Doris Lloyd Movies
Formidable stage leading lady Doris Lloyd transferred her activities from British repertory to Hollywood in 1925. She was prominently cast as an alluring spy in George Arliss' first talkie Disraeli (1929); one year later, at the tender age of 30, she was seen as the matronly Donna Lucia D'Alvadorez in Charley's Aunt. Swinging back to younger roles in 1933, Lloyd was cast as the tragic Nancy Sykes in the Dickie Moore version of Oliver Twist. By the late 1930s, Lloyd had settled into middle-aged character roles, most often as a domestic or dowager. Doris Lloyd remained active until 1967, with substantial roles in such films as The Time Machine (1960) and The Sound of Music (1965). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi- 1967
Rosie! is directly based upon Ruth Gordon's play A Very Rich Woman, which was itself based upon a French play by Philippe Heriat, but the indirect source for all three versions is Shakespeare's King Lear. Rosalind Russell has the Lear part, here transformed from a powerful king into a rich, madcap grandmother by the name of Rosie Lord. Unlike in Shakespeare, however, Rosie does not abandon her wealth voluntarily; instead, her viperish children make an assault on her in an attempt to claim their inheritance while Rosie is still alive. They succeed in getting her declared mentally incompetent and thrown into a grotesque asylum, an experience that is so traumatic that she nearly does go insane. Fortunately, Rosie's beloved granddaughter Daphne (Sandra Dee) is appalled at what has happened; she moves into high gear, contacting an ex-lover of Rosie's (played by Brian Aherne) who also happens to be a powerful and skilled attorney. A lengthy court battle ensues, with both sides determined to come out triumphant. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rosalind Russell, Sandra Dee, (more)
- 1965
Newly engaged to an American girl named Sally Benner (Sally Kellerman), London policeman Tommy Bonn (Ron Randell) brings his sweetheart back home, only to find that he has been assigned to track down a strangler. The situation gets personal when, while taking a nocturnal stroll in the London fog, Sally disappears. The subsequent events not only involve Sally and Tommy, but also Tommy's partner, Stephen Leslie (Michael Pate), and a disturbed young man named Clarke (David Carradine) -- who apparently has a compulsion to confess to every crime that occurs. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ron Randell, Sally Kellerman, (more)
One of the most popular movie musicals of all time, The Sound of Music is based on the true story of the Trapp Family Singers. Julie Andrews stars as Maria, a young nun in an Austrian convent who regularly misses her morning prayers because she enjoys going to the hills to sing the title song. Deciding that Maria needs to learn something about the real world before she can take her vows, the Mother Superior (Peggy Wood) sends her off to be governess for the children of the widowed Captain Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer). Arriving at the Trapp home, Maria discovers that her new boss is cold and aloof, and his seven children virtual automatons-at least, whenever the Captain is around. Otherwise, the kids are holy terrors, as evidenced by the fact that Maria is the latest in a long line of governesses. But Maria soon ingratiates herself with the children, especially oldest daughter Liesl (Charmian Carr), who is in love with teenaged messenger boy Rolf. As Maria herself begins to fall in love with the Captain, she rushes back to the Abbey so as not to complicate his impending marriage to a glamorous baroness (Eleanor Parker). But the children insist that Maria return, the Baroness steps out of the picture, and Maria and the Captain confirm their love in the song "Something Good." Unhappily, they return home from their honeymoon shortly after the Nazis march into Austria. Already, swastikas have been hung on the Von Trapp ancestral home, and Liesl's boyfriend Rolf has been indoctrinated in the "glories" of the Third Reich. The biggest blow occurs when Von Trapp is called back to active duty in the service of the Fuhrer. The Captain wants nothing to do with Nazism, and he begins making plans to take himself and his family out of Austria. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, (more)
Long resistant to film adaptations of her Mary Poppins books, P.L. Travers finally succumbed to the entreaties of Walt Disney, and the result is often considered the finest of Disney's personally supervised films. The Travers stories are bundled together to tell the story of the Edwardian-era British Banks family: the banker father (David Tomlinson), suffragette mother (Glynis Johns), and the two "impossible" children (Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber). The kids get the attention of their all-business father by bedevilling every new nanny in the Banks household. Whem Mr. Banks advertises conventionally for another nanny, the kids compose their own ad, asking for someone with a little kindness and imagination. Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews in her screen debut) answers the children's ad by arriving at the Banks home from the skies, parachuting downward with her umbrella. She immediately endears herself to the children. The next day they meet Mary's old chum Bert (Dick Van Dyke), currently employed as a sidewalk artist. Mary, Bert, and the children hop into one of Bert's chalk drawings and learn the nonsense song "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" in a cartoon countryside. Later, they pay a visit to Bert's Uncle Albert (Ed Wynn), who laughs so hard that he floats to the ceiling. Mr. Banks is pleased that his children are behaving better, but he's not happy with their fantastic stories. To show the children what the real world is like, he takes them to his bank. A series of disasters follow which result in his being fired from his job. Mary Poppins' role in all this leads to some moments when it is possible to fear that all her good work will be undone, but like the magical being she is, all her "mistakes" lead to a happy result by the end of the film. In 2001, Mary Poppins was rereleased in a special "sing-along" edition with subtitles added to the musical numbers so audiences could join in with the onscreen vocalists. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, (more)
- 1964
Sentenced to 15 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, Howard Clements (Bradford Dillman) is released after serving only two years. Shortly afterward, he pays a visit to Isabel Smith (Barbara Baxley), the woman whose testimony put him behind bars. Though Isabel is worried that he seeks revenge, Howard explains that he is now running a successful business, and is willing to let bygones be bygones. Ultimately, Howard and Isabel are married...but if you've guessed that this is not the end of the story, your guess is right on the money. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bradford Dillman, Barbara Barrie, (more)
- 1963
While on a drinking binge, Dianne Castillejo (Lois Nettleton) accidentally caused the drowning death of her adopted son, but managed to persuade the child's governess to take the blame. Now a recovering alcoholic, Dianne is finally getting her life back in order when she is visited by Consuela Sandino (Madlyn Rhue), who claims to be the dead child's birth mother -- and who demands a huge amount of money to keep her from revealing Dianne's guilt to the police. Ultimately, Consuela is allowed to move into Dianne's home, where she conducts a systematic campaign to drive Dianne back to the bottle -- and to steal Dianne's rich and influential husband, Victor (Anthony George). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lois Nettleton, Anthony George, (more)
- 1962
In a variation on the classic Guy de Maupassant short story "Boule de Suif", gambler Bart Maverick (Jack Kelly) is ostracized by his more "respectable" fellow passengers during a stagecoach ride. But when the coach is held up by a vicious bandit, the passengers must literally put their lives in Bart's hands, as he plays a game of poker to determine the fate of the bandit's captives. There are some fascinating interracial tensions in this episode--all the more fascinating when one remembers that it was filmed way back in the censor- and sponsor-controlled 1960s. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
This uneven farce by director Richard Quine has its hilarious and witty moments as American diplomat William Gridley (Jack Lemmon) inadvertently gets caught up in a jewel theft and mayhem. After William lands in London to take up his new position and get settled in his new digs, he becomes involved with his gorgeous landlady Carlye Hardwicke (Kim Novak). Carlye's husband is missing, and she is suspected of doing him in. But then he unexpectedly comes back home where an argument with Carlye over some jewels makes him as dead as everyone had assumed -- with her wielding the murder weapon. Carlye is eventually acquitted thanks to a witness who has designs on the jewels herself -- but the story is far from over. First there is an exciting helicopter ride and a wild chase to decide just who will end up with the loot. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, (more)
- 1961
Seeking emotional and financial security, young Elisa Minden (Antoinette Bower) marries the wealthy, and considerably older, Sir Humphrey J. Orford (Michael Rennie). Before long, however, Elisa has reason to regret her decision -- especially when evidence surfaces indicating that Sir Humphrey, a widower, used torture to keep his first wife from cheating on him. But this is nothing compared to the double-barrelled shock Elisa receives upon meeting an ominously silent woman named Flora (Shirley O'Hara). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
In George Pal's version of the H.G. Wells classic, Rod Taylor stars as George, a young scientist fascinated with the concept of time travel. On December 31, 1899, George seats himself in his jerry-built time machine and thrusts himself forward into 1917. A dyed-in-the-wool pacifist, George is distressed to see that World War I is raging all about him. He moves past the 1920s and 1930s into the 1940s, only to be confronted by another, even more terrible war. Next he stops in 1966, just as London is destroyed in a nuclear explosion. Retreating to his Time Machine, George is sealed in his cellar by molten lava. By the time he and his machine manage to escape their tomb, the year is 802,701. Looking around, George observes a seemingly idyllic world populated by gentle people. But he also notices that the citizens of the future, known as "Elois," behave more like mindless sheep than human beings. Befriending the lovely Weena (Yvette Mimieux), George learns to his dismay that humankind has forgotten all that it has learned through the centuries, preferring instead to frolic endlessly under the sun. Plot holes and inconsistencies abound in The Time Machine, but the film's true selling points was its Oscar-winning special effects; in this respect, producer-director Pal succeeded beyond anyone's wildest dreams. Another plus: the haunting musical score by Russell Garcia. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rod Taylor, Alan Young, (more)
- 1960
Kit (Doris Day), an American married to wealthy London businessman Tony Preston (Rex Harrison) becomes the terrified victim of a mysterious stalker, who she hears but can never see. She is threatened by the eerie, high-pitched voice as she walks in the thick London fog. She then begins receiving repeated threatening telephone calls. The now totally panicked Kit is nearly killed when someone pushes her in front of a bus. Unfortunately for Kit, no one but she hears the voice or the telephone calls and neither Tony, Kit's visiting aunt Bea (Myra Loy), or Scotland Yard take any of these incidents seriously. The only one who seems to believe Kit is Brian Younger (John Gavin), a construction foreman, but Kit is not convinced that she can trust him. The tension builds to a thrilling climax as Kit flees for her life on a scaffolding outside her apartment building. Midnight Lace is an exciting thriller, with many surprising plot twists and a nice sinister performance by Rex Harrison. Roddy McDowall is also fun as the son of Kit's housekeeper, who keeps hitting up his mom for money. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Doris Day, Rex Harrison, (more)
- 1960
This episode is based on a short story by H.H. Munro (aka Saki) who specialized in offbeat character studies with surprise endings. Straight-laced Victorian Mrs. Wellington (Elspeth March) wants to hire the "perfect" governess for her troublesome children. The woman hired is Charlotte Hope (Elspeth March), who subscribes to what she calls the "Schwartz-Metterklume Method" of child-rearing -- which consists of allowing her charges to run wild and free! Naturally, Mrs. Wellington strongly disapproves...but as things turn out, she might have been better off allowing the unorthodox Charlotte Hope to remain in her employ. Curiously, several of the episode's more prominent performers are uncredited, including veteran character actress Norma Varden and child star Angela Cartwright. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1960
The Swiss Alps are the backdrop for a deadly romantic triangle involving Colin Chandler (Ronald Howard), his fiancee Nancy (Christine White) and his best friend Peter (Keith McConnell). Convinced that Nancy is cheating with Peter behind his back, Colin decides to use a skiing accident to his advantage, allowing Peter to freeze to death in the snowy wastes. But if Colin thinks that his problems are behind him, an "ill wind" which sweeps through his wedding ceremony proves otherwise. Seen in a secondary role is an 11-year-old Veronica Cartwright. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1958
The year is 1916; the place, a small English town. During the dedication ceremony for a new bridge, the townsfolk are shocked to see the body of a woman floating in the river. Well, technically speaking, not everyone is shocked. Henry Dow (Hume Cronyn), the mayor of the town, assumes that the body is that of an old acquaintance, Miss Wilkinson (Doris Lloyd). And Henry should know: he killed Miss Wilkinson himself. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1958
Roald Dahl's classic short story A Dip in the Pool has been dramatized numerous times on both radio and TV, though never more memorably than in this episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. While taking an ocean voyage, chronic gambler William Botibol (Keenan Wynn) bets every penny to his name on a shipboard contest, predicated on the number of miles the ship will travel each day. When it appears as though he will lose his wager, Botibol hatches a desperate scheme: he will jump into the ocean, forcing the captain to turn the ship around and save him, thereby remaining within the "proper" mileage. But first, Botibol needs to find a friendly stranger who will witness his overboard leap and immediately report it to the captain. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1958
Art Carney guest stars as Cyril T. Jones, a timid gunsmith who is caught in the crossfire of a gangland killing. Though his wound is minor, Cyril is afraid to leave the hospital for fear he has been targeted for death because he witnessed the earlier "hit." Finally, Cyril hits upon a brilliant idea that will ensure him round-the-clock police protection: he will commit a murder himself. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1957
Kim Novak is clearly out of her depth as legendary Broadway actress Jeanne Eagels, but one can't fault her for trying very hard. As this filmed biography gets under way, wide-eyed Eagels finds herself stranded in a tank town by a smooth-talking traveling salesman. Carnival operator Sal Satori hires Eagels as a kootch dancer, but her ambition is to become a serious dramatic actress. When she and Sal reach New York, she signs up for acting lessons under the tutelage of a Mme. Neilson (Agnes Moorehead). Before long, Jeanne is understudying on Broadway, and in 1922 she takes audiences and critics by storm with her unforgettable portrayal of Sadie Thompson in Rain, a role she landed by ruthlessly double-crossing the actress originally slated for the part (Virginia Grey). When her rival commits suicide, the chastened Jeanne turns to booze and drugs to assuage her conscience. The real-life Jeanne Eagels died of narcotics addiction in 1929, a fact that the Hollywood version skims over. Eagels' family sued Columbia Pictures over the "distortions" offered in Jeanne Eagels. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kim Novak, Jeff Chandler, (more)
- 1956
Frances Howard starred as Princess Alexandria in the 1925 silent version of Ferenc Molnar's play The Swan; Lillian Gish assumed the role in the 1930 talkie version. The third and final adaptation starred Grace Kelly, who had one slight advantage over her predecessors; she would soon become a real princess instead of a make-believe one. And don't think that MGM, knowing full well that Grace would retire from moviemaking upon ascending the throne of Monaco, didn't carefully select the timeworn Molnar play for the express purpose of extra publicity. Outside of its mercenary considerations, The Swan is an enjoyable bittersweet tale of a princess who falls in love with her handsome tutor (Louis Jourdan), only to be required to give him up in favor of an arranged marriage of state. The nicest element of the story is that the prince to whom Kelly is engaged, as played by Alec Guinness, is a decent sort, who voluntarily asks for the princess' hand instead of forcing the issue. Of course, the issue has been forced upon him when he realizes the depth of the love Kelly harbors for her tutor. It may well be that this version of The Swan will be the last; on the other hand, who'd a' thunk that someone would want to make Sabrina again in 1995? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Grace Kelly, Alec Guinness, (more)
A Man Called Peter is the story of Scottish-born Presbyterian minister and world-renowned author Peter Marshall, here played by Richard Todd. In his youth, Marshall moves to Washington DC, where he becomes pastor of the Church of the Presidents. His wisdom and conviction enables Marshall to communicate with men of all faiths. In private life, the pastor is given moral support by his loyal wife Catherine Marshall (Jean Peters). At the time of his comparatively early death, Marshall has become chaplain of the US Senate. Interestingly enough, while Marshall and his family are identified by name, the peripheral political characters are given fictional monickers--and sometimes, as in the case of the President played by William Forrest, no names at all. Director Henry Koster expertly avoids filming Marshall's sermons in a static, declamatory fashion. As Catherine Marshall, Jean Peters does wonders with a comparatively limited role; her best scene is her last, when she overcomes her lifelong fear of the ocean for the sake of her son (Billy Chapin). A Man Called Peter was certainly not conceived out of any box-office considerations, but it still paid its way. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Todd, Jean Peters, (more)
- 1955
Interrupted Melody is the inspirational filmed biography of world-renowned Australian soprano Marjorie Lawrence. Eleanor Parker plays Ms. Farrell, while her vocal renditions, ranging from selections from Madame Butterfly to MGM's own Over the Rainbow, were dubbed by Eileen Farrell, who would be with the Met from 1960-1966. The story traces Marjorie's long, hard road to the top, her success on two continents, and her turbulent marriage to American doctor Thomas King. While touring South America, Lawrence is stricken with polio, which not only abruptly ends her career but briefly robs her of the will to live. The rest of the film is devoted to Ms. Lawrence's emergence from depression and her triumphant comeback. William Ludwig and Sonya Levien shared an Academy Award for their cinemadaptation of Marjorie Lawrence's autobiography. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Eleanor Parker, (more)
- 1954
Tony Curtis always seemed a little uncomfortable in costume epics, but this trait serves him well in Black Shield of Falworth. Based on the robust novel Men of Iron by Howard Pyle, the film casts Curtis as Miles, the son of a disgraced knight. Through the sponsorship of the Earl of Mackworth Herbert Marshall, Miles is trained for knighthood, an arduous process that earns him the ridicule of his fellow trainees, who regard him as little better than a peasant. Eventually, Miles proves his mettle by squelching a plan to oust King Henry IV Ian Keith from the throne of England. On a more personal level, Miles carries on a romance with Mackworth's daughter Lady Anne Janet Leigh, while Miles' sister Meg Barbara Rush finds happiness in the arms of knight-in-training Francis Gascoyne Craig Hill. The heavy of the piece is the Earl of Alban David Farrar, whom Miles must ultimately face down in a well-directed climactic set-to. Torin Thatcher, who'd previously costarred with Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh in Houdini, delivers another topnotch characterization as the no-nonsense trainer of Miles and his fellow aspirant knights. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, (more)
- 1953
This costume drama was based on the historical fiction of Margaret Irwin, which embellishes the facts of the early years of England's eventual Queen Elizabeth I. It's told in flashback style, starting with the horrible day when King Henry VIII (Charles Laughton) sends away the future queen, young Bess (Jean Simmons), and executes her mother, Anne Boleyn (Elaine Stewart). Some years and several wives later, Henry VIII invites Bess to return to the palace to live with Catherine Parr (Deborah Kerr), her new stepmother. When the king dies, Bess' young half-brother, Edward (Rex Thompson), assumes the title of regent. Bess falls in love with the Navy's top admiral, Thomas Seymour (Stewart Granger), but has her brother compel him to marry Catherine. After Catherine dies, Thomas confesses his love to Bess. But his scheming brother Ned (Guy Rolfe) finds out about Thomas' feelings and accuses him of seducing Bess. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jean Simmons, Stewart Granger, (more)
- 1952
Mistaken identity and underhanded dealings set the stage for this adventure story based on Anthony Hope's classic novel. Rudolph Rassendyll (Stewart Granger) is a British tourist visiting the nation of Ruritania in the Balkans. A number of people comment upon Rassendyll's remarkable resemblance to Prince Rudolph, who in a matter of days is to be crowned the nation's new king, and the prince's staff even arranges a meeting between the two men. But Rudolph's devious brother believes it is he who should be the king, and he arranges for Prince Rudolph to be poisoned the night before his coronation. Desperate, Rudolph's minders beg Rassendyll to participate in the ceremony in Rudolph's place so that the usurper cannot take the throne. Rassendyll agrees, and the ceremony goes off without a hitch, but when the brother's men discover this subterfuge, they imprison the real Prince as they threaten to reveal the secret of the new "king." Rassendyll's dilemma is compounded when he finds himself falling in love with Princess Flavia (Deborah Kerr), Rudolph's intended. This was the fourth screen adaptation of The Prisoner of Zenda; a fifth, which focused on the tale's comic possibilities, starred Peter Sellers and was released in 1979. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr, (more)
This Disney feature-length cartoon combines the most entertaining elements of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Chasing after the White Rabbit, who runs into view singing "I'm Late! I'm Late!," Alice falls down the rabbit hole into the topsy-turvy alternate world of Wonderland. She grows and shrinks after following the instructions of a haughty caterpillar, attends a "Very Merry Unbirthday" party in the garden of the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, stands in awe as the Cheshire Cat spouts philosophy, listens in rapt attention as Tweedledum and Tweedledee relate the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter (a sequence usually cut when Alice is shown on TV), and closes out her day with a hectic croquet game at the home of the Red Queen. The music and production design of Alice in Wonderland is marvelous, but the film is too much of a good thing, much too frantic to do full honor to the whimsical Carroll original, and far too episodic to hang together as a unified feature film. One tactical error is having Alice weep at mid-point, declaring her wish to go home: This is Alice in Wonderland, Walt, not Wizard of Oz! Its storytelling shortcomings aside, Alice in Wonderland is superior family entertainment (never mind the efforts in the 1970s to palm off the picture as a psychedelic "head" film). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn, (more)
- 1951
This remake of the 1935 version is considered far superior to the original. It is the harrowing story of a kindly old British woman with a love of art who is tricked into allowing an artist, his wife, and another couple into staying in her house. They then begin holding her prisoner in her home while they ransack her art collection. Eventually she is able to escape and facilitate the crooks' capture. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ethel Barrymore, Maurice Evans, (more)
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