Peggy Mount Movies
A well-regarded actress of stage, screen, and film who appeared alongside the legendary Peter Sellers in The Naked Truth (aka Your Past Is Showing) (1957) and was beloved to early British television fans for her role in The Larkins, Peggy Mount also appeared on-stage at some of London's most legendary venues. Born Margaret Rose Mount in Essex, England, in May of 1916, the aspiring actress nearly had her dreams cut short at the age of 14, when her father died and she was forced to learn shorthand and typing to support herself. Later taking the stage to positive notice at both London's Old Vic Theatre and the Bristol Old Vic for Romeo and Juliet and All Things Bright and Beautiful, respectively, Mount found further acclaim and expanded her talents in films such as Sailor Beware! (1956) (she had essayed the role for over 1,000 performances in the stage version at the Strand Theatre the previous year), Ladies Who Do (1963), and Finders Keepers (1966). Later television appearances included such series as John Browne's Body and Lollipop Loves Mr. Mole. Mount would retire in 1998 following an incident in which she lost her sight during a performance of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. After a career of more than 40 years, Peggy Mount died in London in November of 2001, following an extended illness. She was 86. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
This animated fantasy is based on a famed fairy tale by late-19th century writer George MacDonald. It is the tale of a brave princess who teams up with the son of a miner to go underground and stop the mischievous goblins from revolting. The film spent many years in production, which explains the vocal presence of Roy Kinnear (who died in September 1988). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joss Ackland, Claire Bloom, (more)
- 1989
In the conclusion of the four-part story "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy," the three evil rulers of the Psychic Circus, disguised as a "typical" tourist family, demand entertainment from the Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) -- threatening instant death if that entertainment is not forthcoming. In trying to escape this fate, the Doctor activates the fabled "Old Devil Moon" effect, with startling consequences. Written by Stephen Wyatt, "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, Episode 4" first aired on January 4, 1989, as the final episode of Doctor Who's 25th season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, (more)
- 1988
The 25th season of Doctor Who came to an end with the modestly titled four-parter "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy." Attracted by an advertising satellite, the Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and Ace (Sophie Aldred) attend the famous "Psychic Circus" on the planet Segonax. Before long, however, the Doctor stumbles upon several ominous warnings -- including a buried robot and an abandoned hippie bus -- that all is not fun and games at the circus. Written by Stephen Wyatt, "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, Episode 1" first aired on December 14, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred, (more)
- 1977
During the 1970s, British TV fans were treated to two different sitcoms bearing the title You're Only Young Twice, both of which used a retirement home as a comedy backdrop. The second, and more successful, of these two programs debuted on September 6, 1977. The series was set in Paradise Lodge, an old ladies home where the irrepressible Flora Petty (Peggy Mount) invariably led the other tenants into all sorts of mischief. The other principal characters were Flora's loyal "lieutenant" Cissy Lupin (Pat Coombs), humorless nursing home matron Miss Milton (Charmian May), and Miss Milton's equally dour assistant Miss Finch (Georgina Moon). Yielding 31 half-hour episodes and two hour-long specials, You're Only Young Twice ran until August 4, 1981. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peggy Mount, Pat Coombs, (more)
Inspired by Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist, Lionel Bart's 1961 London and Broadway musical hit glossed over some of Dickens' more graphic passages but managed to retain a strong subtext to what was essentially light entertainment. For its first half-hour or so, Carol Reed's Oscar-winning 1968 film version does a masterful job of telling its story almost exclusively through song and dance. Once nine-year-old orphan Oliver Twist (Mark Lester) falls in with such underworld types as pickpocket Fagin (Ron Moody) and murderous thief Bill Sykes (Oliver Reed), it becomes necessary to inject more and more dialogue, and the film loses some of its momentum. But not to worry; despite such brutal moments as Sikes' murder of Nancy (Shani Wallis), the film gets back on the right musical track, thanks in great part to Onna White's exuberant choreography and the faultless performances by Moody and by Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger. The supporting cast includes Harry Secombe as the self-righteous Mr. Bumble and Joseph O'Conor as Mr. Brownlow, the man who (through a series of typically Dickensian coincidences) rescues Oliver from the streets. Oliver! won six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and a special award to choreographer Onna White. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ron Moody, Shani Wallis, (more)
- 1966
While his icy wife is away tending to a sick friend, Benedict Boniface (Alec Guinness) has an affair with Marcelle Cot (Gina Lollobrigida), the pretty but neglected wife of the pompous architect Henri (Robert Morley). When Henri unexpectedly returns, Marcelle and Benedict don disguises and hide out to avoid being caught by her husband. The comedy of errors allows for several sight gags and farcical bedroom situations. Peggy Mount is particularly effective as the dominating wife who makes her husband tremble with fear by her very presence. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alec Guinness, Gina Lollobrigida, (more)
- 1966
British pop star Cliff Richard and his band The Shadows (including influential guitarist Hank B. Marvin) star in this lighthearted blend of music, comedy, and espionage. An American fighter plane accidentally drops a small bomb on a Spanish town; the bomb fails to go off, but the community is thrown into a panic and the village is evacuated. When Cliff and the Shadows arrive in town to play a show, they're a bit puzzled to discover that no one is there; when they find out what has happened, the boys try to find the bomb so that it can be returned to the American pilots. However, it turns out that foreign agent Mr. X (John leMesurier) is also looking for the bomb and has blackmailed hotel owner Col. Roberts (Robert Morley) into helping him. As you might expect, Cliff and his band manage to squeeze in a few songs as they further the cause of Anglo-American unity. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cliff Richard, The Shadows, (more)
- 1965
This farcical British comedy follows the eccentric misadventures of a family who have their own rather unusual way of doing things. Mr. Groomkirby (Eric Sykes) is redecorating his living room to resemble the courtrooms at Old Bailey, with a mind toward staging mock trials for fun. His wife, Mrs. Groomkirby (Alison Leggatt) hates to see leftovers go to waste, so she hires a woman to eat them. Their daughter Sylvia (Julia Foster) is fascinated by primates and spends much of her time at the zoo, and son Kirby (Jonathan Miller) believes that scales can have other uses rather than just weighing things -- they can be used to make music, too! Based on a popular novel, One Way Pendulum was directed by Peter Yates, who would go on to make Bullitt and Breaking Away. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Sykes, George Cole, (more)
- 1964
A British charwoman and her colleagues strike it rich on the stock market when she discovers a wastebasket filled with market tips in this drama. Later they decide to use their money for good after they overhear a wicked financier planning to destroy the cleaning woman's neighborhood. Together they manage to save the neighborhood. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peggy Mount, Harry H. Corbett, (more)
- 1961
The "winning widows" on this British sitcom were middle-aged sisters Martha (Peggy Mount) and Mildred (Avice Landone). Having outlived three husbands apiece, Martha and Mildred decided to move in together, selecting a small but uncomfortable London house. While Martha, hardened by her marital experiences, was quarrelsome and vindictive, timid Mildred was still looking for romance, albeit usually in the wrong places. The 13 episodes of Winning Widows originally aired from September 6, 1961 to November 2, 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peggy Mount, Avice Landone, (more)
- 1960
Based on a British TV comedy, this is the tale of a London couple who inherit a pub in the country, only to find that their troubles are just beginning. Someone doesn't seem to want to make their business a success, but their invention should stop all that nonsense. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
Released in the U.S. as Your Past Is Showing, the British The Naked Truth is a wickedly funny satire of the tabloid-press industry. Dennis Price plays a scandal-sheet publisher named Nigel Dennis who lives high on the hog by blackmailing his wealthy targets. Several of Dennis' victims, including peer Lord Mayley (Terry-Thomas) and model Melissa Right (Shirley Eaton), plot to kill the extortion-grabbing publisher, to no avail. During a wild ride in a malfunctioning blimp, Dennis manages to accomplish by accident what his enemies have tried to do to him on purpose. Though second-billed, the real star of The Naked Truth is Peter Sellers as a smarmily "sincere" TV personality. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Sellers, Peggy Mount, (more)
- 1956
Sailor Beware was originally released in England as Panic in the Parlour. The panic begins when a sailor named Albert (Ronald Lewis) plans to get married to a gal named Shirley (Shirley Eaton). On the day of the ceremony, Albert gets cold feet when he discovers that Shirley's gorgonlike mother Emma (Peggy Mount) has bought a house just three doors away from their honeymoon cottage. The question now is: how long will it be before the worm turns and Emma is put in her place by both her prospective son-in-law and her henpecked husband? Based on a popular stage comedy, Sailor Beware is worth watching today to spot an unbilled Michael Caine in a bit part as one of Albert's fellow seamen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peggy Mount, Cyril Smith, (more)
- 1954
After being caught, a bank clerk embezzler flees the scene and is assisted by Marshall who has problems of her own as she is being blackmailed by a former lover. When the bank clerk saves her, he gets killed. ~ All Movie Guide
