Wally Patch Movies

They All Died Laughing plays for satire what any other film might have played for suspense. Leo McKern plays a college professor, of the addlepated rather than absentminded variety. McKern has come to the conclusion that certain people are leeching off society, and the world would be well rid of them. He heads for his laboratory to create the means of "purging" these useless people. He comes up with a poison that prompts his victims to laugh hysterically before joining the Choir Invisible. A little more heavy-handed than the British "dark farces" of the 1950s, They All Died Laughing was originally released in England as A Jolly Bad Fellow. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this interesting mystery, a police inspector learns that an artist's wife has been murdered and her identity assumed by one of the artist's models. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A beautiful and wealthy woman in the market for a husband believes she has found the right man -- only to discover he isn't especially interested, in this comedy based on a play by George Bernard Shaw. Epifania Parerga (Sophia Loren) is a woman who has inherited a vast fortune, making her the wealthiest woman on Earth. All Parerga really wants is a happy marriage, but her first stab at matrimony, with Alastair (Gary Raymond), is a disaster, and when she visits a psychiatrist in hopes of learning what she did wrong, her analyst, Dr. Adrian (Dennis Price), attempts to seduce her. Parerga is nearly ready to give up when she meets Dr. Ahmed el Kabir) (Peter Sellers), a shy and well-mannered Indian physician who operates a clinic for the underprivileged. While Kabir is personable, he seems to have no interest in Parerga's money and is unfazed by her beauty; convinced he can love her simply for who she is, Parerga decides Kabir is the man for her. However hard Parerga tries to throw herself at him, Kabir refuses to budge, and even after she bankrolls a new clinic for him, he does not respond to her advances. Eventually, Parerga offers Kabir a challenge -- she bets him that he can't triple his profits at his new clinic in three months, while he in turn wagers her that she cannot live without money for the same period of time. A spin-off of the The Millionairess was a novelty song called "Goodness Gracious Me", in which Sellers and Loren duetting as a doctor from India and his alluring patient; a recording of the tune became a hit single in the United Kingdom. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this romantic comedy, three bunglers find jobs at a matchmaking service. None are pleased with their jobs until a beautiful con-artist, posing as an heiress appears to spice up their lives. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this mystery, the wife of the recently kidnapped Dr. Manning enlists the assistance of a Scotland Yard detective and a private eye to find him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this British crime drama, a philanderer finds himself accused of murder after the man he used for his alibi is found murdered. Fortunately, his story is believed by a hard-working crime reporter. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this romantic comedy, a womanizing uncle tells the story of his good-hearted but fickle niece, whose tendency to always champion the underdog causes her endless romantic woes. It all begins when she breaks up with her fiance on the eve of their wedding so she can marry and help out a half-starved aspiring playwright. With her moral support and his talent, the playwright makes it big. Unfortunately, her old fiance shows up. He has lost his fortune and must flee the police. The tender-hearted lass, unable to resist a hard-luck story, then falls for her former love until he is proven innocent. It is at that point that the niece chooses her man once and for all. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Based on the stage farce by Vernon Sylvanie, Will Any Gentleman? stars George Cole as milquetoast bank clerk Henry Sterling. While attending a music hall show, Sterling accidentally falls under the spell of stage hypnotist Mendoza (Alan Badel). Undergoing a complete change of character, Sterling becomes an unregenerate womanizer, much to the amazement and dismay of his wife (Veronica Hurst). Anxiously, Mendoza tries to track the latter-day Lothario down and snap him out of his spell. The plot of Will Any Gentleman? certainly wasn't new in 1953, but it was still good for a full supply of belly laughs. Featured in the cast are pair of future "Doctor Who" stars, Jon Pertwee and William Hartnell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this detective story, based on a novel by John Creasey, a smooth-talking detective helps a young woman solve her uncle's murder. When the Robin Hood-like thief accused of the crime is proved innocent, everyone breathes a sight of relief. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

H. G. Wells' non-fantasy efforts have, with the exception of Kipps, proven traditionally difficult to transfer to film. History of Mr. Polly occasionally suffers from too-close fidelity to its Wellsian source; one wishes that adaptor/director Anthony Pelissier could have "opened up" the story a bit more. Still, the film is impeccably cast: particularly good is John Mills as Alfred Polly, whose efforts to make a go in the business world continually come acropper. A humble draper's clerk, Polly is profoundly affected by a variety of personal relationships, most notably with colorful Uncle Jim (Finlay Currie) and his nagging wife Miriam (Betty Ann Davies). Ultimately, he finds happiness in an even humbler pursuit than the drapery business. Star John Mills' daughter Juliet shows up in a very minor role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this upbeat film four war-time performers known for their concert parties, have a reunion. They decide they are still good together and form a successful nightclub act. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this mystery, a married team of private investigators look into the background of a nerve doctor whose patients have been mysteriously dying. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide