Percy Marmont Movies
Gaunt British actor Percy Marmont was the George Brent of the silent era; though not a particularly commanding screen presence in himself, Marmont was the much-in-demand leading man of such dynamic 1920s actresses as Ethel Barrymore, Geraldine Farrar, Clara Bow and Nita Naldi. Marmont launched his theatrical career in London at age 17, then worked with touring companies in Liverpool and South Africa. While in the latter country he made his first film appearance in 1913's The Voertrekkers; his second movie was the Australian The Monk and the Woman (1916). Then it was on to New York, where he made his American film bow opposite popular leading-lady Elsie Ferguson in Rose of the World (1917). Resettling in Hollywood, Marmont starred in his favorite film, a 1922 adaptation of the stage hit If Winter Comes. All told, he appeared in over 50 silent films then enjoyed a thriving career as a character actor in British talkies. He also starred in the London stage versions of such American long-runners as Witness for the Prosecution, The Philadelphia Story and The Little Foxes. Percy Marmont retired at the age of 85; he died 9 years later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1968
In this psychological drama, the daughter of a British barrister is killed in a hit-and-run accident. Her bereaved father swears his revenge. When the man's neighbor is killed, the barrister finds himself accused of the death. He begins to wonder if he is not going stark raving mad. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1956
Filmed on location, Lisbon was the second directorial endeavor of actor Ray Milland. The story revolves around a Portugal-based American smuggler, Capt. Robert John Evans (Milland). Hired by attractive Sylvia Merrill (Maureen O'Hara), Evans agrees to sneak behind the Iron Curtain to locate Sylvia's husband Lloyd Merrill (Percy Marmont). It is understood that Evans is to bring Merrill back dead so that Sylvia can collect her husband's vast fortune, but the tables are turned on Sylvia and her wily co-conspirator, Aristide Mavros (Claude Rains). Put simply, the film is Casablanca and To Have and Have Not in reverse. Other participants in the film's various and sundry intrigues are Francis Lederer as the last-reel dispenser of justice, and Yvonne Furneaux as Rains' buxom mistress. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Milland, Maureen O'Hara, (more)
- 1955
Footsteps in the Fog is a cat-and-mouse Victorian melodrama in the grand tradition. Jean Simmons plays scheming servant girl Lily Watkins, who was hired by sinister nobleman Stephen Lowry (Stewart Granger) and his ailing wife. The wife dies of "natural causes," but Lily knows better, and uses this knowledge to her advantage. In exchange for her silence, she forces Lowry to cater to her every whim. He is forced to go along lest he face the gallows, but in a switch reminiscent of the "lost" ending of 1987's Fatal Attraction, he sees to it that Lily herself is carted away by the constabulary. Filmed in appropriately dank Technicolor, Footsteps in the Fog is an unusual foray into Gaslight territory for director Arthur Lubin, normally a comedy specialist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stewart Granger, Jean Simmons, (more)
- 1954
Rene Clement's Monsieur Ripois was released in English-speaking countries as The Knave of Hearts and Lovers, Happy Lovers. Relying heavily on voiceover narration and subjective camerawork, the film has Gerard Phillipe in the title role. Believing himself to be love with his wife's best friend (Natasha Parry), Ripois pours out his heart to her by recounting his past amours. Though he has known many women, he has never truly loved any of them. This has proved more troublesome for Ripois than for the ladies in his life, but somehow he never learns his lesson--not even during the film's final scene. British actresses Valerie Hobson and Joan Greenwood are well cast as Ripois' wife and former girlfriend, respectively, while Germaine Montero has an effective cameo as a warm-hearted prostitute. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Philipe, Germaine Montero, (more)
- 1953
Though not readily apparent by its title, The Four-Sided Triangle belongs in the realm of science fiction/fantasy. Barbara Payton stars as Lena, a British girl raised in America who returns to her hometown on a sentimental journey. Here she is reunited with her childhood friend Bill (Stephen Murray), now a scientist. With the help of his pal Robin (John Van Eyssen), Bill has developed a duplicating machine (today it'd be called a cloning device). When Robin and Lena fall in love, the heartbroken Bill decides to create a duplicate Lena, whom he names Helen. Unfortunately, since Helen is an exact copy of Lena, the clone falls in love with Robin as well. A climactic fire claims the life of one of the two Lenas--but which one? Director Terence Fisher co-adapted the screenplay from a novel by William F. Temple. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Payton, Percy Marmont, (more)
- 1952
In this crime drama, an avaricious, successful gambler is not content with fabulous wealth and aspires to become a member of the British nobility after he falls in love with one of the country's more prominent blue-blooded women. Unfortunately, to have her, he must mend his ways. He then dumps his girl friend, a nightclub singer who becomes murderously jealous. He must also deal with the mobsters who try to take over his clubs. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1949
In this crime melodrama, a young couple moves into a charming rural cottage. There the wife becomes fixated upon the mysterious demise of the earlier occupant. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1948
James Hadley Chase's 1939 bestseller reached the screen for the first time -- which a lot of critics of the book would have said was one time too many -- in 1948, in somewhat bowdlerized form, under the aegis of Renown Pictures and screenwriter St. John Legh Clowes, making his sole bow as director. Filmed in England but set in New York, No Orchids For Miss Blandish tells of a sheltered heiress (Linden Travers) who is abducted on her wedding night by a trio of cheap hoods, in what starts out as a jewel robbery and turns into a kidnapping/murder when one of them (Richard Nielson) kills the bridegroom. More mayhem ensues as the three kidnappers soon end up dead, and Miss Blandish falls into the hands of the Grisson mob, led by Slim Grisson (Jack LaRue), who are pros at what they do, throwing their weight around the underworld at will and not too afraid of the police, either. Slim Grisson isn't really better than any of those around him, but he's smart enough to restrain his worst impulses, which makes him start to look very good to Miss Blandish, who finds herself strangely attracted to him, as the first real man she's ever seen, and also a way out of the sheltered existence she's known all of her life. He's as amazed as anyone around him -- including his own mother (Lili Molnar), who runs the gang in tandem with him -- that he doesn't want to ransom Miss Blandish, or plan on killing her because she knows too much; or that she'll testify on his behalf, if necessary, that the one killing she did see by him was, in fact, a matter of self-defense. They plan to run off together, but neither Grisson's mother nor the rest of the gang can see parting with a potential million dollar ransom, or leaving a witness alive -- even if it means killing Slim Grisson to get to her. And when a nosy reporter named Fenner (Hugh McDermott) starts putting the police on the trail of the gang, Slim himself isn't above committing a few more murders to bury any witnesses. The movie was so violent and amoral, that it appalled critics and social observers on both sides of the Atlantic, whose agonizing over its content actually helped turn the picture into a bigger hit than it might otherwise have been. This was especially true in America, where the movie enjoyed a five week run in one of New York's bigger movie palaces to sell-out business, though it was edited considerably and re-cut twice for US release (the second time, a couple of years later, as Black Dice). Robert Aldrich filmed the same story as The Grissom Gang (1971), with Kim Darby, Scott Wilson, and Irene Dailey. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack LaRue, Linden Travers, (more)
- 1946
This heartwarming British drama is based on Beth the Sheepdog, a novel by Ernest Lewis. Beth is played, quite well indeed, by a magnificent animal named Fleet. The story concerns the efforts of various interested human parties to enter Beth in the All-England Dog Championship. When a farmer is unsuccessful in his efforts to purchase Beth for his own, he spitefully accuses the dog's owner of sheep stealing. After this mess is straightened out, the plot segues into the Championship, and it is at this point that the film finally comes to life. Percy Marmont is the biggest "name" actor in Loyal Heart, while Marmont's daughter Patricia plays a pivotal role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harry Welchman, Percy Marmont, (more)
- 1943
In this melodrama, two lovers plan to marry when the man returns from his stint in the war. The woman's life is shattered when she learns that he is listed as missing in action. She then becomes a nurse and falls in love with a doctor. Later the husband, an amnesiac returns. His memory also returns when he hears his favorite romantic song. This reunites him with his true love. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1942
In this British comedy set during WW II, two Cockney lads are taken to the safety of an earl's country estate. Mayhem ensues as the boys try to become accustomed to the earl's sedate life and the earl tries to get used to their boisterousness. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1941
Penn of Pennsylvania was the original British title of the economical biopic The Courageous Mr. Penn. Clifford Evans stars as Quaker leader William Penn, who leaves the comfort of his family estate to fight for the rights of his religious brethren. Penn's crusade for spiritual freedom leads him to the New World and the ultimate founding of the colony of Pennsylvania. The film's highlight is Penn's courtroom trial, an admittedly overlong sequence redeemed by the give-and-take between actors Evans and Joss Ambler (as the judge). Deborah Kerr is merely decorative in the thankless role of Penn's wife Gulielma. Honorable in its intentions, Penn of Pennsylvania is compromised somewhat by its minimal production values, including some of the most unconvincing miniature work ever seen on film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clifford Evans, Deborah Kerr, (more)
As early as 1937's Young and Innocent, Alfred Hitchcock was beginning to repeat himself, but audiences didn't mind so long as they were thoroughly entertaining-which they were, without fail. Derrick De Marney finds himself in a 39 Steps situation when he is wrongly accused of murder. While a fugitive from the law, De Marney is helped by heroine Nova Pilbeam, who three years earlier had played the adolescent kidnap victim in Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much. The obligatory "fish out of water" scene, in which the principals are briefly slowed down by a banal everyday event, occurs during a child's birthday party. The actual villain, whose identity is never in doubt (Hitchcock made thrillers, not mysteries) is played by George Curzon, who suffers from a twitching eye. Curzon's revelation during an elaborate nightclub sequence is a Hitchcockian tour de force, the sort of virtuoso sequence taken for granted in these days of flexible cameras and computer enhancement, but which in 1937 took a great deal of time, patience and talent to pull off. Released in the US as The Girl Was Young, Young and Innocent was based on a novel by Josephine Tey. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nova Pilbeam, Derrick de Marney, (more)
- 1937
Originally titled Les Perles de Couronne, this Sacha Guitry historical extravaganza stars both Guitry and his wife Jacqueline Delubac. The plotline hinges on four valuable pearls, which pass from hand to hand over a period of several centuries, from the time of Britain's Henry VIII to the present. All of this is offered in flashback form, as a group of modern-day treasure hunters try to locate three of the missing pearls by tracing them back to their previous owners. Guitry shows up as King Francis I, Barras and Napoleon III, in addition to his contemporary persona of Jean Martin; Debulac is seen as Mary Queen of Scots and Empress Josephine. There isn't a scintilla of historical accuracy in the film, nor did Guitry have the slightest intention of including any; his sole purpose was to entertain the audience and serve up a superbly ironic denoument. The supporting cast is a polyglot of French, English and Italian actors, each speaking in his or her own language. The screenplay for Pearls of the Crown was cowritten by Guitry and another immensely talented filmmaker, Christian-Jaque. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sacha Guitry, Jacqueline Delubac, (more)
- 1937
This film takes a look at British decorum and civilities when a highly conscientious army officer is accused of cheating at cards and turns to the courts to clear his name. At stake, of course, is his good name and the respect of his peers. The film depicts the British class and court systems and features a fairly powerful cast. Of significance is an excellent performance by Francis Sullivan as the defendant's attorney. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clive Brook, Ann Todd, (more)
- 1936
This interesting early docu-drama offers a complete chronicle of the history of aviation from prehistoric times through the mid 1930s. Though the film was finished by 1935, it was not released until much later. H.G. Wells assisted on the first drafts of the script. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Based on the novels of W. Somerset Maugham, The Secret Agent is the second in a trilogy of Alfred Hitchcock spy movies (along with The 39 Steps and Sabotage). Set during WWI, John Gielgud plays British novelist Edgar Brodie who discovers that a government agency has faked his own death. He is then given orders to go to Switzerland to kill a German agent. He goes by the name of Richard Ashenden and travels with secret agent Elsa Carrington (Madeleine Carroll), who poses as his wife. Richard joins professional killer the General (Peter Lorre) to look for clues, which leads them to suspect the tourist Caypor (Percy Marmont). Elsa occupies Caypor's wife, Florence Kahn, while Richard and the General attempt to complete their mission during a climbing trip in the Alps. It turns out he was the wrong man, so the spies reluctantly start another search for clues that leads them to the American charmer Robert Marvin (Robert Young). Unfortunately, he has just boarded a train to Greece with Elsa, so they have to get onboard and warn her. The situation is complicated with an air attack, where several key players meet their fate. The Secret Agent marked a rare instance where Hitchcock was pressured into changing the ending from the more grim original. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Madeleine Carroll, Peter Lorre, (more)
- 1936
Popular British stage and screen actor Percy Marmont served as director of the 1936 mystery The Captain's Table. Marmont plays a passenger on a luxury liner who falls under suspicion when another passenger is murdered. With no authorities on board, Marmont is forced to prove his innocence on his own. He is aided by lowly ship's steward Mark Daly, who as luck would have it is an incognito detective. Running less than an hour, The Captain's Table effectively filled many a double-feature lower berth when it was distributed by MGM British. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1935
In this British mystery, a man is killed in a rural village. There are plenty of suspects, as he was hated by almost everyone. Unfortunately for the investigator, all of the suspects seem to have airtight alibis. This doesn't stop the detective from solving the mystery though. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1933
New Yorker La Plante concocts an imaginary fiance with the name of Lord Michael of Ware to keep the deluge of admirers away. When she travels to London to accept an inheritance she discovers that her "fiance" actually exists! ~ All Movie Guide
- 1932
In this musical drama, an amnesiac composer is comforted by a helpful bandleader who uses music and reminiscences to help his friend remember his past. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
