Peter Reynolds Movies
A British character actor, onscreen from the '40s, he usually played untrustworthy types. ~ All Movie Guide- 1961
In this British thriller, a rich fellow kills a young woman's lover. She gets her revenge upon him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1949
Adam and Evelyne stars Stewart Granger and Jean Simmons, who were husband and wife in the 1950s. Granger plays a "sang froid" gambler with little room for emotional entanglements in his life. When his best friend dies, Granger agrees to adopt the friend's daughter. She grows up to be Jean Simmons; Granger falls in love, but says nothing about his feelings because Jean accepts him as her real father. The denouement is right out of Daddy Long Legs, but is still effective within its new framework. When Adam and Evelyne made the Atlantic crossing and opened in the US, it was retitled Adam and Evelyn. Who knows why? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stewart Granger, Jean Simmons, (more)
- 1953
Originally titled 24 Hours in a Woman's Life, the British Affair in Monte Carlo stars Merle Oberon and Richard Todd. A compulsive gambler, Todd is on the verge of disgrace and ruin. Ms. Oberon makes it her mission in life to save Todd from himself. The story is told from the point of view of worldly writer Leo Genn, who is obviously intended as the alter ego of Stefan Zweig, author of the original novel 24 Hours in a Woman's Life. Whenever the drama bogs down, the viewer is encouraged to revel in the authentic Riviera locations. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Merle Oberon, Richard Todd, (more)
- 1961
While ministering to the wounds of a dying diamond thief, Dr. Keel sets a trap for his patient's partner. The plan backfires when the accomplice, convinced that Keel knows where the stolen diamonds are hidden, kidnaps the doctor's assitant Carol Wilson. Meanwhile, John Steed is conspicuous by his absence, until the final thrill-packed scenes. First telecast July 8, 1961, "Double Danger" was written by Gerald Verner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
The Avengers' fifth season came to a rousing finale with this episode. Steed and Emma are impersonated by a pair of enemy agents named Basil and Lola (Freddie Jones, and Patricia Haines). Things get hairier when the two imposters utilize a futuristic brain-transfer device to swap their minds with the genuine Steed and Emma. Written by Philip Levene, "Who's Who???" first aired in England on May 6, 1967, and in America on May 19 of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1954
Peter Reynolds stars as the son of a respectable British family, who despite his position and privilege chooses to pursue a life of crime. Starting with petty thievery, the misguided young man intends to cap his career with a major casino heist. A policeman (Patric Barr), in love with the young man's sister (Rona Anderson), figures out the boys' intentions and sets about to prevent the robbery. When the chips are down, the malfeasant shows what a rat he truly is, thereby losing whatever family loyalty his sister might have felt towards him. The villain's ultimate demise is befitting his loathsome personality. Produced in England, Black 13 was released stateside by 20th Century-Fox. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Reynolds, Rona Anderson, (more)
- 1954
This anthology is comprised of three stories. In the first a naive American tycoon boards the famous Orient Express and finds himself victimized by con-artists until a helpful train guard comes to aid him. The second tale centers on an impoverished Irishman's daughter who wants to marry the son of a miserly Scottsman. She and he are told they cannot marry, but the Irishman steps in and saves the day. The third tale centers upon a Norwegian artist who kills his own brother. It is his own wife who sees that he gets his come-uppance. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
In this low-budget British science fiction tale (which, not surprisingly, has gained a cult following), Nyah (Patricia Laffan), a statuesque, leather-clad woman from another world, lands near a small Scottish town with her trusty robot in tow. It seems that Mars has recently seen a dramatic drop in their male population, and if the Martian species is to survive, healthy men are needed to serve as husbands on the red planet. Nyah has been sent forth to bring Earth men back with her, but the local Scotsmen aren't so interested in going -- and their women aren't about to give them up without a fight. The supporting cast includes horror fan favorite Hazel Court and Hugh McDermott. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1977
The Canadian public-affairs series Fortunes was produced by the Agriculture and Resources Department of the CBC. Most of the series' half-hour episodes dealt with such topics as mining, fishing, and forestry. Toward the end of the run, there was a disproportionate number of programs about Canada's petroleum industry. Hosted by Carole Taylor, Fortunes was originally broadcast from 1977 to 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1951
In this British melodrama, a husband leaves the country on business. His wife quickly begins a torrid affair with a gigolo. Her husband is devastated when he finds out and winds up jumping off a cliff. Unfortunately he survives, but now suffers terrible amnesia. His repentant wife begins trying to restore his health. Meanwhile the gigolo reappears and begins trying to blackmail the couple. The husband beats him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1950
Linda (Elizabeth Sellars) is driven to the breaking point by her no-good husband. One day, he pushes her too far, and she kills him. With remarkable presence of mind, Linda is able to clean up all evidence of her crime and to effectively dispose of the body. But though she may be able to elude the law, Linda remains a prisoner of her own conscience. Setting this one apart from other British crime mellers of the era was the decision to film on location in a remote rural community. A passable timefiller when first released, Guilt is My Shadow ended up a staple of American TV in the 1950s and 1960s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Sellars, Patrick Holt, (more)
- 1961
When a Nazi party member tries to defect to England due to a change of heart in the party's plans, he is chased by the Gestapo in this World War II film. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1952
Director Michelangelo Antonioni's unique triptych film features three murders, one taking place in Paris, another in Rome, and another in London. All of the perpetrators are affluent youths, each killing for his own dubious motive. In the France segment, a group of adolescents kill for money, even though they don't need it; in the London segment, a poet uncovers a woman's body and tries to profit from the discovery; and in the Italian segment, a student becomes caught up in a smuggling ring, with deadly results. Though each crime is investigated, the guilty are rarely singled out for their actions. I Vinti had a protracted production schedule, due in large part to the director's inability to find funding for such ambitious, resolutely downbeat material. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
Jayne Mansfield, Marilyn Monroe's blond competition in the late '50s and early '60s, stars in this crime melodrama as Billy, the leader of a gang of thieves. She charms Jim (Anthony Quayle), a widower with a young daughter, into joining the group effort on a particular robbery. After the heist, Jim personally stashes away their stolen loot while she leads the police off in another direction. But the unfortunate new recruit ends up in the clinker for five years while the others go free. Once out of jail, Jim is brought up short -- Billy has allied herself with another man and her gang has money to spare -- though not enough money, they decide. Against Billy's wishes, the gang takes drastic measures to get at Jim's hidden cache of loot from the robbery that sent him to jail. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jayne Mansfield, Anthony Quayle, (more)
- 1960
The oft-filmed Maurice Renard novel Hands of Orlac was given another cinematic go-round in this Franco-British production. Famed concert pianist Stephen Orlac (Mel Ferrer) survives a plane crash, but his hands are permanently destroyed. Helpful surgeon Volcheff (Donald Wolfit) grafts a pair of new hands on the hapless Orlac. Unfortunately, they're the hands of an executed murderer--useless for a pianist, but quite handy (no pun intended) for less delicate work. Before long, Orlac is convinced that he himself has become a killer thanks to his new extremeties. Two-bit magician Nero (Christopher Lee) decides to exploit Orlac's fears for his own financial gain, with horrifying results. Originally filmed in 1959, Hands of Orlac was finally released in the US in 1964 . ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Ferrer, Dany Carrel, (more)
- 1952
The Last Page was the original British title for the 1952 murder meller Man Bait. Hollywood's George Brent plays a married bookstore owner who is blackmailed by scheming Diana Dors. The subsequent chain reaction of events leads to the death of Brent's invalid wife. It gets worse when Dors is killed by her partner-in-crime Peter Reynolds, and Brent is accused of the crime. The bookseller's faithful secretary Marguerite Chapman comes to the rescue. As with many British programmers of the 1950s which starred American actors, The Last Page was distributed in the U.S. by Lippert Productions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Brent, Marguerite Chapman, (more)
- 1951
Alec (Peter Reynolds) thinks he's a "Smart Alec" because he's dreamed up the perfect murder. He kills his uncle in a manner that leaves no trace of foul play. The cops know he did it, but they have no proof. Alec walks out of the courtroom a free man, but fate deals him a fatal, ironic blow. The murderer's modus operandi-a bullet made of ice, which melts upon impact-is an old mystery-story device, previously utilized in one of the Monogram Charlie Chan pictures of the 1940s. Smart Alec was written by Alec Coppel, a past master at murder tales with unexpected twists. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
In this crime drama, a con-artist's mark finds himself in deep trouble after he gets drunk, goes to the apartment of an attractive grifter and discovers that her partner has been slain (something that shocked her too!). The real trouble begins when the fellow accidentally touches the murder weapon belonging to the leader of a Soho gang, and then allows the woman to con him into taking care of the corpse. His actions catch the watchful eyes of the cops; he is soon arrested. Things look bleak for the hapless fellow until his fiancee and friends rally together, catch the con-woman, call the cops and get him acquitted. In the end, the con-woman is killed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1954
A string of jewel thefts lead to murder as investigated by a free-lance reporter and his wife. (AKA Delavine Affair) ~ All Movie Guide
- 1955
Alexander Knox is the One Just Man in this British crime melodrama. Knox plays a judge who takes the law in his own hands when obviously guilty miscreants get off scot-free. When Knox's tale is told, we are introduced to Peter Reynolds as a duplicitous playboy who attempts to defraud an insurance company. One Just Man looks suspiciously like two half-hour TV pilot films strung together. This 55-minute package was prepared by the brothers Danzinger, purveyors of many a pulse-pounding British programmer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
