Alan Grint Movies
- 2000
Based on a novel by Catherine Cookson, this period drama concerns Freddie Musgrave (Colin Buchanan), who, as a young man, fell in with a band of criminals and made a career as a smuggler. With the help of Maggie Hewitt (Clare Higgins), a respectable businesswoman who fell in love with him, Freddie was able to leave his life of crime behind him and has become a trusted employee of Maggie's firm. However, a face from Freddie's past -- and a cache of rare gems -- could destroy the new life Freddie has spent nearly two decades building. Produced for British television, The Secret also features Hannah Yelland, Stephen Moyer, and Marlene Sidaway. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Colin Buchanan
- 1999
Still another British TV-miniseries adaptation of a Catherine Cookson novel, Tilly Trotter was technically based on a trilogy of Cookson books. The titular heroine, played by Carli Norris, was a 19th century Northern lass accused of being a witch. Tilly was rescued from the wrath of the mob by local mine owner Mark Sopwith (Simon Shepherd), with whom she eventually fell in love. The first of the four 60-minute installments of Tilly Trotter was shown over Yorkshire Television on January 8, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1989
Based on a 1924 mystery novel by Agatha Christie, The Man in the Brown Suit was the eighth of Warner Bros. Television's Christie-inspired TV movies. Stephanie Zimbalist stars as an American tourist in Cairo (with Spain standing in for Egypt). She runs across a mysterious murder, and an odd encounter with a stranger; all this occurs even before she sets foot on a luxury liner with an all-suspect passenger manifest. It is established that the murderer, who is after a cache of valuable diamonds, is an internationally notorious criminal--but which one of the passengers is he (or she)? Maybe the villain romantic lead Simon Dutton, the "man in the brown suit" of the title...but don't discount such special guest suspects as Rue McClanahan and Tony Randall. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
This seven-part British miniseries was based on J.B. Priestley's autobiographical novel, originally published in 1965. Colin Firth starred as Richard Herncastle, a young and impressionable Yorkshire lad who in 1913 signed on as assistant to his Uncle Nick (John Castle), a professional magician. During the next year or so, Richard toured with Nick throughout the provinces as part of an Empire Music Hall circuit performing troupe. His delightful and sometimes shocking experiences with his fellow vaudevillians (among them such long-forgotten acts as Dunffield's Dogs and the Musical Tiplows) came to an abrupt end when WWI was declared and Richard was called to the colors. Largely filmed at the old Burton Opera House, which actually did serve as a music hall in years gone by, Lost Empires was telecast by ITV in 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Colin Firth, John Castle, (more)
- 1985
"The Naval Treaty" is an episode of the television series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, an superb adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories, produced in Britain for Granada TV. In this episode directed by Alan Grint, Jeremy Brett portrays the famed detective aided by his companion Dr. Watson (David Burke). Holmes helps the very ill Percy Phelps (David Gwillim) find an important treaty that was entrusted to his care and stolen. This episode, written by Jeremy Paul, is one of the more famous Holmes stories, and his faithfulness to the original published version in the Strand Magazine during the late 19th century is exceptional. This series was followed by several sequels, as well as a few feature-length TV movie adaptations. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeremy Brett, David Burke, (more)
- 1985
"The Greek Interpreter" is an episode of the television series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, an excellent adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories, produced in Britain for Granada TV. In this episode directed by Alan Grint,Jeremy Brett portrays the famed detective, aided by his companion Dr. Watson (David Burke). Holmes is also aided by his brother, Mycroft (Charles Gray), in his investigation. This episode, written by Derek Marlow, is a faithful adaptation of the original story first published in the Strand Magazine during the late 19th century. This series was followed by several sequels, as well as four feature-length TV movie adaptations. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeremy Brett, David Burke, (more)
- 1985
"The Final Problem" is the last episode of the television series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, an excellent adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories produced in Britain for Granada TV. In this episode directed by Alan Grint, Jeremy Brett portrays the famed detective aided by his companion Dr. Watson (David Burke) as they fight to the finish with Holmes' nemesis Professor James Moriarity (Eric Porter). This episode was written by John Hawkesworth and is one of the most famous of the Holmes stories; it was intended by Doyle to be his final Holmes publication. It is an excellent adaptation of the original story first printed in the Strand Magazine during the late 19th century. This series was followed by several sequels, as well as four feature-length TV movie adaptations. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeremy Brett, David Burke, (more)
- 1985
"The Crooked Man" is an episode of the television series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, an excellent adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories, produced in Britain for Granada TV. In this episode, directed by Alan Grint, Jeremy Brett portrays the famed detective, aided by his companion Dr. Watson (David Burke) as the two help investigate and solve the mysterious murder of Colonel Barclay (Denys Hawthorne). This episode, written by Alfred Shaughnessy, re-creates the adventures of Conan Doyle's Victorian detective with impeccable faithfulness to the original story first published in the Strand Magazine during the late-19th century. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeremy Brett, David Burke, (more)
- 1984
Jeremy Brett stars as Conan Doyle's immortal consulting detective Sherlock Holmes in this television mystery series. Originally telecast on the BBC, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes made its American premiere in 1984 as part of PBS' Mystery anthology series. David Burke costars as Dr. Watson, while Rosalie Williams occasionally pops in as Holmes' housekeeper Mrs. Hudson. Series one and two ran in 1984 and 1985 as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, series three and four in 1986 and 1987 as The Return of Sherlock Holmes, series five and six in 1991 and 1992 as The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, and the seventh series in 1994 as The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeremy Brett
- 1979
As adapted from R.F. Delderfield's bestselling novel of the same title, the thirteen-part, 11-hour BBC miniseries A Horseman Riding By details the evolution of life in a Devon, England valley, from 1900-1920. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- 1976
The villain was the hero of this 16-episode British drama series. Stephen Yardley starred as William "Spider" Scott, a wily cat burglar known to the coppers as the "XYY Man." Dogging Spider's trail every inch of the way was stalwart Detective Sergeant George Bulman (Don Henderson), who scored such a hit with viewers that he was spun off into his own series, Strangers and Bulman. The XYY Man originally aired in the U.K. from 1976 to 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stephen Yardley, Don Henderson, (more)
- 1975
Previously filmed by director Carol Reed in 1939, A.J. Cronin's Depression-era novel The Stars Look Down served as the basis for this 13-part, 13-hour British miniseries. The story took place in a poverty-stricken village in the North East, which relied upon the local coal mines and fisheries for its meager income. Ian Hastings headed the cast as David Fenwick, the son of a mining family, whose chances to escape his grimy surroundings were compromised by a number of highly dramatic complications -- and, ultimately, by his own conscience and sense of duty. Also in the cast was Alun Armstrong, making a meal of his role as all-purpose villain Joe Gowan. The Stars Look Down was broadcast by Granada Television from September 4 to November 27, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1987
- PG
This made-for-TV adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden stars Gennie James as spoiled-rotten Mary Lennox. When her parents die of cholera, Mary is whisked from her home in India to live in the forbidding Victorian mansion of her flint-hearted uncle (Derek Jacobi). Thanks to the friendship--and vivid imagination--of gardener's son Jadrien Steele, Mary learns that life is lived best when one cares for others. At the same time, her uncle begins to act like a human being. The only false note in this otherwise flawless production was the decision to clumsily frame the story with the narration of the adult Mary Lennox. Blessed with a top-rank British cast, including Michael Hordern, Billie Whitelaw, Lucy Gutteridge and Alison Doody (Harrison Ford's vis-a-vis in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, this 1987 Secret Garden was first telecast as a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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