Philip Ray Movies

In the fifth episode of the six-part story "The Seeds of Death," the Doctor (Patrick Troughton) has managed to escape the possibility of a fatal materialization in Deep Space. But he is still stranded on the Moon, still attempting valiantly -- and vainly -- to thwart the destructive schemes of the Martian Ice Warriors. Meanwhile, the Martian seed pods have begun to pop open on the Earth's surface, spreading a fungus that will wipe out all humankind. Originally telecast on February 22, 1969, "The Seeds of Death, Episode 5" was written by Brian Hayles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the third episode of the six-part story "The Seeds of Death," the 21st century teleportation system T-Mat has broken down, leaving the Doctor (Patrick Troughton) drifiting helplessly in space. Desperate, the Doctor tries to land on the moon, hoping to use it as a base from which to counterattack the Martian Ice Warriors. Meanwhile, those aforementioned warriors launch phase two of their plan to spread deadly seed pods throughout the Earth. Originally telecast on February 8, 1969, "The Seeds of Death, Episode 3" was written by Brian Hayles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Ice Warriors introduced during Doctor Who's fifth season are back in the six-episode "The Seeds of Death," which launched its original BBC run on January 25, 1969. The Doctor (Patrick Troughton) and his friends materialize in the 21st century, when Earth's transportation system is entirely dependent on a teleportation system called T-Mat. After this system mysteriously breaks down, the Doctor tries to find out why -- and in so doing, crosses paths with some old enemies. "The Seeds of Death, Episode 1" was written by Brian Hayles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this crime melodrama, a Swiss woman finds herself unwittingly involved in a plot to steal from her employer, a London diamond merchant. Her boyfriend is behind the scheme. First he sends two accomplices disguised as German jewelers to see the boss. He is not fooled by their ruse and is killed while the woman is knocked unconscious. She awakens with amnesia and begins aimlessly wandering the London streets. Thinking that his girl has squealed to the police, her boy friend begins scouring the town to find her. Meanwhile, she is taken in by a boxer who returns to the ring to win the money needed to get her out of the country. Trouble ensues when her lover finally finds her after the match and begins beating on the exhausted fighter. To stop him, the woman shoots the villainous lover. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Hammer Studios followed up Evil of Frankenstein with this entertaining sequel, again starring Peter Cushing as the quintessential mad scientist obsessed with the reanimation of dead bodies and the creation of superhuman creatures. His latest project involves transferring the mind of a wrongly-executed man into the body of his lover (former Playboy centerfold Susan Denberg), whose own suicide left her horribly disfigured. After restoring her beauty, the Doctor performs the mind-transference, which comes off without a hitch... until the lust for revenge against his executioners begins to surface. He/she then pursues this vendetta by seducing and murdering those who wronged him. Hammer stalwart Terence Fisher directs this quirky entry with his usual flair -- aided considerably by a decent budget -- and spices things up with a fair share of titillation (courtesy of Ms. Denberg). ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

A scientist's attempts to clear the name of a friend nearly destroy his life in this intelligent science fiction drama. Prof. Sharpley (Harold Goldblatt) is a research scientist from Oxford University working with the British government on experiments in sensory deprivation. One day, Sharpley suddenly and shockingly commits suicide by throwing himself under an oncomming train while holding a briefcase stuffed with cash. While investigating the death, the police present the theory that Sharpley was a double agent, perhaps allied with the Communists, and that the death was the final result of his shame over betraying Great Britain. However, Sharpley's friend and associate Dr. Henry Longman (Dirk Bogarde) strongly disagrees, and he speculates that Sharpley's death had something to do with his research. In hopes of clearing Sharpley's name with police investigator Maj. Hall (John Clements), Longman begins subjecting himself to sessions in a sensory deprivation tank in order to prove that use of the technique can make one unusually suceptable to brainwashing or hypnotic suggestion. Longman emerges from the chamber frightened and disoriented, and in Long's presence one of his associates is able to convince Longman that he no longer cares for his wife Oonagh (Mary Ure). The doctor returns home displaying a callous and distant attitude toward his pregnant wife, and his personality begins to display an increasing number of deeply troubling changes. James Kennaway adapted the screenplay from his own novel. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this drama, an American journalist goes to England and winds up assisting a prominent lawyer's nephew after he is falsely accused of murdering a girl. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This meticulous re-creation of the sinking of the Titanic was adapted by Eric Ambler from the best-selling book by Walter Lord, and it preceded the blockbuster Titanic by almost 40 years. The film covers the life and death of the huge vessel from its launching celebration to that fateful night of April 14, 1912, when the "unsinkable" ship struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic. Of the 2224 passengers on board, 1513 were drowned as a result of the bad planning of lifeboats and escape routes. Kenneth More heads a huge and stellar cast, with 200 speaking parts, as second officer Herbert Lightoller, from whose point-of-view the story unfolds. Also in the cast are Laurence Naismith as the ill-fated Captain Smith; Michael Goodliffe as conscience-stricken ship's designer Thomas Andrews; Tucker McGuire as feisty American millionaire Molly Brown, whose courage and tenacity saved many lives; and Anthony Bushell as the captain of the Carpathia, who launched a noble but vain rescue mission once he was apprised of the disaster. Also appearing are two future TV favorites: The Avengers' Honor Blackman as a woman who believes that she has nothing to live for, and The Man From UNCLE's David McCallum as a wireless operator. The climactic sinking of the vessel is re-created with painstaking accuracy; filmed in "real time," it is a mere 37 minutes shorter than the actual tragedy. Two years before the film's release, an American TV adaptation of A Night to Remember set a precedent as the most elaborate and technically complex "live" broadcast of its time. Some viewers will find this movie a more accurate and gripping representation of this sea disaster than the romance-heavy Titanic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A young David McCallum heads the cast of the British melodrama The Secret Place. Set amongst the bombed-out buildings of London's East Side, the film concerns the misdeeds of a two-bit criminal gang headed by Gerry Carter (Ronald Lewis). In a fit of inspiration, Carter masterminds a meticulously planned diamond robbery, actually succeeding in swiping the precious gems. Unfortunately for the crooks, the diamonds accidentally come into the the possession of Freddie Haywood (Michael Brooke), a policeman's son. McCallum plays Mike Wilson, the sullen teddy-boy brother of Carter's girlfriend Molly (Belinda Lee), who tries to inveigle Freddie into giving up the diamonds. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this suspense film, a woman journeys home to Great Britain to attend the funeral of her parents, who according to the official report seemed to have died naturally at the same time. But the woman doesn't believe this. She thinks her stepmother, a nurse who took care of the aged couple had something to do with it. She goes to the authorities, but is unable to persuade them to look into it because the step-mother is a prominent, respected citizen in town. The young woman, who stands to inherit her father's considerable wealth when she comes of age, continues to look into it, even though she knows her own life is in jeopardy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A Richard Armstrong novel was the source for the British sea melodrama Passage Home. Set in 1931, the film takes place aboard a merchant ship, briefly harbored in South America. A young woman (Diane Cilento) boards the ship as a passenger, resulting in disharmony among the superstitious crew members. Virtuous seaman Anthony Steel protects the girl from the lecherous advances of captain Peter Finch. The film's predictable highlight is an outsized sea storm, during which a besotted Finch struggles to stay sober long enough to keep everyone from falling overboard. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hell Below Zero was one of several 1950s films made in Britain by Hollywood's Alan Ladd. The star plays Duncan Craig, who signs onto a whaling ship to get the facts behind the death of Judy Nordahl's (Joan Tetzel) father. While on a whaling expedition near Antarctica, Craig becomes suspicious of skipper Erik Bland (Stanley Baker). These suspicions are confirmed when Craig and Judy are targetted for an "accidental" demise in the frigid waters of the Antarctic. The plot never interferes with the action highlights, which under the direction of Mark Robson are well worth the price of admission. Based on a novel by Hammond Innes, Hell Below Zero was, like Ladd's British vehicles Paratrooper and The Black Knight, released in the US by Columbia. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this crime drama an American is assigned to guard a US art exhibit in London to protect one of da Vinci's most priceless paintings, "Madonna and Child." A series of art thefts has put the museum officials on red alert and they anxiously await the painting's arrival. Unfortunately, the painting is stolen en route to the show and replaced by an imitation. The intrepid guard follows the thieves to a private gallery run by a wealthy criminal. The film contains some useful and interesting information on art forgeries. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide