Tom Baker Movies

This obscure film is directed by five well-known cinematographers. "Apathy" is directed by Carlo Lizzani and concerns a New York rape victim whose cries for help fall on deaf ears. Bernardo Bertolucci directs "Agony." Members of the Living Theater mime death scenes. In "The Paper Flower Sequence," directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini, a man carries a paper flower through Rome. Part four is directed by Jean-Luc Godard, a tedious segment where two people watch some actors give a boring performance. The last story is directed by Marcello Bellochio. Students at a Roman university engage in dialogue with members of the Establishment. While the stories averages 20 minutes each, this gang-directed effort quickly fell into cinematic oblivion. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Nicholas and Alexandra covers the rise and fall of the last of the Russian Romanovs. We first meet Czar Nicholas (Michael Jayston) and his German bride Alexandra (Janet Suzman) at their 1894 wedding. Though Nicholas is devoted to Alexandra, the Russian populace is less politely inclined to having a "foreigner" as their Czarina. Alexandra gains favor when she gives birth to the much-loved Prince Alexis (Roderick Noble). Alas, Alexis suffers from hemophilia, a disease which strikes every second generation of Alexandra's family. When all conventional medical ministrations fail, Alexandra puts the fate of her son in the hands of mystical holy man Rasputin (Tom Baker, later famous for his portrayal of Doctor Who). As Rasputin's influence and power grows, the Russian peasantry becomes more restless and disgruntled. They are now willing to listen to the speeches of such rabble-rousers as Lenin (Michael Bryant) and Trotsky (Brian Cox), who sow the seeds of revolution. Even after the murder of Rasputin, the Bolsheviks are unsatisfied: The revolution finally comes to pass in October of 1917. At first, the moderate Kerensky (John McEnery) pleads with his followers to allow the Romanovs safe passage out of Russia. But the radicals seize control, and on July 16, 1918, the royal family is summarily executed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Per its title, Jack Smight's Frankenstein: The True Story, strives for greater faithfulness to Mary Shelley's novel than prior versions. Thus, as in the book, Dr. Frankenstein's (Leonard Whiting) creation is no monster, but a handsome young man of high intelligence (Michael Sarrazin). In fact, the doctor and his creature are the best of friends until the latter's body begins to deteriorate. This sends the creature over the bend into insanity, prompting Frankenstein -- with the help of his evil mentor, Dr. Polidori (James Mason), a character not in the Shelley novel -- to try, try again to create a viable synthetic human. The film ends more or less as the novel does, with the outcast Frankenstein and his creature expiring in the frozen wastes of Antarctica. Adapted for television by Christopher Isherwood, Frankenstein: The True Story was originally telecast in two parts on November 30 and December 1, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Freakmaker is a creepy horror film about a mad scientist who abducts college students for the subjects he needs in his attempts to crossbreed plants with humans. His failures are turned over to a dwarf who runs a circus freakshow. This film is also known by the title The Mutations. ~ All Movie Guide

In the final episode of Doctor Who's 11th season, the Doctor endured a crisis of conscience, one so profound that he was forced into another of his periodic regenerations. In this way, Jon Pertwee was able to leave the series, to make way for the Fourth Doctor, who in turn was unveiled in the 12th-season opener, episode one of "Robot" (which was also the first of the series' story continuities to be shot completely on videotape, with no filmed sequences). Tom Baker took over the role of the Doctor, spending the bulk of the episode getting accustomed to his new body. While resting from his labors, the new Doctor falls asleep for a few minutes -- just enough time for a robot to steal the plans for a valuable disintegrator gun, thereby setting the plot proper in motion. First telecast on December 28, 1974, the first episode of the four-part "Robot" was written by Terrance Dicks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the two-part story "The Sontaran Experiment," the efforts by the Doctor (Tom Baker) to help revive and repopulate the long-dead planet Earth are stymied by the fiendish experiments of Sontaran warrior Styre (Kevin Lindsay), who hopes to use the surviving humans in his scheme to conquer the entire galaxy. This time around, everyone's fate hinges on the courage of the Doctor's travelling companion Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter). Production of this episode was halted midway when series star Tom Baker) broke his collarbone, necessitating the extensive use of Baker's double Terry Walsh in the finished program. Written by Bob Baker and Dave Marten, "The Sontaran Experiment, Episode 2" was originally telecast on March 1, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the four-part story "The Ark in Space," the Doctor (Tom Baker) and his friends struggle to save the last remaining vestiges of Mankind from being devoured and absorbed by the insectasoid Wirrrns. But will the Doctor's efforts spell the doom for the Nerva Beacon space station? The conclusion of this episode neatly segues into the next Doctor Who continuity, "The Sontaran Experiment." Written by Robert Holmes, "The Ark in Space, Episode 4" originally aired on February 15, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the second episode of the four-part story "The Android Invasion," the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Sarah (Elisabeth Sladen) have discovered that the "typical" English village of Devesham is actually a replica on the planet Oseidon, housing a training program for an android army controlled by the Kraals. It is the first stage of a scheme to replace humans with android lookalikes, the better to take over the world. Alas, the Doctor may not be able to expose the Kraals, inasmuch as he is facing almost certain death. Written by Terry Nation, "The Android Invasion, Episode 2" originally aired on November 29, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the four-part story "Terror of the Zygons," the Doctor (Tom Baker) is captured by the alien Zygons, who intend to sabotage the World Peace Council as their first step in conquering the Earth. Despite his comparative helplessness, the Doctor tries to save London from the Zygon assault, while the Brigadier (Nicholas Courtney) offers "outside" assistance. This episode represented the final regular Doctor Who appearance of Ian Marter as Harry Sullivan (though Marter would make a return guest appearance in "The Android Invasion"). First shown on September 20, 1975, "Terror of the Zygons, Episode 4" was written by Robert Banks Stewart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the second episode of the four-part story "The Ark in Space," the Doctor (Tom Baker), Sarah (Elisabeth Sladen), and Harry (Ian Marter) endeavor to protect the last inhabitants of planet earth, who are being kept in a cryogenically frozen state on the deserted space station Nerva Beacon. Successfully shielding the station from a dangerous surge of solar activity, the time travellers discover that an even greater danger lurks within the walls of the Nerva Beacon itself -- a danger manifested in the body of a long-dead member of the insectasoid Wirrrn species. Written by Robert Holmes, "The Ark in Space, Episode 2" originally aired on February 1, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the four-part story "The Android Invasion," the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Sarah (Elisabeth Sladen) have arrived back on Earth, to warn the populace that an army of androids, controlled by the Kraals, are about to infect the planet with a deadly virus. Alas, the Doctor's UNIT contact, the Brigadier (Nicholas Courtney), is out of town, so the warnings go unheeded. Only the Doctor's expertise in the field of electronics stands between Mankind and the Kraals. Written by Terry Nation, "The Android Invasion, Episode 4" originally aired on December 13, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the second episode of the four-part story "Revenge of the Cybermen," the Doctor has learned of a plot to destroy Voga, the newest moon of the planet Jupiter. It seems that Voga is made of solid gold -- and gold is one of the few substances capable of wiping out the dreaded Cybermen. Before this story has run its course, the Doctor and his friends have made yet another quantum leap in time, way back to the 1970s. Written by Gerry Davis, "Revenge of the Cybermen, Episode 2" first aired on April 26, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the four-part story "Revenge of the Cybermen," the Doctor (Tom Baker) is on the verge of successfully preventing the destruction of the solid-gold asteroid Voga at the hands of the Cybermen. All that is needed for the Doctor's triumph is the willingness of the plague-ridden Vogans to protect their own home world. Alas, this may not come to pass -- and if it does not, the future of the universe is dire jeopardy. Written by Gerry Davis, "Revenge of the Cybermen, Episode 4" first aired on May 10, 1975, as the final episode of Doctor Who's 12th season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide