Peter Swanwick Movies

Perhaps one of the most fascinating and maddening 48 minutes ever committed to television broadcast, "Fall Out" was the 17th and final episode of the British sci-fi/fantasy series The Prisoner. Having survived the ordeal of Degree Absolute in the previous episode "Once Upon a Time", Number Six is rewarded with the right to become an individual once more. With the begrudging blessing of the defeated Number Two (Leo McKern), Number Six is given back his original clothes, the key to his old house, a million pounds' worth of travellers cheques, and an international passport. But this is not enough for Number Six: He insists upon learning the identity of the enigmatic Number One, who was responsible for his ordeal in The Village. From this point on, the episode's already pervasive surrealism reaches a fever pitch, festooned with cryptic messages, verbal and visual puns, "reunions" with past antagonists, Beatles tunes in the background, and various "types" wandering around in white masks. One of these masked figures is the elusive Number One. . .and that's all that can be said without giving the game away (if indeed, the game could ever be given away). Written and directed by series star Patrick McGoohan, "Fall Out" was originally telecast in England on February 4, 1968, and in America on September 21, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Written by Roger Woddis, this episode of The Prisoner guest stars Patrick Cargill (also seen in the previous episode "Free for All") as super sadistic New Number Two. Delighting in tormenting the villagers, Number Two drives at least one of them, Number 73 (Hilary Dwyer), to suicide. Hoping to avenge the woman's death, Number Six begins his own campaign of psychological warfare, utilizing such "weapons" as his collection of Bizet recordings! In addition to resembling an installment of the much later CBS series, Survivor, this episode also predates American Gladiators by offering an "extreme sport" known as Kosho. Originally slated as the 14th episode of The Prisoner, "Hammer into the Anvil" was seen as episode number 10 when it first aired in England on December 10, 1967. It was placed in its original chronology for American television, where it was first seen on August 31, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Number Six learns of an impending assassination, "Plan Division Q," in which the target is the Retiring Number Two (Andre Van Gyseghem). Actually, these plans were deliberately divulged by the New Number Two (Derren Nesbitt), who hopes thereby to discredit Number Six. With no one willing to believe that an assassination is about to take place, Number Six finds that his fate may rest in the hands of a watchmaker (Martin Miller) and his daughter (Annette Andre). Written by Michael Cramoy, "It's Your Funeral" was supposed to have been the 10th episode of The Prisoner, but instead was telecast in England as episode number 11 on December 17, 1967. Its original chronology was restored when it debuted in America on August 10, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this episode of the cult-favorite TV series The Prisoner, Number 6 (Patrick McGoohan) appears to be developing an artistic side when he begins work on a series of sculptures for an art exhibit. What his captors do not realize is that they can be assembled into a boat, and Number 6 uses them to sail away from the Village. In time, Number Six reaches England, where he returns to the offices of the espionage organization from which he attempted to resign, only to discover he's fallen into a trap. Leo McKern plays Village leader Number Two in this episode, while Finlay Currie and Nadia Gray highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This crime drama chronicles the demise of a hapless stripper who ends up gang-raped and killed. The dead woman's best friend, a singer, tells the sordid tale. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this taut British drama, a wanderer becomes friends with a would-be runaway teenage girl. The two end up in a local barn and there she attempts to convince him to take her away from her unhappy homelife, but he will not. Meanwhile, police stage a massive manhunt for a fugitive child killer as well as for the missing girl. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

On special assignment during WW1, German officer Wilhelm Reitlinger (played by horror-movie icon Christopher Lee) makes the acquaintance of an oddball farmer named Klaus Karnak (Martin Balsam). Claiming to have the power of teleportation, Karnak agrees to "will" Reitlinger's soul to his home town so that he can check up on his sweetheart. Upon his arrival, Reitlinger commits a murder--but of course, since he couldn't possibly be in two places at once, nobody believes his protestations of guilt. Ultimately, the conscience-stricken Reitlinger has no other option than to commit a second murder so he'll be punished for the first. This is one of several One Step Beyond episodes filmed in England. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A battered houseboat on the Thames provides the setting for this romantic British comedy. Two newlyweds rent the leaky floating home. The trouble begins when the husband decides to move the scow to a better location. The rickety barge disrupts river traffic. Next the two get lost in a fog bank. When it finally lifts, they find themselves in France. Fortunately, their landlord's yacht is moored nearby and they are able to borrow some petrol. The landlord bets that he can beat them across the Channel with his yacht. The race begins. The yachtsman gets terribly drunk and his cannot stay on course. The newlyweds win the race. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

One of the covert operations at the beginning of World War II is enacted in this fast-paced docudrama about a government-approved diamond heist. A Major from the British army (Tony Britton) joins up with a Dutch diamond expert (Alexander Knox) and another adventurous Dutchman (Peter Finch) to steal a fortune in diamonds from a bank vault in Amsterdam before the Nazis completely close off the city. The trio are launched under the covering fire of a British battleship in the harbor and then chauffeured into Amsterdam by Anna (Eva Bartok), one of many people they encounter who could be either friend or foe. There is no time to waste in emptying the bank vault because it is estimated that the city will be overrun by the Nazi army in just fourteen hours. Meanwhile, the war is intensifying all around them, and the Nazi soldiers already on patrol are a continual threat. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

This WWII espionage drama is based on the true tale of a British spy, as told in the story by J. Alvin Kugelmass. Alex Schottland (Jack Hawkins) is a career agent for England, having served during WWI. He is assigned to Nazi Germany and rises to the rank of general as WWII breaks out. His contact is Cornaz (Felix Alymer), who pretends to be a clock seller. But Cornaz's identity is discovered, and he is brutally murdered. Schottland overcomes suspicions and makes contacts with a new British agent, Lili Geyr (Gia Scala), who is a nightclub singer. His love for her is first feigned as part of the spy game -- then becomes real. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi

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, Rovi

In this crime drama, the trouble begins when Arabs kidnap a young wife and hold her hostage for a pair of rare books. Mayhem ensues as her husband and another book smuggler team up to get her back without having to sacrifice the rare tomes. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi