Brock Williams (screenwriter)
Brock Williams (8 July 1894 – 19 February 1964) was a prolific English screenwriter with over 100 films to his credit between 1930 and 1962. He also had a brief directorial career, and later also worked in television. Two of his novels ''The Earl of Chicago (novel), The Earl of Chicago'' and ''Uncle Willie and the Bicycle Shop'' were both adapted into films. Career A native of Cornwall, in 1930 Williams joined Teddington Studios, the British arm of Warner Bros., Warner Brothers, where he would spend the next 15 years. The 1930s was the golden age of the quota quickie, when Teddington was churning out quickly and cheaply shot films by the week, so work was plentiful. With few exceptions, these films were deemed of ephemeral value, with no worthwhile life after their first cinema run. The unfortunate result for modern film historians is that a good proportion are now classed as lost films, while those that have survived did so more by chance than intention. Films on wh ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Truro
Truro (; kw, Truru) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, England. It is Cornwall's county town, sole city and centre for administration, leisure and retail trading. Its population was 18,766 in the 2011 census. People of Truro can be called Truronians. It grew as a trade centre through its port and as a stannary town for tin mining. It became mainland Britain's southernmost city in 1876, with the founding of the Diocese of Truro. Sights include the Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro Cathedral (completed 1910), the Hall for Cornwall and Cornwall's High Court of Justice, Courts of Justice. Toponymy Truro's name may derive from the Cornish language, Cornish ''tri-veru'' meaning "three rivers", but authorities such as the ''Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names'' have doubts about the "tru" meaning "three". An expert on Cornish place-names, Oliver Padel, in ''A Popular Dictionary of Cornish Place-names'', calle ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Irving Asher
Irving Asher (September 1903 – March 1985) was an American film producer. Born in San Francisco in September 1903, he began his film production career in Hollywood in 1919. After joining the staff of Warner Brothers he was sent over to England as the managing director of their subsidiary Teddington Studios in Middlesex in the mid-1930s (where he is credited for discovering and seeing the potential of Errol Flynn when he was a young unknown actor who was hanging around Teddington Studios at the time looking for a way into the movies). Flynn played his first significant part as the lead in the now-lost ''Murder at Monte Carlo'' (1935), which was produced by Asher. Asher went on to join Alexander Korda's London Film Productions where he worked on the epic ''The Four Feathers'' (1939). Subsequently, he returned to Hollywood to work as a producer for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where he earned his only Academy Award nomination for the 1941 Greer Garson film ''Blossoms in the Dust''. Later in ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Fabian Of The Yard
''Fabian of the Yard'' is a British police procedural television series based on the real-life memoirs of Scotland Yard detective Robert Fabian, made by the BBC and broadcast between November 1954 and February 1956. It is considered the earliest police procedural to be made for British TV, sharing many points of commonality with the U.S. series '' Dragnet'' which had gone on air in 1951. There were 36 episodes in total, of 30 minutes each. The first 30 were broadcast consecutively on Saturday evenings between 13 November 1954 and 22 June 1955, with the exceptions of Christmas Day and New Year's Day which happened to fall on a Saturday. For unknown reasons, the final six episodes were held back, and were later broadcast intermittently between November 1955 and February 1956. The series was later broadcast in the U.S. under the titles ''Fabian of Scotland Yard'' or ''Patrol Car''. Synopsis Apart from Bruce Seton, who played the eponymous Fabian in every episode, the series had r ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Lance Comfort
Lance Comfort (11 August 1908 – 25 August 1966) was an English film director. In a career spanning over 25 years, he became one of the most prolific film directors in Britain, though he never gained critical attention and remained on the fringes of the film industry, creating mostly B movies. Comfort carried on working almost right up to his death in Worthing, Sussex, in 1966. He had four children: Edward (born 1929), James (born 1931), Anna (born 1934) and Jack (born 1936). Filmography *''Penn of Pennsylvania'' (1941) *'' Hatter's Castle'' (1942) *'' Those Kids from Town'' (1942) *''Squadron Leader X'' (1943) *''Escape to Danger'' (1943) *''When We Are Married'' (1943) *''Old Mother Riley Detective'' (1943) *''Hotel Reserve'' (1944) *'' Great Day'' (1945) *'' Bedelia'' (1946) *''Temptation Harbour'' (1947) *'' Daughter of Darkness'' (1948) *''Silent Dust'' (1949) *'' Portrait of Clare'' (1950) *'' Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents'' (1953–1957) *''The Girl on the Pier' ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Greta Gynt
Greta Gynt (born Margrethe Woxholt; 15 November 1916 – 2 April 2000) was a Norwegian dancer and actress. She is remembered for her starring roles in the British classic films '' The Dark Eyes of London'', ''Mr. Emmanuel'', ''Take My Life'', ''Dear Murderer'' and '' The Ringer''. She played lead roles in minor British films in the 1930s and early 40s, and by the late 40s she appeared in major films. The Rank Organisation tried to market her as the British Jean Harlow. She also attempted a career in the US, starring in MGM's ''Soldiers Three'' (1951) before returning to Britain. Her most famous films are the 1939 Bela Lugosi film '' The Dark Eyes of London'' as the tough heroine, heroic as an underground leader in '' Tomorrow We Live'' (1943), touching as Jewish Elsie Silver in ''Mr. Emmanuel'' (1944), forceful as loyal wife proving her husband's innocence in the thriller ''Take My Life'', a promiscuous murderess in ''Dear Murderer'', both in 1947, and as a nightclub singer singi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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I'm A Stranger
''I'm a Stranger'' is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Brock Williams and starring Greta Gynt, James Hayter and Hector Ross. In the film, various different parties search for a missing will which leaves a fortune to a stranger from Calcutta. Cast * Greta Gynt as Herself * James Hayter as Horatio Flowerdew * Hector Ross as Inspector Craddock * Jean Cadell as Hannah Mackenzie * Patric Doonan as George Westcott * Charles Lloyd Pack as Mr. Cringle * Martina Mayne as Mary * Fulton Mackay as Alastair Campbell Critical reception ''TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corpora ...'' called the film "Amusing at times but unmemorable." References External links * 1952 films Films directed by Brock Williams 1952 comedy films British comedy films Films scored by J ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Root Of All Evil (1947 Film)
''The Root of All Evil'' is a 1947 British drama film, directed by Brock Williams for Gainsborough Pictures and starring Phyllis Calvert and Michael Rennie. The film was the first directorial assignment for Williams, who was better known as a screenwriter, and also produced the screenplay based on the 1921 novel by J. S. Fletcher. It was one of the less successful Gainsborough melodramas. Plot Jeckie Farnish (Calvert) has grown up in a grindingly poor household, and as she reaches adulthood falls in love with a local grocers son. She is loved by her childhood playmate Joe Bartle (John McCallum), but takes him for granted and feels that he lacks the spark or ambition to match her determination to make something of herself. Instead she pursues Albert Grice ( Hubert Gregg), son of a wealthy grocery store owner, and believes they have an understanding. She is horrified when Albert goes on holiday and returns newly married to another woman, heartbroken, she resolves to do whateve ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Phyllis Calvert
Phyllis Hannah Murray-Hill (née Bickle; 18 February 1915 – 8 October 2002), known professionally as Phyllis Calvert, was an English film, stage and television actress. She was one of the leading stars of the Gainsborough melodramas of the 1940s such as ''The Man in Grey'' (1943) and was one of the most popular movie stars in Britain in the 1940s. She continued her acting career for another 50 years. In the words of an article by Michael Brooke for the BFI's Screenonline website: "Most of the time she drew what looked like the short straw, playing the 'good girl' in films that revelled in the exploits of her wicked opposite number, and it says much for her talent and charisma that she was able to hold attention in what must have seemed thankless parts – she herself acknowledged that 'I do think it is much more difficult to establish a really charming, nice person than a wicked one – and make it real'." Biography Born in Chelsea, London, she trained at the Margaret Morris ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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A Place Of One's Own
''A Place of One's Own'' is a 1945 British film directed by Bernard Knowles. An atmospheric ghost story based on the 1940 novel of the same title by Osbert Sitwell, it stars James Mason, Barbara Mullen, Margaret Lockwood, Dennis Price and Dulcie Gray. Mason and Mullen are artificially aged to play the old couple. It was one of the cycle of Gainsborough Melodramas. Plot The Smedhursts, newly retired, buy Bellingham House, which has been vacant for over 40 years and is rumoured to be haunted by the previous owner, Elizabeth, who is widely believed to have been murdered by her guardians. Mrs Smedhurst employs a young lady, Annette, as a companion. Annette becomes haunted by Elizabeth, who is waiting for her lover, Dr Marsham. Mr Smedhurst asks the police to find Dr Marsham, and he comes to visit Annette/Elizabeth. The next morning, everyone in the house feels "lighter" and Annette wakes up recovered. A local policeman arrives and announces that Dr Marsham has been found but wil ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Gainsborough Pictures
Gainsborough Pictures was a British film studio based on the south bank of the Regent's Canal, in Poole Street, Hoxton in the former Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, north London. Gainsborough Studios was active between 1924 and 1951. The company was initially based at Islington Studios, which were built as a power station for the Northern City Line, Great Northern & City Railway and later converted to studios. Other films were made at Lime Grove Studios, Lime Grove and Pinewood Studios. The former Islington studio was converted to flats in 2004 and a London Borough of Hackney historical plaque is attached to the building. The studio is best remembered for the Gainsborough melodramas it produced in the 1940s. Gainsborough Pictures is now owned by Gregory Motton. History Gainsborough was founded in 1924 by Michael Balcon and, from 1927, was a sister company to the Gaumont British, with Balcon as Director of Production for both studios. Whilst Gaumont-British, based at Lime ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Candlelight In Algeria
''Candlelight in Algeria'' is a 1944 British war film directed by George King and starring James Mason, Carla Lehmann and Raymond Lovell. The story is loosely based on an October 1942 secret conference in Cherchell, Algeria between American general Mark W. Clark and a group of high-ranking Vichy French commanders. At the conference, the Vichy French commanders agreed to not resist the Operation Torch landings in Vichy France-controlled French North Africa that occurred one month later. Plot Ahead of the conference, British agent Alan Thurston has been assigned to travel to Algiers to recover a camera containing photos that reveal where the meeting will take place. Thurston is not aware of the meeting or the content of the photos, but he has orders to prevent the camera from reaching the Germans. He is shadowed by German spy Dr. Müller, who intends to steal the camera as soon as Thurston acquires it. Susan Foster, an American sculptress living in Biskra, agrees to help Thurston. ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Contraband (1940 Film)
''Contraband'' (1940) is a wartime spy film by the British director-writer team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, which reunited stars Conrad Veidt and Valerie Hobson after their earlier appearance in ''The Spy in Black'' the previous year. On this occasion, Veidt plays a hero, something he did not do very often, and there is also an early (uncredited) performance by Leo Genn. The title of the film in the United States was ''Blackout''. Powell writes in his autobiography, ''A Life in Movies'', as saying that the U.S. renaming was a better title and he wished he had thought of it. Plot It is November 1939: the Phoney War-stage of the World War II. Denmark is still neutral, but (Danish) Captain Andersen (Conrad Veidt) and his freighter ''Helvig'' are stopped in the English Channel by Lt. Commanders Ashton (Joss Ambler) and Ellis (Harold Warrender) for a cargo inspection in a British Contraband Control Port. He receives two shore passes for himself and his First Offic ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |