Michael York Movies
Frequently portraying dashing heroes or upper-crust socialites, British actor Michael York appropriately got his start in the theater. He graduated from Oxford University and toured with the National Youth Theatre before his meeting with director Franco Zeffirelli for the 1965 staging of Much Ado About Nothing. Taking him into the world of feature films, Zeffirelli cast the young actor in the roles of Lucentio for the Taming of the Shrew and Tybalt for Romeo & Juliet. York remains best known for his film work of the late '60s, but he also developed a lengthy career in televised adaptations of literary classics. Over a 30-year span, he played key roles in Great Expectations, David Copperfield, Jesus of Nazareth, and several others. His small-screen work began with the role of Jolyon Forsyte on the BBC's 1967 series The Forsyte Saga. He had some of his most interesting roles throughout the '70s, including the swashbuckling D'Artagnan in The Three Musketeers, Count Andrenyi in Murder on the Orient Express, and the title hero in the sci-fi Logan's Run. He also played the bisexual Konrad in Something for Everyone, the expatriate writer in England Made Me, and he brought it all together as bisexual expatriate writer Brian Roberts in Bob Fosse's Cabaret. After a brief stint as a producer, the '80s were a slow time for York's film career and he moved on to countless TV movies, after-school specials, and a reoccurring role on the soap opera Knots Landing. In the '90s, he returned to the stage for Broadway productions of The Little Prince, Bent, and The Crucible. He also authored his memoirs, released in the U.S. under the title Accidentally on Purpose. Younger audiences may recognize him from the Austin Powers movies as Basil Exposition, head of the British Intelligence Agency, or from the Omega Code movies. Since 2000, York has found work playing the headmaster in Borstal Boy, lended his voice to such History Channel productions as Alexander Hamilton, and resurrected his D'Artagnan character for the miniseries La Femme Musketeer. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Mark Christopher wrote and directed this look back at the Disco Era when the popular Studio 54 was at its apogee in the late '70s. With obvious comparisons to Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights (1997) and Whit Stillman's The Last Days of Disco (1998), the story introduces working-class 19-year-old Irish-American Shane O'Shea (Ryan Phillippe), who has lived with his father and siblings since the death of his mother when he was 12. Shane quickly rises from busboy to bartender at Studio 54, co-owned and managed in a paternal manner by entrepreneur Steve Rubell (Mike Myers). Busboy Greg Randazzo (Breckin Meyer) and Greg's wife, Anita (Salma Hayek), the club's coat check girl, become Shane's new friends, and he encounters the possibility of romance with soap star Julie Black (Neve Campbell). The story spans the summer of 1979 until the decline of Studio 54 a year later with IRS investigations, followed by the arrest and jailing of Rubell. Costumes by Ellen Lutter capture the glitter and glam-glitz of the period. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ryan Phillippe, Salma Hayek, (more)
This animated retelling of the Charles Dickens classic makes for light holiday viewing. The familiar tale begins with the miserly Ebeneezer Scrooge (voice of Tim Curry), who would rather count his money than celebrate the season with his put-upon employee, Bob Cratchit (voice of Michael York). In the middle of the night, the ghost of Scrooge's dead partner, Jacob Marley (voice of Edward Asner), warns him that he will be visited by three spirits. The Ghost of Christmas Past takes him back to his childhood, the Ghost of the Present takes him to visit the poverty-stricken Cratchits, and the Ghost of the Future is merely a silent cloaked figure, representing his death. Upon seeing the error of his ways, Scrooge reforms and attempts to bring good cheer to the Cratchit family. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Curry, Whoopi Goldberg, (more)
A Russian immigrant arrives in the Unites States to discover that the American dream has dampened somewhat in writer-turned-director Len Richmond's satirical look at America's preoccupation with all things sexual. Despite enthusiastic Alex's (Michael York) best efforts, the only job he can find upon arriving in the United States is a low-paying stint in a sex-toy factory. When elderly factory owner Eppy (Nancy Fish) takes pity on the struggling newcomer and introduces him to has-been adult film star Catherine (Prunella Gee) in hopes of making a match, the romantic bachelor finds that true love doesn't always arrive in the most conventional form. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael York, Prunella Gee, (more)
In this romantic fantasy adventure, a lady scientist's experiment whisks her back to King Arthur's court. While there, the plucky lass proves that modern women are as tough as medieval men, and she soon becomes the mythical king's most favored knight. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whoopi Goldberg, Michael York, (more)
- 1979
Based on the best-selling book by William Stevenson, this three-part NBC miniseries begins in 1939, just before the outbreak of WWII. With his warnings of Hitler's treachery going ignored, out-of-power politician Winston Churchill (Nigel Stock) approaches patriotic Canadian industrialist Sir William Stephenson (David Niven) with an unusual request. Sir William is asked to use his own funds to secretly organize an Allied espionage network, to be set in motion the moment Hitler shows his hand. Joining in this covert operation is American president Franklin D. Roosevelt, who, risking possible impeachment, encourages Sir William to establish a training base for spies in Ontario. Other concerned parties include the courageous French expatriate Madelaine (Barbara Hershey) and Sir William's right-hand man Evan Michaelain (Michael York). Location-filmed in England, Norway, and Canada, A Man Called Intrepid was originally broadcast from May 20 to 22, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Niven, Michael York, (more)
- 2000
- G
A team of writers and artists from France, Great Britain, and Germany came together to create this animated fantasy about a monkey who unwittingly confronts the fears and superstitions that have held back his kind. In a lush jungle untouched by human civilization, monkeys are divided into two tribes -- the Woonkos, who live in the trees, and the Laankos, who live on the ground. Many years before, all the monkeys lived together, but a great flood separated them into two factions, and after the passing of several generations, no one remembers that they once lived in peace. The Woonkos believe that the monkeys living below them are demons, while the Laankos consider the tree-dwelling apes to be dangerous savages who must be executed if they are ever captured. Kom (voice of Matt Hill) is a free-spirited Woonko who doesn't put much stock in the tales of the demons living below, and one day, while swinging on a vine near a canyon, he falls in and is captured by a group of Laankos. The King of the Laankos (voice of Michael York) becomes curious about the invader, and asks that Master Martin (voice of Michael Gambon) examine Kom before he is put to death. Kom is certain that he is surrounded by demons at first, but as he adjusts to his surroundings, he is impressed with the Laankos' more advanced society -- and he becomes quite fond of Gina (voice of Sally-Anne Marsh), a servant working in the king's compound. A Monkey's Tale also features the voice talents of John Hurt as the devious Chancellor Sebastian and Rik Mayall as the buffoonish Gerard; top-selling British pop group Westlife contributed the film's theme song, "We Are One." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
The complex relationships among an Oxford professor, one of his students, and the young woman who captivates both of them is the subject of this difficult but rewarding drama. Director Joseph Losey and writer Harold Pinter had previously collaborated on 1963's The Servant, and they surrounded this recasting of a Nicholas Mosley novel with a similar atmosphere of ominous mystery. The story is presented through flashbacks and disconnected memories that trace the characters' interactions. Though the mood is occasionally brightened by satirical views of the academic world, the overall effect is rather somber, concerned with missed opportunities, unhealthy obsessions, and unavoidable regret. Dirk Bogarde superbly captures the pensive professor's torment, with able support from Jacqueline Sassard and Michael York as the younger couple. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dirk Bogarde, Stanley Baker, (more)
- 1969
While Olde England is being ransacked by roving Danes in the 9th century, Alfred (David Hemmings) is commencing to join the priesthood. But observing the rape of his motherland, he puts aside his religious vows to take up arms against the invaders, leading the English Christians to fight for their country. Alfred soundly defeats the Danes and becomes an English hero. But now, although Alfred still longs for the priesthood, he is torn between his passion for God and his lust for blood. After marrying the beautiful Aelhsweth (Prunella Ransome), he gives himself over to his dark side and aggressively rapes his wife. At this point, the Danes return and Alfred must muster the English forces once again for a decisive battle, but he also must battle his conflicting soul. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Hemmings, Michael York, (more)
- 1983
Unfortunately bound by clichés and stereotypes rather than original insights and new viewpoints, this condensed movie version of an 8-hour television series does not do complete justice to its noble topic of courage in the face of the World War II holocaust. The story is based on the memoirs of Martin Gray (Michael York plays the older Gray and Jacques Penot the younger), a Polish Jew who survived the Warsaw Ghetto and escaped Treblinka, the Nazi death camp where his mother and brothers died. After leaving Treblinka, Martin returns to Warsaw in time to join the Jewish insurrection at the Warsaw ghetto. In 1943, thousands of Jews in the walled ghetto revolted and fought the German occupation forces for six weeks, killing 5,000 Germans but losing their heroic struggle -- that six-week battle is a major focus of the film. Miraculously, Gray survives the war and moves to France where he meets and falls in love with Dina (Brigitte Fossey) -- and then has a major second tragic episode in his life that opens this film, and in the story and in real life it inspires him to write his memoirs. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael York, Brigitte Fossey, (more)
Mike Myers' phenomenally successful spy spoof gains a few more characters, a slew of celebrity cameos, and even more free-associative laughs in this third installment of the popular franchise. Austin Powers in Goldmember continues the exploits of the swinging-'60s leftover, who, as the film opens, is busy critiquing a big-budget Hollywood production of his life story, replete with a 20-million-dollar star in the lead role and a slew of John Woo-style action scenes. But not far from the soundstage lurks arch nemesis Dr. Evil (Myers), who has opened up a talent agency representing some of the industry's biggest stars -- all the while channeling their profits into a diabolical world-destruction plan with the unfortunate code name Preparation H. Dr. Evil presents a distraction to Austin by kidnapping his similarly swingin' father, Nigel Powers, and transporting him back in time to 1975. Travelling there to save his father -- and in turn win back his dad's sometimes-errant affection -- Austin comes across the alluring superspy Foxxy Cleopatra (Beyonce Knowles). The three of them travel back to the present day, where they join forces to battle Dr. Evil and his posse of nefarious evil-doers, including the trusty clone Mini-Me (Verne Troyer); his snotty son, Scott (Seth Green); the inimitable Fat Bastard (Myers); and the eponymous new addition to the fold: the epidermis-obsessed, precious-metal-fortified Dutchman called Goldmember (Myers). ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mike Myers, Beyoncé Knowles, (more)
- 1997
- PG13
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Less a parody of the early James Bond film than a parody of the films that parodied the early James Bond films, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery stars Mike Myers as Austin Powers, by day a hipster fashion photographer in mid-'60s swingin' London and by night a crime-fighting secret agent. Austin's wardrobe is pure Carnaby Street at its most outrageous, his vocabulary is crowded by the cool lingo of the day ("Groovy, baby! Yeah!!"), and he's irresistible to women, despite the fact that he can be charitably described as "stocky" and has teeth that strike fear into any practicing dentist. When his nemesis, the arch-enemy Dr. Evil (also played by Myers), has himself cryogenically frozen and sent into space, Powers also has himself put on ice so he can be thawed out when Dr. Evil returns. Come 1997, Dr. Evil returns to Earth and is back to his old tricks, so Austin is thawed out and returned to active service -- though he soon discovers his style doesn't play so well 30 years on. The supporting cast includes Elizabeth Hurley as Austin's sidekick, Vanessa Kensington; Michael York as his boss, Basil Exposition; Robert Wagner as Dr. Evil's assistant, Number Two; and Seth Green as Dr. Evil's troubled son, Scott Evil. Ming Tea, the swingin' pop band that periodically backs up Austin, includes real life pop-rockers Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery was a mild box-office hit but an even bigger success on home video, which led to the 1999 sequel, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, (more)
- 1999
- PG13
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Austin Powers -- fashion photographer, denizen of Swingin' London, international espionage agent, and bane of dental hygienists everywhere -- returns in his second screen adventure. Powers (once again played by Mike Myers), a 1960s superspy stranded in the 1990s, discovers that his nemesis, criminal genius Dr. Evil (also Mike Myers), has somehow stolen his "mojo" (the secret to his otherwise inexplicable sex appeal) and traveled back in time to the 1960s as part of his latest fiendish scheme. Powers must also travel back in time to retrieve it, but if Austin doesn't quite fit into 1998, he's been there just long enough not to fit in in 1968 anymore, either. Powers also discovers that Dr. Evil has new allies this time: Mini-Me (Verne Troyer), a clone of Dr. Evil one-eighth his size but just as nasty; Fat Bastard (Myers yet again), whose name describes him just fine; and vixenish assassin Robin Swallows (Gia Carides). Powers' lack of mojo also proves troublesome when he's paired with his new partner, saucy CIA operative Felicity Shagwell (Heather Graham). Other characters returning from the first film include Elizabeth Hurley as Vanessa Kensington, Robert Wagner as Number Two, Michael York as Basil Exposition, Seth Green as Scott Evil, and Mindy Sterling as Frau Farbissina. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me also includes cameo appearances from Tim Robbins, Jerry Springer, Woody Harrelson, and Burt Bacharach with his current songwriting partner, Elvis Costello. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mike Myers, Heather Graham, (more)
- 1996
Michael York guest-stars as a bedraggled space traveller who claims to be King Arthur. Meanwhile, Sheridan defends B5 against the forces of Earth. Crucial to the strategy devised by Sheridan and Ivanova is an alliance with the Centauri government ---something that Londo can not and will not tolerate. This is the episode in which G'Kar is willingly cast in the role of "The Red Knight." First shown in America during the week of April 22, 1996, "A Late Delivery from Avalon" was written by J. Michael Straczynski. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, (more)
Brendan Behan's famous memoir about his troubled youth formed the basis of this drama. Brendan (Shawn Hatosy) is a 16-year-old boy from Ireland who loathes the British and is eager to do something about it. Brendan sails into Liverpool, but is discovered to be carrying the makings of a bomb; he's soon placed under arrest and thrown into a borstal (British reform school), where he finds himself surrounded by a collection of tough-as-nails English delinquents. While his political beliefs don't change, Brendan learns to become more tolerant of others as he makes friends with a few of his fellow inmates, including Charlie (Danny Dyer), who dreams of sailing away some day, and Scottish Jock (Robin Laing). Brendan also has to deal with the pains of first love when he becomes infatuated with Liz (Eva Birthistle), the daughter of the school's master (Michael York). Borstal Boy marked the film debut of stage director Peter Sheridan, the brother of noted Irish filmmaker Jim Sheridan. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shawn Hatosy, Danny Dyer, (more)
St. Francis of Assisi was an extraordinarily complex and difficult figure whose effect on his contemporary society was electrifying. Even today, many people are moved by his visionary message of universal toleration. Twelfth-century Italy had an exceptionally grim and regimented society, but the barefoot monk from Assisi undoubtedly had the courage that comes from deep faith and was able to transcend the oppressiveness of the time. In this Italian/British-produced film, director Franco Zeffirelli attempts to bring his vision of this great man to the screen. The contemporary (1970s) example of the hippie movement contributed a great deal to the style in which the story is told. The musical score, using ancient Italian melodies, was arranged by Donovan. The film is visually beautiful in a way which tends to minimize the squalor of the times. As the movie begins, Francis (Graham Faulkner) is the son of wealthy merchants, and enjoys his share of wine, women and song without serious thought. When war and disease devastate his neighborhood, Francis undergoes an anguished transformation which culminates in his appearing before the local bishop and removing his clothes to renounce his previous life and family before dedicating himself to God. The culminating dramatic moment is Francis' appearance before Pope Innocent III (Sir Alec Guinness), to make his case for an independent religious order under new rules. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Graham Faulkner, Judi Bowker, (more)
Originally a 1966 Broadway musical, this groundbreaking Bob Fosse musical was in turn based on Christopher Isherwood's Goodbye to Berlin, previously dramatized for stage and screen as I Am a Camera with Julie Harris as Sally Bowles. Fosse uses the decadent and vulgar cabaret as a mirror image of German society sliding toward the Nazis, and this intertwining of entertainment with social history marked a new step forward for the movie musical. Michael York plays a British writer who comes to Berlin in the early 1930s in hopes of becoming a teacher. He makes the acquaintance of flamboyant American entertainer Sally Bowles, played by Liza Minnelli. Sally works at the Kit Kat Klub, a George Grosz-like Berlin cabaret where each night the smirking, androgynous Master of Ceremonies (Joel Grey) introduces a jazz-driven "girlie show" to his debauched audience. Virtually all the film's musical numbers are staged within the confines of the Kit Kat Klub, and each song comments on the plot and on Germany's "progression" from hedonism to Hitlerism. Most of the Broadway score by John Kander and Fred Ebb was retained, with the welcome addition of "The Money Song." Although it lost Best Picture to The Godfather, Cabaret won eight Oscars, including awards to Minnelli, Grey, and Fosse. A heavily expurgated 88-minute version of Cabaret has been prepared for commercial TV presentations, regarded by many as dramatically inferior to the full cut. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liza Minnelli, Michael York, (more)
Guido Santi and Tina Mascara's documentary Chris and Don. A Love Story traces the romantic relationship between writer Christopher Isherwood and painter Don Bachardy. The filmmakers utilize interviews with Don himself, as well as personal documents belonging to Isherwood, in order to show how the duo nurtured each other's artistic instincts while establishing a deep emotional bond that survived even after Isherwood's passing. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Bachardy, Christopher Isherwood, (more)
One of the few American films to deal with the tragic story of the internment of Asian-Americans during World War II, Come See the Paradise opens in the late 1930s, as Jack McGurn (Dennis Quaid) is working as a union organizer in New York City. Jack finds himself on the wrong side of the law after he gets involved in an ill-advised bombing of a scab shop, and he flees to Los Angeles, where Hiroshi Kawamura (Sab Shimono) gives him a job as a projectionist in L.A.'s Little Tokyo. Jack soon meets Hiroshi's beautiful daughter Lily (Tamlyn Tomita) and it's love at first sight. Jack and Lily decide to get married, but Hiroshi opposes the match and California law prevents mixed-race couples from obtaining a marriage license. Jack and Lily move to Seattle, where they are wed and soon have a daughter. Jack, however, begins working with the union again, which puts a strain on their marriage; Lily takes their child and returns to Los Angeles. But before long the United States enters World War II, and the Kawamura family is sent (along with all other Americans of Japanese descent living in California) to an internment camp, as it is believed they will become traitors against America if left to their own devices. Jack, ironically, is drafted into the Army and soon goes AWOL to return to California, where he tries to find his wife in the camps. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Quaid, Tamlyn Tomita, (more)
Based on a play by Barry England, the British Conduct Unbecoming revolves around a sexual violation--which may or may not have occurred. In British India, highborn Mrs. Scarlett (Susannah York) accuses 2nd Lt. Millington, a Bengal Lancer officer (James Faulkner) of raping her. Lieutenant Arthur Drake (Michael York) is assigned to defend Lt. Millington in a trial held behind closed doors to avoid scandal. Colonel Strang (Trevor Howard.) is a martinet judge who presses for a conviction, only to have his determination shaken by the introduction of new evidence. Conduct Unbecoming has the look and feel of a decades-old stage production, but the dialogue and performances provide a strictly contemporary slant. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael York, Richard Attenborough, (more)
A private eye gets a startling perspective on the sordid underbelly of the ad game in this thriller. Montaghe (David Carradine) is a billionaire business tycoon, and when his daughter disappears under mysterious circumstances, he hires Darrel Chisum (David Faustino), a hard- bitten but streetsmart detective, to find her. Chisum's investigation leads him to Dick Bunche (Michael York), the unscrupulous owner of a large and powerful advertising agency; certain Bunche knows more about Montaghe's daughter than he's telling, Chisum wants to get an inside perspective on what goes on at Bunche's agency, and persuades his friend Erik Denham (Chris Conrad), an out-of-work ad man, to infiltrate the organization. However, Denham and Chisum soon find that Bunche's secrets are deeper and more sinister than they ever imagined. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael York, David Faustino, (more)
An unethical, small-time reporter stumbles onto a secret that just may revolutionize the entire telecommunications industry in this made-for-television action thriller starring Andrew McCarthy, Michael York, and Bo Derek. Having used less-than-legitimate means to acquire the shocking footage from his source, reporter Hank Robinson (McCarthy) must maintain a low profile as he attempts to go public with the controversial story. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
In this drama, a German woman treasures a ring, the one tie she has left to her life before WWII. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nastassja Kinski, Linda Lavin, (more)
- 1986
Loretta Young was originally to have starred in made-for-TV Dark Mansions, but she didn't like the script and passed up the project; her role was quickly filled by another Hollywood veteran, Joan Fontaine. Aaron Spelling and Douglas Cramer, the guys who brought you Love Boat, "go gothic" in this Seattle-based tale of the supernatural. While writing the history of a shipbuilding family, Linda Purl learns a little too much for her own wellbeing. Per the film's title, most of the story takes place in a haunted house-and it's a lulu. Michael York, Philip Drake and Melissa Sue Anderson costar. Dark Mansions was first telecast August 23, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Harley Jane Kozak, Paul Mercurio and Michael York star in this science fiction adventure. A Dark Planet can be found past the opening of an Interstellar Wormhole, and only one man, knows how to get his spacecraft to the planet and back again -- and his name is Hawke. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Mercurio, Harley Jane Kozak, (more)
