Betty Marsden Movies

Little Dorrit was intended as the cinematic equivalent to the mammoth, eight hour Royal Shakespeare Company's staging of Dickens' Nicholas Nickelby. The film was released to theatres in two parts, each running approximately three hours. The first part, subtitled "Nobody's Fault," introduced us to the seamstress title character (Sarah Pickering), who chooses to live in debtor's prison with her father (Alec Guinness). Good samaritan Derek Jacobi endeavors to help both father and daughter. The second part, also known as "Little Dorrit's Story," details Dorrit's escape from penury to lasting happiness. Eschewing the usual 19th century-style British music often heard in Dickensian adaptations, director Christine Edzard creatively-and effectively--opts for the strains of Giuseppe Verdi. Edzard's eye for period detail is also deserving of unbounded praise. Unfortunately, Part Two of Little Dorrit spends nearly half of its running time recapping Part One, utilizing much of the same footage. For those familiar with "Nobody's Fault," "Little Dorrit's Story" is more a redundancy than a continuation. Still, taken together, parts one and two all fully deserving of the enthusiastic critical commentary that greeted them upon their original release-not to mention the multiple Academy Award nominations bestowed upon the project and its participants. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The complicated relationship of two men who have given their lives to the theater forms the basis for this acclaimed drama. During World War II, an aging but once famous Shakespearean actor, addressed by his cast and crew only as "Sir" (Albert Finney), continues to tour the British theater circuit with a rag tag group of elderly and handicapped actors who are exempt from military service. Sir has grown frustrated, senile, and is on the verge of a nervous breakdown; he's come to rely upon his dresser Norman (Tom Courtenay), an endlessly loyal homosexual who would do anything for the man he's come to love. Norman tries to guide Sir through yet another tour of the hinterlands in The Tempest. This expanded film adaptation of Ronald Harwood's award-winning stage drama also stars Edward Fox as Oxenby, an unhappy member of Sir's company; Sir was said to be based on real-life actor Donald Wolfit. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Ziggy (Mark Lester) is the young boy who witnesses the murder of a visiting black official by the police. Much like the boy who cried wolf, Ziggy has been known to stretch the truth and exaggerate. He is unable to convince the adults that he witnessed the killing. The murderous cops are soon on his trail as he hits the road with his sister (Susan George)and her boyfriend (Tony Bonner). The real police soon follow, after convincing his parents that Ziggy has told the truth for once. The boys grandfather (Lionel Jeffries) is the retired Colonel, a lighthouse keeper and lovable curmudgeon. Jeremy Kemp is the police chief, and the main heavy is played by Peter Vaughan. The boyfriend's car is cornered on a treacherous cliff where the villains try to ram the vehicle to the jagged rocks below. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

In this British farce, the British Home Secretary satisfies the men of London by sanctioning a government-run brothel. This comedy chronicles what happens when secretary John Bird appoints Sir Francis Leybourne to run the place. Bird then has his lovely girlfriend Babbette act as the Madame. Sir Leybourne owns an opium plantation in India and one day goes there to see it. Unfortunately, he gets killed in an uprising, leaving his prim niece Josephine Pacefoot in charge of the cathouse. A staunch believer in social reform, she is quite sure what to do with the disreputable business. Leybourne's son has plenty of ideas too and wants the fortune and the bordello for himself. The ensuing struggle creates plenty of trouble and many laughs. Though the film originally received a British "X" rating, the sex is pretty tame by modern standards. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Dot (Rita Tushingham) is a girl who marries motorcycle maven Reggie (Colin Campbell) to escape her parents' influence. The marriage gets off to a rocky start and completely slides downhill after the honeymoon is plagued by bad weather. Dot refuses to have anything to do with household responsibilities and cooks only canned beans. Reggie loses interest in sex with Dot because of her actions, and after moving in with his grandmother, he begins to hang around Pete (Dudley Sutton). The two friends ride their motorcycles and begin to spend even more time together, and eventually Reggie realizes that Pete is a homosexual. Dot tells Reggie she is pregnant in an attempt to get him back -- with no result, but when Reggie comes home to find his wife in bed with another man, he decides to go off to sea with Pete. Pete leaves Reggie shaken and alone when he goes off with a group of sailors out to satisfy their same-sex lust. The film was controversial at the time of its initial release. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

The "Carry On" gang take on employment agencies in this labored edition to the long-running comedy series. Sidney James is Bert Handy, who starts an employment agency by the name of "Helping Hands, Ltd." Bert proceeds to hire a bunch of loonies to do a collection of screwball jobs employers want done. As is usually the case, the employees make hash out of every assignment given to them. In fact, the agency is so unsuccessful that their landlord (Stanley Unwin) tries to have the business removed from his premises by raising their rent. But the landlord makes a deal with Bert that if his company can fix up an old house, they can have a 99-year lease on the property. Chaos ensues. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Released in the US in 1963, the British Let's Get Married was actually filmed three years earlier. Anthony Newley plays a medical student who buckles under pressure. Hoping to get accustomed to dealing with people, he takes a job as a delivery boy. While thus employed, he meets and marries model Anne Aubrey, who's been impregnated by her previous beau. When Aubrey goes into early labor, Newley's first impulse is to panic. Will this prove to be his emotional coming of age-or his Waterloo? Based on a novel by Ken Taylor, this lightweight effort allows both Newley and Aubrey to sing a few sprightly tunes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Also known as Chance Meeting, The Young Lovers can be described as an Iron Curtain romance. The boy, Ted (David Knight), works as a code expert at the American Embassy in London. The girl, Anna (Odelle Versois), is the daughter of a communist dignitary. When Ted and Anna fall in love, they find their every move monitored by both sides. The course of true love is eventually roadblocked by bureaucracy, forcing hero and heroine to escape to a neutral corner of the world; the trouble is, there isn't any such corner. A lighter variation on this theme can be found in Peter Ustinov's play and film Romanoff and Juliet. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this romance, a young woman gets into a real mess when her mother begins meddling in her romantic life by conning her into becoming engaged to her boss. Unfortunately, the girl loves another who has gone off to fight the war. Upon his return, he is enraged to learn about the engagement. Mayhem ensues until the whole mess is straightened out and the lovers are reunited. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

It's a tossup as to which George Eliot novel has most often been adapted to the screen, though it appears that Mill on the Floss has nosed out Silas Marner. Set in early 19th century England, the story focuses on the long-standing rivalry between two Lincolnshire families. The animosity stems from the refusal of mill owner Mr. Tulliver (Sam Livesey) to relinquish his water rights to demonic solicitor Mr. Wakem (Felix Aylmer). Caught in the legal crossfire is Tulliver's daughter Maggie (Geraldine Fitzgerald), in love with Wakem's good-hearted (albeit physically challenged) son Philip (Frank Lawton). When Maggie's good name is compromised by scandal, it is Philip who champions her cause, allowing them both a brief respite of happiness before the inevitable tragic denoument, in which the Floss River itself becomes a "character". Released in the US at 82 minutes, Mill on the Floss has since been restored to its original 94 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide