Wolf Mankowitz Movies
Playwright, novelist, and screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz created many screenplays in collaboration and alone for many British films of the '60s and '70s. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1983
In this look at Yiddish filmmaking and its changing perspectives during the era of the early sound pictures (1930s), director Russ Karel uses film clips taken from the archives of the National Center for Jewish Film at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, and he also illustrates his subject with still photos, old posters, and other mementos from this period. Orson Welles narrates. About one and a half million Jews came to settle in New York in the first two decades of the 20th century, and many of these early immigrants such as Louis B. Mayer went to Hollywood and found future success as actors, directors, screenwriters, and producers. The revolutionary talkie film that saved the Warner Bros.' studio from financial ruin, The Jazz Singer with Al Jolson (1927) was almost made in Yiddish. In fact, Yiddish was so common in the 1930s that for the entire decade -- ending significantly with the beginning of World War II -- Yiddish films continued to be created, not only in the U.S., but in Europe as well. The 1997 French film Madame Jacques sur la Croisette is another poignant if fictional, look at the vanishing culture of the Ashkenazi Jews and their distinctive Yiddish language. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Herschel Bernardi, Joseph Green, (more)
- 1976
Charles Dickens' life sounds like a story that could have come from one of his novels -- his father was imprisoned when Charles was a child, forcing him to find work in a factory to support himself and his family, and it was only after many years of struggle that he began to earn his living as a reporter. In time, Dickens began writing comic short stories, and eventually he became one of the most popular and acclaimed novelists in the world. Dickens of London is a miniseries produced for British television which recounts the remarkable story of Dickens's life and career. Roy Dotrice stars as Charles Dickens, Gene Foad plays Dickens as a young man, and Simon Bell portrays Dickens as a child. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Dotrice
- 1973
This Yugoslavian epic depicts the World War II military exploits of Marshall Tito (played here by Richard Burton), who later became the unrivalled ruler of that troubled country. During that war, he was instrumental in resisting Nazi efforts to exterminate the Yugoslav partisans. The film details the events surrounding the climactic battle with the Germans along the Sutjeska River. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Based on the novel by L. P. Hartley, The Hireling is a dissection of antiquated but hardly dormant British class distinctions. Chauffeur Robert Shaw is in the employ of aristocratic widow Sarah Miles. When she suffers a nervous breakdown, Shaw helps her through her recovery. They grow to love each other during the convalescence; but when she is cured, Ms. Miles refuses to regard Shaw as an equal, and the original status quo is reinstated. The Hireling provides an interesting contrast to the similarly structured American film of 1991, Driving Miss Daisy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Shaw, Sarah Miles, (more)
- 1972
This 1972 international production of Treasure Island is one of many film versions of the classic adventure by Robert Louis Stevenson. Kim Burfield plays Jim Hawkins, a young man who works at a pub with his mother (Maria Rohm). When drunken old sailor Billy Bones (Lionel Stander) comes in for a drink and dies, Jim gets his hands on an old pirate's treasure map. He then enlists the help of Squire Trelawney (Walter Slezak) and Dr. Livesey (Angel DelPozo) to join him locate the island on the map. They join the ship lead by Captain Smollett (Rik Battaglia). The ship's cook, Long John Silver (Orson Welles), has convinced the rest of the crew to organize a mutiny in order to keep the riches for themselves. This adaptation of Treasure Island was released in several different language versions, each with a different director. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Orson Welles, Kim Burfield, (more)
- 1971
A soccer player, a child and an artist find their lives entangled in a story which achieves it climax in a pivotal soccer match. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
This internationally produced adaptation of Anna Sewell's Black Beauty is essentially a vehicle for Oliver star Mark Lester. The young Lester spends most of the film trying to reclaim his beautiful black horse, which passes through several hands over the course of 90 minutes. All the setpieces of the Sewell original are in attendance, including the showstopping "burning barn" sequence. Walter Slezak is the only truly recognizable actor in the film outside of Lester. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Lester, Uschi Glas, (more)
- 1967
Adapted from the novel by C. Virgil Gheorghiu, this satirical concentration-camp drama from Turkish-born French director Henri Verneuil stars Anthony Quinn as Johann Moritz, a Romanian peasant who experiences the horrors of World War II when the Nazis invade his country. Because local police chief Dobresco (Gregoire Aslan) is anamorous towards Moritz's wife Suzanna (Virna Lisi), he has the lowly fieldhand falsely labeled a Jew and sent to a work camp. Moritz's troubles continue to mount, as his wife is threatened with losing their property unless she divorces him. Also starring Michael Redgrave, La Vingt-cinquième heure is also known as The 25th Hour, though it should not be confused with and bears no resemblance to the 2002 Spike Lee film of the same name. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Quinn, Virna Lisi, (more)
Retired after years of international espionage, Agent 007 is lured back into action to battle the evil spy organization SMERSH in this notoriously incoherent parody of the James Bond films. David Niven portrays the aging Bond, who atypically rejects the advances of a variety of women, and agrees to battle SMERSH's hold on the lavish Casino Royale only after organization head M is murdered. Also mixed up in the affair are several other secret agents, all named James Bond, played by everyone from Peter Sellers and Woody Allen to a chimpanzee. Despite a star-studded cast, a large production budget, and a hit score by Burt Bacharach, the film was universally panned as a muddled, overlong failure, with the occasional amusing sequence lost in the unintelligible surroundings. The participation of several screenwriters and five different directors, including John Huston, only adds to the confusion. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, (more)
- 1965
Dr. Love (David Niven) is a suave British secret agent sent to Lebanon to investigate the murder of his colleague Parkington (Nigel Davenport) by an enemy agent in this spy spoof. With the help of the beautiful Vikki (Francoise Dorlac), Love uncovers a plot by Russian agents to kill a Middle Eastern Prince who favors the British. The story was taken from the novel Passport To Oblivion by James Leasor. Niven carries the feature with his typical aplomb. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Niven, Françoise Dorléac, (more)
- 1962
Fitzjohn (Peter Sellers) is a retired general who is miserable at home with his shrewish wife Emily (Margaret Leighton). He dreams of younger days when he enjoyed the platonic company of the beautiful Ghislaine (Dany Robin). After many years, she shows up at his door and expresses her desire to take their relationship beyond the platonic level. When his plans are temporarily postponed, he leaves her in care of his right hand man. His aid and Ghislaine fall in love, prompting Fitzjohn to begin court-martial proceedings against his unfaithful aide. When the lineage of his aide is discovered, he tries to halt the trial in this ironic comedy taken from the play by Jean Anouilh. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Sellers, Dany Robin, (more)
- 1961
The title is derived from the lyrics of a popular wartime ballad Bless 'Em All. This is, indeed, a war picture, set in Malaya. The British troops encamped therein believe they've gotten a break when they capture a Japanese scout (Kenji Takaki)--but it's all part of an enemy trap. The rest of the film concentrates on a battle of wills rather than bullets, though a few spurts of action keep the war-film aficionados happy. Played against the larger tapestry of the world conflict are the fluctuating tensions among the British soldiers themselves. Adapted from a play by Willis Hall, The Long and the Short and the Tall was released as both The Long the Short and the Tall (big whoop) and Jungle Fighters in the United States. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Todd, Laurence Harvey, (more)
Despite its come-on title, The Day the Earth Caught Fire is an intelligent, disturbing piece of speculative fiction. Through the eyes of British reporter Peter Stenning (Edward Judd), we learn that both the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. have simultaneously set off nuclear explosions to test their efficiency. The twin blasts have caused the Earth to go off its axis. The result is a disastrous upheaval in the balance of nature; floods and fires being the principal plagues. With the end of the world staring everyone in the face, chaos reigns. The only hope lies in another massive nuclear explosion, which will hopefully rebalance the Earth. The film ends ambiguously, with viewers allowed to decide for themselves whether or not the world has been saved. In the original prints of The Day the Earth Caught Fire, the opening and closing reels were tinted yellow, representing the scorching heat beating down on the frightened populace. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Janet Munro, Leo McKern, (more)
- 1961
A beautiful and wealthy woman in the market for a husband believes she has found the right man -- only to discover he isn't especially interested, in this comedy based on a play by George Bernard Shaw. Epifania Parerga (Sophia Loren) is a woman who has inherited a vast fortune, making her the wealthiest woman on Earth. All Parerga really wants is a happy marriage, but her first stab at matrimony, with Alastair (Gary Raymond), is a disaster, and when she visits a psychiatrist in hopes of learning what she did wrong, her analyst, Dr. Adrian (Dennis Price), attempts to seduce her. Parerga is nearly ready to give up when she meets Dr. Ahmed el Kabir) (Peter Sellers), a shy and well-mannered Indian physician who operates a clinic for the underprivileged. While Kabir is personable, he seems to have no interest in Parerga's money and is unfazed by her beauty; convinced he can love her simply for who she is, Parerga decides Kabir is the man for her. However hard Parerga tries to throw herself at him, Kabir refuses to budge, and even after she bankrolls a new clinic for him, he does not respond to her advances. Eventually, Parerga offers Kabir a challenge -- she bets him that he can't triple his profits at his new clinic in three months, while he in turn wagers her that she cannot live without money for the same period of time. A spin-off of the The Millionairess was a novelty song called "Goodness Gracious Me", in which Sellers and Loren duetting as a doctor from India and his alluring patient; a recording of the tune became a hit single in the United Kingdom. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sophia Loren, Peter Sellers, (more)
- 1960
This is the film version of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in which Hyde is the handsome, clean-shaven one. Though top-billed Christopher Lee, portraying a caddish playboy, was the beneficiary of all the ad publicity, it is Paul Massie who plays Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The "horror" in the film is mostly sociological, with Jekyll learning first hand of the corruption lurking beneath the respectable facade of the Victorian Era. His metamorphosis into Hyde is meant as an allegory to the evils of drug addiction, another "don't ask--don't tell" element of 19th century London. In still another departure from the Stevenson original, Jekyll becomes Hyde not because he can't control his alter ego, but because he wants to exact revenge on Christopher Lee, who has been siphoning off Jekyll's savings to finance his own gambling and womanizing. In contrast to Stevenson's story, Jekyll/Hyde does not die--though the strain of being Hyde has permanently scarred Jekyll's psyche. Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll was originally released in Britain as House of Fright. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Massie, Dawn Addams, (more)
In this witty music-business satire, Johnny Jackson (Laurence Harvey) is a talent agent down on his luck who thinks his tide may have turned when he spots a teenage rock & roll fan wailing away in a coffeehouse. Dubbing him "Bongo Herbert" (Cliff Richard, in a role the now knighted and born-again pop icon would probably prefer to forget), Johnny puts Herbert on the fast track to teenage stardom, using his record company and radio connections to make Herbert's first single a smash hit. Johnny then decides that a little image modification might make Herbert a bigger draw, so his follow-up is a treacly, inspirational tune, "The Shrine on the Second Floor," which hardly gibes with Herbert's newfound fondness for strippers and love-starved American actresses. But just when Johnny thinks he has a meal ticket for life, it's discovered that Herbert is really a minor, making his contract with Johnny null and void. Cliff Richard was at the height of his first wave of popularity as "The British Elvis" when Expresso Bongo was released, leading to a great deal of speculation about how closely it mirrored his own career (the answer probably is: not very much). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurence Harvey, Sylvia Syms, (more)
In this sentimental comedy, Carol Reed tries for a bit of neo-realist whimsy that takes place in the London slums of Petticoat Lane. The film centers upon Joe (Jonathan Ashmore), a six-year-old London East-ender who believes strongly in the magical power of unicorns. Joe and his lonely mother Joanna (Celia Johnson) live with wily, philosophical tailor Kandinsky (David Kossoff), who convinces Joe that if he could only come upon the legendary unicorn, he could grant all the wishes of his poor neighbors. Taking Kandinsky at his word, Joe searches the slums for a unicorn. Then one morning, he finds one. Only thing is, it is not a unicorn but a baby goat with a growth sticking out of his forehead. Nevertheless, Joe is convinced that the goat is a unicorn. He gives an elderly homeless man all of his savings for the kid and triumphantly takes it home. Hoping to use the kid to grant all his friends' wishes, he hopes to grant the wishes of Kandinsky, who wants a steam-pressing table, and Sonia (Diana Dors), an attractive blonde who wants to marry Sam (Joe Robinson), a handsome wrestler. And finally, he wishes for his father to return home to his lonely mother. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Celia Johnson, Diana Dors, (more)
- 1954
While ethnic humor was pretty much avoided by Hollywood in the politically touchy 1950s, Great Britain continued to turn out comedies relying upon accents and gentle stereotypes for laughs. Make Me an Offer stars Peter Finch as a stylish antique dealer who covets a precious vase. Among the many people with whom Finch comes in contact is a Jewish antique specialist (Meier Tzelnicker) who offers the star (and the viewers) several amusing glimpses at the ins and outs of his trade. Based on a novel by Wolf Mankowitz, Make Me an Offer wasn't given much theatrical play in the US, though it showed up with some regularity on TV. In the 1960s, the film became a precious commodity in the rush by local television stations to load up on color product--even second-rate Eastmancolor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adrienne Corri, Rosalie Crutchley, (more)
