1.
Michael Winner
–
Robert Michael Winner was an English film director and producer, and a restaurant critic for The Sunday Times. Winner was a child, born in Hampstead, London, England, to Helen and George Joseph Winner. His family was Jewish, his mother was Polish and his father of Russian extraction, following his fathers death, Winners mother gambled recklessly and sold art and furniture worth around £10m at the time, bequeathed to her not only for her life but to Michael thereafter. She died aged 78 in 1984 and he was educated at St Christopher School, Letchworth, and Downing College, Cambridge, where he read law and economics. He also edited the student newspaper, Varsity. Winner had earlier written a column, Michael Winners Showbiz Gossip. The first issue of Showgirl Glamour Revue in 1955 has him writing another film and showbusiness gossip column, such jobs allowed him to meet and interview several leading film personalities, including James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich. He also wrote for the New Musical Express and he began his screen career as an assistant director of BBC television programmes, cinema shorts, and full-length B productions, occasionally writing screenplays. In 1957 he directed his first travelogue, This is Belgium and his first on-screen credit was earned as a writer for the 1958 crime film Man with a Gun directed by Montgomery Tully. Winners first credit on a short was Associate Producer on the 1959 film Floating Fortress produced by Harold Baim. Winners first project as a lead director involved another story he wrote, Shoot to Kill and he would regularly edit his own movies, using the pseudonym Arnold Crust. In the early 1960s, Winners films followed fashion and his second project, Some Like It Cool, is the tale of a young woman who introduces her prudish husband and in-laws to the joys of nudism. Filmed at Longleat, he was afraid the sight of bare flesh would offend the magistrate for the area so he confided his worries to the landowner, ‘Don’t worry, ’ said the Marquess, ‘I am the local magistrate. It was preceded by the Billy Fury-led musical Play It Cool and his first significant project was West 11, a realistic tale of London drifters starring Alfred Lynch. Winners film The System began a partnership with actor Oliver Reed that would last for six films over a 25-year period, Winner and Reed closed out the 1960s as a pair with The Jokers, comedy-drama Ill Never Forget Whatsisname, and the World War II satire Hannibal Brooks. A non-Reed comedy, You Must Be Joking. with Denholm Elliott, Hannibal Brooks drew notice in Hollywood and Winner soon received an opportunity to direct his first American film, which was Lawman starring Burt Lancaster and Robert Duvall. The following year, Winner cast Lancaster again in the espionage drama Scorpio, in 1974, Winner and Bronson collaborated on Death Wish, a film that defined the subsequent careers of both men. Based on a novel by Brian Garfield and adapted to the screen by Wendell Mayes, the commitment of Lumet to another film and UAs questioning of its subject matter led to an eventual production by Dino De Laurentiis through Paramount Pictures
2.
Julian Wintle
–
Julian Wintle was a British film and TV producer who battled with haemophilia throughout his life. Wintle was a member of the Bryanston Consortium from 1959 to 1963, for several years, in the early 1960s he was head of Beaconsfield Film Studios, and a director of Independent Artists Ltd. which produced Lindsay Andersons This Sporting Life among other projects. His sons are the musician and publisher Christopher Wintle and the writer Justin Wintle and he was the subject of a biography by Anne Francis, Julian Wintle. This contains an extensive filmography with many films listed for which he was executive producer, the Human Jungle The Avengers Julian Wintle at the Internet Movie Database
3.
Billy Fury
–
Ronald William Wycherley, better known by his stage name Billy Fury, was an English singer from the late 1950s to the mid 1960s, and remained an active songwriter until the 1980s. Rheumatic fever, which he first contracted as a child, damaged his heart, an early British rock and roll star, he equalled the Beatles record of 24 hits in the 1960s, and spent 332 weeks on the UK chart, without a chart-topping single or album. Others have suggested that Furys rapid rise to prominence was due to his Elvis Presley-influenced, hip-swivelling, ronald William Wycherley was born at Smithdown Hospital, Smithdown Road, Liverpool. He commenced music lessons on the piano before he was a teenager, Wycherley fronted his own group in 1955, but simultaneously worked full-time on a tugboat and later as a docker. He entered and won a talent competition, and by 1958 had started composing his own songs. Wycherley first attended a concert at the Essoldo Theatre in Birkenhead, run by impresario Larry Parnes, instead, in an episode that has become pop music legend, Parnes pushed young Wycherley up on stage right away. He was such a success that Parnes signed him, added him to the tour. However, his sexual and provocative stage performances received censure. In October 1959, the UK music magazine, NME, commented that Furys stage antics had been drawing much press criticism and he released his first hit single for Decca, Maybe Tomorrow, in 1959. He also appeared in a televised play Strictly for Sparrows, in March 1960, he reached No. After securing more hits and jettisoning his band Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, Parnes held auditions in Liverpool for a new group, among those who auditioned were the Beatles, who at this time were still calling themselves the Silver Beetles. They were offered the job for £20 a week on condition that they sacked their bassist Stuart Sutcliffe, John Lennon refused and the band left after Lennon had secured Furys autograph. The Tornados were recruited as Furys backing band and toured and recorded with him from January 1962 to August 1963, the Puppets were another band that backed Billy on a couple of gigs for 12 months. Fury concentrated less on rock and roll and more on ballads, such as Halfway to Paradise. Fury confessed to the NME that I wanted people to think of me simply as a singer – and not, more specifically, Im growing up, and I want to broaden my scope. I shall continue to sing songs, but at the same time my stage act is not going to be as wild in the future. It was Deccas decision to mould Fury into a teen idol after his last self-penned song, the years 1961 through 1963 were Furys best years chartwise. In 1962 Fury appeared in his first film, Play It Cool and it featured Helen Shapiro, Danny Williams, Shane Fenton and Bobby Vee, who appeared with the Vernons Girls
4.
Michael Anderson Jr.
–
Michael Joseph Anderson Jr. is an English actor. He was born in Hillingdon, Middlesex, into a theatrical family and his grandparents and great-great-aunt were actors. His father is the film director Michael Anderson, Sr and he is the stepson of actress Adrienne Ellis, and stepbrother of actress Laurie Holden. His brother is producer David Anderson, Anderson trained at the Arts Educational School in drama and ballet. In the 1966–67 season Anderson co-starred as Clayton Monroe with Barbara Hershey and he guest starred as well in episodes of ABCs Stoney Burke and Love, American Style along with Hawaii Five-O on CBS. Child and Youth Actors, Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914-1985, Michael Anderson Jr. at the Internet Movie Database
5.
