Ben Wrigley Movies
- 1948
A solid script by John Guillermin bolsters the otherwise so-so British filler Melody in the Dark. Eunice Gayson plays an actress who inherits a forbidding old mansion. Using her new domicile as a rehearsal hall for herself and her fellow thespians, Eunice is scared out of her wits by mysterious sounds emanating from nowhere. There's a logical explanation, of course, but try telling that to the cast during the film's first five reels. Musical relief is provided by such home-grown acts as The Keynotes, The Stardusters and The London Lovelies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1949
A window washer is hired to assist a woman get her jewels back from the thieves in this mystery comedy. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1966
This episode was designed as a lead-in for the CBS special Lucy in London, which aired on October 24, 1966. Having entered the winning jingle for the Arf Arf Dog Food company, Lucy (Lucille Ball) wins first prize: An all-expense-paid trip to London. This being her first overseas flight, Lucy is understandably nervous, which results in a truly bumpy ride for her unwilling travelling companion--Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon). Pat Priest of The Munsters fame is seen as a harried stewardess. The opening "conveyor belt" gag was written by longtime I Love Lucy scriveners Madelyn Davis and Bob Carroll Jr., who also penned the script for the Lucy in London special. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary Jane Croft, Ben Wrigley, (more)
- 1968
Season seven of The Beverly Hillbillies began on September 25, 1968, with an echo of the series' sixth-season opener. In "A Bundle for Britain," the Clampetts return to England, where Jed owns a rather sizeable castle. This time, they're on an errand of mercy: Mistakenly believing that the British Commonwealth has gone broke, the hillbillies are prepared to give their entire fortune -- $80 million -- to Queen Elizabeth. Alan Mowbray guest stars as Montrose, while Richard Caldicot reprises his role as Faversham. "A Bundle for Britain" was the first episode in a five-part story arc. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Bedknobs and Broomsticks was produced several years after Walt Disney's death and released in the fall of 1971. As it turned out, Bedknobs was frequently compared to Mary Poppins -- probably thanks to several striking similarities between the two productions, notably the presence in the cast of David Tomlinson, the use of Cockney children as central characters, and the inclusion of sequences that combine animation and live-action. Set in wartime England, Bedknobs stars Angela Lansbury as Eglantine Price, a would-be witch who hopes to use her newly acquired conjuring powers to forestall a Nazi invasion. Saddled with three surly kids who've been evacuated from London, Lansbury wins over her charges by performing various and sundry feats of magic. And, yes, she manages to foil a few Germans along the way. The film's most famous episode is an elaborate undersea fantasy, which combines animation with live-action on a gargantuan scale, dwarfing all previous Disney sequences along these lines. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Angela Lansbury, David Tomlinson, (more)
Based on a story by Hollywood old-timers Seton I. Miller and S. S. Field, Pete's Dragon divides its time between its flesh-and-blood characters and an animated blue dragon. Pete (Sean Marshall), a lonely orphan boy in turn-of-the-century Maine, runs away from his abusive foster family. He stumbles upon a lovable dragon named Elliot, and the two become inseparable companions. Elliot is visible only to Pete, leading the townsfolk to assume that the boy is a trifle tetched. Pete finally finds happiness with his "new" family, lighthouse-keeper Lampie (Mickey Rooney) and his daughter Nora (Helen Reddy, who sings and sings). British comic actor Jim Dale co-stars as the wacky dentist Dr. Terminus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helen Reddy, Jim Dale, (more)
