John Le Mesurier Movies
Ubiquitous British actor John LeMesurier wasn't in every English comedy made between 1946 and 1979, though it sure seemed so. Nearly always appearing in one-scene cameos, LeMesurier's stock in trade was confusion mixed with foreboding; as such, he was perfect for such roles as worried businessmen, neurotic military officers and flummoxed fathers. From 1966 through 1977, LeMesurier starred in the internationally popular British sitcom, Dad's Army, which spawned a theatrical-feature version in 1971. An incorrigible prankster, John LeMesurier couldn't remain serious even when dealing with his own death; on that grim occasion, his self-written obituary appeared in the Times, noting that Mr. LeMesurier had "conked out." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1949
In this crime drama, a milque-toast bank clerk succumbs to the unending demands of his bullying girl friend for expensive things and embezzles money from his employer. Someone murders the girl, and terrified that he will be accused, the clerk takes his money and flees with a detective and the real killer in hot pursuit. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1949
Music-hall comedian Arthur Lucan first brought his "drag" character Old Mother Riley to the screen in 1937. Lucan went on to star in 14 films as the rambunctious Irish washerwoman, while Lucan's wife Kitty McShane co-starred as Old Mother Riley's daughter, who had a habit of bursting into song whether the audience liked it or not. The first series entry, aptly titled Old Mother Riley, found the title character put in charge of managing a huge luxury hotel. A jewel theft seriously compromises Mother Riley's new position, but everything is resolved in a climactic slapstick-fest, replete with pie-throwing. Perhaps because the character was too regional in her (his?) appeal, Old Mother Riley wasn't released in the U.S. until 1952, 15 years after it was made. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arthur Lucan, Kitty McShane, (more)
- 1950
Zena Marshall endures a Dark Interval in this funereal British melodrama. Marshall plays the new bride of handsome and charming Andrew Osborn. No sooner does the honeymoon commence than Osborn drops his charm (though he's still pretty handsome). Marshall learns to her mounting horror that Osborn is hell on wheels when he's jealous--and he turns jealous at the slightest provocation. John Gilling, miles away from his horror classics of the 1960s, maintains a respectable level of suspense. Dark Interval is in and out in a breakneck 60 minutes, barely allowing us time to dwell on the plot inconsistencies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1952
Young Anthony Pendrell plays the precocious son of Scotland Yard inspector Norman Shelley. Pendrell's efforts to emulate his father usually results in nothing but irritation for his elders. But when a boarding house becomes the headquarters for a criminal gang, it is Pendrell who cracks the case. Blind Man's Buff top-bills Zena Marshall and Sydney Taffler, but Anthony Pendrell steals the show. Watch for ubiquitous British character-actor John le Mesurier as one of the crooks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this horror movie an Irish char woman must stop an insane inventor who is planning to take over the world with a monstrous-robot. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1952
Paul Gallico adapted his own short story Never Take No For an Answer in collaboration with his wife Pauline. Filmed on location in the Italian communities of Rome and Assissi, the film relates the simple story of 7-year-old war orphan Peppino (Vittorio Mannunta). When his beloved donkey falls ill, Peppino insists upon transporting the animal to the tomb of St. Francis, patron saint of animals. Denied permission by the local authorities, Peppino decides to take his case all the way to the Pope, and to that end embarks upon a grueling journey to the Vatican. Never Take No for an Answer was remade for television in 1973 as a Hallmark Hall of Fame special. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vittorio Manunta, Denis O'Dea, (more)
- 1953
Known to many as the father of the independent West Coast cinema, James Broughton's career spanned 40 years, beginning in 1946. The avant-garde artist was a master of the short film and widely known for his surreal vision and his flair for blending poetry with the moving image. The Pleasure Garden earned Broughton recognition at the 1954 Cannes Film Festival. A lyrical and lush satirical comedy filmed in the gardens of London's Crystal Palace, the story celebrates the triumph of love over the forces of oppression.
~ Sally Barber, All Movie Guide
~ Sally Barber, All Movie Guide
- 1953
Suspense and romance meet in this film. A nightclub is the scene of a murder. The club's hostess and her American boyfriend find the killer. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
In this sci-fi film, a Venusian emissary and an earth woman become friends. The alien tells her that he has come to warn her of the dangers of nuclear weapons. Unfortunately very few earthlings listen to his message. The film is basically a cheap knock-off of The Day the Earth Stood Still. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1954
A fair stab at yet another World War II comedy, this film by Michael Relph features the humorous antics of an ENSA troupe (the British equivalent of the American USO) and an absurd involvement with an army major (Alfred Marks) that leads to the capture of a German commanding officer (Marius Goring). The troupe of entertainers includes a pair of seasoned crooners, a level-headed piano player, a leader who seems to fail equally well at comedy and singing, his wife, and a few others. This disparate group gets mixed up in the Brit Major's agenda and precipitates a series of unexpected circumstances that somehow lead everyone to bumble through to ultimate triumph. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alfred Marks, Sidney James, (more)
- 1954
Peter Reynolds stars as the son of a respectable British family, who despite his position and privilege chooses to pursue a life of crime. Starting with petty thievery, the misguided young man intends to cap his career with a major casino heist. A policeman (Patric Barr), in love with the young man's sister (Rona Anderson), figures out the boys' intentions and sets about to prevent the robbery. When the chips are down, the malfeasant shows what a rat he truly is, thereby losing whatever family loyalty his sister might have felt towards him. The villain's ultimate demise is befitting his loathsome personality. Produced in England, Black 13 was released stateside by 20th Century-Fox. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Reynolds, Rona Anderson, (more)
- 1954
Dangerous Cargo is yet another hour-long British crime potboiler. Jack Watling stars as a security guard who is strongarmed into assisting a robbery gang. The highlight of the film is an intricate gold heist, making one wish that someone more inspired than John Harlow had directed this sequence. Susan Stephen is the disposable heroine, while Karel Stepanek wins the film's acting honors as the criminal mastermind. Dangerous Cargo enjoyed a robust second life on American TV in the early 1960s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1955
In this romantic comedy, a womanizing uncle tells the story of his good-hearted but fickle niece, whose tendency to always champion the underdog causes her endless romantic woes. It all begins when she breaks up with her fiance on the eve of their wedding so she can marry and help out a half-starved aspiring playwright. With her moral support and his talent, the playwright makes it big. Unfortunately, her old fiance shows up. He has lost his fortune and must flee the police. The tender-hearted lass, unable to resist a hard-luck story, then falls for her former love until he is proven innocent. It is at that point that the niece chooses her man once and for all. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glynis Johns, Jack Buchanan, (more)
- 1955
In this complex thriller, a womanizing chemist is accused of murder after his mistress is found poisoned to death. No one believes his claims of innocence except his fiancee who is determined to get him freed from prison. She soon unearths an extortion plot involving a newspaper reporter trying to hide the fact that he had abused the mistress. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1955
In this police drama, a cop finds his recently killed partner replaced by an Alsatian police dog. While he adjusts, the one who killed his partner plans to crack a safe. After he breaks in, he is accosted by the cop and his dog. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1956
The Boulting Brothers enjoyed one of their biggest box-office successes of the 1950s with the wry service comedy Private's Progress. Though billed fourth, Ian Carmichael plays the central character, feckless British soldier Stanley Windrush. Interrupting his college education to serve his country, Windrush flunks out of officer's candidate school and is demoted to private. Much of the humor arises from the bookish hero's confrontation with the ruder and cruder side of army life, as represented by rough-hewn fellow private Cox (Richard Attenborough). As Major Hitchcock, Terry-Thomas offers a brilliant parody of the "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" school of military service, while Dennis Price is equally amusing as a nonplussed commanding officer named Tracepurcel (!) Also worth watching is future "Dr. Who" star William Hartnell as a loudmouthed sergeant. Halfway through the film, the plot rears its ugly head as the protagonists become involved with the covert reclamation of art treasures confiscated by the Nazis during WW2. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Attenborough, Dennis Price, (more)
- 1956
Widely regarded as one of the best and most intelligent British war dramas of the 1950s, The Battle of River Plate is the story of Britain's first significant naval victory in WW2. John Gregson heads the cast as Captain Bell, skipper of the Exeter, one of several vessels engaged in pursuit of the "indestructable" Geman battleship Graf Spee. Taking refuge in the neutral harbor of Montevideo, the Graf Spee is covertly protected by the Uruguayan government. Eventually, however, German captain Langsdorff (Peter Finch) is faced with a difficult decision: either stand his ground and fight a losing battle against the Exeter and its sister ships, or scuttle the Graf Spee and save the lives of his crew. Battle of the River Plate was released in the US as Pursuit of the Graf Spee. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Gregson, Anthony Quayle, (more)
- 1956
British sailors John Mills and Richard Attenborough would like to take Neopolitan lass Lisa Gastoni out on a date. But Gastoni can't leave the house unless her baby brother tags along. During a rowdy evening on the town, Mills is forced to sneak the infant on board his ship. When Gastoni and Attenborough arrive to claim the kid, they find that the ship has already sailed. Essentially a British Abbott & Costello picture, Baby and the Battleship manages to deliver a sufficient supply of hearty chuckles. The film was based on a somewhat subtler novel by Anthony Thorne. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Mills, Richard Attenborough, (more)
- 1957
In this drama, the commanding officer of a British Royal Air Force flight training school must deal with an ornery, irresponsible cadet. The lad reminds the officer of himself when he was young. It also reminds him that his own youthful arrogance and foolishness caused the death of the new recruit's father. The young man only settles down when the C.O. saves him during maneuvers. The boy is injured during the flight which gives him serious pause for thought. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Milland, Bernard Lee, (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)
- 1957
This British drama chronicles the exploits of a brutal Liverpudlian gang leader/would-be rock star who finds himself inducted into the army. The troubled youth undergoes basic training and emerges a man. Later his best friend from boot camp is killed by the camp bully. Courageously, he stands up to the bully and wounds him. Fearing retribution, he flees the barracks. Time passes and he eventually rights the wrong, matures, and marries his singing partner. Songs include: "Isn't It a Lovely Evening?" "These Dangerous Years," and "Cold, Cold Shower." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Baker, Thora Hird, (more)
- 1957
The British Brothers in Law is a characteristically enjoyable Boulting-brother farce, again extracting humor out of the commonplace. Ian Carmichael stars as a novice attorney, full of notions but coming-on a bit too strong for his fellow lawyers. Thanks to the intervention of irascible judge Miles Malleson, Carmichael is forced to jump in and starts swimming with a particularly prickly case. The experience teaches Carmichael how to bend and shape law to his advantage--and also how to curry favor with the public. Brothers in Law was based on a novel by Henry Cecil. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Attenborough, Ian Carmichael, (more)
Lana Turner stars as Sara Scott, an American war correspondent whose whirlwind romance with a young British journalist (Sean Connery) ends in tragedy when his plane crashes while covering an assignment. After recovering from a nervous breakdown, Sara tries to come to terms with her grief by visiting her lover's widow (Glynis Johns). Based on the novel Weep No More by Lenore Coffee, Another Time, Another Place did excellent box-office business thanks to the concurrent real-life scandal involving the death of Turner's gangster boyfriend Johnny Stompanato at the hands of her teenage daughter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lana Turner, Barry Sullivan, (more)
