Marcel Poncin Movies

American opera and musical-comedy soprano Patrice Munsel plays the title role in this filmed biography of famed Australian diva Nellie Melba. The story begins on Nellie's father's cattle farm, where she grew up under her given name of Nelly Mitchell. While studying in Paris with the great Madame Marchesi (Martita Hunt), Nelly is advised to change her name to something more exotic. After attaining international success, Nellie returns to Australia to marry her erstwhile sweetheart (John McCallum), who eventually realizes that he can never find happiness so long as he is forced to share Mme. Melba with the rest of the world. Melba was directed by Lewis Milestone, who'd originally come to Australia to lens 20th Century-Fox's Kangaroo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, a diamond merchant's secretary gets fired by her new boss for being too efficient. She ends up kidnapped by a ring of jewel thieves. The clever hostage soon convinces the crook that she is with them and joins the gang. She then sneaks a note to her former boss and he comes to save her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A remake of the 1937 British comedy Where There's a Will, Top of the Form top-bills perennial comic relief Ronald Shiner as a Bilko-like bookmaker. Circumstances dictate that Shiner find himself in charge of a boys' school, where all the students show a natural affinity for gambling. Taking the boys on a tour of the European gaming tables, Shiner gets entangled in a plot to steal a Mona Lisa (not so far-fetched; such a theft actually took place in 1913). With the help of his young charges, Shiner rescues the Da Vinci classic from artnappers. Among Shiner's students are such future luminaries as Anthony Newley and Ronnie Corbett. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this drama, a reporter helps prove the innocence of a man wrongfully incarcerated for dealing drugs. The reporter learns of the situation when the convict's vagabond pals, with his influence and support, justice soon prevails. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this adventure, an archaeologist is working at a Tunisian dig and having a passionate affair with a local girl when he finds himself entangled with a murderous band of arms smugglers. The story is based on one of Victor Canning's novels. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

So Long at the Fair is based on a true story -- or at least, a story that has been told and retold so often that it is now accepted as truth. The year is 1889: the setting, the Paris Exhibition. Among the thousands in attendance are Vicky Barton (Jean Simmons) and her brother Johnny (David Tomlinson). After the first night of the Exhibition, Vicky is exhilarated, while Johnny seems a bit under the weather. The next morning, Vicky knocks on Johnny's hotel door, only to discover that her brother has disappeared. When she goes to the police and, later, to the British consul, the authorities refuse to believe her story. In fact, there is no evidence that Johnny ever existed! The outcome of this story is rather well known; still, it is perhaps best not to reveal any further details. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Huggets Abroad is the last and most contrived of Britain's "Huggetts" film series. The titular family members, first introduced in the 1947 film Holiday Camp, are played by Jack Warner, Kathleen Harrison, Susan Shaw and Petula Clark (the same). Mr. Huggett feels he's in a rut, so he quits his jobs and packs himself and his family off to Africa. In quick order, the innocents abroad (a) become involved with diamond smugglers and (b) wind up in jail. When his job becomes available again, the chastened Mr. Huggett returns to his own back yard. Four writers were required to concoct this tired British Ma and Pa Kettle equivalent. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's influential musical tragedy set the stage for the climactic dance ballets that became a staple of the Arthur Freed-MGM musicals (An American in Paris, Singin' in the Rain and The Band Wagon) of the early 1950s. Hans Christian Andersen's tragic fairy tale forms the basis of this film about betrayal, love and art. The story begins as struggling composer Julian Craster (Marius Goring) attends a performance of the Lermontov Ballet Company and recognizes his own score in the production of "Hearts of Fire." Julian protests to ballet company director Boris Lermontov (Anton Walbrook) about the unauthorized use of his music. Impressed by Julian's talent, Boris hires him to compose the score for his next ballet -- a dance version of "The Red Shoes." Boris also hires an attractive young dancer, Victoria Page (Moira Shearer), to perform in the ballet. When the lead ballerina announces that she plans to get married, Boris, in a pique over being abandoned, casts Victoria in the starring role. As Julian works on the score and Victoria struggles to perfect her dance technique, the two fall in love. When "The Red Shoes" ballet is premiered -- seen in a stunning and glorious fifteen-minute sequence -- it is a raging success and it makes Victoria a star. But when Boris learns that Julian and Victoria have fallen in love, Boris, who is secretly in love with Victoria, in a fit of rage forces Julian to leave the ballet company; Victoria leaves with him. Since Boris owns the rights to "The Red Shoes" ballet, he forbids Victoria to perform the dance and she becomes unemployable. Time passes and Julian and Victoria are now happily married. Julian's compositions have made him an international success. One day, with Victoria disembarking from a train in Paris, she meets Boris, who implores her to do one performance of "The Red Shoes" in Monaco. Victoria agrees as Julian cancels an engagement in London to travel to Monte Carlo in order to convince his wife not to perform the ballet. But Victoria goes on with the performance, with tragic results. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Herbert Lom essays a dual role as a team of trapeze artists. When a circus colleague finds himself in possession of a winning lottery ticket, the twins conspire to kill the man and claim the fortune for themselves. One twin makes certain to establish an alibi for the other, so that no one will suspect the pair of the crime. But blood isn't quite as thick as greed, and the twins come to a bad end when they fall out over their ill-gotten gains. Dual Alibi uses its meager budget to its advantage; most of the film is photographed with deep, dark shadows, which serve to hide any deficiencies in the split-screen work. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Johnny Frenchman uses humor to drive home the point that, despite all previous rivalries and hostilties, the French and English should pull together during WW2. Aldwych farceur Tom Walls plays Nat Pomeroy, harbourmaster of a Cornwall fishing village, who is continually outsmarted by clever French fish poacher Lannec Florrie (Francoise Rosay). Pomeroy is further aggravated by the fact that Florrie's son Yan (played by French-Canadian radio favorite Paul Dupuis) is busily romancing Pomeroy's daughter Sue (Patricia Roc). But when the Nazis rear their ugly heads, the Cornish fisherman and the French miscreants band together to thwart the German menace. Many of the cast members of Johnny Frenchman are actual Cornish villagers and members of the Free French resistance movement. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide