Brefni O'Rourke Movies
Brefni O'Rorke was born in 1889 in Dublin and began studying acting with his mother, the actress Jane (Morgan) O'Rorke, at the start of the 20th century. He made his professional debut in 1912 at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin in a production of John Bull's Other Island. In 1916 while still living in Dublin, he became the companion and later the second husband to Alice Cole, a chorus girl-turned-actress who had divorced her husband and emigrated from South Africa with her young son named Cyril Cusack. O'Rorke began training the boy as an actor even as his own career advanced. In 1921, O'Rorke made his first appearance on a London stage in a production of Mr. Malatestra, and he became very prominent in the London theater world in the decades that followed. His earliest film appearance dated from 1918, though he had his greatest impact during the sound era. O'Rorke also worked in four British television productions early in 1939 during the medium's experimental period before the worsening political situation on the European continent forced the British government to switch its efforts to perfecting defensive radar. He had a small role in Love on the Dole (1941) starring Deborah Kerr and bigger parts in the thriller Cottage to Let (1941) and the melodrama Hatter's Castle (1942). His best work and biggest part was probably in Harold French's patriotic wartime thriller Unpublished Story (1942) as Denton, the dour but defiant newspaper editor; he not only had a lot of screen time and excellent scenes but gave the movie's quietly rousing final speech. O'Rorke also appeared as himself in a documentary entitled Men of Rochdale (1944). He was a busy character actor up to his death in late 1946, and his legacy lay not only in several memorable performances but also, to some extent, in the subsequent success of his stepson -- from the late 1940s thru the 1980s, Cyril Cusack was one of the most renowned stage actors of his generation, as well as an acclaimed film actor, and he founded an acting dynasty to rival that of the Redgrave family through his actress daughters. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide- 1947
James Mason stars in The Upturned Glass as a prosperous British brain surgeon. Mason saves Rosamund John's daughter from blindness, whereupon the married John falls in love with the doctor. The illicit lovers conduct a passionate affair while John's husband is out of the country. When John dies mysteriously, Mason suspects that the culprit is his own jealous sister-in-law Pamela Kellino (Mason's real-life wife at the time). Acting on his suspicions, Mason murders Kellino, stuffs her body in the trunk of his car, and drives to parts unknown to dispose of the corpse. Before he is able to do this, Mason is called to the home of a dying child. Despite the risk of being exposed as a murderer, Mason leaves his car unattended to rush to the side of the stricken child. The film doesn't end very happily for Mason, but he is mildly comforted by the fact that he has remained loyal to the Hippocratic oath. Upturned Glass is a virtual compendium of late-1940s British melodramatic devices: tortured hero, well-planned crime, moonlight-drenched photography, lengthy flashbacks, quasi-classical music score, and the rest of the repertoire. The film was coproduced by James Mason, and cowritten by Mason's wife and costar Pamela Kellino. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Mason, Rosamund John, (more)
- 1947
Based on a novel by J. S. Fletcher, The Root of All Evil casts Phyllis Calvert as a grimly ambitious woman scorned. Jilted by wealthy Albert Grice (Hubert Gregg), farmer's daughter Jeckie Farnish (Calvert) vows to accumulate enough money so as to never again be dependent on any man's attentions. Suing Grice for breach of promise, Jeckie parlays her generous settlement into a sizeable fortune. She increases her riches by linking up with philandering mining-engineer Charles Mortimer (Michael Rennie). Though she and Mortimer accrue millions from oil wells, it simply isn't enough: the hard-hearted Jeckie has decided that she craves true romance after all. The moral of Root of All Evil is obvious from the first scene onward: it is up to Phyllis Calvert and her talented co-stars to wade through a sea of cliches and come up with something worth watching. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Phyllis Calvert, John McCallum, (more)
- 1947
In this comedy, a band of British birdwatchers fight to save a rare species of birds from destruction. The title bird is a skinny little thing that can wag its tail. It lives in English wheat fields. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bernard Miles, Rosamund John, (more)
- 1947
In this melodrama, a fisherman begins studying to be a doctor. Although he isn't finished with medical school, he begins treating his landlady's daughter who is believed to have a terminal illness. He seems to cure her, and the case draws a lot of attention, some of it negative because he was unlicensed when he treated her. He still does not have a degree when he marries the daughter and begins practicing osteopathy. He soon finds success and happiness until he begins having an affair. Later he jilts his mistress and she kills herself. During the autopsy he is appalled to learn that it was actually his misdiagnosis of her illness and the resulting medical treatment that caused her to die. The distraught osteopath then takes off and does not return until his wife, whose disease has come back, begs him to help her once again. He succeeds and their happiness resumes. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Beatty, Carol Raye, (more)
I See a Dark Stranger manages to be both an absorbing espionage yarn and a slyly amusing send-up of the entire genre. Deborah Kerr is terrific as Irish colleen Bridie Quilty, raised from childhood to despise the British and everything they stand for. Bridie's anglophobia proves useful to Nazi spy Miller (Raymond Huntley), who hopes to use the girl to help him steal the plans for the D-day invasion. Playing her "Mata Hari" role to the hilt, Bridie wholeheartedly throws herself into a world of clandestine meetings and coded messages, certain that by helping the Germans she is also helping Mother Ireland. Eventually she realizes the error of her ways, enabling her to turn the tables on Miller and his co-conspirators. Trevor Howard co-stars as David Baynes, with whom the impulsive Bridie falls in love despite his English forebears. I See a Dark Stranger was released in the U.S. as The Adventuress. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Deborah Kerr, Trevor Howard, (more)
- 1946
Future Doctor Who star William Hartnell plays the leading role in the British second feature Murder in Reverse. Hartnell portrays a man who has spent 15 years in prison on a murder charge. Not only is he innocent, but the murder never took place. Once released, Hartnell tracks down his "victim" and kills him in full view of a crowded courtroom. He then laughingly dares the authorities to convict him again for a murder he's supposed to have already committed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Hartnell, Jimmy Hanley, (more)
- 1945
In this British costume musical, Carol Raye plays Empress Maria, a young woman of noble blood who has fallen in love with Count Franz Von Hofer (Peter Graves), one of the men assigned to guard her. Maria's guardians attempt to dissuade her interest in Franz because of his reputation as a Casanova, and when Franz is discovered in a playful conversation with Cenci Prohaska (Patricia Medina), they are convinced that their assumptions are correct. When Maria learns of Franz's behavior, she disguises herself as Cenci for an upcoming costume ball with the hopes of catching Franz in a disloyal act. Waltz Time also features a guest appearance by the celebrated operatic vocalist Richard Tauber, who sings two numbers; it was one of Tauber's final screen appearances, as he passed on in early 1948. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carol Raye, Peter Graves, (more)
- 1945
Future "Doctor Who" star William Hartnell dominates the proceedings in the British drama Query. The story concerns a young stevedore who is falsely accused of manslaughter, and is shipped off to prison. Upon his release, the now-elderely protagonist wreaks vengeance on the man responsible for framing him. The legal question arising from all this is a delicate one: Is there truly such a thing as a justifiable murder, and can a man successfully plead in court that it is his legal right to take the law in his own hands? It's a tricky premise, but one carried off with expertise by star Hartnell and writer-director Montgomery Tully. Based on a story by "Seamark", Query bears a strong (perhaps too strong) resemblance to the old Elmer Rice play It is the Law. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Hartnell, Jimmy Hanley, (more)
- 1945
In this crime drama two brothers in the IRA become rivals when they fall in love with the same woman--their adopted step-sister. When one of the two needs to flee Ireland, the other is more than happy to oblige so he can have the girl to himself. Unfortunately, the conniving brother accidentally kills a constable during a smuggling and then tries to frame the brother planning to leave. Fortunately, by the end, the bad brother is caught and is forced to confess. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1945
A couple's wartime separation provides an unexpected tonic for their romance in this drama. Robert and Catherine Wilson (Robert Donat and Deborah Kerr) are a married couple whose relationship has hit a dry patch; neither of them have much enthusiasm for each other, and when Robert is drafted into the Royal Navy during the war, they almost welcome the separation. Life in the Navy gives Robert a more easygoing outlook on life, especially after he has a brief fling with Elena (Anne Todd), a nurse who recently lost her husband. On the home front, Catherine makes friends with Dizzy (Glynis Johns), a free spirit who encourages her to smoke, wear makeup, and enjoy a dalliance of her own with a man named Richard (Roland Culver). After the end of the war, Robert and Catherine both dread their reunion, but each find that they're pleasantly surprised with the changes that time has brought to their mate. Perfect Strangers was also released under the highly appropriate title Vacation from Marriage. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Donat, Deborah Kerr, (more)
- 1945
Rex Harrison stars in this stylish British drama that caused problems with U.S. censors, who forced the film to be trimmed due to what was considered graphically amoral and sexual content for its time. Harrison is Vivian Kenway, an unrepentant cad who embarks on a campaign of irresponsible behavior after being ejected from Oxford. Among his many sins are seducing Jill Duncan (Jean Kent), the wife of his best friend Sandy (Griffith Jones), marrying a rich Austrian Jew, Rikki Krausner (Lilli Palmer), for her money, and dallying with the secretary (Margaret Johnson) of his father, Colonel Kenway (Godfrey Tearle). The feckless Vivian's actions cause no small amount of collateral damage to his loved ones, including the drunken death of his father and the attempted suicide of Rikki. Vivian ends up serving in World War II, however, where his non-heroic ultimate sacrifice may (or may not) redeem him. The Rake's Progress (1945 was released in the U.S. under the title Notorious Gentleman. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rex Harrison, Lilli Palmer, (more)
- 1945
Based on a novel by Dorothy Whipple, the British They Were Sisters is not so far removed from the standard Hollywood plot of three sisters' lives taking divergent paths. The siblings in this instance are Phyllis Calvert, Dulcie Gray and Anne Crawford. Each sister is married, thus the film periodically shifts attention from one household to the next. What gives this film teeth is James Mason, playing the nastiest and most abusive of the husbands. Incidentally, They Were Sisters supporting player Pamela Kellino became James Mason's real-life wife. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Phyllis Calvert, Dulcie Gray, (more)
- 1945
In this WWII drama, James Mason plays naval commander Richard Heritage, who is distracted from his duties by a beautiful young woman who is secretly in cahoots with Nazi spies. By accident, Heritage lets her discover the sailing dates of American warships. The mistake costs the U.S. Navy a war ship and costs Heritage his post. After his court-martial, he sets off to find the girl who tripped him up and discovers that she has been killed. With the help of Laura Verity (Joyce Howard), he uncovers the Nazi spy ring, which is being operated under the guise of a British theatrical agency in the seaside town of Blackpool. The head of the outfit is master spy Christopher Child (Tom Walls), a fearsome villain. Heritage hopes to redeem himself and win the heart of Laura by defeating Child and his schemes. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Mason, Joyce Howard, (more)
- 1944
Don't Take It to Heart is an amiable entry in the 1940s cycle of "ghost comedies". A British castle is rocked by a German bombing raid, releasing a jaunty wraith (Richard Greene) from his house-haunting job. As long as he's got the run of the castle, the ghost decides to take a hand in the romance between mistress-of-the-house Patricia Medina and young researcher Richard Bird. Also in line for ghostly visitation is the nasty landlord who holds the local townsfolk in his avaricious clutches. Don't Take It to Heart received almost uniformly good reviews from the British press, which during wartime was often resistant to comedy films. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Greene, David Horne, (more)
- 1944
In this drama, an amnesiac gardener, who lost his memory after he was buried alive during WW I, works for a wealthy man whose son is about to marry an actress. When he is accused of stealing, the honest gardener becomes so upset that his memory returns. He then remembers that he is a wealthy military officer. He also realizes that the actress is none other than his own daughter. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1944
The inspiration for this British seriocomedy was Victor Skutezky's stage play She Met Him One Sunday. "She" is Moya Malone (Barbara White), an Irish maid living in Liverpool. "He" is Tom Stevens (Robert Beatty), a Canadian sailor. That "one Sunday" is a busy one, encompassing a few romantic strolls down the dock, Moya's renouncing of her servant status, and a run-in with crooks. Playwright Skutezky also served as producer of It Happened One Sunday. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Beatty, Barbara White, (more)
- 1943
The Flemish Farm is based on a true story. Clifford Evnas plays Duclos, a Belgian airman who joins the British air corps at the outbreak of WW2. Feeling the need to do something more for his country than merely dropping bombs on Nazi installations, Duclos flies back to his German-occupied homeland to symbolically retrieve a Belgian Air Force flag he'd buried just before evacuating. He hides out in the farm of the title, where he is given aid and support by the Belgian underground. Ultimately, however, his presence becomes known to the Nazis, leading to a tension-filled denouement. Jane Baxter costars as Trescha, who in true WW2-propaganda fashion gives her life for her cause. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clive Brook, Clifford Evans, (more)
- 1943
In this espionage film, a Danish double-agent is assigned by the Nazis to sneak into to England and abscond with the secret plans for a European invasion. Unbeknownst to the Nazis, the man is really and agent for the Allies. He is pursued by an English agent who exposes him. She then takes part in a plan to trick the German navy into leaving the port with fake documents. The ruse works. Unfortunately, the double-agent dies. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Portman, Ann Dvorak, (more)
- 1943
Tomorrow we Live is the more upbeat American title of the British war drama At Dawn we Die. When his village is overtaken by Nazis, Frenchman Jean Baptiste (John Clements) tries to go to England. Armed with secret information about a German submarine base, Jean hopes to avenge his countrymen. Unfortunately, thanks to inquisitive soldiers and fifth columnists, Jean may never make it to the White Cliffs of Dover. On the plus side, however, Jean's fellow patriots do their best to sabotage the enemy until the (hopefully) inevitable day of Liberation. The strangest aspect of Tomorrow we Live is that all the Frenchmen are played by popular British actors, despite the influx of French expatriates in the United Kingdom. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Clements, Godfrey Tearle, (more)
- 1943
Monica Dickens' novel One Pair of Feet was the source of the sociological drama The Lamp Still Burns. Like the original novel, the film is a plea for better conditions in English hospitals-and, more specifically, for better treatment of England's selfless nurses. Rosamund John is a tower of strength as Hilary Clarke, a young woman who sacrifices all in pursuit of a nursing career. The many trials and tribulations facing Hilary in her daily work are amplified in wartime, when she and her colleagues are forced to work under appalling conditions in air raid shelters, subway cars and amidst the rubble of bombed-out buildings. The Lamp Still Burns was produced by actor Leslie Howard, who was killed in the service of his country not long after the film was released. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rosamund John, Godfrey Tearle, (more)
- 1942
The phrase "Loose Lips Sink Ships" takes on a new and special meaning in the cautionary British war drama Next of Kin. In grade-school-primer fashion, the film shows how careless talk can have a devastating and tragic effect in times of war, sometimes boomeranging on the "talker" in the form of lost loved ones. Extra attention is paid the gossipy "Ma" Webster (Mary Clare), whose casual revelation of troop movements, culled from a recent visit by her son, has long-ranging, fatal consequences. American critics, unmoved by the melodramatic breast-beating of Next of Kin, suggested that the film might cause viewers to swear off moviemaking rather than talking. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Basil Sydney, Frederick Leister, (more)
- 1942
Not a remake of the 1934 Katharine Hepburn film of the same name, Spitfire was originally released in Great Britain as The First of the Few. Director Leslie Howard stars in this dramatization of the life and work of R.J. Mitchell, inventor of the Spitfire fighter plane. The film suggests, accurately as it turns out, that Mitchell was aware of Hitler's plans to conquer Europe by the air long before anyone else caught on (we see him watching a suspicious-looking group of "amateur" German gliding enthusiasts in the mid-1930s). David Niven, then a major in the British Army, was given leave to appear in this morale-boosting film as Mitchell's best friend, a dauntless test pilot. Ironically, Spitfire was released after the death of its star-director Leslie Howard, whose plane was shot down by the Germans somewhere between London and Lisbon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Howard, David Niven, (more)
- 1942
In this WW II actioner, two British Intelligence agents and a French agent follow their leader into Nazi-occupied France to see how strong the invaders really are; unfortunately, the only way to get that information is to break into the German headquarters. They do so by pretending to be champagne vendors. As soon as the Nazis figure out their scheme, they begin chasing the Allied agents who are assisted by the French Resistance to make sure the information is given to the British who use it to destroy the German supplies and munitions. During their flight, one of the agents his killed; later his sister vows to do everything she can to stop those evil Nazis. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugh Williams, Carla Lehmann, (more)
A British soldier stationed in Africa comes to believe that he is in possession of Arthur's Excalibur in this drama. The expert swordsman comes to believe this after he is named a hero during a duel. He attributes his skill and courage to the famous weapon. Later he is deeply embarrassed to learns that it is not Arthur's sword. This does not keep him from saving his friends from enemy hands. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Bob Randall (Richard Greene) is a reporter who gets to witness first-hand the British retreat from Dunkirk in May of 1940. He returns to his job in a London now facing nightly German bombing raids, and finds himself saddled with Carol Bennett (Valerie Hobson), a neophyte reporter. Bob is eager to take on the Nazis and, in the absence of any on the ground that he can fight, he turns to the leaders of a pacifist movement, The People for Peace. But no sooner does he start to look into who they are than he finds himself being shadowed by mysterious men and stirring up a hornet's nest of activity in his wake. While Carol tries to keep up and do her bit, and Bob tries to look out for her and find out just what he's stepped into -- which soon involves kidnappings and murder -- the German bombers keep coming and the newspaper's survival is threatened. Bob and Carol are drawn together romantically in the midst of these overlapping crises, and manage to find some time for each other while helping their long-suffering editor (Brefni O'Rourke) save the newspaper and the British secret service save the country. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Greene, Valerie Hobson, (more)
