Geoffrey Whitehead Movies
- 1995
This four-part British miniseries was based on the second of the three Johnny Maxwell books by children's author Terry Pratchett (who also wrote the teleplay). This time around, young Johnny (Andrew Falvey) came to the rescue of several restless ghosts. This required the hero to prevent a local cemetery from being plowed over by the usual evil land developers. More whimsical than weird, Johnny and the Dead originally aired from April 4 to 25, 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Andrew Falvey, George Baker, (more)
When an American socialite's husband dies, she is faced with running the business the two have successfully created -- a vast jewelry empire -- together with staving off the petty jealousies and rivalries she has with her siblings. Based on a Danielle Steel novel. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi
An Anglo-American co-production, S.O.S. Titanic is a costly, 150-minute reenactment of the infamous sea disaster of 1912. Heading the cast is David Janssen as millionaire John Jacob Astor, who went down with the Titanic, and Cloris Leachman as raucous Denver dowager Molly Brown, who didn't (for the record, Leachman had previously played Brown on a 1957 episode of the TV anthology Telephone Time). Third-billed is Susan Saint James as fictional passenger Leigh Goodwin, who carries most of the dramatic load. Written by Hallmark Hall of Fame veteran James Costigan, the made-for-television S.O.S. Titanic premiered September 23, 1979. In subsequent network and syndicated showings, the film was pared down to 102 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1973
- R
This creepy, atmospheric horror film from England's Amicus Productions dispenses with much of the tongue-in-cheek presentation of their popular '70s horror anthologies (such as Asylum and Dr. Terror's House of Horrors) in favor of a more adult-oriented approach. The story begins in the 18th century, as a young stable hand tries to prevent nobleman Fengriffen (Herbert Lom) from raping a young servant girl -- who happens to be the stable hand's wife -- and for this transgression has his hand lopped off. Flash forward to the present, where Fengriffen's ancestor (Ian Ogilvy) and his wife (Stephanie Beacham), now living on the ancestral estate, are haunted by the servant's vengeful spirit, as well as the severed hand itself, which roams the gloomy corridors of the mansion. Most video versions are taken from the TV print, which is missing some scenes of violence and nudity. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Cushing, Herbert Lom, (more)
- 1971
Kidnapped avoids the Hollywoodized interpolations of previous film versions of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel, choosing instead to adhere to the story as written. Scottish orphan David Balfour (Lawrence Douglas) is betrayed by his wicked uncle Ebeneezer (Donald Pleasance), who arranges for David to be kidnapped and sold into slavery so that Unk can claim his inheritance. The boy is rescued and befriended by Alan Breck (Michael Caine), a Scottish rebel fighting on behalf of his country's independence from the British (did we tell you that the film takes place during late 18th century?) Both David and Alan undergo several exhilarating adventures before Alan comes to realize that the rebellion is doomed from the start, and David foils his uncle's greedy machinations. Kidnapped was one of several "classic" adaptations released by American-International during the early 1970s, and arguably the best of the bunch (try sitting through AIP's Wuthering Heights sometime). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Trevor Howard, (more)
- 1971
Malcom McDowell, who went on to play a chillingly heartless young man in A Clockwork Orange, here plays Bruce, a cheerful young athlete and aspiring writer whose injuries get the better of him on the evening of his colorless brother's wedding. He loses the use of his legs and is sent to a home for the handicapped. As a result of his disability, his attitude undergoes a profound change, and he becomes a surly, resentful and difficult young man. At the home, he meets a young woman (Nanette Newman) whose disability has lasted much longer than his, and they fall in love. They become engaged, but she dies before they can get married. While this sounds relentlessly melancholy, the heart of the movie is the way in which each of the two has enriched the life of the other, and the movie is a good deal more upbeat than it sounds. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Malcolm McDowell, Nanette Newman, (more)
- 1969
While visiting an antique shop, Tara is waylaid and chloroformed. Upon awakening, she finds that she has gone back in time to 1915, and that her name is Pandora (hence the episode's title). It is all part of a scheme hatched by a pair of avaricious nephews to discover the hidden location of their rich uncle's vast fortune. In the course of events, John Steed harks back to previous adventures with his former partners Cathy Gale and Emma Peel. Written by Robert Fuest, "Pandora" first aired in America on March 10, 1969, and in England the following April 30th. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1964
A horse stable turns out to be the headquarters of a highly sophisticated murder-for-hire service. Hoping to beard the crooks in their den, Steed employs the services of a valuable race horse. Cathy joins in the scheme when she takes a job with a bookmaking operation -- and, in the words of the episode's opening titles, "becomes the favourite for murder." Written by Malcolm Hulke, "The Trojan Horse" originally aired in England on February 8, 1964; American viewers first saw the episode on March 29, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
