Ciaran Madden Movies
In 1939 Hamburg, Germany, a group of teenagers express their rebellion against Adolph Hitler's Nazi regime through their affection for American swing music, British fashion, and Harlem slang. American and British big-band jazz records are among those banned by the Fuhrer, but the young men secretly get together with their friends to listen and dance to the music. As their escapades become increasingly bold, they each get into trouble with the authorities. Robert Sean Leonard stars as Peter, who ends up being forced -- by a prank -- into having to join the Hitler Youth with his friend Thomas (Christian Bale). They are both engineering students at the university, where Thomas' father was taken away for defending his Jewish colleagues. With Arvid (Frank Whaley), they pretend to be Nazi supporters by day while rebelling with the swing music by night. Kenneth Branagh, in an uncredited appearance, is a glib Nazi Gestapo chief who makes matters more difficult. Each of the boys must choose among family, safety, friendship, and freedom as politics impinges on their youthful exuberance, and the Nazis set them against one another. The movie was shot in Prague, directed by Thomas Carter from a script by Jonathan Marc Feldman, and released by Disney. Barbara Hershey appears as Peter's mother. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Sean Leonard, Christian Bale, (more)
Originally produced for the BBC, the seven-part Fortunes of War was adapted from Olivia Manning's "The Balkan Trilogy" and "The Levant Trilogy". Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson, who in 1987 were husband and wife, star as Guy and Harriet Pringle, a British couple who move to Rumania in 1939. As the war clouds gather, Guy becomes involved in political resistance activities, which tends to make him neglectful of Harriet, who'd just as soon remain aloof from world events. While Guy goes off on such missions as destroying the German supply lines along the Danube, Harriet attempts to maintain decorum in her home-a task rendered well nigh impossible when such "guests" as Prince Yakimov (Ronald Pickup) drop in. Separated in mid-war, the Pringles are reunited in Greece, where the lonely Harriet becomes involved with handsome army officer Jeremy Brudenell. Then it's off to further adventures in Alexandria, Cairo, and finally, Damascus. Fortunes of War was first telecast in America from January 17 to February 28, 1988, as part of PBS' Masterpiece Theatre series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
The first installment of the British mystery series based on the books by Agatha Christie, Miss Marple: The Body in the Library was first aired in 1984. In the village of St. Mary Mead, Miss Jane Marple (Joan Hickson) investigates the home of Colonel Arthur (Moray Watson) and Mrs. Dolly Bantry (Gwen Watford). The couple was shocked to discover the body of a dead girl wearing makeup and an evening gown in the library of their country manor, Gossington Hall. As soon as the police can identify her, another mysterious dead body is discovered. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Hickson
Anthony Hopkins essayed the title role in the four-part British miniseries A Married Man. During his annual holiday, contentedly married barrister John Strickland (Hopkins) found himself casually entering into a brief extramarital affair. As noted by author Piers Paul Read, upon whose novel the miniseries was based, to fully understand the disastrous events following Strickland's indiscretion, one must have a basic knowledge of the English Legal Profession. By the time the story had ended, there was nary a viewer who didn't possess that knowledge. Co-produced by Channel 4 and London Weekend Television, A Married Man first aired in 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Hopkins, Ciaran Madden, (more)
- 1973
Also known as Gawain and the Green Knight, this British swashbuckler features Murray Head as the title character. That is, Murray is Sir Gawain; the Green Knight is played by Nigel Green (apropos casting, eh what?) Intending to decimate the knights of King Arthur's Round Table, the Green Knight challenges one and all to mortal combat. Gawain accepts the challenge, promptly decapitating the Green Knight. The latter, none the worse for wear, plants his head back on his body and invites Gawain to solve a riddle...or else. Now Gawain has one year to figure out a way to foil the Green Knight without losing his own head, which is not so easily replaced. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was remade eleven years later by the same producers as Sword of the Valiant, with Miles O'Keeffe and Sean Connery in the principal roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
In this historical fantasy, based on the classic medieval poem during the days of King Arthur, the gallant Green Knight gallops into the court and makes a gruesome challenge to the Round Table Knights. He dares any of them to successfully chop off his head. If they fail, he gets to hack off theirs. Brave Gawain accepts the challenge and with a mighty swing slices off the Green Knight's noggin. Unfortunately, the headless body calmly picks up the head and places it back on his shoulders. The honor-bound Gawain then must fulfill his destiny at the palace of the Green Knight. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1972
In this little horror film, a wealthy sportsman (Calvin Lockhart) invites a house full of guests to a big-game hunt that he's devised. He's sure that one of the guests is a werewolf, and he intends to stalk it, find it, and kill it. As a film viewer, you are alerted at the outset that a mystery awaits and that clues will be unveiled that can point to the identity of the werewolf. In fact, near the conclusion, the film has inserted a 30-second interlude during which you must decide, once and for all, who the hunted beast is. This film is based upon a story by James Blish titled There Shall Be No Darkness. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1971
Originally broadcast by the BBC on January 9, 1971, this adaptation of Jane Austen's beloved tale recounts the events that unfold when Elinor & Marianne Dashwood discover that they may soon be sharing their Norland home with their mother's stepson and his wife. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
