Jonathan Singer Movies

This hastily assembled sequel to the popular British service farce Up the Creek finds David Tomlinson returning in the role of Lt. Fairweather, skipper of the not-so-good ship Aristotle. This time, however, Fairweather's enterprisingly larcenous bos'un is played not by Peter Sellers but by music-hall favorite Frankie Howerd. The plot finds the Aristotle being sold to a mythical middle-eastern country. Assigned to deliver the vessel to its new owners, Fairweather discovers that his faithful bos'un has once again sold tickets to passengers, in direct violation of regulations. The resulting comic complications are as predictable as they are hilarious. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Released in Britain as Whispering Smith Hits London, this economically produced whodunit stars Richard Carlson as famed pulp-novel amateur sleuth Whispering Smith. While vacationing in London, Smith becomes intrigued by a suicide case. He suspects that there's more to this than meets the eye, and of course he's right: the so-called suicide was really a murder -- and also the tip of the iceberg in a massive cover-up conspiracy. Greta Gynt co-stars as the Woman in the Case, who may not be All She Seems. For reasons unknown, the British prints of Whispering Smith vs. Scotland Yard credit the screenplay to John Gilling, while the American prints bestow sole screenwriting credit upon Steve (I Wake Up Screaming) Fisher. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Director Charles Saunders based his screenplay for Come Back Peter on a play by A.P. Dearsley. The story concerns an elderly British couple (Humphrey Lestocq, Kathleen Boutall) who move from their old home to smaller but comfortable newer digs. The couple is then invaded by their grown children, who insist upon moving in with them. Some laughs, some tears, some pretzels, some beers. Come Back Peter went down easily in a brisk 80 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this entry in the comedy series, Frank Randle plays a janitor at a girl's school. Mayhem ensues when he discovers that his estranged daughter is one of the students. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this crime drama, a hotelier provides a gang of street urchins jobs at his hotel. The proprietor wants to use his lovely companion to help con the jewel thieves that are staying there. The children learn about the scam and using their street-smarts manage to foil both the thieves and the proprietor ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Few morale-boosting wartime films have retained their power and entertainment value as emphatically as Noël Coward's In Which We Serve. To witness Coward's sober, no-nonsense direction (in collaboration with his co-director/editor, David Lean) and to watch his straightforward portrayal of navy captain Kinross, one would never suspect that he'd built his theatrical reputation upon sophisticated drawing-room comedies and brittle, witty song lyrics. The real star of In Which We Serve is the British destroyer Torrin. Torpedoed in battle, the Torrin miraculously survives, and is brought back to English shores to be repaired. The paint is barely dry and the nuts and bolts barely in place before the Torrin is pressed into duty during the Dunkirk evacuation. The noble vessel is finally sunk after being dive-bombed in Crete, but many of the crew members survive. As they cling to the wreckage awaiting rescue, Coward and his men flash back to their homes and loved ones, and, in so doing, recall anew just why they're fighting and for whom they're fighting. Next to Coward, the single most important of the film's characters is Shorty Blake, played by John Mills. (Trivia note: Mills' infant daughter Juliet Mills appears as Shorty's baby.) Even so, the emphasis in the film is on teamwork; here as elsewhere, there can be no stars in wartime. For many years, the only prints available to television were from the bowdlerized American version, which crudely cut out all "hells" and "damns." Fortunately, this eviscerated American release has since been shelved in favor of the full, glorious 115-minute version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, a dart-playing clerk catches a jewel thief. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this melodrama, an old fashioned bad guy is determined to have an innocent young maiden for himself. To do so, he frames her beloved fiance and gets him sent to jail. His wicked plot is foiled when the man is freed and the lovers get back together. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A bone-chiller that still manages to inject humor, this movie was based on an actual event and even spawned Stephen Sondheim's hit play "Sweeney Todd" in 1978. Slaughter portrays a mad barber who has a deal with a baker to provide fillings for his meat pies. Unfortunately for the barber's customers, their visit to his basement makes them an integral part of that deal. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide

A butler (Claude Dampier) searches for missing heir (Billy Milton) who claims his inheritance and wins the love of a woman June Clyde. ~ All Movie Guide

In this comedy, two Cockney sanitation workers get an unexpected bonus when they encounter a rare book that was accidentally tossed away. Soon they find themselves pursued by thieves, as this book is unique in the world. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide