Gordon Flemyng Movies
A competent director of film and television productions, Gordon Flemyng started out in 1962 helming the British feature Sold for Sparrows. His television films include The Wedding (1983) and Cloud Waltzer (1987). ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi- 1990
Keith Carradine, Valentina Yakunina, and Anthony Quayle star in this drama about a former member of the Irish Republican Army who finds himself working with a musician from Russia in order to stop an attempt on the life of the pope. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 1990
Keith Carradine stars in this made-for-TV thriller about a rogue assassin, formerly with the KGB, who plans to murder the pope. Can combined KGB and IRA forces stop him in time? ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
WWII was remembered from a distinctly feminist point of view in the long-running British drama series Wish Me Luck. Jane Asher was cast as Faith Ashley, London-based coordinator for a team of female resistance fighters, who journeyed behind enemy lines to confound the Nazis. Ashley's chief operatives (and virtually the only ones to survive all 23 episodes) were Liz Grainger (Kate Buffery) and Matty Firman (Suzanna Hamilton). Created by Jill Hyem and Lavinia Warner, whose earlier credits included the internationally syndicated POW-camp series Tenko, Wish Me Luck was telecast in England from 1988 to 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1987
Cloud Waltzing was the second of the Showtime Cable service's "Harlequin Romance" films. Kathleen Beller stars as the daughter of a prominent financier who supports herself as a journalist. While working on an investigative report about the top financial wheeler-dealers in Europe, she falls in love with a handsome but reclusive French vintner, played by Francois Eric-Gendron. The film's title refers to hot-air ballooning, the sport that brings hero and heroine together. Not rated, this film contains a brief nude scene. Based on a novel by Harlequin stalwart Tony Cates, Cloud Waltzing was first telecast February 14, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1985
The four-part Australian miniseries Flight Into Hell was based on the real-life recollections of German airplane pilot Hans Bertram. Helmut Zierl starred as Bertram, who was lost at sea for 53 terrifying days in 1932, along with his mechanic, Adolph Klausman (Werner Stocker). The action fluctuated between the marooned Bertram and Klausman and the efforts by several different countries to rescue the downed airman. Flight Into Hell was broadcast by Australia's ABC network in 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1983
David Morrissey and Spencer Leigh starred in this five-part British miniseries as Icky and Billy, two troublemaking teens from Liverpool. When things get too hot for them at home, the boys run off to North Wales, hoping to bury the past behind them. But the past refuses to stay interred, with devastating results. Enhanced by the soulful harmonica renditons of Alan Parker, One Summer made its Channel 4 debut on January 1, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1983
The ghost of a young girl terrorizes a man in this episode from the British anthology series. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeremy Kemp, Peter Machin, (more)
- 1982
Australia's Victorian Alps serve as the backdrop for Panic Station. The setting is a satellite-relay station with a two-man crew. Naturally, our heroes are lonely and bored. But this state of affairs changes with a literal bolt from the blue. Richard Moir, Reg Evans, and Gerard Kennedy star in this 80-minute character study, which was released in some areas as Plains of Heaven. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Moir, Reg Evans, (more)
- 1979
As indicated by its title, the British sitcom Take My Wife was set in the rarefied world of standup comedy. Duggie Brown starred as Harvey Hall, a second-rate comic who spent most of his career in fourth-rate clubs. The great Victor Spinetti costarred as Harvey's seedy agent Maurice Watkins, while Elisabeth Sladen was seen as Harvey's aristocratic and not entirely supportive wife. Produced by Granada Television and broadcast by ITV, the six 30-minute episodes of Take My Wife were originally seen from January 17 to March 7, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1977
One of the most violent series on mainstream British television, the weekly, 50-minute cop drama Target made its BBC1 debut on September 9, 1977. Patrick Mower headed the cast as the two-fisted, impeccably dressed Detective Superintendent Hackett, with frequent movie villain Philip Madoc as his immediate superior, Det. Chief Supt. Tate. The program proved to be so bloodthirsty that, bowing to public pressure, the BBC yanked it off the air after only 18 episodes. It has been speculated that Target has not been rerun since 1978 because of the dated quality of its scripts rather than its body-and-bullet count. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1977
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Anthony Bate, Derek Jacobi, and Michael Culver star in director Gordon Flemyng's docudrama detailing the Russian spy scandal that rocked Great Britain at the absolute height of the Cold War. In the three decades after college buddies Kim Philby (Bate), Guy Burgess (Jacobi), and Donald MacLean (Culver) were recruited to work as Russian spies, each of the men maintained high-level government security posts. Later, after passing along valuable U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviet Union, the three double agents were exposed, ultimately defecting to the Soviet Union in order to escape prosecution. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
In this grim wartime drama, two vengeful soldiers of fortune engage in a deadly competition to see who can kill the other first. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stanley Baker, Alex Cord, (more)
- 1968
- R
A pair of crooks conspire to rob the ticket booth at the Los Angeles Coliseum during a Rams game. Before they can perform the heist, the two must find precisely the right henchmen to join them. Each potential gang member must undergo a rigorous test of skill. Thanks to care and precise planning, the caper comes off smoothly and afterward the gang leader (Jim Brown) hides the money in the apartment of his ex-wife (Diahann Carroll). She only agrees to keep the money on the provision that he reform so they can get back together. Unfortunately, the wife's lust-crazed landlord (James Whitmore) busts into her house the next day and tries to rape her. During the struggle he kills her and then takes the loot. Later a crooked cop (Gene Hackman) investigates. Meanwhile, when the gang members learn that the loot is missing, they suspect a double-cross and engage in a huge battle. The cop finds the money and at first keeps it for himself. The head crook eventually figures out that the cop has it and so goes to him to make a little deal. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jim Brown, Diahann Carroll, (more)
- 1968
Mae West was never permitted to make a film version of her bawdy historical romp Catherine Was Great, yet this British adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Great Catherine made it to the screen. Where is the justice in this? Anyway, Jeanne Moreau braves it through the nearly unplayable role of Catherine, mother of All the Russias, while Peter O'Toole and Zero Mostel struggle manfully to breathe life into the proceedings. The plot has something to do with Prince Patiomkin's efforts to splice Catherine with Captain Edstaston, thus assuring that the queen's reign will be a happy one. The Captain would rather dally with Claire (Angela Scoular) and spends the rest of the running time escaping the queen's wrath. Throughout Great Catherine, Shavian wit is given short shrift in favor of 2-reeler slapstick. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter O'Toole, Zero Mostel, (more)
- 1967
A spoof of the superhero craze of the late 1960s, this episode gets under way when several businessmen are found clawed to death. All evidence seems to point to a comic-strip character called The Winged Avenger -- but that's impossible, isn't it? While trying to get to the truth of the matter, Steed and Emma find themselves besieged by characters who seem to have sprung full-grown from the American series Batman (there's even a "BANG! POW!" fight sequence, performed with cardboard cutouts of comic-strip "balloons"). Written by Richard Harris, "The Winged Avenger" first aired in England on February 18, 1967 -- the day after its American TV debut. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1966
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This entertaining sequel to 1965's Dr. Who and the Daleks has been released under several titles: Invasion Earth 2150 AD, Daleks Invade Earth: 2150 AD, and Daleks-Invasion Earth 2150 AD. So guess when the story takes place? Peter Cushing returns as eccentric time-traveller Dr. Who, idol of millions of BBC viewers and PBS pledge drive fans. This time, Dr. Who, his niece Susan (Roberta Tovey) and a flustered London bobby (Bernard Cribbins) are whisked into the future via the Doc's TARDIS call box. In 2150, London is under siege from the extraterrestrial Daleks, with whom Dr. Who has crossed swords in the past. The Daleks intend to convert the earth into a huge spaceship by activating the planet's metallic core. Props essential to the action include flying saucers, death rays and robots, all of which look a lot more expensive than those silver-painted tinker toys seen on the Dr. Who TV series. Coproducer Milton Subotsky based his screenplay upon a Dr. Who television continuity written by Terry Nation. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Cushing, Bernard Cribbins, (more)
- 1965
The gap between the British and American telecast of the individual Avengers episodes narrowed considerably during the series' fifth season; this episode appeared on American television a scant six days after its British TV debut. Steed and Peel investigate the mysterious deaths of several top figures in the ceramics business. It turns out that all of the victims were literally frightened to death. . .and guess which leather-clad female secret agent is next on the villains' "scare" list. Written by Philip Levene, "The Fear Merchants" features a choice performance by Patrick Cargill, best known to American viewers for his work in the Beatles' theatrical film Help! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Diana Rigg
Dr. Who was/is the longest-running entertainment series ever to run on the BBC, and for a variety of reasons, including its sassy humor, delightfully idiotic sets and special effects, and some first-class star-turns by a series of usually underrated actors in the title role, it generated a fanatic and devoted following in the U.K. One of the earliest "Doctors" in the movies was the great horror favorite Peter Cushing, and in this movie he saves the universe and, not incidentally, our dear old earth, from domination by the mostly robot and decidedly anti-biological Daleks (predecessors of the Borg, no doubt), a group of endearingly awfully designed (and made) A-frame shaped robots which, when massed together, appear to be engaged in a bumper-car race. No matter, the story races along at a furious and improbable pace, punctuated by wisecracks and gags, most of them from the almost-wise Doctor himself as he races about in his infinitely large (on the inside) antique London telephone booth known as "the Tardis" (Time And Relative Dimensions In Space), protecting the innocent. Fans of the series will be delighted with the film, but as is so often the case, newcomers to the series will wonder what all the fuss is about. The cumulative cheesiness of the whole Dr. Who concept does take quite a bit of getting used to, and any attempt to take the series or this movie seriously is doomed to failure. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Cushing, Roy Castle, (more)
- 1965
In this British crime drama a small-town detective gets tired of Scotland Yard's constant meddling and takes a leave-of-absence from his regular duties to start his own detective agency. It is there that he solves the puzzling jewelry store heist that caused the death of the owner's wife who worked there. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1963
The most carefully laid plans of mice and crooks.... A gang of criminals plots the robbery of a bookmaking joint. Unfortunately, on the day of the heist, things go haywire and tragedy ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1963
British teens struggle to win the right to vote in this swinging musical from England. When the established political parties pay no mind to the young campaigners and so the youths decide to start their own party and use some of England's most popular singers to help them campaign. Among the artists lending their support are Freddy Cannon, Bobby Vee, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, the Spotniks and Joe Brown and the Breakaways. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mark Wynter, Bobby Vee, (more)
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