Laurence Naismith Movies
Ex-Merchant Marine seaman Laurence Naismith made his London stage bow in the chorus of the 1927 musical production Oh, Boy. Naismith joined the Bristol Repertory at age 22, remaining with the troupe until joining the royal artillery at the outbreak of World War II; he spent nine years in military service, emerging with the rank of Acting Battery Commander. His officer's bearing served Naismith well in such authoritative film assignments as the ill-fated Captain Smith in A Night to Remember (1958). Other highlights in Naismith's lengthy movie career include the roles of the Prince of Wales in The Trial of Oscar Wilde (1960), Argus in Jason and the Argonauts (1963) and Merlin in Camelot (1967). A frequent visitor to Broadway, Naismith played Kris Kringle in Here's Love, Meredith Willson's 1963 musical adaptation of Miracle on 34th Street. Among Laurence Naismith's hundreds of television credits was the recurring role of Judge Fulton on the 1971 Tony Curtis-Roger Moore adventure series The Persuaders. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
This 3-hour TV adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet features Patrick Ryecart and Rebecca Saire in the title roles. Though these names may not be familiar to the casual viewer, the same cannot be said of the supporting cast. Celia Johnson appears as the Nurse, Michael Hordern is Lord Capulet, Laurence Naismith is Prince Escalus, and Alec Guinness is the Chorus. Also appearing are stars-to-be Anthony Andrews as Mercutio (his "Queen Mab" speech is a singular highlight) and Alan Rickman as Tybalt. Originally presented as part of PBS' "Shakespeare Plays" series, Romeo and Juliet was first aired March 14, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rebecca Saire
- 1976
Mission: Monte Carlo is a "movie" comprised of two episodes from the 1971 British/US TV series The Persuaders - which accounts for the presence of Basil Dearden, who died that year. The only element that the two hour-long episodes truly have in common is their setting: Southern France's Cote D'Azur. The discovery of an exotic dancer's corpse leads playboy secret agents Danny Wilde (Tony Curtis) and Lord Brett Sinclair (Roger Moore) on a merry chase after a gang of stock swindlers. This storyline is expanded with scenes from a second Riviera-based Persuaders installment, written by Val Guest, wherein Wilde and Sinclair pursue a contingent of gold smugglers. The guest stars appearing in this jerry-built feature film include Annette Andre, Susan George, and Alfred Marks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
The title character is a ghost, doomed to roam his mansion until an age-old mystery is solved. A widow Dorothy Alison and her two children are "hired" by the wraith-like Blunden to aid him in his sleuthing. Also joining in on the investigation are two ghostly kids, who'd been mistreated in life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurence Naismith, Lynne Frederick, (more)
- 1972
This historical drama is an account of the early life of Winston Churchill (Simon Ward), including his childhood years, his time as a war correspondent in Africa, and culminating with his first election to Parliament. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Simon Ward, Robert Shaw, (more)
After George Lazenby portrayed James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Sean Connery returned to the tux, gimmicks, and catchphrases of Secret Agent 007 in his penultimate Bond outing, Diamonds Are Forever. Fragments of Ian Fleming's original 1954 novel remain, including the characters of the alluring Tiffany Case (Jill St. John) and fey hitmen Wint (Bruce Glover) and Mr. Kidd (Putter Smith). The remainder of Richard Maibaum and Tom Mankiewicz's script diverges dramatically from the novel, involving Bond in a scheme by the insidious Ernst Blofeld (Charles Gray) to force the world powers to disarm so that he can take over the globe. Folksinger Jimmy Dean shows up briefly as a Howard Hughes-like reclusive billionaire, while Lana Wood (Natalie's sister) participates in one of the film's edgiest cliffhangers. Agreeing to make Diamonds Are Forever only because of the money offered him, Sean Connery parted company with the role for 12 years after this film; he returned to the role once more in 1983, for Irvin Kershner's underrated Thunderball remake Never Say Never Again. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Connery, Jill St. John, (more)
- 1971
This science fiction/fantasy is loosely based on a story by John Wyndham (best known for The Day of the Triffids). Scientist Collin (Tom Bell) stumbles across a parallel world in which President Kennedy is not shot, Vietnam hasn't happened, and Ottilie (Joan Collins), the woman he loves, dies unexpectedly of a heart condition. While he is happy enough with the rest of his new world, he can't stand by and let his true love die in his original world, and he determines to return to his own place and time to save her. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
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)
- 1970
- G
Jackie (Margaret Brooks) is presented an African bush baby as a lovely parting gift from Tembo (Louis Gossett Jr.). She tries to board an outbound ship with her father and the annoying, squalling animal. Jackie jumps ship to plant the animal in a nearby tree, but the ship takes off and leaves her behind. She convinces the houseboy Tembo to search for a friend of her fathers, dragging him across the continent in her search. Tembo becomes a wanted man when a vicious ivory trader tells the police he has kidnapped Jackie. Soon the trader and the police hunt for Tembo, and the authorities would rather have him captured dead than alive to avoid political embarrassment. The duo must dodge the police, the ivory hunter and cannibals in this jungle adventure. Donald Huston and Laurence Naismith add to the feature with their portrayals of eccentric Englishmen. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Margaret Brooks, Louis Gossett, Jr., (more)
When a traveling Wild West show comes to town, the natives are frightened by a one-foot-tall horse that is believed to be a bad omen. The superstitious natives try to return the horse to The Valley of Gwangi to avert disaster. Tuck (James Franciscus) and T.J. (Gila Golan) try to help archaeologist Bromley (James Naismith) find the tiny equine in the valley, but they unleash a prehistoric giant monster in the process in this implausible adventure feature. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Franciscus, Gila Golan, (more)
- 1969
The "Don Quixote" legend was given a 19th century western spin on Bonanza's inaugural eleventh-season entry "Another Windmill to Go." The Cartwrights are dumbstruck when they find Don Q. Hought (Laurence Naismath) rowing a wheeled boat across their grazing land. But Don Q. is not as daffy as he seems: His main purpose in life is to challenge obscure-and very silly-Federal laws. Also seen are Jill Townsend as Abbey, Bart Larue as Walters, Gregg Palmer as Benson and character comedian George Furth (who'd recently co-authored the hit Broadway musical Company) as Horace Keylot. Written by Palmer Thompson, "Another Windmill to Go" first aired on September 14, 1969, and was later selected by NBC for an "encore presentation" in the Summer of 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1969
- R
This offbeat potboiler from Psycho scripter Joseph Stefano involves a plot hatched by mod couple Wylie (Michael Sarrazin) and Kassia (Gayle Hunnicutt) to murder Wylie's wealthy, cat-loving aunt Danny (Eleanor Parker). There's only one hitch in their scheme, but it's a doozy: Wylie suffers from a severe case of ailurophobia -- an irrational fear of all cats. In order for their plot to succeed, the pair must first eliminate Aunt Danny's legions of feline companions...which turns out to be much more difficult than expected, thanks to a sly, deadly counter-plot. Despite some bizarre cues hinting at some sort of evil intelligence on the part of the cats, the suggested horror elements are downplayed in favor of a substandard psycho-thriller. Sadly, Stefano's script is the film's greatest failure, littered with silly dialogue and plot holes a mile wide. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Sarrazin, Gayle Hunnicutt, (more)
Joshua Logan directs this lavish version of the Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe Broadway success with Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave, and Franco Nero in the lead roles originally portrayed on Broadway by Richard Burton, Julie Andrews, and Robert Goulet. The musical, based on T.H. White's The Once and Future King, chronicles the legend of King Arthur (Richard Harris) and his tortured love affair with his queen Guenevere (Vanessa Redgrave). Arthur first encounters Guenevere, on the day of their wedding, in the enchanted forest surrounding Camelot. After the wedding, Arthur's bliss at his marriage to the lovely Guenevere prompts him to establish the Knights of the Round Table, a lofty order of chivalry in which all the member knights are bound by a desire the help the oppressed, keeping faith with trust and honor. Such is the fame of the Knights of the Round Table that a young French knight, Lancelot Du Lac (Franco Nero), seeks to join the order. Lancelot quickly becomes the most celebrated of all the knights, and Guenevere, aloof at first, falls in love with him. Although both have a deep love for Arthur, their passion knows no bounds, and they begin an illicit love affair behind Arthur's back. Arthur ignores the rumors circling around him, but when his illegitimate son, Mordred (David Hemmings) arrives at Camelot, he exposes Lancelot and Guenevere during a tryst. Lancelot escapes, but Guenevere is sentenced to be burned at the stake. Lancelot rescues her at the last minute, and Arthur prepares for battle, his dreams of an idealistic Camelot shattered. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave, (more)
In this 1967 drama, resourceful British agent Bulldog Drummond, who appeared onscreen in a series of spy stories between 1929 and 1951, returned to duty in the wake of James Bond. Here, Drummond (Richard Johnson) is on the trail of Carl Petersen (Nigel Green), a corrupt industrialist who has a bad habit of stealing the ideas of others and then killing them so he can reap their profits. The nefarious Petersen has a team of female assistants willing to kill on command, led by Irma (Elke Sommer) and Penelope (Sylva Koscina). One more Bulldog Drummond vehicle, Some Girls Do, followed in 1969 before the series was retired again. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Johnson, Elke Sommer, (more)
- 1967
Roy Thinnes was the star of this 1967-1968 science fiction series, about an Earth poised on the brink of alien takeover. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1967
When an aging philanthropist falls on hard times, her butler starts to rob the rich so that she can keep on giving to the poor in this comedy. Claude Fitzwilliam (Dick Van Dyke), known to his friends as "Fitzwilly," works as a butler for Victoria Woodworth (Edith Evans), who -- ever since the death of her husband -- has been using her inheritance to benefit her favorite charitable causes. However, no one has the heart to tell Mrs. Woodworth that she doesn't have much money left, and to compensate for the shortfall brought on by her philanthropy, Fitzwilly and his fellow domestics have been pulling a series of robberies at department stores. When Mrs. Woodworth gets the idea of compiling "A Dictionary for Dopes," which indexes phonetic spellings of commonly misspelled words, she hires Juliet Nowell (Barbara Feldon) to help on the project as a secretary. Juliet senses that there's something fishy about Fitzwilly, especially when she finds out that he has a college education but earns a meager salary as a butler, and she imagines the worst when she finds out about his criminal activities. Watch for Sam Waterston in a small role; this was his first film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dick Van Dyke, Barbara Feldon, (more)
- 1967
As "Ben Lewis", Kimble (David Janssen) eludes a police dragnet and escapes to the Northwest. But "escape" turns out to be a relative term when Kimble is waylaid by John Mallory (Laurence Naismith), a hermit who dropped out of civilization back in 1953--and who, desperate for companionship, holds Kimble prisoner with a pair of snarling German Shepherds. Ultimately, however, Kimble must rely upon Mallory and another recluse, female sculptor Andrea Cross (Antoinette Bower) to slip through the fingers of the Law in the final scene. This episode was directed by series regular Barry Morse, aka "Lt. Gerard." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
A lawmen who is sworn to bring a rebel to justice finds himself developing a great respect and admiration for his quarry in this period drama. In the 1920s, the British Raj still rule India, and Freddy Young (Trevor Howard) is a English police officer whose duty is to keep order among the native Bhantas. While Young believes in his heart that the people of India should be free to determine their own political destiny, he is forced by his occupation to uphold British law. However, not all the Bhantas willingly follow the commands of the British, and Sultan (Yul Brynner) is an Indian determined to lead his people to freedom from colonial tyranny. Young is instructed to find and capture Sultan, but while his superiors indicate that they would not be upset if Sultan were to meet with an accident, Young is impressed by the courage and intelligence of his adversary, and he is determined to bring him back alive. Young eventually infiltrates Sultan's camp and pleads with the leader to give himself up before more bloodthirsty British forces storm his compound. The Long Duel's supporting cast includes Edward Fox and Charlotte Rampling, in roles that predated their rise to stardom. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yul Brynner, Trevor Howard, (more)
- 1967
A Victor Canning novel was the launching pad for this consummately produced TV spy movie. Alex Cord is an American secret agent reluctantly employed by British secret service for a life and death mission. Teamed with the beauteous Shirley Eaton (the "golden girl" of Goldfinger), Cord is expected to locate the head of an international blackmail ring. The villain is known only by the code name "Scorpio," which could under the circumstances be a masculine or feminine monicker. Produced and directed by Richard Thorpe, The Scorpio Letters was given an overseas theatrical run after its American TV debut. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
Gypsy Girl was originally released in England as Sky West and Crooked. With this production, John Mills became a one-time film director, guiding his daughter Hayley through a screenplay written by Mills' wife Mary Hayley Bell. Radically cast against type, Hayley plays a mentally traumatized young lady living in a remote North Country rural community. She falls in love with a handsome gypsy (Ian McShane), which stirs up the prejudices of her family and neighbors. In the end, it is the gypsy boy who rescues Hayley from being institutionalized. Less grim than one might expect, Gypsy Girl takes its time telling its story, though the acting makes up for any lulls. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hayley Mills, Ian McShane, (more)
- 1966
Using the alias "Richard Spaulding", fugitive Richard Kimble (David Janssen) pays a visit to his former mentor Dr. Andrew McAllister (Laurence Naismith), now gravely ill and confined to a wheelchair. Because of his virulent "anti-smog" campaign, McAllister is regarded by most people as a harmless crank. The truth, however, is that the doctor has become mentally unhinged, and he intends to lob a spectacular final "protest" against a local smoke-belching factory by destroying it with a bomb--with Kimble unwittingly delivering the explosives. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
As "Nick Peters", Kimble (David Janssen) lands a job with the wild-animal show owned by Barry Craft (Steve Forrest). Figuring out Kimble's true identity, the greedy Craft hopes to make his circus as famous as the Biograph Theater (where Dillinger met his doom) by arranging for the fugitive to be captured on the circus grounds in full view of the media. But Craft has not factored in the essential honesty and decency of elderly animal trainer Major Fielding (Laurence Naismith). This is the final episode of The Fugitive's second season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Greek mythology is done up brown by the special-effects expertise of Ray Harryhausen in Jason and the Argonauts. Jason (Todd Armstrong), rightful heir to the throne of Thessaly, is spared from death through the intervention of the goddess Hera (Honor Blackman). The other celestial inhabitants of Mount Olympus watch in amusement as Hera surreptitiously aids Jason in his search for the Golden Fleece. Obstacles to this goal include a giant come-to-life statue named Talos, the screeching harpies plaguing blind prophet Phineas (Patrick Troughton), a set of huge clashing rocks, the seven-headed hydra, and an army of skeletons (this bravura climactic sequence assured Harryhausen's place in the hearts of 13-year-old boys of all ages). Supporting characters include Nancy Kovack as a pre-infanticide Medea and Nigel Green as a pacifistic Hercules. Bernard Herrmann's surging musical score was icing on the cake for this greatest of all Ray Harryhausen creations. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack, (more)
Based on a whimsical novel by Paul Gallico, Disney's Three Lives of Thomasina is an imaginative tale of a resourceful cat. Thomasina is the pet of Karen Dotrice, the daughter of taciturn Scottish veterinarian Patrick McGoohan. When Thomasina falls ill, McGoohan coldly diagnoses the cat as suffering from tetanus and declares that the pet must be put out of its misery. As Dotrice and her friends sadly prepare to bury the "dead" Thomasina, backwoods girl Susan Hampshire, who is said to be a witch, shows up and runs off with the kitty corpse. Using equal doses of intuition and love, Hampshire revives Thomasina, who of course wasn't dead at all. While in limbo, Thomasina ascends to Cat Heaven, where her case is heard by the Cat Goddess (this is a wonderful piece of special-effects wizardry, even if you don't like cats). Returned to life, Thomasina has no memory of her previous existence. Thus, the cat runs off in terror when Dotrice sees her again during a torrential downpour. Now it is Dotrice who becomes seriously ill, necessitating a collaboration between the cold, cut-and-dried ministrations of her father and the tender loving care of the "bewitched" Hampshire. As it turns out, Thomasina is the catalyst for both Dotrice's recovery and the film's happy ending. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick McGoohan, Susan Hampshire, (more)
