Bob Monkhouse Movies

A charming grifter who boldly feeds off the greed of others must straighten up before he loses everything in this British crime drama featuring House M.D. star Hugh Laurie. Leo Hopkins (Laurie) is the kind of con man who can sweet talk his way out of even the tightest of jams; he isn't afraid to take risks, and most of the time those risks pay off amicably. Eventually, Leo's nefarious ways catch up to him as his gambling addiction becomes a serious problem, his secretary seduces him, and his morally bankrupt boss gives him a troubling ultimatum. Now, as this unrepentant deceiver watches his life go up in flames, he'll be forced to make a decision that could alter the course of his entire life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Carry on TV is the alternate title for Get on With It. The film was originally titled Dentist on the Job and is a sequel to the Bob Monkhouse-Ronnie Stevens vehicle Dentist in the Chair. You with us so far? Anyway, Monkhouse and Stevens are back as a pair of clumsy dentists, this time going on television to promote a revolutionary brand of toothpaste (it isn't striped, but it glows!) The film is lumpy but consistently mirth-provoking. Though not really an entry in Britains long-running "Carry On" series, Carry on TV does features several of that series' regulars, including Kenneth Connor and Charles Hawtrey. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Bob Monkhouse and Kenneth Connor, two escapees from Britain's Carry On series, star in Dentist on the Job. Bob and Ken play a daft pair of dental school graduates who pound the pavement trying to sell a new brand of toothpaste. If there is a single solitary oral-surgery gag left untapped (or undrilled) by this film, we'd like to see it. Shirley Eaton, the "gilded girl" from Goldfinger, is around to play nurse while the two stars play doctor. The original British title of Dentist on the Job is Get On With It. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Set in 1930s London, Secret People stars Valentina Cortesa and Audrey Hepburn as Maria and Nora, two sisters whose father has been murdered for political reasons. Adopted by a kindly Italian restaurateur (Charles Goldner), Maria and Nora gradually overcome the loss of their father and get on with their lives. But when an old family friend enters the picture, the girls are plunged into a maelstrom of international intrigue. The upshot of this is a misguided murder charge and an eleventh-hour act of selfless sacrifice. When Audrey Hepburn ascended into stardom in the mid-1950s, Secret People was re-issued, with the originally fourth-billed Hepburn promoted to above-the-title billing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom stars Shirley MacLaine as Harriet Blossom, the wife of a moderately successful British brassiere manufacturer Robert Blossom (Richard Attenborough). When Harriet's sewing machine breaks down, her husband decides to save a few quid by sending one of his own employees to fix it. That employee is Ambrose Tuttle (James Booth), to whom Harriet takes such a fancy that she hides him in her attic, there to make love to her whenever she is so inclined. Her husband's "delusion" that he hears noises in his attic leads to a nervous breakdown, but the hidden Mr. Tuttle comes to the rescue by passing along stock tips which turn Mr. Blossom into a millionaire. When he finally does learn the truth, Mr. Blossom generously allows his wife and her lover to remain together -- and even presents Tuttle with his bra factory as a gift! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on the same-named American TV series which first aired in 1988, the British game show Wipeout was initially hosted by Paul Daniels. The premise: The contestants were shown a high screen containing 16 answers to an equal number of questions; of these, 11 answers were correct, and had considerable monetary value. If the contestant chose the wrong answer, he or she lost all the money won up to that point. After several elimination rounds, the two finalists participated in the "Wipeout Auction," placing bets as to how many correct answers they would be able to provide in a limited space of time. In its later seasons, the British version was emceed by the versatile Bob Monkhouse, who by that time had done everything there was to do on television except pose nude. Wipeout made its BBC bow in 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide