Anthony Steel Movies
Cambridge-educated leading man Anthony Steel had several seasons of theatrical work behind him when he first stepped before the movie cameras in 1948. His heyday was in the 1950s, a fact that can be attributed as much to his well-publicized marriage to actress Anita Ekberg as to such starring vehicles as Storm Over the Nile (the 1954 remake of The Four Feathers) and The Black Tent (1955). In the 1960s, he was often as not seen in Italian costume pictures and actioners. Anthony Steel rather surprisingly re-emerged in the 1970s as a featured player in such soft-core erotica as The Story of O, then played character parts in films like The Mirror Crack'd until his retirement in the early '80s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1949
British film star Googie Withers took a break from the steamy melodramas that had previously been her specialty in Once Upon a Dream. Withers plays Carol Gilbert, happily married to Major Gilbert (Guy Middleton). One evening, Carol dreams of an extramarital affair with Gilbert's former aide Jackson (Griffin Jones). Upon awakening, she is convinced that the assignation took place, and behaves accordingly, much to the confusion of both her husband and her "lover." More silly than funny, Once Upon a Dream is kept alive by the enthusiastic performances of its leading players. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Googie Withers, Griffith Jones, (more)
- 1949
A persistent case of hiccups causes all sorts of problems for a pretty young socialite in this comedy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1949
The action in the British Marry Me! centers around a marriage bureau. Utilizing the "omnibus" approach made popular by such films as Quartet, director Terence Fisher relates the stories of four separate marriage-bound couples. The cast (including Derek Bond, Susan Shaw, Patrick Holt, Carol Marsh, David Tomlinson, Zena Marshall, Guy Middleton and Nora Swinburne) is quite appealing, and the production values are of the highest caliber. It would have been nice, though, to spend more time getting to know the individuals involved in the four playlets. Marry Me! is not a remake of the 1932 film of the same name. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Derek Bond, Susan Shaw, (more)
- 1949
The Gay Lady is better known by its British title, Trottie True. Jean Kent stars as Trottie, a turn-of-the-century British music-hall performer who works her way up the ladder from chorus girl to headliner. As her fame increases, Trottie has no time for true love, preferring instead the attentions of men of nobility and wealth who can advance her career. But it's not enough, and at the end Trottie trots back to her husband. Based on the play by Caryl Brahms and S.J. Simon, The Gay Lady is best seen in its original Technicolor British release version, which unlike some American prints leaves most of the musical numbers intact. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Kent, James Donald, (more)
- 1949
By 1949, British stage and film star A.E. Matthews was more widely celebrated for his advanced age (eighty) than his considerable thespian achievements. In The Amazing Mr. Beecham (original British title: The Chiltern Hundreds), Matthews goes into his well-calculated "doddering aristocrat" routine as an elderly earl confounded by political upheaval. The old man's son (David Tomlinson) attempts to be elected to Parliament on the socialist ticket, but it is the family butler (Cecil Parker) who ends up being elected as a Tory. The original play, written by William Douglas Home, had also served as a vehicle for the venerable Matthews (who had made his stage debut in 1886!) After Amazing Mr. Beecham, A.E. Matthews remained active until his death in 1960 at age 91. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cecil Parker, A.E. Matthews, (more)
- 1948
Portrait from Life is an over-orchestrated "guilty pleasure" from the glory days of British romance pictures. A German professor sees a portrait in an art gallery which looks exactly like his daughter, who is assumed to have died in the war. The girl (Mai Zetterling) has been living as an amnesiac in Europe, under the protection of a former Nazi bigwig. British army major Guy Rolfe tries to cut through red tape and an tangled-up espionage plot to rescue the girl. Portrait from Life was issued in the US under the imaginative title The Girl in the Painting. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mai Zetterling, Guy Rolfe, (more)
