Martin Boddey Movies
- 1973
- PG
This tepid supernatural melodrama involves the former director of a mental hospital (Robert Hardy) who inherits the estate of one of his patients -- a house which was once the site of multiple murders. He also stands to inherit a substantial sum of gold... if only he can locate the treasure, which is hidden somewhere on the premises. Before long, Christopher Lee, Joan Collins and Herbert Lom catch the scent, aiming to do a bit of prospecting themselves. As the search progresses, Hardy's mental state begins to degrade, apparently as a result of the malevolent spirits which haunt the mansion, driving him to commit murder. Despite the prominent billing of Joan Collins (at the peak of her popularity on TV's Dynasty) for the video release, she and horror stalwart Lee have rather insignificant roles in this routine thriller. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1972
In the fifth episode of the six-part story "The Sea Devils," the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) realizes he will never be able to negotiate a truce between the British Navy and the reptilian Sea Devils as long as the Master (Roger Delgado) is stirring up hostilities. Things become even hairier when the Master develops a machine that will enable the Sea Devils to win their battle at sea and to wipe out all mankind. With no other alternative, the Doctor and the Master square off in a fight to the finish. Originally shown on March 25, 1972, "The Sea Devils, Episode 4" was written by Malcolm Hulke. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning, (more)
- 1972
In the conclusion of the six-part story "The Sea Devils," the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) has apparently smashed the efforts by the reptilian Sea Devils to destroy mankind. This, however, does not entirely eliminate the perpetrator of the present crisis, the Doctor's old nemesis the Master (Roger Delgado). Nor is the Doctor able to prevent mankind from getting itself into future scrapes of this nature! Originally shown on March 25, 1972, "The Sea Devils, Episode 4" was written by Malcolm Hulke. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning, (more)
- 1972
- PG
The phenomenon of Tales from the Crypt seems to have no endings, only changes. This successful pun-filled style of presenting ironic horror tales had its beginnings in William Gaine's E.C. comic series. At one time, outlandish E.C. Comics were at the heart of a national furor over the "evils" of comic books, which were thought to lead to moral degeneracy. The big comic-book publishers were frightened into freezing E.C. out of their distribution network, which killed the business. This British movie was based on the Tales from the Crypt series, which spawned several subsequent movies (and many imitators), at least one television series, and a whole new wave of comic books. Released in 1972, this movie has five episodes based on Gaines' stories, each introduced by Sir Ralph Richardson as the eerily cheery Crypt Keeper. His comedic approach to the role was misunderstood at the time, as reviewers expected a more solemn approach to horror. In "All Through the House," Santa Claus is someone to avoid. In "Reflection of Death" it takes some people a while to realize the truth about themselves. In "Poetic Justice" death cannot prevent one man's revenge. The episode "Blind Alley" demonstrates a new use for razor blades. "Wish You Were Here" cautions against taking native artifacts lightly (among other things). Among the stars featured are Peter Cushing, Joan Collins and Patrick Magee. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
An annoying devil-worshipping British biker gang calling themselves "The Living Dead" decide to take their moniker to heart when their leader commits suicide and is brought back from the dead in an occult ritual, thanks to a Satanic pact. Realizing that becoming zombies could be even more fun than the usual day-to-day hell-raising, most of the gang follow suit -- throwing themselves off buildings, into traffic, walls, etc. Without the annoyance of death to contend with, the Living Dead become even more obnoxious than usual, leading to a pat solution from their leader's peeved mother (Beryl Reid). Outrageously dated and featuring loads of unintentional laughs, this is still the finest movie ever made about British zombie biker gangs and features the stately Reid turning into a giant frog. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
Falling somewhere between the Beyond the Fringe school and the Monty Python league, Bedazzled is an irreverent Faust take-off, written by and starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore (Moore also composed the music). Moore plays a short-order cook at a London Wimpyburger restaurant, who falls hopelessly in love with waitress Eleanor Bron. About to commit suicide, the broken-hearted Moore is approached by Satan (Peter Cook). The Fallen Angel offers to purchase Moore's soul in exchange for seven wishes--the first of which is squandered when Satan buys Moore an ice cream bar (something over which the two stars quarrel throughout the film). Enticed by living personifications of the Deadly Sins--Raquel Welch, wearing next to nothing, is "Lillian Lust"--Moore allows Satan to grant him his heart's desire, utilizing the magic words, "Julie Andrews!" But with each wish, Satan, being Satan, can't help but gum up the works with a double-cross. The desperate Moore ultimately wishes to be allowed to spend the rest of his life with Eleanor in an environment with no other men--whereupon Satan transforms both Eleanor and Moore into nuns! Finally Satan has a change of heart, allowing Moore and Eleanor to fall in love in more orthodox surroundings and permitting Moore to regain his soul. Satan hopes that God will appreciate this good deed and allow him to re-enter Heaven. But God doesn't buy this; He's satisfied with Satan remaining mankind's "necessary evil". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, (more)
Adapted by Robert Bolt and Constance Willis from Bolt's hit stage play, A Man for All Seasons stars Paul Scofield, triumphantly repeating his stage role as Sir Thomas More. The crux of the film is the staunchly Catholic More's refusal to acknowledge King Henry VIII (Robert Shaw)'s break from the church to divorce his first wife and marry Anne Boleyn (an unbilled Vanessa Redgrave). Sir Thomas willingly goes to the chopping block rather than sacrifice his ideals. Director Fred Zinnemann retains the play's verbosity without sacrificing the film's strong sense of visuals. The impeccably chosen cast includes Wendy Hiller as Sir Thomas' likably contentious wife Alice, John Hurt as the deceitful Richard Rich (More's put-downs of this despicable character provide some of the film's biggest laughs), Orson Welles as a dour Cardinal Woolsey, Leo McKern as the ambitious Thomas Cromwell, and Susannah York as More's daughter Margaret. The "Common Man," an important bridging-the-scenes character in the original play, is removed from the film version, which does just fine without him. A Man for All Seasons won six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor, as well as seven British Film Academy awards. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Scofield, Wendy Hiller, (more)
- 1964
When a beautiful model is found shot in her apartment, a famous television star is felt to be the murderer in a failed extortion plot. Although the investigation turns up a surprise ending, by the time most viewers get there they could not care less who did it. Singularly uninspired murder drama. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
When a gang of London thieves, disguised as policemen, begin robbing other thieves....well, that's just not cricket. Benevolent burglar Peter Sellers, the man in charge of all "respectable" crooks in town (he even offers such incentives as a vacation plan and filmed training sessions!), sets about to ascertain how the renegade criminals have received inside information concerning upcoming robberies. He arranges a temporary truce with Scotland Yard so that both criminal and constable can work together in nabbing the miscreants. Alas, he must now contend with incompetent peacekeeper Lionel Jeffries, who poses an even greater threat than the "mole" who's been tipping off the phony cops (who is closer to Sellers than he'd ever suspect). Short, simple and sweet, the black-and-white Wrong Arm of the Law manages to pack more solid laughs than any three of Sellers' later overproduced Technicolor vehicles combined. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Sellers, Lionel Jeffries, (more)
- 1962
Based on Mark Twain's classic tale, this lively 16th-century-set comedy drama chronicles the misadventures and the lessons learned by two disparate and discontented look-a-likes who swear that the grass really is greener on the other side of the fence. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Guy Williams, Sean Scully, (more)
- 1961
This microcosmic comedy/drama is set in the kitchen of a swank London restaurant. The kitchen's unofficial father-figure is chef Carl Mohner, who gleefully advises his fellow workers to enjoy life and to seek their heart's desires. But no one is around to boost Mohner's morale when his planned marriage to waitress Mary Yeomans is shot down in flames. This culinary variation of the Grand Hotel theme was the handiwork of screenwriter Sidney Cole. Because of its nonstop action and huge cast, the stage adaptation of The Kitchen has become a favorite of local repertory theatres in both England and the US. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carl Möhner, Eric Pohlmann, (more)
- 1961
A British officer is slated to parachute into Normandy. What he doesn't know is that he is being set up by British Intelligence to be captured by the enemy and reveal erroneous information to the Nazis. Officer Raine (Bradford Dillman) is the unknowing soldier who has intentionally been given false information. His superiors justify the expenditure of one man verses the thousands of lives that will be saved by his mission. The unlucky officer faces capture, brutal torture and debilitating guilt leading to alcoholism over his perceived "failure" to keep the information secret. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Suzy Parker, Bradford Dillman, (more)
- 1961
There is nothing like suspecting your husband of murder to add suspense to a marriage, at least that is the case in this standard whodunit with a compelling plot. George Radcliffe (Gary Cooper) testifies in court against a man suspected of murdering George's business partner, absconding with a lot of cash in the process. Several years later, when his wife, Martha (Deborah Kerr), is confronted by a blackmailer (Eric Portman) who says her husband murdered his partner, she gets suspicious. George did come into a lot of money just at that time. And to make matters worse, life starts to turn very menacing for the confused and frightened Martha. This was Gary Cooper's last feature film. He succumbed to cancer a few months before The Naked Edge was released. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Cooper, Deborah Kerr, (more)
- 1960
A daring escape from prison whips open this actioner right at the beginning, and though the action continues from that moment onward it does not sustain the same break-neck pace. Matt Kirk (Aldo Ray) is in jail, wrongly accused of a crime, and along with three other inmates he escapes by hiding out in an ambulance. Circumstances then lead Matt and the others to set off in a small boat that ends up drifting toward an island called Pinchgut in Sydney's harbor. As the fugitives hole up on the island, Matt devises a way to call attention to his demand for a retrial that instead calls attention to more police... and a siege of the island begins. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Aldo Ray, Neil McCallum, (more)
- 1960
Robert Morley is ideally cast as the legendary playwright, poet, and wit Oscar Wilde in this biographical look at the author's tumultuous life. While he was married to a woman named Constance (Phyllis Calvert), Wilde was primarily attracted to men, and at the height of his fame, he became involved with Lord Alfred Douglas (John Neville), the estranged son of the Marquis of Queensberry (Edward Chapman). The Marquis, who disliked Wilde, publicly referred to him as a "sodomite," and Wilde sued for libel. However, in the midst of the resultant trial, Sir Edward Carson (Ralph Richardson) badgered Wilde into admitting his homosexuality under oath; Wilde lost his libel suit, and was then successfully prosecuted for indecency, for which he served two years at hard labor. Wilde died a poor and emotionally shattered man in Paris a few years later. Oscar Wilde was produced at roughly the same time as The Trials of Oscar Wilde, in which Peter Finch played the title role. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Morley, Phyllis Calvert, (more)
- 1960
The late Anthony Newley's star was already rising when he shared billing just after Robert Taylor and before Anne Aubrey in this fast-paced adventure story set in Africa. Adamson (Taylor) is an engineer in charge of a project to set up a railroad track through East Africa, the first of its kind -- well, almost. A rival railway gang is around to give him trouble. Aside from that kind of trouble, Adamson has to handle the convicts who are working underneath him, hungry crocodiles, dangerous lions, rhinos, and similar wild beasts, as well as Jane (Aubrey), a woman along for the duration. His sidekick Hooky (Newley) is a stand-out with his high energy brand of whimsy. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Taylor, Anthony Newley, (more)
- 1960
This routine crime drama with a dash of romance begins with a tense opening, a jewel theft is carried out almost without a word of dialogue. One of the thieves, John Bain (Trevor Howard) an expert locksmith plagued by a stint in prison, has been coerced into helping the master thief Peter Curran (Edmund Purdom) pull off the heist. Now that success is at hand, Peter double-crosses John and dumps his lover Gianna (Dorothy Dandridge) and takes off for Spain with the loot. Embittered and anxious for revenge, Gianna hooks up with John and the two of them head for Spain with an eye to getting even. As their quest brings them together, the two develop a special feeling for each other. Between their mutual libidinal interest and the intrusion of the search for Peter, the story itself becomes spread a little too thin. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Trevor Howard, Dorothy Dandridge, (more)
With dialogue ranging from flat to offensive and acting in the same range, this low-brow erotic crime drama by director Terence Young stars Jayne Mansfield as Midnight Franklin, a star stripper in a Soho club that is in serious rivalry with another strip joint. A reporter gets involved in the strip scene while writing a story on the clubs, and in the end he has quite a lot to write about. The competition between the two clubs heats up, and after one of the owners is the unknowing instrument in the death of a young (illegally young) stripper, both rival clubs head for a crash. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jayne Mansfield, Leo Genn, (more)
Set in the 1950s in Britain, this award-winning social comedy by director and co-writer John Boulting features Ian Carmichael as the inept Stanley Windrush, a hopeless twit with -- we are to believe -- an Oxford degree. Unlike others in his social circle, Stanley wants to work. When he tries out for jobs in industry with the full expectation of working his way into a management position, he sets off disasters and alienates his interviewers. So his uncle gives him a job in his munitions factory, knowing what an idiot he is, and relying on him to eventually cause a strike (the uncle needs this for his own reasons). Fred Kite (Peter Sellers in a performance that would launch him as an international star) takes Stanley under his wing yet that does not exactly turn out as expected either. Stanley screws up by accidentally being too efficient, and the entire British work force is affected. If one can accept a portrayal of factory workers as shiftless men unwilling to work, and managers as good 'ole boys whose jobs are gained only by networking, then this film will be all the more entertaining. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ian Carmichael, Peter Sellers, (more)
- 1959
The otherwise routine story and themes of this comedy are greatly balanced by talents of Anthony Newley as Jeep Jackson, a singing idol called up to serve in the British army and Lionel Jeffries as Bertie, a fussbudget adjutant. One of Jackson's superior officers is the brash Sgt. Lush (William Bendix) whose bark is much worse than his bite. Aside from the usual army types, Caroline (Anne Aubrey), the commander's daughter, adds a romantic nuance to the story when she falls for Jackson. And as in any story about a pop singer anywhere, Jackson manages to belt out a few songs. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Bendix, Anthony Newley, (more)
- 1958
In this drama, a man becomes fixated on a doll belonging to his illegitimate son. The obsession begins after his lover gives the infant up for adoption. The man is angered by this and kills the mother. More trouble ensues when he loses the doll. He attempts to get it back and this eventually causes him to confess his crime. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1958
This first entry in the long-running (some would say interminable) British "Carry On" series is at base a collection of motheaten army jokes, albeit served up with freshness and energy. Future Doctor Who star William Hartnell plays Sergeant Major Grimshaw, whose fondest wish is to win the coveted Best Troop Award before his retirement. Alas, this may never come to pass: his newest batch of conscripts include some of the biggest and stupidest foul-ups in military history. Popular comedian-cartoonist Bob Monkhouse and cockney bombshell Shirley Eaton head up the supporting cast, which includes such "Carry On" stalwarts-to-be as Kenneth Connor, Charles Hawtrey and Kenneth Williams. Carry On Sergeant was very loosely based on The Bull Boys, a novel by R. F. Delderfield. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Hartnell, Bob Monkhouse, (more)
- 1958
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Hawkins, Gia Scala, (more)
- 1958
In this WW II adventure, five brave Allies endeavor to escape from an Italian POW camp in North Africa. They succeed, but their trials are not over as they must still cross the burning Libyan desert to get safely behind Allied lines. En route they are captured by a Nazi-loving sheik. The sheik takes considerable time to decide the fate of the escapees; in that time, the five manage to escape again. This time they kill their captors. The film is also titled No Time to Die. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor Mature, Anthony Newley, (more)
- 1958
A little white lie sets off a harrowing series of increasingly catastrophic events in this thriller. The trouble begins when a bank clerk tells a fib to avoid paying his bus fare. The lie quickly becomes the basis for extortion and finally murder. The story is based on a radio play written by British actor Leo McKern. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
