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Charles Jarrott Movies

The son of a British musical comedy actress, Charles Jarrott inaugurated his own theatrical career after World War II, first as assistant stage manager with the Council of Great Britain Touring Company, then as actor/director with the Nottingham Repertory. In 1953, Jarrott relocated to Canada, where he was resident actor at the Ottawa Theatre. Within two years, he was directing for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Entering films as a director in 1962, he went on to win a Golden Globe nomination for his work on Anne of a Thousand Days. It is generally assumed that Jarrott's film directorial career came to a halt after the disastrous Lost Horizon (1973). However, while it is true that Jarrott was no longer offered plum film assignments (subsequent output included the cringe-worthy kitsch melodrama The Other Side of Midnight and the 1981 Disney action opus Condorman), he constinued to work steadily in both British and American television. His TV-movie manifest includes 1987's Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story, for which he won an Emmy; 1988's The Woman He Loved, a lavish recounting of the Prince Edward/Wallis Warfield Simpson affair; and the controversial 1991 biopic Lucy and Desi: Before the Laughter. Charles Jarrott was married to actress Katharine Blake; he died of prostate cancer at age 83 in March 2011. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
1997  
 
When an old war buddy suddenly (after a 20-year absence) reappears with a suitcase full of money, bottles of absinthe and a desire to kill himself, eccentric Algernon finds himself caught up in an increasingly ridiculous situation. Before Norbie Hess (Charles Durning) showed up, and just prior to meeting the beautiful, enigmatic Madge Clerisy (Carrie-Anne Moss) at his favorite antique store, Algernon (John Cullum) led a quiet life in the splendiferous home of his great grandfather, a world renowned Egyptologist. His only companion is Eulalia, a porcelain statue of a cat, with whom he converses. With no job, Algernon supports himself by selling off some of his grandfather's valuable finds at the antique store. Madge tells Algernon that she is an Egyptologist and interested in his great granddad's collection, but she is actually a treasure hunter who has heard that the old man may have taken his really valuable finds to the grave. Eulalia knows this and tries to warn him, but Madge is beautiful, Algernon is lonely and will not listen. The night that Norbie shows up, the two old buddies stay up reminiscing and sipping absinthe until Norbie grabs Algernon's war pistol and shoots himself. Afraid that he will be accused of murder, the poor Algernon buries Norbie beside his great grandfather in the backyard. Things become more hectic when the determined Madge shows up to dig up Algernon's ancestor. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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Starring:
John CullumCarrie-Anne Moss, (more)
 
1997  
 
This holiday-themed made-for-TV drama stars Mimi Rogers as Melody, a counter clerk at a large department store who learns an unusual lesson about the real meaning of Christmas. Melody drops a list of the things she'd really like for Christmas in "Santa's Mailbox" at work, and to her surprise she actually gets the things she asks for, but each item has an unexpected string attached. The supporting cast includes Stella Stevens, Bill Switzer, Rob Stewart, and Marla Maples. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Mimi RogersRob Stewart, (more)
 
1995  
 
Add At the Midnight Hour to Queue Add At the Midnight Hour to top of Queue  
Based on Alicia Scott's best-selling novel, this made-for-television romance centers on the passionate love affair that gradually develops between a brilliant scientist/widower and the down-to-earth woman he hires to care for his children. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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Starring:
Patsy KensitSimon MacCorkindale, (more)
 
1994  
 
This biography dramatizes the incredible life of Oksana Baiul, a Russian orphan who overcomes many obstacles, including political turmoil, tragedy and brutal training to become an Olympic figure-skating gold medalist. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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1994  
 
Add Treacherous Beauties to Queue Add Treacherous Beauties to top of Queue  
Emma Samms stars as a photographer who finds out more than she bargained for when she investigates her brother's murder at a horse breeding farm. The cast also includes Catherine Oxenberg and Tippi Hedren. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Emma SammsCatherine Oxenberg, (more)
 
1993  
PG  
Add Morning Glory to Queue Add Morning Glory to top of Queue  
Actress Deborah Raffin had a hand in the screenplay of this Southern melodrama, set in the Depression. Christopher Reeve plays ex-con Will Parker, who is looking for work in a small Georgia town. The pregnant Elly Dinsmore (Deborah Raffin) has placed an ad looking for a husband to tend her farm and look after her children. Will applies for the job, and proceeds to work as a handy man for Elly. He is anxious to appear respectable, since the local sheriff, Reese Goodloe (J.T. Walsh), is breathing down his neck, anxious for him to break parole. But Will gives him no cause for concern and, as he works Elly's farm, the two slowly fall in love and agree to marry. Will gets a job as a custodian in the library and his life appears to be heading back to normal. But one night in the library, Lula Peaks (Helen Shaver), the local waitress, throws herself at him, kissing him passionately. The following morning, Lula's body is found and Goodloe arrests Will for murder. Out of her love for Will, Elly seeks out a lawyer to defend him at his trial. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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Starring:
Christopher ReeveDeborah Raffin, (more)
 
1992  
 
This sequel to Jackie Collins' Lucky/Chances finds Lucky Santangelo fighting for control of Hollywood studios with old enemies. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi

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Starring:
Kim Delaney
 
1992  
 
This sequel to Jackie Collins' Lucky/Chances finds Lucky Santangelo fighting for control of Hollywood studios with old enemies. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide

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1991  
PG  
This unflattering TV movie offers a portrayal of the stormy marriage between comedienne Lucille Ball (Frances Fisher) and her Cuban bandleader husband (Maurice Benard). ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

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Starring:
Frances FisherMaurice Benard, (more)
 
1991  
 
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In this made for TV movie based on Danielle Steele's novel, Cheryl Ladd portrays a successful New York television anchorwoman. When she marries a successful surgeon in Los Angeles, romance becomes difficult with their careers on opposite ends of the country. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi

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Starring:
Cheryl LaddMichael Nouri, (more)
 
1989  
 
Add Night of the Fox to Queue Add Night of the Fox to top of Queue  
Based on a novel by Jack Higgins, this WW-II thriller chronicles the daring rescue of a captured American officer who has vital information concerning the upcoming Normandy invasion. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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Starring:
George PeppardMichael York, (more)
 
1989  
 
Originally titled Judith Krantz' Till We Meet Again, this two-part soaper covers forty-three years in the lives of three women. In 1913, French chanteuse Lucy Gutteridge embarks upon a successful showbiz career. She marries a champaigne heir and bears two daughters, played by Courtney Cox and Mia Sara. The story follows the trials and tribulations of mother and daughters through three wars and an infinite number of romances. A dash of adventure is provided by Courtney's activities as a stunt pilot, while there's glamour aplenty as Mia becomes a world-renowned movie star. The best scenes take place during World War 2, with the horrors of the battlefield running second place to the ladies' boudoir escapades. Barry Bostwick, who seems to have been in every Judith Krantz movie ever made (at least, that's what TV Guide told us back in 1989), costars as Courtney's erstwhile lover. Partly filmed in England, Till We Meet Again was first telecast November 19 and 21, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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1988  
 
As indicated by the title, The Woman He Loved is the story of the romance between Britain's King Edward VII (Anthony Andrews) and American divorcee Wallis Warfield Simpson (Jane Seymour). Forbidden by the Church of England and Royal Protocol to wed Mrs. Simpson, Edward abdicates in 1936, spending the rest of his life with his beloved Wallis as the world's most visible non-paying guest. Told in flashback (Wallis, preparing for Edward's funeral in 1972, reflects on their life together), this made-for-TV movie manages to sidestep the pricklier aspects of Edward's post-monarch existence, notably his heavy drinking, his flirtation with Nazism his attempts to avoid military service during World War II. Olivia De Havilland, Julie Harris, Robert Hardy, Lucy Gutteridge and Phyllis Calvert are among the familiar faces dotting the supporting cast. The Woman He Loved was first telecast April 3, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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1987  
 
Add Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story to Queue Add Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story to top of Queue  
Originally shown in two parts, this massive TV movie adaptation of C. David Heymann's biography stars Farrah Fawcett as Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton. With two failed marriages to her credit, 29-year-old Barbara marries film idol Cary Grant (James Read), the first man who loves her for herself and not her millions. This alliance goes the way of all of Barbara's romances; there will be four more marriages, the last when Ms. Hutton is 50-years-old. Shutting herself away in her Tangiers mansion, Barbara begins her long descent into the world of booze and drugs. Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story merely skims the surface of its subject's stormy life, but Farrah Fawcett's performance commands the audience's attention throughout the film's daunting 240 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Farrah FawcettJames Read, (more)
 
1986  
R  
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To fully appreciate Boy in Blue, it's helpful to know a little bit about the sport of "sculling"-or competitive rowing. Nicolas Cage stars as the real-life Ned Hanlan, who at the turn of the century was Canada's foremost sculling champ. A wild, uncontrollable youth, Hanlan is "adopted" by a gambler named Bill (David Naughton), who promotes the boy on the sculling circuit for his own monetary gain. Ruthlessly businessman Knox (Christopher Plummer) assumes control of Hanlan's career, but when Ned discovers just how ruthless Knox can be, he casts his lot with the first honest man he's met, inventor-speculator Walter (Sean Sullivan). Hanlan's professional success is capped by his marriage to Margaret (Cynthia Dale), Knox's previously unattainable niece. The by-the-numbers Boy in Blue was given an R rating due to a few disposable sex scenes, thereby cutting its potential audience (hero-worshipping youths) in half. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Nicolas CageCynthia Dale, (more)
 
1983  
 
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Anthony Hopkins essayed the title role in the four-part British miniseries A Married Man. During his annual holiday, contentedly married barrister John Strickland (Hopkins) found himself casually entering into a brief extramarital affair. As noted by author Piers Paul Read, upon whose novel the miniseries was based, to fully understand the disastrous events following Strickland's indiscretion, one must have a basic knowledge of the English Legal Profession. By the time the story had ended, there was nary a viewer who didn't possess that knowledge. Co-produced by Channel 4 and London Weekend Television, A Married Man first aired in 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Anthony HopkinsCiaran Madden, (more)
 
1982  
R  
Add The Amateur to Queue Add The Amateur to top of Queue  
CIA computer technician John Savage seeks revenge for the terrorist killing of his girlfriend. Threatening to make public his insider's information, Savage forces his reluctant bosses to train him in the art of assassination. He then heads into enemy territory (at least, it was enemy territory back in 1982) on a search-and-destroy mission. There is nothing in The Amateur that we haven't seen elsewhere, but Savage and a solid cast of supporting players Christopher Plummer,Marthe Keller, Arthur Hill, Ed Lauter, Nicholas Campbell, Jan Rubes et. al.-- keep the proceedings lively. Robert Littell co-adapted the film's screenplay from his own novel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
John SavageChristopher Plummer, (more)
 
1981  
PG  
The creator of a comic-book series (Michael Crawford) is recruited by a friend in the CIA (James Hampton) to rescue a beautiful Soviet defector (Barbara Carrera). He agrees, as long as he is permitted to don the persona of his most famous character, Condorman. ~ John Bush, Rovi

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Starring:
Michael CrawfordOliver Reed, (more)
 
1980  
G  
Even animal lovers may balk at this light, light drama about how a missionary (Genevieve Bujold) and Bobby (Rick Schroder), a young boy manage to populate a deserving island with critters of all types. Noah Dugan (Elliott Gould) is a pilot in need of escaping his creditors and he agrees to fly the animals to their destination. Bobby and the missionary sneak on board and the plane crash-lands on another island on which two Japanese soldiers are still fighting World War II. The story veers ever more into fantasy as the Japanese and the pilot join together to make a boat out of the plane with the goal of taking every animal with them into uncharted waters. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

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Starring:
Elliott GouldGeneviève Bujold, (more)
 
1977  
R  
Add The Other Side of Midnight to Queue Add The Other Side of Midnight to top of Queue  
One woman's life of love and larceny is recounted in this soapy drama based on the best-selling novel by Sidney Sheldon. In the midst of WWII, innocent French girl Noelle Page (Marie-France Pisier) falls in love with dashing American pilot Larry Douglas (John Beck). When Larry is given new orders taking him back to America, he tells Noelle that he'll come back for her -- when he doesn't, she becomes bitter and pledges to use men for their money and power, not for love. Noelle goes on to become a famous actress and weds Constantin Demeris (Raf Vallone), a Greek multi-millionaire. But she can't shake her passion for Larry, and eventually she hires him to work as her personal pilot. While at first he does not recognize her, soon Larry and Noelle are once again involved in a torrid affair, and when Larry's wife Catherine (Susan Sarandon) refuses to give him a divorce, he and Noelle begin planning a scheme to arrange an "accidental" death for Catherine. The Other Side of Midnight marked the American debut of actress Marie-France Pisier, following her role in the international success Cousin, Cousine. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Marie-France PisierJohn Beck, (more)
 
1976  
G  
The Littlest Horse Thieves is a Walt Disney Production. Set in early 20th-century England, the film concerns three Yorkshire children who take pity on the ponies that are used as beasts of burden in the coal mines. The kids "liberate" the ponies with the help of a sympathetic groom. This action arouses so much public sympathy that the miners threaten to strike if the ponies are returned to their living deaths in the pits. A plot-solving last minute rescue segues into a joyous celebration, stage-managed by twinkly old Lord Harrogate (played by the indispensable Alastair Sim). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Alastair SimPeter Barkworth, (more)
 
1974  
PG  
Gregory Peck produced this coming-of-age adventure, richly photographed by Sven Nykvist. Based on a true story, the film documents the five-year journey of Robin Lee Graham (Joseph Bottoms), a 16-year-old boy who sets out in a 23-foot sloop, determined to be the youngest person to sail around the world. As he travels around the globe, he undergoes a string of new experiences while growing from a child to an adult. Along the way, he falls in love with an inspiring woman, Patti Ratteree (Deborah Raffin), who follows him throughout his journeys, meeting him at ports of call in Fiji, Australia, South Africa, Panama, and the Galapagos Islands. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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Starring:
Joseph BottomsDeborah Raffin, (more)
 
1973  
 
James Hilton's beloved fantasy novel about the land of Shangri-La was given an awkward musical treatment in this extravagantly produced flop. Larry Kramer's screenplay stays close to the 1937 Frank Capra original, as a plane fleeing China crashes in the Himalayas and a mixed group of survivors discovers the magical, peaceful land of Shangri-La. Here the film becomes a full-fledged musical, with songs by Burt Bacharach and Hal David illustrating the distant realm's nature and the conflict that happiness causes amongst the survivors. Curiosity-seekers may be intrigued by the film's reputation as a notorious dud, but fans of the story would be better served by the classic original, despite a cast of well-respected names, including Peter Finch (in the Ronald Colman role), John Gielgud, Liv Ullmann, and Charles Boyer. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

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Starring:
Peter FinchLiv Ullmann, (more)
 
1971  
PG  
Vanessa Redgrave stars as Mary Stuart of Scotland, with Glenda Jackson co-starring as Queen Elizabeth I. As with the earlier Maxwell Anderson play Mary of Scotland, the film sympathizes with Mary, and there are two fictionalized face-to-face confrontations between the two queens (who never met in real life). With this film, old-line Hollywood producer Hal Wallis continued his trademark of showcasing dynamic stars within a period milieu; the film is literally swamped with lavish Tudor decor. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Vanessa RedgraveGlenda Jackson, (more)