Carl Davis Movies
Carl Davis is an American-born composer/conductor who rose to prominence in television and films in England during in the 1970s. Born in Brooklyn, he studied at Bard College and later served as assistant conductor of the New York City Opera. In 1961, he attended the Edinburgh Festival for a performance of an award-winning theater composition of his and was subsequently engaged to write the music for the satiric, topical television revue series That Was the Week That Was. Thus began his British career, which soon branched out to conducting and composing for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theater, and the Sadler's Wells Ballet. Davis married British actress Jean Boht in 1971 and since then he has been based exclusively in England, where he has made major contributions to television and movies, in addition to composing numerous ballets and concert pieces. Davis first achieved international notice in the mid-'70s with the American television broadcast of The World at War, the Thames Television documentary series about World War II for which he composed all of the original music and conducted the orchestra. His title theme was one of the most memorable and somber pieces of scoring ever heard for a program aimed at a mass audience, while his work underscoring the series content was filled with wry, ironic humor as well as deep sadness; some of it was very Russian in style, recalling Shostakovich and Prokofiev's music. The series was rerun on American TV for more than two decades and gave Davis a platform for exposure in the U.S. that no British program could have matched (before or since).With the ribald comedy Up the Chastity Belt, Davis had been scoring movies as early as 1971, but by the end of the '70s, he was nearing the front rank of British film composers. That status was confirmed when his music for The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) won the Anthony Asquith Award (the British Academy's equivalent of the Best Original Score Oscar) and the Ivor Novello Award. He has since written music for numerous other major British films, including the Gilbert and Sullivan-inspired comedy Topsy-Turvy. His most distinctive and unusual contribution to film music, however, has been in the area of writing new scores for various silent classics, principally in association with restoration work on the films themselves done by Kevin Brownlow -- first and most notable among these being Abel Gance's Napoleon. Ironically, his music for the latter was only heard for the film's European reissue; for the American presentation, distributor Francis Ford Coppola insisted on using music written by his father, Carmine Coppola. Davis' new music for other films of the '10s and '20s included The Thief of Bagdad, Flesh and the Devil, and, more recently, the restored version of Universal's 1925 classic The Phantom of the Opera.
Several of Davis' scores for the silents were even heard in live performance in New York in conjunction with limited theatrical showings of the films with full orchestral accompaniment. His other film and television work included the music for Roger Corman's Frankenstein Unbound (1990) and a good deal of work for CNN on its Cold War documentary series, among other productions. He also achieved some notice in popular music circles through his collaboration with Paul McCartney on the latter's "Liverpool Oratorio." Davis has a fairly substantial catalog of recordings of his own, most of them soundtrack-related for EMI and other British labels, including a superb disc of Sir William Walton's film music. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
As the spirit of seduction sweeps through a typical, middle class town, the town psychiatrist realizes her friends and neighbors are giving in to their most prurient impulses. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2009
The specter of the railroad looming heavy in her conscience, Miss Matty (Judi Dench) rejoices upon learning that her maid Martha (Claudie Blakley) and carpenter Jem (Andrew Buchan) are expecting a child. Miss Matty's concern for young Peggy Bell (Jodie Whittaker) growing due to the fact that the young girl lives in virtual seclusion with her mother and overbearing brother, the kindly matriarch attempts to bring the two siblings together with William (Tom Hiddleston) and his cousin Erminia (Michelle Dockery) , who have recently returned to Cranford with Mr. Buxton (Jonathan Pryce). Meanwhile, Captain Brown (Jim Carter) receives word that work on the line has ceased, and scrambles to get the project back on track. Later, a sudden tragedy sends the entire town reeling. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A struggling actress from a family of politicians, judges, and attorneys falls into a series of doomed relationships while caring for a woman with advanced diabetes. Meanwhile, her roommate - a down-on-his luck screenwriter - begins to fear that his professional career is dead in the water. Marin Ireland, Aasif Mandvi, and Amy Redford star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
The small town gossip, secrets, and romance of Mary Gaskells' popular series of novels comes to the small screen in this BBC drama series from director Simon Curtis. The year is 1842, and Cranford is a modest Cheshire market town on the verge of great change. The railway is reaching to Cranford from Manchester, and the locals fear that their town will soon be overrun with migrant workers and lawlessness. Spinster Deborah Jenkins Eileen Atkins) is the arbitrator of correctness about town, and as far as she and her demurring sister Matty (Judi Dench) are concerned there's never a dull moment in Cranford. Things begin to get especially interesting after handsome new doctor Frank Harrison (Simon Woods) arrives in town shocking the locals with his decidedly non-traditional methods of practicing medicine. Frank has a powerful effect on the ladies around town, but when Matty runs into an old flame at Lady Ludlow's garden party her thoughts drift back to the time when she was forced to give up the man she once loved with all her heart. No one is immune from the gossip that winds its way through the local circuits, and that gossip can almost always be traced back to the Jenkins sisters. When news emerges that the railroad is coming to town, everyone realizes that their tidy little universe is about to expand in ways that they could have never imagined. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Judi Dench, Philip Glenister, (more)
Directed by Harley Cokliss, An Angel for May follows a modern boy (Matthew Beard) living in Yorkshire, England, and his dog, who cross through a brick wall leading directly into the early 1940's. Tom (Beard) looks very strange to Sam Wheeler (Tom Wilkinson), who owns the property which Tom managed to land on. Sam, who lives with his adult daughter, Alison (Julie Cox), also provides shelter for a traumatized waif named May (Charlotte Wakefiled). May, who had been buried under the rubble when her entire family was killed in a bombing raid, sleeps with the dog outside and refuses to come inside the house even for meals. However, after she spends some time with Tom, she quickly progresses. Tom, meanwhile, is intent on finding his way back to the future. However, once he gets there, he realizes that he left something very important back in the past.
~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Matthew Beard, Tom Wilkinson, (more)
A remake of the 1989 British TV movie of the same name (which itself was based on a novel by Michelle Magorian), the 2001 production of Back Home starred Sarah Lancashire as Peggy Dickinson, the role essayed in the original film by Hayley Mills. At the outbreak of WWII, Peggy and her husband, Roger (Adrian Lukis), make certain that their daughter, Virginia (Jessica Fox), is safely evacuated to the U.S. while they busy themselves with war work. Serving in the WVS (Women's Voluntary Service), Peggy enjoys a degree of liberation hitherto unknown to her, billeted in a luxurious mansion and serving as driver for several urbane military officers; meanwhile, Roger trudges along as an ordinary soldier. At war's end, Peggy feels out of touch with her former life, Roger is unable to adjust to peacetime conditions, and Virginia has become far too "Americanized" to be satisfied with her parents' existence. Back Home was first televised in the U.K. on October 22, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sarah Lancashire, Stephanie Cole, (more)
F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, often regarded as one of the greatest American novels of the 20th century, is brought to the screen in this made-for-TV feature, produced in collaboration with the A&E Cable Network in the United States, and Granada Entertainment in Great Britain. Nick Carraway (Paul Rudd) is a young bond salesman who rents a cottage near the mansion of the wealthy but reclusive Jay Gatsby (Toby Stephens). In time, Nick gets to know his neighbor, who has accumulated a vast fortune through vague, suspect means, but has carefully forged an outward image of refinement and charm. Years ago, before he left to fight in World War I, Gatsby was a poor man named Gatz and was in love with a beautiful woman from a wealthy family, Daisy (Mira Sorvino). When he returned, Gatz was determined to remake himself so that he might be seen fit to someday win her hand, even though Daisy had by this time married the socially prominent but boorish Tom Buchanan (Martin Donovan). Gatsby has yet to give up on his romantic dream and enlists Nick, who is distantly related to Daisy, in his plan. This production marked the fourth time that The Great Gatsby had been committed to film -- the best known version being Jack Clayton's 1974 adaptation, featuring Robert Redford as Gatsby and Mia Farrow as Daisy. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Toby Stephens, Mira Sorvino, (more)
Noted for intimate character studies created in collaboration with his actors, director Mike Leigh makes a dramatic change of pace with this biography of comic opera composers W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. Gilbert (Jim Broadbent) is an easily angered but otherwise emotionally remote lyricist who works in collaboration with composer Sullivan (Alan Corduner), a genial and fun-loving sort who feels unsatisfied writing light operettas and longs to work with more serious material. While Sullivan is having a creative crisis, Gilbert is facing a failing marriage to Lucy (Lesley Manville), who loves her husband even if he can't return her affections, and must deal with his ailing father (Charles Simon). When they suffer their first failure, both men are depressed, and Sullivan announces that he's giving up operetta for good. However, a visit to an exhibit of Japanese art sparks an idea in Gilbert, and soon he and Sullivan are hard at work on what will become one of their greatest successes, The Mikado. Much of the film is devoted to the staging of this classic, with Shirley Henderson, Dorothy Atkinson, Martin Savage, Timothy Spall, and Kevin McKidd as members of the operetta's cast. Jim Broadbent won Best Actor at the 1999 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jim Broadbent, Alan Corduner, (more)
- 1998
Iranian Iradj Azimi directed this French historical drama re-creating events depicted in the famous 1819 painting The Raft of the Medusa by Jean Louis Andre Theodore Gericault (1791-1824). The ill-fated voyage of the frigate Medusa begins when it departs Rochefort for Senegal in 1816. After striking a sandbar off the African coast, 150 civilians row safely to shore, but Captain Chaumareys (Jean Yanne) orders 140 soldiers and sailors onto a raft (minus supplies) and has it cut loose. Only 14 survive from the 140, creating a scandal back in France. Gericault (Laurent Terzieff) later talks to three of the survivors while researching his painting. Work on this film began in 1987, but sets destroyed by Hurricane Hugo caused delays, so the film was not completed until 1990. However, it then remained undistributed until an incident in which writer-director Azimi slashed his wrists in front of French Ministry of Culture officials. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jean Yanne, Daniel Mesguich, (more)
- 1998
With WWII at an end, the world soon faced a new challenge widely known as the Cold War. In 24 episodes, this series chronicles this war of ideologies, from its inception in the late '40s until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. some 40 years later. With Europe and Japan absorbed in rebuilding their cities and economies, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's superpowers and standard bearers for incompatible political philosophies. Capitalism or Communism: The line was drawn in the sand. This episode is devoted to the subject of Vietnam. With the Soviet Union supporting Ho Chi Minh's Communist Viet Cong, America entered the civil war on the side of South Vietnam. The program shows how the Cold War turned hot, with huge casualties on both sides as America was forced to withdraw from the conflict. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1998
With WWII at an end, the world soon faced a new challenge widely known as the Cold War. In 24 episodes, this series chronicles this war of ideologies, from its inception in the late '40s until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. some 40 years later. With Europe and Japan absorbed in rebuilding their cities and economies, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's superpowers and standard bearers for incompatible political philosophies. Capitalism or Communism: The line was drawn in the sand. The Cuban Missile Crisis is the subject of this episode. After America stationed missiles near the Soviet border, Krushchev retaliated by sending missiles to Fidel Castro's Cuba, only 90 miles from the U.S. mainland. The program details America's blockade of the island as well as Krushchev's and Kennedy's deadly game being played as the world watched on. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1998
With WWII at an end, the world soon faced a new challenge widely known as the Cold War. In 24 episodes, this series chronicles this war of ideologies, from its inception in the late '40s until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. some 40 years later. With Europe and Japan absorbed in rebuilding their cities and economies, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's superpowers and standard bearers for incompatible political philosophies. Capitalism or Communism: The line was drawn in the sand. Named for the quintessential mantra of the '60s, this episode looks at life on the homefront in America during the Vietnam era. Hippies, flower children, sex, drugs, and rock & roll defined a generation disenchanted with materialism and Cold War politics. The program shows how antiwar protests and civil rights demonstrations told the world that all was not well in America. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1998
With WWII at an end, the world soon faced a new challenge widely known as the Cold War. In 24 episodes, this series chronicles this war of ideologies, from its inception in the late '40s until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. some 40 years later. With Europe and Japan absorbed in rebuilding their cities and economies, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's superpowers and standard bearers for incompatible political philosophies. Capitalism or Communism: The line was drawn in the sand. This episode examines the escalating nuclear arms race between the superpowers. It details the new concept of Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD), the idea that the world will be safe if both sides have similar capacities to destroy the other, because no one will want to "push the button." ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1998
With WWII at an end, the world soon faced a new challenge widely known as the Cold War. In 24 episodes, this series chronicles this war of ideologies, from its inception in the late '40s until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. some 40 years later. With Europe and Japan absorbed in rebuilding their cities and economies, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's superpowers and standard bearers for incompatible political philosophies. Capitalism or Communism: The line was drawn in the sand. The social and political revolution in China is the subject of this episode. Mao Tse-Tung instituted land reforms, purges, and the "Great Leap Forward" program, causing millions to die during the subsequent famine. The program shows Chairman Mao's own developing vision of Communism and his break in relations with the Soviet Union. Also detailed is President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China to reestablish diplomatic ties with the world's most populous country. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1998
With WWII at an end, the world soon faced a new challenge widely known as the Cold War. In 24 episodes, this series chronicles this war of ideologies, from its inception in the late '40s until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. some 40 years later. With Europe and Japan absorbed in rebuilding their cities and economies, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's superpowers and standard bearers for incompatible political philosophies. Capitalism or Communism: The line was drawn in the sand. This episode shows that just as rebellion against the establishment was afoot in America, the Soviets were having their own problems with the younger generation. Students there protested for reform and affected the symbols of liberty in the West, from rock & roll to blue jeans. The program also details the events of 1968, when the world watched as the Soviet Union crushed the impulse for freedom in Czechoslovakia. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1998
With WWII at an end, the world soon faced a new challenge widely known as the Cold War. In 24 episodes, this series chronicles this war of ideologies, from its inception in the late '40s until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. some 40 years later. With Europe and Japan absorbed in rebuilding their cities and economies, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's superpowers and standard bearers for incompatible political philosophies. Capitalism or Communism: The line was drawn in the sand. This episode considers the policies of the superpowers vis-à-vis developing nations, as both the United States and the U.S.S.R. provided military and economic support to Third World countries in an effort to maintain ideological supremacy. The program details tensions that grew in the Middle East, South America, and Africa, as the superpowers found themselves in some strange and troubling alliances. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1998
With WWII at an end, the world soon faced a new challenge widely known as the Cold War. In 24 episodes, this series chronicles this war of ideologies, from its inception in the late '40s until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. some 40 years later. With Europe and Japan absorbed in rebuilding their cities and economies, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's superpowers and standard bearers for incompatible political philosophies. Capitalism or Communism: The line was drawn in the sand. This episode examines the easing of Cold War tensions in the era of detente. After America's withdrawal from Vietnam, the Soviet Union was more willing to end the armament race and President Nixon and Soviet Premier Brezhnev signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty. The program shows the new-found spirit of peaceful coexistence that was in the air, exemplified by the Helsinki Accords. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1998
With WWII at an end, the world soon faced a new challenge widely known as the Cold War. In 24 episodes, this series chronicles this war of ideologies, from its inception in the late '40s until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. some 40 years later. With Europe and Japan absorbed in rebuilding their cities and economies, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's superpowers and standard bearers for incompatible political philosophies. Capitalism or Communism: The line was drawn in the sand. This episode examines events in the '70s that chilled the developing thaw in Cold War politics. The program shows how human rights violations in the Soviet Union and new missile bases in Eastern Europe put detente back in the deep freeze. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1998
With WWII at an end, the world soon faced a new challenge widely known as the Cold War. In 24 episodes, this series chronicles this war of ideologies, from its inception in the late '40s until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. some 40 years later. With Europe and Japan absorbed in rebuilding their cities and economies, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's superpowers and standard bearers for incompatible political philosophies. Capitalism or Communism: The line was drawn in the sand. This episode looks at the trouble America faces when, to keep hegemony in its hemisphere, it winds up in the awkward position of supporting right wing military leaders in Latin America while overthrowing democratically elected ones. Chile, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Guatemala are among the places where political ideology made for some strange bedfellows during this time. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1998
With WWII at an end, the world soon faced a new challenge widely known as the Cold War. In 24 episodes, this series chronicles this war of ideologies, from its inception in the late '40s until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. some 40 years later. With Europe and Japan absorbed in rebuilding their cities and economies, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's superpowers and standard bearers for incompatible political philosophies. Capitalism or Communism: The line was drawn in the sand. This episode turns the spotlight on the Middle East as the American-supported government in Iran is toppled. The program also details the Soviets' fiercely opposed attempts to establish dominance in Afghanistan and the United States' provision of money, munitions, and training to the Muslim rebels, including Osama bin Laden. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1998
With WWII at an end, the world soon faced a new challenge widely known as the Cold War. In 24 episodes, this series chronicles this war of ideologies, from its inception in the late '40s until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. some 40 years later. With Europe and Japan absorbed in rebuilding their cities and economies, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's superpowers and standard bearers for incompatible political philosophies. Capitalism or Communism: The line was drawn in the sand. The free world aligned itself with America, while the U.S.S.R. tightly held the reigns of its communist regime in the countries of the Soviet Bloc. This first episode looks at the irony of the postwar development in which the former comrades, united against the threat of Hitler, became sworn enemies in the fight for the minds of men. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1998
With WWII at an end, the world soon faced a new challenge widely known as the Cold War. In 24 episodes, this series chronicles this war of ideologies, from its inception in the late '40s until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. some 40 years later. With Europe and Japan absorbed in rebuilding their cities and economies, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's superpowers and standard bearers for incompatible political philosophies. Capitalism or Communism: The line was drawn in the sand. This episode examines the Star Wars program, instituted by President Ronald Reagan, which expanded the arms race into space. The program also shows how Reagan and Soviet Premier Gorbachev made history at summit talks by agreeing to limit nuclear armament. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1998
With WWII at an end, the world soon faced a new challenge widely known as the Cold War. In 24 episodes, this series chronicles this war of ideologies, from its inception in the late '40s until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. some 40 years later. With Europe and Japan absorbed in rebuilding their cities and economies, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's superpowers and standard bearers for incompatible political philosophies. Capitalism or Communism: The line was drawn in the sand. An integral component of Cold War tactics was the spy network. This episode looks at the cloak and dagger world of spying that has increasingly become a battle of technologies. The program shows, however, that despite technological advances, there will always be a place for human wit and ingenuity in the spying game. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1998
With WWII at an end, the world soon faced a new challenge widely known as the Cold War. In 24 episodes, this series chronicles this war of ideologies, from its inception in the late '40s until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. some 40 years later. With Europe and Japan absorbed in rebuilding their cities and economies, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's superpowers and standard bearers for incompatible political philosophies. Capitalism or Communism: The line was drawn in the sand. This episode examines the dramatic events that occurred during the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. Soviet Premier Gorbachev's efforts at economic and political reform, which won him the Nobel Peace Prize, actually had the ironic result of breaking up his nation. The program details the freedom surges in Poland, Hungary, and East Germany during this time, culiminating in the 1989 tearing down of the Berlin Wall, the ultimate symbol of Soviet tyranny. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1998
With WWII at an end, the world soon faced a new challenge widely known as the Cold War. In 24 episodes, this series chronicles this war of ideologies, from its inception in the late '40s until the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. some 40 years later. With Europe and Japan absorbed in rebuilding their cities and economies, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the world's superpowers and standard bearers for incompatible political philosophies. Capitalism or Communism: The line was drawn in the sand. At the end of this survey of the Cold War, which came to a surprise juncture with the breakup of the Soviet Union, the program takes a thoughtful look at what can be learned from past events and what the future might hold for the global community. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
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