Donald Pleasence Movies
Balding, deceptively bland-looking British actor Donald Pleasence was first seen on the London stage in a 1939 production of Wuthering Heights. He then served in the RAF, spending the last years of World War II in a German POW camp. Resuming his career after the war, Pleasence eventually came to New York in the company of Laurence Olivier in 1950, appearing in Caesar and Cleopatra. And although he began appearing in films in 1954, Pleasence's British fame during the '50s was the result of his television work, notably a recurring role as Prince John in The Adventures of Robin Hood from 1955-1958. He also co-starred in TV productions of The Millionairess, Man in a Moon, and Call Me Daddy. Voted British television actor of the year in 1958, Pleasence produced and hosted the 1960 series Armchair Mystery Theatre, before creating the stage role for which he was best remembered: Davies, the menacing tramp in Harold Pinter's The Caretaker. The actor revived the character throughout his career, appearing as Davies for the last time in 1991.Pleasence was fortunate enough to be associated with the success of The Great Escape in 1963, which led to a wealth of American film offers. Four years later, the actor portrayed arch criminal Ernst Blofeld in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice -- the first time that the scarred face of the secretive character was seen onscreen in the Bond series. Firmly established as a villain, Pleasence gradually eased into horror films such as Halloween (1978), The Devonsville Terror (1979), and Buried Alive (1990); commenting on this phase of his career, Pleasence once mused "I only appear in odd films." One of his few "mainstream" appearances during this period was virtually invisible. Pleasence is seen and prominently billed as a rabbi in Carl Reiner's Oh, God! (1977), but the role was deemed dispensable and all the actor's lines were cut.
Pleasence continued to work steadily in the 1980s and early '90s -- making 17 pictures alone in 1987-1989 -- before undergoing heart surgery in 1994; he died from complications two months later. Married four times, the actor was the father of six daughters, among them actress Angela Pleasence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Richard Chamberlain stars in this lavishly appointed adaptation of the classic Alexandre Dumas adventure story. When Count Edmond Dantes (Richard Chamberlain) is stripped of his wealth and sent to prison for crimes he did not commit, he swears to get revenge against those who wronged him. With the help of Abbe (Trevor Howard), a fellow prisoner, the Count escapes and sets forth to see that justice is done. The supporting cast includes Tony Curtis as Mondego, Louis Jourdan as De Villefort, and Donald Pleasance as Danglars. This seventh of eight film versions of The Count of Monte Cristo was produced for American television but received a theatrical release in Europe. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Chamberlain, Tony Curtis, (more)
Gary Sherman's Death Line is one of those little-seen, long-forgotten 1970s horror films that's still championed by its core of fans. When the film was shown as part of a horror series at Lincoln Center in 2002, director Guillermo Del Toro (The Devil's Backbone) pronounced it one of his all-time favorites. In the film, Patricia (Sharon Gurney) and her American boyfriend, Alex (David Ladd, son of actor/producer Alan Ladd), find an important government official apparently unconscious on the stairs of a London Underground station. By the time they locate a cop to investigate, the body is gone. The sarcastically cynical Inspector Calhoun (Donald Pleasence) and his right-hand man, Rogers (Norman Rossington), take on the case. The culprit turns out to be a deranged man (Hugh Armstrong), the descendent of tunnel workers who were trapped in a cave-in and abandoned by the government at the turn of the century. "The Man" lives in the abandoned tunnel with his mate, "the Woman" (June Turner), and ventures into the Underground proper only to find hapless human victims and bring them back to their decrepit lair for food. When his mate dies, the Man goes in search of another. Put-off by Alex's lack of compassion, Patricia splits up with him, venturing into a train station alone, and before long, she finds herself in the underground hellhole. Christopher Lee makes a cameo appearance as an officious, meddlesome MI5. Much to Sherman's chagrin, his film was re-edited by the producers and released to American grind houses under the title Raw Meat. It was shown in Britain in its original form, under its original title. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 1973
This made-for-TV musical adaptation of the oft-filmed Robert Louis Stevenson tale is a curious novelty -- not only because it predated the Tony award-nominated Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical by nearly 25 years, but also because the musical numbers (by Lionel Bart and Irwin Kostal) are tackled by some of the least likely musical performers in movie history. Viewers will scarcely have the opportunity to recover from Kirk Douglas' opening number before having their senses assaulted by a capering, cackling Donald Pleasence belting out strains of "Smudge's Song," and the equally questionable vocal talents of Susan George. These aberrations aside, this is a noticeably threadbare, stage-bound production filmed entirely on a soundstage (whose walls are evident in several shots), giving the proceedings a dark, two-dimensional feel. The rugged-looking Douglas, though miscast as the tender, love-struck Jekyll, manages a clever turn as the doctor's leering alter ego, and there are some interesting twists added to Stevenson's story, particularly at the climax. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1973
- R
Essentially a reworking of their earlier omnibus Asylum, this is another anthology of pulp horror tales from Amicus, this one helmed by the ever-reliable Freddie Francis. It features a quartet of eerie vignettes involving four patients in the care of psychiatrist Dr. Tremayne (Donald Pleasence), who is attempting to justify his strange theories to a colleague (Jack Hawkins, who died shortly after his scenes were filmed) by explaining the horrific events that drove the patients to their current state. The first tale centers on a young boy (Russell Lewis), whose parents' constant squabbling prompts him to conjure an imaginary tiger to devour them. The second involves a Victorian-era bicycle which allows its finder (Peter McEnery) to travel back in time and live as his own ancestor. The goofy third chapter pits a jealous wife (Joan Collins) against a strange rival for her husband's attention: a tree possessed by a human soul. The final segment stars Kim Novak (a last-minute replacement for Rita Hayworth) as a literary agent who must sacrifice her own daughter (Mary Tamm) to appease the restless spirit of her client's mother. Although certainly not the studio's best effort, this is still an amusing diversion, featuring the standard twist ending and a flamboyant approach suggestive of EC horror comics. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Logan (Donald Pleasance) is a world-weary prospector living in a remote town in British Columbia. His girlfriend (Kate Reid) has been around the block a few times and is a bit of an opportunist. The two of them listen with some skepticism to New Yorker Mazella (Don Calf, who comes to them with a story about a cache of refined gold hidden in a deserted, tapped-out mine deep in the mountains. He persuades them to go on the trip, and it turns out to be quite an adventure. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1973
- PG
Innocent Bystanders stars Stanley Baker as a Bondlike British secret service agent. In collaboration with fellow spies Geraldine Chaplin and Dana Andrews, Baker is sent behind the Iron Curtain to locate a Russian scientist who has escaped from Siberia. There's a likelihood that the scientist was permitted to escape so that he can spy on the Good Guys. Baker must decide if the escapee is to be rescued or eliminated. The level of sadism and bloodshed in Innocent Bystanders is such that at times it makes the James Bond films look like models of decorum. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stanley Baker, Geraldine Chaplin, (more)
- 1973
- PG
The multipart From Beyond the Grave features Peter Cushing as the owner of a sinister antique shop. Utilizing the various artifacts in his establishment, Cushing metes out retribution to customers who try to bamboozle him. The quartet of horror playlets included herein are "The Gate Crasher," "An Act of Kindness," "The Elemental," and "The Door"; all originally appeared in short-story form in Ronald Chetwynd-Hayes' The Unbidden. The British cast includes David Warner, Donald Pleasence, Ian Bannen, Diana Dors, Nyree Dawn Porter, Ian Carmichael, Ian Ogilvy, Lesley-Anne Down, and Margaret Leighton. This Amicus production was also released as Creatures and The Creatures from Beyond the Grave. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Any Old Port in a Storm is another two-hour TV cat and mouse session with Lt. Columbo (Peter Falk). Donald Pleasance portrays a winemaker whose covetous brother plans to sell the family vineyard. Pleasance puts the kibosh on this transaction by killing his sibling. He tries to make it look like an accident, but Columbo endeavors to prove otherwise--all the while exhibiting a hitherto unrevealed expertise in the field of fine wines. Julie Harris costars in this 1973 episode of the Columbo TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Donald Pleasence is the sole "name" actor in the pleasant children's film Malachi's Cove. The actual star is Veronica Quilligan, playing Mally, a 14-year-old Cornish girl compelled to fend for herself. With a handful of young friends, she sets up a thriving business selling seaweed for farm fertilization purposes. If you burrow around in your library, you may find the Anthony Trollope story upon which this easygoing period drama was based. Malachi's Cove was also released as The Seaweed Children. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Veronica Quilligan, Donald Pleasence, (more)
Carol Kane makes one of her earliest screen appearances in the Canadian Wedding in White. Set during World War 2, the film costars Donald Pleasence as Kane's father. The crux of the film concerns Pleasence's feverish efforts to save Carol's good name after she is raped and impregnated by her brother's loutish soldier friend. While it might sound like "Go and never darken my door again!" melodrama, the film is delicately handled, with some particularly poignant scenes between father and daughter. Wedding in White won the Canadian equivalent of the "best picture" Oscar in 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The Pied Piper eschews the romanticism of Robert Browning's poem and returns to the grim Grimm Brothers source. Pop singer Donovan plays the 14th century piper hired by duplicitous burgomaster Donald Pleasance to rid the town of Hamelin of its rats. The piper does what he's asked, but is denied the payment promised him; in revenge, he leads all of Hamelin's children out of town, never to be seen again. Though the story is a familiar one, this 1972 Pied Piper is not a kiddie movie. Director Jacques Demy's depiction of the 14th century as a muddy, backward, superstitious, disease-ridden, vermin-infested era transforms this fable into a squalid tale of revenge (incidentally, all those repulsive rodents are real; note John Holmes' screen credit as "rat trainer"). Donovan is quite good in the lead, and is matched by a remarkably restrained Jack Wild as the crippled boy. If you want the sugary sweet Pied Piper that your mother used to recite at bedtime, stay away from this film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Wild, Donald Pleasence, (more)
- 1972
- PG
A well-meaning American finds himself in the midst of political turmoil in the wake of the Arab-Israeli Six Day War in this drama. David (Bruce Davison), an American student doing graduate work at Tel Aviv University, becomes reacquainted with Raschid (Zeev Revan), a young Arab who was David's roommate while attending Yale. David and Raschid are studying archeology, and in the interest of friendship, David begins acting as a go-between for Arab and Israeli students, unaware that he's aiding an underground terrorist operation in the process. The supporting cast includes Nicol Williamson as Dr. Lang, one of David's professors, and Daria Halprin as Nurit, one of Lang's students (and also his lover). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Davison, Nicol Williamson, (more)
- 1972
Henry VIII and His Six Wives is a feature film based upon the 1971 BBC miniseries The Six Wives of Henry VIII. Keith Michell weathers several makeup changes as the much-married titular monarch. While the miniseries was able to explore the political and personal reasons for the selection (and sometimes rejection) of the wives, the shortened version concentrates chiefly on such highlights as the birth of Queen Elizabeth and the execution of Anne Boleyn. The film is constructed in flashback form, with an aged Henry recalling his marital record. Side note: Donald Pleasence appears as Thomas Cromwell in Henry VIII and His Six Wives; Pleasence's daughter Angela had played Katherine Howard, Bride No. 5, in the original Six Wives of Henry VIII. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keith Michell, Donald Pleasence, (more)
Based on his award-winning student short, George Lucas's debut feature cerebrally celebrates the possibility for individual freedom against all odds. In a 1984-esque white-washed future underground dystopia where sexuality is banned, all humans sport shaved heads and the same shapeless outfits as they go about their work in a mandated state of sedation, listening to exhortations to "Buy and Be Happy." Black-clad robot cops chant a mantra to their victims that "everything will be all right" and automated confessional booths emit soothing therapeutic bromides. But unbeknownst to THX 1138 (Robert Duvall), his roommate LUH 3417 (Maggie McOmie) has been reducing their meds, resulting in their mutual discovery of love and THX's subsequent imprisonment for drug evasion and sexual misconduct. Determined to find the pregnant LUH, THX breaks out of prison with the help of his cellmate SEN 5241 (Donald Pleasence) and an escaped TV hologram (Don Pedro Colley). With fugitive pursuits strictly budgeted, THX only has to evade the robocops until the funds run out, but surveillance is omnipresent and THX's vehicle keeps overheating. Making the only film produced through the first incarnation of Francis Ford Coppola's independent studio American Zoetrope, Lucas and his small crew, including co-writer and sound editor Walter Murch, shot THX 1138 in northern California with no interference from distributor Warner Bros. When Warners saw the austere result, however, they recut the film before its release. Neither the studio's nor Lucas's cut was a popular success, but THX 1138's coolly minimalist style and story-telling gained fans on the college screening circuit, just as Stanley Kubrick's poetic 2001: A Space Odyssey had attracted a large youth audience in 1968. When Lucas returned to sci-fi after American Graffiti, he traded restraint for nostalgic fun in the film that guaranteed his creative freedom in Hollywood: Star Wars. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Duvall, Donald Pleasence, (more)
- 1971
Outback was based on Kenneth Cook's novel Wake in Fright. Gary Bond plays a naive young Australian teacher who is tragically unprepared for his new position in the outback. The community he has been sent to is populated almost exclusively by amoral, primitive toughs, more interested in slaughtering kangaroos and sexual carousing than in such niceties as education or propriety. The methodical shattering of Bond's dearly held values plunge the young teacher deeper into degeneracy. Outback was so graphic in its original Australian version that 15 minutes had to be cut before American distributor Group W would consider touching it. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Kidnapped avoids the Hollywoodized interpolations of previous film versions of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel, choosing instead to adhere to the story as written. Scottish orphan David Balfour (Lawrence Douglas) is betrayed by his wicked uncle Ebeneezer (Donald Pleasance), who arranges for David to be kidnapped and sold into slavery so that Unk can claim his inheritance. The boy is rescued and befriended by Alan Breck (Michael Caine), a Scottish rebel fighting on behalf of his country's independence from the British (did we tell you that the film takes place during late 18th century?) Both David and Alan undergo several exhilarating adventures before Alan comes to realize that the rebellion is doomed from the start, and David foils his uncle's greedy machinations. Kidnapped was one of several "classic" adaptations released by American-International during the early 1970s, and arguably the best of the bunch (try sitting through AIP's Wuthering Heights sometime). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Trevor Howard, (more)
- 1971
- R
Based on a novel by William Inge, this drama follows the attempts of two doctors to help a 35-year-old educator deal with a brutal rape. The incident is complicated by the fact that she was a virgin when it happened and that her attacker was a man she had been trying to help. The racial implications of the story may be offensive to many audience members. The film is also known as The Sin, The Shaming, and Secret Yearnings (on video). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Heywood, Donald Pleasence, (more)
A cavalry unit in Colorado is conducting two important cargoes to Fort Reunion, home of the 11th Colorado Volunteers: Cresta Marybelle Lee (Candice Bergen), the fiancée of an officer in the unit until two years ago, when she was taken by the Cheyenne, and who just escaped; and Captain Battles (Dana Elcar), the paymaster, with a strongbox containing gold. The men are tired -- almost asleep in their saddles -- and frustrated, and doubly so by the presence of Cresta, whose beauty and reputation (by virtue of living two years with "savages") is driving them to distraction; all except for Honus Gant (Peter Strauss), a neophyte trooper and wide-eyed innocent. The detachment is ambushed by a Cheyenne war party and the only survivors are Cresta and Honus, who learn to tolerate each other as they struggle across the wilderness and the desert in search of help. An encounter with white trader Isaac Q. Cumber (Donald Pleasence), a profiteer who is running guns to the Indians, nearly results in their deaths, and Honus is seriously wounded.
Cresta goes off in search of help and is picked up by a cavalry scout and brought to the 11th Colorado, whose commanding officer, Col. Iverson (John Anderson), is planning a punitive strike against a peaceful Cheyenne encampment over the massacre of the paymaster's party. Cresta tries to secure help for Honus but Iverson is too busy planning bloodshed, and her fiancé, Lt. McNair (Bob Carraway), is just too eager to pick up where he left off with her to listen to her warnings. She rides out on her own and returns to the village where she'd spent the previous two years, while Honus manages to survive to reach Iverson. He ends up along for the assault on the village, which takes place despite the chieftain Spotted Wolf (Jorge Rivera) flying a flag of truce and an American flag given him at a previous negotiation with the whites. The Native Americans defend themselves when fired upon with artillery and rifles, and all hell breaks lose -- virtually all of the men in the village are killed in the first assault, and then the soldiers spot the women, children, and old men, and there begins an orgy of rape, mutilation, beheadings, dismemberment, and torture before Honus' horrified eyes by joyously shrieking soldiers. Cresta kills a soldier who tries to rape her and intends to die with her Native American family but is pulled out, only to watch the slaughter continue. In the end, Honus is left to be marched back to Fort Reunion as a prisoner for trying to stop the killing, and Iverson expresses pride and satisfaction at what he's done, while Cresta and a tiny handful of survivors -- almost all old men and women -- watch in mute horror and anger. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
Cresta goes off in search of help and is picked up by a cavalry scout and brought to the 11th Colorado, whose commanding officer, Col. Iverson (John Anderson), is planning a punitive strike against a peaceful Cheyenne encampment over the massacre of the paymaster's party. Cresta tries to secure help for Honus but Iverson is too busy planning bloodshed, and her fiancé, Lt. McNair (Bob Carraway), is just too eager to pick up where he left off with her to listen to her warnings. She rides out on her own and returns to the village where she'd spent the previous two years, while Honus manages to survive to reach Iverson. He ends up along for the assault on the village, which takes place despite the chieftain Spotted Wolf (Jorge Rivera) flying a flag of truce and an American flag given him at a previous negotiation with the whites. The Native Americans defend themselves when fired upon with artillery and rifles, and all hell breaks lose -- virtually all of the men in the village are killed in the first assault, and then the soldiers spot the women, children, and old men, and there begins an orgy of rape, mutilation, beheadings, dismemberment, and torture before Honus' horrified eyes by joyously shrieking soldiers. Cresta kills a soldier who tries to rape her and intends to die with her Native American family but is pulled out, only to watch the slaughter continue. In the end, Honus is left to be marched back to Fort Reunion as a prisoner for trying to stop the killing, and Iverson expresses pride and satisfaction at what he's done, while Cresta and a tiny handful of survivors -- almost all old men and women -- watch in mute horror and anger. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Candice Bergen, Peter Strauss, (more)
- 1970
Donald Pleasence, Shelley Winters, Tammy Grimes, and Terry-Thomas star in the obscure British black comedy Arthur!! Arthur? Pleasence plays a henpecked, introverted little nebbish, unhappily wed to Winters. Escaping into fantasy, Pleasence conjures up an extroverted alter-ego, which eventually overtakes his "real" self. Newly emboldened, he murders his wife, cashes in her insurance policies, and runs off with Grimes. But she proves a bit too clever for both of Pleasence's personalities. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
To help fight the communists, comic-strip superhero Mister Freedom (John Abbey) is sent to France by an American group called Freedom Incorporated. Receiving his orders from Doctor Freedom (Donald Pleasence), he battles the Russian Moujik Man and a fire-breathing dragon named Red China Man in this political satire critical of U.S. policies. When one of the heroes nears death, another is sent to take his place to uphold the sometimes ridiculous policies. Those who don't heed the warning of the so-called hero are destined to die in an atomic bomb explosion. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Abbey, Donald Pleasence, (more)
- 1969
Taken from the popular play by Jean Giraudoux, The Madwoman Of Chaillot has an international all-star cast, but the final result falls short despite the talents of the celebrated thespians. The madwoman in question is the extremely eccentric Countess Aurelia (Katherine Hepburn). Roderick (Richard Chamberlain) is the peace-loving activist who, along with a local rag picker (Danny Kaye), warns the Countess of a plot to destroy the city. A quartet of villains led by the Chairman (Yul Brynner) are after the oil reserves that bubble under the water supply. Along with the Broker (Charles Boyer), the Commissar (Oscar Homolka), and the Prospector (Donald Pleasence), the evil developers plan to secure the oil rights to the region with or without the consent of the unsuspecting public. The Countess invites Josephine (Dame Edith Evans) to judge the villains, who are locked in the Countess's cellar for their crimes against the people of Paris in this lethargic film. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Katharine Hepburn, Charles Boyer, (more)
- 1967
A suave, sophisticated journalist gets hold of a magic ring of invisibility and obtains a secret formula. As a result he finds himself pursued by Chinese agents in this spoof of James Bond thrillers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick O'Neal, Ira Furstenberg, (more)
- 1967
Military Intelligence officer Major Grau (Omar Sharif) investigates the brutal murder of a Warsaw prostitute in this mystery set during World War II. Grau's only clue is that the murderer was wearing the uniform of a Nazi general. The three suspects include Gabler (Charles Gray), who fears his harridan wife more than anything, the icy General Tanz (Peter O'Toole), and the scheming, resourceful General Kahlenberge (Donald Pleasence). Grau is suspicious when he is taken off the case, but he does his own investigating when the suspects are gathered in Paris two years later. He enlists the help of Inspector Morand (Philippe Noiret), a resistance sympathizer with whom Grau forms an alliance. A side plot involving an affair with the general's daughter is thrown in for distaff interest. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, (more)
Rambling along at its own measured pace, Will Penny is a vivid western character study, completely dominated by the rapport between stars (Charlton Heston) and (Joan Hackett). Heston plays Will Penny, an aging and impoverished cowboy. With his cohorts Blue (Lee Majors) and Dutchy (Anthony Zerbe), the trio sets out to find employment before winter sets in. Their job search is interrupted by the sudden appearance of Preacher Quint, a vicious Bible-thumping bandit (Donald Pleasance) and his moronic, sadistic sons. Dutchy gets wounded in the fight and Blue stays with him in a small town nearby to nurse him back to health. Will gets a job on a ranch, and though he is supposed to keep squatters off the land, he can't kick out Catherine (Joan Hackett) and her little son (Jon Gries). She herself is en route to join her husband, an Oregon farmer. Despite her wedding vows, Catherine finds herself drawn to Penny -- who makes no unwarranted move towards the woman, but is equally attracted to her. Then the murderous Quint and his sons reappear to exact their revenge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlton Heston, Joan Hackett, (more)
