Wolf Rilla Movies

The British tickle-and-teaser Naughty Wives was originally--and more modestly--titled Rosie. Diana Dors stars in this tale of a bored housewife whose brief extramarital fling leads to disaster. We're not sure if Miss Dors is supposed to be Rosie, since many reference books suggest that she plays "herself." We do know that Naughty Wives was (with the exception of a 1980 documentary) the last big-screen directorial effort from Wolf Rilla. Yes, the same Wolf Rilla who in happier days brought us the horror classic Village of the Damned. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Following the same storyline as the more successful Asphalt Jungle but set in Cairo, this crime caper about a jewel heist is directed by Wolf Rilla. The focus of attention is Tutankhamen's jewels on display in the Cairo National Museum -- quite a topical topic since the treasures from King Tut's tomb were making the rounds of U.S. exhibition sites around the time this film was released. The lecherous Major Pickering (George Sanders) has been cooling his heels in a German prison, waiting to get out so he can go to Cairo and set the wheels of his big King Tut heist into motion. The jewels are on display, and he is certain he can get his hands on them. To that end he recruits Willy Roberts, Nicodemos, Al Hassan, and Kamel Kuchuk -- stereotypical characters whose talents are supposed to contribute to the success of the robbery. The Major soon discovers that even if a robbery is successful, getting hot property out of a country can be quite another ball game. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Something is seriously amiss in the tiny British village of Midwich. At 11 a.m. one morning, every village resident suddenly falls asleep -- and then, just as suddenly, everyone wakes up, completely unaffected by the phenomenon. Well, not completely: virtually every woman of childbearing years has become pregnant. All the babies are born on the same night, at precisely the same moment. All look the same, weigh the same, and even have the same curious cross-hatched hair and underdeveloped fingernails. Four years later, the children have all prematurely reached the age of nine or so -- and all behave in a weird, conspiratorial manner, comporting themselves more like adults than kids. Resident scientist George Sanders, one of the fathers, surmises that the bizarre manner of the children -- from their zombie-like movements to their cold, staring eyes -- is the result of radioactivity, possibly extraterrestrial in nature. One thing is certain: the children possess powers far beyond those of ordinary mortals. And they must be stopped. One of the most influential science fiction films of the 1960s, Village of the Damned was based on the equally eerie John Wyndham novel The Midwich Cuckoos. The more explicit 1995 remake was widely panned in comparison. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An abused boy stands accused of killing his drunken father in this British drama. Fortunately two compassionate neighbors take him in and help to prove his innocence. The film is also called Scamp. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this tepid thriller blind switchboard operator Jane Pringle (Patricia Dainton) inherits the valuable brooch of a recently slain neighbor. Jane was unfortunately present during the murder and in the midst of the violence, the killer accidentally brushed up against her. Fearing that the one touch will be enough for Jane to identify him, the killer plots her demise. he fears that she will be able to identify him. Fortunately, she begins working with the police and is able to facilitate his capture before the killer can get to her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

British juvenile actor Colin Peterson plays the title character in Scamp. The son of a drunken vaudevillian performer, Peterson is left in the care of a kindly professor (Richard Attenborough) and his wife (Dorothy Alison) when his father goes on a South American tour. His guardians try to get the boy to behave properly, but Peterson has been on his own for so long that he has never developed any sense of self-discipline. After running afoul of the law, Peterson is sent back to his father, who resumes his abuse of the boy. During an argument, Peterson hits his father over the head with an ashtray--and shortly afterward, the father drops dead. Convinced that he's a murderer, Peterson hides out in the professor's home. With the help of his new surrogate father, Peterson proves that his besotted dad died of a booze-induced fall. Scamp was based on Charlotte Hastings' play Uncertain Joy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The British-filmed The Blue Peter was released in the US under the title Navy Heroes. This was an oblique reference to the protagonist, a wartime hero played by Kieron Moore. Disoriented and aimless after the war, Moore accepts a job as a physical trainer at a school for boys. In helping these kids find their proper niche in society, Moore helps himself to find his own ultimate purpose in life. Filmed in color, The Blue Peter scores best in its exterior scenes, wherein we see the salutary results of Moore's tough but compassionate training methods. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The British The Black Rider was inevitably listed as a "mystery" or "drama" in TV Guide back in the 1950s and 1960s. Don't you believe it! The star is former juvenile actor Jimmy Hanley, who plays a young, bright-eyed (but not necessarily bright) reporter. Hanley investigates reports that a ghostly "black rider" is haunting a local castle. In truth, the castle is being used as a hideout by smugglers. Hanley enlists the aid of a local motorcycle gang to round up the crooks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this drama, an ex-con, who served time for a crime he did not commit, attempts to return to his home village and lead a peaceful, hard working life. Unfortunately, a murder victim is found in town and the ex-con is naturally blamed. Fortunately, he is able to clear his name by solving the murders. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The British Roadhouse Girl was released in the US as Marilyn, but don't go looking for Ms. Monroe around these parts. Sandra Dorne plays Marilyn, the sexy young wife of ill-tempered garage owner Leslie Dwyer. Assuming that his wife is fooling around with mechanic Maxwell Reid, Dwyer begins punching Reid out. Defending himself, Reid accidentally kills his boss. Marilyn helps Reid cover up the crime, and together the two strike out to find a new life. Several months later, the couple is running a just-getting-by roadhouse. Wealthy Ferdy Mayne agrees to lend the couple some money, figuring the Marilyn will offer her affections as repayment. But things take a sorry turn when Mayne begins to suspect that Reid has committed a murder. Though based on a play by Peter Jones, Roadhouse Girl seems heavily indebted to James M. Cain's The Postman Always Rings Twice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide