Barry Warren Movies
- 1969
Accused of treason, an agent cannot rely upon the sole witness to his innocence, who insists upon contradicting every one of his previous statements. The cause of this phenomenon is a chemically altered form of milk, which induces people to lie uncontrollably. Steed and Tara attempt to neutralize the effects of the spiked milk -- and to turn the tables on the villains. Written by frequent Avengers guest star Jeremy Burnham, "False Witness" was first seen in England on November 6, 1968, and was first shown on American TV 19 days later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Bennett
Hammer Studios followed up Evil of Frankenstein with this entertaining sequel, again starring Peter Cushing as the quintessential mad scientist obsessed with the reanimation of dead bodies and the creation of superhuman creatures. His latest project involves transferring the mind of a wrongly-executed man into the body of his lover (former Playboy centerfold Susan Denberg), whose own suicide left her horribly disfigured. After restoring her beauty, the Doctor performs the mind-transference, which comes off without a hitch... until the lust for revenge against his executioners begins to surface. He/she then pursues this vendetta by seducing and murdering those who wronged him. Hammer stalwart Terence Fisher directs this quirky entry with his usual flair -- aided considerably by a decent budget -- and spices things up with a fair share of titillation (courtesy of Ms. Denberg). ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Cushing, Susan Denberg, (more)
- 1965
Originally (and appropriately) telecast in England on December 25, 1965, this episode was written by Tony Williamson. Plagued by terrible nightmares which seem to be coming true, a rattled Steed asks Emma to accompany him to a Christmas party. Hosting the festivities is Brandon Storey (Mervyn Johns), a collector of Dickens first editions. It soon develops that Storey may be in league with a villainous group of telepaths who have been causing Steed's horrible dreams -- and who intend to kill our hero in order to pry certain valuable secrets from his subconscious. Curiously, the American debut of "Too Many Christmas Trees" took place on August 11, 1966, several months shy of the titular holiday. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Upon their defeat by Francis Drake, a ship's crew which served in the Spanish Armada anchors near a small coastal village in England to make repairs on their vessel. While there, the cuthroat Captain Robeles (Christopher Lee) leads his men to take control of the town in an opportunistic move, claiming to have won a naval battle. Fortunately for the villagers, they are not without means defending themselves -- especially as one crewman decides to jump ship to help them. Screenwriter Jimmy Sangster, known mostly for his horror tales, contributed yet another character for Lee as he did previously in Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula, The Mummy, and Scream of Fear. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lee, Andrew Keir, (more)
- 1963
Producer Anthony Hinds used the alias John Elder to pen the screenplay of Kiss of the Vampire. Dr. Ravna (Noel Willman), an early 20th century Bavarian, entices a British honeymooning couple, Gerald and Marianne (Clifford Evans, Jennifer Daniel), to accept his hospitality. Once ensconced in Ravna's chateau, the couple discovers with horror that Ravna, Bavaria's biggest fan of Count Dracula, is the leader of an enthusiastic vampire cult. Clifford Evans plays the Van Helsing counterpart, Professor Zimmer, a vampire expert who first tries to warn the couple out of the area and then saves Marianne. Not as horrific as the title suggests, Kiss of the Vampire concentrates on the seductive, sensual side of vampirism, especially in a surrealistic masked-ball sequence. Though it contains far less bloodletting than most Hammer productions, Kiss of the Vampire was severely cut for its American TV release (and retitled Kiss of Evil). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clifford Evans, Noel Willman, (more)
- 1960
Breaking with their usual videotape tradition, the producers of NBC television's Hallmark Hall of Fame decided to commit its 1960 production of Macbeth to film. Maurice Evans stars as the fatally ambitious Scots warrior, with Judith Anderson as Lady MacBeth and Malcolm Keen as Duncan, whom MacBeth murders in order to further his own advancement. The production was a restaging of Hall of Fame's live presentation of the play, which was telecast in 1954. So impressed were Shakespeare scholars by Evans' interpretation of Macbeth that few complaints were made about the rather ruthless cutting of the Shakespearean text. This George Schafer-directed Macbeth was eventually released theatrically in Europe, its running time expanded by outtakes and newly filmed footage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maurice Evans, Judith Anderson, (more)
