Andre Van Gyseghem Movies

The Pied Piper eschews the romanticism of Robert Browning's poem and returns to the grim Grimm Brothers source. Pop singer Donovan plays the 14th century piper hired by duplicitous burgomaster Donald Pleasance to rid the town of Hamelin of its rats. The piper does what he's asked, but is denied the payment promised him; in revenge, he leads all of Hamelin's children out of town, never to be seen again. Though the story is a familiar one, this 1972 Pied Piper is not a kiddie movie. Director Jacques Demy's depiction of the 14th century as a muddy, backward, superstitious, disease-ridden, vermin-infested era transforms this fable into a squalid tale of revenge (incidentally, all those repulsive rodents are real; note John Holmes' screen credit as "rat trainer"). Donovan is quite good in the lead, and is matched by a remarkably restrained Jack Wild as the crippled boy. If you want the sugary sweet Pied Piper that your mother used to recite at bedtime, stay away from this film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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, All Movie Guide

For pretty Jean Francis (Lisa Gastoni), the nightmare begins when she inadvertently witnesses a robbery-murder. Rapson (Griffith Jones), leader of the criminal gang responsible, puts pressure on Jean to keep her from testifying. Fortunately, Jean finds a champion in the form of reporter Bob Meredith (Vincent Ball), who's been after the gang for months. In the end, the villains' worst enemies turn out not to be Jean or Bob, but themselves. Released in Great Britain as 3DFace in the Night3D, this British crime quickie reads rather better than it plays. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

His Hollywood career temporarily in the doldrums in 1953, Lloyd Bridges headed to Britain to star in The Limping Man. Bridges plays an ex-GI who arrives in London to visit his wartime amour (Moira Lister). Before anyone knows what's happened, our hero is mixed up in a murder case. The victim was killed by a mysterious "limping man," who is also an expert sharpshooter. Just when it seems that events have overwhelmed the GI and his lady love, the story suddenly. . .well, that would be tattling, wouldn't it? The Limping Man was released Stateside by Lippert Productions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

British stage star Jessie Matthews, who lit up the silver screen in England during the '30s, returned to the screen for her first starring vehicle in five years in Candles at Nine. Adapted from Anthony Gilbert's novel Mouse Who Couldn't Play Ball, it's a haunted house/mystery film along lines that intersect with Gaslight, Rebecca, and a dozen lesser influences from the same genre. Matthews plays Dorothea Capper, a plucky, unpretentious chorus girl who suddenly inherits 100,000 pounds (easily the equivalent of several million dollars in the British economy of the early '40s) from an eccentric great-uncle whom she never even knew. The problem is the disappointed would-be heirs, who would like her out of the way -- one of whom tries to take care of that matter before she even goes to claim her inheritance. The estate itself, called Brakes, is a pretty forbidding place, especially as maintained under the housekeeper Miss Carberry (Beatrix Lehmann), who likes shadows (as opposed to Dorothea, who loves the sunlight). So not only must she contend with the rivals, but with Miss Carberry as her diametrical opposite in just about every way possible, hating the fact that Dorothea is now the mistress of Brakes. And neither the heroine nor the audience can be certain that detective Bill Gordon (John Stuart), who is trying to protect her, is quite up to the job. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide