Norman Pitt Movies

Alec Guinness stars as an elderly Brit who takes in his poor New Yorker grandson (Ricky Schroeder) in this made-for-TV modern-day retelling of Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

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

Set during the Victorian era, the film stars Peter Cushing as a Holmeslike detective on the trail of a serial killer. The mystery angle is minimal, since we know virtually from the beginning that the killer is a gigantic....moth! It seems that Wanda Ventham, daughter of addled scientist Robert Flemyng, has spent too much time in her dad's lab, and can turn herself into a malevolent moth at will. Flemyng tries to mollify Ventham by creating a playmate for her-and the result is two murderous moths. Blood Beast Terror was also released as The Vampire-Beast Craves Blood. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ken Russell's first feature film is a slight comedy about a stodgy British resort. Gormleigh-by-the-Sea is a holiday community besotted with dullness. But things liven up when Jim (James Booth), a young deck-chair attendant, convinces the local entertainment director and mayor into starting a film festival. The town convinces an ambitious French actress to be the star of the festival. What happens after that is a series of near disasters -- including the failure of a Nudist Beach and a riot at a film premiere. It is left to Jim's American journalist girlfriend (Alita Naughton) to save the situation and the reputation of the town. This first feature for film-director Ken Russell, French Dressing was neither indicative of his future controversial projects nor was it auspicious of his directorial ability. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Ian Hendry made his final appearance as Dr. David Keel in this episode, which originally aired on in the December 30, 1961. Steed and Keel go after unscrupulous businessman Lemuel Potts (John Bailey), who has a habit of crushing those less powerful than he. The latest victim is an elderly packager who was cheated out of a shipment of bananas. In true Avengers fashion, the good guys beat the villain at his own game -- several times over. First telecast December 23, 1961 (though it was videotaped several months earlier), "A Change of Bait" was written by Lewis Davidson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, a British earl retires after spending most of his life governing a tropical island and decides to return to England. While there he discovers that an island princess has also come to be close to his butler. The earl tries to send the woman back to her island home, but he fails and in the end the butler and the woman remain together. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide