Robert Rendel Movies

In this WW II comedy, three British sailors get roaring drunk in a South American port, accidentally mistake a German battleship for their own and stagger aboard. Boozy mayhem ensues until the tipsy trio manages to capture the ship and its entire crew on behalf of the Royal Navy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this rather theatrical comedy, a millionaire and a starving author exchange places. The beleaguered millionaire does this so he can find a little peace and quiet. The ersatz millionaire goes to a boarding house where he finds moochers at every turn. Meanwhile the real millionaire's wife throws a monkey wrench in the scheme when she surprises her "husband" at the house. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This was the first sound production of A.E.W. Mason's classic adventure novel, which was brought to the screen three times in the silent era. Harry Faversham (John Clements) is the son of a military man who expects his son to follow in his footsteps on the fields of battle. Gen. Burroughs (C. Aubrey Smith), the father of Faversham's sweetheart, Ethne (June Duprez), was also a hero in the Crimean War, and he often regales Harry with tales of his exploits under fire. However, Harry is not so sure he believes in the family's tradition of military service and resigns his commission in 1898, shortly before his company is scheduled to head into the Sudan. Three of Faversham's comrades in arms, Capt. John Durrance (Ralph Richardson), Lt. Peter Burroughs (Donald Gray), and Lt. Arthur Willoughby (Jack Allen), each present Harry with a white feather, symbolizing their belief that he is a coward; Ethne shares their belief, and gives him one as well. Disgusted with himself, Faversham disguises himself as a Sangali tribesman and travels to the Sudan so that he might be able to move behind enemy lines and serve the British forces as a scout and reconnaissance agent. When his former regiment is attacked, Faversham is able to lead Burroughs and Willoughby to safety, with the wounded Durrance not realizing that the Arab who saved his life was in fact the man that he accused of cowardice. The Four Feathers was a great critical and commercial success and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Rex Harrison plays a young Englishman who suffers periodic bouts of amnesia. When the plane he is riding in crashes, Harrison blacks out again and awakens in Paris. He is told that for the past ten days he has been involved in espionage of some sort or other--and now his life isn't worth two francs. Based on the novel The Disappearance of Roger Tremayne by Bruce Graeme, the seriocomic Ten Days in Paris served as the inspiration for a multitude of future reluctant-spy escapades. The film was released outside Great Britain as Spy in the Pantry and Missing Ten Days. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this farce, a photographer gives up his successful career so that he can become a painter. Unfortunately, he is a terrible artist. Fortunately, his ex-secretary supports him all the way and eventually becomes his wife. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this British crime drama an argument over a new anaesthetic results in the murder of a hospital doctor. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The war between England and Spain in the late 16th century serves as backdrop for the fictional machinations of Fire Over England. Laurence Olivier plays a British naval officer who offers his services to Queen Elizabeth (Flora Robson) after his father is executed by the Spaniards. The queen dispatches Olivier to the court of Spain, there to determine which of her courtiers are actually spies for King Philip (Raymond Massey). Working under cover, Olivier learns that the Spaniards intend to send an armada to decimate the British navy. Barely escaping with his life, Olivier relays this information to his queen and also dispatches the traitors in her midst. Cast as one of Elizabeth's ladies-in-waiting, Vivien Leigh appears in the role that brought her to the attention of Gone With the Wind producer David O. Selznick. Directed by Hollywood's William K. Howard, Fire Over England was based on a novel by A.E.W. Mason of Four Feathers fame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this drama, a man is tried for participating in a fraud and ends up sentenced to serve a dozen years in prison. His does his time and then tries to return to his family. Unfortunately they are horribly ashamed of him and introduce him as their "Uncle Charles from South America." Later when his own son is framed by the crook who framed him, "Uncle Charles" goes to prison in his stead. There, away from snobbishness and social classes, he finds true happiness. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Originally released in 1934 as Death at Broadcasting House, this musty British whodunit was distributed in the US in 1941 to cash in on the Hollywood-engendered popularity of its star, Ian Hunter. Set in a BBC radio studio, the story gets under way when a much-despised airwaves personality is murdered in the middle of a live broadcast. Scotland Yard inspector Gregory (Ian Hunter) shows up to piece together the clues and sift through the suspects. The solution of the mystery hinges on the fact that the victim insisted upon broadcasting in a private room, far removed from his fellow actors. Inspector Gregory provides this solution by coming up with a transcription of the fatal broadcast (this at a time when few radio programs were recorded for posterity). Elements of Death at a Broadcast resurfaced in the 1942 Abbott & Costello comedy Who Done It? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This silly farce was typical Constance Talmadge material. She has great support here, with the suave Ronald Colman as her co-star (the two of them, along with director Sidney Franklin, would team up a year later for another film, Her Sister From Paris). Samuel C. Adams, an American millionaire (Albert Gran) brings his daughter, Dorothy (Talmadge), to England to see a specialist about her heart trouble. So that she won't be hounded by press and fortune hunters, Dorothy makes herself up to look extremely ugly. Lord Paul Menford (Colman) spies her without the hideous makeup job and falls in love with her immediately. He poses as his uncle, a heart specialist, so that he has a chance to meet Dorothy. While he's getting to know her, his agent is selling her father the Menford estate. Menford finally admits the ruse and later that night, he gets drunk and goes home -- only he has forgotten that he no longer lives at the Menford estate. He crawls into his old room to find Dorothy there. When a friend arrives the next morning, Menford introduces Dorothy as his wife to avoid a scandal. They decide to get married for real, but a misunderstanding splits them up. The rift, however, doesn't last long -- Mr. Adams tricks the couple into reconciling. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide