Henry Caine Movies

In this crime drama, an American loses all his money and finds himself stranded in England. He finds hope when he meets a female smuggler who has brought jewels into the country inside a teddy bear. Just before he talks her into helping him, she is pushed off of a cliff. He becomes the prime suspect and mayhem ensues when he gets the jewels, but then loses them to a gang of thieves. Fortunately, by the story's end, he proves his innocence, and brings the gang to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this heartwarming film, a village squire generously offers a large cottage to a poor villager who has a lot of grandchildren. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In 1948, "The Archers" -- the writing and directing team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger -- had completed The Red Shoes, one of their greatest international successes, but it had yet to be released when the Rank Organization, doubting the commercial appeal of the picture, severed ties with the team and Powell and Pressburger signed a new deal with Alexander Korda's London Films. Their first project for Korda, The Small Back Room, was a dramatic change of pace, a thriller set in London in the midst of World War II. Sammy Rice (David Farrar) is explosives expert who works with British military intelligence as part of a ragtag munitions research team studying new ways to defuse enemy weapons and improve allied arms. While he's brilliant on the job, Rice is a troubled man with an artificial leg that causes him chronic pain and an appetite for alcohol that stands between him and those around him, especially his girlfriend and secretary Susan (Kathleen Byron). Rice's latest project is finding a way to defuse a new German bomb that's cleverly disguised as a children's toy, but Rice finds himself battling his superiors when Waring (Jack Hawkins), an unscrupulous businessman who has been pressed into service with the explosives team, and his colleague Professor Mair (Milton Rosmer) begin lobbying the Army to purchase a new weapon that Rice feels is both ineffective and dangerous. Despite excellent reviews and a fine cast that includes Cyril Cusack, Sidney James and Robert Morley in a cameo appearance, The Small Back Room was a box office disappointment on its original release, and it appeared in edited form in the United States under the title Hour of Glory, though later video releases allowed Americans to see the film in its original British cut. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Based on a play by Maurice Sandoz, The Curse of the Wraydons opens with written narration setting the scene: England at the time when Napoleon was conquering Europe. It also tells the audience that some Englishmen were willing to sell out their country for their own personal gain. The rest of the story involves a Jack Wraydon (a.k.a. "Spring-Heeled Jack," a legendary and perhaps fictitious English predator with alleged supernatural abilities). Wraydon is a young captain who, after partiucipating in a duel, becomes the prime suspect in a series of killings near Epping Forest. The true killer is Philip "Chief" Wraydon, Jack's uncle, who had been a spy for Napoleon and has since become a crazed inventor who seeks vengeance upon his brother's family. Jack must hurry to prove his innocence to the police, by discovering and catching the real killer. Much of the footage of this film ended up in a later Tod Slaughter picture, 1952's A Ghost for Sale. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide

In this crime drama, a scientist finds himself entangled in a criminal plot to make counterfeit pearls. He tries to escape the gang and ends up clubbed upon the head and left for dead. His body is eventually found and he has experimental brain surgery. He is completely healed, but feigns amnesia so he can catch the crooks. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

John Gillespie is a publisher enduring a crisis: his partner has left town with all the firm's money, and Gillespie will be ruined if he cannot come up with capital quickly. With no other resources, he turns to his wealthy Aunt Mary, who is decidedly unsympathetic to his plight and refuses to loan him the money. Full of despair, Gillespie hails a taxi -- and discovers a windfall of £2,000 therein. Wary of what could happen, he hides it in a rented room and decides not to take his wife into his confidence, telling her that he has taken the room to conduct business. In the midst of all this, his aunt is discovered dead under suspicious circumstances, with her safe found to have been broken into. Gillespie is interviewed by the police and -- nervous and afraid that he would have to give up the £2,000 he discovered in the taxi if he tells them the truth --he is unable to account for his actions and is promptly arrested. With a charge of murder soon to be leveled at him, Gillespie finds himself relying on the efforts of a former servant to help prove his innocence. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide

The port of Southampton provides the locale for a series of escapades of British sailors on a 6 hour leave. ~ All Movie Guide

Previously filmed in 1929 as S.O.S. (also the title of the Walter Ellis play that is its basis), Her Last Affaire switches the sexes of its leading characters so that the protagonist is now a male, Alan Heriot (Hugh Williams). Heriot is the secretary to Sir Julian Weyre (Francis L. Sullivan) a politician of increasing power and influence; he also has designs on Weyre's daughter (Sophie Stewart), and wishes to marry her. Weyre and his new wife, Lady Avril (Viola Keats), are against the marriage, primarily because Heriot's father was involved in a criminal scandal. As the film unfolds, the viewer comes to doubt the sincerity of Heriot's affection toward the boss' daughter, for he arranges a suspicious assignation at a country inn with Lady Avril. Eventually, however, it becomes clear that he has done so because he knows Lady Avril has information that could clear his family's name, and he is attempting to force her to sign a document to that effect. Unfortunately, while he is trying to persuade her, Lady Avril suffers a heart attack and dies. Panicking, Heriot flees and thus becomes the prime suspect in what is declared to be a murder. With motive and without a valid alibi, things look bleak for the young man, who comes to rely upon a maid at the inn to help him out of this difficult situation. Thought lost for many years, the film was rediscovered and restored in the 1980s. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide

This early Hitchcock effort is a parody of the thriller genre about a transient (Leon M. Lion) who accidentally discovers the hideout of a gang of jewel thieves. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

In this interesting British prison film, an innocent man goes to prison and his wife later commits a crime so she can join him there. Unfortunately, while she is out trying to get in, he gets released. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This German comedy contains the feature film debut of Sir Lawrence Olivier. He plays a modern artist who has not yet found an audience for his futuristic visions. The trouble begins when he apparently drowns during a boating accident and leaves his wife standing accused of murder. Eventually another man confesses. The wife and her lawyers go out to celebrate their good luck. At dinner, her "dead" husband suddenly appears and reveals himself to be the one who confessed. It is then revealed that he and his wife concocted the whole scheme as a publicity stunt. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide