John Kruse Movies

This dark drama unfolds in an unnamed community outside of London, where a beleaguered and grief-stricken tavern owner named Jim Radford (James Booth copes with the rape and murder of his young daughter. The remainder of his family shares his distress, and in time, it begins to rip the clan apart. When the young man who is being tried for the crime is let off thanks to paltry connecting evidence, Jim grows desperate and teams up a buddy of his named Harry (Ray Barrett) whose daughter suffered from a like fate - presumably, though not definitively, at the hands of the same killer. The two hone in on the young man who they believe is responsible, kidnap him and torture him in a number of ways. Unfortunately, the youth will not talk and ends up dead. Moreover, in time it becomes apparent that this might not have been the correct individual. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Though Roger Moore was born in England and established himself as star of the British TV series The Saint, Crossplot represents Moore's very first British theatrical film. He stars as an advertising executive swept up in a plot to murder a visiting African statesman. Lensed in "swinging" London, the film is "mod" to an almost depressing degree, obscuring what is at base a solid espionage thriller. Moore ultimately thwarts the villains by decoding a message secreted in a crossword puzzle -- hence the film's title. A climactic shootout in Hyde Park tops this dry run for Roger Moore's subsequent stint as James Bond. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Keel discovers that vital government secrets are being smuggled out of a seedy funhouse at Southend. Taking a job at the funhouse, Steed is captured and placed aboard The Ghost Train, the method of transportation used by the enemy. As Keel rushes to Steed's rescue, the latter calmly manages to hoodwink his captors by utilizing a bogus "secret weapon." First broadcast August 5, 1961, "Tunnel of Fear" was written by John Kruse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this melodrama, a mentally retarded young man inadvertently causes an auto accident and brings the injured woman driver back to the isolated farm he shares with his sister. The poor fellow is sure that the woman is his deceased mother. His sister and a helpful telephone lineman do their best to help him with the truth, but it backfires and the young man becomes equally obsessed with the idea that the lineman is his cruel, abusive father--who is also dead. The boy is so convinced that he becomes determined to kill him. Bloodshed ensues until the sister accidentally shoots her out-of-control brother. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this efficient British crime drama, Tom Yately (Stanley Baker) is an ex-con looking for honest work. He thinks he's found it when he takes a job as a truck driver, but he soon discovers that the trucking firm he's signed on with is not playing by the rules. Red (Patrick McGoohan), the company's best driver, and Cartley (William Hartnell), the manager, have created five fictional drivers who have been added to the payroll. The other staff drivers are given the shifts that the phony drivers are supposed to be working, while Red and Cartley divide their pay packets. When Tom attempts to expose the corruption at the trucking firm, he soon discovers that he's taken his life in his hands in the process. Keep an eye peeled for a supporting performance by a young Sean Connery (it was only his fifth screen role); the cast also includes Herbert Lom, Jill Ireland, Peggy Cummins, and David McCallum. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide