John Moulder-Brown Movies

Billy Barty, one of the world's biggest little people, stars in this musical children's fable from the Brothers Grimm. Rumpelstiltskin (Barty) promises the miller's daughter Katie (Amy Irving) that she will be able to spin straw into gold in order to win the love of the Prince (John Mouler-Brown). After the marriage, Katie gives birth to a son that the nasty gnome abducts. Rumpelstiltskin agrees to give the child back to Katie if she can guess his name. An excellent performance from Billy Barty who began his career in the silent film era. Amy Irving's brother David provides the direction. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Eager to escape her high-society life among the English elite, a woman falls in love with a young musician. Her husband, however, has other plans for her. ~ John Bush, Rovi

The seven-hour TV miniseries Ellis Island was adapted from a novel by Fred Mustard Stewart. Per its title, the film is a mosaic of subplots involving several European immigrants who passed through New York's Ellis Island before taking up residence in the Big Apple. Most of the characters are based on real people, notably the Irving Berlin-like musician played by Peter Riegert. Co-stars Faye Dunaway, Richard Burton (in his last film role) and Ann Jillian were honored with Emmy nominations. Ironically, this essentially American saga was largely filmed in London. Originally telecast November 11, 13, and 14, 1984, Ellis Island was re-edited and re-telecast in the summer of 1986, just in time for the Statue of Liberty Centennial. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based on the novel by Doris Lessing, The Grass is Singing stars Karen Black as a successful career woman based in South Africa. Ms. Black gives up the relative comfort of city life when she falls in love with a bush farmer. The core of the film is Karen's efforts to assimilate herself into her forbidding new environment. John Thaw co-stars as the man in her life. Filmed on location in Zambia, it was released in the US in 1984 under the title Killing Heat. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When the elderly, wealthy customer of an aging prostitute invites her to marry him, she accepts. Soon she finds herself the object of attention from the old man's son and his business partner. The business partner is not only attempting to woo her, but is also attracted to the son. After the old man dies, she marries the partner but winds up bedding the son. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Luchino Visconti (Count don Luchino Visconti di Modrone) was a film director, true, but he was also a nobleman and a grand patron of traditional European culture: opera, art, music, crafts and literature. These interests enliven many of his films, but few have been so inspired as the four-hour epic, Ludwig, about the castle-building "mad king" of Bavaria. This long film, made very near the end of Visconti's life, suffers greatly when shortened, as every moment is essential to the story. There are at least four different versions of the film (from just under three hours to over four hours in length); the uncut four-hour version is the most coherent, even though many might find it rather long. The disintegration of aristocratic individuals is a continuing theme of Visconti's, though Ludwig's is the most thorough decay he filmed. The last ruling king of Bavaria (1845-1886) is noted for many things besides his eccentricities: he sold Bavaria to Germany, ending the rule of the Bavarian monarchy; he built amazing castles all over his country (with the proceeds from the sale); and he was Richard Wagner's main sponsor. He was also a notorious recluse, conducting a lifelong platonic love affair with Empress Elizabeth of Austria, and finally succumbing to his adoration of handsome men in a series of outrageous affairs and orgies. His excesses eventually led to his being declared mentally incompetent and being held prisoner in his own castle. The film depicts this incredible life from his coronation at age 19 to his (unproved) assassination well over 20 years later. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Though not as widely known as Hammer's popular Dracula and Frankenstein series, this is one of the studio's more stylish and intelligent projects. The tale is set in 17th century Serbia in the tiny burg of Stettel, whose residents live in fear of an encroaching plague. The frightened villagers welcome the arrival of a colorful traveling troupe dubbed "Circus of Nights," unaware that the visiting entertainers pose a far more deadly threat: the entire company is composed of shape-shifting vampires capable of transforming themselves into animals to stalk their prey. The group's leader, the most powerful monster of the bunch, has returned to the village to exact revenge on those who murdered his cousin one hundred years earlier. Less a standard Hammer monster melodrama than a surreal journey through dark fantasy (reminiscent of Jean Rollin's erotic vampire series), with an unexpected (but not entirely inappropriate) surplus of nudity and bloodletting. The film's creepy highlights include the chilling extended prologue and scenes of vampire trapeze performers transforming into bats in mid-leap. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Producer/director Maximillian Schell adapted the screenplay of First Love from a story by Ivan Turgenev. John Moulder Brown plays Alexander, a 16-year-old boy who falls in love with 21-year-old Sinaida (Dominique Sanda). Despite a great deal of emotional turmoil, exacerbated by the fact that Sinaida has been sleeping with Alexander's father, Alexander insists upon pursuing the relationship. His sexual coming-of-age is played out against the ominous backdrop of pre-World War II Europe. The film was originally released as Ein Leibe. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Boys of Paul Street is an antiwar allegory set in the streets of Budapest. Two rival gangs of young boys lay claim to a vacant lot. The hostilities escalate yet never quite boil over into actual violence. Just when things do get out of hand, however, the problem is "solved" by the city government, which takes over the lot for future development. Based on a story by Ferenc Molnar, The Boys of Paul Street was filmed in Hungary then picked up for American distribution by 20th Century-Fox. A 1934 version of the story was produced by Columbia under the title No Greater Glory. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this children's movie some kids work to recondition an abused cow. With love and patience they restore it to health, protect it from the wicked rustlers, and enter it in a dairy show. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this children's film, a gang of boys try to prove that the innocence of a peer wrongly accused of stealing the school bell. They succeed and the real crooks are brought to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Beware of the Dog was designed strictly for the Saturday-matinee trade. Some felt that the title should have been "Beware of the Kids." When a Great Dane is threatened by dognappers, a group of British children race to the rescue. Sean Bury heads the talented (albeit obscure) juvenile cast. Not given an American release, Beware of the Dog made it to the U.S. via television, where it was included in a syndicated package of international kiddie films. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi