Tom Gill Movies
- 1969
- PG
This romantic comedy finds Candida (Barbara Ferris) going to live with her elderly spinster aunts after the death of her father. Finding things very unexciting there, she quickly leaves for Paris and enrolls in a university to study. She becomes pregnant after meeting a young student at a museum. When the baby is born, she manages to convince the nosey relatives she is just caring for the baby of a friend. A trip to Italy finds her in the arms of an American man and Candida is soon pregnant again. A woman gives her baby to Candida as she prepares to leave for home at the train station. She suddenly has two young babies and another on the way, getting far more education than she had bargained for. Her main confidant is Savage (Harry Andrews), her late father's caretaker, to whom she reveals the truth about her experiences. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Ferris, Harry Andrews, (more)
- 1967
Smashing Time attempts to turn British actresses Rita Tushingham and Lynn Redgrave into a female Laurel and Hardy. The film's second mistake is to prolong the joke for 96 minutes. Tushingham and Redgrave play a couple of dimwitted North Country girls who head to London, in hopes of breaking into the mad, mod world of fashion modeling. Instead they spend most of their screen time getting in each other's way and wreaking havoc on innocent pedestrians. The comic "highlight" of Smashing Time is supposed to be a mammoth pie fight; but outside of one cute throwaway gag involving a street minister, the sequence makes one wish, in the words of Laurel and Hardy buff Leonard Maltin, that Smashing Time "had been handled by someone other than [director] Desmond Davis." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rita Tushingham, Lynn Redgrave, (more)
- 1965
When a British farmer lapses into a coma, it appears to be the byproduct of a voodoo curse. Sent to the jungles of Kalaya to investigate, Steed uncovers a long-range plan to eliminate all Englishmen in the vicinity. The villains' principal weapons are superstition and a highly developed species of tsetse fly. As usual, Emma finds herself in jeopardy halfway through the proceedings. Written by Philip Levene, "Small Game for Big Hunters" was originally telecast in England on January 15, 1966; the first American telecast took place on April 4 of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diana Rigg, Bill Fraser, (more)
In this drama, from director Anthony Asquith, the lives and stories of three different people are linked together by their possession of an unusual car, a yellow Rolls Royce Phantom II. Lord Frinton (Rex Harrison) is a diplomat who purchases the exquisite auto as a gift for his wife (Jeanne Moreau). After Frinton's horse wins the Royal Gold Cup, Lady Frinton incurs the Lord's wrath when she is caught in the back seat of the Rolls with his underling John Fane (Edmund Purdom). In the 1930s, the car is bought by Italian gangster Paolo Maltese (George C. Scott), who is carrying on with the hatcheck girl Mae Jenkins (Shirley MacLaine). The two take a tour of Italy and see all the historic sights, but Mae is less than impressed. While Paolo is in the United States on one of his frequent hit-man assignments, Mae and a street photographer try out the back seat for comfort and carnal pleasure. Art Carney plays Paolo's associate Joey. In the final episode, Gerda Millett (Ingrid Bergman) is the married American woman who buys the car in 1942. With Hitler attacking Yugoslavia the brave and brazen beauty helps fight the Nazis by smuggling Davich (Omar Shariff) across the border, and this duo also find themselves in the back seat for a roll in the Rolls. Davich shows his gratitude by shipping the car along with Gerda back to the United States. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rex Harrison, Jeanne Moreau, (more)
- 1961
Terror of the Tongs is a gory, garishly colored melodrama written by Jimmy Sangster in the tradition of the Fu Manchu films. The villain is "Fu" himself, Christopher Lee, here eminently hissable as the leader of a vicious Chinese Tong operating in 1910 Hong Kong. Proper London merchant Geoffrey Toone is drawn into this netherworld when his daughter is murdered by Lee's minions. Conducting a one-man war against the Tongs, Toone eventually flushes out every member of the faction...leaving only Lee to vanquish at fade-out time. Though the crimson-dominated color photography of Terror of the Tongs is the film's prime asset, the picture was originally released theatrically in black and white. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Geoffrey Toone, Christopher Lee, (more)
- 1961
A battered houseboat on the Thames provides the setting for this romantic British comedy. Two newlyweds rent the leaky floating home. The trouble begins when the husband decides to move the scow to a better location. The rickety barge disrupts river traffic. Next the two get lost in a fog bank. When it finally lifts, they find themselves in France. Fortunately, their landlord's yacht is moored nearby and they are able to borrow some petrol. The landlord bets that he can beat them across the Channel with his yacht. The race begins. The yachtsman gets terribly drunk and his cannot stay on course. The newlyweds win the race. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ian Carmichael, Janette Scott, (more)
- 1959
Director Gordon Parry's last two films were the 1959 Friends and Neighbors and this so-so, slapstick comedy about a zany naval base on an island just off the southern coast of Britain. Not having a whole lot to do, the klutzy commander (Cecil Parker), a womanizing second officer (Leslie Phillips) and just about everyone else are making money by smuggling and other sub rosa, shady activities. When this motley crew gets word that the powers-that-be want to shut down the base and transfer them to other posts, they start to invent all the reasons they can for remaining where they are. They get deeper and deeper into their deceptions until they are ready to stage a fake revolution with the collusion of the civilian islanders. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cecil Parker, Ronald Shiner, (more)
Up the Creek is a mirthsome remake of the classic Will Hay comedy Oh, Mr. Porter (1937). Whereas the Hay film concerned an inept railroad stationmaster, the hero of the remake, Lt. Fairweather David Tomlinson, is an inept naval officer. Transferred to the HMS Berkeley, a decrepit WW2-vintage destroyer where he can do the least amount of damage, Fairweather teams up with his new bosun Peter Sellers for a variety of slightly larcenous money-making schemes. Things come to an uproarious conclusion when the admiralty shows up for an inspection of the Berkeley. Surprisingly, Up the Creek was filmed with full permission of the Royal Navy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Tomlinson, Peter Sellers, (more)
This hastily assembled sequel to the popular British service farce Up the Creek finds David Tomlinson returning in the role of Lt. Fairweather, skipper of the not-so-good ship Aristotle. This time, however, Fairweather's enterprisingly larcenous bos'un is played not by Peter Sellers but by music-hall favorite Frankie Howerd. The plot finds the Aristotle being sold to a mythical middle-eastern country. Assigned to deliver the vessel to its new owners, Fairweather discovers that his faithful bos'un has once again sold tickets to passengers, in direct violation of regulations. The resulting comic complications are as predictable as they are hilarious. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Tomlinson, Shirley Eaton, (more)
- 1957
The grass is always greener.... In this British comedy, two drunken comrades find out the truth of that saying when they decide to trade places for a while. One of the boozers is a public relations man who knows nothing about sailing, while the other is a captain for the Royal Navy. Riotous comic mayhem ensues as the hapless "captain" tries to run his ship and follow orders. When the bumbling fellow's inadvertence sinks one of the fleet's own ships, he ends up locked in a rubber room until the two manage to extort someone into helping them resume their rightful identities. The film was originally titled The Ship was Loaded, and bears no relation to the popular "Carry On" series. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Tomlinson, Peggy Cummins, (more)
- 1957
1957's The Good Companions was the second film version of the well-known J. B. Priestly play. The story revolves around the Dinky Doos, a provincial musical troupe living from hand to mouth. Eric Portman, Celia Johnson and John Fraser are three Britons from various classes and walks of life who become involved in the fortunes of the Dinky Doos. Pooling their resources, the diverse "good companions" save the troupe from disbanding. Good-natured and high-spirited, Good Companions might have even been better had the director adopted a more intimate and less showbizzy approach. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Portman, Celia Johnson, (more)
- 1956
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
- 1956
Droll British farceur Fred Emney is the star of Fun at St. Fanny's. Emney plays Dr. Septimus Jankers, headmaster of an exclusive boy's college. When the insititution is threatened with a shutdown instigated by its creditors, Dr. Jankers decides to "shake down" a wealthy, middle-aged student threatening to withhold that worthy's long-overdue student accreditation. The overaged "schoolboy" is played by music hall-TV comedian Cardew Robinson, who in 1956 was at the height of his popularity--so much so that he plays "himself'. Fun at St. Fanny's is chock full of the sort of healthily vulgar humor indigenous to the British stage of the 1940s and 1950s; even the title is a cheeky double-entendre. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Emney, Cardew Robinson, (more)
- 1956
Wicked as They Come stars Arlene Dahl as Kathy Allen, whose sour attitude on life has been formed by a sexual assault in her childhood. Rising out of the shabbiness of the Lower East Side, Kathy ruthlessly climbs the social and financial ladder by using and then abandoning a series of gullible older men. When she finally gets what she wants out of life, it still isn't enough, and it is this insatiability that leads to her downfall. Extensive location filming in London and Paris adds an exotic touch to this predictable melodrama. Wicked as They Come is based on Portrait in Smoke, a novel by Bill Ballington. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arlene Dahl, Philip Carey, (more)
- 1956
Ribald music hall comedian Frankie Howerd stars in the British laughspinner Jumping for Joy. Set in the rarefied world of dog racing, the film stars Howerd as trackboy Willie, who is unceremoniously booted from his job. Teaming up with con artist Jack (Stanley Holloway), Willie decides to get even by raising his own greyhound racer. Unfortunately, the dog Willie and Jack purchase has one paw in the grave. As our heroes nurse the pooch back to health, they are forced to spend their spare time keeping a narcotics gang at bay. The delightful harmonica score in Jumping for Joy is provided by American expatriate Larry Adler. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stanley Holloway, A.E. Matthews, (more)
- 1955
In this comedy, a clever chemist develops a pill that cures smokers of nicotine addiction. Realizing the marketing potential, he makes his discovery public, but encounters strong resistance from the international tobacco industry, which does its best to stop him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1955
Love, marriage and show business provide the basis of this lively comedy that centers on a husband and wife, who are chosen by television producers to embody the perfect married couple on an upcoming television series. The show is to be filmed and broadcast live from the home of Simon and Laura, who on camera are indeed the perfect couple. Unfortunately, the minute the camera is off, the two are going at it hammer and tong. Still, their show is very popular, and many couples look up to them until the ill-fated shooting of a Christmas special in which the couple begin tippling alcoholic beverages during the filming and end up letting their true relationship come out. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Finch, Kay Kendall, (more)
- 1954
Had the women-behind-bars drama The Weak and the Wicked been made in Hollywood, the cast would probably have included the likes of Ida Lupino, Marie Windsor, Peggie Castle and Hope Emerson. Instead, the film was lensed in Britain, with Glynis Johns and Diana Dors heading the cast. Framed on a charge of fraud, "good girl" Glynis is tossed into prison. Her cellmates include hard-boiled Ms. Dors, murder suspect Jane Hylton, blackmailer-poisoner Dame Sybil Thorndyke and shoplifter Olive Sloane. Each of their stories is detailed in a series of flashbacks. Downplay the potential sensational elments of the storyline, The Weak and the Wicked takes great pains to point out the positive values of a special rehabilitation program, wherein the main characters are given the opportunity to make themselves useful members of society. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glynis Johns, John Gregson, (more)
- 1953
This romantic and tuneful war drama tells the story the singer who captured the hearts of Allied soldiers during WW II. It begins when she refuses to marry the American reporter she loves. She vows not to say yes until she becomes a star. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1953
This fanciful British farce stars Bernard Braden as an impoverished artist. The uncle of Braden's wife Barbara Kelly agrees to bankroll the couple if Braden will start making his work more commercial. Uncle sends an attorney over to the couple's house to assess their net worth. In order to pay for the necessary home repairs, Kelly pawns her husband--not her husband's paintings, but hubby in the flesh. When Kelly can't make the payments, Braden remains on the pawnshop shelf, hence the film's title. Future Saint producers Robert Baker and Monty Berman were the perpetrators of this wobbly piece of whimsy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bernard Braden, Barbara Kelly, (more)
His Hollywood career temporarily in the doldrums in 1953, Lloyd Bridges headed to Britain to star in The Limping Man. Bridges plays an ex-GI who arrives in London to visit his wartime amour (Moira Lister). Before anyone knows what's happened, our hero is mixed up in a murder case. The victim was killed by a mysterious "limping man," who is also an expert sharpshooter. Just when it seems that events have overwhelmed the GI and his lady love, the story suddenly. . .well, that would be tattling, wouldn't it? The Limping Man was released Stateside by Lippert Productions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lloyd Bridges, Moira Lister, (more)
- 1953
After the Ball is a well-mounted (if turgidly paced) filmed biography of legendary British music hall entertainer Vesta Tilley. You may not have heard of Ms. Tilley, but if you've seen Victor/Victoria, you'll have some inkling of the nature of her act. At the peak of her fame at the turn of the century, Vesta was a male impersonator who pretended to be a female impersonator. Pat Kirkwood acquits herself nicely as Ms. Tilley, while Laurence Harvey makes a good early impression as Lord Walter de Frece, Vesta's manager and devoted husband. Other famous showbiz personalities represented in After the Ball include Tony Pastor (played by George Margo), Oscar Hammerstein I (Peter Carlisle), Dan Leno Jr. (Terry Cooke) and George M. Cohan (impersonated by future Dr. Who Tom Baker). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patricia Kirkwood, Laurence Harvey, (more)
- 1953
It's always fun to watch Ronald Reagan play a slightly disreputable type, and Tropic Zone is no exception. Reagan stars as Dan McCloud, a self-styled "banana expert" who is hiding out in a mythical South American country for obscure political reasons. Motivated by greed, McCloud comes to the aid of banana-plantation owner Flanders White (Rhonda Fleming), whose livelihood is threatened by covetous Lukats (John Wengraf). Redeemed by love, McCloud turns honest, rallying Flanders' workers and tenant farmers to form a united front against the crooked Lukats and his chief henchman Nelson (Grant Withers). High point: Flanders White, jealous of local cabaret cutie Elena (Estelita Rodriguez), bares her midriff and performs a sexy dance for McCloud's benefit. Tropic Zone was another winner from Paramount's Pine-Thomas production team. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ronald Reagan, Rhonda Fleming, (more)
- 1952
Mr. Henry Lord (Stanley Holloway) and his wife Lilian (Kathleen Byron) have been asked to move from their home to make room for the 1950 Festival of Britain. But Mr. Lord, as the title makes clear, has no intention of doing so. The government tries all sorts of persuasion and coercion, but ends up stumbling over its own feet. What starts out as a minor legal skirmish snowballs into a nationwide cause celebre, as often happens in whimsical British comedies like Mr. Lord Says No. Based on Michale Clayton Hutton's The Happy Family, the film also features such delightful British supporting players as Naunton Wayne, Dandy Nichols, George Cole, Miles Malleson and the ubiquitous Laurence Naismith. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stanley Holloway, Kathleen Harrison, (more)
