Hugh Griffith Movies
A burly, exuberant British character star, Hugh Griffith worked as a bank clerk before debuting onstage in 1939; he appeared in one film in 1940, but his film career didn't begin in earnest until the late '40s. He played forceful character roles in dozens of plays and films in both the U.S. and Britain. For his portrayal of Sheik Ilderim in Ben-Hur (1959) Griffith won a "Best Supporting Actor" Oscar; he was nominated for the same award for his portrayal of lusty Squire Western in Tom Jones (1963), perhaps his best known performance. Hugh Griffith was last onscreen in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978). ~ All Movie Guide- 1967
Playwright Christopher Isherwood and co-writer/director Tony Richardson adapted the novel by Marguerite Duras into this romantic drama. Jeanne Moreau plays Anna, a Frenchwoman of means who experienced fleeting true love with a sailor many years before. In the interim, her husband killed himself and left Anna his vast fortune, and now she is sailing from port to seedy port, searching the world over in vain for her long-lost sailor. In the meantime, Alan (Ian Bannen), a young Englishman, argues with his girlfriend Sheila (Vanessa Redgrave), and leaves her. Alan encounters Anna and, intrigued, joins her on her heartbreaking quest, which takes them aboard Anna's sailboat to Africa and Greece. As Alan begins to realize that he's falling in love with his traveling companion, they meet Louis de Mozambique (Orson Welles), who joins them on their mission but suggests that Anna's elusive sailor may never have existed anywhere other than in her mind. Nevertheless, Anna and a smitten Alan continue their pursuit. Richardson and Isherwood had collaborated previously on the more successful, darkly satirical The Loved One (1965), adapted from the novel by Evelyn Waugh and considered a cult classic. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeanne Moreau, Ian Bannen, (more)
- 1967
A domineering mother and her sheltered son fly face first into love, murder, and the meaning of family in this black comedy based on Arthur Kopit's Broadway play. Wealthy Madame Rosepettle (Rosalind Russell) and 25-year-old Jonathan (Robert Morse) arrive at the Port Royal Hotel on a tiny Caribbean island with the man of the family in tow, literally; he's been dead for many years and his stuffed corpse travels with them in a coffin. Madame is the kind of woman who keeps piranhas and Venus Flytrap plants as pets, and controls her son's life down to deciding what meal he'll have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (a hamburger and a maraschino cherry). Jonathan is kept indoors at all times and isn't allowed to mix with the outside world, though the hotel "babysitter," Rosalie (Barbara Harris), slips in through the window and flirts with the easily rattled young man. Madame is being courted by drunken millionaire Commodore Roseabove (Hugh Griffith), and while she welcomes his advances, her attention is diverted by trying to make sure that her son stays "pure." Rosalie isn't one to be put off by the meddling matriarch, so she doubles her efforts to get at Jonathan, who wants Rosalie too but might be pushed over the edge by the attention. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rosalind Russell, Robert Morse, (more)
In this elegant "caper" film, Audrey Hepburn stars as the daughter of a wealthy Parisian (Hugh Griffith), whose hobby is copying famous works of art. His replica of a famed Cellini sculpture is inadvertently displayed in an art museum, and he begins to worry that he'll lose his reputation once the experts evaluate the statuette. Audrey decides to rob the museum, and hires a burglar (Peter O'Toole) for that purpose. But the burglar is really a detective, who has every intention of arresting Audrey and her father when the deed is done. All style and little substance, How to Steal a Million is consummately acted by the stars, but the film is stolen hands-down by a "double take" reaction from French comic actor Moustache. The film was originally titled How to Steal a Million Dollars and Live Happily Ever After, which gave the whole game away and thus was pared down before release. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audrey Hepburn, Peter O'Toole, (more)
- 1966
This exciting adventure provides an interesting look into the manufacture and trafficking of opium and heroin. The original story was written by Ian Fleming who died shortly before he was to pen the screenplay. The story is set in Iran and opens as an American undercover agent is murdered in the desert while attempting to buy opium. Two more agents are sent to Teheran to investigate the death and stop the powerful drug ring behind the smuggling. Once there, they run into the dead agent's girlfriend, who soon after suddenly disappears. Unfortunately, they cannot find her and so focus on their other job. To figure out where the drugs are going (and hopefully get a lead on the missing girl) they steal a bunch of opium and lace it with radioactive tracers so they can track it with Geiger counters. They then follow the drugs as they are slowly dispersed throughout Europe. After many twists, turns and blind alleys, the agents eventually succeed. This film was originally made for TV and contains cameos from many stars who worked for little pay because they strongly supported its anti-drug message. Those stars include Grace Kelly (who introduces the film) Omar Sharif, E.G. Marshall, Eli Wallach, Marcello Mastrioanni, and many more. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Senta Berger, Stephen Boyd, (more)
- 1965
The British sitcom The Walrus and the Carpenter originated on December 14, 1963, as a one-off episode of the BBC's Comedy Playhouse. Having nothing to do with Lewis Carroll despite its title, the series detailed the misadventures of a pair of mismatched old friends, played by eminent British character actors Hugh Griffith and Felix Aylmer. The scripts were written by Barry Took (one of the guiding forces in bringing Monty Python's Flying Circus to the small screen) and future comedy star Marty Feldman. The six half-hour episodes of The Walrus and the Carpenter were originally broadcast from March 2 to April 6, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugh Griffith, Felix Aylmer, (more)
- 1965
Kim Novak's decolletage, rather than the lady herself, is the true star of The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders. This rambunctious filmization of Daniel Defoe's "naughty" novel stars Novak as a poverty-stricken 18th century damsel who rises to the top of society surrendering her virtue--time and time again. After several wealthy patrons and husbands, our heroine finds true love with roguish highwayman Richard Johnson (who briefly became Novak's husband in real life). The film's best moments belong to its largely British supporting cast, especially Leo McKern as a myopic bandit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kim Novak, Richard Johnson, (more)
- 1964
A professor of astronomy, David Garrett (Ian Carmichael), is involved with a highly confidential project to develop missiles. He runs into an old friend from the Soviet Union who is now the world chess champion. As David soon discovers, the champion is with a team working for sinister businessman Hubert Marek (Curt Jugens). Marek intends to have David abducted while making it appear as if the professor has defected. Though he narrowly escapes one trap in England, David must continually ascertain who may be in on the group's scheme if he is to survive. Director Cy Endfield enjoyed much greater success earlier in 1964 with Zulu, his historical action feature about a native uprising in Africa. David Stone wrote the screenplay for Hide and Seek, adapted by Robert Foshko from Harold Greene's story. Stone and masterful cinematographer Gilbert Taylor (A Hard Day's Night, Dr. Strangelove, Star Wars) would soon have another project in common: Roman Polanski's psychological thriller, Repulsion. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ian Carmichael, Janet Munro, (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)
Tony Richardson's adaptation of Henry Fielding's classic novel was one of the most critically acclaimed and popular comedies of its time, winning four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film follows Tom Jones (Albert Finney), a country boy who becomes one of the wildest playboys in 18th century England, developing a ravenous taste for women, food, and rowdy adventures. Over the course of the film, Jones tries to amass his own fortune and win the heart of Sophie (Susannah York). Not only does John Osborne's Oscar-winning screenplay stay true to the tone of the novel, but the cast -- including Lynn Redgrave in her first screen role -- tears into the story with spirited abandon, making the movie a wildly entertaining and witty experience. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Finney, Susannah York, (more)
In this tense espionage drama set in 1942, William Holden plays Eric Erickson, an American-born Swede who is put on the Allied blacklist for trading oil with the Nazis. Collins (Hugh Griffith), a British intelligence agent, offers to expunge Erickson's name from the blacklist after the war in return for information on the Nazis. Erickson agrees to the plan and proceeds to make it look as if he is pro-Nazi. This subterfuge causes him to be branded a traitor, and his wife, believing Eric to be a Nazi, walks out on him. Nevertheless, Eric continues with his deceit and makes the Germans think that he is planning to construct an oil refinery in Sweden to serve as a fuel supply for Germany. As a result he is allowed entrance to four German oil refinery, and he passes on the information to Collins. But Eric is being put under surveillance by the Nazis. They discover that Eric's lover, Marianne (Lilli Palmer) is working for the Allies. Suddenly both Marianne and Eric are arrested and thrown into Moabit Prison -- with dire consequences for both of them. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Holden, Lilli Palmer, (more)
This colorful remake of the 1935 version again concerns the crew and treatment of the HMS Bounty by a cold hearted sadistic captain. Captain Bligh (Trevor Howard) boards the ship in Portsmouth, England, to embark on a mission to bring tropical breadfruit trees to Jamaica. Fletcher Christian (Marlon Brando) is the aristocratic second mate who welcomes the new captain aboard. Christian's view of the captain sours with the cruel treatment of the crew and the dangerous decision to round Cape Horn. The Bounty sails into the teeth of a ferocious winter storm which is another in a long line of indignities suffered on the journey. John Mills (Richard Harris) is punished for stealing cheese. A sailor is ordered to stay aloft in the crow's nest, nearly resulting in death. The crew finds temporary paradise in Tahiti before Bligh's behavior becomes intolerable for the once faithful Christian. The crew revolts and sends the captain on his way in a small rowboat. Settling on Pitcairn Island, the crew soon realizes they may never see England again. Mills burns the ship to insure the trip is never made. Christian attempts to save the only means of transportation of their new island home. Lewis Milestone directed the film which was plagued by constant cost overruns to the tune of 18 million dollars. Brando's legendary ego clashed with results as turbulent as the fictitious trip around stormy Cape Horn. The movie retained slightly over half the cost of the production price tag in its initial release. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marlon Brando, Trevor Howard, (more)
- 1962
Based on James Barlow's novel The Burden of Proof, this is a thoughtful drama revolving around the relationship between a schoolteacher and his students, in particular a fifteen year old girl (played by the debuting Sarah Miles, although she was in fact 21 at the time), who has become infatuated with him. But when he rejects her advances during a school trip to France, out of spite she accuses him of rape. The resulting court-case dominates the latter stages of the film.
In its depiction of school life there does seem to be a ring of truth, even if the situations are somewhat exaggerated and for its time this was very strong stuff with its controversial scenario. But the early 60s was an era when film-makers were challenging social taboos, and subjects that had until then remained off-limits were being explored. Victim (1961) is another good example of this trend. As the movie also examines the precarious state of the man's marriage, this also gives more poignancy to his predicament. A fine cast is employed here, including a young Terence Stamp who went on to become a major star of the late 60s. ~ Mark Hockley, All Movie Guide
In its depiction of school life there does seem to be a ring of truth, even if the situations are somewhat exaggerated and for its time this was very strong stuff with its controversial scenario. But the early 60s was an era when film-makers were challenging social taboos, and subjects that had until then remained off-limits were being explored. Victim (1961) is another good example of this trend. As the movie also examines the precarious state of the man's marriage, this also gives more poignancy to his predicament. A fine cast is employed here, including a young Terence Stamp who went on to become a major star of the late 60s. ~ Mark Hockley, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurence Olivier, Simone Signoret, (more)
- 1962
The British The Inspector was released in the U.S. as Lisa. Dolores Hart plays Lisa Held, a Dutch Jewish girl who has survived the horror of Auschwitz. Anxious to leave Holland for Israel, Lisa enlists the aid of Dutch police inspector Stephen Boyd. He does all he can to help Lisa, hoping in this way to atone for his unwillingness to protect Jews from the Nazis during the war. Terrified at the prospect of a barrage of interrogations before being granted a pass, Lisa flees Holland by "illegal" means, travelling from country to country en route to the Holy Land. The Inspector marked the next-to-last film appearance of Dolores Hart before she left Hollywood behind to become a nun. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dolores Hart
- 1960
This crime caper based on a legendary robbery stars Aldo Ray as Norgate, the ringleader of the thieves out to steal a bundle from the Bank of England. But it is a young Peter O'Toole as the guard Fitch who steals the show -- two years before Lawrence of Arabia would make him an internationally acclaimed star. The year is 1901 and Norgate is an avid supporter of Irish Home Rule, avid enough to plan this robbery to get the bullion needed to make his independence wishes come true. He gathers together the necessary crew of brains, brawn, and bravado, and the would-be thieves make their way through a sewer system that runs under the bank. What they do not count on is that Fitch may not be quite as dumb as he seems. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Aldo Ray, Elizabeth Sellars, (more)
Produced and directed by Otto Preminger, Exodus is a 212-minute screen adaptation of the best-selling novel by Leon Uris. The film is concerned with the emergence of Israel as an independent nation in 1947. Its first half focuses on the efforts of 611 holocaust survivors to defy the blockade of the occupying British government and sail to Palestine on the sea vessel Exodus. Paul Newman, a leader of the Hagannah (the Jewish underground), is willing to sacrifice his own life and the lives of the refugees rather than be turned back to war-ravaged Europe, but the British finally relent and allow the Exodus safe passage. Once this victory is assured, 30,000 more Jews, previously interned by the British, flood into the Holy Land. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, (more)
- 1960
This dramatic presentation of "Treasure Island" was created specifically for television and includes all of the immortal characters, along with the original DuPont commercials. ~ All Movie Guide
This 1959 version of Lew Wallace's best-selling novel, which had already seen screen versions in 1907 and 1926, went on to win 11 Academy Awards. Adapted by Karl Tunberg and a raft of uncredited writers including Gore Vidal and Maxwell Anderson, the film once more recounts the tale of Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston), who lives in Judea with his family during the time that Jesus Christ was becoming known for his "radical" teachings. Ben-Hur's childhood friend Messala (Stephen Boyd) is now an ambitious Roman tribune; when Ben-Hur refuses to help Messala round up local dissidents on behalf of the emperor, Messala pounces on the first opportunity to exact revenge on his onetime friend. Tried on a trumped-up charge of attempting to kill the provincial governor (whose head was accidentally hit by a falling tile), Ben-Hur is condemned to the Roman galleys, while his mother (Martha Scott) and sister (Cathy O'Donnell) are imprisoned. But during a sea battle, Ben-Hur saves the life of commander Quintus Arrius (Jack Hawkins), who, in gratitude, adopts Ben-Hur as his son and gives him full control over his stable of racing horses. Ben-Hur never gives up trying to find his family or exact revenge on Messala. At crucial junctures in his life, he also crosses the path of Jesus, and each time he benefits from it. The highlight of the film's 212 minutes is its now-legendary chariot race, staged largely by stunt expert Yakima Canutt. Ben-Hur's Oscar haul included Best Picture, Best Director for the legendary William Wyler, Best Actor for Heston, and Best Supporting Actor for Welsh actor Hugh Griffith as an Arab sheik. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, (more)
- 1959
A suspenseful courtroom drama, The Story on Page One was the second and last film directed by the distinguished American playwright Clifford Odets (who also wrote the screenplay). Jo (Rita Hayworth) and Larry (Gig Young) are lovers accused of murdering Jo's husband. Their trial lawyer, Victor Santini (Anthony Franciosa) has his work cut out for him on two different fronts. For one, he has to overcome his own tendency to hit the bottle, and for another, he has to somehow win this case. As revealed in the beginning, Jo's husband died accidentally. Yet the unpredictability of the courtroom proceedings indicate that a verdict of "not guilty" is going to be anything but automatic. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rita Hayworth, Gig Young, (more)
- 1957
Lucky Jim is based on the same-named satirical novel by Kingsley Amis. The hero, Jim Dixon (Ian Carmichael), is a well-intentioned junior history professor in an unnamed British university. Hoping to impress the new chancellor, Jim succeeds only in bollixing up everything he touches. When he's not stuck in the middle of a slapstick car chase, Jim is trying to think up an excuse for that slightly inebriated blonde with whom he is innocently sharing a boudoir. Blunder piles upon blunder, until it looks as though Jim's chances at survival in the university are slim to none. But Fortune smiles upon fools and Kingsley Amis heroes, thus there's a happy ending. Lucky Jim delivers the laughs in full measure, though it's hardly the best of the Boulting Brothers productions of the 1950s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas, (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)
- 1955
A Richard Armstrong novel was the source for the British sea melodrama Passage Home. Set in 1931, the film takes place aboard a merchant ship, briefly harbored in South America. A young woman (Diane Cilento) boards the ship as a passenger, resulting in disharmony among the superstitious crew members. Virtuous seaman Anthony Steel protects the girl from the lecherous advances of captain Peter Finch. The film's predictable highlight is an outsized sea storm, during which a besotted Finch struggles to stay sober long enough to keep everyone from falling overboard. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1954
The direction of The Sleeping Tiger was credited to Victor Hanbury, but this was actually a pseudonym for the blacklisted Joseph Losey, whose first British film this was. Alexander Knox stars as psychiatrist Clive Esmond, who believes that he can stem the criminal tendencies of young fugitive from justice Frank Clements (Dirk Bogarde). To this end, Esmond hides Clements in his own home. At first hostile towards the handsome crook, Esmond's wife Glenda (Alexis Smith) gradually warms up to her house guest, and before long she and Clements are casting lustful glances at one another. She intends to run off with Clements and make a new life for herself, when suddenly he decides that he actually wants to reform. If nothing else, The Sleeping Tiger is a fascinating precursor to the sexual tensions prevalent in Losey's later Harold Pinter adaptations. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dirk Bogarde, Alexander Knox, (more)
- 1953
Laurence Olivier makes his singing debut in this lively adaptation of John Gay's 18th century theatrical piece The Beggar's Opera. Olivier stars as Captain MacHeath, the leader of all bandits and cutthroats in England. MacHeath is in love with Polly Peachum (Dorothy Tutin), the daughter of beggar king Peachum (George Devine). He has also dallied with Lucy (Daphne Anderson), the offspring of corrupt constable (Stanley Holloway) Lockit. Since it is in the best interest for both Peachum and Lockit to rid the world of MacHeath, the two conspire to imprison and hang the scoundrel, but an unexpected turn of events rescues MacHeath from the executioner's noose. Adapted for the screen by Dennis Canaan and Christopher Fry, The Beggar's Opera manages to retain the raffish charm of the stage original while still being wholly cinematic in approach and execution. The same basic story was later retooled by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill as The Threepenny Opera. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurence Olivier, Stanley Holloway, (more)
- 1953
The first Ealing Studios comedy shot in color, Titfield Thunderbolt takes place in a tiny British village serviced by a branch railway line. When the government plans to close the line down, the locals are in a panic--except for a group intending to set up an expensive bus service. The local vicar (George Relph) concocts a scheme with the town's wealthiest man (Stanley Holloway) for the villagers to run the rail line themselves; in this way they hope to prove to the railway inspectors that their branch is still worth keeping. When the bus interests attempt to sabotage this undertaking, the villagers respond by stealing a stray locomotive--and when this proves cumbersome, they reactivate a 19th century train engine from the local museum. The Titfield Thunderbolt is uniquely British in humor and approach, but not so "inside" as to alienate American filmgoers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stanley Holloway, George Relph, (more)
- 1951
Basil Radford is cast superbly to type as The Galloping Major. The story concerns the efforts by retired Major Arthur Hill (Radford) to purchase a valuable race horse. He manages to attain financial backing from 300 fellow racing enthusiasts--and then messes things up for all concerned by buying the wrong horse. Persevering, Major Hill enters the steed in the Grand National, whereupon the horse disappears on the eve of the big event. The comic frustrations faced by the Major and his creditors are played effectively for light chuckles rather than belly laughs. The cast includes such polished farceurs as Hugh Griffith, Joyce Grenfell (a favorite of director Henry Cornelius, as witness Genevieve), Sydney Tafler and Alfie Bass. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Basil Radford, Jimmy Hanley, (more)
