Gerald Sim Movies

The Whisperers stars Dame Edith Evans as a lonely old woman whose imagination is getting the better of her sanity. She insists that she hears "whisperers" plotting and planning against her at all times; she also believes that these imaginary entities are spying on her. So suspicious is Ms. Evans of her nonexistent whisperers that she fails to notice the very real predators around her. She is robbed of her life's savings by a nasty "friend" (Avis Brunnage), and is exploited by her estranged con-artist husband (Eric Portman) and her no-good son (Ronald Fraser) Even when she catches on to the duplicity of others, Ms. Evans is so far gone with her "whisperers" that the authorities refuse to believe her. Seedy and sordid though it may be, The Whisperers won Edith Evans the Best Actress award from the New York Critics' Circle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Years before the story proper in The Wrong Box gets under way, a "tontine" is drawn up on behalf several young British boys. Each of the boys' parents had placed 1000 pounds in a pool, to be invested and expanded upon. The resultant fortune will go to the last surving member of the tontine. A series of montages depicts the various demises of the heirs (our favorite occurs when one of them is inadvertently beheaded while being knighted by Queen Victoria). Finally, only two of the tontine participants are left: aged brothers Ralph Richardson and John Mills. On his last legs, Mills is determined that Richardson will not outlive him, and to that end attempts to kill his brother; each attempt fails spectacularly, with the doddering Richardson none the wiser. Standing to benefit from the tontine are Mills' dimwitted med-student son Michael Caine and Richardson's greedy nephews Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. When Richardson is supposedly killed in a train wreck, Cook and Moore don't want the authorities to find out, so they appropriate what they think is their uncle's corpse and ship it home in a box. Thus it is that Caine finds the body of a perfect stranger on his doorstep. The farcical complications begin flying about thick and fast from this point onward. Among the participants in this wacky gigglefest are such formidable talents as Peter Sellers, Tony Hancock, Wilfred Lawson, Thorley Walters, Norman Rossington, Irene Handl and Cicely Courtenedge. Based on a novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Wrong Box is a delightful harkback to the glory days of Britain's Ealing comedies. We were so wrapped up in the story that we didn't even notice all those TV antennae sprouting up on the rooftops of Victorian London. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

James Clavell incorporated a few of his own experiences as a British POW in his novel King Rat. Bryan Forbes' film version stars George Segal as the mastermind of all black market operations in a Japanese prison camp. He is called "King Rat" because of his breeding of rodents to serve as food for his emaciated fellow prisoners; the nickname also alludes to Segal's shifty personality. British officer James Fox helps Segal expand his operation to include trading with the Japanese officers. Though on surface level a thoroughly selfish sort, Segal saves the ailing Fox's life by wangling precious antibiotics from the guards. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Assigned to investigate the disappearance of five fellow agents, Steed ends up being accused of their murders. Alas, the only person able to prove his innocence has completely lost his memory. Acting on her own volition, Cathy tries to get to the truth herself and learns a few unpleasant facts about her "trusted" colleagues. Written by Martin Woodhouse, "The Wringer" was originally telecast in England on January 18, 1964; it made its American TV bow on March 26, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This is a standard yet uneven drama featuring Judy Garland as Jenny Bowman, a powerful singer who obviously has a passion for the stage and performing. At the same time, she once had a passion for a certain British doctor, David Donne (Dirk Bogarde), that resulted in the birth of a baby boy. Unwilling to be a mom at this point in her career, Jenny gives the boy over to David, and he raises him as though he were an adopted son. David marries, and he and Jenny go their separate ways until many years have passed and, finding herself in London again, Jenny decides to visit her son. David is now a widower, and romantic sparks fly once he and Jenny get together -- raising the question of whether her passion for the stage is still stronger than her passion for David. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Based on Anthony Kimmins' stage success The Amorous Prawn, this British light comedy stars Joan Greenwood as the wife of an Army general (Cecil Parker). Having fallen upon hard times, the wife hits upon a scheme to raise some quick cash. She opens her husband's highland headquarters to visiting salmon fishermen, a circumstance that displeases the general when several of those anglers turn out to be handsome young men. On the assumption that American audiences would think The Amorous Prawn was a film about shrimp instead of salmon, the US distributor added the "Mr." to the original. When filmgoers failed to respond, the picture was re-retitled The Playgirl and the War Minister, a shameless attempt to exploit the then-current Profumo political scandal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Bryan Forbes' first directorial effort is set in a rugged Lancashire farm community. Three impressionable children, played by Hayley Mills, Diane Holgate, and Alan Barnes, come across a bearded vagrant named Arthur Blakey (Alan Bates) sleeping in their barn. Upon awakening, the ill-tempered bum takes a look at the white-eyed kids and mutters the imprecation "Jesus Christ!" In their innocence, the children assume that Arthur is Jesus Christ, and they spread the word to their friends. In truth, he is an escaped killer. But when the authorities come around looking for him, the kids, remembering Christ's persecution, do their best to protect their far-from-deserving new friend. Though the material, based on a novel by Mary Hayley Bell (Hayley Mills's mother) could have been mawkish and obvious in other hands, Forbes handles the situation and the characters realistically; even the blatant New Testament symbolism is logically incorporated into the proceedings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Steed swings into action when the janitor (Geroge Pravda) at a medical research lab steals a vial of radiactive material. The search becomes even more intense when Keel discovers that the stolen vial will soon kill the janitor and everyone else with whom he comes in contact. Meanwhile, the thief and his girlfriend arrange to leave for Europe, but the contact man making the arrangements has murder on his mind. Originally telecast live on February 25, 1961, "The Radioactive Man" was written by Fred Edge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Rocky Mountain was planned as a big budget western, but Warner Bros. pared down both its budget and its length to "programmer" dimensions. Errol Flynn plays a Confederate officer trying to recruit troops in California. Unfortunately the only folks interested in the Southern cause are bandits and drifters, so Flynn has to watch his back. The fiancee (Patrice Wymore) of a Union Army officer (Scott Forbes) is rescued from an Indian attack by Flynn's men, but they are reluctant to release her lest she tip off their whereabouts. A Yankee patrol headed by the girl's fiance is captured by Flynn, but he eventually allows the Yanks and the girl safe passage in order to save them from an Indian massacre. Rocky Mountain was no great advance in cinematic art, but it did serve to introduce Errol Flynn to Patrice Wymore, who became his third (and last) wife. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide