Thea Gregory Movies
- 1956
The topicality of Satellite in the Sky enabled the British-based Danzinger Bros. to release the film through Warner Bros., rather than their usual United Artists distribution channels. The story concerns the first manned space satellite, launched from England with commander Michael Hayden (Kieron Moore) at the controls. It is the mission of Hayden and his crew to test out the deadly "tritonium" bomb in outer space. Once he's left the atmosphere, Hayden discovers that he's been harboring a stowaway: reporter and anti-weapons activist Kim Hamilton (Lois Maxwell). Everyone's life is placed in peril when the bomb affixes itself to the side of the satellite. As tension mounts, the crew -- and Kim -- race against time to either remove or defuse the tick-tick-ticking weapon. Satellite in the Sky represented documentary filmmaker Paul Dickson's first fictional effort; like most other directors, Dickson was unable to curb the overacting of the venerable Donald Wolfit, here cast as the near-maniacal creator of the tritonium bomb. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kieron Moore, Lois Maxwell, (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, Rovi
- Starring:
- Glynis Johns, John Gregson, (more)
In this thriller, a nearly bankrupt businessman blackmails a buddy into to murdering him within a week so that his wife can collect on his hefty insurance policy. Unfortunately, his business takes a sudden upswing, and he no longer has to die. Too bad his friend doesn't know that. The hero suffers several near misses before learning that it is partner and another who really want to kill him, not his friend whom they have kidnapped and framed. In the end, the villains shoot each other. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1954
In this crime drama, an author of crime novels is falsely convicted for the murder of his wife. The real culprit is the one who came to the writer to get advice on how to dispose of a dead body. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1954
The Golden Link gets off to a spectacularly violent start when a woman's body plummets into the hallway of an apartment building. It looks like a suicide, but police superintendent Blake (Andre Morrell) suspects murder. Blake is officially "off" the case before long; unofficially, he calmly putters around, asking questions, searching for clues. The chief murder suspects are the victim's husband (Patrick Holt) and daughter (Thea Gregory), both of whom had ample opportunity and motive. It turns out that Blake's instincts were correct, but his initial choice of perpetrators was way off. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Thea Gregory, Patrick Holt, (more)
- 1954
Some good performances and a fun chase scene, but there is little else to commend this movie. It's a pretty hackneyed plot wherein the editor of a magazine falls in love with the boss' daughter but the relationship is complicated by the boss' wife, who is also putting the moves on the hapless editor. Then, to make things even worse, he's accused of embezzlement. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi
