Anthony Steel Movies

This quaint horror anthology is loosely based on the works of horror novelist R. Chetwynd-Hayes -- who is portrayed by John Carradine as an active participant in his own tales. The author is invited by a suave vampire (Vincent Price) to accompany him to the title establishment, where he observes the secret social customs of various species of monsters -- which apparently include drinking, dancing, and watching undead strippers remove more than just their clothing. He is also made privy to the mating patterns of these creatures, whose tendency to inter-breed creates such new strains of monsters as the "shadmock" (a vampire-like entity with a deadly high-pitched whistle) and the "humgoo" (the sullen offspring of a human and a flesh-eating ghoul). Price's descriptions of these new beasties trigger accompanying vignettes far less entertaining than the framing story, which is rife with horror movie in-jokes, cheesy rubber monster masks, and music by pop-reggae band UB40(!). Accomplished horror-omnibus director Roy Ward Baker seems to delight in the opportunity for pure camp, although the overall silliness of the proceedings has put off more than a few horror buffs. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Angela Lansbury takes over the legacy of Margaret Rutherford as Agatha Christie's dogged sleuth Miss Marple in The Mirror Crack'd. The story takes place on a film set in a small British town in the 1950s. Elizabeth Taylor plays a washed-up actress trying to make a comeback but is plagued by a mysterious incident from her past. Unfortunately for her mental state, a collection of murders jar the quiet village where the movie is being made. Miss Marple arrives on the scene with her nephew, Inspector Craddock (Edward Fox), to investigate. In addition to Taylor, an assortment of other movie stars grace the roster of suspects, including Rock Hudson, Kim Novak, and Tony Curtis. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

A notorious international thief, the authorities, and just about every other small time hoodlum imaginable pursue a man recently released from the army after stumbling into a valuable, top-secret device with mysterious powers. Lance Corporal Gordon Laid (Robin Askwith) is a civilian again, but upon arriving at his borrowed luxury apartment he is shocked to discover a man fighting for his life. After discovering that his new neighbor is none other than stage and screen luminary Maxine Lupercal (Fiona Richmond), Laid unwittingly procures a much sought-after device known only as PJ46. Suffice it to say, it doesn't take long for international swindler Montcrieff Dovecraft (Anthony Steel) and his henchmen to find out about the curious device, and before long it seems like everyone is out to get Laid. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

On March 24, 1944, in the Ardeatine Caves outside Rome, one of the most infamous atrocities of World War II occurred -- the mass execution of 330 Italians in retaliation for the deaths of 33 Germans. The book Death in Rome contends that Pope Pius XII knew of the German plan but did nothing to stop it. In this film adaptation, Richard Burton plays Col. Herbert Kappler, a Nazi officer torn between his devotion to Hitler's cause and his love for Italy when he is ordered by his superior officer, Gen. Kurt Maelzer (Leo McKern), to see that this execution is carried out. Opposing the Germans and reacting against the silence of the Pope is Vatican priest Don Antonelli (Marcello Mastroianni), who chooses to die with the Italians rather than continue to act as a middleman between the German army and the Romans. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

A classical music conductor lives with his mistress and her teenage daughter. When he and the daughter begin a love affair, the mother allows the tryst to continue for fear of losing him should she deny him her daughter's affections. The young girl falls for an avant garde musician, and the conductor tries to sabotage the relationship. He is successful for a short time, but the girl eventually runs off with the musician. The man is left with the mother, who for some strange reason still loves the lecherous lout. The film attempts to be critical of the cruel and snobbish high society that the man must tolerate in order to insure his economic survival. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

An international gang of criminals pulls off a heist of $2,000,000 in foreign currency. The head of the group is known as "Major," and he boards a plane from Frankfort to meet with his cohorts in Vienna. When the plane crashes at the Vienna Airport, the mortally injured Major confesses his sins to a priest before he dies. The priest is then kidnapped by the rest of the gang, who torture him in an effort to find out where the money is hidden. To further complicate matters, one of the gang is an undercover insurance agent who is trying to recover the stolen loot. The priest, a specialist in hearing the confessions of the dying, is constantly being contacted by police who wish to partake of his services in this fast-moving crime drama. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

This melodramatic Italian and French anthology is comprised of four unrelated short films directed by four different directors. The first vignette, "Queen Sabina" (or "The Hitchhiker") chronicles the sexual misadventures of a teenage girl on the road home. "Queen Armenia" (aka "The Room with a Juke Box") centers on a self-serving opportunistic gypsy babysitter who uses her employer's kids for her own gain. The third episode, "Queen Elena" (aka "The Digestive Tablet") centers on a husband who learns a lesson about the perils of infidelity after he succumbs to the wiles of the seductive wife next door. The last vignette, "Queen Marta" (aka "Giovanni") centers on a wealthy woman who, when drunk, uses her butler as an outlet for her lust. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this western, an entry in the "Winnetou" series based on Germany's Karl May's novels, follows the attempts of two con men to cheat the Apaches out of their oil rights. They are foiled by Old Shatterhand and Winnetou, his Apache partner. The film was made on location in Yugoslavia. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The villains in the British The Switch are members of a wristwatch-smuggling gang. Poor Zena Marshall knows too much, so the gangs abducts her. Stalwart customs official Anthony Steel struggles manfully to rescue the girl. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide