Arthur Lowe Movies

This dark comedy charts the chaos that results when the panicked staff of a major English hospital attempts to prepare for a visit by the Queen Mother, only to face every problem imaginable. Britannia Hospital clearly attempts to recapture the anarchic bite of director Lindsay Anderson's previous satires If... and O Lucky Man, but fails to achieve the same combination of intelligent political critique, comic lunacy, and skillful filmmaking. (Indeed, the three films are often considered a loosely linked trilogy, largely due to the presence in all three of lead Malcolm McDowell). The film does make a valiant effort, but its commentary on the poor, labor disputes, and the inhumanity of bureaucratic institutions mixes uneasily with the film's broader elements, like the experiments of a cartoonish mad scientist. The result is often quite entertaining on a scene-by-scene basis, but the film never reaches the level of delirious, farcical energy or satirical sharpness to which it clearly aspires. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

C. S. Lewis' beloved children's story The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was brought to the small screen in this animated adaptation. Four children are transported to the mythical land of Narnia by way of a magic wardrobe (or clothes closet, if you prefer). Here they confront a wicked witch who has enveloped Narnia in the throes of winter. The kids must fulfill their mission of restoring the rightful king, a friendly lion, to the throne. Originally telecast in two parts on April 1 and 2, 1979, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was co-produced by Bill Melendez Productions, the Children's Television Workshop, the Episcopal Radio-TV Foundation, TV Cartoons and Pegbar Productions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

John Cleese co-wrote and stars in this satiric comedy as the less-than-spectacular progeny of the world's greatest detective. A mysterious super-villain announces across the globe that the world will come to an end in five days unless their demands are met. Research reveals that the fiend in question is descended from the infamous evil-doer Dr. Moriarty, so Scotland Yard takes the logical approach and contacts Arthur Sherlock Holmes (John Cleese), the grandson of the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes who ferreted out Moriarty so many times in the past. However, Arthur soon reveals himself to be dim-witted, inept, and not in especially good control of his drug habit, while his sidekick William Watson (Arthur Lowe) is even more pathetic, despite his dependence on his electronically altered testicles. Realizing he needs help, Arthur calls upon the world's best known detectives to come to his aid, though by bringing them all to one place, he's also created an irresistible target for the young Moriarty. The Strange Case Of The End Of Civilization As We Know It also features guest appearances by Denholm Elliott, Ron Moody, Connie Booth, and Bert Kwouk. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This bedroom farce seems better suited to a suburban dinner theatre than the Big Screen, but everyone involved strives to please, and often as not they succeed. The plot hinges upon a misdelivered parcel of pornographic postcards, which end up in the hands of a staid banker and his frigid wife. By the middle of the film (read: Act Two), everyone is being mistaken for someone else. By the end (Act Three), the leading characters have dropped their trousers or lost their dresses. No Sex Please, We're British began life as a stage play by Anthony Marriot and Alistair Foot, which ran for years in London--mostly as a tourist attraction for easily entertained Americans. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

If you've never sampled the off-the-beam humor of British comic-giant Spike Milligan, by all means look up Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall. Milligan stars as a long-in-tooth Army rookie, going through basic training in the early war years. "God smiles on the incompetent" seems to be the message here, as Milligan escapes certain death at several junctures thanks to his ingrained stupidity. Also appearing are Carry On stalwart Jim Dale and Dad's Army regular Arthur Lowe. Based on Milligan's own novel, Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall was released worldwide by United Artists. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

One man's dreams of success take him on a Byzantine journey through the various stations of the British class system in this politically charged black comedy from director Lindsay Anderson. Mick Travis (Malcolm McDowell) is an ambitious young man who is looking to get his foot on the first rung of the ladder of success by landing a job as a salesman. After the death of Imperial Coffee's leading drummer in the North, Travis' charm and enthusiasm so impresses manager Mr. Duff (Arthur Lowe) that he's given the job, and after some coaching from Gloria Rowe (Rachel Roberts), Travis sets out to find his fortune in the coffee trade. Travis' desire for success quickly sets him on a curious odyssey in which he happens upon a secret sex club for businessmen, finds himself the subject of random seductions by lonely women, is captured and tortured by military intelligence agents, submits to medical experiments at a bizarre private clinic, hitches a ride with a traveling rock band led by former Animals keyboardist Alan Price, falls in love with a beautiful young bohemian named Patricia (Helen Mirren), goes to work for her father (Ralph Richardson), who happens to be a singularly corrupt political figure, and eventually lands in prison after he's implicated in a deal to sell chemical weapons to the Third World. As Mick's strange tale progresses, we periodically visit Price and his band in the recording studio or rehearsal hall, as they work on songs which serve as both mirror and counterpoint for Travis' progress. O Lucky Man! was the second film in which Malcolm McDowell would portray Mick Travis for director Lindsay Anderson, following If..., and preceding Britannia Hospital; the film's surreal undercurrent was reinforced by the casting, in which nearly all of the principal actors play two or three roles. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

For fans of the British television series Dad's Army, this film is a bonanza. Including the entire cast from the television series, it is a comedy about the Walmington-on-Sea contingent of the Home Guard, set in 1940. These men are part-time soldiers, and their civilian situations often impinge on their defense duties, much to the exasperation of the (retired) regular military men in their group. Their mettle is tested when they must capture three German aviators who have parachuted into their midst. The Home Guard, or Local Defense Volunteers, consisted of people who, for a variety of reasons (usually age) were unable to serve in the regular military, and wanted to help with the war effort. At the time the Home Guard was formed, a German invasion was expected to occur almost any day. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Like Socrates of ancient Athens, Michael Rimmer (Peter Cook) of modern England believes the key to success is to ask the right questions. Lots of questions. So he gets a job with an advertising agency that conducts polls, rises swiftly through the ranks, and eventually runs the agency. Then he bombards England with questions. His ingenious system enables him to predict the outcome of a general election. (Every voter in England had received a questionnaire.) So accomplished is Rimmer at asking questions that he finds his future wife through market research. To insure that he gets the right answers, Rimmer is not above manipulating the polls. For example, when he asks residents of Coventry their religion, 95 percent identify themselves as Buddhists, thanks to an influx of Rimmer stooges. Then he enters politics. In a short time, he gets himself elected to Parliament, becomes a cabinet minister and eventually moves into Ten Downing Street as prime minister after pushing the incumbent prime minister off an oil platform. By this time, every eligible voter in Britain can cast ballots with a television remote control. Alas, the electorate tires of the endless referendum questions that they must answer as part of their daily routine. This development serves only to catapult Rimmer to further success, for the people decide to place all decisions in his hands as dictator of England. So Rimmer keeps rising and rising and rising. And asking questions. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide

The specter of atomic warfare raises its head once again in this bizarre 1969 black comedy, directed by Richard Lester and hatched from the mind of twisted British comic Spike Milligan. England lays in ruins after World War III, and a number of dazed survivors try to carry on as if nothing is wrong, even when one woman (Rita Tushingham) announces that she is seventeen months pregnant, and others begin to mutate into parrots, wardrobes, and bed-sitting rooms. The often slapstick comedy provides a surreal foreground for the bleak, devastated settings, portions of which were filmed in actual, environmentally blasted industrial areas in Wales. The comedy duo of Dudley Moore and Peter Cook appear as hapless government officials, while Marty Feldman makes his screen debut in a film that could best be described as England's answer to Dr. Strangelove. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

Steed and Emma attend an auto rally where they participate in a car treasure hunt. But it isn't all fun and games: our hero and heroine are searching for a valuable object, hidden in one of the cars by a murdreed agent. This is the one with the deadly "thrill-ride" sequence, with Emma as the unwilling participant. Written by Michael Winder, "Dead Man's Treasure" originally aired in England on October 21, 1967; its American debut followed on March 13, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide