Richard Leech Movies

This British Merchant-Ivory look-alike was adapted from a novel by Isabel Colgate. In the summer before World War I, British nobleman James Mason invites an assorted group of acquaintances for a weekend shooting party on his huge estate. Among the participants are longtime rivals Edward Fox and Rupert Frazer, Fox's occasionally unfaithful wife Cheryl Campbell, and staunch anti-hunting advocate John Gielgud. The film unfolds in a carefully calculated but seemingly spontaneous fashion, in the manner of its 1938 ancestor Rules of the Game. Also like the earlier film, The Shooting Party casts a jaundiced eye towards class consciousness--and ends with a sudden, senseless but not altogether unexpected tragedy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the conclusion of the four-part story "The Sun Makers," the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Leela (Louise Jameson) cast their lot with the Plutonian resistance movement dedicated to toppling Gatherer Hade (Richard Leech) and the despotic Usurians from power. Crucial to the success of the rebels is the destruction of the PCM plants, where the mind-controlling gases which keep the human laborers in bondage are manufactered. Another of Doctor Who's clever "labor vs. management" parables, "The Sun Makers, Episode 4" was written by Robert Holmes, and was first telecast on December 17, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the second episode of the four-part story "The Sun Makers," the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Leela (Louise Jameson) have arrived on Pluto in the distant future, only to discover that the previously stone-cold planet is throughly inhabitable thanks to artificial sunlight. On a less positive note, the dictators leaders of Pluto have industrialized the planet by using as slave labor the last remnants of the Earth's population. In attempting to put an end to the overlord's tyranny, the Doctor is himself exposed to the fear-inducing gases which hold the workers in bondage. First telecast December 3, 1977, "The Sun Makers, Episode 2" was written by Robert Holmes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this British drama, a young socialite begins to have doubts about her upcoming marriage to a young nobleman after she encounters a sexually free woman and a spirited American traveler who provide her with a broader view of the world. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

During the 16th century, it was prophesied that "When Hugh succeeds Hugh, Ireland shall be free." Hugh was the Prince of Donegal and his son Red Hugh, his successor. This lush and lively Disney adventure chronicles the young man's tumultuous ascension to the throne and his attempts to unite the many clans of Erin. Along the way, Red Hugh falls in love, is imprisoned by the British in Dublin Castle, and then fights to free Donegal Castle where his lady is being held. The film was shot in the United Kingdom and is based on Robert T. Reilly's story "Red Hugh, Prince of Donegal." ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this complex mystery, an American woman is married to a British businessman. The trouble begins when the woman suspects that she is being stalked. She tells this to her husband and his friend. They then go home. While the friend is upstairs making a phone call, the stalker sneaks in and kills her husband. The friend hears the commotion and rushes downstairs. He gets there just in time to hear the killer requesting payment from the wife for services rendered. Later the killer is arrested and makes a full confession. Though he claims the woman paid him to kill her husband, the court remains skeptical. The friend believes the killer, but says nothing. After the trial, he learns that the woman's ex-husband had been blackmailing her with the claim that they were never actually divorced. He pushed her into killing her new husband. When the friend learns the truth, he has no choice but to phone the police and tell them all he knows. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Ricochet originated as an hour-long episode of the TV anthology series Dick Powell Theatre. Van Heflin plays a tough Marine sergeant facing a crisis of conscience. A young Marine recruit has died under Heflin's command during basic training. Though the victim perished because he didn't follow orders, Heflin feels responsible for the death--and the other recruits heartily concur in this opinion. Ricochet first aired October 3, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

It's possible that a traitor stationed at a top-secret naval base is causing malfunctions every time an experimental tracking system is tested. The man accused of treachery pleads innocence, and Steed believes him. Posing as a military psychiatrist and a chemist, Steed and Gale set a trap for the real culprit. Written by John Gilber, "Traitor in Zebra" was originally telecast in England on December 8, 1962; it was first seen in America on February 8, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Terror of the Tongs is a gory, garishly colored melodrama written by Jimmy Sangster in the tradition of the Fu Manchu films. The villain is "Fu" himself, Christopher Lee, here eminently hissable as the leader of a vicious Chinese Tong operating in 1910 Hong Kong. Proper London merchant Geoffrey Toone is drawn into this netherworld when his daughter is murdered by Lee's minions. Conducting a one-man war against the Tongs, Toone eventually flushes out every member of the faction...leaving only Lee to vanquish at fade-out time. Though the crimson-dominated color photography of Terror of the Tongs is the film's prime asset, the picture was originally released theatrically in black and white. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The British Ice Cold in Alex was released in the US as Desert Attack. John Mills stars as Captain Anson, a grumbling alcoholic sent on a WW2 mission to Alexandria. Travelling to his destination by ambulance, Anson becomes acquainted with his fellow passengers, nurses Sister Diane Murdoch (Sylvia Syms) and Sister Denise Norton (Mary Clare) and South African officer Captain Van Der Poel (Anthony Quayle). One of these worthies is a German spy-and only two of the passengers will survive until the fade-out. For its American release, Ice Cold in Alex was not only given a new title, but was also trimmed from 132 minutes to 79. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this film, American Professor Dana Andrews investigates a devil-worshipping cult active in England. The cult has apparently been responsible for more than one death in recent months. When Andrews comes too close to the cult for comfort, the devil-worshipping leader slips a cursed parchment into Andrews' research files. This 1958 American release is a re-edit of Tourneur's original 1957 British film. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi

When the English Civil War is winding down but the Roundheads and Royalists are still at odds with each other, it is decided that the King, Raymond, should be moved from England to France for safekeeping. When the Cavalier assigned the task is thwarted by the discovery of the scheme, other measures must be taken. Good action scenes with a smidgen of romance thrown in for good measure. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi

This meticulous re-creation of the sinking of the Titanic was adapted by Eric Ambler from the best-selling book by Walter Lord, and it preceded the blockbuster Titanic by almost 40 years. The film covers the life and death of the huge vessel from its launching celebration to that fateful night of April 14, 1912, when the "unsinkable" ship struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic. Of the 2224 passengers on board, 1513 were drowned as a result of the bad planning of lifeboats and escape routes. Kenneth More heads a huge and stellar cast, with 200 speaking parts, as second officer Herbert Lightoller, from whose point-of-view the story unfolds. Also in the cast are Laurence Naismith as the ill-fated Captain Smith; Michael Goodliffe as conscience-stricken ship's designer Thomas Andrews; Tucker McGuire as feisty American millionaire Molly Brown, whose courage and tenacity saved many lives; and Anthony Bushell as the captain of the Carpathia, who launched a noble but vain rescue mission once he was apprised of the disaster. Also appearing are two future TV favorites: The Avengers' Honor Blackman as a woman who believes that she has nothing to live for, and The Man From UNCLE's David McCallum as a wireless operator. The climactic sinking of the vessel is re-created with painstaking accuracy; filmed in "real time," it is a mere 37 minutes shorter than the actual tragedy. Two years before the film's release, an American TV adaptation of A Night to Remember set a precedent as the most elaborate and technically complex "live" broadcast of its time. Some viewers will find this movie a more accurate and gripping representation of this sea disaster than the romance-heavy Titanic. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi