Hugh Stewart Movies
- 1974
No one can be expected to take seriously a film titled Flying Sorcerer. Nor is this kiddie-oriented British fantasy meant to be regarded as anything other than a tongue-in-cheek enterprise. Kim Burfield plays a contemporary lad who is magically hurled back to the Middle Ages. Vanquishing a dragon, Kim brings the now-docile beast back to his friends and family in The Present. Erik Chitty, star of the British All in the Family precursor Til Death Do Us Part, represents the adult contingent in Flying Sorcerer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
The 60-minute All at Sea is a juvenile adventure set in Portugal and North Africa. A group of British schoolchildren takes a vacation to the above-mentioned exotic locales. While in Tangiers, they spot a master thief absconding with a rare painting. Using all the Little Rascals resources at their disposal, the kids bring the thief to justice. The cast of All at Sea is comprised mostly of unknowns and nonprofessionals, with the conspicuous exception of busy British character actor Peter Copley as "Mr. Gordon." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this British comedy, two fellows go on vacation to the Riviera and end up entangled with a ring of jewel thieves and in love with a seductive moll. The crooks trick the twosome into helping them, and a riotous chase involving a helicopter and a pair of water skis ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ernie Wise
British comedy duo Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise make the movie from the small screen to the silver screen with this zany tale of two traveling salesmen swept up in a South American revolution. Eric and Ernie are eager to test their salesmen skills in a new setting, but upon arriving in South America it quickly becomes apparent that the continent and its people are in a serious state of duress. Now, in order to save both of their necks, Morecambe assumes the role of a dead revolutionary's son. Unfortunately for the hapless salesmen, Morecambe is all too adept at the ruse, and once the uprising quells he is granted complete authority over the entire country. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Morecambe, Ernie Wise, (more)
Made in England at a time when Morecambe and Wise were popular with TV audiences, this movie is as good as it is because of the inclusion of three of their more popular routines. A surprisingly complicated plot, though very thin, keeps the audience confused, however, in a tale rife with political intrigue, a British-Russian pact and other espionage-type complications which keep the bumbling spies hopping as they try to catch a ring of saboteurs. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Morecambe, Ernie Wise, (more)
- 1965
In this lively British satire, a plucky milkman who works for an independent family-run dairy fights to keep a large trust from overtaking his business. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norman Wisdom, Edward Chapman, (more)
Diminutive pratfall comic Norman Wisdom, Britain's latter-day version of Charlie Chaplin, brought his trademark physical slapstick to this comedy. Wisdom plays Norman Pitkin, a simple butcher's assistant who accompanies his boss, Mr. Grimsdale (Edward Chapman) to the hospital after Grimsdale accidentally swallows a watch. There, it is determined that the watch will have to be removed surgically, but the clumsy Norman causes such a ruckus that he is ejected from the facility and banned from returning by the administrator, Sir Hector (Jerry Desmonde). Before he leaves, however, Norman manages to bring a smile to the face of Lindy (Lucy Appleby), a sad little girl who has been orphaned by a plane crash. Norman promised Lindy he would return, and his efforts to get back through the hospital doors by any means available (including making himself sick, getting hit by a car, and appearing on a charity television broadcast he knows the girl is watching) meet with an equal lack of success. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norman Wisdom, Edward Chapman, (more)
- 1962
One's enjoyment of On the Beat rests solely upon one's tolerance of British comedian Norman Wisdom, who can be described as a Jerry Lewis without the discipline. Wisdom plays a Scotland Yard parking attendant who seemingly can't draw breath without breaking something or knocking someone down. He wants to become a detective, but the Yard isn't quite ready for such a catastrophe. He proves his worth--and wreaks more havoc--by going undercover and trapping a gang of jewel thieves. The slapstick is serviceable in On the Beat; as for the "serious" moments, Wisdom's notion of pathos is to scream at the top of his lungs. You may want to join him. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norman Wisdom, Jennifer Jayne, (more)
- 1961
Two veterinarians contrast with each other in this standard British comedy by Darcy Conyers. Jimmy Fox-Upton (Leslie Phillips) is a decent chap who took more than ten years of hard work to get his vet's license. His nemesis, Bob Skeffington (James Booth) shortened the time to his license by cheating on his exams. While Skeffington is out to bilk the rich and famous via their pedigree pets, Fox-Upton is only dedicated to serving the mutts of the truly poor. Then in comes a pretty owner (Peggy Cummins) of an escaped, performing chimp, and romance enters the life of Fox-Upton. But not alone. The nefarious Skeffington is in on a racket that threatens to bring down Fox-Upton unless he can figure out what is really going on. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Phillips, Peggy Cummins, (more)
- 1960
Terry-Thomas plays the military-officer head of an amiable gang of amateur British thieves. He is recruited for this task by wealthy dowager Athene Seyler, who merely wants to retrieve stolen minks from genuine crooks. Any profits accrued by this undertaking are to be turned over to charity. Once we're aware that everyone's heart is in the right place, we can laugh freely at the film's collection of would-be reprobates, and vicariously hold out hopes for their success. Best bit: Terry-Thomas, backed by Anton Karas' "Third Man" theme, skulking into what appears to be a waterfront dive to make contact with a "fence," only to discover that he's stumbled into a Salvation Army mission. Make Mine Mink was based on Breath of Spring, a play by Peter Coke. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Terry-Thomas, Athene Seyler, (more)
The weak story in The Bulldog Breed is an excuse to tie together a long series of funny episodes, slapstick incidents, and absurd situations. What does bring everything into a certain unity is the comic character type created by Norman Wisdom, an inept, likeable loser whose efforts to succeed against all odds somehow bumble through to final triumph. Playing Norman Puckle in this romp, he is heartbroken after being scorned by an unattainable blond and fails at a suicide attempt, only to end up in the Navy. Bungling most of his work there, he is surprised to discover that he has been chosen by the admiral to be the first man the Navy sends into space. This time, Norman's losing streak is up against a formidable phalanx of expertise -- what could possibly go wrong? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norman Wisdom, Ian Hunter, (more)
- 1959
Combining music, comedy, and pathos, this tale of a gullible singer and the people around him is simple but effective. Norman Wisdom stars as Norman Truscott, someone with a good singing voice who wants to perform but lacks the confidence to get up on stage. His voice teacher (Hattie Jacques) and his girlfriend Judy (June Laverick) both know he can do it, but he actually cannot perform unless Judy is there next to him, playing the piano. Meanwhile, Norman manages to drive his psychiatrist crazy and generally wreaks havoc wherever he goes. When the unscrupulous singer Vernon Carew (Jerry Desmonde) takes unfair and wholly illegal advantage of Norman's singing, he inadvertently leads to the solution of at least a few of the man's problems. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norman Wisdom, June Laverick, (more)
- 1958
Based on the Rumer Godden novel An Episode of Sparrows, Innocent Sinners stars June Archer and Christopher Hey as the title characters. Neglected by her mother, contentious little Lovejoy (Archer) runs off to an abandoned London building, where with the help of several street urchins she begins to build a tiny garden as a home-away-from-home. Misunderstood by the film's adult authority figures, Lovejoy is carted off to a charity home, from which she is rescued by her new friends, including street-smart Tip (Hey). Among the few sympathetic grownups in the film are David Kossoff and Barbara Mullen as a pair of likeable restauranteurs, and Flora Robson and Catherine Lacey as the standard golden-hearted old crones. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- June Archer, Brian Hammond, (more)
In this British comedy, set during WWII, a street laborer likes to harass the British soldiers and ends up drafted into becoming part of the British army labor regiment. Unfortunately, a mix-up occurs and he ends up being parachuted behind Nazi lines where he is mistaken for a Nazi officer. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norman Wisdom, Honor Blackman, (more)
- 1957
Norman Wisdom, Britain's much-funnier answer to Jerry Lewis, stars in Just My Luck. Wisdom plays a humble jewelry-store clerk who begins playing the horses, the better to raise enough money to buy a fancy gift for girlfriend Anne (Jill Dixon). Much to his surprise, Wisdom wins a fortune at the track: collecting the money, however, may not be as simple as he thinks. The funniest scene finds our hapless hero being trundled off to the hospital for a wholly unecessary operation; also good for laughs is a movie-house routine dominated by Carry On regular Joan Sims. Curiously, Just My Luck was bypassed by American distributors in favor of lesser Norman Wisdom vehicles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norman Wisdom, Jill Dixon, (more)
In this British comedy, a luckless London window washer loses his job and ends up working in an enormous country estate that boasts more windows than any place in England. Things get worse when the self-centered heir of the manor forces the worker to accompany him to a local hotspot. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norman Wisdom, Maureen Swanson, (more)
- 1956
Ian Carmichael plays the "white sheep" in a family of successful thieves. Everyone in the clan has made a healthy career out of crime except poor Ian, so he decides to redeem himself with a single spectacular caper. Somehow this involves a passel of Arabs and an unctuous TV news team, all of whom converge in a slapstick free-for-all. Jailed, Carmichael realizes that he's doomed to honesty, and vows to pursue the straight and narrow with leading lady Belinda Lee. Though a British film, The Big Money seems geared exclusively for American audiences with its garish Technicolor, hyperactive musical score and sledgehammer humor. Made in 1956, the film wasn't widely shown in the US until it was released to television in 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ian Carmichael, Belinda Lee, (more)
Norman Wisdom made his third film appearance in the slapstick musical Man of the Moment. This time, Norman is a clerk in the British ministry who is forced to sub for an ailing delegate at a Geneva Peace Conference. In his usual bumbling fashion, our hero becomes intimately involved in the affairs of a tiny Pacific-island monarchy. As a result, the island's queen refuses to participate in any sort of negotiations unless Norman sits in at the proceedings. The nervous British government immediately bestows a knighthood on the hapless delegate. . .and then the fun begins, as several scurvy types try to kill off Norman and topple the Queen from her throne. Featured in the cast of Man of the Moment is Norman Wisdom's music-hall straight man Jerry Desmonde in a prominent but thankless role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Norman Wisdom, Lana Morris, (more)
- 1954
In this remake of Jack Ahoy! (1934) a sailor is left alone on a South Sea island to guard supplies by the British Royal Navy. Unfortunately, they forget about him. A decade later he has become one of the native islanders. The trouble begins when the navy suddenly remembers and sends a ship to save him. Unfortunately, the man is happy and doesn't want to go back. He ends up staying and training navy jungle commandos for an assignment to recover a stolen submarine. The hapless sailor ends up captured himself. Fortunately, his native lover saves him and helps bring back the purloined submarine. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1953
John Mills followed his successful Gentle Gunman with the tensioned-filled meller The Long Memory. Convicted for a murder he did not commit, Davidson (Mills) spends 12 long years in prison. Upon his release, he vows to get even with the three witnesses who perjured themselves and clenched his conviction. Returning to the scene of the crime, he begins gathering clues as to the whereabouts of the witnesses. That's when he discovers that the alleged murder victim is alive and well! John McCallum co-stars as Inspector Lowther, who has spent the past dozen years mulling over the Davidson case, wondering if the man was innocent after all. For the sake of plot convenience, it turns out that Lowther is married to one of the lying witnesses! The Long Memory was based on a novel by Howard Clewes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Mills, John McCallum, (more)
- 1951
Night Without Stars was adapted by Winston Graham from his own novel. David Farrar stars as Giles Gordon, a blind, disillusioned Briton who whiles away his time on the French Riviera. Gordon falls in love with Alix Delaisse (Nadia Gray), the widow of a legendary French resistance leader. The romance encounters turbulence when it appears that Alix is involved with criminal activities. Regaining his sight in an operation, Gordon pretends that he's still blind, the better to find out whether or not Alix has been lying to him. When he's satisfied that she's been truthful all along, he begins gathering evidence to entrap the genuine culprits. American musical comedy star June Clyde makes an amusing appearance as a pixillated party girl. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Farrar, Nadia Gray, (more)
- 1949
The Gay Lady is better known by its British title, Trottie True. Jean Kent stars as Trottie, a turn-of-the-century British music-hall performer who works her way up the ladder from chorus girl to headliner. As her fame increases, Trottie has no time for true love, preferring instead the attentions of men of nobility and wealth who can advance her career. But it's not enough, and at the end Trottie trots back to her husband. Based on the play by Caryl Brahms and S.J. Simon, The Gay Lady is best seen in its original Technicolor British release version, which unlike some American prints leaves most of the musical numbers intact. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Kent, James Donald, (more)
- 1947
A man's youthful indiscretions come back to haunt him in this droll drawing room comedy. Sir Robert Chiltern (Hugh Williams) is a fine and upstanding British gentleman who has distinguished himself in the political arena and is selflessly devoted to his wife (Diana Wynyard). However, it turns out that he wasn't always a paragon of virtue; early in his career working with the British cabinet, Chiltern sold some confidential information regarding the Suez Canal, and Mrs. Cheveley (Paulette Goddard) has made it clear to Chiltern that she knows what he did and is willing to tell others about it. She agrees to keep silent if he's willing to support a proposal currently being debated in Parliament that would put a phony canal through Argentina. A fearful Chiltern agrees, but his best friend Viscount Goring (Michael Wilding) objects, and he tries to persuade Mrs. Cheveley to rescind her blackmail threat, while explaining to Lady Chiltern how a good man could do something so wrong at some point in his life. This was the third screen adaptation of the sophisticated satire by Oscar Wilde. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paulette Goddard, Michael Wilding, Sr., (more)
- 1946
Though its title suggests that Gaiety George is yet another vehicle for British comedian George Formby, the film is in fact a biopic. Richard Greene plays Irish theatrical impresario George Howard, whose elaborately staged musical entertainments were highlights of the early 20th century. Wounded during World War I, Howard returns to London and virtually forgotten, compelling him to mount a spectacular comeback. Surprisingly, the weakest element is not its banal plotline but the musical numbers, which are staged with little of the "feel" or energy of the period. Released in the US as Showtime in 1948. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Greene, Ann Todd, (more)
- 1943
The popular British music hall and radio team of Gert and Daisy (Elsie and Doris Waters) heads the cast of It's in the Bag. The whole thing starts when the cackling cockney duo sells an old dress. Turns out that there's 20,000 pounds sewn in the lining of the frock, a fact that precipitates a merry chase. Also in pursuit of the money is Reginald Purdell, whose honesty is a matter of grave doubt. It's in the Bag comes to a literally explosive climax in a deserted theater. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
