Charles Farrell Movies
- 1972
- PG
Polish actress Ingrid Pitt became a cult figure for her portrayal of the notorious Hungarian Countess Elizabeth Bathory in this Hammer horror film. Bathory finds that bathing in the blood of virgins restores her youthful beauty, and she enlists her servant (Nigel Green in a standout performance) to kidnap her own daughter, Ilona (Lesley-Anne Down). Bathory assumes Ilona's identity to seduce a young man (Sandor Eles), but without a supply of blood, she turns old in a hurry. The real Bathory had no such problems, reportedly slaughtering over 600 young girls before being sealed alive in her room. Pitt and Green are excellent, although director Peter Sasdy -- who helped adapt this story from Valentine Penrose's book The Bloody Countess -- moves the story along at a rather leisurely pace. Still, the performances and typically sumptuous "Hammer look" should make this film appealing to fans of historical horror. Maurice Denham, Patience Collier, and Nike Arrighi co-star. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ingrid Pitt, Nigel Green, (more)
Long thought dead, the victim of a horrible accident, Dr. Anton Phibes (Vincent Price) still lives, surrounded by art-deco bric-a-brac and attended by mute beauty Vulnavia (Virginia North). Outwardly normal in appearance, Phibes actually wears a rubber mask, covering his hideously deformed countenance; giving away the artifice is the fact that, when he dines, he takes his food through his neck rather than his mouth. Able to speak only when plugging a wire into his damaged vocal chords, Phibes elucidates his plan to murder the medical team whom he holds responsible for the death of his wife. Each of the killings is patterned after the ten deadly plagues. Phibes saves his worst for last: trapping chief surgeon Dr. Vesalius in his lair, Phibes forces the hapless medico into a race against time to save the life of his own son. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Price, Joseph Cotten, (more)
- 1970
- R
This sexy horror story from Britain's Hammer Films finds Ingrid Pitt playing three roles, the most notable being a lesbian vampire who will resort to biting a man only when it is absolutely necessary. A doctor and a manservant are victims, but only after she has exhausted all attempts to sink her fangs into the bosoms of young women. The General (Peter Cushing) finds his daughter Laura (Pippa Steel) is victimized by the bite of the vampiress. With the help of Baron Hartog (Douglas Wilmer), they try to end the horror brought by the blood-sucking beauty. Blood, gore and a few decapitations are depicted before the wooden stakes and crosses are brought out. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ingrid Pitt, George Cole, (more)
- 1963
Novelist Mickey Spillane portrays his own creation, Mike Hammer, in The Girl Hunters. Hammer has spent seven years in an alcoholic funk after the supposed death of his secretary, Velda. He is brought back to the land of the living by his old friendly enemy, police lieutenant Pat Chambers (Scott Peters), who wants Hammer to extract some information out of a dying federal agent. This puts Mike on the trail of a subversive communist organization, the key to which seems to be sexy Laura Knapp (Shirley Eaton), the widow of a murdered senator. When Hammer determines that following this espionage trail may lead to relocating Velda, who might not be dead after all, he pursues matters with his usual fascistic tendency to pummel first and ask questions later. The Girl Hunters is the film in which Mike Hammer incapacitates an opponent by literally nailing the latter's hands to the floor. But that's kid stuff compared to the fate in store for the treacherous Laura Knapp. The Girl Hunters was filmed in its entirety in England. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mickey Spillane, Shirley Eaton, (more)
- 1961
Several prison convicts escape within a short space of time, leading Steed to conclude that someone is running an organization specializing in "springing" inmates ahead of schedule. Going undercover as a prisoner, Dr. Keel traces the clues to a finishing school for young women. Another of Steed's assistants, Caroline Evans (Margo Andrew) enrolls in the school, and as expected, both she and Keel fall into the clutches of the villains before the final fade-out. Written by John Whitney and Geoffrey Bellman, "The Springers" first aired May 13, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
Based on the stageplay Pick-up Girl, this film adaptation by director Muriel Box retains enough of the verbose theatrical styling and single-set focus to wobble as a cinematic effort. The story centers around an unfortunate period in the life of Elizabeth (Pauline Hahn), a fifteen-year-old girl who lives with her mother in New York while her father is away working in California. Because her mother works late into the night, there is not enough guidance or supervision in Elizabeth's life to keep her from making bad choices. And so she ends up with some dubious-looking friends, and after a brief fling with a sailor she goes through the trauma of an abortion. By that time any split with her parents has widened into a major chasm. Eventually she gets into even more trouble and ends up in juvenile court. It is in that setting under the understanding eye of a worldly wise judge (Thomas Mitchell) that her story unfolds in flashbacks as her fate hangs in the balance. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thomas Mitchell, Joan Miller, (more)
- 1960
In this romantic comedy, three bunglers find jobs at a matchmaking service. None are pleased with their jobs until a beautiful con-artist, posing as an heiress appears to spice up their lives. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1959
In this thriller, a novelist is quite upset to discover himself awakening with a gun in his hand. He is more dismayed to find a dead relative nearby. Now he wonders: did he do it? He is assisted by a lady hitchhiker in discovering that the real killer is a female impersonator. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1958
The Diplomatic Corpse has been rendered lifeless by a couple of foreign diplomats. London reporter Robin Phillips suspects much, but can prove little. Going beyond the law, Phillips unearths a sinister conspiracy (there's a nice conspiracy?) He also rescues girlfriend Susan Shaw from the villains. Montgomery Tully could direct a film like Diplomatic Corpse in his sleep, which may well have been the case. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
In this mystery, the wife of the recently kidnapped Dr. Manning enlists the assistance of a Scotland Yard detective and a private eye to find him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Hollywood hasbeen Keefe Brasselle stars in the British Death Over My Shoulder. The resistable Mr. Brasselle plays a detective who is unable to meet the medical payments for his ailing son. Professional killer Bonar Colleano is hired to bump off Brasselle so that the boy will collect the insurance. Not unexpectedly, Brasselle has a change of heart-but Colleano doesn't. This plot chestnut was old when Douglas Fairbanks used it in 1915's Flirting With Fate. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Claiming to be innocent, convicted felon Joe Green (Dermot Walsh) makes repeated attempts to escape from prison. During one of these breakouts, Green contacts "Invisible Man" Peter Brady, who becomes convinced that the man is telling the truth. But the only way Brady can clear Green's name is to locate the only person who can provide him with an alibi--a young woman who is afraid that by coming forth, she herself will be arrested for being a pickpocket. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Kenneth More portrays a British gunsmith who travels to the American West. After winning a rigged poker game, More is appointed sheriff of Fractured Jaw, a wide-open town where law officers are plugged and planted on a regular basis. He befriends hard-bitten saloon gal Jayne Mansfield, who doesn't give the gentlemanly More much chance of survival. Using his wits, and blessed with a generous amount of raw luck, Sheriff More escapes death at every turn, finally becoming the "blood brother" of a previous hostile Sioux tribe. With the help of his Native American friends, More brings law and order to Fractured Jaw. The film's main advantages are Kenneth More, who is superb as always, and Jayne Mansfield, giving one of her best and least mannered performances. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenneth More, Jayne Mansfield, (more)
- 1955
In this light-hearted crime drama, a rivalrous pair of reporters team up to solve the murder of a prominent artist's wife. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1955
In this crazy British comedy, a Cockney corporal dreams of getting promoted so that he can finally receive his inheritance. To facilitate the raise in status, he masquerades as a priest and goes out one night with the vicar's glamorous, blond wife. His action starts a trend and soon he runs into a number of men in priestly garb. The trouble is, he cannot discern the real ones from the fakes until the end when he finds a fugitive convict and gets him arrested. Soon after, the plucky corporal gets his promotion. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1955
In this comedy, a jewel thief hides his loot on an abandoned scow. Later he is captured and thrown in jail after assaulting someone. Two models end up buying the boat. The barge is almost sunk in an accident. Later two tart old ladies end up with the goods. They then help the younger women get the reward money. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1954
A newspaper journalist and his irritating assistant team up with the cops to solve a perplexing murder in this comical thriller. Each of the victims was a war veteran. Each one was killed on a July 10th. Soon the amateur sleuths discover that the victims had other common threads and these clues lead to the killer's capture. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1953
In this comedy, a diamond merchant's secretary gets fired by her new boss for being too efficient. She ends up kidnapped by a ring of jewel thieves. The clever hostage soon convinces the crook that she is with them and joins the gang. She then sneaks a note to her former boss and he comes to save her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Half affectionate parody and half enthusiastic tribute to the swashbuckling pirate epics of the 1930's and 40's, The Crimson Pirate stars Burt Lancaster as Captain Vallo, the smiling leader of a pack of unscrupulous pirates. While on the high seas, Vallo and his men spy a well-stocked merchant ship, and waste no time in relieving it of its contents. One of the passengers on the cargo vessel, Baron Gruda (Leslie E. Bradley), informs Vallo that a political revolt is shaking a island nation in the Caribbean to its foundations. The pirates set their course to the island, hoping to sell the arms they've just stolen to rebel leader Sebastian (Frederick Leister), while planning to later double their profit by turning him in to the Government leaders who are offering a reward for his capture. Vallo's plans change when he meets Sebastian's daughter Consuelo (Eva Bartok) and falls in love, while she teaches the pirate the wisdom of her father's philosophies. Vallo and his faithful sidekick Ojo (Nick Cravat) soon join Sebastian's men, and fight with them in a valiant struggle for freedom. Burt Lancaster and Nick Cravat were once partners in their early days as circus acrobats, and they got to put their skills to good use in this picture; keep an eye peeled for an early performance by future horror movie great Christopher Lee. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Lancaster, Eva Bartok, (more)
- 1951
In this comedy, a bookie wins a boutique and decides to modernize the joint by devising, new, more effective programs for running it. Those who have worked in the shop for years are not pleased with the new changes, and when the bookies elaborate plans blow up in his face, they are only too pleased to go back to working for the shop's original owner. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Jules Dassin's Night and the City opens with cheap grifter Harry Fabian (Richard Widmark) running for his life through the streets of London. Harry wants to be big-time, and he does not care how he raises cash for his schemes. Like a junkie, he uses and steals from his girlfriend Mary (Gene Tierney), a singer at the Silver Fox, a seedy nightclub owned by the physically grotesque Phil Nosseross Francis L. Sullivan. Harry, who also works for Phil steering unsuspecting customers to the club, comes up with a plan to wrest control of professional wrestling from promoter and underworld kingpin Kristo (Herbert Lom) by manipulating Kristo through his father, retired wrestling great Gregorius (Stanislaus Zbyszko). For financial backing, Harry turns to Phil and Phil's wife Helen Googie Withers, both of whom give him the money, but only to further their own ends. When Gregorius is accidentally killed by his protege's upcoming opponent, Strangler (Mike Mazurki), and Phil realizes that Helen is leaving him for Harry, the scheme quickly unravels. Truly a glimpse of hell, Night and the City's distorted visuals and dark symbolism depict an underworld from which there is no escape and in which redemption comes at a very high price. ~ Steve Press, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney, (more)
Clem Morgan (Trevor Howard), an embittered ex-RAF pilot, mistakenly believes the life of crime is for him in this exceptionally dark British film noir, directed by Alberto Cavalcanti. He joins a gang of black marketeers led by the aptly named Narcey (short for Narcissus) (Griffith Jones), an egotistical and sadistic thug. The two develop an almost immediate mutual dislike, leading Narcey to frame Morgan for killing a policeman. While serving the resulting 15-year sentence, Morgan is visited by Narcey's sometime girlfriend Sally (Sally Gray), who tells him that the thug has taken up with the prisoner's fiancée, and that a witness to the frame might come forward. This triggers an even more bitter Morgan to escape and return to London to try to clear and avenge himself. Many postwar American films noirs dealt with alienated but law-abiding veterans, some of them framed for crimes they did not commit, e.g. Alan Ladd's Johnny Morrison in The Blue Dahlia. This British effort goes a noteworthy step further by placing the protagonist in the criminal underworld. Its downbeat ending is consistent with its unrelenting cynicism. ~ Steve Press, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sally Gray, Trevor Howard, (more)
- 1947
In this comedy drama, a taxi driver finds an abandoned greyhound puppy and takes it home to his daughter who raises it and trains it to race. While at the track, a corrupt dog owner sees the dog as a threat to his champion and tries to buy it from her. She refuses, and so he tries to frame the taxi-driver on fake drunk-driving charges. Fortunately, the dog wins the Big Race and the cabby's good name is eventually cleared. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andrew Blackett, Jeanne de Casalis, (more)
- 1945
Originally released in England as The Way to the Stars, Johnny in the Clouds is the story of how the Battle of Britain affected the lives of combatants and civilians alike. Terence Rattigan's screenplay concentrates on three groups of people: an American pilot and his wife, a doomed British officer with a wife and child, and a young couple who plan to marry despite the precariousness of wartime romances. Most of the action takes place at an air base and the neighboring village, where the private citizens react to rationing and other restrictions with various degrees of nobility and selfishness. The American title of this film is derived from the poem "Johnny in the Clouds," recited in tribute to the decease British airman; the U.S. version, which was released after the war, includes a prologue set in the deserted air base, with the bulk of the film offered as a flashback. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Mills, Michael Redgrave, (more)
- 1945
The crown jewels are at stake in this crime comedy featuring the efforts of London bobby Gray against American gangster Hunter. ~ All Movie Guide
