Doreen Montgomery Movies

English screenwriter Doreen Montgomery began contributing to films with 1938's The Mean Mr. Penny. Exhibiting a preference for melodrama, Montgomery worked on such mood pieces as Dead Men Tell No Tales, At the Villa Roses (1939), and The Man in Grey (1947). She left films in 1954 in favor of TV work. Doreen Montgomery has earned a special niche in pop-culture history via her creation of the character of Emma Peel for the TV actioner The Avengers (1964-1968). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
1962  
 
After lapsing into a comatose state, a rocket scientist suddenly disappears from view. Investigating the situation, Steed and Cathy discover that the missing scientist was deeply influenced by the occult. When the man is found dead, the Avengers immerse themselves in the world of Black Magic to uncover the killer. Intended as Cathy Gale's introductory episode, "Warlock" had to be extensively re-edited when it was decided to delay its telecast until January 26, 1963, by which time Cathy was firmly established on the series. Written by Doreen Montgomery, the episode didn't make it to American television until February 20, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1958  
 
Peter Brady is forced to use his invisibility to help a gang of thieves rob a bank; if he doesn't cooperate, the villains will kill Peter's niece Sally (Deborah Watling), who has been kidnapped right under the nose of her schoolmistress. Playing the head of the robbers is Willoughby Goddard, who also appeared as the scurrilous Gessler in the British TV series William Tell (which, incidentally, was filmed by the Invisible Man production crew). "Bank Raid" is a reworking of the series' abortive pilot episode, utilizing several yards of stock footage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1958  
 
In this mystery, an ace reporter is assigned to investigate the murder of a politician whose body was found stashed in a trunk. The reporter's enthusiasm soon wanes when his editor insists that he take his daughter with him to investigate. Fortunately, the girl has a real knack for investigative reporting and they make a good team. Eventually they fall in love. They also discover that the killer was the politician's rival. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Paul CarpenterMelissa Stribling, (more)
1956  
 
Despite its provocative name, Britain's Eros Films was a small company set up for second-feature melodramas and murder mysteries rather than sexploitation flicks. The Narrowing Circle is a typical sausage off the Eros assembly line. The film is set in the offices of a magazine, where tensions and jealousies come to a head. A murder is committed; suspects include Paul Carpenter, Hazel Court, Ferdy Mayne and Russell Napier. The storyline cuts to the bone and gets everything settled within 66 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1955  
 
In this thriller, a murderous writer kills his blackmailer and his ex-lover and then tries to convince his fiancee to help him hide the bodies. She does until she learns that he is planning to frame innocent people for his crimes. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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1955  
 
In this complex thriller, a womanizing chemist is accused of murder after his mistress is found poisoned to death. No one believes his claims of innocence except his fiancee who is determined to get him freed from prison. She soon unearths an extortion plot involving a newspaper reporter trying to hide the fact that he had abused the mistress. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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1955  
 
In this thriller, a reporter investigates the murder of a female blackmailer and soon finds himself hot on the trails of both the killer and the schoolboy that may have witnessed the crime. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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1954  
 
The "little lady" in this British melodrama is the amply proportioned Mai Zetterling. The actress plays prima ballerina Nina Gordon, who is exploited by her avaricious husband Mark (Terene Morgan). During a celebration of Nina's triumphal debut at the Royal Opera House, she discovers that Mark is not only greedy, but unfaithful. She becomes so upset by this that she drives off madly into the night, breaking her leg in a motor accident. Told that she'll never dance again, Nina is callously abandoned by Mark. With the help of a kindly doctor (Guy Rolfe), Nina is able to walk once more--and to live her life vicariously through her talented daughter (Mandy Miller) When Mark reenters Nina's life, intending to take control of the daughter's dancing career, it is he who emerges the loser--and how! Dance Little Lady was one of several ballet dramas produced in the wake of the phenominally successful The Red Shoes (1948). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Terence MorganMai Zetterling, (more)
1954  
 
Forever My Heart appears to have been fashioned from two half-hour episodes of TV's Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Presents. Fairbanks produced this 52-minute effort, and appeared in both of the short playlets offered herein. The first story takes place a hundred or so years ago; a male and female prisoner in the Tower of London plot their escape, but when the time comes, only one of them is able to make the break to freedom. In the second story, a woman of loose morals begins to imagine that the ghost of her sister has materialized to condemn her. The biggest "name" in the cast outside of Fairbanks is Anouk Aimee as the heroine of the second story. Forever My Heart was directed by Leslie Arliss and Bernard Knowles, both regular contributors to Fairbanks' TV anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1954  
 
In this crime drama an insurance investigator takes a case from a pretty but troubled woman to save her from blackmail and ends up framed for murder. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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1954  
 
This anthology is comprised of three stories. In the first a naive American tycoon boards the famous Orient Express and finds himself victimized by con-artists until a helpful train guard comes to aid him. The second tale centers on an impoverished Irishman's daughter who wants to marry the son of a miserly Scottsman. She and he are told they cannot marry, but the Irishman steps in and saves the day. The third tale centers upon a Norwegian artist who kills his own brother. It is his own wife who sees that he gets his come-uppance. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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1953  
 
This anthology contains three loosely related tales. The first is set in a POW camp where two men fight for a seat on an escape plane. In the next story, a son is bitterly disappointed to discover that his late mother was not perfect. In the final tale, the love between a genie and a human is chronicled. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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1950  
 
Shadow of the Eagle is set during the reign of Russia's Catherine the Great. Dashing Count Orlof (Richard Greene) is dispatched to Venice to kidnap Princess Elizabeth (Valentina Cortesa), a pretender to Catherine's throne. Falling in love with the princess, Orloff casts his lot with Elizabeth's followers. When Catherine (Binnie Barnes) finally gets her clutches on Elizabeth and sentences her to death, Orloff nobly offers to die in her place. All of this sounds suspiciously like The Eagle, a 1925 Rudolph Valentino vehicle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Richard GreeneValentina Cortese, (more)
1947  
 
Also known as While I Live, this British programmer serves as an excellent dramatic showcase for veteran farceur Tom Walls. Covering a period of 25 years, the story concentrates on the reclusive Julia (Sonia Dresdel), who has never come to grips with the fact that her sister Olwen (Audrey Fildes) committed suicide. Each year on the anniversary of Olwen's "disappearance", Julia has regaled the citizens of Cornwall with a sacrament-like radio broadcast of the poem Olwen was writing at the time of her demise. When a young woman who dimly resembles Olwen arrives on the scene, Julia becomes convinced that her sister has returned from the Beyond, leading to a series of mystical events, romantic encounters and tender reconciliations. Billed first, Walls dominates every scene he's in as a local faith healer named Jeremiah, who claims to possess "second sight"-and he's the most normal character in the story! While I Love was adapted from a play by Robert Bell, which also starred Sonia Dresdel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Tom WallsClifford Evans, (more)
1946  
 
This holiday comedy is set during the Christmas of 1946 and centers upon a fellow who has returned to his native Canada to spend the Yule. When he receives a telegram from "the Fergusons," many memories of the Christmas they spent together come flooding back. The story jumps backward four years when the man was serving in the Canadian army and was stationed in England. This family took him in for the holiday. While there, the soldier finds himself pursued by the Fergusons' daughter and by their maid. The story then jumps to the present where the former maid--now in the military too--is seen preparing the soldier's Christmas dinner in their home. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Tom WallsJeanne de Casalis, (more)
1944  
 
No relation to the 1970 box-office blockbuster of the same name, the 1944 British film Love Story was originally released in the US as The Lady Surrenders. Margaret Lockwood stars as one of those brilliant but troubled concert pianists, so beloved of British wartime filmgoers. Knowing that she suffers from a potentially fatal heart condition, Margaret has one last fling with RAF pilot Stewart Granger, who is slowly going blind. As in such earlier romantic dramas of the One Way Passage variety, Margaret and Stewart keep their afflictions secret from each other. When the truth comes out, Granger agrees to a dangerous and experimental operation to restore his sight. This sets the stage for a war of wills between Lockwood, who wants Granger to undergo the surgery, and Gragner's fiancee Patricia Roc, who, for reasons of her own, does not. Love Story was cowritten and directed by Leslie Arliss, son of eminent British stage star Sir George Arliss. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Margaret LockwoodStewart Granger, (more)
1944  
 
In this period drama from England, Fanny Hopwood (Phyllis Calvert), upon graduating from finishing school, returns to her family's home in London. However, bad luck awaits her at nearly every turn. After her father is killed in a fist fight by the aristocratic but dastardly Lord Manderstoke (James Mason), whose social standing saves him from prosecution, Fanny learns that he was not in fact her real father, and that she is actually the bastard daughter of a member of Parliament. Shortly after this revelation, Fanny's mother dies, and Fanny receives yet another shock when she learns that her parents supported themselves by running a brothel. Now an orphan, Fanny is sent to live with her biological father, an uncomfortable situation made even more difficult thanks to the resentment of his wife and the couple's friendship with Lord Manderstoke, who has romantic designs on young Fanny. Fanny is able to take comfort in a budding romance with Harry Somerford (Stewart Granger), her father's secretary, and a warm friendship with Chunks (Wilfred Lawson), the family butler. However, Fanny's happiness with Harry may be short-lived, as her stepmother threatens to reveal the tragedy and scandal of her past. Based on the novel by Michael Sadleir, Fanny by Gaslight was released in the U. S. under the title Man of Evil. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Phyllis CalvertJames Mason, (more)
1943  
 
A set of flashbacks to 19th century London provide the action in this British wartime film, in which a wealthy girl (Phyllis Calvert) becomes friends with a young waif (Margaret Lockwood) while at school. The waif later becomes a governess for the girl, but betrays their relationship by having an affair with her friend's husband (James Mason). The Man in Grey did exceptionally well in England at the time of its release, and later spawned a cavalcade of similar movies. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Phyllis CalvertMargaret Lockwood, (more)
1941  
 
In this mystery, a detective trying to crack a forgery ring gets one of its members to go to prison to help him. When he gets out three years later, he finds that his girlfriend is now with the ringleader, and the detective must save him from being hanged by the gang. ~ Steve Huey, All Movie Guide

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1941  
 
The modest but intriguing British melodrama At the Villa Rose was released in the U.S. by Monogram and given the more prosaic title House of Mystery. A gang of clever thieves kill a wealthy woman in hopes of stealing her gems. But the thieves aren't clever enough to ascertain the location of those gems, so they consult a phony spiritualist (Ruth Maitland). Then they decide to dispose of the mystic by framing her for the murder. Inspector Hanaud (Kenneth Kent) is called in on the case, meticulously piecing the puzzle together and determining the identities of the real culprits. House of Mystery was based on a story by A.E.W. Mason, better known for such British-empire tomes as The Four Feathers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Kenneth KentJudy Kelly, (more)
1940  
 
Filmed in England, Flying Squad was the final effort of veteran silent-film director Herbert (Peter Pan) Brenon. The script was based on a popular play by suspense specialist Edgar Wallace, adapted by the late Wallace's son. Carol Goodner stars as the sister of a young man who was murdered by drug smugglers. Carol joins the gang, hoping to bring the criminals to justice. She learns that her brother was knocked off by a crooked cop, who is in deep with the gang and can't escape their clutches. Someone falls in love with someone else in The Flying Squad, and we'll wager you can guess who it is. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1940  
 
As part of a reciprocal deal, teeny-tiny PRC Pictures released several Associated British-Pathe films to American theaters. One of these was Castle of Crimes, featuring Kenneth Kent as A.E.W. Mason's famed professional sleuth Inspector Hanaud. The story concerns a wealthy recluse (Louise Hampton) who is convinced that her avaricious relatives intend to murder her. In turns out that she's right, but Hanaud refuses to jump to the "logical" conclusions in determining the guilty party. The murder weapon is a rare, almost undetectable type of poison-but not too undetectable for our hero. Castle of Crimes was originally released in Great Britain in 1940 as The House of the Arrow. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Kenneth KentDiana Churchill, (more)
1940  
 
Though the title might suggest that Bulldog Sees it Through is another entry in the never-ending "Bulldog Drummond" series, this British programmer is instead a comedy-melodrama vehicle for song-and-dance- man Jack Buchanan. Our hero plays the butler to aviator Sebastian Shaw. Smarting over losing his girlfriend to another man, Shaw enlists the aid of Buchanan in proving that his rival in love is a saboteur. Since Buchanan is a British secret agent, the assignment is right up his alley. Bulldog Sees it Through is based on Scissors Cut Paper, a novel by Gerald Fairlie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1940  
 
In this rather theatrical comedy, a millionaire and a starving author exchange places. The beleaguered millionaire does this so he can find a little peace and quiet. The ersatz millionaire goes to a boarding house where he finds moochers at every turn. Meanwhile the real millionaire's wife throws a monkey wrench in the scheme when she surprises her "husband" at the house. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Wallace EvennettEvelyn Roberts, (more)
1939  
 
In this psychological drama set in a small English village, the villagers become hysterical after a series of damning anonymous letters are posted accusing different residents of scandalous acts. The townsfolk are soon so panicked that murder and suicide ensue until the police hire an expert to analyze the handwriting. The results lead to the vicar's spinster sister--a virtuous, and highly respected local philanthropist. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Flora RobsonReginald Tate, (more)

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