Elizabeth Shepherd Movies
Elizabeth Shepherd is a British-born actress with extensive theatrical and television experience, as well as feature film work to her credit. Shepherd has played starring and featured roles in pictures such as Michael Powell's The Queen's Guards (1962) and Roger Corman's The Tomb of Ligeia (1964). But perhaps her most well-known small-screen credit involves a role that she was never seen in by the public -- in 1964, following the departure of Honor Blackman from the cast of The Avengers television series, Shepherd was announced as her replacement in the role of Mrs. Emma Peel; and two episodes, "Town of No Return" and "The Murder Market," were filmed -- but then she was dropped from the role and replaced by Diana Rigg, who also appeared in re-shot versions of both of those episodes.Shepherd (sometimes misspelled Shephard or Sheppard) was born in London, the daughter of a Methodist missionary. She attended Bristol University as a drama major and her theatrical career began not long after, and it has encompassed major roles in the works of Shakespeare, Shaw, and Ibsen. Her television credits include episodes of Dixon of Dock Green, with Jack Warner, and Danger Man (aka Secret Agent), with Patrick McGoohan; the matter of The Avengers was barely a hiccup in her work, to judge from her list of credits in those years. She has described herself as the "Queen of the BBC miniseries," though she has also had some memorable film roles -- in addition to her work with Powell, and her performance opposite Vincent Price in The Tomb of Ligeia, she was the doomed journalist in Don Taylor's Damien: Omen II. She has also worked in American soap operas, and in more recent years has added voice work in animated series such as The Silver Surfer and The Avengers -- as the voices of Infinity and Agatha Harkness, respectively -- to her long list of credits. Since the 1970s, she has resided principally in Canada and performed extensively on-stage in England and America. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- 2009
- PG
- Add Amelia to Queue
Hilary Swank and Richard Gere star in director Mira Nair's biopic tracing the life of famed aviator Amelia Earhart -- who made history in 1932 by becoming the first woman ever to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Five years later, as Earhart attempted to fly around the world, the pilot and her plane simply vanished after crashing into the Pacific Ocean. Christopher Eccleston and Ewan McGregor co-star in the Avalon Pictures production. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, (more)
- 2000
In this offbeat thriller, Halley Fischer (Katja Riemann) is a schoolteacher at an elementary school in Winnipeg where children have been disappearing under mysterious circumstances. Francis (Zachary Bennett) is a single father and classical pianist who supplements his income playing in cocktail lounges. Francis and Halley meet when his daughter is enrolled in her class, and Halley finds herself strongly attracted to the musician, even after learning of his unusual sexual tastes. But the more Halley finds out about Francis, the more she begins to wonder about both him and his highly domineering mother (Elizabeth Shepherd). Meanwhile, a cop (Graham Greene) starts hanging around the neighborhood, looking for clues regarding the missing children. Desire marked the first role in English for noted German actress Katja Riemann. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Katja Riemann, Zachary Bennett, (more)
Detective Ed Delongpre (Dennis Hopper) is challenged by the mayor of Burman City to make an arrest in a one-day series of child slayings within 48 hours. With no clues to work with, Delongpre and his longtime partner McGivern (Frederic Forrest) and their team of investigators stake out just about every place in town where kids are at play. Meanwhile, and unbeknownst to the cops (with one notable exception), the mayor has also made a deal with a notorious mobster to also find the killer, pitting the good guys against the bad guys to stop a sicko. Also meanwhile, Delongpre's relationship with his estranged adult daughter Leslie (Leslie Hope) is torn open after a decade -- Leslie is the mayor's pushy assistant. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Dunbar, Frederic Forrest, (more)
- 2000
Love and Murder is based on Murder at the Mendel, the first of the "Joanne Kilbourn" mysteries written by Gail Bowen. Traumatized by the murder of her husband, former police detective Joanne Kilbourn (Wendy Crewson) resigns from the force to look after her children--and when money gets tight, she launches a whole new career as a college lecturer. Inevitably, Joanne is drawn back into detective work when her childhood friend Sally Love (Caroline Goodall) is accused of murdering her ex-husband, in a manner reminiscent of the mysterious death of Sally's father twenty years earlier. Also figuring into the case is a sinister obstetrician. Counting upon the assistance of her former partner Inspector Philip Millard (Victor Garber), Joanne sets about assembling clues and interviewing suspects in hopes of saving Sally--and purging a few privates demons of her own. Originally telecast April 16, 2000, on Canadian TV as part of the off-and-on "Criminal Instinct" series, Love and Murder has since been added to the regular TV-movie rotation of America's Lifetime cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wendy Crewson
- 1997
The tragedy of Alzheimer's Disease is at the core of this heart-tugging made-for-cable drama, starring veteran actors Richard Kiley and Eva Marie Saint. Diagnosed with Alzheimers, the brilliant doctor Gerald Klooster (Richard Kiley) would sooner die immediately than endure the agony of a progressively failing memory. Thus, he asks his loved ones to do him one final favor and assist him in committing suicide. Everyone, including Gerald's wife Ruth (Eva Marie Saint), is willing to go along with this plan--everyone that is except his youngest son, who kidnaps the old man before his last wish can be granted and brings legal action against his mom. Based on a true story, Time to Say Goodbye? first aired over the Lifetime channel on September 1, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
- R
In this romance, a wealthy, single woman dutifully dotes upon her ailing father while watching the man she once loved fool around with a pair of younger lassies. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jacqueline Bisset, Peter Weller, (more)
- 1993
Matthew (Matthew Riley) has sad memories of his late childhood in Guyana, when his mother rejected him in a terrifically painful way. He has been living in Canada for quite some time, but now wants to revisit his birthplace. There, he meets a group of local people who help him discover what has really drawn him here. One of them is a talkative exiled Hungarian woman, whose story of a messy abortion gave rise to the film's title. Another is an attractive local teacher with whom he has an unhappy affair. It is unhappy, because he is holding himself back, and seemingly everyone knows he is walled up inside. He does experience some amusement in watching the antics a young orphan boy who reminds him of himself. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Riley, Martha Henry, (more)
With a script that is too anemic for the red-blooded actors featured here, this anorexic comedy moves slowly up and down the corporate ladder with the fortunes and misfortunes of several company men. Jack Issel (Judge Reinhold) gets a VIP position at INC in the PR department (business-speak). Suddenly the corporation's shady activities come to the fore -- especially when a U.S. plant is set to close for a move south of the border where labor is almost free. Enmeshed in these tangles, Jack is hardly prepared to fall in love with the leading activist against the plant closing -- but he does. Meanwhile, a lot of other subplots quickly dispose of potentially budding villains like Stedman (Danny DeVito) the inside trader -- too bad. DeVito and Don King (appearing as himself) would have made a great team. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judge Reinhold, Eddie Albert, (more)
- 1985
The Cuckoo Bird is the stark tale of a punctured marriage. Despite their long union, a middle-aged couple has never truly been happy due to the husband's (Kenneth Welsh) many affairs. His latest dalliance is the last straw; it's now up to him to try to patch things. This 90-minute drama was originally made for Canadian television in 1985. It premiered over the American Lifetime Cable service one year later (inappropriately during the Christmas season). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
- PG
Good performances (by Ralph Richardson as a befuddled pastor and Paul Nicholas as David, an unwitting bridegroom) help along this otherwise weak comedy-romance about David, an American who stands in for the groom at a wedding rehearsal -- only to later discover that the wedding was accidentally real. His "bride" is Lady Anne (Susan Brooks). After the "rehearsal," the unintended couple spend an idyllic week going on picnics, riding horses, and generally enjoying the countryside and each other's company. By the end of the week, Lady Anne has changed her mind about her actual, pending marriage -- and though it does not seem to be an issue, her pending marriage would only make her a bigamist after all. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, (more)
- 1982
This anthology film is comprised of six segments shot by four female directors. "Love from the Marketplace," explores the way food relates to love. "The Black Cat in the Black Mouse Socks" stars singer Joni Mitchell, who also wrote it and its music. "Julia" tells the tail of a vanquished affair that is renewed. In "Love on Your Birthday" a wife gives her husband a night with her best friend as a birthday present. She then gets jealous and the trouble begins. "Por Vida" follows the journey home of a WW II GI. "Parting" follows the love of an elderly man for his paralyzed wife. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gordon Thomson, Joni Mitchell, (more)
- 1980
The Phoenix Team has the "feel" of a TV pilot film. This Canadian actioner stars Don Francks and Elizabeth Sheperd as secret agents. Though they try to keep a professional distance, Francks and Shepard fall in love all the same. Their emotional bonds seriously jeopardize their mission and their lives. As indicated by the title, the two protagonists are part of an elite espionage team which always seems to bounce back from the most life-threatening of circumstances. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
An exceedingly complex plot with a few gaps in logic characterizes this uneven thriller by George Bloomfield. Photographer Michael (Michael Sarrazin) is now in a mental institution because after he got back from a dangerous assignment in the Middle East he found his wife raped and murdered. His mistress Paula West (Susan Clark) manages to get him released and then asks a private detective to keep an eye on him in case he flips out again. Trouble brews when the dead wife's lover (Anthony Perkins), who knows the truth about how she died, wants some remuneration for his silence. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Sarrazin, Susan Clark, (more)
- 1980
- R
- Add The Kidnapping of the President to QueueAdd The Kidnapping of the President to top of Queue
After Third World terrorists abduct the Commander-in-Chief, it's up to Secret Service head William Shatner to get him back in this thriller based on a novel by Charles Templeton. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Shatner, Hal Holbrook, (more)
Satan's son comes of age in this horror sequel. Shortly after the events of The Omen, a pair of anthropologists uncovers an ancient crypt that depicts the face of the Antichrist -- that of Damien Thorn (Jonathan Scott-Taylor), recently orphaned scion of a wealthy industrialist. Before they can warn the world of the child's evil lineage, both men are buried under tons of rubble. Seven years later, 13-year-old Damien attends military school alongside his cousin, Mark (Lucas Donat), and spends lots of time with his adoptive parents, Uncle Richard (William Holden) and Aunt Ann (Lee Grant). After the boy's Great Aunt Marion (Sylvia Sidney) tries to convince the Thorns that Damien is a malevolent influence on Mark, she dies suddenly, and, unbeknownst to the family, horrifically. Ravens, it seems, are the harbingers of Damien's power, and in addition to Aunt Marion, they visit a long procession of characters who get too close to Damien's true identity. The most horrible death is suffered by Joan Hart (Elizabeth Shepherd), an investigative reporter who's digging into the boy's life; she gets flattened by a truck after having her eyes devoured by those menacing birds. Meanwhile, executive Paul Buher (Robert Foxworth) climbs the corporate ladder at Thorn Industries and takes young Damien under his devil-worshiping wings. Sgt. Neff (Lance Henriksen), one of the boy's instructors, also helps initiate Damien. As the pile of bodies gets bigger -- and closer -- Uncle Richard begins to suspect the truth, and, like his brother before him, plot the death of Damien. The existence of another sequel, 1981's The Final Conflict, gives a good indication of the outcome. Although Damien: Omen II is his only Hollywood feature credit, Scott-Taylor appeared frequently in the theater and on television; he once even portrayed Damien's arch-nemesis, Jesus, on-stage. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Holden, Lee Grant, (more)
- 1970
- PG
In this WW II actioner set in 1942, an American officer serving with the British Royal Navy attempts to blockade Malta and then destroy a German arsenal located in Sicily. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Once again Vincent Price stars for director Roger Corman in The Tomb of Ligeia, the last of Corman's eight Edgar Allen Poe adaptations, a film graced by a script by Robert Towne and moody cinematography by Nicolas Roeg. Price has the creepy lead role of Verden Fell. In 1821, when Verden's wife Ligeia (Elizabeth Shepherd) dies, she is buried in a churchyard, despite the parson's objections that she can't be buried there since she isn't a Christian. Before the grave is closed, abetted by the screech of a black cat, Ligeia eyes shoot open, startling Verden, who becomes convinced that she is not dead. Months later, Lady Rowena (also played by Shepherd) is thrown from her horse and lands at the foot of Ligeia's grave. Verden tends to her and soon falls in love with her. They marry and move into Verden's gloomy Gothic abbey, where Rowena begins to have strange dreams involving Ligeia and a black cat. One night she awakens to discover a dead fox in her bed. When Ligeia's grave is exhumed, instead of Ligeia's corpse, a wax figure is discovered. Then Rowena finds, to her horror, Verden in the arms of his dead wife in a hidden room of the abbey. Having hypnotized Verden before she died, Ligeia had Verden convinced she will live forever. Verden, now possessed by the spirit of his dead wife, takes a torch to the abbey, trapping himself and Rowena in the flaming conflagration. But Christopher (John Westbrook), an admirer of Rowena, endeavors to rescue Rowena from the flames. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Price, Elizabeth Shepherd, (more)
- 1963
Man in the Dark is a quickie British suspenser geared for double-feature bills. William Sylvester stars as a blind composer of hit songs. Sylvester's wife Barbara Shelley hates him beyond measure. She contrives with her lover, artist Rickie Seldon, to kill Sylvester, but the composer has the last ha-ha. The so-called popular songs heard on the soundtrack of Man in the Dark, including the title number, suggest that William Sylvester is not only blind but tone-deaf. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Sylvester, Barbara Shelley, (more)
- 1962
In this marital comedy, a married mother and daughter team up to teach their husbands to pay more attention to them. Their scheme to change the men's personality is quite elaborate and comic mayhem ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1955
Opening with elaborate preparations for the Queen of England's birthday, The Queen's Guards introduces the audience via voiceover to John Fellowes, a young captain overseeing the participation of the Grenadier Guards in the celebratory parade. A series of flashbacks follow, which fill the viewer in on John's difficult past: a crippled father who is a former Guardsman himself and maintains an obsessive interest with the Guards; a dead brother (also a Guardsman) to whom John is constantly (and unfavorably) compared by his father; and difficulties encountered during his military training when he learns his brother died a coward and caused the death or injury of many of his colleagues (including the father of a girl in whom John has a romantic interest.) Eventually, John is placed in charge of a military operation that has many parallels to the ill-fated one led by his brother, putting him in the position to either repeat his brother's mistakes or atone for them and thereby restore the family's honor. The film mixes shot of actors portraying Guards with footage of actual Guardsmen and soldiers on parade and in action, and also includes some location shots of Battersea Bridge and the Prospect of Whitby. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Massey, Raymond Massey, (more)
