Terence Morgan Movies
A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Terence Morgan was groomed for romantic leads the moment he left the stage for films. In Olivier's Hamlet (1948), Morgan played Laertes, and was possibly the first actor cast in this part to get fan mail from bobby-soxers. Somehow audiences detected a glimmer of rogueishness beneath his handsome exterior, thus most of Morgan's film characters were charming deceivers. Typical titles in the Terence Morgan ouevre were They Can't Hang Me (1955), The Scamp (1956), and Shakedown (1958). In 1961, Terence Morgan was cast (quite convincingly) as Sir Francis Drake in a BBC television series of the same name, assuring the actor an American following when Sir Francis Drake was networkcast as a summer replacement for Car 54, Where are You? in 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1967
A man and woman with a shameful secret are confronted by a pair of sadistic thugs in this unsettling drama. Bruce Victor (Terence Morgan) is a not-so-happily married real estate agent having an affair with Barbara Willason (Suzy Kendall), an overly credulous young woman who believes that Bruce will leave his wife for her, though he has no real intentions of doing so. Through his company, Bruce has access to a furnished flat which he and Barbara use for their liaisons. One morning, while they're at the penthouse, Tom (Tony Beckley) and Dick (Norman Rodway) appear at the door, claiming to be meter readers. Barbara lets them in; they soon tie Bruce to a chair, and after dulling Barbara's senses with alcohol and drugs, they repeatedly violate her. When Tom and Dick finally leave, a seriously distraught Bruce and Barbara wonder if there's any way that they can tell their story to the police without revealing their adultery when Harry (Martine Beswicke) appears at the door, announcing that she is Tom and Dick's parole officer. Writer and director Peter Collinson adapted The Penthouse from the play The Meter Man by Scott Forbes. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Suzy Kendall, Terence Morgan, (more)
- 1967
In this high-seas adventure, framed by the Napoleonic War, a pirate is sponsored by the government to save those living on the captured islands. In his spare time, he has a romantic fling, and tries to save his fiancee from villains. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Barray, Antonella Lualdi, (more)
- 1965
This cheap, but colorful British period horror piece follows an ill-fated archaeological expedition to the cursed tomb of the pharaoh, Ra-Antef, whose sarcophagus the team's leader opts to sell to a smooth-talking American promoter who intends to set it up as part of an exploitive side-show attraction. No sooner has the tomb reached the States than the foul-tempered pharaoh is released; he then begins stalking and strangling all those who have desecrated his resting place. The bandaged one's vendetta doesn't stop there; he also has a score to settle with the reincarnation of a man who betrayed him eons ago. This rather dull mummy muddle was originally double-billed with Hammer Studio's superior chiller The Gorgon. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Terence Morgan, Fred Clark, (more)
- 1962
In this adventure, Sir Francis Drake and his crew must rescue English sailors who are being held hostage by the Spanish. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1962
A French nobleman who disappeared is searched for by Sir Francis Drake sent by the Queen. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1962
Sir Francis Drake went on to defeat every Spanish vessel due to his vow taken after his capture by the Spanish and subsequent escape. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1962
When a friend is accused of mutiny and sentenced to death, Sir Francis Drake must make a difficult decision. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1960
This is a routine tale about the vice squad versus pornographer and blackmailer Augie Cortona (Terence Morgan). After the petty criminal gets out of prison, he discovers his old partners in crime are not interested in him anymore, and the prostitution ring he once bossed is controlled by someone else. His solution is to set up a fake photographer's and model's studio during the day that becomes a place where porno photo men can do their work at night, as call girls engage in their trade with unsuspecting customers. The photographs bring in extra lucre through a blackmail scheme -- Cortona makes the hookers' clients pay to keep their activities quiet. As he is building up this racket, a gangland boss is out to get him -- and so is the vice squad. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Terence Morgan, Hazel Court, (more)
- 1960
This fast-paced, standard crime story about a caper gone awry is directed by Rilla Wolf and stars Terence Morgan as Dominic, a petty crook with minor crimes on his agenda until he sees a chance for a big haul. Dominic's associates include tough guy Pready (John Crawford) and Edward (Dennis Price), a crooked gambling boss who Dominic helps by introducing innocent victims into his con game. One day Dominic hooks up with Fina (Yoko Tani) the naive daughter of an ambassador who just happens to let slip that a whole lot of cash is stashed away in their embassy's safe. Dominic's charms work wonders, and before long Fina agrees to help in a robbery of the embassy's holdings. At that point, careful planning and a good safecracker (William Hartnell) make it seem like everything will go off without a hitch. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Terence Morgan, Yoko Tani, (more)
- 1959
An abused boy stands accused of killing his drunken father in this British drama. Fortunately two compassionate neighbors take him in and help to prove his innocence. The film is also called Scamp. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1959
In this crime drama, two crooked brothers, an embezzler and a gambler, find themselves in deep trouble when the embezzler steals from a steel mill so he can buy his lover fancy clothes. During the theft, he kills a night guard. This spawns an investigation by the slain watchman's son who locates a sightless witness. The son then convinces the killer that the witness saw him and this causes him to confess. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1957
British juvenile actor Colin Peterson plays the title character in Scamp. The son of a drunken vaudevillian performer, Peterson is left in the care of a kindly professor (Richard Attenborough) and his wife (Dorothy Alison) when his father goes on a South American tour. His guardians try to get the boy to behave properly, but Peterson has been on his own for so long that he has never developed any sense of self-discipline. After running afoul of the law, Peterson is sent back to his father, who resumes his abuse of the boy. During an argument, Peterson hits his father over the head with an ashtray--and shortly afterward, the father drops dead. Convinced that he's a murderer, Peterson hides out in the professor's home. With the help of his new surrogate father, Peterson proves that his besotted dad died of a booze-induced fall. Scamp was based on Charlotte Hastings' play Uncertain Joy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Attenborough, Terence Morgan, (more)
- 1956
Set in Ireland, The March Hare stars Terence Morgan as Sir Charles Hare, a wastrelly aristocrat who gambles away his family fortune. About to be evicted from his ancestral racing stables, Hare decides to stay on when he's mistaken for a groom by the new American owner's pretty daughter Pat Maguire (Peggy Cummins). Continuing to conceal his true identity, Hare helps Pat to raise a colt for racing purposes, leading to a lengthy but exciting Derby Day finale. Though The March Hare has lapsed into public domain, most existing prints retain the vivid color cinematography of Patrick Hildyard. The film was based on Gamblers Sometimes Win, a novel by Captain Field. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peggy Cummins, Terence Morgan, (more)
- 1956
No relation to the 1939 Claudette Colbert-James Stewart comedy of the same name, It's a Wonderful World is essentially a vehicle for British-based bandleader Ted Heath. The thinnish plot is set in motion by would-be songwriters Terence Morgan and George Cole, who manage to sell a tune by claiming that it was composed by a reclusive musical genius. When the tune hits the top of the charts, Morgan and Cole find themselves in the embarrassing position of having to produce the "real" composer. Director Val Guest manages to extract new laughs out of such old setpieces as showing a snobbish audience being gradually won over by pop music. The principal attraction of It's a Wonderful World--to modern viewers, at least is the presence of Ted Heath, whose screen appearances were all too few and far between. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Terence Morgan, George Cole, (more)
- 1955
In this British espionage drama, a murderer hopes to escape his fateful appointment on death row by identifying the leaders of a spy ring. Unfortunately, a detective has already figured it out before he talks and the killer hangs for his crime. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1955
In Svengali, the 1955 adaptation of George DuMaurier's classic novel Trilby, Donald Wolfit achieves the near-impossible: he out-hams John Barrymore, who'd played Svengali in the 1931 version. A last-minute replacement for the equally flamboyant Robert Newton, Wolfit pulls out all the stops as the scroungy, sinister musician/mesmerist who hypnotizes lovely artist's model Trilby (Hildegarde Neff) and transforms her into a world-famous singer. While under Svengali's spell, Trilby forgets all about "Little" Billy (Terence Morgan) the starving artist who loves her fervently. But Billy doesn't forget, and follows Svengali and Trilby all over the world. The film's best moment is the celebrated Covent Garden climax, wherein Svengali finally, and fatally, relaxes his hold on Trilby. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hildegarde Neff, Donald Wolfit, (more)
- 1954
The "little lady" in this British melodrama is the amply proportioned Mai Zetterling. The actress plays prima ballerina Nina Gordon, who is exploited by her avaricious husband Mark (Terene Morgan). During a celebration of Nina's triumphal debut at the Royal Opera House, she discovers that Mark is not only greedy, but unfaithful. She becomes so upset by this that she drives off madly into the night, breaking her leg in a motor accident. Told that she'll never dance again, Nina is callously abandoned by Mark. With the help of a kindly doctor (Guy Rolfe), Nina is able to walk once more--and to live her life vicariously through her talented daughter (Mandy Miller) When Mark reenters Nina's life, intending to take control of the daughter's dancing career, it is he who emerges the loser--and how! Dance Little Lady was one of several ballet dramas produced in the wake of the phenominally successful The Red Shoes (1948). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Terence Morgan, Mai Zetterling, (more)
- 1954
Beautiful Hedy Lamarr finds herself faced with a difficult decision when she must choose an appropriate costume for an important masquerade ball in this metaphorical fantasy that unfolds in three parts. To help her decide, she asks a trio of male friends. Their disparate suggestions that she go as either Helen of Troy, the Empress Josephine or Genieve de Brabant, and the reasons behind their choices provide the bulk of the film. Originally, the film was three hours long and purported to present the essence of being a woman. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1954
Nigel Patrick plays a suave but dead-serious British narcotics agent in this sporadically exciting crime melodrama. Patrick is determined that the drug traffic will not spread into his territory. He finds an unexpected ally in Joyce Grenfell, an inveterate bird-watcher. Ms. Grenfell aids Patrick in trapping a brother-sister smuggling team (Elizabeth Sellars and Terence Morgan). Apart from the always delightful Joyce Grenfell, Forbidden Cargo is humorless Dragnet material transplanted to the high seas. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nigel Patrick, Elizabeth Sellars, (more)
- 1953
The philosophies and practices of London policewomen provide the basis of this exciting and interesting docu-drama that centers on three such women. The film is also known as Street Corner. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1953
Always a Bride stars Terence Morgan as an officer of the British Treasury who tells himself he's a honest man. Then he falls in love with Peggy Cummins, the daughter of a jovial swindler (Ronald Squire). Using privileged information, Morgan conspires with the father to separate several people from their earnings, then abscond with the swag. Things get sticky when tougher criminals who play for keeps become involved in the scheme. Always a Bride is consistently fun to watch, even when the plot threatens to overwhelm the comedy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peggy Cummins, Terence Morgan, (more)
- 1953
The Steel Key is a little-known British melodrama with some potent talent involved, including actors Terence Morgan and Joan Rice and future Saint director Robert Baker. The "maguffin" in this film is a formula for processed hardened steel. When the formula is stolen, the evidence points to international espionage. The good guys follow the trail of hot clues and dead bodies to uncover the villains boring from within the British industrial circles. Rarely seen in recent years, The Steel Key made the rounds in the early-TV days when British films were virtually all that was available for the tube. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
