John Warwick Movies
- 1982
- R
Writer/director Neil Jordan's debut feature is a tense thriller played out amid the violence in Northern Ireland. Stephen Rea stars as Danny, a saxophone player in a traveling band who witnesses the brutal murders of the manager of the band (who is involved in some extortion payoffs) and a deaf and dumb girl, who has seen the killing of the manager. After observing these cold-blooded executions, Danny becomes obsessed with hunting down the killers. His obsession develops into a murderous rage so intense that he ends up becoming as heartless a killer as the people he is trying to find. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Rea, Alan Devlin, (more)
- 1971
This futuristic political drama stars Joe James as the Australian minister of defense. In seeking a military alliance with Asia, James is thwarted by his antiwar son Gerard Maguire. The film's "generation gap" seems to be its sole raison d'etre, and as such the story seems terribly antiquated when seen today (and difficult to follow, thanks to the actors' thick regional accents). Still, The Demonstrator was an important stepping stone in the revitalization of the long-dormant Australian film industry. Scripter Kit Denton adapted the film from an original story by Elizabeth Campbell and Don Campbell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Also known as Return of the Boomerang, Adam's Woman is set in the rough-and-tumble Australia of the 1840s. Beau Bridges plays Adam, convicted of a crime he didn't commit and shipped off to the penal colony "Down Under". Enduring brutal treatment, he escapes, only to be captured again. Thanks to the intervention of a reform-minded warden John Mills, Adam is offered a fresh start in life. An unexpectedly vicious climax finds Adam and his new wife (Jane Merrow) fending off a group of scurrilous ex-prisoners headed by Adam's onetime cellmate (James Booth). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Beau Bridges, Jane Merrow, (more)
- 1962
Three losing crooks are featured as Stooge-like misfits (sans slapstick) in this conventional comedy by director Michael Truman. Bernard (Dave King) is the ringleader, while Harry and Alfie (Daniel Massey and Norman Rossington) do their best to contribute to the trio's success -- and fail each time. First the group screw up their escape after a robbery because they are stuck in traffic by a fire engine. That gives them the idea of getting a fire engine to pull off a heist, and that goes wrong because they are detoured to a real fire. Next, they recruit an ex-fireman with a record for setting blazes himself (Robert Morley) in the hopes that a decoy fire can take attention away from the bank they want to rob. With their batting average, the bank seems fairly safe. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dave King, Robert Morley, (more)
- 1959
"Site Three" is a top-secret missile base in this British meller. Geoffrey Toone stars as Sexton Blake, the Sherlock Holmes clone created by committee for the "pulps" and comic books. With his faithful young assistant Tinker (Richard Burrell), the all-knowing, all-seeing Blake try to ferret out an espionage ring operating within Britain's space program. A key ingredient to the proceedings is the truth serum developed and utilized by Blake. Murder at Site Three was based on Crime is My Business, a novel by W. Howard Baker. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The power of hypnotism provides the basis of this film that was released in "Hypnovision" (yet another promotional gimmick) A budding and frustrated mystery writer takes extreme steps to insure that his latest thriller contains accurate descriptions of horrible murders in this gory horror thriller. He decides that the best way to do this is to set up and witness similar murders first- hand, so, not wanting to bloody his own hands, he hypnotizes his assistant, turns him into a deformed monster and has him do the dirty work using a few devilishly clever gadgets that include binoculars equipped with spring-loaded spikes, a secret guillotine poised above a young woman's bed, and deadly ice tongs. Afterward, the writer drops the bodies in a vat of acid. Several people die before the assistant rebels and gets bloody revenge. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Gough, June Cunningham, (more)
- 1959
In this drama, a reporter and his girlfriend pursue a jewel thief through rural Sussex. The tables turn when the thief abducts the girlfriend and holds her hostage in a castle forcing the reporter to assist him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1958
A father discovers that being a good role model for your son isn't always easy -- especially when you're a criminal -- in this bright British comedy. Percy Brand (Michael Redgrave) is an all-purpose con artist and small-time crook who makes a good living on the wrong side of the law but often finds himself behind bars as a result. Not wanting to present too bad an example to his son and needing an explanation for his frequent time away, he tells young Colin (Jeremy Burnham) that he's a missionary working with a religious group, and his good deeds take him all over the world on sudden missions of mercy. Colin accepts his father's word to the letter, and he grows up to be a law-abiding citizen who works as a barrister for Judge Crichton (Robert Morley), who has had to deal with Percy a number of times over the years. By this time, Percy has retired to a village by the ocean and is living nicely off his ill-gotten gains, but he gets roped into a scheme smuggling brandy and soon finds himself in trouble with the law again. Rather than go back to the pokey (and embarrass Colin), Percy and his mates concoct a bizarre plan by which they'll implicate Judge Crichton in the smuggling and send him to jail in their place. Director Charles Crichton directed a number of fine British comedies, right up to his final picture, A Fish Called Wanda, which he completed at the age of 78. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Redgrave, Robert Morley, (more)
- 1958
Director John Ford traveled to England to film this adaptation of the novel by J.J. Maraca, which details a typical day in the busy life of a detective for Scotland Yard. Inspector George Gideon (Jack Hawkins) begins his working day by confronting one of his fellow officers who is believed to be accepting graft. The sergeant stubbornly denies the charge, but he dies later the same day in a mysterious hit-and-run accident that piques Gideon's curiosity. While confronting internal strife within Scotland Yard, Gideon also has more typical crimes to investigate, including a murder in Manchester and a burglary in London, both of which were performed by the same vicious criminal. Gideon himself becomes the victim of a holdup and is forced to take a bullet for his troubles, while on the home front he finds himself in disfavor with his family when he forgets to bring home salmon for dinner and lets his daughter's recital slip his mind. Along with Jack Hawkins, Gideon's Day features a stellar cast of British actors, including Cyril Cusack, Anna Massey, Laurence Naismith, Dianne Foster, and Billie Whitelaw. For its initial American release, Gideon's Day (also shown as Gideon of Scotland Yard) was cut from 91 minutes to a mere 54, and distributed in black and white prints instead of the original Technicolor. Fortunately, nearly all the prints currently in circulation are of the uncut, color edition. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Hawkins, Dianne Foster, (more)
In this British comedy, set during WWII, a street laborer likes to harass the British soldiers and ends up drafted into becoming part of the British army labor regiment. Unfortunately, a mix-up occurs and he ends up being parachuted behind Nazi lines where he is mistaken for a Nazi officer. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norman Wisdom, Honor Blackman, (more)
- 1957
Norman Wisdom, Britain's much-funnier answer to Jerry Lewis, stars in Just My Luck. Wisdom plays a humble jewelry-store clerk who begins playing the horses, the better to raise enough money to buy a fancy gift for girlfriend Anne (Jill Dixon). Much to his surprise, Wisdom wins a fortune at the track: collecting the money, however, may not be as simple as he thinks. The funniest scene finds our hapless hero being trundled off to the hospital for a wholly unecessary operation; also good for laughs is a movie-house routine dominated by Carry On regular Joan Sims. Curiously, Just My Luck was bypassed by American distributors in favor of lesser Norman Wisdom vehicles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norman Wisdom, Jill Dixon, (more)
- 1956
Jack Hawkins is starred as a gruff, intensely dedicated Scotland Yard superintendent. Working as much by instinct as through scientific methods, Hawkins and rookie sergeant John Stratton tackle the case of a string of unsolved safecrackings, committed by the elusive Richard Leech. This Dragnet approach gives way to suspense as robbery leads to murder. A neat surprise twist caps this finely honed example of British moviemaking know-how. The Long Arm was released in the U.S. as The Third Key. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Hawkins, John Stratton, (more)
- 1955
England's Richard Greene and France's Anouk Aimee (here billed simply as Anouk) star in the fast-paced espionager Contraband Spain. Greene is cast as American federal agent Lee, who is dispatched to the French-Spanish border to break up a smuggling ring. Making things difficult for Lee is the fact that his own brother is one of the smugglers. Aimee plays Elena, a nightclub singer who plays both sides, but who eventually links up with Lee. As British customs official Ricky, Michael Denison virtually reprises his foppish "Algernon Moncrieff" characterization from The Importance of Being Earnest--but his broad behavior is all part of the plot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Greene
- 1955
Alexander Knox is the One Just Man in this British crime melodrama. Knox plays a judge who takes the law in his own hands when obviously guilty miscreants get off scot-free. When Knox's tale is told, we are introduced to Peter Reynolds as a duplicitous playboy who attempts to defraud an insurance company. One Just Man looks suspiciously like two half-hour TV pilot films strung together. This 55-minute package was prepared by the brothers Danzinger, purveyors of many a pulse-pounding British programmer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1954
In this exciting drama, three people spy an empty yacht adrift at sea. They get on board and begin investigating, thinking it was used for smuggling. Not long afterwards, all of them develop radiation burns on their arms. They soon discover that the ship's mast is filled with stolen uranium. They radio the cops, but before they can get there, the crooks return and a chase ensues, culminating in a deadly explosion. In Great Britain, the film was titled Dangerous Voyage. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1954
In this remake of Jack Ahoy! (1934) a sailor is left alone on a South Sea island to guard supplies by the British Royal Navy. Unfortunately, they forget about him. A decade later he has become one of the native islanders. The trouble begins when the navy suddenly remembers and sends a ship to save him. Unfortunately, the man is happy and doesn't want to go back. He ends up staying and training navy jungle commandos for an assignment to recover a stolen submarine. The hapless sailor ends up captured himself. Fortunately, his native lover saves him and helps bring back the purloined submarine. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1954
In this courtroom drama a doctor's plan's to marry are thwarted by blackmail. He is expected to take the fall for the murder of his intended's ex-husband. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1954
This film offers a trio suspenseful dramas. In the first, an unhappy wife refuses to mourn the death of her husband, a miner who was trapped in a mining accident. Instead, she gets herself a new lover. Unfortunately, the husband survived. In the second episode, one sister saves the other, who has been betrothed by locking the groom away. Unfortunately, she has locked away the wrong man. In the final vignette, a saboteur plants a bomb in a factory and must escape before it goes off. Unfortunately, just as he thinks he is home free, a helpful coworker returns the lunchbox he left behind in his haste to leave. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1954
In the tradition of The Window (1949) and The Yellow Balloon, Bang! You're Dead juxtaposes the innocence of childhood with the bleak realities of the adult world. Two rural British youngsters come across an abandoned gun. One of the boys accidentally shoots a much-despised local citizen. The police arrest a man who had a grudge against the victim; will the actual miscreant confess, and bring shame upon his parents? Filmed in England, Bang! You're Dead was released in the U.S. as A Game of Death. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Warner, Derek Farr, (more)
- 1953
The philosophies and practices of London policewomen provide the basis of this exciting and interesting docu-drama that centers on three such women. The film is also known as Street Corner. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Ebullient British music-hall comedian Norman Wisdom made his movie debut in Trouble in Store. The scene is a large department store, where the bumbling Norman (Wisdom) has somehow landed a clerical job. The rest of the film is a series of slapstick catastrophes, some hilarious, others less so. Along the way, Norman saves the store from falling into the clutches of gangsters -- and wins the heroine besides. Wisdom's perennial straight-man Jerry Desmonde has a meaty role, as do British film-faves Margaret Rutherford and Moira Lister. Evidently this film meant a great deal to Norman Wisdom, for in 1992 he titled his autobiography Trouble in Store. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norman Wisdom, Margaret Rutherford, (more)
- 1953
Released in the U.S. by Lippert Studios, I'll Get You was filmed in Britain as Escape Route. George Raft stars as Steve Rossi, an FBI man, sent to London on the trail of an international kidnapping ring. The villains specialize in abducting nuclear scientists, then smuggling them behind the Iron Curtain. Rossi's British contact is military intelligence agent Joan Miller (Sally Gray). Several false leads and red herrings later, the two agents close in on the kidnappers on the docks of the Thames. But the terrorists aren't about to give up peaceably, a fact that leads to an explosive finale. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Raft, Sally Gray, (more)
- 1953
Street Corner was a marginally realistic study of British policewomen. The film takes its female cast through a typical day on the Chelsea beat. In the manner of Dragnet and The Blue Lamp, the skimpy plotline is merely there to string together several anecdotal incidents, illustrating that while a policewoman's lot is not a happy one, neither is it dull. Feminist film fans might point with pride to the fact that Street Corner was written and directed by a woman, Muriel Box. The fact that Box had been working in this capacity in the British film industry for years, while Hollywood had been relegating women to second-class status during the same period of time, is equally worthy of being pointed out. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peggy Cummins, Anne Crawford, (more)
- 1952
This romantic mystery involves a young lawyer whose old flame is accused of murdering his mistress. She takes his case and beats her adversary, a lawyer who wants to marry her, by disclosing her former relationship with him. Her reputation is ruined when it is found that the man really is guilty, but this enables her to marry the amorous lawyer. ~ Steve Huey, All Movie Guide
- 1950
Set in a quiet British village, Franchise Affair details the ramifications of a malicious lie. Schoolgirl Ketty Kane (Ann Stephens) hopes to cover up her own misbehavior by claiming that two local women, Marion Sharpe (Dulcie Gray) and Marion's mother (Marjorie Fielding), have kidnapped and abused her. Though the authorities swallow Ketty's story, village lawyer Robert Blair (Michael Dennison) had his doubts. Risking ostracism from the community, Blair quietly sets about to prove the innocence of the two women. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dulcie Gray, Anthony Nicholls, (more)
