Hugh Burden Movies

Hans Conrad Fischer directed this documentary in the early eighties -- prior to the German reunification -- to honor the 200th anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach's birth in 1985. Unfortunately, the film did not get released for almost fifteen years (hence the participation of Hugh Burden, who died in 1985, and Mark Dignam, who died in 1989). The film focuses on the versatility of Bach's musical compositions and the struggles of his life to find and sustain success. Fischer uses the Baroque-era composer's music, performed by a variety of world-renowned orchestras, as the perfect background for the story behind Bach's great musical works. This video also includes footage of original manuscripts, photographs, and scenic landscapes from Bach's German homeland, including Eisenbach (Bach's birthplace), Weimar, and Leipzig. The motion picture premiered at the Royal Festival Hall in London. ~ Cecilia Cygnar, Rovi

In this mundane, droll horror spoof, British comedian Frankie Howerd plays a washed-up actor who tries to cash in on his newly-discovered ties to the outrageously wealthy Henderson family. His efforts are stymied by the greed of stern patriarch Ray Milland, whose equally-avaricious offspring go to great lengths to bump off the hapless hero, abetted by a convenient household nest of venomous snakes. The producers conceived this film as a star vehicle for Howerd, but it didn't exactly propel him to super-stardom. Though competently filmed, this project is hampered by a lazy pace and unimaginative murder setpieces, leaving viewers with a horror-comedy featuring scarcely a scare or a snicker. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

The swan song for director Seth Holt (who died shortly before filming was completed), this stylish Hammer production transcends its low budget thanks to lush photography, a stylish look, and fine performances from the leads. The plot, adapted from Bram Stoker's novel The Jewel of the Seven Stars, involves an expedition led by Professor Fuchs (Andrew Keir) to find the cursed tomb of an evil Egyptian princess. Upon discovery of her sarcophagus, Fuchs finds her perfectly preserved, still-bleeding severed hand -- which also sports a dazzling ruby ring. Several years later, Fuchs gives the pilfered ring to his voluptuous young daughter Margaret (Valerie Leon), whereupon she slowly begins to take on the malevolent traits of its original wearer, seeking revenge for the defilement of her tomb. Though Christopher Wicking's adaptation of Stoker's obscure novel is a bit uneven, it still provides ample suspense and the production has an overall richness that captures the flavor of Hammer's other mummy projects. Remade eight years later (with less effective results) as The Awakening; traces of the same story can also be found in Universal's 1999 mega-budget version The Mummy. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Jon Pertwee stepped into the role of Doctor Who in the series' seventh-season opener, "Spearhead From Space." Written by Robert Holmes, this adventure finds the Doctor exiled to earth by the Time Lords as punishment for his behavior during the sixth-season finale "The War Games." In the first episode of this four-part adventure, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney) of U.N.I.T. investigates a mysterious meteor shower with the help of scientific advisor Dr. Elizabeth "Liz" Shaw (Caroline John). While all this is going on, the "new" Doctor materializes in his familiar police box -- and before long he, too, has joined the investigation. Beginning its run on January 3, 1970 "Spearhead From Space" was the series' first color episode. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the third episode of the four-part story "Spearhead From Space," the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) squares off against the alien Autons, who, in league with plastics manufacturer Channing, have arrived on earth as a vanguard for the invading Nestene Consciousness. Unfortunately, neither the Doctor nor his colleagues at U.N.I.T. are much of a match for the Autons, whose deadly weapons are built into their hands. Equally unfortunate is the fact that the Doctor has been denied the use of his trusty TARDIS, forcing him to deal with the enemy minus any sort of electronic assistance. First telecast January 17, 1970, "Spearhead From Space, Episode 3" was written by Robert Holmes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This 1966 German film offers a nearly 2 1/2-hour selection of the music of Wolfgang Mozart (1756-1791). English narration provided by Hugh Burden recalls the events in the life of the gifted composer. From religious music and operas, to simple songs, chamber music and symphonies, a generous cross-section of Mozart's work provides the novice listener with a good overview. The uniformly fine performances are unfortunately not always listed in the film's credits. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Funeral in Berlin was the second of three films based on the Harry Palmer novels by Len Deighton. As he did in The Ipcress File, Michael Caine stars as Palmer, Deighton's bespectacled, somewhat disreputable British secret agent. In the manner of Graham Greene's The Third Man, Palmer is dispatched to Berlin to look into the highly suspicious defection of Soviet colonel Stok (Oscar Homolka). It is giving nothing away to reveal that Stok's death is a sham, and that Palmer is expected to engineer the "corpse"'s defection. To reveal any more, however, would be giving the game away. Michael Caine would portray Harry Palmer a third time in Billion Dollar Brain. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this routine mystery story by director Basil Dearden, someone who favors mysteries and comedies, Stewart Granger is John Brent, a VIP in a shipping company with a prison record behind him. When a quarter of million dollars goes missing from the company's vault, he is the primary suspect of Detective Superintendent Hanbury (Bernard Lee). Complications arise when Hanbury starts looking carefully at John's estranged wife Nicole (Haya Harareet) and the men she has on a string. The suspect list has suddenly expanded. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

