Michael Hordern

Michael Hordern

Birth : 1911-10-03, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Death : 1995-05-02

History

Sir Michael Murray Hordern (3 October 1911 – 2 May 1995) was an English actor, knighted in 1983 for his services to the theatre, which stretched back to before the Second World War. Description above from the Wikipedia article Michael Hordern, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

Profile

Michael Hordern
Michael Hordern

Movies

Paddington Bear - Please Look After This Bear
Narrator / All
Episodes are: 'Please Look After This Bear'; 'A Bear in Hot Water'; 'Paddington Goes Underground'; 'A Shopping Expedition'; 'Paddington and the Old Master'; 'A Spot of Decorating'; 'A Family Group'; 'Paddington Makes a Bid'; 'Do-It-Yourself'; 'A Disappearing Trick'; 'Something Nasty in the Kitchen'; and 'Trouble at the Launderette'.
A Very Open Prison
Lord Langland
The Home Secretary has his eye on the Prime Minister's job. But an experiment in the way the prisons are run leads to embarrassment - and escaped murderers! The fore runner of Crossing The Floor
Paddington Bear's Alphabet Treasure Hunt
Narrator
Paddington enters the Great Alphabet Treasure Hunt and has to find something for every letter of the alphabet. But he soon gets attacked by a W for wasp and gets himself in a mess as usual.
Freddie as F.R.O.7.
King (voice)
The story about a man-sized frog named Prince Frederic who is turned into a frog by his wicked aunt Messina and hired by British Intelligence to solve the mysterious disappearances of some of Britain's greatest monuments. Several hundred years later, Freddie is now living in modern day Paris -- a six-foot-tall amphibian with the moniker Secret Agent F.R.O.7. Messina, too, is still around causing mischief, joining forces with an arch-villain named El Supremo in a scheme to shrink Big Ben. Freddie, alerted to Messina's nefarious plans, gathers his fellow agents Daffers and Scottie together, planning to hide out in Big Ben and surprise the evil doers when they are set to strike at the much-loved British landmark.
Truckers
The Abbot (voice)
Truckers, the first of Terry Pratchett's novels to be adapted for TV brings to life the story of the Nomes. 15000 years ago the Nomes crashed to Earth in a scout ship from the starship Swan. Generations of them have come and gone with the passing years and the changing countryside. Suddenly faced with extinction, the ten surviving Nomes, guided by their reluctant leader Masklin, must face many exciting adventures during their search for a new home and hiding place in the big, bad world of the humans.
Memento Mori
Godfrey Colston
Several elderly friends and acquaintances in 1950s London are disturbed to receive mysterious telephone calls predicting their impending deaths...
Beauty and the Beast
Monsieur Du Blois (voice)
As a merchant sets off for market, he asks his three lovely daughters what they would like as a present upon his return. His youngest daughter, who he adoringly calls Beauty, replied. "All I'd like is a rose you've picked specially for me." Remembering his promise to Beauty he plucks a rose, enraging the owner of the rosebush, a fearsome boarlike beast who inhabits the nearby castle. The Beast agrees to spare his life, but on one condition, that he brings him the daughter for which he plucked the rose.
Diamond Skulls
Lord Crewne
Hugo Buckton seems to have it all: He is apparently rich and has a beautiful wife and a doting son. In actuality, though, Hugo is having money problems and is paranoid that his wife is cheating on him. After a boozy night at a party, Hugo hits and kills a woman with his car -- and at his friends' urging, keeps driving. When Hugo starts receiving letters from someone who knows about the accident, he begins to suspect that he has been set up.
Danny the Champion of the World
Lord Claybury
Somewhere in England, in the Autumn of 1955, a widowed father and his son live an idyllic life together. Only their gas station happens to sit on a piece of land that a local developer wants to buy. And when he won't take no for an answer, and sets government inspectors and social works onto Danny and his father, Danny and his father decide to get even with Hazell and his pheasant- shooting friends in a manner in keeping with their own family tradition.
Ending Up
George
A traditional rural English Christmas, reluctantly spent with the predominantly geriatric family (who all have their quirks and eccentricities) ends in tragedy after a practical joke goes horribly wrong.
The Dog It Was That Died
George
Rupert Purvis jumps off a bridge onto a dog, causing problems for Blair, his superior at MI5. Blair must convince Hogbin, the agent who's been tailing Purvis, of which side Purvis is really on--once he finds out what it is.
The Wind in the Willows: A Tale of Two Toads
Badger (voice)
Designed with young audiences in mind, this award-winning animated film (created with labor-intensive stop-motion techniques) brings Kenneth Grahame's classic children's book to life. When the villainous Weasel and his crew of thugs kidnap an unsuspecting Toad and send an impostor to take over Toad Hall, Badger, Rat and Mole aren't fooled. But can they figure out a way to save their friend before it's too late?
The Trouble with Spies
Jason Locke
George Trent, a British spy, has gone incommunicado in Ibiza. Appleton Porter (Donald Sutherland) is sent to find out what happened to Trent. Porter settles into a small hotel with several busybody guests. He probes them for information about Trent, their former neighbor. Meanwhile, the spy survives several attempts on his life as he attempts to solve the mystery.
The Secret Garden
Ben Weatherstaff
When a spoiled English girl living in 19th century India loses both parents in a cholera epidemic, she is sent back to England to live in a country mansion. The lord is a strange old man-- frail and deformed, immensely kind but so melancholy. She wishes to discover what has caused him so much sorrow and to bring joy back to the household. It all must have something to do with the screams and wails which echo through the house at night and no one wants to talk about.
Comrades
Mr. Pitt
The story of "The Tolpuddle Martyrs". A group of 19th century English farm labourers who formed one of the first trade unions and started a campaign to receive fair wages.
Scoop
Uncle Theodor
Scoop is a 1987 TV film directed by Gavin Millar, adapted by William Boyd from the 1938 satirical novel Scoop by Evelyn Waugh. It was produced by Sue Birtwistle with executive producers Nick Elliott and Patrick Garland. Original music was made by Stanley Myers. The story is about a reporter sent to Ishmaelia (a fictional African state) by accident.
Suspicion
Lord McLaidlaw
A powerfully tense remake of the Alfred Hitchcock classic, this British production of SUSPICION boasts a dynamic cast, making it a worthy descendent of the original.
The Little Match Girl
Himself - Introduction
The Little Match Girl is a short story by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen. The story is about a dying child's hopes and dreams, and was first published in 1845. This adaptation was made for Harlech TV and broadcast on 28th December 1986 and starred Twiggy and Roger Daltrey, and features the song 'Mistletoe and Wine' which became a Christmas number one for Cliff Richard in 1988, the biggest selling record of that year.
Labyrinth
The Wiseman (voice)
When teen Sarah is forced to babysit her half-brother Toby, she summons Jareth the Goblin King to take him away. When he is actually kidnapped, Sarah is given just thirteen hours to solve a labyrinth and rescue him.
Paradise Postponed
Simeon Simcox
A clergyman noted for his support of left-wing causes, leaves his considerable estate to a Conservative member of parliament. Adaptation of the novel by John Mortimer.
Lady Jane
Dr. Feckenham
The death of King Henry VIII throws his kingdom into chaos because of succession disputes. His weak son, Edward, is on his deathbed. Anxious to keep England true to the Reformation, a scheming minister John Dudley marries off his son, Guildford to Lady Jane Grey, whom he places on the throne after Edward dies. At first hostile to each other, Guildford and Jane fall in love, but they cannot withstand the course of power which will lead to their ultimate downfall.
Paddington Goes to School
Vocals
The local truant officer informs Mrs. Brown (Paddington's keeper) that since he is of age, Paddington must go to school.
Paddington's Birthday Bonanza
Narrator
Mr. Brown's birthday is drawing near and Paddington is worried because he can't afford to buy him a present. His efforts to raise some money lead him into a series of misadventures, first as a waiter at a society dinner, then as the dancing partner of the hostess, Mrs. Smith-Cholmley, in a televised dance competition at the local charity ball.
Paddington Goes to School
The local truant officer informs Mrs. Brown (Paddington's keeper) that since he is of age, Paddington must go to school.
Young Sherlock Holmes
Older Watson (voice)
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson meet as boys in an English Boarding school. Holmes is known for his deductive ability even as a youth, amazing his classmates with his abilities. When they discover a plot to murder a series of British business men by an Egyptian cult, they move to stop it.
Now Voyager
The Old Man
A spoiled pop star crashes his car in an irrigation ditch and comes to in a public indoor pool supervised by a mysterious man who attempts to show him the error of his ways.
The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood
Psychoanalyst
The evil brother of Richard the Lionheart is holding the king for ransom, and only Robin Hood and his band of merry men can save him...for a small fee, of course.
The Wind in the Willows
Badger
One spring, Mole decides that he can ignore the spring cleaning for a little longer, and begins a series of adventures with his new friend Rat. They go for a picnic on the riverbank, on a caravan expedition with Toad, until Toad switches allegiance to his new car and his reckless driving makes Mole and Rat search out Badger for help in curbing Toad's profligate habits. But Toad gets away from them and gets a 20-year sentence from the magistrate for theft, reckless driving, and Gross Impertinence. While Toad works his wiles on the jailer's daughter and escapes jail dressed as a washer woman, Badger tries to guard Toad Hall from the machinations of the Weasels and is badly beaten. And it requires a plan of attack and all four comrades to regain Toad Hall.
Yellowbeard
Dr. Gilpin
For years Yellowbeard had looted the Spanish Main, making men eat their lips and swallow their hearts. Caught and convicted for tax evasion, he's sentenced to 20 years in St. Victim's Prison for the Extremely Naughty. In a scheme to confiscate his fabulous treasure, the Royal Navy allows him to escape and follows him, where saucy tarts, lisping demigods and some awful puns and punishments await.
Group Madness
Self / Dr. Gilpin
A behind-the-scenes documentary of the making of 1983's Yellowbeard
Cymbeline
Jupiter
Cymbeline, the King of Britain, is angry that his daughter Imogen has chosen a poor (but worthy) man for her husband. So he banishes Posthumus, who goes to fight for Rome. Imogen (dressed as a boy) goes in search of her husband, who meanwhile has boasted to his pal Iachimo that Imogen would never betray him. And Iachimo's determined to prove him wrong.
Gandhi
Sir George Hodge
In the early years of the 20th century, Mohandas K. Gandhi, a British-trained lawyer, forsakes all worldly possessions to take up the cause of Indian independence. Faced with armed resistance from the British government, Gandhi adopts a policy of 'passive resistance', endeavouring to win freedom for his people without resorting to bloodshed.
The Missionary
Slatterthewaite
In 1905, after 10 years of missionary work in Africa, the Rev. Charles Fortesque is recalled to England, where his bishop gives him his new assignment - to minister to London's prostitutes.
King Lear
King Lear
King Lear, old and tired, divides his kingdom among his daughters, giving great importance to their protestations of love for him. When Cordelia, youngest and most honest, refuses to idly flatter the old man in return for favor, he banishes her and turns for support to his remaining daughters. But Goneril and Regan have no love for him and instead plot to take all his power from him. In a parallel, Lear's loyal courtier Gloucester favors his illegitimate son Edmund after being told lies about his faithful son Edgar. Madness and tragedy befall both ill-starred fathers.
Oliver Twist
Mr. Brownlow
The classic Dickens tale of an orphan boy who escapes the horrors of the orphanage only to be taken in by a band of thieves and pickpockets.
Ivanhoe
Cedric
Ivanhoe, a worthy and noble knight, the champion of justice returns to England after the holy wars, and finds England under the reign of Prince John and his henchmen and finds himself being involved in the power-struggle for the throne of England.
All's Well That Ends Well
Lafeu
Helena loves Bertram, but he's of noble birth, while she's just a doctor's daughter. But Bertram is at the court of the King of France, who is ill, and Helena has a remedy that might cure him and win her the right to marry Bertram. But does Bertram want to marry her?
The Wildcats of St. Trinian's
Sir Charles Hackforth
The girls of St. Trinian's decide they are being asked to do too much work so they go on strike.
Gauguin the Savage
Durand-Huel
Based on the turbulent life of the temperamental French painter, Paul Gauguin, and his compulsive search for creative freedom which caused him to abandon his wife and five children in Paris for a life of contentment in Tahiti.
Paddington Bear Goes to the Movies
Narrator (voice)
Paddington, having just seen Gene Kelly on the cinema screen, takes to the streets in a rain storm with his umbrella. Join him as he starts singin' and dancin' in the rain.
The Tempest
Prospero
Prospero, the true Duke of Milan is now living on an enchanted island with his daughter Miranda, the savage Caliban and Ariel, a spirit of the air. Raising a sorm to bring his brother - the usurper of his dukedom - along with his royal entourage. to the island. Prospero contrives his revenge.
The Spirit of Cheshire
Michael Horden narrates as the voice of as Rolls Royce Phantom taking in the sights of Cheshire.
The Talking Parcel
Oswald, the Sea Serpent
The Talking Parcel is based on a 1974 book by Gerald Durrell in which a young girl is transported to the fantasy land of Mythologia to save it from cockatrices. She is aided by a talking parrot and encounter many other magical creatures, including a mooncalf.
Romeo & Juliet
Capulet
Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes a pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life whose misadventur'd piteous overthrows doth with their death bury their parents' strife.
Watership Down
Frith (voice)
When the warren belonging to a community of rabbits is threatened, a brave group led by Fiver, Bigwig, Blackberry and Hazel leave their homeland in a search of a safe new haven.
The Medusa Touch
Atropos - Fortune Teller
A French detective in London reconstructs the life of a man lying in hospital with severe injuries with the help of journals and a psychiatrist. He realises that the man had powerful telekinetic abilities.
A Christmas Carol
Ebenezer Scrooge
"If I could work my will, every idiot that goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips would be boiled with his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly in his heart" So spoke the immortal words of Christmas’ most famous miser, Charles Dicken’s Ebenezer Scrooge. Too mean to join in with the festivities; he sits alone on Christmas Eve. The scene is set for a visitation by the ghost of his late business partner, Marley, now bound to earth by eternal chains and his introduction to the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. For it is they who will take him through his life to face the truth about himself…
Joseph Andrews
Parson Adams
Lady Booby alias 'Belle', the lively wife of the fat landed squire Sir Thomas Booby, has a lusty eye on the attractive, intelligent villager Joseph Andrews, a Latin pupil and protégé of parson Adams, and makes him their footman. Joseph's heart belongs to a country girl, foundling Fanny Goodwill, but his masters take him on a fashionable trip to Bath, where the spoiled society comes mainly to see and be seen, but drowns in the famous Roman baths. When the all but grieving lady finds Joseph's Christian virtue and true love resist her lusting passes just as well as the many ladies who fancy her footman, she fires the boy. He's found and nursed by an innkeeper's maid, which stirs lusts there, again besides his honorable conduct, but is found by the good parson.
The Slipper and the Rose
King
In the tiny kingdom of Euphrania, the King and his court are most anxious to get Prince Edward wed. But Edward wants to marry for love. Meanwhile, young Cinderella finds life drastically altered with her father's death as she's forced to be a servant in her own house. But a cheery fairy godmother helps her with her impossible tasks, and even gets her to take an evening out at the King's bride-fin
Lucky Lady
When an American booze smuggler gets murdered in Prohibition-era Mexico, his widow, a nightclub singer, joins forces with her lover and a desperate loner to become rum-runners to the U.S.
Barry Lyndon
Narrator (voice)
An Irish rogue uses his cunning and wit to work his way up the social classes of 18th century England, transforming himself from the humble Redmond Barry into the noble Barry Lyndon.
The Old Curiosity Shop
Edward Trent
A kindly shop owner whose overwhelming gambling debts allow a greedy landlord to seize his shop of dusty treasures. Evicted and with no way to pay his debts, he and his granddaughter flee.
Royal Flash
Headmaster
Cowardly rogue Harry Flashman's (Malcolm McDowell) schemes to gain entry to the royal circles of 19th-century Europe go nowhere until he meets a pair of devious nobles with their own agenda. At their urging, Flashman agrees to re-create himself as a bogus Prussian nobleman to woo a beautiful duchess. But the half-baked plan quickly comes unraveled, and he's soon on the run from several new enemies who are all calling for the rapscallion's head.
Juggernaut
Mr. Baker
A terrorist demands a huge ransom in exchange for information on how to disarm the seven bombs he has planted aboard a trans-Atlantic cruise ship.
The MacKintosh Man
Mr. Brown
A member of British Intelligence assumes a fictitious criminal identity and allows himself to be caught, imprisoned, and freed in order to infiltrate a spy organization and expose a traitor; only, someone finds him out and exposes him to the gang...
England Made Me
F. Minty
A young, English, ne'er-do-well who goes to stay with his sister and her wealthy fiancé/benefactor in 1930's Germany, just before the rise of the Nazi party.
Theatre of Blood
George Maxwell
A Shakespearean actor takes poetic revenge on the critics who denied him recognition.
The Pied Piper
Melius, Alchemist
Greed, corruption, ignorance, and disease. Midsummer, 1349: the Black Death reaches northern Germany. Minstrels go to Hamelin for the Mayor's daughter's wedding to the Baron's son. He wants her dowry to pay his army while his father taxes the people to build a cathedral he thinks will save his soul. A local apothecary who's a Jew seeks a treatment for the plague; the priests charge him with witchcraft. One of the minstrels, who has soothed the Mayor's daughter with his music, promises to rid the town of rats for the fee. The Mayor agrees, then renigs. In the morning, the plague, the Jew's trial, and the Piper's revenge come at once.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Mock Turtle
An all-star cast highlights this vibrant musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll's immortal tale. One day, plucky young Alice follows a white rabbit down a hole and discovers a world of bizarre characters.
Demons of the Mind
Priest
A physician discovers that two children are being kept virtually imprisoned in their house by their father. He investigates, and discovers a web of sex, incest and satanic possession.
The Possession of Joel Delaney
Justin
Manhattan socialite begins to fear for her troubled younger brother when he starts behaving bizarrely and he seems to have been friends with a backstreet murderer.
A Christmas Carol
Marley's Ghost
Ebenezer Scrooge, a skinflint visited by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future one fateful Christmas Eve. It's up to them to help the old crab see the error of his ways. And they do, to the delight of Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim.
Girl Stroke Boy
George Mason
Middle-class parents are confounded when their son brings home his new partner: an elegant, confusingly androgynous West Indian.
Up Pompeii
Ludicrus Sextus
A funny thing happens to Lurcio (Frankie Howerd) on the way to the rent-a-vestal-virgin market stall. A mysterious scroll falls into his hands, listing the names of all the conspirators plotting to murder Emperor Nero. And when the upstart slave is elected to infiltrate the ringleader's den, the comical ups-and-downs lead to total uproar.
Some Will, Some Won't
Denniston Russell
Four people go to great lengths to obtain the fortune left in a will by a very wealthy practical joker.
Futtocks End
The Butler
Entirely silent, with a musical score, sound effects and incoherent mutterings, the story revolves around a weekend gathering at the decaying country home of the eccentric and lewd General Futtock (Ronnie Barker) and the series of saucy mishaps between the staff (Michael Hordern plays the lecherous butler) and his guests.
Anne of the Thousand Days
Thomas Boleyn
Henry VIII of England discards his wife, Katharine of Aragon, who has failed to produce a male heir, in favor of the young and beautiful Anne Boleyn.
The Bed Sitting Room
Bules Martin
In the hazy aftermath of World War III, the fallout from a 'nuclear misunderstanding' is producing strange mutations amongst the survivors, and the noble Lord Fortnum finds himself transforming into a bed sitting room.
Where Eagles Dare
Adm. Rolland
World War II is raging, and an American general has been captured and is being held hostage in the Schloss Adler, a Bavarian castle that's nearly impossible to breach. It's up to a group of skilled Allied soldiers to liberate the general before it's too late.
Prudence and the Pill
Dr. Morley (uncredited)
Prudence Hardcastle is on the pill. So is her sister-in-law, but someone has been swapping aspirin for their pills. Is it the teenage niece, the maid, the chauffeur, a lover, Prudence's husband Gerald, or all of the above?
Whistle and I'll Come to You
Professor Parkins
A university professor, confident that everything which occurs in life has a rational explanation, finds his beliefs severely challenged when, during a vacation to a remote coastal village in Norfolk, he blows through an ancient whistle discovered on a beach, awakening horrors beyond human understanding.
I'll Never Forget What's'isname
Headmaster
Advertising golden boy Andrew Quint is fed up with his fabulously successful life. In very dramatic fashion, he quits his job to return to writing for a small literary magazine. He wants to leave his former life behind, going as far as saying good-bye to his wife and mistresses. He finds, however, that it's not so easy to escape the past.
How I Won the War
Grapple
An inept British WWII commander leads his troops to a series of misadventures in North Africa and Europe.
The Jokers
Sir Matthew
Brothers Michael and David Tremayne decide to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London, not for criminal purposes, but to make themselves famous.
The Taming of the Shrew
Baptista
Italy, 16th century. Petruchio, a choleric, lying and poor rural landowner from Verona, arrives in Padua in search of fortune and a wife, while Baptista, a wealthy merchant, announces that he will not allow Bianca, his youngest daughter, to marry until the temperamental and unruly Katherina, his eldest daughter, does.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Senex
A wily slave must unite a virgin courtesan and his young smitten master to earn his freedom.
Khartoum
Lord Granville
English General Charles George Gordon is appointed military governor of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan by the Prime Minister. Ordered to evacuate Egyptians from the Sudan, Gordon stays on to protect the people of Khartoum, who are under threat of being conquered by a Muslim army.
Cast a Giant Shadow
British Ambassador
An American Army officer is recruited by the yet to exist Israel to help them form an army. He is disturbed by this sudden appeal to his jewish roots. Each of Israel's Arab neighbors has vowed to invade the poorly prepared country as soon as partition is granted. He is made commander of the Israeli forces just before the war begins.
Turner
Reads recollections
A documentary feature offering a general introduction to the work of the painter J.M.W. Turner.
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Ashe
British agent Alec Leamas refuses to come in from the Cold War during the 1960s, choosing to face another mission, which may prove to be his final one.
Genghis Khan
Geen
This is the story of the shy Mongol boy Temujin who,during the 13th century, becomes the fearless Mongol leader Genghis Khan that unites all Mongol tribes and conquers India,China,Persia,Korea and parts of Rusia,Europe and Middle-East.
The Yellow Rolls-Royce
Harnsworth
One Rolls-Royce belongs to three vastly different owners, starting with Lord Charles, who buys the car for his wife as an anniversary present. The next owner is Paolo Maltese, a mafioso who purchases the car during a trip to Italy and leaves it with his girlfriend while he returns to Chicago. Finally, the car is owned by American widow Gerda, who joins the Yugoslavian resistance against the invading Nazis.
Macbeth
Banquo
Hallmark Hall of Fame's second version of Shakespeare's classic play, with the same two stars and the same director as its first version, but a different supporting cast.
Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow
Squire Thomas Banks
English vicar Dr. Syn becomes a scarecrow on horseback by night to thwart King George III's taxmen.
The V.I.P.s
Airport Director
Wealthy passengers fogged in at London's Heathrow Airport fight to survive a variety of personal trials.
Cleopatra
Cicero
Determined to hold on to the throne, Cleopatra seduces the Roman emperor Julius Caesar. When Caesar is murdered, she redirects her attentions to his general, Marc Antony, who vows to take power—but Caesar’s successor has other plans.
Back to Back
These dueling one-act comedies highlight the work of playwright John Mortimer. In "The Dock Brief," an ill-prepared attorney is put to the test when his client confesses to killing his wife. In "What Shall We Tell Caroline?" a father with good intentions tries to protect his wife and daughter from the bad things in life.
El Cid
Don Diego
Epic film of the legendary Spanish hero, Rodrigo Diaz ("El Cid" to his followers), who, without compromising his strict sense of honour, still succeeds in taking the initiative and driving the Moors from Spain.
Man in the Moon
Dr. Davidson
William is an unsuccessful guinea pig for a medical group interested in researching the common cold. He is soon fired and offered a job by the nearby National Atomic Research Center where they figure anyone who could fail at being a guinea pig is just what they need. They con William into thinking he will continue his guinea pig career by testing out some equipment for them before they send a group of astronauts to the moon.
Sink the Bismarck!
Admiral Sir John Tovey, Commander-in-Chief - 'King George'
The story of the breakout of the German battleship Bismarck—accompanied by the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen—during the early days of World War II. The Bismarck and her sister ship, Tirpitz, were the most powerful battleships in the European theater of World War II. The British Navy must find and destroy Bismarck before it can escape into the convoy lanes to inflict severe damage on the cargo shipping which was the lifeblood of the British Isles. With eight 15 inch guns, it was capable of destroying every ship in a convoy while remaining beyond the range of all Royal Navy warships.
Moment of Danger
Inspector Farrell
Having been coerced unto helping a criminal pull off a jewellery theft, a locksmith is double crossed by the crook and heads off to Spain with an eye to getting even.
I Was Monty's Double
Governor of Gibralter
The incredible but true story of how an impersonator was recruited to impersonate General Montgomery to mislead the German's about his intentions before the North Africa campaign.
Girls at Sea
Admiral Reginald Victor Hewitt
When HMS Scotia pays a visit to the French Riviera, the officers throw a lavish party to celebrate the engagement of Captain Robert Randall to Jill Eaton, a charming American girl; among the guests are Mary Carlton, Jill's American friend, and Antoinette, a vivacious redhead. However, when the last shore-boat is deemed unseaworthy, the girls are obliged to spend the night on ship. A series of hilarious complications ensue, as the officers attempt to keep the girls away from the beady eyes of Admiral Hewitt – who chooses this very night to board the Scotia.
The Spaniard's Curse
Judge Manton
A convicted murderer uses an ancient curse to take his revenge on those responsible for sending him to prison.
I Accuse!
Prosecutor at Second Dreyfus Trial
Alfred Dreyfus, a German-Jewish captain serving in the French Army, is falsely accused of treason and made a scapegoat for military espionage in an act of institutional anti-Semitism. Sent to prison, he becomes a cause célèbre for the novelist Émile Zola, who dubs it the "Dreyfus Affair." Eventually, Dreyfus is pardoned when the military cover-up is made public, and he returns to France. But his name is forever tarnished by the accusations of treason.
Windom's Way
Patterson
A doctor's sophisticated wife joins him at his remote Asian practice to try and patch up their marriage. Increasingly violent friction between local rubber plantation workers and the authorities force both parties to make decisions.
No Time for Tears
Surgeon
No Time for Tears is a moving, sympathetic portrayal of the challenges faced by all those who enter this most demanding yet rewarding of professions – from routine operations to more serious conditions, from anxious, sometimes hostile parents to workplace romance. The lives of the staff and patients of Mayfield Children's Hospital are inextricably woven together with the laughter, tears and devotion that lie behind the work of restoring children to health and happiness.
The Spanish Gardener
Harrington Brande
British diplomat Harrington Brande takes up his new lowly post in Spain accompanied by his son Nicholas. That his wife had left him seems to have affected his career. Nicholas sees it all as something of an adventure and soon becomes friends with the new gardener, Jose. As Nicholas begins to spend more time with Jose, his father takes offense and is concerned at the boy's loss of affection for him. It leads him to bar Nicholas from even speaking to the gardener. And soon tensions mount.
The Baby and the Battleship
Capt. Hugh
After a quayside mix-up with the Italian family of his fiancée, Able Seaman Knocker White finds himself literally left holding the baby. Unable to return it before his ship sails he enlists the help of best mate Puncher Roberts to smuggle the child aboard. But babies are surprisingly demanding and gradually the whole crew is drawn into helping keep it fed and washed - and undiscovered. Even so, the officers above deck start to puzzle over the increasingly strange happenings on board.
The Man Who Never Was
Gen. Coburn
The true story of a British effort to trick the Germans into weakening Sicily's defenses before the 1943 attack. A dead soldier is dressed as a British officer and outfitted with faked papers showing that the Allies were intending to invade occupied Greece. His body is put into the sea where it will ultimately drift ashore and the papers be passed along to German Intelligence.
Alexander the Great
Demosthenes
He was a fierce military commander who led huge armies into battle without a single defeat; a magnificent warrior who many believed was part god - this was Alexander the Great (Richard Burton), the legendary Greek hero hailed by his countrymen as "The King of Kings". Born in 356 B.C. into a turbulent world of political unrest, educated by Aristotle (Barry Jones) and chosen to lead his people in the grand tradition of his powerful father (Fredric March), this glamorous world conqueror rose above all conflict to unite the continents of Europe and Asia to become one of the most celebrated rulers of all time! Written, produced and directed by Oscar - winner Robert Rossen and featuring the extraordinary Claire Bloom and a remarkable cast of thousands, this stunning portrait of one of history's most fascinating figures is colossal entertainment and an amazing spectacle.
Pacific Destiny
Resident Commissioner
Life is strange and worrying for a cadet who arrives in the Pacific in the colonial service. And the testy resident commissioner, who had been expecting an experienced man, soon shows his disapproval.
Storm Over the Nile
General Faversham
In 1885, while his regiment is sent to the Sudan to battle the rebellious Dervish tribes, British Lieutenant Harry Faversham resigns his officer's commission in order to remain with his fiancée Mary Burroughs in England. His friends and fellow officers John Durrance, Peter Burroughs and Tom Willoughby brand him a coward and present him with the white feathers of cowardice. His fiancée, Mary, adds a fourth feather and breaks off their engagement. However, former Lieutenant Faversham decides to regain his honor by fighting in the Sudan incognito. Re-used a great deal of stock footage from The Four Feathers (1939), including the entire final battle sequence.
The Constant Husband
The Judge
Charles Hathaway wakes up in West Wales with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. With the help of a Cardiff specialist he traces his life back to his gorgeous wife and their large London house, so all seems well with the world. But more detective work starts to uncover an alarming chain of further stunning wives and a way of going on that the new Charles finds pretty unacceptable.
The Dark Avenger
King Edward
Edward, Prince of Wales, son and heir to his father King Edward III of England, leads an English army to the French province of Aquitaine to protect the inhabitant from the ravages of the French. After defeating the French in battle, the defeated French plot to kill the prince. Failing in this, they kidnap his lady, the lovely Lady Joan Holland. Of course Prince Edward has to ride to the rescue, adopting numerous guises to save his paramour, which ultimately end in him leading his men into one final climactic battle against the French. (Also known as "The Warriors" and "The Black Prince").
The Night My Number Came Up
Lindsay
At a fashionable dinner party in Hong Kong a Royal Navy officer is coaxed into revealing details of a dream in which eight persons take off from Bangkok in a Dakota bound for Tokyo and crash in the Japanese mountains. Amongst those listening is Air Marshal Hardie who is due to fly to Tokyo the next day. Hardie initially dismisses the dream because he is scheduled to fly out in a Liberator, but as Hardie arrives at the airport he discovers that the Liberator has developed mechanical problems and has been replaced by a Dakota. When, just before the flight is due to depart, two soldiers board the plane making a complement of eight, Hardie fears that the dream may be coming true and he is destined to die.
Svengali
Billy's Uncle
A man hypnotizes a young woman into being an opera singer.
The Beachcomber
The Headman
Mr. Gray is the new Resident in Charge of the Welcome Islands in the Indian Ocean. The Islands are full of life, but the only other Europeans are the "sanctimonious, psalm-singing" brother-sister missionary team of Martha and Owen Jordans, and the Honourable Ted - a hard-drinking, womanizing social outcast whose English family pays him to stay away. Martha and Ted become an unlikely team when cholera threatens the islands and they must do their best to stop its spread.
Forbidden Cargo
Director of Customs
Kenyon is a narcotics agent who, with the aid of a titled bird-watcher attempts to trap a brother and sister drug smuggling team.
You Know What Sailors Are
The best of British humor is on display in this satirical cold war romp! Donald Sinden plays Lieutenant Green, a radar expert in the Royal Navy. One night, whilst under the influence of alcohol, he welds an old pram to the deck of a foreign destroyer for a joke. The next morning, British Intelligence is desperate to know what the enemy’s new weapon is. To cover his tracks, Green calls it the ‘998’. When he is posted to the destroyer to explain about radar techniques, Green soon realizes that his prank has gone too far.
The Heart of the Matter
Commissioner
Based on Graham Greene’s novel, a married colonial police chief struggles with his conscience when he has an affair with a younger woman.
Personal Affair
Headmaster Griffith
A British girl disappears for three days after a frank talk with the wife of a Latin teacher she loves.
Grand National Night
Inspector Ayling
The story of a husband's implication in his wife's death, his stupid disposal of her body and the police enquiry which almost embroils him in a murder charge.
Street Corner
Insp. Heron
London policewomen handle rescues and larceny as they go about their work in Chelsea.
The Hour of 13
Sir Herbert Frensham
1890, London, and a serial killer known as The Terror is murdering policemen. When gentleman thief Nicholas Revel unwittingly becomes the chief suspect, he must use his guile and wits to prove he’s not the killer; whilst also not getting caught for a jewel robbery he has just committed.
The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men
Scathelock
Young Robin Hood, in love with Maid Marian, enters an archery contest with his father at the King's palace. On the way home his father is murdered by henchmen of Prince John. Robin takes up the life of an outlaw, gathering together his band of merry men with him in Sherwood Forest, to avenge his father's death and to help the people of the land that Prince John are over taxing.
The Card
Bank Manager
A charming and ambitious young man finds many ways to raise himself through the ranks in business and social standing - some honest, some not quite so. If he can just manage to avoid a certain very predatory woman...
The Magic Box
Official Receiver
Now old, ill, poor, and largely forgotten, William Freise-Greene was once very different. As young and handsome William Green he changed his name to include his first wife's so that it sounded more impressive for the photographic portrait work he was so good at. But he was also an inventor and his search for a way to project moving pictures became an obsession that ultimately changed the life of all those he loved.
Scrooge
Jacob Marley
Ebenezer Scrooge malcontentedly shuffles through life as a cruel, miserly businessman; until he is visited by three spirits on Christmas Eve who show him how his unhappy childhood and adult behavior has left him a selfish, lonely old man.
Scrooge
Jacob Marley
Tom Brown's Schooldays
Wilkes
When Tom Brown arrives at Rugby boarding school, he’s mercilessly tormented by the school’s evil bully Flashman. With the help of his friend East, plucky Brown devises a plan to get back at Flashman; in the meantime, he’s asked to look out for a timid new student, whose life is accidentally put in peril during a school race.
Flesh and Blood
Webster
Based upon the play A Sleeping Clergyman by James Bridie, it tells the story of three generations of the Scottish Cameron family, with its various conflicts and romances.
Highly Dangerous
Lab Director Owens
A US newsman and a British entomologist spy on germ-warfare research in a mythical country.
Trio
Vicar
W. Somerset Maugham introduces three more of his stories about human foibles.
The Astonished Heart
Ernest
Several years after graduation, best friends Barbara (Celia Johnson) and Leonora (Margaret Leighton) reconnect as if not a day has gone by. But Leonora could do without Barbara's husband, Christian (Noel Coward), whom she finds arrogant and off-putting ... at first. One evening alone together, romance is set ablaze, leaving Christian with a lot of explaining to do to Barbara.
Passport to Pimlico
Bashford
When an unexploded WWII bomb is accidentally detonated in Pimlico, it reveals a treasure trove and documents proving that the region is in fact part of Burgundy, France and thus foreign territory. The British government attempts to regain control by setting up border controls and cutting off services to the area.
Train of Events
First Plain Clothes Man
A train disaster is told in four short stories to give character studies of the people involved, how it will affect them and how they deal with it.
Portrait from Life
Johnson
A British army officer becomes fascinated by the portrait of a young woman. He travels to Germany to find her, only to discover that she is suffering from amnesia.
The Small Voice
Dr. Mennell
A man and his wife take to their house some men they rescue from a road crash and then find they have picked up some dangerous criminals.
Good-Time Girl
Seddon
Good Time Girl stars Jean Kent as incipient juvenile delinquent Gwen Rawlings. Sent to a home for "problem" girls, Gwen receives a crash course in petty crime. Back on the outside, she falls in with the usual bad crowd, and suffers spectacularly as a result.
Nightbeat
uncredited
After the war is over, two army pals take opposite paths in civvy street. One becomes a petty criminal, the other becomes a policeman.
Mine Own Executioner
Co-Counsel at Inquest
Fearing her husband could become a killer, a woman seeks a psychiatrist's help.
School for Secrets
Lt. Cmdr. Lowther
Wartime tale of a group of British scientists efforts to develop the first radar system. They did it just in time for it to be used in the Battle of Britain against the might of the Nazi Luftwaffe. Without it the little island could well have been overrun.
The Years Between
Member of Parliament (uncredited)
Michael Redgrave, Valerie Hobson, Flora Robson and Felix Aylmer star in this moving and sophisticated story of love and loss set against the backdrop of the Second World War and based on the play by Daphne du Maurier. After hearing news that her officer husband has been killed in battle, Diana Wentworth forges a new life for herself, becoming an MP and learning to love again. Then, out of the blue comes the shattering news that her husband is not dead after all.
Girl in the News
Assistant Prosecuting Counsel (Uncredited)
An elderly lady manages to sneak some pills away from her nurse and dies of an overdose. The nurse is tried for murder and acquitted. Some time later the nurse, under a new name and identity, cares for a patient who also dies of an overdose. When her real identity comes out, suspicions arouses.
Band Waggon
(uncredited)
A gang of spies held up in a haunted castle gives this team of celebrated British wireless comedians plenty of scope for laughs.
A Girl Must Live
A run-away school-girl falls among chorus girls planning to marry into the nobility.