Joan Hickson Movies
On-stage from 1927, slight, sharp-featured British actress Joan Hickson began appearing in films in 1933, playing character roles in such productions as The Man Who Could Work Miracles and Love From a Stranger (both 1937). She spent the next five decades essaying unstressed but memorable performances as cooks, housekeepers, landladies, and in-laws. Just before turning 80, she achieved stardom as busybody amateur sleuth Miss Marple in a series of British TV productions based on the works of mystery writer Dame Agatha Christie. Joan Hickson made her final appearance as Miss Marple in 1992, as sprightly as ever at age 86. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1993
- R
Set near the end of 1899, as a new century is due to arrive and many people struggle to keep up with an era in flux, this drama follows the goings-on at a medical clinic operated by Professor Mandry (Charles Dance). Mandry appears somewhat progressive to his top student and right-hand man, Paul Reisner (Clive Owen), given his willingness to hire women and blacks - but Reisner's unchecked enthusiasm for Mandry soon fades when he discovers Mandry's hesitancy to acknowledge the importance of Felix's work on diabetic disorders, and his willingness to propagate eugenics via the enforced sterlization of impoverished British women. Eventually, their disagreements lead to the younger man's suspension; Paul then turns to Clara (Miranda Richardson), a free-thinking young woman working at the clinic who shows tremendous professional and emotional support to him. Soon they become lovers, but have disagreements of their own regarding medical ethics. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Dance, Miranda Richardson, (more)
- 1992
The final installment of the British mystery series based on the books by Agatha Christie, Miss Marple: The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side first aired in 1992. Miss Jane Marple (Joan Hickson) investigates the poisoning death of a party guest at the home of film actress Marina Gregg (Claire Bloom). This story had been filmed once before in 1980 with Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple and Elizabeth Taylor as Marina. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Hickson, Claire Bloom, (more)
- 1991
Part of the British mystery series based on the books by Agatha Christie, Miss Marple: They Do It With Mirrors was first aired in 1991. Miss Jane Marple (Joan Hickson) visits her friend Carrie-Louise Serrocold (Jean Simmons) at her country estate known as Stonygates. When Carrie-Louise's husband, Lewis (Joss Ackland), is threatened by a local reform school student with a gun, Miss Marple starts an investigation -- especially when Stonygates visitor Christian Gulbranden (John Bott) turns up dead from a gunshot wound. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Hickson
- 1990
- PG
This family adventure movie, based on the novel by Marguerite Henry, is about a mute Arab boy and his constant companion, a beautiful stallion, who have to overcome all manner of hazards and setbacks and later get to meet the King and Queen of England. ~ Mark Hockley, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Produced for British television, this multipart adaptation of Dickens' Great Expectations stars Anthony Hopkins as the mysterious convict Magwich, who secretly finances the education and entree into society of young Pip. With 6 hours at its disposal, this version is able to cover the length and breadth of the Dickens original, without resorting to the heavy cutting and telescoping inherent in previous film versions. The most piquant bit of casting in the 1989 Great Expectations is that of Jean Simmons. In the 1946 film version, Ms. Simmons played the fickle Estrella as a child. Here, she essays the meatier role of the reclusive, half-balmy Miss Havisham, she of the rotting wedding cake. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Part of the British mystery series based on the books by Agatha Christie, Miss Marple: 4.50 From Paddington was first aired in 1987. When Mrs. Elspeth McGillicuddy (Mona Bruce) takes the train to visit her friend Miss Jane Marple (Joan Hickson), she witnesses a murder and reports it to the authorities. When the police fail to find neither a body nor a suspect, they begin to doubt her story. However, Miss Marple remains on the case in pursuit of the elderly Luther Crackenthorpe (Maurice Denham), whom she believes is implicated. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Hickson
- 1987
Joan Hickson stars as Miss Jane Marple in this made-for-TV adaptation of one of Agatha Christie's classic murder mystery tales. An odd advertisement appears in the Chipping Cleghorne Gazette, which announces that a murder will take place on October 5 at 7 p.m. at a cottage in Little Paddocks. While the neighbors and assembled curiosity seekers who show up are expecting some sort of a stunt, it turns out the advertiser was good to their word, and three shots ring out, leaving a man dead. So who is the killer, and why did they commit such a bizarre crime? Could it be retiree Mrs. Blacklock (Ursula Howells), her cousins Julia (Samantha Bond) or Patrick (Simon Shepherd), her close friend Miss Bunner (Renee Asherson), or gardener Mrs. Haymes (Nicola King), all of whom happened to be living at the scene of the crime? ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Hickson
- 1987
Part of the British mystery series based on the books by Agatha Christie, Miss Marple: Nemesis was first aired in 1987. This time around, Miss Jane Marple (Joan Hickson) has to figure out what the crime is before she can solve it. She receives a letter from her late friend Michael Rafiel (Bruce Payne) instructing her to investigate a crime following his death. Her only clue is a ticket for a bus tour of historic homes, which inevitably leads to a murder. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Hickson
- 1987
Part of the British mystery series based on the books by Agatha Christie, Miss Marple: Sleeping Murder was first aired in 1987. Newlyweds Gwenda (Geraldine Alexander) and Giles Reed (John Moulder-Brown) move into a spooky old house in the country. Ever since she moved in, Gwenda has been plagued with horrible memories from her childhood involving a murderer who may kill again. Her friend Raymond West (David McAllister) helps out by introducing her to his aunt, Miss Jane Marple (Joan Hickson). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Hickson
- 1986
Part of the British mystery series based on the books by Agatha Christie, Miss Marple: The Murder at the Vicarage was first aired in 1986. Miss Jane Marple (Joan Hickson) investigates the murder of Col. Lucius Protheroe (Robert Lang) in St. Mary Mead. The main suspect is Vicar Leonard Clement (Paul Eddington), who publicly admitted his dislike for the deceased. However, Miss Marple also suspects the widowed Mrs. Anne Protheroe (Polly Adams) and her young lover, Lawrence Redding (James Hazeldine). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Hickson
John Cleese's knack for mining hilarity from the growing frustration of a dignified gentleman is fully exploited in the British comedy Clockwise. Cleese portrays Brian Stimpson, a perfectionist English headmaster who has been selected to make an important presentation before a group of his peers. When Stimpson sets out upon his journey, however, he finds himself facing a seemingly never-ending series of delays and inconveniences, which range from missing a train to becoming a fugitive from the police. The film goes no deeper than its farcical surface, but is nevertheless consistently entertaining, thanks to former Monty Python member Cleese's precisely tuned transitions from composure to complete collapse. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Cleese, Alison Steadman, (more)
- 1986
Part of the British mystery series based on the books by Agatha Christie, Miss Marple: At Bertram's Hotel was first aired in 1986. Miss Jane Marple (Joan Hickman) takes a holiday at London's prestigious Bertram's Hotel. She senses criminal activity when Lady Bess Sedgwick (Caroline Blakiston) arrives on the scene. When a murder occurs, Miss Marple puts her holiday on hold to pursue another investigation. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Hickson
- 1985
Part of the British mystery series based on the books by Agatha Christie, Miss Marple: A Pocketful of Rye was first aired in 1985. The body of wealthy tyrant Rex Fortescue (Timothy West) is found and presumably poisoned. After his wife turns up dead, the maid Gladys Martin (Annette Badland) takes it upon herself to ask her old teacher Miss Jane Marple (Joan Hickson) for help. When Gladys is also killed, Miss Marple starts to piece together the clues in the form of a morbid nursery rhyme. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Hickson
- 1984
Part of the British mystery series based on the books by Agatha Christie, Miss Marple: The Moving Finger was first aired in 1985. Maud Calthorp (Dilys Hamlett) calls in Miss Jane Marple (Joan Hickson) to investigate a hate-mail case in the small village of Lymston. The problem is kept relatively quiet until lawyer Edward Symmington (Michael Culver) discovers his wife dead after receiving one of the letters. The coroner says suicide, but Miss Marple is convinced otherwise. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Hickson
- 1984
The first installment of the British mystery series based on the books by Agatha Christie, Miss Marple: The Body in the Library was first aired in 1984. In the village of St. Mary Mead, Miss Jane Marple (Joan Hickson) investigates the home of Colonel Arthur (Moray Watson) and Mrs. Dolly Bantry (Gwen Watford). The couple was shocked to discover the body of a dead girl wearing makeup and an evening gown in the library of their country manor, Gossington Hall. As soon as the police can identify her, another mysterious dead body is discovered. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Hickson
- 1983
Faye Dunaway stars in Michael Winner's labored re-make of the 1945 swashbuckler, which was co-scripted by Leslie Arliss, the original director of the 1945 film. Dunaway is Lady Barbara Skelton, a lady of the royal class, who becomes a highway robber, taking up with Captain Jerry Jackson (Alan Bates), a highwayman and her lover. Because of a notorious whiping scene in which Lady Barbara and Jackson's girlfriend (Marina Sirtis) take horsewhips to one another, tearing their clothing to strategically-placed ribbons, the film was held back from release because Winner refused to cut the salacious footage. After corralling author Kingsley Amis, and directors John Schlesinger, Karel Reisz, and Lindsay Anderson to attest to the redeeming social value of the scene, the scene stayed in the film. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Faye Dunaway, Alan Bates, (more)
Dickens' oft-filmed novel Great Expectations has been adapted several times for British television. This version was offered as a two-parter in 1980, then distributed to the U.S. in 1981. Gerry Sundquist stars as Pip, a young boy of humble means whose subsequent career in London is subsidized by a mysterious benefactor. Joan Hickson co-stars as the formidable Miss Havisham, who may be Pip's mysterious sponsor, while Stratford Johns also appears in a pivotal role. Running 300 minutes, Great Expectations is currently available as a 2-cassette videotape set. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gerry Sundquist
In this made-for-television mystery (adapted from a novel by Agatha Christie) a man dying on a beach utters the question "Why didn't they ask Evans?" Amateur detectives Frankie and Bobby subsequently begin digging for an explanation for the enigmatic query, which leads them to an utterly surprising conclusion. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
John Schlesinger directs the war romance Yanks, based on the story by Colin Welland. Set in England at the end of WWII, the story concerns three American GIs and their affairs with British women of varying social status. The central romance concerns Sgt. Matt Dyson (Richard Gere) and Jean Moreton (Lisa Eichhorn making her film debut), who is the daughter of shopkeepers (Rachel Roberts and Tony Melody). He falls in love with her but she is still infatuated with her boyfriend Ken (Derek Thompson). Higher up on the class scale, the officer John (William Devane) has a brief extramarital affair with socialite Helen (Vanessa Redgrave). The third pairing involves Sgt. Danny Ruffelo (Chick Vennera) in a fling with Mollie (Wendy Morgan). Eventually, the Americans and the Britains find themselves surrounded by racism at a New Year's Eve dance. Annie Ross from the vocal jazz group Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross appears briefly as a Red Cross nurse. Yanks won two BAFTA awards in 1980: to Shirley Russell for Best Costume Design and to Rachel Roberts for Best Supporting Actress. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Gere, Lisa Eichhorn, (more)
- 1974
- R
The British "Confessions" film series was reminiscent of the "Carry On" series, albeit far, far dirtier. Many fans consider the first entry, Confessions of a Window Cleaner, to be the best of the batch. Based on a supposedly autobiographical novel by Timothy Lea, the film stars Robin Askwith as an apprentice window washer with a voyeuristic streak. Nearly everyone with whom Askwith comes in contact is an oversexed, underdressed female. Potato-shaped
Dandy Nichols plays the protagonist's mother. An anachronism even before it was released, Confessions of a Window Cleaner was nonetheless successful enough to inspire several sequels, none of which were released to American theatres. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Dandy Nichols plays the protagonist's mother. An anachronism even before it was released, Confessions of a Window Cleaner was nonetheless successful enough to inspire several sequels, none of which were released to American theatres. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
- R
The "Carry On" gang returns with Sidney Fiddler (Sid James) conning the local council into running a beauty pageant to promote their community. He's thrilled with the prospect of entertaining all the lovely young contestants, but his girlfriend has a different plan in mind. Soon, a women's liberation group invades the premises and takes over -- promptly ruining everything. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sidney James, Joan Sims, (more)
- 1973
- R
The darkly comic and sometimes quite gory Theatre of Blood is a vehicle tailor-made for its star Vincent Price, brilliantly capitalizing on his reputation as a master of period horror drawn from "literary" sources. Price portrays Shakespearean actor Edward Lionheart, who becomes enraged after losing a prominent acting award and decides to seek revenge on the critics responsible. Fittingly, he using the works of the Bard as a guide, basing his killings on violent scenes from Shakespearean plays. Price takes full advantage of his meaty role, ominously reciting classic Elizabethan monologues while rigging particularly nasty torture devices. This hilarious turn is assisted by a colorful supporting cast, including Robert Morley, Richard Coote, and Michael Hordern as critics and Diana Rigg as Lionheart's devoted daughter and partner in crime. The end result is a wonderfully evil lark that, in its own way, proves surprisingly faithful to the often bloody spirit of Shakespeare; certainly the full implications of Shylock's demand for a "pound of flesh" have rarely been made quite as explicit. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Price, Diana Rigg, (more)
- 1973
The surprise British TV hit of 1965, The Likely Lads was a sitcom built around the misadventures of two Northerners, Terry Collier (James Bolam) and Bob Ferris (Rodney Bewes). Flying in the face of rumors that the two stars despised each other, Bolam and Bewes were reteamed eight years later for a sequel, imaginatively titled Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? Returning home after a stint in the army, Terry hoped to renew his carefree relationship with Bob, who was on the verge of marrying a likely lass named Thelma Chambers (Brigit Forsyth). Despite Terry's well-intentioned but annoying interference, Bob and Thelma were wed -- but old friendships died hard, and it looked as if Thelma would have to put up with Terry if she wanted her union with Bob to endure. Written by the same team responsible for the originally Likely Lads, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? aired from January 9, 1973 to April 9, 1974, lasting two seasons and 27 episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Bolam, Rodney Bewes, (more)
