Jane Welsh Movies
Lana Turner stars as Sara Scott, an American war correspondent whose whirlwind romance with a young British journalist (Sean Connery) ends in tragedy when his plane crashes while covering an assignment. After recovering from a nervous breakdown, Sara tries to come to terms with her grief by visiting her lover's widow (Glynis Johns). Based on the novel Weep No More by Lenore Coffee, Another Time, Another Place did excellent box-office business thanks to the concurrent real-life scandal involving the death of Turner's gangster boyfriend Johnny Stompanato at the hands of her teenage daughter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lana Turner, Barry Sullivan, (more)
- 1953
In this thriller, an imprisoned psycho killer's wife tries to start a new life. She changes her name and marries again. Her true identity is known only by her employer. The trouble begins when the killer escapes from prison. A detective pursues him and discovers that the killer is perfectly sane and is only trying to find the man who framed him. He then discovers that the woman's employer is the real murderer, and fortunately, he is killed during the final chase. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1950
A short story by Janet M. Smith was the basis for the equally short (52 minute) British programmer The Dragon of Pendragon Castle. The castle in question, a dank, foreboding affair, is owned by poverty-stricken nobleman J. Hubert Leslie. The old duffer has a pair of rambunctious grandkids, played by Robin Netscher and Hilary Rennie, who seeks a means to heat the bone-chilling castle. To that end, they invite a friendly fire-breathing sea dragon to enjoy their hospitality. Engagingly assembled, The Dragon of Pendragon Castle pleased many a British Saturday matinee audience in the early 1950s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1950
Barge worker Gordon Harker signs onto a suspicous-looking vessel as a crew member. Harker knows full well that the ship is being used by smugglers, and he intends to keep his mouth shut and do his job. But only until the opportunity arises for him to avenge the death of his best friend at the hands of his new employers. But the crooks get wise, and kidnap Harker's son and his pal David Hannaford (the "second mate" of the title). Tension mounts as Harker not only faces his own imminent demise, but also the deaths of those nearest and dearest to him. A literally explosive finale caps this British programmer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1948
The popular "William" novels of British author Richmal Crompton were brought to the screen several times in 1930s and 1940s. William Goes to Town one of the better efforts in this off-and-on series. Young William Graham plays the eponymous wise-mouthed little schoolboy who causes all sorts of havoc during a trip to London. He even tries to crash the Prime Minister's headquarters to offer him financial advice! A subplot involving a circus keeps the film on an amiable kiddie-matinee level. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Garry Marsh, Jane Welsh, (more)
- 1947
William, the obstreperous Welsh schoolboy created by children's novelist Richmal Compton, appeared in several film incarnations in the 1930s and 1940s, none of them as successful as Compton's original books or the spin-off radio series. William Graham stars as the argumentative title character, who gets off to a bad start in the first scene by stealing his sister's cosmetics and wooden Indians -- after mixing up the shoe polish with the shaving cream. Venturing outside to play with his schoolmates, William decides to become a junior-league "righter of wrongs" by forming the Knights of the Square Table. This leads them to a "haunted" house, where William makes up for his past misdeeds by corralling a gang of crooks. Just William's Luck adheres strictly to formula, pleasing fans of the Compton books but doing nothing to broaden the character's appeal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Graham, Garry Marsh, (more)
- 1943
Toothy, ukelele-plucking British music hall favorite George Formby is at it again in Bell-Bottom George. From the title, you'd think that Formby has joined the Royal Navy. Well, sort of: when he's declared 4F (or the British equivalent of 4F), Formby poses as a Jack Tar to impress his girl friend Ann Firth. After a series of fitfully funny complications, Formby captures a nest of Nazi spies. Bell-Bottom George was a hit with both British military and civilian audiences; American videotape aficionados may have to run the picture twice to fully grasp all the colloquial humor and wartime slang. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1938
In this sentimental drama, a young girl is taken away from her beloved mother and given to her cruel and evil aunt. The girl somehow sneaks away and becomes friends with an organ-grinder. Together, they round up a gang of criminals. In the end, the mother and daughter find their way back to each other and live long happy lives together. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1935
In this comedy, a young husband tires of living off of his mother-in-law's money and decides to allow a film crew to use his mansion in exchange for a small fortune. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1932
On the surface just another quota quickie, Condemned to Death turned out to be quite a gem for those lucky enough to see it back in 1932. Taking a respite from his duties as moviedom's Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Wontner plays an incorruptible judge who sentences a criminal genius to the gallows. The villain then proceeds to hypnotize Wontner into murdering the jurors responsible for his convictions! Unaware of his crimes, Wontner is confronted with the evidence by Scotland Yard inspector Cyril Raymond, who has the decency to permit the good gray judge to commit suicide rather than face public disgrace and humiliation. Condemned to Death was based on Jack o' Lantern, a play by George Goodchild. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gillian Lind, Jane Welsh, (more)
- 1932
Saturnine Arthur Wontner makes his second screen appearance as Conan Doyle's master sleuth Sherlock Holmes in The Missing Rembrandt. The plot is motivated by the perfidious Baron von Guntermann (Francis L. Sullivan), "the worst man in London." Using blackmail as his principal weapon, the Baron manages to decorate the walls of his townhouse with several stolen works of art, including a priceless Rembrandt recently stolen from the Louvre. When an American detective proves unable to capture the elusive Von Guntermann, Sherlock Holmes (Wontner) takes over. Disguised as a priest, Holmes gains entry to the Baron's lair but is soon found out and forced to flee for his life. Reasoning that it takes a thief to catch a thief, Holmes and Dr. Watson (Ian Fleming) resort to burglary to retrieve valuable evidence, only to be accused of the murder of the American detective. Finally, however, Holmes emerges triumphantly, revealing the diabolically clever hiding place for the Missing Rembrandt. The film is based on the Conan Doyle story The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arthur Wontner, Ian Fleming, (more)
- 1932
In this drama a Chinese mandarin admits that he stole a secret treaty. He does this to protect the true thief who is his friend's wife. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1932
In this melodrama, a woman bears a child out of wedlock during WW I. She gives the child up to a rich old woman. Twenty years pass and the old lady dies. The girl's mother finally weds the real father who only does it because he feels responsible for the child. This causes the despondent wife to kill herself. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1931
Sherlock Holmes' Fatal Hour marked the first of five appearances by Arthur Wontner in the role of Holmes. Based on two Conan Doyle stories, The Final Problem and The Empty House, the story begins with a robbery and murder at a London bank. Holmes is certain that the mastermind behind this and several related crimes is his old nemesis, Professor Moriarty (Norman McKinnel), at present posing as one Colonel Henslow. Racing against time, Holmes and his aide Dr. Watson (Ian Fleming) try to prevent young diplomat attache Roland Adair (Leslie Perrins) from becoming a reluctant accomplice to Moriarty's latest scheme. Boasting excellent production values (especially notable in the accurate rendition of Holmes' Baker Street lodgings), Sherlock Holmes' Fatal Hour got the Wontner Holmes series off to a rousing start. The film was originally released in the England as The Sleeping Cardinal, a title which makes sense only in context. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arthur Wontner, Ian Fleming, (more)
- 1931
This otherwise undistinguished "quota quickie" represents the directorial debut of famed British filmmaker Michael Powell (Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes et. al.) The by-the-numbers storyline involves an escaped murderer who heads to London for the purpose of killing the girl whose evidence condemned him to the gallows. Our heroine is now the sweetheart of the detective who arrested the villain, but even this may not save her from doom. Sure enough, the girl is cornered by the killer, but her boyfriend comes to the rescue in the nick of time with the help of a cockney cabbie with aspirations of becoming a copper himself. Except for John Longden, the cast of Two Crowded Hours is populated with nonentities, forcing Michael Powell to rely on his own talents to make the whole project watchable. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Longden, Jane Welsh, (more)
- 1931
A self-righteous, racist Alsatian village mayor kills a Jew in this gripping German remake of a 1926 film. A long time later the burden of keeping the awful secret is too much, so he breaks down and admits his guilt. This film was banned in 1933 by Propaganda Minister Josef Goebbels after the Nazis rose to power. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
