Beryl Reid Movies
Wittily buoyant British comedienne Beryl Reid was a revue performer from the age of 16. Her film appearances, beginning with 1954's The Belles of St. Trinian's, have been few but always well received. In 1966, Ms. Reid radically altered her image to portray a mean-spirited lesbian radio star in the original stage production of The Killing of Sister George, repeating this characterization in the controversial 1968 screen version. On television, Beryl Reid co-starred with Alec Guinness in the 1982 BBC miniseries Smiley's People. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1992
The made-for-TV Duel of Hearts is based on a novel by Barbara Cartland. It is difficult to believe that there's a Gothic-romance TV movie in existence that isn't based on a Cartland novel. Alison Doody plays gorgeous debutante Lady Caroline Faye, who falls for dashing nobleman Genuse Warlingham (Michael York). To be near the love of her life, Lady Caroline poses as a humble servant. The top-drawer British supporting cast includes Geraldine Chaplin, Billie Whitelaw, Virginia McKenna, Richard Johnson, Jeremy Kemp and Beryl Reed. Duel of Hearts made its American TV bow over the TNT Cable service on February 24, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Based on the story by Kenneth Grahame, this animated episode follows the adventures of Rat, Mole, and Toad. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Based on the story by Kenneth Grahame, this episode features more of the animated adventures of Rat, Mole, and Toad. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
A movie version of the stage play The Doctor and the Devils, written in the 1950s by Welsh poet/playwright Dylan Thomas, had been planned and shelved by several filmmakers before producer Mel Brooks and director Freddie Francis finally brought the project to fruition in 1985. Essentially, the story is the old one about grave robbers Burke and Hare and Scottish surgeon Dr. Robert Knox (which also yielded the 1945 Val Lewton classic The Body Snatcher). Timothy Dalton plays 18th century doctor Thomas Rock, who must rely upon the disreputable Robert Fallon (Jonathan Pryce) and Timothy Broom (Stephen Rea) to provide fresh cadavers for Dr. Rock's teaching hospital. When they can't dig up corpses fast enough to suit Dr. Rock, Fallon and Broom decide to streamline their methods via murder. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Timothy Dalton, Jonathan Pryce, (more)
- 1985
Based on the story by Kenneth Grahame, this animated episode contains more adventures of Rat, Mole, and Toad. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Based on the story by Kenneth Grahame, the fourth volume of this series features another animated episode of the wonderful adventures of Rat, Mole, and Toad. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
This colorful spoof of pirate movies had all the makings of a classic farce and yet sank straight to Davy Jones' locker at the box-office, for despite it's all-star international cast of famous comedians, and despite the fact that it was largely co-written by "Monty Python"-veteran Graham Chapman and former "Fringie" Peter Cook, the darned thing just wasn't funny. The sketches center around the core story of the dread pirate Yellowbeard's quest for a fabulous treasure, the map for which is tattooed on the head of his prissy son, who wants nothing to do with ships and pirate shenanigans. This was the final film of bug-eyed, beloved comedian Marty Feldman, who died of heart-failure before production finished. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Graham Chapman, Peter Boyle, (more)
For many aficionados of Kenneth Grahames' The Wind in the Willows, the definitive film version was seen in Disney's omnibus animated feature Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949). Even so, this 1983 British adaptation is every bit as accomplished and worthwhile as the Disney film. Consisting of three short stories, each lasting about 20 minutes, the film features most of Grahame's beloved anthropomorphic-animal characters, specifically Toad, Rat, Badger and Mole. The animation was accomplished with a stop-motion process, reminiscent of George Pal's Puppetoons. The Wind in the Willows was directed by Mark Hall, of Count Duckula and Danger Mouse fame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
In the third episode of the four-part story "Earthshock," the Doctor (Peter Davison) has materialized on earth in the 26th century, where a huge super-bomb of alien origin is sequestered in a cave, guarded by a pair of murderous robots. To his chagrin, the Doctor learns that the bomb is the handiwork of his old nemeses, the Cybermen, who are (again) scheming to destroy the world -- beginning with a conference where the delegates are discussing the destruction of the Cybermen. Written by Eric Saward, "Earthshock, Episode 3" originally aired on March 15, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Davison, Matthew Waterhouse, (more)
- 1982
In the conclusion of the four-part story "Earthshock," the leader of the Cybermen intends to destroy the earth by forcing the crash-landing of a huge, heavily armed space vessel. The Doctor (Peter Davison), Tegan (Janet Fielding), and Nyssa (Sarah Sutton), all locked in the TARDIS, are unable to prevent this catastrophe. It is up to Adric (Matthew Waterhouse) to save the day -- and without giving away the ending, it should be noted that this episode represented Adric's final Doctor Who appearance, at least until a surprise guest-shot in the 21st season adventure "The Curse of Androzani." Written by Eric Saward, "Earthshock, Episode 4" originally aired on March 16, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Davison, Matthew Waterhouse, (more)
- 1982
In the second episode of the four-part story "Earthshock," the Doctor (Peter Davison) and two of his companions are held responsible when four 26th century paleontologists disappear. The actual culprits turn out to be a brace of blank-faced robots who are jealously guarding a giant bomb within a huge cave. Clearly, the robots are acting under someone's orders -- but whose? Written by Eric Saward, "Earthshock, Episode 2" originally aired on March 9, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Davison, Matthew Waterhouse, (more)
- 1978
- R
The Carry On series is living on fumes in this late entry. An unofficial burlesque of the Emmanuelle series (albeit with a single modification: the spelling of the name was changed to 'Emmannuelle' to avoid legal complications), the film centers upon Emmannuelle Prevert (Suzanne Danielle) and her unsuccessful attempts to make love to her husband Emile (Kenneth Williams), a French ambassador. Emile grants Emmannuelle permission to bed down with anyone she likes and her prodigious intercourse rate turns her into a celebrity and a frequent talk show guest. Meanwhile, Theodore Valentine (Larry Dann) is hopelessly in love with her and wants to marry her. Emmannuelle, however, is obsessed with arousing her husband Emile's sexual desire at almost any cost. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Suzanne Danielle, Kenny Williams, (more)
Tony Richardson attempts to re-create the glory days of Tom Jones in this adaptation of the 1742 Henry Fielding novel. Peter Firth stars in this picaresque tale as Joseph Andrews, a young servant switched at birth who undergoes a series of romantic escapades. Joseph even has the fortune of becoming the personal footman to Lady Booby (Ann-Margaret). Joseph's romantic peccadilloes cause consternation among a collection of stuffy noblemen and women in 18th-century England. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann-Margret, Peter Firth, (more)
- 1975
This bedroom farce seems better suited to a suburban dinner theatre than the Big Screen, but everyone involved strives to please, and often as not they succeed. The plot hinges upon a misdelivered parcel of pornographic postcards, which end up in the hands of a staid banker and his frigid wife. By the middle of the film (read: Act Two), everyone is being mistaken for someone else. By the end (Act Three), the leading characters have dropped their trousers or lost their dresses. No Sex Please, We're British began life as a stage play by Anthony Marriot and Alistair Foot, which ran for years in London--mostly as a tourist attraction for easily entertained Americans. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ronnie Corbett, Beryl Reid, (more)
- 1973
The British TV sitcom Father Dear Father originally ran from 1968 through 1973. Veteran farceur Patrick Cargill starred as a divorced father with two nubile daughters. Complications ensued when the girls moved into the flat just below Cargill's. You may recognize this property as the basis for the 1980s Ted Knight series Too Close For Comfort. This feature-film version of Father Dear Father merely rehashes plot devices from the series; neither of the property's original writers, Brian Cooke and John Mortimer (of Rumpole of the Bailey fame) seem to have been involved in the movie adaptation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This sequel to the stylish 1971 melodrama The Abominable Dr. Phibes once more stars Vincent Price in the title role. Long believed dead, Phibes arises from a state of suspended animation, in search of the means to bring his deceased wife back to the land of the living. Phibes also wears a rubber mask to disguise his own horribly disfigured countenance. (The giveaway: he never moves his mouth when speaking, and eats by applying his fork to his neck!) With the aid of the enigmatic, never-speaking Vulnavia (Valli Kemp), Phibes follows an Egyptian expedition, seeking out an ancient elixir of life and killing everyone who gets in his way. In the original film, all of the doctor's grisly but ingenious murders were motivated, and all were linked by a Seven Deadly Plagues throughline. In the sequel, Phibes kills whenever he feels like it, and utilizes an impressive array of death-dealing contraptions (one victim literally has his skin blown off his body by a high-powered electric fan). This marks one of the only films ever made to wrap with Vincent Price singing "Somewhere, Over the Rainbow." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Price, Robert Quarry, (more)
An annoying devil-worshipping British biker gang calling themselves "The Living Dead" decide to take their moniker to heart when their leader commits suicide and is brought back from the dead in an occult ritual, thanks to a Satanic pact. Realizing that becoming zombies could be even more fun than the usual day-to-day hell-raising, most of the gang follow suit -- throwing themselves off buildings, into traffic, walls, etc. Without the annoyance of death to contend with, the Living Dead become even more obnoxious than usual, leading to a pat solution from their leader's peeved mother (Beryl Reid). Outrageously dated and featuring loads of unintentional laughs, this is still the finest movie ever made about British zombie biker gangs and features the stately Reid turning into a giant frog. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1970
An attractive young charmer by the name of Mr. Sloane weasels his way into the lives of a middle-aged brother and sister, while trying to disguise the truth about his unpleasant past. This black comedy is based on a work by Joe Orton, the taboo-tweaking British playwright who delighted in loading his dialogue with satirical insights and racy double entendres. Indeed, sexual tension drives the plot from the very beginning, when the lonely Kath (Beryl Reid) spots Mr. Sloane (Peter McEnery) in a cemetery and invites him to become a boarder. Despite the age difference, Sloane coyly plays along with her flirtations for his own benefit. Their fun seems over when Kath's brother Ed (Harry Andrews) shows up, but the prim and proper gentleman also takes a shine to Sloane, hiring him as his chauffeur and taking particular interest in the young man's tight leather uniform. Kath and Ed's elderly father, however, develops a strong hatred of Sloane, and accuses to him of being involved in an old, unsolved murder. Though the translation to the screen is somewhat uneven, the controversial elements of Orton's text are mostly preserved, and his gleefully amoral tone survives intact. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Beryl Reid, Peter McEnery, (more)
Set in the British Isles in the 1930s, this film involves two old-maid sisters who lock their deranged brother in a cellar to keep him out of the war. He's there for thirty years, and when he finally gets loose he's a little irritated. Enough so, that he plagues the local countryside with a rash of very nasty murders. Maybe they needed a stronger lock. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1969
The genesis of the British sitcom Wink to Me Only was "View by Appointment," an episode of the BBC anthology Comedy Playhouse. Hugh Paddick and Beryl Reid starred as long-married couple Sydney and Rene Jelliot. To say that the Jelliots were "weird" was an understatement, but they were no weirder than the surreal story lines which distinguished the series. Six half-hour episodes of Wink to Me Only were telecast from June 11 to July 16, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugh Paddick, Beryl Reid, (more)
The Assassination Bureau is loosely based on a turn-of-the-century yarn written by Jack London. Nellie Bly-style girl reporter Sonya Winter (Diana Rigg) tries to get the goods on shady businessman Ivan Dragomiloff (Oliver Reed). Ivan is in charge of a wide-reaching organization which, for a price, assassinates those who "need killing." As a challenge, Sonya offers to pay Ivan a huge sum if he'll instruct his minions to assassinate him; Ivan agrees, hoping that it will put a little kick in his work. Despite his profession, Ivan isn't the villain of the piece; that honor goes to evil nobleman Lord Bostwick (Telly Savalas), whose perfidy leads Sonya into joining forces with the Assassination Bureau. A wild climactic chase in a zeppelin caps this tongue-in-cheek escapade. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Oliver Reed, Diana Rigg, (more)
The famously inept but accidentally brilliant Inspector Clouseau returns to help foil a group of daring robbers in this comedy, the only film in the long-running series not to feature Peter Sellers as the bumbling inspector. Instead, the talented Alan Arkin assumes the role, blundering his way through the expected series of absurd, slapstick situations. The plot centers on a series of Swiss bank robberies under investigation by an uptight Scotland Yard inspector (Patrick Cargill), who naturally becomes infuriated by Clouseau's unwelcome intervention. Meanwhile, the robbers decide to confuse matters by wearing Clouseau masks, offering further opportunities for farcical mistaken identities. Due to the absence of both Sellers and director Blake Edwards, Inspector Clouseau has largely been forgotten in comparison to the other Pink Panther films, though it maintains some interest as a curious aberration in the popular comic series. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Arkin, Frank Finlay, (more)
Touted by 20th Century-Fox as a follow-up to their enormously successful The Sound of Music, Star! reteams that earlier film's leading lady Julie Andrews and director Robert Wise. Andrews plays legendary musical comedy star Gertrude Lawrence, while Daniel Massey appears as Lawrence's friend, co-worker and severest critic Noel Coward (Massey's real-life godfather). The film jumps back and forth in continuity at times, its transitions bridged by fabricated newsreel footage; essentially, however, William Fairchild's script traces Lawrence's progress from ambitious bit actress to the toast of London and Broadway. Her success is offset by a stormy private life, which is given some ballast when she falls in love with an American financier (Richard Crenna). The film is way too long for its own good, though the musical set pieces -- especially the Andrews-Massey duets -- are superb. Julie Andrews welcomed the chance of playing a character as far removed from her goody-two-shoes heroine in Sound of Music as possible; Gertrude Lawrence was temperamental, sarcastic, profane and at times self-destructive, and Andrews makes a meal of the role. Unfortunately, Andrews' fans, conditioned by the Fox publicity machine to expect a continuation of Sound of Music, rejected her outright in this "new" characterization. Star! was a huge box-office bomb, so much so that Fox desperately attempted a shortened re-release under a misleading new title, Those Were The Happy Times. They weren't: it remained a financial disaster, though it has developed a loyal cult following in recent years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Andrews, Richard Crenna, (more)
