George Baker Movies

Although Frances Hodgson Burnett did not feel the need to write a sequel to her classic fantasy novel The Secret Garden, this did not prevent producer Norman Rosemont from commissioning just such a sequel. Set in 1946, Back to the Secret Garden finds Mary Lennox, the youthful heroine of the original novel, all grown up and far removed from her beloved enchanted garden in Yorkshire's Mistlewaith Manor. Now living in New York, Mary comes in contact with Lizzie (Camilla Belle), a feisty Brooklyn-born orphan. It is Lizzie who tries to save the day by heading off to England and endeavoring to save Mary's secret garden, which has been literally dying in its caregiver's absence. Joan Plowright, George Baker, Cherie Lunghi, and Leigh Lawson co-star in this German-British co-production, which was originally intended for theatrical release. The American premiere of Back to the Secret Garden appeared on the Showtime Cable Network on September 2, 2001 -- nearly two years after the film's completion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Previously filmed in 1914, 1921, and 1936, and adapted for television in 1976 and 1980, Francis Hodgson Burnett's classic novel Little Lord Fauntleroy was again brought to the small screen by BBC1 in 1994. Largely taped on location at Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire, England, the familiar story concerned an outwardly all-American lad named Cedric (Michael Benz), who at the behest of his crusty, aristocratic grandfather (George Baker), was separated from his widowed mother and ensconced in rural England under the new title Lord Fauntleroy. Eventually, Cedric's down-to-earth goodness and sincerity melted the heart of his dour grandpa, and also served to confound a group of fortune-hunters who intended to sack the estate of its wealth. First shown in England in 1994, the six half-hour episodes of Little Lord Fauntleroy were seen on American cable TV in the summer of 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

With a cruel, keen edge, this taut social drama slices deeply into Thatcher's England to expose a grim underbelly of racism, cynicism and despair. Reuben James is a black paratrooper who has spent the last nine years serving in the British army and who finally gets discharged to return to his home in South London. There he discovers that the residents have been ravaged by the poverty of the decade and many have turned to crime to survive, while others do their best in the midst of crushing hopelessness to find order and meaning. He too fights the same battles as he struggles to find work. He is disillusioned to discover that to racist employers, his sterling service record is almost worthless. The poor veteran suffers a final blow when he learns that because he was born on the common-wealth island of St. Lucia, and because the laws have suddenly changed, he is no longer considered a British citizen. Now he must quickly make a decision about the rest of his life. Meanwhile, back in the neighborhood, tempers fray, frustration mounts and violence ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this amusing comedy, Sharon (Sharon Fryer) is upset when her unemployed boyfriend Anthony (Gary Webster) announces his intention to join the police force. She ends up insulting the chief of police at a local dinner, following him into the men's room to finish her train of thought. When her friend Billy (Pete Lee-Wilson) lands in jail for using the phone at work to make a request to a disc jockey, she decides to help him get out. Cameos from popular British television stars are added effectively throughout the feature. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

This comedy concerns two buddies trying to make a go of it. Ritchie Lee (Lenny Henry) is the owner of an ice cream van that serves as a place to store his disco equipment, used to play music for parties and other events. John Carloff (John Shea) is an American soldier who is AWOL from a U.S. military base in England. When John arrives in Liverpool and meets Ritchie, the two team up, their bond fostered by John's good collection of Motown sounds. After a few misadventures, the ice cream truck breaks down, and when they take it in to be fixed, the crook who sold it to Ritchie stashes some counterfeiting plates inside. As soon as the van is up and running, the protagonists are chased across England by two nasty killers who want those plates. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

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

The made-for-television adaptation of Barbara Taylor Bradford's A Woman of Substance stars Jenny Seagrove as Emma Harte, a character who grows from maid to internationally feared and respected businesswoman. The all-star cast includes Liam Neeson, Deborah Kerr, and Barry Bostwick. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the four-part story "Full Circle," the Doctor (Tom Baker) has discovered that the marooned passengers of a crippled starliner have had it within their power to escape Alzarius for centuries. The trouble is, the passengers are unaware of this -- or rather, they don't seem to want to be aware. Will the Doctor be able to realign their thinking, and thereby wrest himself free of E-Space so that he can answer an urgent summons from his fellow Time Lords? Matthew Waterhouse joins the regular cast as the Doctor's new companion Adric. Written by Andrew Smith, "Full Circle, Episode 4" was originally telecast on November 15, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the second episode of the four-part story "Full Circle," the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Romana (Lalla Ward) have been trapped in E-space, marooned along with several other space travelers on the planet Alzarius. Confined to a crippled starliner during an atmospheric emergency, the Doctor soon discerns a dire threat to the wellbeing of the castaways -- namely, the morphing Marshmen. Written by Andrew Smith, "Full Circle, Episode 2" was originally telecast on November 1, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Walter Matthau plays a CIA agent who's been confined by office politics to a desk job. The disgruntled Matthau quits the service and heads to Europe, where he links up with former lover (an fellow ex-agent) Glenda Jackson. All goes smoothly until Matthau acts on the advice of yet another retired agent, Russian Herbert Lom, who suggests that Matthau write a tell-all autobiography. Spitefully, Matthau sends out copies of his first chapter to the heads of the CIA agencies throughout the world--and from that point on, he and Jackson don't have a moment's peace. This delights Matthau: now that all of his former colleagues are chasing after him, he has a reason to get up in the morning. As written by Brian Garfield, Hopscotch was a conventionally serious espionage novel. As adapted for the big screen by Garfield and Bryan Forbes, Hopscotch is a lively exercise in cloak-and-dagger comedy, even when the pursuit of Matthau turns deadly towards the end. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though not Ian Fleming's most famous James Bond novel, 1962's The Spy Who Loved Me was distinguished by the unique device of telling the story from the heroine's point of view; in fact, Bond doesn't make an appearance until the book is two-thirds over. This would hardly work in the film world's Bond franchise, so the original austere plotline of the novel was eschewed altogether in favor of a labyrinthine story involving outer-space extortion. The leading lady, a "hard-luck kid" in the original, is now sexy Russian secret agent Barbara Bach, who joins forces with Bond (Roger Moore, making his third appearance as 007) to foil yet another megalomaniac villain (Curt Jurgens), who plans to threaten New York City with nuclear weaponry. Beyond the eye-popping opening ski-jump sequence, the film's best scenes involve seven-foot-two Richard Kiel as steel-toothed henchman Jaws. Fifteen scriptwriters worked on The Spy Who Loved Me; only two were credited, including Bond-film veteran Richard Maibaum. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide