Earl Cameron Movies
- 1956
This tense, uncompromising African actioner affords Victor Mature one of his best screen roles. When his family is wiped out by Mau Mau insurrectionists, white hunter Mature assembles an expedition to track down the tribal leader responsible for the massacre. The British authorities don't want Mature to foment further difficulty by seeking revenge, so they revoke his hunting license. Still, he manages to embark upon his justice-seeking safari by hiring himself out as a guide for millionaire lion hunter Roland Culver and Culver's fiancee Janet Leigh. The grimness of the proceedings is occasionally leavened by an incongruously upbeat musical score. Safari was photographed on location by Ted Moore and directed by Terence Young, who'd later collaborate on the James Bond epic Thunderball (1965). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor Mature, Janet Leigh, (more)
- 1955
Comparatively little known, the British A Woman for Joe is an excellent showcase for leading lady Diane Cilento (later better known as Mrs. Sean Connery). The actress is cast as Mary, a carnival performer hired by fairground impresario Joe Harrap (George Baker). Mary was employed at the behest of midget George Wilson (Jimmy Haroubi), the real brains behind Harrap's sideshow. Mary is instantly attracted to Joe, which does not rest well with the jealous, manipulative George. The plot is resolved by a sudden death during one of George's performances. What could have been an exercise in tawdriness is redeemed by the colorful camerawork of Georges Perinal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diane Cilento, George Baker, (more)
- 1955
The recent Mau Mau uprising in Kenya served as story material for the 1955 British film Simba. White farmer Dirk Bogarde and his neighbors are targeted for extermination by the zealously nationalistic Mau Maus. Native doctor Joseph Tomelty, whose brother had earlier been killed under questionable circumstances, endeavors to help the whites escape the hordes, only to discover that his own father is the local leader of the insurrectionists. Given the cruelties of colonial rule in Africa, it is hard for any film to make the Mau Mau total villains, despite their own well-documented brutal treatment of their enemies. Simba downplays side-taking and ideology, choosing instead to concentrate on the adventure and suspense elements. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dirk Bogarde, Virginia McKenna, (more)
- 1954
Lois Maxwell, the Canadian actress who achieved worldwide fame as Miss Moneypenny in the "James Bond" films, heads the cast of the made-in-Italy La Grande Speranza (The Great Hope). Ms. Maxwell plays a British nurse named Lily, one of several survivors of a submarine attack during WW2. Lily and the others are rescued by Renato Baldini, commander of the Italian submarine which sank their ship. At first, there's no love lost between the Italian crew and their Allied captives. Gradually, Baldini's essential humanity is revealed, as is his love for the now-friendly Lily. What starts as a traditional wartime melodrama concludes in the spirit of peace on earth, goodwill towards men. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Renato Baldini, Lois Maxwell, (more)
- 1953
Heart of the Matter is a faithful if somewhat austere adaptation of the same-named novel by Graham Greene. Set in Sierra Leone during WW II, the film stars Trevor Howard as assistant police commissioner Scobie. While his wife Louise (Elizabeth Allan) is away on vacation, Scobie falls in love with Helen (Maria Schell), the widow of a U-boat victim. Scobie would like to get a divorce from his wife, and she from him, but their Catholicism prevents not only this break but Scobie's planned remarriage to Helen. In despair, Scobie chooses a desperate means of solving his dilemma--which only furthers to exacerbate the religious quandary in which everyone finds themselves. Posing several ethical questions throughout its 105 minutes, Heart of the Matter wisely allows the viewers to come up with their own answers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Trevor Howard, Elizabeth Allan, (more)
- 1952
The Hundred Hour Hunt was originally released in Britain as Emergency, then as Emergency Call. A woman lies in a hospital near death. She needs a transfusion, but her blood type is extremely rare. It's up to Inspector Lane (Jack Warner) to track down the three potential donors. The rest of the film deals with the various crosses borne by these three: a sailor about to ship out, a disgraced boxer, and a murderer on the run. Hundred Hour Hunt is a surprisingly polished product from the Butchers studio, the threadbare forerunner of Hammer Films. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Warner, Anthony Steel, (more)
- 1951
Bonar Colleano, who spent the war years playing featured roles in British films as likeably cocky Americans, heads the cast of Pool of London. Ever his brass, cheeky self, Colleano is cast as Dan MacDonald, a sailor who dabbles in a bit of smuggling, just for the fun of it. The fun is over when he gets mixed up with a gang of jewel thieves who have a habit of framing others for their crimes. At the risk of his own neck, MacDonald must extricate his best friend Johnny (Earl Cameron) from a murder charge. Pool of London ran into censorship troubles in the U.S. because of its depiction of a romance between Cameron, a black actor, and Susan Shaw, a white actress. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bonar Colleano, Susan Shaw, (more)
- 1951
Star-in-the-making Laurence Harvey receives third billing in the British There is Another Sun. Set in the rarefied world of fairground auto racing, the film stars Susan Shaw as Lillian, a stranded carny performer who attaches herself to a pair of young men. One of them, played by Maxwell Reed, is known only as "Racer," a suitable cognomen; the other is Maguire (Laurence Harvey), an aspiring boxer. Anxious to finance his racing activities, the desperate Racer pulls off a robbery, for which Maguire is held responsible. Torn between both men, Lillian finally chooses the "right" one -- at least so far as the script is concerned. There is Another Sun is better known by its American title, Wall of Death. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Shaw, Maxwell Reed, (more)
