Kim Peacock Movies
- 1953
The title is explained during the course of the British Flannelfoot. We'll just say here that the film stars Jack Watling as a crime reporter, hot on the trail of a jewel thief. When his informant is murdered, Watling goes after the crook himself. He proves a thorn in the side to investigating detective Ronald Adam, but together the two men bring the criminal to heel. B-flick stalwart Maclean Rogers keeps the incidents in Flannelfoot moving at a satisfyingly fast clip. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1939
Filmed in 1935, the British Hell's Cargo finally received a US release in 1939, capitalizing on the recent outbreak of war in Europe. Most of the story takes place on a cargo ship, slowly inching its way through treacherous waters with a cargo consisting of a top-secret poison gas. When the ship's intoxicated doctor reveals the nature of the cargo to a good-time girl in a foreign port, chaos ensues, culminating in the death of the treacherous doctor at the hands of the ship's three commanding officers: Englishman Falcon (Kim Peacock), Frenchman Lestallieur (Walter Rilla), and Russian Tomasov (Robert Newton). The question: if a murder is committed in to maintain the Peace of the World, can it truly be considered murder? Hell's Cargo was based on a story by French writer/director Leo Joannon, whose later seafaring efforts included Laurel & Hardy's Atoll K (1951). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Walter Rilia, Kim Peacock, (more)
- 1938
While filming Laurel & Hardy's Atoll K in 1950, Leo Joannon spent an entire week shooting atmosphere shots on an island, allegedly because he fell in love with the ocean. Twelve years earlier, Joannon likewise filled the screen with oceanic shots in Alerte en Mediterranee (Alert in the Mediterranean). The story concerns an uneasy alliance involving the French, German and English navies. A band of pirates has stolen a freighter containing a deadly cargo of poison gas, threatening to kill everyone on a hostage ocean liner. The three rival navies give chase, racing against the clock as the pirates' deadline approaches. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nadine Vogel, Pierre Fresnay, (more)
- 1937
A transatlantic race is featured in this exciting drama. One of the captains involved almost loses after he saves an actress from her sinking yacht. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1936
British journalist Guy Newall falls hard for comely model Mary Glynne. For her part, Glynne is engaged to blustery nobleman Eric Cowley. For his part, Cowley spends most of his time trying to avoid his predatory ex-wife. It all ends in a nightclub floor show, just like a Hollywood film. Grand Final was released in the US by Paramount Pictures. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1936
Largely filmed on location inside Madame Tussaud's Wax museum, this horror movie centers on a banker who bets that he can spend an entire night in the London attraction's notorious Chamber of Horrors. Unfortunately, once there, he discovers himself to be a potential murder victim. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1935
In this comedy a boy defies his mother and leaves military school. The mother is angry and heartbroken as she has spent almost all she has in the hopes that he will pursue a military career. With the little she has left over, she has his sister, who dreams of being a nurse, open a hat shop. More trouble ensues when the girl's fiance is lured away by a seductive French girl. Suddenly, her no-good brother reappears, steals the heart of the Parisian, and is redeemed. Happiness ensues all around. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1935
Ballistics expert Perrins testifies at the trial for his wife Lisle accused of killing a spy who was searching for the secret plans of an anti-aircraft gun designed by Perrins. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1930
In this espionage drama an international spy goes searching for secret papers hidden within an isolated inn. He is accompanied by various spies and detectives. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1930
In this comedy, a business magnate goes to Monte Carlo for a vacation. There his pal encourages him to begin a flirtation with a lovely young woman. Later he returns home. There he learns that the girl is secretly married to a friend's nephew. Fortunately, the fellow is saved when the woman claims that his pal was really her lover. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Although he was established as a master of suspense by 1929, Alfred Hitchcock was still under contract to British International Pictures, and thus still obliged to direct everything his studio chose for him. Hitch's last silent film was The Manxman, a "romantic triangle" imbroglio based on a novel by Hall Caine. Filmed on location in the Isle of Man, the story concerns a local fisherman named Pete (Carl Brisson), a law student named Philip (Malcolm Keen), and a beautiful village girl named Kate (played by German actress Anny Ondra). When Pete is reported drowned, Kate turns to Philip for solace and sexual gratification. By and by, Pete returns none the worse for wear. Never suspecting that Kate has been unfaithful to him, Pete marries the girl. Eventually she bears Philip's child, which of course Pete assumes is his. Unable to lie to her husband anymore, Kate attempts suicide, which according to the laws of the Island is a crime. Kate is brought before the judge, who happens to be her ex-lover Philip. Confronted with the truth by Kate's father (who has suspected all along that she and Philip have had an affair), Philip gives up his legal career to make an "honest woman" out of Kate. An unrelentingly dour film, The Manxman is nonetheless beautifully photographed by Jack Cox. Sensing that the film would not appeal to a mass audience, BIP withheld release of The Manxman until after the distribution of Hitchcock's first talkie, Blackmail. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carl Brisson, Malcolm Keen, (more)
- 1929
The Clue of the New Pin is a vintage British mystery based on a story by Edgar Wallace about a "perfect murder." A nephew discovers the corpse of his wealthy uncle in a vault with a key laying beside the body as the only clue. A newspaper reporter helps clear the prime suspect and reveal the identity of the true killer. The Clue of the New Pin is a slow-paced, stagy early film effort which will mainly be of interest to film buffs because it contained one of the earliest appearances of Sir John Gielgud as Rex Trasmere. Benita Hume, who would later marry Ronald Coleman and become a star in her own right, is also interesting in her role as the murder suspect. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