The Malta Story stars Alec Guinness as WW II camera reconnaissance pilot Peter Ross. Crash-landing in Malta, Ross presents his photographs to the resident air officer (Jack Hawkins). The photos reveal that the Italians are planning a major invasion of the island. Low on fuel and men, the officer is all but helpless as the Italians mount their attack. Only the last-minute arrival reinforcements and supplies prevent Malta from falling into the hands of the enemies--but the story doesn't end there. Filmed on location, The Malta Story boasts some exceptional aerial photography, not to mention excellent performances from Guiness, Hawkins, Anthony Steele, Muriel Pavlow, Flora Robson and the rest of the stellar cast. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When a young man from an economically depressed area of England (played by Michael Redgrave) decides that his calling is to help the beleaguered workers in his area, he takes as his symbol a sword passed down to him by an ancestor who picked it up at the Battle of Peterloo in 1819, where it had been used against workers. Beginning as an idealistic defender of the oppressed workers, he rises to power in the Parliament, where he discovers that power corrupts and he becomes the very type of politician he had originally set out to displace. Sometimes slow-moving, this is an interesting look into the reasons why the Labor and the Conservative factions are at loggerheads with each other in Great Britain. Very loosely based on labor leader Ramsay MacDonald's climb to power, the story was adapted by Howard Spring and is a combination of both fact and fiction. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi

The Immortal Battalion has a bit of a convoluted history. It started life as a training film, The New Lot, which ran 44 minutes. When Winston Churchill approached David Niven about creating a film that would do for the British Army what In Which We Serve had done for the Royal Navy, he contacted Carol Reed and suggested expanding The New Lot. The result, written by Eric Ambler and Peter Ustinov, was the acclaimed The Way Ahead. For its U.S. release, Way Ahead was edited to a shorter length and retitled The Immortal Battalion. In either of its feature length forms, the film is concerned with the training of a bunch of raw recruits into a capable and efficient fighting regiment. Niven stars as Jim Perry, a lieutenant and former ordinary guy who finds that he must learn to take a tough line in order to make his wildly diverse crew come together and understand the importance both of the war and of their place in it. Although it takes time and constant effort on the part of Perry and his sergeant, the eight men eventually overcome their different backgrounds and feelings, and transform themselves into a unit which performs its tasks with admirable skill and dexterity, preparing them for their battle against the Desert Fox in Africa. Told in a semi-documentary style, Battalion also features the screen debut of Trevor Howard. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

This subtle, unadorned British war drama was the second collaboration between "The Archers," Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Six British bomber crewmen are obliged to bail out over Holland. To escape detection from the Nazis, the crewmen accept the hospitality of several Hollanders, all dedicated to the freedom-fighting activities of the Underground. The film is constructed along the lines of the earlier Powell-Pressburger film The Invaders, except that the escapees are British rather than German and their Dutch contacts are willing rather than reluctant co-conspirators. The six male stars are Godfrey Tearle, Eric Portman, Hugh Williams, Bernard Miles, Hugh Burden, and Emrys Jones; among those who aid them in their flight to freedom are Googie Withers, Joyce Redman, and Peter Ustinov. The austere photography by Ronald Neame is complemented by the to-the-point editing of future director David Lean. Adding to the verisimilitude of One of Our Aircraft Is Missing is the utter absence of a musical score. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi