Stuart Burge Movies

The title of this BBC1 drama series referred to a coastal community in Yorkshire. Seaforth was the home of Paula Wickham (Rosemary Martin), a woman comfortably ensconced in the British Middle Class. Upon falling in love with randy blue-collar worker Bob Longman (Linus Roache), Paula ignored the admonitions of her friends and family that she was merely asking for trouble. As it turned out, Paula would have been better off heeding their advice. Opening with a 90-minute pilot episode of October 9, 1994, Seaforth was subsequently telecast in eight 50-minute increments until December 4 of the same year. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Little Dorrit was intended as the cinematic equivalent to the mammoth, eight-hour Royal Shakespeare Company's staging of Charles Dickens' Nicholas Nickelby. The film was released to theaters in two parts, each running approximately three hours. The first part, subtitled "Nobody's Fault," introduced us to the seamstress title character (Sarah Pickering), who chooses to live in debtor's prison with her father (Alec Guinness). Good Samaritan Arthur Clennam (Derek Jacobi) endeavors to help both father and daughter. The second part, also known as "Little Dorrit's Story," details Dorrit's escape from penury to lasting happiness. Eschewing the usual 19th century-style British music often heard in Dickensian adaptations, director Christine Edzard creatively -- and effectively -- opts for the strains of Giuseppe Verdi. Edzard's eye for period detail is also deserving of unbounded praise. Unfortunately, part two of Little Dorrit spends nearly half of its running time recapping part one, utilizing much of the same footage. For those familiar with "Nobody's Fault," "Little Dorrit's Story" is more a redundancy than a continuation. Still, taken together, parts one and two all fully deserving of the enthusiastic critical commentary that greeted them upon their original release -- not to mention the multiple Academy Award nominations bestowed upon the project and its participants. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Written by Alan Bennett, the British anthology series Talking Heads consisted of a batch of direct-to-camera monologues, delivered by Bennett and a corps of dependable character actors, all portraying a variety of what the writer referred to as "repressed souls." The first six half-hour programs, telecast by BBC1 in 1987, included "Cream Cracker Under the Setee," "A Chip in the Sugar," "Soldiering On," "A Lady of Letters," "Bed Among the Lentils," and "Her Big Chance." The second and final group of six, broadcast in 1998, included "Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet," "The Hand of God," "Playing Sandwiches," "The Outside Dog," "Nights in the Gardens of Spain," and "Waiting for the Telegram." The 1998 episodes were shown under the official blanket title Talking Heads II. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

D.H. Lawrence's semi-autobiographical novel Sons and Lovers was filmed in 1960, and suffered from the censorial dictates of the period. One would assume that the BBC2 TV miniseries version of the same property, produced in 1981, would be a bit less inhibited. While the basic story, that of a young Nottingham miner who yearned to become a renowned artist, was harmless enough, the sexual trimmings of the tale were fairly steamy -- but not so much so that a TV adaptation was impossible. In typical fashion, the BBC producers tended to bury the source material in lavish production values and flashy directorial touches, causing some critics to complain that the treatment was a betrayal of Lawrence's famed "naturalism." Unfortunately, contemporary viewers may never get the chance to judge for themselves, since the seven-part TV version of Sons and Lovers can be seen only if one has access to a private film archive. Fortunately, Trevor Griffiths' teleplay has been published and widely circulated in the British public library system. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Except for the omission of several passages in the original play, this 1970 adaptation of Julius Caesar faithfully retells Shakespeare's account of events surrounding the assassination of Caesar in 44 B.C. The film begins when Caesar John Gielgud is at the height of his power after conquering Pompey "the Great" in a civil war. Important senators worry that Caesar means to become king, diminish their power, and abolish their beloved Roman republic. Two senators, Cassius Richard Johnson and Brutus Jason Robards, hatch an assassination plot involving other disenchanted Roman citizens. Although a soothsayer warns Caesar of trouble ("Beware the ides of March") and his own wife reports ominous signs ("A lioness hath whelped in the streets; and graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead"), Caesar decides to go to the senate on the ides (March 15). Upon arrival, the conspirators greet him with daggers. In his funeral oration, Mark Antony Charlton Heston extols Caesar and incites the citizens against Brutus and the other conspirators. Brutus and Cassius flee Rome with their armies, but Antony and two other sympathizers track them down with their armies. When the tide turns against the conspirators, Brutus and Cassius commit suicide. As does Shakespeare's play, the film leaves the discerning viewer wondering who was the real villain -- Caesar, because of his ambition for power, or Brutus, because of his underhanded plot to maintain the status quo. ~ Mike Cummings, Rovi

The 1965 Othello is literally a photographed stage play: a filmed record of the National Theatre Production of 1964, as staged by John Dexter and starring Laurence Olivier. As the easily led, fatally jealous Moor of Venice, Olivier wears thick black-faced makeup and speaks in an uncharacteristically deep, bellow-like voice. Some considered his portrayal of Othello to be an unflattering stereotype; others regard Olivier's interpretation as one of the finest Shakespearean performances ever captured on film. Less flamboyant, but no less effective, are Frank Finlay as Iago, Maggie Smith as Desdemona, Derek Jacobi as Cassio, and Joyce Redman as Emilia. Oscar nominations went to Olivier, Finlay, Smith, and Redman. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This version of Chekov's classic play was recorded at the 1963 Chichester Festival. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The Malta Story stars Alec Guinness as WW II camera reconnaissance pilot Peter Ross. Crash-landing in Malta, Ross presents his photographs to the resident air officer (Jack Hawkins). The photos reveal that the Italians are planning a major invasion of the island. Low on fuel and men, the officer is all but helpless as the Italians mount their attack. Only the last-minute arrival reinforcements and supplies prevent Malta from falling into the hands of the enemies--but the story doesn't end there. Filmed on location, The Malta Story boasts some exceptional aerial photography, not to mention excellent performances from Guiness, Hawkins, Anthony Steele, Muriel Pavlow, Flora Robson and the rest of the stellar cast. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi