walker, this is a brutal but rather pedestrian pulp thriller about a fetching young go-go dancer (Susan George, in her first starring role) who is stalked in and around an isolated house by ruthless assassins determined to prevent her from reaching her 21st birthday. It seems Marianne is in line for a sizable inheritance from the man she claims is her father -- a crooked magistrate whose career is threatened by her very existence. As if that weren't enough, knowledge of the girl's newfound wealth inspires a team of would-be kidnappers who show up at the villa to beef up the body count. Fans of Walker's blood-drenched thrillers might detect a glimmer of burgeoning talent here, but the suspense is hampered by a clunky script and silly dialogue, and the lovely George is probably just warming up for the following year's Straw Dogs. Also known as Die Beautiful, Marianne! ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
In this violent, grim thriller, a baby-sitter's routine job turns out to be anything but when she and her young charge are terrorized by an escaped mental patient who bursts in and holds them hostage. He claims to be the three-year-old boy's father and has come to murder his ex-wife. Meanwhile to stall for time until the cops can save them, the baby-sitter seduces the fugitive father. A deadly stand-off ensues when the cops finally surround the place and he begins threatening to slice the throats of the girl and his son. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Sam Peckinpah examines the instinctual capacity for violence in his controversial 1971 film, loosely based on the novel The Siege of Trencher's Farm. To avoid the Vietnam-era social chaos in the U.S., American mathematician David Sumner (Dustin Hoffman) moves with his British wife, Amy (Susan George), to the isolated Cornish town where she grew up, but their presence provokes antagonism among the village's men. As the hostilities escalate from routine bullying to the gang rape of his wife, David finds his pacifistic self backed into a corner. When the hooligans attack his house, David finally resorts to the gruesome violence that he abhors. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dustin Hoffman, Susan George, (more)
- 1972
- R
Jed (Tomas Milian) is an unlikely hero in this Italian western. As thoroughly unlikeable a robber as ever walked the West, he nonetheless robs from the rich and gives to the poor. Not only is he a murderous, ill-tempered sort, he is bad-mannered, too. When Sonny (Susan George) decides he should be her man and teach her how to be a proper outlaw, sparks fly. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1973
This made-for-TV musical adaptation of the oft-filmed Robert Louis Stevenson tale is a curious novelty -- not only because it predated the Tony award-nominated Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical by nearly 25 years, but also because the musical numbers (by Lionel Bart and Irwin Kostal) are tackled by some of the least likely musical performers in movie history. Viewers will scarcely have the opportunity to recover from Kirk Douglas' opening number before having their senses assaulted by a capering, cackling Donald Pleasence belting out strains of "Smudge's Song," and the equally questionable vocal talents of Susan George. These aberrations aside, this is a noticeably threadbare, stage-bound production filmed entirely on a soundstage (whose walls are evident in several shots), giving the proceedings a dark, two-dimensional feel. The rugged-looking Douglas, though miscast as the tender, love-struck Jekyll, manages a clever turn as the doctor's leering alter ego, and there are some interesting twists added to Stevenson's story, particularly at the climax. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
Three outlaws hit the road until the road hits back in this supercharged action thriller. Larry (Peter Fonda) is a stock car driver whose reckless nature has caused him a long run of bad luck. Larry and his friend and mechanic Deke (Adam Roarke) need money if they're to get a new car and get back in competition, so they map out a plan to hold up a grocery store after 150,000 dollars has been dropped off for payroll and working cash. The heist goes as planned, except for one little hitch -- Larry spent the night before with his occasional girlfriend Mary (Susan George), and she has planted herself in Larry's car and isn't about to budge. With Mary along for the ride, Larry and Deke try to outrun the cops and make their way to freedom, though lawman Franklin (Vic Morrow) is determined to shut them down. Much loved by both gearheads and action film fans for its hair-raising stunt work and solid performances from the leading cast, Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry was a surprise box-office hit in 1974, grossing nearly 30 million dollars in its initial release. Roddy McDowall appears uncredited as the manager of the supermarket. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Fonda, Susan George, (more)
- 1975
In this tense story of an unusual romantic triangle, middle-aged Ann (Vanessa Redgrave) and her teenage daughter Joanna (Susan George) manage a failing hotel on an island off the British coast. One day, the hotel receives an unexpected guest, a man named Joe (Cliff Robertson). Joe and Ann had an affair years ago, and it's suggested (though never stated) that Joanna could be their child. Joe and Ann soon renew their relationship, but Ann discovers that she has a rival for Joe's affections when Joanna makes her interest in the handsome older man clear. Also shown under the title Winter Rates (the title of the stage drama upon which it was based), Out of Season was at one time to have been directed by the noted playwright Harold Pinter, but he was eventually replaced by stage and screen veteran Alan Bridges. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vanessa Redgrave, Cliff Robertson, (more)
Richard Fleischer directed this lurid historical drama based on the novel by Kyle Onstott. The story begins on a run-down plantation lorded over by Warren Maxwell (James Mason) and his son Hammond (Perry King). Hammond travels to New Orleans where he buys a top-of-the-line slave, Mede (Ken Norton), at an auction. Hammond is proud of his purchase, hoping to bring in money by training Mede to fight his other slaves. Hammond returns with Mede to the plantation, where he has to contend with his sex-crazed wife Blanche (Susan George). Hammond looks upon Blanche as damaged goods since he discovered her to not be a virgin on their wedding night. Instead, Hammond prefers erotic pursuits with his slave Ellen (Brenda Sykes). Blanche licks her lips at the sight of Mede, and seduces him to get revenge on her husband. Blanche soon becomes pregnant and gives birth to a half-black baby. Enraged, Hammond comes after Blanche, poisons her, and then the child bleed to death before going after Mede. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Mason, Susan George, (more)
- 1976
- PG
This by-the-numbers action-revenge drama that plays like several other similarly-plotted, good ol' boy pulp flicks of its era, such as Billy Jack (1971) and Walking Tall (1973). Timothy Bottoms stars as Poke Jackson, a convict who's just been released from prison after a stint for drug trafficking. The catch is that Poke was innocent, having been framed for the crime by a corrupt lawman, Sheriff Duke (Bo Hopkins). Poke makes his way home to his beautiful girlfriend Mary Lee (Susan George) and their illegitimate son, only to find that Duke has moved into his place as Mary's lover. Incensed, Poke sets out on a course of vengeance that will pit him against the tough cop and culminate in a lethal car chase. With supporting characters named "Bull," "Cleotus," and "Buford," the redneck pedigree of A Small Town in Texas (1976) is distinct. The film was penned by screenwriter William W. Norton, who wrote several better examples of this high-octane, macho genre, including White Lightning (1973) and Gator (1976). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Timothy Bottoms, Susan George, (more)
- 1976
Mission: Monte Carlo is a "movie" comprised of two episodes from the 1971 British/US TV series The Persuaders - which accounts for the presence of Basil Dearden, who died that year. The only element that the two hour-long episodes truly have in common is their setting: Southern France's Cote D'Azur. The discovery of an exotic dancer's corpse leads playboy secret agents Danny Wilde (Tony Curtis) and Lord Brett Sinclair (Roger Moore) on a merry chase after a gang of stock swindlers. This storyline is expanded with scenes from a second Riviera-based Persuaders installment, written by Val Guest, wherein Wilde and Sinclair pursue a contingent of gold smugglers. The guest stars appearing in this jerry-built feature film include Annette Andre, Susan George, and Alfred Marks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
The Final Eye began life as the pilot for a futuristic TV series. Joe Cortese stars as Mike Stringer, who in the year 1996 is the last private eye left on earth. Stringer is hired by Lisa Korter (Susan George), the daughter of a mysterious financier (Liam Sullivan). Twenty years earlier, the financier had created Eden Isle, a posh resort. Something very odd has been going on at Eden Isle of late, as indicated by the fact that the financier doesn't look a day younger than he did when he opened the place in 1975. Digging a bit too deep, Stringer discovers an insidious conspiracy linked to a master computer. Filmed in 1977, The Final Eye was shelved until August 1, 1982, when it was finally telecast under the new title Computercide. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Essentially a gory knock-off of Jaws, this watery horror outing follows the exploits of two adventuresome shark hunters vying for the love of several bathing beauties. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
This police melodrama is set in a coastal resort where a young man becomes insanely jealous after learning that his girl has been with another. He takes her hostage in the town hotel and threatens to kill her. Now a hot-tempered police chief and his peace-loving lieutenant must somehow team-up to resolve the situation. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Oliver Reed, Susan George, (more)
- 1981
- R
Cannon Productions' first foray into the martial arts milieu, Enter the Ninja stars Franco Nero. While visiting old pal Frank Landers (Alex Courtney) in the Philippines, master ninja Cole (Nero) is approached by villain Charles Venarius (Christopher George). Coveting Lander's plantation, Venarius tries to strong-arm Cole into turning against his friend. Our Hero refuses, whereupon Venarius brings in his own ninja Hasegawa (Sho Kosugi), the first step towards the battle-royal climax. The stunt choreography by Mike Stone is enough to make one completely forget the film's lapses in taste and logic. Enter the Ninja was followed in short order by Revenge of the Ninja. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franco Nero, Susan George, (more)
