Richard Briers Movies

Part of the Thames Shakespeare Collection, this production of Twelfth Night was adapted for television by renowned actor and director Kenneth Branagh in 1988. Performed by the Renaissance Theatre Company, this classic comic tale of romance and confused identities features performances by acclaimed actors Caroline Langrishe and Richard Briers. ~ Dana Rowader, All Movie Guide

Playwright Alan Ayckbourn's Norman Conquests trilogy comes to a conclusion with the 106-minute "Round and Round the Garden." Whereas part one took place in the dining room and part two was set in the garden, part three takes place in the garden of the home of Richard Briers and Penelope Keith. Still amorously pursuing his sister-in-law is the eponymous Norman, played by Tom Conti. A newcomer to the proceedings is veterinarian David Troughton, who has a habit of jumping to the wrong conclusion at every possible opportunity. Originally produced for British television, The Norman Conquest was screened in the US over various PBS channels and cable services. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Produced for British television, The Norman Conquests was based on a trilogy of stage comedies by Alan Ayckbourn. Each playlet is set in a different room under the same roof: the home of Norman (Tom Conti) and his family. In Part 1, Table Manners, Norman attempts to seduce his two sisters-in-law, a feat that soon becomes an "open secret." Also starring is Penelope Keith as the lady of the house, who tends to treat human beings like place settings at a huge, never-ending banquet. Richard Briers, who co-starred with Ms. Keith in the BBC TV series Good Neighbours, heads the cast list. All three parts of The Norman Conquests were telecast in the US over PBS and various cable services. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Warren Mitchell stars in All the Way Up as a dimwitted British salesman. Though a bit shy in the brains department, Mitchell has hopes of climbing the corporate ladder. To do this, he tries to whip his addled family into a semblance of social acceptability. This being a comedy, Mitchell soon learns that his high-society aspirations are not only beyond his reach, but also not worth all the bother. All the Way Up was based on Semi-Detached, a play by David Turner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Raquel Welch breaks the surly bonds of Earth and loves every minute of it in this lighthearted spy spoof. Fathom Harvill (Welch) is an American skydiver touring Europe with a U.S. parachute team when she's approached by Douglas Campbell (Ronald Fraser), a Scottish agent working with American intelligence. According to Campbell, a triggering mechanism for nuclear weapons has gone missing in the Mediterranean, and Douglas wants Fathom to help find it. After encountering Chinese operative Peter Merriweather (Anthony Franciosa), Fathom discovers that Campbell is actually a private eye and that she's been tricked into helping him snag some jewelry. But what's the whole truth, and whose side is Fathom supposed to be on? ~ All Movie Guide

Terrence Rattigan, the playwright who brought us the multicharactered, multistoried Separate Tables, again offers us an episodic cross-section of humanity in The V.I.P.'s. When a heavy London fog paralyzes all air traffic, the lives of several people are profoundly affected. As indicated by the title, most of the characters in this portmanteau film are of the social and/or financial elite. Elizabeth Taylor wishes to leave her enormously wealthy husband Richard Burton in favor of playboy Louis Jourdan. Peripatetic European film producer Orson Welles is hoping to escape London with his newest protegee Elsa Martinelli in order to avoid paying his income tax. Australian businessman Rod Taylor, accompanied by his devoted (and adoring) secretary Maggie Smith, is anxious to head to New York to stave off a hostile takeover of his firm. And impoverished aristocrat Margaret Rutherford (who won an Oscar for her performance) would rather not go to Florida to accept a job as a social arbiter, but the wolf must be kept from the door. Before the fog disperses, you can be sure that at least one of the many plotlines will intersect with another. David Frost, in a tiny part as a reporter, was fond of recalling in later years that, while the major stars of The VIPS were introduced in the opening titles with animated limousines, he was consigned a tiny Volkswagen; alas, no such cartoon joke appears in the film, though on occasion the actors-particularly Mr. Welles-behave as though they were cartoons. Mercilessly skewered by the critics, The VIPS was a winner at the box-office, due in great part to the Cleopatra-inspired publicity concerning the top-billed Liz Taylor and Dick Burton. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Norman Wisdom does to P.G. Wodehouse in Girl on the Boat what Jerry Lewis did to Gore Vidal in Visit to a Small Planet. The zany Wisdom, put in charge of his aunt's cottage during an English summer in the roaring twenties, decides to invite several of his friends to his posh new digs. Among the invitees is the title character, played by the delightful comedienne Millicent Martin. All sorts of slapstick chaos ensues, but Wisdom manages to save the day before things get hopelessly out of hand. Like Jerry Lewis, Norman Wisdom is an acquired taste, but he's worth sampling at least once. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

British comic actor Jimmy Edwards demonstrates his versatility in Bottoms Up by playing a character named Jimmy Edwards. Actually, it's Professor Jim Edwards, doctor of dunderheads. In the tradition of Will Hay, Edwards tries to maintain decorum in the boys' school where he serves as headmaster, but it's a losing battle. The fun really begins when the son of Edwards' bookie enrolls while disguised as a Middle-Eastern potentate. Producer/director Mario Zampi knows where the laughs are and knows how to get them in full measure. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Duane Huey's The Funny Blokes of British Comedy features Lenny Henry presenting a series of clips of some of the most famous comics in British television. Included are Fawlty Towers clips featuring John Cleese, scenes from Father Ted with Ardal O'Hanlon, and memorable moments from Black Adder starring Rowan Atkinson ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide