John Abbott Movies
While studying art in his native London, John Abbott relaxed between classes by watching rehearsals of a student play. When one of the actors fell ill, Abbott was invited to replace him, and at that point he switched majors. He became a professional actor in 1934, joined the Old Vic in 1936, and made his first film, Mademoiselle Docteur, in 1937; later that same year he made his first BBC television appearance. Turned down for military service during World War II, Abbott joined the Foreign Office, working as a decoder in the British Embassy in Stockholm and working in similar capacities in Russia and Canada. In 1941, he took a vacation in New York, leaving his resumé and photo with various producers, just in case something turned up. On the very last day of his vacation, he was hired for a small role in Josef von Sternberg's The Shanghai Gesture (1941), thus launching the Hollywood phase of his career. Generally cast as a fussy eccentric, Abbott was seen at his very best as whining hypochondriac Frederick Fairlie in Warner Bros.' The Woman in White (1948). He also received at least one bona fide starring role in the 1943 quickie London Blackout Murders. In the late '40s, Abbott began amassing some impressive Broadway credits in such productions as He Who Gets Slapped, Monserrat, and Waltz of the Toreadors. He also appeared in 1950's Auto da Fe, which was specifically written for him by Tennessee Williams. Though still active in films and TV into the 1980s (he played Dr. Frankenstein in the ill-fated 1984 cinemadaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's Slapstick), John Abbott spent most of his twilight years as an acting teacher. Abbott died in a Los Angeles hospital on May 24, 1996, after a prolonged illness. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1969
John Abbott, a citizen of Ancient Rome, is transported against his will to the 20th Century. No sooner has he landed in Tinseltown than he's pounced upon by opportunists and sharpsters. Ad man Terry-Thomas exploits Abbott for marketing purposes, while gorgeous Lisa Seagram hopes to use the hapless Roman as a launching pad for her own showbiz career. There's a lot of comic talent in 2000 Years Later--in addition to Terry-Thomas, the film features Edward Everett Horton, Pat Harrington Jr. and Casey Kasem. In keeping with its title (in a manner of speaking), the film fares well as a 1960s time capsule, with cameo appearances by such icons of the decade as singer Monty Rock III and designer Rudi Gernreich. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Hazard of Hearts was adapted for television from a 1948 bodice-ripper by Barbara Cartland. Set (where else?) in 1810 England, the film stars Helena Bonham Carter as the obligatory innocent young lass with a dynamite figure. Falling in love with a Rochester-like Marquis (Marcus Gilbert), Helena is whisked off to the mysterious Castle Mandrake ("played" by England's Belvoir Castle and Burghley House). Here, our heroine is menaced by Diana Rigg, the Marquis' evil, possessive mother. First broadcast December 27, 1987, Hazard of Hearts was buried in the ratings by NBC's repeat showing of Terms of Endearment (1983) and ABC's telecast of Stir Crazy (1980). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helena Bonham Carter
- 1945
Thousand and One Nights is an occasionally strident but generally successful satire of the popular Universal Jon Hall/Maria Montez epics. Cornel Wilde stars as a twentyish Aladdin, whose magic lamp yields two genies: Collosus-like Rex Ingram (repeated the role he played in 1940's Thief of Baghdad) and ravishing redhead Evelyn Keyes (who, like future TV genie Barbara Eden, was seemingly born without a navel). Wilde uses his new-found wealth and magical powers to woo princess Adele Jergens, but not without the opposition of villainous Dennis Hoey. Phil Silvers plays Wilde's comic sidekick, a man "born 2000 years ahead of his time" who wears glasses, spouts jive-talk ("Slip me some skin, Abdul!") and cracks anachronistic jokes. The final gag in Thousand and One Nights, in which the genie gives Phil Silvers the voice of Frank Sinatra, has been removed from many TV prints. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cornel Wilde, Evelyn Keyes, (more)
- 1944
Allan Dwan directed this light-hearted service comedy starring William Bendix (best known from the television series The Life of Riley) and Dennis O'Keefe as a pair of Marines stationed in Australia. As might be expected, the two soldiers fall for the same woman, a pretty Australian named Joyce Stuart (Helen Walker), and comic misadventures ensue. John Loder, James Flavin and Arthur Hunnicutt are among the familiar faces in the cast. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Bendix, Dennis O'Keefe, (more)
- 1947
The Italian-American Her Wonderful Lie is based on the novel Latin Quarter by Murger. This literary work is better known as the source for the Puccini opera La Boheme, and indeed, Her Wonderful Life is a modernized adaptation of the Puccini classic, with a few songs from other operas thrown in for good measure. Marta Eggerth and Jan Kiepura sing and act the leading roles of the tragic seamstress and her headstrong starving-artist lover. Featured in the cast are such familiar American faces as Janis Paige, Douglass Dumbrille, Sterling Holloway and Isobel Elsom, not to mention dancer-choreographer Marc Platt. On the strength of its multinational cast, Her Wonderful Lie was distributed stateside by Columbia Pictures. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marta Eggerth, Jan Kiepura, (more)
- 1947
Adventure Island is a shorter and less satisfying remake of the 1937 Paramount actioner Ebb Tide. Rory Calhoun, Paul Kelly and John Abbott star as Herrick, Lochlin and Hulsh, three mercenary seamen involved in illegal activities in the South Seas. Hired to pilot a schooner to Australia, the threesome plan instead to rob the vessel of its precious cargo. Much to their dismay, they discover that the cargo is bogus, and that they're stuck taking care of the former captain's pretty but contentious daughter Faith Rhonda Fleming. The four lost souls are later imprisoned by Mr. Atwater Alan Napier, in the role played in Ebb Tide by Lloyd Nolan, a megalomaniac who rules a tiny island by exploiting the superstitions of the local natives. Assembled by Pine-Thomas productions, Adventure Island represents a rare excursion away from Poverty Row by director Sam Newfield, here travelling under the alias of Peter Stewart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rory Calhoun, Rhonda Fleming, (more)
- 1962
Saddled with paying huge alimony checks to his high-maintenance former wife, Edward Gibson (Robert Webber) seeks a legal method to rid himself of this burden. Enter Edward's pal Carl Seabrook (Jeremy Slate), who magnanimously offers to marry the ex-Mrs. Gibson himself -- for a 5,000-dollar fee. Little does Edward realize that he has been a "free man" for several hours...but, of course, Carl has known all along. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
More serious and less colorful than The King And I, Anna And The King Of Siam is still a well-crafted and elaborate spectacle. Leonowens (Irene Dunne) and her son travel to the tiny kingdom of Siam, where she has been hired to teach Western ways and culture to the multitudes of children sired by the King (Rex Harrison). All too soon, however, the King and Anna clash over the differences in their ways and cultures; Anna is also drawn into a palace romance between the concubine, Tuptim (Linda Darnell), and another man, which ends in tragedy. Whereas The King And I focused on the budding relationship between Anna and the King, the non-musical version is a more straightforward reading of Margaret Landon's book about the real Anna Leonowens. Harrison made his screen debut in the role, which became synonymous with Yul Brynner in the 1956 musical version. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Irene Dunne, Rex Harrison, (more)
- 1967
When Samantha decides that her house needs painting, helpful Aunt Clara summons up the spirit of the best painter she knows: Leonardo Da Vinci (John Abbott). Trying to undo her misfire spell, Clara inadvertently places Darrin in a Renaissance costume, leading his newest client to mount an ad campaign using the image of the Mona Lisa. Naturally, Da Vinci is outraged at this desecration of his masterpiece, and it is up to Samantha to straighten things out. Written by Jerry Mayer and Paul L. Friedman, "Samantha's Da Vinci Dilemma" was first shown on December 28, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, (more)
- 1961
The Cartwrights rescue 11-year-old Gabrielle Wickham (Diane Mountford), a blind orphan girl whom they find wandering aimlessly in the snow. Gabrielle is hoping against hope to locate her grandfather, Zachariah Wickham (John Abbott). Alas, Zachariah turns out to be a contentious hermit who hates people in general and relatives in particular. Also appearing is Kevin Hagen as Everett. Written by Anthony Lawrence, "Gabrielle" originally aired December 24, 1961, as Bonanza's Christmas present to its many fans. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
- 1936
This interesting early docu-drama offers a complete chronicle of the history of aviation from prehistoric times through the mid 1930s. Though the film was finished by 1935, it was not released until much later. H.G. Wells assisted on the first drafts of the script. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1945
In this episode of the "Crime Doctor" series, Dr. Orday, the sleuthing shrink, cares for a patient who suffers from blackouts. The patient, an artist from New York's Latin Quarter, cannot remember a thing from these episodes. What is most disturbing is that several models have been recently murdered as has the artist's girlfriend. Dr. Orday solves the case. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Warner Baxter, John Litel, (more)
- 1951
Paramount's Pine-Thomas unit served up another winner with the Technicolor actioner Crosswinds. Set in New Guinea, the film stars John Payne as schooner captain Pete Singleton, who loses his boat to a pair of scheming gold thieves (Forrest Tucker, Robert Lowery). On board the vessel as a semi-reluctant passenger is embittered war widow Katherine Shelley (Rhonda Fleming). With the help of his disreputable chums Sir Cecil (Alan Mowbray) and Sykes (John Abbott), Singleton does his best to retrieve his schooner and claim Katherine for himself. The last reels are chock full of close shaves, hairbreadth escapes, storms at sea and native uprisings. In short, there's something for everyone in Crosswinds. The screenplay was adapted by Thomson Burtis from his own novel New Guinea Gold. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Payne, Rhonda Fleming, (more)
- 1944
Nina Foch plays the title role in this rather dull horror melodrama from Columbia Pictures. Investigating his father's murder Bob Morris (Stephen Crane) and his Transylvanian girlfriend Elsa (Osa Massen) come to suspect the mysterious Celeste Latour (Foch), who calls herself a Gypsy princess. And, sure enough, when Elsa gets to close to the truth, Celeste casts a spell on her that turns the girl into a cat. But only briefly and Celeste is eventually cornered in the Latour family crypt. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nina Foch, Stephen Crane, (more)
- 1943
Stalwart supporting actor Allyn Joslyn is afforded a rare leading role in the Columbia mystery meller Dangerous Blondes. Joslyn and Evelyn Keyes play Harry and Jane Craig, a road-company Nick and Nora Charles. A popular mystery writer, Harry occasionally indulges in amateur detective work, with wife Jane at his side; their friendly nemesis is Inspector Clinton (Frank Craven), who'd prefer that the Craigs would stay home and mind their own business. This proves impossible when Ralph McCormick (Edmund Lowe), the owner of a swank fashion studio, is accused of murdering his wife for the love of designer Julie Taylor (Anita Louise). Snooping around on their own, the Craigs find the real killer-and nearly wind up victims themselves. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Allyn Joslyn, Evelyn Keyes, (more)
- 1946
Deception is an operatic rehash of the 1929 film Jealousy. Music teacher Bette Davis--who evidently has a large student pool, judging by the size of her penthouse apartment--is reunited with her cellist lover Paul Henreid, whom she believed to have been killed in the war. Henreid wants to marry Davis, but he is unaware that she has, for the past several years, been the "protege" of composer Claude Rains. Rains agrees to keep quiet about his affair with Davis, but takes sadistic delight in tormenting the woman and working behind the scenes to sabotage Henreid's career. When Rains tells Bette of his plans to publicly humiliate Henreid, she shoots her ex-lover dead. Henreid agrees to stand by Davis no matter what is in store for her. Director Irving Rapper had originally wanted to treat the hoary plot twists of Deception comically, with the three principals walking off together at the end with a "what the hell?" attitude. He was tersely told to stick to the script; after all, people didn't pay to see Bette Davis but to see her suffer. Like the 1929 version of Jealousy, Deception was based on a play by Louis Verneuil. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, (more)
- 1977
The Doctor (Tom Baker) and Leela (Louise Jameson) materialize near the lighthouse of Fang Rock, a small English seacoast town in the early 20th century. The two time travelers quickly make friends with lighthouse keepers Reuben (Colin Douglas), Vince (John Abbott), and Ben (Ralph Watson), who are humorously contending with that newfangled invention known as electricity. But the fun comes to an abrupt end when Ben suddenly and mysteriously disappears. Written by Terrance Dicks, the four-part "The Horror of Fang Rock" launched Doctor Who's 15th season on September 3, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, (more)
- 1977
In the second episode of the four-part story "The Horror of Fang Rock," the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Leela (Louise Jameson) investigate the mysterious goings-on in the British coastal village of Fang Rock in the early 1900s. A strange object, falling from the sky, has already killed one of the lighthouse keepers. No one yet realizes that this event is but the prelude of a full-scale invasion by the alien Rutans. Written by Terrance Dicks, "The Horror of Fang Rock, Episode 2" first aired on September 10, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, (more)
- 1977
In the third episode of the four-part story "The Horror of Fang Rock," the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Leela (Louise Jameson) help the keepers of the lighthouse in the English coastal village of Fang Rock fend off an invasion from space by the alien Rutans. Unfortunately, these efforts are undermined by one of the keepers, who is actually a Rutan scout in human form. Written by Terrance Dicks, "The Horror of Fang Rock, Episode 3" first aired on September 17, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, (more)
- 1944
It's nearly the End of the Road for condemned prisoner Chris Martin (John Abbott), slated to be executed for a murder he says he didn't commit. Martin manages to convince crime novelist Robert Kirby (Edward Norris) of his innocence, but Kirby can't get the cops to go along. Thus, the novelist turns sleuth, reassessing the clues and seeking out the real murderer. Only when heroine Kitty McDougal (June Storey) is herself nearly bumped off by the villain does Kirby solve the case. Without tipping off the identity of the killer, it can be noted that the supporting cast includes such murder-mystery stalwarts as Jonathan Hale, Kenne Duncan, Pierre Watkin and Edward Van Sloan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward Norris, John Abbott, (more)
This acclaimed British comedy centers on the intermittent romance between a charming (if slightly bumbling) Englishman and a beautiful American woman, who seem to always run into each other at weddings. Indeed, it is at the first of the title's four weddings that Charles (Hugh Grant) and Carrie (Andie McDowell) meet, enjoying a brief but fleeting connection. The spark is rekindled several months later, when they unexpectedly meet at another wedding. Unfortunately, however, Carrie has become engaged to another, a fact that complicates matters for them both. The story may seem simple, but the film is elevated by screenwriter Richard Curtis' ear for witty dialogue and a colorful supporting cast. Director Mike Newell's sympathetic attention to character keeps the proceedings believable, and prevents the film's more serious moments from seeming mawkish. These elements, along with Grant's star-making performance as Charles, helped the film achieve unexpected international success, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, (more)
- 1966
Ideal and reality clash in this humorous tale of the heist that could have been. As scheming career cat burglar Harry Dean (Michael Cane) prepares to steal a priceless statue from the world's richest man, he seeks out the assistance of Eurasian showgirl Suzy Chang Shirley Maclaine). Though the likeable rogue's plan seems foolproof as he conveys the details to his partner Ram (Robert C. Carmel), the execution proves a detailed study in Murphy's Law. Constantly reinventing the plan as his originally ideal spirals ever more out of control, it seems as if Harry's heist is destined to fail. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shirley MacLaine, Michael Caine, (more)
- 1942
A bit higher-budgeted than most of Universal's "pocket" musicals, Get Hep to Love runs a full 79 mintues rather than the standard hard-and-fast hour. Gloria Jean plays child musical prodigy Doris Stanley, who is overworked and exploited by her avaricious Aunt Addie (Nana Bryant). Escaping her aunt's clutches for a well-deserved vacation, Doris manages to elude the private detective (Tim Ryan) hired to bring her back. Landing in a small town, she assumes a phony name and allows herself to be adopted by young marrieds Stephen and Ann Winters (Robert Paige, Jane Frazee). She also attends a "normal" high school for the first time in her life, where she vies with brattish Elaine Sterling (Cora Sue Collins) over the affections of Jimmy Arnold (Donald O'Connor). In standard movie-musical fashion, everyone's problems are straightened out with a climactic production number, spotlighting Gloria Jean's operatic soprano and Donald O'Connor's fancy footwork. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gloria Jean, Donald O'Connor, (more)
Leslie Caron plays Gigi, a young girl raised by two veteran Parisian courtesans (Hermione Gingold and Isabel Jeans) to be the mistress of wealthy young Gaston (Louis Jourdan). When Gaston falls in love with Gigi and asks her to be his wife, Jeans is appalled: never has anyone in their family ever stooped to anything so bourgeois as marriage! Weaving in and out of the story is Maurice Chevalier as an aging boulevardier who, years earlier, had been in love with Gingold's character. Chevalier gets most of the best Lerner & Loewe tunes, including Thank Heaven for Little Girls, I'm Glad I'm Not Young Any More, and his matchless duet with Gingold, I Remember it Well. Caron's best number (dubbed by Betty Wand) is The Night They Invented Champagne while Jourdan gets the honor of introducing the title song. Filmed on location in Paris, Gigi won several Oscars, including Best Picture; it also represented the successful American movie comeback of Chevalier, who thanks to this film was "forgiven" for his reputed collaboration with the Nazis during World War II. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, (more)
- 1956
Doc Adams (Milburn Stone) reacts with uncharacteristic violence when snake-oil peddler Lute Bone (John Abbott) shows up in town. Though everyone (including Chester [Dennis Weaver) falls for Professor Bone's line of patter, Doc is convinced that the man is not only a fraud but a potential murderer, distributing "medicine" that is virtually 100 per cent opium. As it turns out, Bone is not really dishonest, just pathetically misguided--but in any event, Matt has no legal grounds to stop the Professor until tragedy strikes. Based on the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of November 14, 1953, this episode features a rare TV-western appearance by legendary African American entertainer/songwriter Jester Hairston. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
