Kenneth More Movies
Briton Kenneth More had set his cap upon becoming a civil engineer, but the death of his father, which left behind a legacy of debts, ended that dream. After working as a Canadian fur trapper, More decided to give acting a try; his first professional stint was as a straight man at London's Windmill Theatre, a popular "burleycue" house specializing in smutty comics and scantily clad damsels. After serving in World War II as a naval lieutenant, More began building a reputation as a reliable leading man in both London and regional repertory. His official screen debut was 1948's Scott of the Antarctic, though he'd played bits in a brace of '30s films. With his lead performance in Genevieve (1953), More established himself as a topnotch comic actor, essaying the sort of bemused, ingenuous roles that would years later become the personal property of Hugh Grant. More won the BFA award for his performance in Doctor in the House (1954), the first of several popular Doctor comedies produced over the next decade. Despite his success in laughspinners, More's favorite role was his dramatic turn in 1955's The Deep Blue Sea. In the 1960s, More starred as Jolyon Forsyte on the international TV smash The Forsyte Saga. Amidst his many film, TV, and theatrical performances, More found time to write no fewer than three volumes of memoirs. Kenneth More's last film appearance was as a jovial King Arthur in Disney's Unidentified Flying Oddball (1979); he died three years later, of Parkinson's disease. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Chris Sarandon does the "far, far, better thing" when he tackles the dual role of Syndey Carton and Charles Darnay in this Anglo-American TV adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. The ubiquitous producer/screenwriter combination of Norman Rosemont and John Gay was responsible for this lavish, faithful cinemazation of Dickens' multiplotted account of the French Revolution. Featured in the huge cast are Peter Cushing as Dr. Manette, Alice Krige as Lucie Manette, Billie Whitelaw as the vengeful, eternally knitting Madame DeFarge and Barry Morse as the odious aristocrat St. Evremonde. Poignantly, the film also offers the late Kenneth More, making one of his last appearances as Jarvis Lorry, and the magnificent Flora Robson, taking her final bow in the role of Miss Pross. An Emmy nomination went to Olga Lehmann's costume design. A Tale of Two Cities debuted December 2, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Cushing, Chris Sarandon, (more)
- 1977
Juan Piquer Simon, best known for such horror films as Pieces and Slugs, tackled the Jules Verne story with poor results. Kenneth More leads the expedition to the earth's core, where he and his party are menaced by gorillas, dinosaurs, and other assorted creatures. The special-effects are less than inspired, although More does his best in the lead and Spanish-horror fans will enjoy seeing veterans Jack Taylor and Frank Brana among the cast. Simon would return to Verne for inspiration with his 1981 film Monster Island. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenneth More, Pepe Munne, (more)
- 1976
Filmed in Austria, this British-made musical retells the story of Cinderella as it is found in books of fairy tales. The Prince, Edward, is played by Richard Chamberlain, Cinderella by Gemma Craven. In her role as the Prince's witty mother, Dame Edith Evans provides many of the movie's highlights. The musical score and songs written by Richard Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, who also provided the music to the movie Mary Poppins, were nominated for Academy Awards. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Chamberlain, Gemma Craven, (more)
Scrooge was designed as a follow-up to 1968's Oliver!, the Oscar-winning musicalization of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. The umpteenth musical version of Dickens' 1843 novelette A Christmas Carol, Scrooge features several sprightly Leslie Bricusse songs, including the bona fide hit "Thank You Very Much." Buried under mounds of latex, Albert Finney is Ebenezer Scrooge. The Three Ghosts who turn the miserly Scrooge's life around on Christmas Eve are portrayed by Edith Evans (Past), Kenneth More (Present) and Paddy Stone (Yet to Come). Sir Alec Guinness also appears as a fussy, slightly effeminate Marley's Ghost. Intriguingly, Finney performs his many songs live, without post-production dubbing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Finney, Alec Guinness, (more)
James Bond-flick director Guy Hamilton helmed this episodic, all-star World War II film. With Sir Laurence Olivier heading up an ensemble cast as flight commander Sir Hugh Dowdling, The Battle of Britain pays tribute to other nationalities instrumental in fending off the waves of Luftwaffe planes, notably the expatriate Polish and Czech pilots. Trevor Howard, Michael Caine, and Michael Redgrave also populate the cast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harry Andrews, Trevor Howard, (more)
- 1968
Curry (Rod Taylor) is a veteran soldier-of-fortune hired by the president of the Congo for a three day mission. He and native Congoan Ruffo (Jim Brown) are to oversee the safe passage of a train through hostile enemy territory and bring back some uncut diamonds and a human cargo of fugitives loyal to the Congo cause. The two employ the drunken Doctor Wreid (Kenneth More) and a suspicious ex-Nazi named Henlein (Peter Carsten). The quartet, along with 40 of the Congo's best soldiers, try to maneuver the train against the rebel forces and save the beautiful missionary Claire (Yvette Mimieux) at no extra charge. The action takes place in the wake of the political unrest that swept the Congo in the 1950s. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux, (more)
- 1967
Adapted from a novel by Brian Marshall, the four-part British miniseries The White Rabbit was the story of WWII hero Wing Commander Yeo-Thomas. Played by Kenneth More, the protagonist was seen joining the French resistance during the early stages of the Nazi occupation. Though at first successful in eluding the enemy, Yeo-Thomas was ultimately captured and placed in a concentration camp -- but the story was far from over. The White Rabbit was originally telecast in Great Britain from September 16 to October 7, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenneth More, Neal Arden, (more)
- 1964
Kenneth More is The Comedy Man in this cinemazation of Douglas Hayes' novel. Having spent most of his life playing the provinces in obscurity, More gives the London TV scene a try. He fails at attaining stardom on his own terms, but becomes a celebrity on TV commercials. After basking in fame for a while, More decides that he's sold out and returns to regional repertory. Matching More's terrific starring performance are such British "regulars" as Dennis Price, Billie Whitelaw, Cecil Parker, Norm Rossington, and Frank Finlay. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenneth More, Cecil Parker, (more)
- 1962
More of a corny propaganda film for a British social engineering policy program of the 1960s than a serious attempt to tackle an issue, this youth drama is notable chiefly because it features an early performance by David Hemmings, four years before he rose to prominence in Blow-Up (1966). Bert (Hemmings), Bill (David Andrews), and Johnnie (Ray Brooks) are a trio of juvenile delinquents in Bristol who lose their driver's licenses after a 100 mile-per-hour accident on their motorcycles. Bored without their speed machines and alienated in their economically-depressed factory town, they assemble a rock band with the aid and encouragement of Smith (Kenneth More), the choir director of a local church who offers his facilities for rehearsal space. The band becomes involved with a youth awards program devised as a community outreach vehicle by the Duke of Edinburgh and the British government, and despite some lingering moments of dissension, they begin to turn their lives around, encouraged all the while by a hopeful adult community. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenneth More, Ray Brooks, (more)
- 1962
This was the last film for British director Wendy Toye whose special interests were always comedies and fantasies. In this light farce, the talented Kenneth More is Lt. Commander Bodger, a man with a penchant for honesty in moments when silence is much more diplomatic. Bodger offends the Navy higher-ups, and so he is first sent to work in Dartmouth, training cadets. That does not really keep him out of trouble and so the Navy, in desperation, sends him to work as a liaison officer with the American Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, Bodger goes with three aides that are just like him, and they create havoc -- made much worse when a revolution begins in one of the nearby countries. The British foursome get inadvertently mixed up in the events, never really knowing exactly what they are doing until the dust settles. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenneth More, Lloyd Nolan, (more)
