Kay Callard Movies
- 1962
Freedom to Die has the look of a half-hour TV drama inflated to feature-film length. Paul Maxwell plays Craig Owen, an incarcerated criminal whose cellmate holds the secret to the valuable contents within a safe deposit box. When the cellmate dies, Owen breaks out of jail in search of the stash. Unable to open the box, the fugitive abducts Linda (Felicity Young), the dead man's daughter. Tension mounts as the girl plays for time to prevent her own demise. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
In this romance, a crooked, over-ambitious clerk will do anything to make it to the top, even if it means getting engaged to a man she doesn't love. Her "beloved" is the son of her richest client. Fortunately, by the story's end, the woman reconsiders her goals and ends up falling for a minor executive. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1958
British melodrama maven Jimmy Sangster adapted his screenplay for Intent to Kill from a novel by Michael Bryan. Richard Todd plays a Montreal doctor who is in love with his pretty American assistant Betsy Drake. Todd is saddled with a viper-tongued wife (Catherine Boyle), who wants him to leave the provinces for a posh practice in London. The good doctor's problems are intensified when he is obliged to perform delicate brain surgery on a hated South American president (Herbert Lom), who has been targeted for assassination by a "trusted" colleague (Carlo Giustini). Only the intervention of police detective Paul Carpenter saves Todd from stopping a bullet himself. The heated intrigues of Intent to Kill are contrasted by the wintry Montreal exteriors. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Todd, Betsy Drake, (more)
- 1958
When a movie star dies mysteriously, insurance investigator Jeff Keenan (Rod Cameron) is put on the case. It seems that the dead man was attending a private psychiatric clinic on the Riviera. Keenan learns that one of the staff doctors has been tinkering with an experimental "dream machine," designed to soothe his more disturbed patients. But Paul Zakon (Peter Illing), the ex-Nazi owner of the clinic, has been using the machine for brainwashing purposes. There's really no "monster" to speak of, but there's plenty of Frankenstein-style electric bolts and sparks in the climactic melee. Charles Eric Mayne adapted the gimmicky screenplay from his own novel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Cameron, Mary Murphy, (more)
- 1958
Boyish leading man Jack Watling is caught up in a rather mature set of circumstances in Links of Justice. In concert with his mistress Kay Callard, Watling plots to murder his wealthy wife Sarah Lawson. The best laid schemes gang aft agley, and the wrong person ends up dead. In a variation of Dial M for Murder, a false murder accusation is dissipated by the timely arrival of a housebreaker. Chalk up another serviceable second-feature British melodrama for the production team of Edward and Harry Danzinger. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
In this drama, an English doctor returns from the US with his fiancee and finds himself forced to choose between the young woman he loves and his overbearing, disapproving mother, whom he also loves. He marries the girl despite his mother's loud protestations. When she learns the girl has a fragile heart, the mother insists they move in with her. One day the mother accidentally gives her daughter-in-law the wrong medication and the hapless bride nearly dies. Fortunately, the doctor saves his wife; he then accuses his mother of attempted murder. Later it's discovered that the mix-up was the maid's fault. Things settle down as the three realize they need to call a truce. Peace descends upon their lives. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1957
In this crime drama, Scotland Yard teams up with Interpol to find out who put stolen funds into a private bank account in Rio. They assign their best detective to the case. The investigator is led to a coffee storehouse where he discovers the corpse of a worker and the rest of the purloined loot. The detective and the owner of the storehouse have a big fight and the owner's girlfriend tries to run-over the agent with her car. Instead the car runs into a hill of beans, swerves out of control, and runs the villainous owner over instead. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1957
In this crime drama, a psychiatrist is fond of using hypnotism to help his clients. One day a test pilot comes in. He is troubled by blackouts that are affecting his job. This is the perfect opportunity for the psycho shrink who has been looking for someone to murder his wife. He places the pilot under hypnosis and orders him to commit the crime. But the ploy doesn't work and the pilot does not kill her. The angry doctor then kills the woman himself, but frames the pilot. It is the pilot's devoted fiancee who investigates and reveals the gruesome truth. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1957
This not-so-subtle variation on Val Lewton's classic Cat People (1942) is enlivened by the presence of exotic Barbara Shelley -- who would later grace many Hammer Studios productions (most notably Terence Fisher's Dracula -- Prince of Darkness) with her feline beauty. Shelley plays Leonora, a woman who believes she has inherited a curse which will transform her spirit into the body of a ferocious, man-eating leopard. Though her disbelieving psychiatrist (Robert Ayres) tries to persuade her that this belief is merely a by-product of her rage toward her unfaithful husband, the vengeful "phantom" cat she releases from her subconscious triggers the curse and spells doom not only for those who betrayed her, but perhaps for Leonora's own soul as well. Despite a superb performance by the smoldering Shelley and noir-ish direction from Alfred Shaughnessy (though nothing to compete with that of Jacques Tourneur), it's hard to overlook the obvious parallels to Lewton's film, which outclasses it in nearly every respect and makes the entire effort seem unnecessary. Produced by British Lion, this film was later distributed in the United States by the ubiquitous American International Pictures, sometimes under the title Cat Woman. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Shelley, Robert Ayres, (more)
- 1957
Kay Callard plays Joan Foster, the title role, in the British quickie Undercover Girl. She works in a nightclub that serves as the front for a dope ring. When a reporter is murdered, Joan agrees to help the reporter's brother (Paul Carter) bust up the criminal gang. Naturally, this means putting her own life on the line, but you knew that when you saw the title. If nothing else, Undercover Girl affords ample opportunities to show off attractively undressed chorus girls. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
In this suspense movie, a Yankee mercenary is hired to blow up an Arab dignitary. A gun battle thwarts the bombing and the mercenary's lover gives her life to protect the Arab. The grieving soldier the goes after the man who hired him. The two foes shoot each other dead. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1957
In this suspenseful, convoluted crime drama, the wife of a wrongly-condemned murderer begins looking for the real killer. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1957
In this romantic comedy, four children are seemingly orphaned and remanded to their aunt and uncle's custody after their parents, renowned explorers, are lost. The proper English aunt is the sister of the missing mother; the playboy uncle is the brother of their father. Both are single and whichever marries first is the one who will get full custody. Naturally, the disparate duo dislike each other at first. But this is a movie, and after much mayhem, they fall in love, marry and adopt the children. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Carroll, Virginia Bruce, (more)
- 1957
American leading man Lee Patterson (later one of the many stars of One Life to Live) is top-billed in this compact British crime caper. Three thieves from various walks of life combine their forces for a complex heist. The plan is to steal a large cache of loot from a carefully guarded postal delivery; to accomplish this, disguises and "inside men" are vital ingredients. Inevitably the thieves fall out and the best-laid schemes go awry. Mailbag Robbery is ideal viewing for wide-eyed Late Late Show fanatics. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
The British Assignment Redhead stars Hollywood's Richard Denning as a devil-may-care secret agent. The blonde Denning is, of course, not the redhead of the title: that honor goes to luscious nightclub vocalist Carole Mathews. The girl is up to her pretty neck in intrigue, thanks to a $12 million robbery masterminded by chameleon-like criminal Ronald Adam. When she has the chance to ice Denning, Carole refuses to do so, throwing her lot with him to foil the villains. Based on a novel by Al Bocca, Assignment Redhead was released in the US (in a radically chopped-up version) as Million Dollar Manhunt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
Man in the Shadow is a better-than-usual Albert Zugsmith production starring Jeff Chandler as the newly appointed lawman in a corrupt southwestern town. A Mexican laborer has been murdered, a crime which powerful land baron Orson Welles wants the sheriff to ignore. Chandler bucks Welles' wishes and investigates the killing, with the trail of evidence leading inexorably to Welles...but what's the motive? Man in the Shadow is unimportant enough on its own, but the fact that it was produced at all would have a far-reaching effect on cinematic history. It was during shooting of this western that producer Albert Zugsmith and actor Orson Welles agreed to collaborate on the Welles-directed masterpiece Touch of Evil (58). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeff Chandler, Orson Welles, (more)
- 1956
The Way Out was originally released in Great Britain as Dial 999. The eponymous telephone number is the emergency line to Scotland Yard, which in this film is represented by detective John Bentley. Hollywood's Gene Nelson plays a philandering husband who tries to hide the fact that he's killed a man. Nelson's wife Mona Freeman and brother-in-law Michael Goodliffe concoct an elaborate scheme to evade the authorities, but it all proves futile in the film's ironic climax. Assembled by Merton Park productions, the low-budget firm later responsible for Edgar Wallace mysteries, Dial 999 was spun off into a 39-week TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Nelson, Mona Freeman, (more)
- 1956
In this comedy-thriller, a woman returns to the country to see her godmother only to learn that the old woman has mysteriously disappeared. She quickly enlists the aide of a doctor to help her look. Like her godmother, the woman ends up in the clutches of the robbers. The fugitive thieves have been using the godmother's house as a hide-out and home base. The women are saved by the brave doctor and the police squad he brings with him. The bandits are captured and locked away. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1955
This crime drama is made up of two different tales of murder gone awry. In the first episode, an angry man plans a murder/suicide to protect his daughter from an extortionist. In the other story, a vengeful doctor hypnotizes his wife's unsuspecting lover and suggests that he break into her room late one night. The doctor hopes that his wife will be so frightened that she will kill her lover. But things don't quite go as planned and when the wife learns the truth about her husband, he finds himself in mortal danger. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1955
In this light-hearted crime drama, a rivalrous pair of reporters team up to solve the murder of a prominent artist's wife. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1955
It took nerve to transpose Shakespeare's Macbeth into a 1930s gangster story using "tough guy" jargon, but Joe Macbeth very nearly pulls the trick off successfully. Paul Douglas plays Joe MacBeth, a successful mobster whose wife (Ruth Roman) has ambitions to be even more successful. Mrs. MacBeth talks her husband into killing his boss while the two of them are swimming, and when Joe timorously leaves the knife behind, his wife dives in after the weapon. Now near the top of the heap, Joe begins to believe that everyone is out to get him. He kills his best pal Banky, whose ghost shows up a banquet later that night (Joe dispenses with Shakespeare's iambic pentameter by shouting "What is this? A gag?") As Joe deteriorates, his wife goes crazy, screaming "Joe! There's blood on my hands!" in her sleep. Both Joe and his wife are killed in a shootout with rival gangsters. Straining to create suitable counterparts for the Shakespearian characters in 20th century Chicago -- the three witches are sidewalk peddlers, while Hecate is a sandwich-board man -- Joe Macbeth veers towards the laughable at times; but the basic story has been a good one for nearly 500 years now, so Joe Macbeth succeeds as often as it falters. Incidentally, despite the American characters and Chicagoland setting, Joe Macbeth was filmed in England, with principally British supporting actors. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Douglas, Ruth Roman, (more)
- 1954
Four friends go on a friendly fishing trip but only three return. This suspenseful drama chronicles the fate of the fourth who returns home an amnesiac after a three year absence to get revenge upon the "buddy" who knocked him out and left him to die. Any one of the remaining three could be a suspect as all of them are interested in pursuing his lovely widow. Unfortunately, the man's return coincides with a murder and he ends up blamed. Fortunately, his wife helps him solve the mystery and clear his name. The British title was A Stranger Came Home. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paulette Goddard, William Sylvester, (more)
- 1954
Filmed in England, They Who Dare is undeservedly the least-known of director Lewis Milestone's sound films. Set in the Aegean sea during World War II, the film recounts the exploits of Britain's Special Boat Squadron. Sent on life-or-death commando missions, the squadron (six English, four Greek) hops from island to island, sabotaging Axis air bases. The centerpiece of the film is an assignment to dynamite German air fields on the island of Rhodes. Robert Westerby is credited with the screenplay of They Who Dare, and Lewis Milestone insisted the story was taken verbatim from the reminiscences of the squadron's two survivors; on the other hand, star Dirk Bogarde claimed that the film was improvised as they went along. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dirk Bogarde, Denholm Elliott, (more)