Helen Shapiro
–
Helen Kate Shapiro is an English pop singer, jazz singer and actress. She is best known for her 1960s UK chart toppers, You Dont Know, Shapiro was born at Bethnal Green Hospital in the East End district of Bethnal Green, London. Her early childhood was spent in a Clapton council house in the London borough of Hackney and she is the granddaughter of Russian Jewish immigrants, her parents, who were piece-workers in the garment industry, attended Lea Bridge Road Synagogue. The family moved from Clapton to the Victoria Park area of Hackney, on the Parkside Estate and it was, and remains, a beautiful place, she said in a 2006 interview. Although too poor to own a record player, Shapiros parents encouraged music in their home, Shapiro played banjolele as a child and sang with her brother Ron occasionally in his youth club skiffle group. She had a deep timbre to her voice, unusual in a not yet in her teens. Aged ten, Shapiro was a singer with Susie and the Hula Hoops, at 13 she started singing lessons at The Maurice Burman School of Modern Pop Singing, based in Londons Baker Street, after the school produced singing star Alma Cogan. I had always wanted to be a singer, I had no desire to slavishly follow Almas style, but chose the school merely because of Almas success, she said in a 1962 interview. Burmans connections eventually led her to a young Columbia Records A&R man named John Schroeder, who recorded a demo of Shapiro singing Birth of the Blues. In 1961, aged fourteen, she had a UK No.3 hit with her first single, Dont Treat Me Like a Child, the latter did not top the UK chart until 19 October 1961, by which time Shapiro had reached 15, on 26 September. She had a No.2 in 1962 with Tell Me What He Said, most of her recording sessions were at EMIs studios at Abbey Road in north west London. Her mature voice made her a sensation, as well as the youngest female chart topper in the UK. Shapiros final UK Top Ten hit single was with the ballad Little Miss Lonely, Shapiros recording manager at the time was Norrie Paramor. Before she was sixteen years old, Shapiro had been voted Britains Top Female Singer, the Beatles first national tour of Britain, in the late winter/early spring of 1963, was as one of her supporting acts. During the course of the tour, the Beatles had their first hit single and John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote the song Misery for her, but Shapiro did not record the composition. In 1995, during a This is Your Life highlighting her life and career, Shapiro revealed, It was actually turned down on my behalf before I ever heard it, I never got to hear it or give an opinion. Shapiro lip-synched her then-current single, Look Who It Is, on the British television programme Ready Steady Go. with three of the Beatles, on 31 December 1969, Shapiro appeared on the BBC/ZDF co-production Pop Go The Sixties, singing Walkin Back to Happiness. By the time she was in her teens, her career as a pop singer was on the wane
6.
Bobby Vee
–
Robert Thomas Velline, known professionally as Bobby Vee, was an American pop singer who was a teen idol in the early 1960s. According to Billboard magazine, he had thirty-eight Hot 100 chart hits and he had six gold singles in his career. Vee was born in Fargo, North Dakota, to Sydney Ronald Velline and Saima Cecilia Tapanila, in a family of Norwegian and his followup single, a cover of Adam Faiths UK number-one What Do You Want. Charted in the reaches of the Billboard pop chart in early 1960. His fourth release, a revival of the Clovers doo-wop ballad Devil or Angel and his next single, Rubber Ball, made him an international star. Vees recording of Take Good Care of My Baby in the summer of 1961 went to one on Billboard magazines U. S. pop chart. When Vee recorded Come Back When You Grow Up he was joined by a called the Strangers. He also recorded, in 1961, a version of the song Lollipop, originally by Ronald & Ruby, Vee had a total of ten hit singles in the UK, ending with Bobby Tomorrow in 1963. Vee was also a pioneer in the music genre, appearing in several musical films. He received the North Dakota Roughrider Award in 1999 and he is mentioned in the film No Direction Home regarding his brief musical association with Bob Dylan and Dylans suggestion that he was Bobby Vee after Vees regional hit. The Very Best of Bobby Vee, released by EMI/UK on May 12,2008, on January 17,2011, EMI/UK released Rarities, a double-CD package with 61 tracks, many of which were previously unreleased. Others included were alternate takes and first-time stereo releases as well as tracks from the album Bobby Vee Live on Tour, on March 28,2011, he became the 235th inductee into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. In 2014 he was inducted into the Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame, Vees career began in the midst of tragedy. It crashed near Clear Lake, Iowa, en route to the show on the tour itinerary, in Moorhead. Their performance there was a success, setting in motion a chain of events led to Vees career as a popular singer. In 1963, Vee released an album on Liberty Records called I Remember Buddy Holly. In the liner notes, he recalled Hollys influence on him, Ive been a fan ever since and I guess I always will be. I remember a few years ago when Buddy was scheduled to appear at a dance in my town of Fargo
7.
Norrie Paramor
–
Norman William Norrie Paramor was a British record producer, composer, arranger, pianist, bandleader, and orchestral conductor. Paramor was a composer of studio albums, theatrical productions, although the term producer was not in circulation at the time Paramor started producing records, he effectively began this role in 1952 when he became Recording Director for EMIs Columbia Records. This became his trademark orchestral signature sound, and was featured on Autumn, Amor Amor, In London, In Love Again, Warm and Willing, My Fair Lady and he co-wrote the 1962 hit song Lets Talk About Love for Helen Shapiro. In 1968, he was the director for the Eurovision Song Contest, staged at the Royal Albert Hall. He also conducted the UK entry, Congratulations, performed by Cliff Richard, in 1977, Paramor and his orchestra recorded with the Shadows for a final time, on the track Return to the Alamo. Paramor died on 9 September 1979, a fortnight after Cliff Richard had returned to the top of the UK Singles Chart with We Dont Talk Anymore, Paramor and Richard had worked together professionally from 1958 to 1972. Norrie Paramor at the Internet Movie Database Norrie Paramor discography, forum, and marketplace at Discogs
8.
Beaconsfield Film Studios
–
Beaconsfield Film Studios is a British TV and film studio in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. The studios were operational as a site for films in 1922. Britains first talking movie was recorded there, as were films starring British actors Gracie Fields, Peter Sellers, from 1971 it has been the home of an internationally recognized postgraduate school for film and TV production, famous as the birthplace of animated characters Wallace and Gromit. Construction began on the studio in 1921, producer George Clark and actor/director Guy Newall had been making films at a small studio on Ebury Street in Central London. They outgrew this and raised financing for a new, larger, the studio opened in 1922, and Clark and Newall made several films there such as Fox Farm. They also leased it out to independent companies to make films, the whole industry was badly hit by the Slump of 1924, and filmmaking at Beaconsfield ceased almost entirely. Clark and Newall later sold the studios to the British Lion Film Corporation, in the late 1920s, British Lion took over the studios producing a number of Edgar Wallace adaptations. Following the conversion to sound films in the 1920s, the company concentrated on making quota quickies with the occasional higher-budget film. Following the outbreak of World War II, the GPO Film Unit became the Crown Film Unit, the Crown Film Unit was based at Beaconsfield Film Studios. Fifty-one productions are credited to the Crown Film Unit between 1940 and 1952 - when it was disbanded - although it is not known how many were filmed at Beaconsfield Film Studios. IMDB lists a further sixteen productions credited to Beaconsfield Productions in the late 1950s, the studios are now exclusively the home of the National Film and Television School, whose alumni have won numerous BAFTA awards and Oscars. It was renamed the National Film and Television School in 1982, NFTS students still use the original 1930s sound stage and 1960s TV studio building. To modernise and expand the teaching and administrative space, the NFTS commissioned Glen Howells Architects to design a three storey building, upon its completion in 2008 it won a RIBA prize. In June 2009 it was formally named The Oswald Morris Building in honour of veteran cinematographer Ossie Morris, British Film Studios, An Illustrated History
9.
Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors
–
Anglo-Amalgamated Productions was a British film production company, run by Nat Cohen and Stuart Levy, which operated from 1945 until roughly 1971. Low-budget and second features, often produced at Merton Park Studios and it was the UK distributor of many films by American International Pictures. Its film distribution subsidiary was Anglo Amalgamated Film Distributors Ltd, Anglo had a film production arm called Insignia Films. In 1962, Associated British Picture Corporation purchased 50% of the shares of Anglo Amalgamated, in 1967 they took over 74%. At its peak Anglo Amalgamated made £3 million a year and its library is now owned by StudioCanal
10.
Musical film
–
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline. The musical film was a development of the stage musical after the emergence of sound film technology. Typically, the biggest difference between film and stage musicals is the use of background scenery and locations that would be impractical in a theater. Musical films characteristically contain elements reminiscent of theater, performers often treat their song, in a sense, the viewer becomes the diegetic audience, as the performer looks directly into the camera and performs to it. The 1930s through the early 1950s are considered to be the age of the musical film. Musical short films were made by Lee de Forest in 1923–24, beginning in 1926, thousands of Vitaphone shorts were made, many featuring bands, vocalists and dancers. The Jazz Singer, released in 1927 by Warner Brothers, was the first to include a track including non-diegetic music and diegetic music. This feature-length film was also a musical, featuring Al Jolson singing Dirty Hands, Dirty Face, Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Blue Skies and My Mammy. Historian Scott Eyman wrote, As the film ended and applause grew with the houselights and she saw terror in all their faces, she said, as if they knew that the game they had been playing for years was finally over. Still, only isolated sequences featured live sound, most of the film had only a musical score. In 1928, Warner Brothers followed this up with another Jolson part-talkie, The Singing Fool, theaters scrambled to install the new sound equipment and to hire Broadway composers to write musicals for the screen. The first all-talking feature, Lights of New York, included a sequence in a night club. The enthusiasm of audiences was so great that in less than an all the major studios were making sound pictures exclusively. The Broadway Melody had a plot about two sisters competing for a charming song-and-dance man. Advertised by MGM as the first All-Talking, All-Singing, All-Dancing feature film, it was a hit, there was a rush by the studios to hire talent from the stage to star in lavishly filmed versions of Broadway hits. The Love Parade starred Maurice Chevalier and newcomer Jeanette MacDonald, written by Broadway veteran Guy Bolton, Warner Brothers produced the first screen operetta, The Desert Song in 1929. They spared no expense and photographed a large percentage of the film in Technicolor and this was followed by the first all-color, all-talking musical feature which was entitled On with the Show
11.
Alvin Stardust
–
Bernard William Jewry, known professionally as Shane Fenton and later as Alvin Stardust, was an English rock singer and stage actor. Performing first as Shane Fenton in the 1960s, Jewry had a successful career in the pre-Beatles era. Bernard William Jewry was born 27 September 1942 in Muswell Hill and he made his stage debut in pantomime at the age of four. In the early 1960s, Shane Fenton and the Fentones were an unknown teenage band who recorded a demo tape, while awaiting a reply from the BBC, the bands 17-year-old singer Shane Fenton died as a result of the rheumatic fever he had suffered in childhood. The rest of the decided to break up, but then unexpectedly received a letter from the BBC inviting them to come to London to audition in person for the programme. Theakstones mother asked the band to stay together, and to keep its name, Jewry, who was a roadie with them at the time, was asked to join the band and to use Shane Fenton as a pseudonym. The combo had a handful of hits in the UK Singles Chart, Im A Moody Guy, Walk Away, Its All Over Now and their biggest hit and these and their subsequent misses were all on Parlophone Records. Jewry later also appeared in Billy Furys movie Play It Cool and he was managed by Larry Parnes. Jewry disappeared from the spotlight for a decade after the break-up of the Fentones, working in management and performing at small venues with his wife Iris Caldwell. During the early 1970s, however, he acquired a new persona, Alvin Stardust and his new name was given to him by Peter Shelley, the co-founder of Magnet Records. Shelley originated the persona of Alvin Stardust, writing, recording and singing the first Stardust single, My Coo Ca Choo, hal Carter, Jewrys manager, suggested his client as a substitute. Jewry took over as Stardust in time to lip-synch My Coo Ca Choo on its first Top Of The Pops appearance, All further Alvin Stardust records were sung by Jewry. Stardust had further successes with the hits Jealous Mind, You, You, You, Red Dress. In total, he amassed seven Top Ten entries, in a chart span lasting almost 25 years, Stardust was part of the Green Cross Code road safety campaign Childrens Heroes, which saw him instructing children to look both ways before they crossed the road. Pretend was a hit in the United Kingdom in 1981, reaching number four in the UK Singles Chart and it reached number one in the Dutch Top 40 in November,1981. The song was successful in Portugal in 1983. Alvin Stardust was a guest act on the Morecambe & Wise Christmas Show in 1981, the singles I Feel Like Buddy Holly, written and produced by Mike Batt and I Wont Run Away reached number 7 in the UK Singles Chart, in 1984. So Near To Christmas was a hit, No
12.
Dennis Price
–
He attended Copthorne Prep School, Radley College and Worcester College, Oxford. He studied acting at the Embassy Theatre School of Acting, Price made his first appearance on stage at the Croydon Repertory Theatre in June 1937, followed by a London debut at the Queens Theatre on 6 September 1937 in Richard II. His first film role was in A Canterbury Tale, according to Brian MacFarlane, Price was mercilessly used by Gainsborough in one unsuitable role after another in this period. The high point of his career was as the suave serial murderer Louis Mazzini in the Ealing Comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets. In 1948 British exhibitors voted Price the tenth most popular British actor at the box office, Dennis Price was a guest Judge on a BBC radio broadcast of the Piddingtons show in 1949. His role was to represent the eyes of listeners as the Piddingtons performed their act in the Piccadilly studios. He was ensuring that no cheating was going on and overseeing the telepathy tests as a witness, in the 1950s, Price appeared in London and New York in new plays and revivals of classics. It has been suggested that he was the first name actor on television to play a more or less overtly gay role in Crime on Our Hands, in 1957 he made his debut in South Africa in lead roles in Separate Tables. As a broadcaster, Price was the original No and his film appearances from this period included Tunes of Glory and The Amorous Prawn. In the BBC television series The World of Wooster, Prices performance as Jeeves was described by The Times as an outstanding success, working with Ian Carmichael as Bertie Wooster, this now almost completely lost series was based on the novels and short stories of P. G. He also appeared in Series 6, Episode 9 of The Avengers, in 1967, Price was declared bankrupt, he attributed his financial distress to extravagant living and most inadequate gambling. He then moved to the tax haven island of Sark, which coincided with an escalation in his alcoholism. Towards the end of his life, Price appeared in a series of films such as Twins of Evil, Horror Hospital and Theatre of Blood. One of his last film appearances was a version of Alice in Wonderland with Ralph Richardson, Robert Helpmann, Peter Sellers and Dudley Moore. On television he had recurring roles in the ITC series Jason King, Price died of heart failure complicated by a hip fracture in Guernsey at age 58 in 1973. He could be penniless and still manage to look as if he owned the bank, but behind all that grand talk and lordly ways, there skulked, in his characters, the most ordinary of shabby, grasping souls. Price was married to the actress Joan Schofield from 1939 to 1950, Price was homosexual and the marriage was an attempt to lead a conventional life, since homosexual activity was a criminal offence in England and Wales until 1967. In April 1954 he tried to commit suicide by gas in a London guest house, public sympathy led to a resurgence in his popularity and the offer of film roles
13.
Richard Wattis
–
Richard Cameron Wattis was an English actor. Wattis was born in Wednesbury, Staffordshire, the elder of two born to Cameron Tom Wattis and Margaret Janet, née Preston. He attended King Edwards School and Bromsgrove School, after which he worked for the engineering firm William Sanders & Co Ltd. His uncle, William Preston, was the director and was the Conservative MP for Walsall from 1924 to 1929. After leaving the business, Wattis became an actor. His debut was with Croydon Repertory Theatre, and he made stage appearances in the West End in London. His first appearance in a film was A Yank at Oxford, to American audiences, Wattis is probably best known for his performance as the British civil servant Northbrook in The Prince and the Showgirl. He also appeared on television, including a role in Sykes, and appearances in Danger Man, The Prisoner, The Goodies, Hancocks Half Hour. From 1957 to 1958, he appeared as Peter Jamison in three episodes of the American sitcom Dick and the Duchess, on 1 February 1975, Wattis died of a heart attack in a restaurant in Kensington, London. Wattis was played by Richard Clifford in the 2011 film My Week with Marilyn, which depicts the making of The Prince, Richard Wattis at the Internet Movie Database
14.
Maurice Kaufmann
–
Maurice Harington Kaufmann was a British actor of stage, film and television, who specialized in whodunits and horror films, from 1954 to 1981, when he retired. He was married to Honor Blackman from 1961–1975, they starred together in the film, Fright, Maurice Kaufmann died in 1997 in London from cancer, aged 70. Month of Registration, September Date of Birth,29 June 1927 District No,2281 Reg No, 85A Ent No,052 Maurice Kaufmann at the Internet Movie Database
15.
Lionel Blair
–
Lionel Blair is a British actor, choreographer, tap dancer and television presenter. Blair was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and he is the son of Myer Ogus and Deborah Greenbaum. His father was a barber, he emigrated from Russia to Canada to start a new life, Blair came to Britain when he was two years old. He attended the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford in 1944, Blair eventually rekindled his passion for musical theatre and began working in the West End. He gave up acting for dancing in 1947 although he appeared in the fringe production Out of the Blue. He took his name around this time, later changing it by deed poll just before he married in 1967. Blair came to the fore in the 1960s when, with his dance troupe, in addition, he choreographed films such as Jazz Boat and The Magic Christian. In 1972, Blair wrote a musical based on War and Peace and it toured around the UK for six months. Blair was one of the captains on the game show Give Us a Clue from 1979 until the early 1990s. He published his autobiography Stagestruck in 1986, in 2005, he took part in the Channel Five reality series, The Farm. Until 2005 he appeared extensively in pantomime, for which he earned up to £15,000 a week, in July 2010, Blair appeared in the Great British Dog Walks feature on ITVs This Morning with his dog Lola. Also in 2010, he took part in the BBCs The Young Ones, in December 2010, he appeared briefly in a sketch with Ronnie Corbett and Rob Brydon in BBC Ones The One Ronnie. Blair also appeared as the celebrity darter for charity on Bullseye, on 24 December 2011, he appeared on the ITV program Text Santa with Ant & Dec. In 2012, he was cast in the version of Ray Cooneys farce Run for Your Wife. On 3 January 2014, he entered the Celebrity Big Brother house with Made in Chelsea media personality Ollie Locke after being handcuffed together as part of a set by Big Brother. He became the housemate to be evicted on 17 January 2014. Blair continues to work as an actor, having filmed an episode of BBC Ones medical soap opera Doctors in 2014 and he also played a main character in the British short film Evils Evil Cousin in 2016. On 14 December 2016, Blair appeared as a guest on the ITV panel show, Loose Women, to announce, the panellists presented him with a personalised cake
16.
Bernie Winters
–
Bernie Winters, born Bernie Weinstein, was an English comedian and the comic relief of the double act Mike and Bernie Winters with his older brother, Mike. Winters later performed solo, often with the aid of his St. Bernard dog, following his death, Winters bequeathed Schnorbitz to showman Richard De Vere. Bernie Winters was born Bernard Weinstein, on 6 September 1930, Bernie served in the merchant navy and performed as a musician at dances and weddings before forming the double act Mike & Bernie Winters with his brother Mike, whom he called Choochie-Face on stage. In October 1957 the duo appeared on Six-Five Special and were described in the Daily Mirror as top comics for Britains teenage TV audience and they had been recommended to the shows presenter Josephine Douglas by Tommy Steele with whom they had been on a stage tour. They both left the show the day that she did, on 10 May 1958. Bernie split with Mike in 1978, and in the late 1970s and early 1980s he presented The Big Top Variety Show, in 1984 he presented the second series of the game show Whose Baby. On 14 August 1990, after three months of discomfort and stomach pains, he had an operation on his stomach. However, though he was never told, Winters condition was terminal, Bernie was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium in London on 8 May, and his ashes interred in the Garden of Remembrance. A memorial plaque was erected in the West Memorial Court there, jazz Boat In the Nick Play it Cool Simon, Simon Confessions from the David Galaxy Affair Bernie Winters at the Internet Movie Database The 1967 album Mike and Bernie Winters In Toyland
17.
Sir George Martin
–
Sir George Henry Martin CBE was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, audio engineer and musician. He was referred to as the Fifth Beatle, including by Paul McCartney, Martin produced 30 number-one hit singles in the United Kingdom and 23 number-one hits in the United States. Martin produced comedy and novelty records in the early 1950s, working with Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Bernard Cribbins and his career spanned more than six decades of work in music, film, television and live performance. He held a number of executive roles at media companies and contributed to a wide range of charitable causes, including his work for The Princes Trust. In recognition of his services to the industry and popular culture. Martin was born in Highbury, London, when he was six, Martins family acquired a piano that sparked his interest in music. As a child, he attended schools, including a convent school in Holloway, St Josephs School, and at St Ignatius College. When WWII broke out, and St. Ignatius College students were evacuated to Welwyn Garden City, his family left London, I remember well the very first time I heard a symphony orchestra. I was just in my teens when Sir Adrian Boult brought the BBC Symphony Orchestra to my school for a public concert. Hearing such glorious sounds I found it difficult to them with ninety men and women blowing into brass. Despite Martins continued interest in music, and fantasies about being the next Rachmaninov and he worked briefly as a quantity surveyor, and later for the War Office as a Temporary Clerk, which meant filing paperwork and making tea. In 1943, when he was 17, he joined the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy and became an aerial observer, the war ended before Martin was involved in any combat, and he left the service in 1947. Martins oboe teacher was Margaret Eliot, after that, Martin explained that he had just picked it up by himself. On 3 January 1948 – while still at the Academy – Martin married Sheena Chisholm and he later married Judy Lockhart-Smith on 24 June 1966, and they also had two children, Lucie and Giles Martin. Following his graduation, he worked for the BBCs classical music department, then joined EMI in 1950 as an assistant to Oscar Preuss, the head of EMIs Parlophone Records from 1950 to 1955. Although having been regarded by EMI as a vital German imprint in the past, after taking over Parlophone when Preuss retired in 1955, Martin recorded classical and Baroque music, original cast recordings, and regional music from around Britain and Ireland. Martin also produced numerous comedy and novelty records, later that decade Martin worked with Peter Sellers on two very popular comedy LPs. One was released on 10 format and called The Best Of Sellers, the album was Bridge on the River Wye
18.
Jeremy Bulloch
–
Jeremy Bulloch is an English actor best known for the role of the bounty hunter Boba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy. He has appeared in numerous British television and film productions, including Doctor Who, Bulloch was born in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England, one of six children. From the age of five, he enjoyed acting and singing after a school show and he began acting at the age of ten and has appeared in Disney films, British sitcoms and plays. He trained at Corona Stage Academy, at the age of twelve, Bullochs first professional appearance was in a breakfast cereal commercial. After several uncredited screen appearances, Bullochs first regular role was in the 1960 TV series Counter-Attack. and he went on to have a recurring role in Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School and a regular role in The Newcomers. At the age of seventeen, he portrayed Hamlet on stage, in 1962, he starred alongside Cliff Richard in the musical film Summer Holiday. He had a part in The Devils Agent, which also starred Christopher Lee who later portrayed Count Dooku in the Prequel Trilogy and he also appeared in two Doctor Who stories, The Space Museum and The Time Warrior. Coincidently, Bulloch, David Prowse and John Hollis, who would appear in The Empire Strikes Back appeared in a Jon Pertwee Doctor Who serial. From 1979-81, he was a regular in the ITV sitcom Agony, in which he played Rob Illingworth and he also has minor roles in three James Bond films, twice playing Smithers, an assistant to Q. The voice was provided by Jason Wingreen originally and in the updated versions Temuera Morrison - to strengthen the connection with the Prequel Trilogy. His half brother Robert Watts, who was working as a producer for Empire was tasked with finding someone who would fit in the costume of Boba Fett. So Watts called Bulloch and encouraged him to see Tiny Nicholls, the supervisor and Bullock had a costume fitting as Boba Fett. Additionally, he plays a role as an Imperial officer. Bulloch was initially to do the scene as Fett when he fires at Skywalker on Cloud City, but with no one available to play the part, Bulloch went to the wardrobe and got changed into the Imperial Officers outfit. This was his only non-masked appearance in the original Star Wars films, John Morton, who portrayed the rebel pilot Dak Ralter, covered Bulloch as a body double for Fett when the character confronts Vader in the Bespin hallway during Han Solos torture. Bulloch returned as Boba Fett for the fan film mocumentary, Return of the Ewok chasing Wicket on the Death Star and he filmed his scenes for Jedi for four weeks. Bulloch was unaware of Fetts demise prior to filming and was disappointed since he would have liked to do more with his character, Bulloch said that portraying Fett was the most uncomfortable role he played and that putting on the jetpack was very heavy. While portraying Fett, Bulloch drew some inspiration from Clint Eastwoods the Man with No Name, both Fett and Eastwoods character in A Fistful of Dollars wear similar capes, cradle their gun, ready to shoot and move in slow motion
19.
AllMovie
–
AllMovie is an online guide service website with information about films, television programs, and screen actors. As of 2013, AllMovie. com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by All Media Network, AllMovie was founded by popular-culture archivist Michael Erlewine, who also founded AllMusic and AllGame. The AllMovie database was licensed to tens of thousands of distributors and retailers for point-of-sale systems, websites, the AllMovie database is comprehensive, including basic product information, cast and production credits, plot synopsis, professional reviews, biographies, relational links and more. AllMovie data was accessed on the web at the AllMovie. com website and it was also available via the AMG LASSO media recognition service, which can automatically recognize DVDs. In late 2007, Macrovision acquired AMG for a reported $72 million, the AMG consumer facing web properties AllMusic. com, AllMovie. com and AllGame. com were sold by Rovi in August 2013 to All Media Network, LLC. The buyers also include the founders of SideReel and Ackrell Capital investor Mike Ackrell. All Media Network offices are located in San Francisco, California, AllMusic AllGame SideReel All Media Network Official website
20.
IMDb
–
In 1998 it became a subsidiary of Amazon Inc, who were then able to use it as an advertising resource for selling DVDs and videotapes. As of January 2017, IMDb has approximately 4.1 million titles and 7.7 million personalities in its database, the site enables registered users to submit new material and edits to existing entries. Although all data is checked before going live, the system has open to abuse. The site also featured message boards which stimulate regular debates and dialogue among authenticated users, IMDb shutdown the message boards permanently on February 20,2017. Anyone with a connection can read the movie and talent pages of IMDb. A registration process is however, to contribute info to the site. A registered user chooses a name for themselves, and is given a profile page. These badges range from total contributions made, to independent categories such as photos, trivia, bios, if a registered user or visitor happens to be in the entertainment industry, and has an IMDb page, that user/visitor can add photos to that page by enrolling in IMDbPRO. Actors, crew, and industry executives can post their own resume and this fee enrolls them in a membership called IMDbPro. PRO can be accessed by anyone willing to pay the fee, which is $19.99 USD per month, or if paid annually, $149.99, which comes to approximately $12.50 per month USD. Membership enables a user to access the rank order of each industry personality, as well as agent contact information for any actor, producer, director etc. that has an IMDb page. Enrolling in PRO for industry personnel, enables those members the ability to upload a head shot to open their page, as well as the ability to upload hundreds of photos to accompany their page. Anyone can register as a user, and contribute to the site as well as enjoy its content, however those users enrolled in PRO have greater access and privileges. IMDb originated with a Usenet posting by British film fan and computer programmer Col Needham entitled Those Eyes, others with similar interests soon responded with additions or different lists of their own. Needham subsequently started an Actors List, while Dave Knight began a Directors List, and Andy Krieg took over THE LIST from Hank Driskill, which would later be renamed the Actress List. Both lists had been restricted to people who were alive and working, the goal of the participants now was to make the lists as inclusive as possible. By late 1990, the lists included almost 10,000 movies and television series correlated with actors and actresses appearing therein. On October 17,1990, Needham developed and posted a collection of Unix shell scripts which could be used to search the four lists, at the time, it was known as the rec. arts. movies movie database
21.
The Cool Mikado
–
The Cool Mikado is a British musical film made in 1962, directed by Michael Winner, and produced by Harold Baim, with music arranged by Martin Slavin and John Barry. It starred Frankie Howerd as Ko-Ko, Lionel Blair and Stubby Kaye, the script was by Michael Winner, from an adaptation by Maurice Browning. Based on the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera The Mikado, the plot is reset into contemporary Japan as a gangster story. The dialogue is largely rewritten, and several of the well known musical items are omitted, the music that remains is re-orchestrated into styles popular in the early 1960s, including the twist, and the Cha-Cha-Cha. Filmed entirely on a stage, stock footage was used to provide Japanese atmosphere between scenes. This footage looks like one of the many travelogues for which producer Baim is best known, Winner credits the films problems to the fact it was underfunded. No attempt appears to have made to disguise the stage-bound filming. The colourful sparsely dressed sets, not always tending towards realism, pinafore and the Learned Judge in Trial by Jury. However, Howerd said that not only was it the worst film ever made, the following music and styles appear in the film. Except for the ‘Mikado’s Song’, containing some topical lines, lyrics are unchanged, although heavily re-orchestrated, the melodies were left essentially intact. Hank, the son of American judge Herbert Mikado, refuses to marry Katie Shaw, whom his father wishes him to marry and he is stationed in Japan where he falls in love with a Tokyo art student, Yum-Yum. However, her fiancé, Ko-Ko, an American gangster operating in Japan, is determined to keep Hank, hanks father had also sentenced Ko-Kos brother to prison. Judge Herbert Mikado / Charlie Hotfleisch Mike Winters, man #1 in Boudoir Ed Bishop. Man #2 in Boudoir Tsai Chin, Ho Ho The John Barry Seven. Themselves The Cool Mikado at the Internet Movie Database The Cool Mikado at A Gilbert and Sullivan Discography
22.
West 11
–
The Greenwich Village townhouse explosion at 18 West 11th Street redirects here. James Merrills poem,18 West 11th Street, redirects here, West 11 is a 1963 British crime film directed by Michael Winner and based on a play written by Laura del Rivo and adapted for the screen by Willis Hall and Keith Waterhouse. The film features Alfred Lynch, Kathleen Breck, Eric Portman, Diana Dors, set in west London, the title is taken from the postcode W11, and it was filmed on location in Notting Hill. Dyce persuades Beckett it will be in his interests to bump off Dyces wealthy aunt for her money. Beckett travels to the old house on the South coast, and prepares to murder her. After a witness reports him, Beckett returns to his digs, dyce denies all involvement and Beckett panics and turns himself in. The sleazy London locations are very authentically shown, West 11 at the Internet Movie Database
23.
The System (1964 film)
–
The System is a 1964 British drama film directed by Michael Winner and starring Oliver Reed, Jane Merrow and Barbara Ferris. Julie Christie was originally intended to be in the film, but she had to withdraw, the writer was Peter Draper, who in this film popularised the word grockle to mean a holiday visitor. Kingswear, Dartmouth ferry, Dartmouth, Slapton Sands, and Hallsands also featured, the System at the Internet Movie Database
24.
You Must Be Joking! (1965 film)
–
You Must Be Joking. is a 1965 British comedy film directed by Michael Winner. A collection of British soldiers and one US Air Force officer see their initiative tested in a hunt, set for them by a British Army psychologist. They are instructed to obtain six status symbols of the British way of life, the final challenge involves the famous Lutine bell from the Underwriting Room of Lloyds of London. Hal Erickson wrote in The New York Times, Director Michael Winner was still in his mad mod period when he lensed the wacky goings-on of You Must be Joking and his Death Wish pictures of the 1970s were in 1965 as remote as another galaxy. You Must Be Joking. at the Internet Movie Database
25.
The Jokers
–
The Jokers is a 1967 comedy film written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and directed by Michael Winner. The film stars Michael Crawford and Oliver Reed as brothers who hatch a plot to steal the Crown Jewels, very much of its time - Swinging London - the film makes great use of London locations. Included was a sequence of Jezebel, a 1916 Dennis N-Type fire engine that is still owned. Michael Tremayne is booted out of Sandhurst and he and his brother David want to do something big. They decide to do a crime as a grand gesture, the brothers take Inge, Davids new inamorata, on a tour of London, including the Tower of London. At a dinner party they learn that you cannot be charged with theft unless you intend to deprive the owner of their property. David proposes stealing the jewels and sending letters out beforehand. Michael is somewhat jealous of David, as David is considered the ‘good’ son and they write and deliver the letters. They plant a bomb at the Albert Memorial and observe the police procedure, next they put a bomb at the lion cage at the London zoo. Then they blow up a ladies lavatory and they put a bomb at the stock exchange and David goes to the army base, and using a tape recorder records the procedures. Michael goes to the room in the Tower and hides a bomb there. David and Michael go to the base and tie up the duty officer and they take the place of the bomb disposal expert and his assistant. They ride with the army to the Tower, the pair go into the bomb room and knock out the rather silly Colonel who went in with them and who commands the army base. David and Michael have had the alarms turned off, due to the danger of vibration, the pair set off a small bomb and a smoke bomb. They stagger out pretending to be hurt, then escape from the ambulance taking them to hospital along with the jewels, a worldwide search is undertaken for the robbers. David and Michael enjoy the media frenzy, one week after the robbery on 23 June 1967, the letters are opened and delivered to the police. When they go to get the jewels from their place they are not there. The police arrive to arrest David, Michael says he doesn’t know anything about the robbery
26.
I'll Never Forget What's'isname
–
Ill Never Forget Whatsisname is a 1967 British film directed and produced by Michael Winner. It stars Oliver Reed as disillusioned London advertising executive Andrew Quint, who revolts against his boss, Jonathan Lute, the film deals with creativity and commercialism. Quint attempts to get back at his boss by making a negative commercial reusing themes from earlier in the film, the commercial, advertising a Super-8 camera, talks about capturing events while you still can before everything is destroyed and discarded. It ends with Quint operating a car crusher and destroying numerous cameras, the commercial is hailed as a masterpiece, and wins an award, but Quint hurls the award into the Thames. Along with a scene in Charlie Bubbles, this helped to bring about the end of the Production Code in the USA. The film is named as the first mainstream film to use the word fuck in its dialogue. Another contender is Ulysses, which was released earlier the same year, the contention seems to have arisen because of a longtime absence of either films release date in any easily obtainable sources, such as the Internet Movie Database. The BBFC certified the film in June 1967, whereas Ulysses, Ill Never Forget Whatsisname at the Internet Movie Database Ill Never Forget Whats is Name at AllMovie
27.
Hannibal Brooks
–
Hannibal Brooks is a 1969 British war comedy film directed by Michael Winner and written by Ian La Frenais and Dick Clement based on a story by Winner and Tom Wright. The film follows a prisoner of war attempts to escape from Nazi Germany to Switzerland during World War II and it stars Oliver Reed, Michael J. Pollard and Wolfgang Preiss. The beginning is based on the experiences of the writer Tom Wright who, while a prisoner of war and it has also been attributed to the true story of Olga the elephant rescued from Vienna Zoo in 1944. The title is a reference to the Carthaginian military commander Hannibal who led an army of war elephants over the Alps, Stephen Hannibal Brooks is a British prisoner of war Lance corporal who is put to work in Munich zoo, looking after an Asian elephant called Lucy. When the zoo is bombed by the Americans, the director decides it is unsafe for the elephant to remain there. So he sends Brooks along with hostile German soldier Kurt, a friendly German soldier named Willy, and Vronia and they are forced to walk when Colonel von Haller, an SS officer tells Brooks that the elephant is not allowed on the train. In Austria, Kurt threatens to shoot Lucy while drunk and Brooks accidentally kills Kurt, Brooks, Lucy, Willy and Vronia are forced to run towards the Swiss border. They are helped along the way by an American escapee named Packy who has formed a group of partisans to fight the Germans in Austria, after many run-ins with the Nazis. Half way there, Lucy gets mumps, so Brooks finds an Austrian doctor to look after her, while Vronia, Vronia and Willy are captured, and are later joined by Brooks. Brooks and Willy are rescued by Packy and continue to race towards Switzerland with Lucy, unfortunately, along the way Willy is shot by the Nazis while helping Brooks to escape. When Brooks gets close to the border with Lucy, he is met by von Haller, who tells him to walk to Switzerland and Vronia, von Haller proposes the three go together to Switzerland as he intends to defect due to Germanys deteriorating military position. They are joined by Packy and his partisans near a German border post, the plan is to use von Haller to bluff their way though, but he betrays them. Vronia dies trying to warn the others and is shot in the back, after another long fight with the Germans, Brooks and Lucy eventually get to Switzerland with Packy and his remaining partisans. Oliver Reed as Stephen Hannibal Brooks Michael J. Hannibal Brooks at the Internet Movie Database
28.
The Games (film)
–
The Games is a 1970 British sports drama film directed by Michael Winner. It is based on the Hugh Atkinson novel and adapted to the screen by Erich Segal, the plot concerned four marathon competitors at a fictitious Olympic Games in Rome, played by Michael Crawford, Ryan ONeal, Charles Aznavour and Athol Compton. Elton John recorded one song for the soundtrack, to simulate vast crowds of people, thousands of life-sized dummies were placed in the stadiums seats. Hayes Reg Lye as Gilmour June Jago as Mae Harcourt Don Newsome as Cal Wood Athol Compton was a postman who had never acted before being cast in the film. The Games at the Internet Movie Database The Games at AllMovie
29.
Lawman (film)
–
Lawman is a 1971 American Western film starring Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, Lee J. Cobb, and Robert Duvall. The film is about the quest of a peace officer, Marshal Jared Maddox. It was written by Gerry Wilson and directed by Michael Winner and its hero and the motives of the other characters are not as defined or clear-cut as in some Westerns. Cobbs character, Vincent Bronson, is not a typically evil cattle baron but is portrayed with a sense of humanity, the marshal and the guilty men nevertheless come to a series of deadly confrontations. Maddox can be seen as a dedicated to upholding the law regardless of any extraneous code of honor, or personal feelings. The plot generates questions regarding honor and under what circumstances murder becomes legal, the film starts with a scene common to many Westerns, cowboys in a drunken state shooting up a town and wreaking havoc. The rowdies are from the town of Sabbath and are visiting the town of Bannock for a recreation that gets out of hand. The towns marshal, Jared Maddox, rides into Sabbath and is not alone and he brings along the body of Marc Corman, one of the unruly cowhands from the recent drunken spree in Bannock, carrying it on the back of a horse. Corman and five others were involved in the killing of an old man. The remaining five are Vernon Adams, Choctaw Lee, Jack Dekker, Harvey Stenbaugh and Hurd Price, Maddox follows protocol and calls on Sabbaths sheriff, Cotton Ryan. He demands that the five surrender to him within 24 hours, Ryan is a lawman whose career had seen better days. He urges Maddox to avoid a confrontation with Bronson, Ryan goes to Bronsons ranch to inform him of Maddoxs demands. Bronson, unaware of the killing in Bannock up to point, tries to negotiate by offering compensation to the victims family. Ryan explains that Maddox will not agree to anything other than a surrender of all five men. One of the suspects, Stenbaugh, who is Bronsons foreman, despite his violent past, Bronson is tired of death and violence and refuses Stenbaughs suggestion, insisting on further negotiations. Laura Shelby, a romantic interest from Maddoxs past, tries to negotiate on behalf of Price, one of the suspects, Maddox is unmoved by Lauras pleas for mercy. Bronson gives up hope of reasoning with Maddox and asks his men if they wish to surrender, Adams refuses, claiming that he would go bankrupt if in jail. Retired gunfighter Choctaw volunteers to join forces with Stenbaugh in killing Maddox, Bronson offers to compensate his men for any financial losses while at the same time trying to persuade Maddox that some compromise must exist short of total surrender
30.
The Nightcomers
–
The Nightcomers is a 1971 British horror film directed by Michael Winner and starring Marlon Brando, Stephanie Beacham, Thora Hird, Harry Andrews and Anna Palk. It is a prequel to Henry James The Turn of the Screw, the manor house in the film is Sawston Hall, a 16th-century Tudor manor house in Sawston, Cambridgeshire. Recently orphaned, Flora and Miles are abandoned by their new guardian and entrusted to the care of housekeeper Mrs. Grose, governess Miss Jessel, and Peter Quint, with only these three adults for company, the children live an isolated life in the sprawling country manor estate. The children are fascinated by Peter Quint due to his eclectic knowledge and engaging stories. With this captive audience, Quint doses out his strange philosophies on love, the governess, Miss Jessel, also falls under Peters spell, and despite her repulsion the two embark on a sadomasochistic love affair. Flora and Miles become fascinated with this relationship, and help Quint, the children begin spying on Quint and Jessels violent trysts and mimick what they see, including the bondage, culminating in Miles nearly pushing Flora off a building to her death. Mrs. Grose determines to write to the absent master of the house in order to get both Quint and Jessel sacked, the children are most distressed by this, and decide to take matters into their own hands to prevent the separation. Quint later finds Miss Jessels rigid body in the water, but is little time to mourn before Miles kills him with a bow and arrow. The film ends with the arrival of a new governess, presumably the one who features in The Turn of the Screw, Marlon Brando as Peter Quint Stephanie Beacham as Miss Jessel Thora Hird as Mrs. The film has received positive reviews, brandos performance earned him a nomination for a Best Actor BAFTA, but recent audiences have criticised his cartoonish Irish accent. The film has an 75% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, some reviewers have objected to the films premise of showing what happened before the novel, as this threatens the ambiguity the novel explores. Tom Milne took a negative view of The Nightcomers, describing it as a film crass enough to have the outraged ghost of Henry James haunting Wardour Street. Milne also criticised Hastings script, stating his dialogue sounds embarrassingly like a Cockney nanny doing her best to be genteel, the Nightcomers at the Internet Movie Database
31.
Chato's Land
–
Chatos Land is a 1972 western Technicolor film directed by Michael Winner, starring Charles Bronson and Jack Palance. It falls more closely into the revisionist Western genre, which was at its height at the time, the original screenplay was written by Gerry Wilson. The film opens as the half-Apache Chato orders a drink at a bar, the bartender ignores him and serves the local sheriff who has arrived after Chato. The sheriff calls Chato a redskin and tells him the bar is for whites only and he moves behind Chato while hurling a stream of abuse at him. The sheriffs taunts escalate, and he draws his gun while saying that he is going to kill Chato, Chato whirls around and shoots the sheriff in the gut, killing him. He rides out of town on his Appaloosa, former Confederate officer, Capt. Quincey Whitmore, gathers a posse to hunt down Chato. As Whitmore rides across the country, the posse grows in number at each stop and it includes local ranchers and townspeople, along with a Mexican who is used as a scout and tracker. Chato calmly watches the posses progress, staying one step ahead of them, from a hilltop, he fires on them, drawing them into an ill-advised ascent. As the posse struggles to climb the hill, Chato descends the other side and he seems generally nonplussed by their presence. At one point, he kills a rattlesnake, chops off its rattle and he puts the bundle in his coat pocket without explanation. Some are motivated by a sense of justice, while a disturbing contingent seems to merely want to kill someone. As they continue to be outwitted by Chato, their divisions become more pronounced, when they come across a set of empty wickiups, the overtly racist members of the posse gleefully burn them. In a valley, Chato spies a woman filling a water jug, as they smile at each other, it becomes clear that she is his wife. He greets his son and gives him the toy from his pocket. They enter Chatos hogan, happy to be reunited, Chato resumes his normal life, busying himself with breaking horses during the day. The posse eventually discovers his home and brutally gang rape Chatos wife and they hogtie her naked outside the hogan. Chatos friend creates a diversion which allows Chato to rescue his wife, during the confusion, Chatos friend is shot and wounded. The sadistic members of the posse hang him upside down and set him on fire while he is still alive, disgusted by such barbarity, Whitmore shoots the burning man through the head, putting him out of his misery
32.
The Mechanic (1972 film)
–
The Mechanic is a 1972 American action thriller film directed by Michael Winner, produced by Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, and written by Lewis John Carlino. Bishop then reveals that although that he is his protégé, he must face against McKenna who seeks revenge on his fathers death, the film stars Charles Bronson, Keenan Wynn, Jill Ireland and Jan-Michael Vincent as the films villain. It is noted for its opening, which features no dialogue for the first 16 minutes, the Mechanic was theatrically released in the United States and worldwide on November 17,1972. Upon its release, the film received mixed reviews from critics but it was praised for its action scenes, acting and writing although the direction. With being critically mixed, the film was a box office bomb with grossing $86,000 worldwide against estimated budget of $10 million, a remake of the same name was released on 2011, starring Jason Statham as Bishop and Ben Foster as McKenna. Arthur Bishop is a top hit man. He works exclusively for an international organization, which has very strict rules. Bishop is very sophisticated, as he listens to classical music, has an art collection. However, he is forced to live alone - he cannot show emotions or trust people, Bishop pays a call girl for an ongoing girlfriend experience to have a simulated romantic relationship, including her writing him fake love letters. When Bishop is assigned one of the heads, Big Harry McKenna, he shoots at Big Harry. Harry, who Bishop knows has a heart, runs up a steep incline. Bishop then finishes Harry off by smothering him, at Big Harrys funeral, Bishop again runs into Harrys narcissistic, ruthless and ambitious son Steve. Steve is intrigued by Bishop and seeks to find out more about him, Bishop is also intrigued, as he realizes that Steve has a personality suited for being a hit man, and plays along. As part of his training, Bishop teaches Steve that every person has a weakness, and that once this weakness is found, but Bishop failed to get his superiors prior consent for the arrangement. Following a messy assassination conducted by Bishop and Steve, the organization warns Bishop that his choice to involve Steve has been interpreted as selfish behavior. The organization then gives Bishop an urgent mission, this time in Italy, once again, Bishop involves Steve in the new plan, but just before they leave Bishop happens to find among Steves belongings a file containing a lot of information about Bishop. This file is very similar to the files Bishop prepared for his targets, nevertheless, Bishop allows Steve to go with him to Italy. In Italy, Bishop and Steve approach a boat where their intended victim is supposed to be, Bishop and Steve are ambushed, but they manage to kill all their would-be assassins
33.
Scorpio (film)
–
Scorpio is a 1973 spy film directed by Michael Winner and starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Paul Scofield. Cross is an experienced but retiring Central Intelligence Agency agent and assassin who is training free-lance hit-man Jean Laurier to replace him, Cross is teaching him as much about protecting himself from his patrons and never trusting anyone as how to get away clean. The CIA tells Scorpio to kill Cross for suspected treason and collaboration with the Russians, Scorpio is threatened with jail on a false narcotics charge if he doesnt cooperate. Scorpio follows Cross trail across Europe, Cross intends to bring his wife out from the country and get out from the spy-business. His covers are blown and CIA loses men, in a failed break-in at Crosss home, CIA agents shoot and kill his wife Sarah, causing Cross to go back to America. He rejects protection from his Russian ally Zharkov, whose agency wants to know secrets he knows as a field agent. Zharkov helps Cross to cover his tracks and reach America, Cross successfully evades capture by the CIA and manages to kill the CIA director responsible for his wifes death. CIA wants Cross head on a platter and contracts Scorpio again for the same, the new CIA director and Scorpios handler, Filchock shows him evidence that Cross might have collaborated in the past with other foreign agents and was able to make a hefty sum from it. Scorpio comes to know his girlfriend Susan is working with Cross, enraged by this perfidy, Scorpio corners Cross and Susan and kills his girlfriend instantly without remorse. However, Cross says she was a Czech courier and he is just a middleman between their agency for staying in the game and didnt betray Scorpio, Scorpio finishes off Cross after hearing his last words of wisdom. Moments later, Scorpio is also assassinated, as Cross said he would be, the viewer is left to speculate on who is behind Scorpios death. Reviewing Scorpio for Time Out magazine, Geoff Andrew took a view of the film, Winner directs with typically crass abandon. Scorpio was released to DVD by MGM Home Entertainment on April 1st,2003 as a Region 1 widescreen DVD, list of American films of 1973 Scorpio at the Internet Movie Database
34.
The Stone Killer
–
The Stone Killer is a 1973 action thriller film starring Charles Bronson and directed by Michael Winner. It came out in between The Mechanic and Death Wish, all three of which teamed up actor/director Bronson and Winner, norman Fell and John Ritter appear as cops in this film, not too long before the TV series Threes Company. Character actor Stuart Margolin plays a significant role, he appeared in Death Wish. He then slowly uncovers the clues point to a seemingly impossible plot. The cars were rentals from Hertz, who were so concerned with damage that they sent a representative to the set to reclaim them, Winner supposedly told the rep, You should be glad were crashing your awful cars. Youll be able to write them off completely and get new ones. List of American films of 1973 The Stone Killer at the Internet Movie Database The Stone Killer at AllMovie
35.
Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood
–
Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood is a 1976 film directed by Michael Winner, and stars Bruce Dern, Madeline Kahn, Teri Garr and Art Carney. Spoofing the craze surrounding Rin Tin Tin, the film is notable for the number of cameo appearances by actors. Some of these actors/actresses have in their own right been employees of the films distributor, starring Larger cameos Brief Cameo appearances The film was originally called Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Warner Bros. It was based on the career of Rin Tin Tin, the story was written by Cy Howard in 1971. He hired Arnold Schulmann to write the script and it was developed by David Picker at Warner Bros. He took the script with him when he moved to Paramount, causing the title to be changed. Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood at the Internet Movie Database Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood at the TCM Movie Database Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood at Rotten Tomatoes
36.
The Sentinel (1977 film)
–
The Sentinel is a 1977 American horror film directed by Michael Winner and starring Cristina Raines, Chris Sarandon, Ava Gardner, Burgess Meredith, Sylvia Miles, and Eli Wallach. The film also features Christopher Walken, Jeff Goldblum, John Carradine, Jerry Orbach, Tom Berenger and it is based on the 1974 novel of the same name by Jeffrey Konvitz who also co-wrote the screenplay with director Michael Winner. The film was released by Universal Pictures in 1977, Alison Parker, a beautiful but severely neurotic fashion model moves into a gorgeous Brooklyn brownstone house that has been divided into apartments. The house is inhabited on the top floor by Father Halliran, Alison begins having strange physical problems, including insomnia, and has some terrifying flashbacks of her attempted suicides. She complains to the estate agent of the noise caused by her strange neighbors, only to be told that the house is occupied only by the priest. The behavior of her non-existent neighbors becomes increasingly surreal and disturbing, Alison learns that the building is owned by a secret society of excommunicated Catholic priests and is a gateway to Hell. The blind priest is the guardian who ensures that the demons do not escape, the priest is nearing the end of his life, and a new guardian is needed. The society has chosen Alison because her two suicide attempts qualify her as the perfect candidate and she is told that she must pay for her sins by becoming the next Sentinel, and only by doing so will she be allowed into Heaven. In the climax of the film, Alison is confronted by her neighbor Charles Chazen, among them is her boyfriend, Michael, who was secretly killed earlier and is damned for killing his wife. Alison is chased through the building by grotesque and deformed creatures and she runs to the top floor and into Father Hallirans room where the demons corner her. Chazen hands her a knife and tries to convince her to suicide to avoid this torment. Father Halliran and another priest, Monsignor Franchino, enter the room, Franchino supports the infirm Halliran as he wields a large crucifix. They work their way through the hordes of demons and reach Alison and she takes the crucifix from Monsignor Franchino, and sits down in Father Hallirans chair. Shortly after, the brownstone is demolished and replaced with a new, Mrs. Logan, the realtor, attempts to persuade a young couple to move into one of the apartments. The couple asks about the neighbors, and Mrs. Logan explains to them there are only two, a violin player and an old, blind nun. The nun is Alison, now blind like Father Halliran, who sits at the window in the top floor apartment. Chris Sarandon as Michael Lerman Cristina Raines as Alison Parker Martin Balsam as Prof. Ruzinsky John Carradine as Fr. The Sentinel received mixed reviews and on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 10 reviews collected, pirie criticised the movie for being derivative of Rosemarys Baby, The Exorcist, and The Omen, The Sentinel seems little more than a pile of outtakes from recent supernatural successes
37.
The Big Sleep (1978 film)
–
The Big Sleep is a 1978 film, the second film version of Raymond Chandlers 1939 novel of the same name. The picture was directed by Michael Winner and stars Robert Mitchum in his feature film portrayal of the detective Philip Marlowe. The cast includes Sarah Miles, Candy Clark, Joan Collins, the storys setting was changed from 1940s Los Angeles to 1970s London. The film contained more explicit than what could only be hinted at in the 1946 version, such as homosexuality, pornography. Mitchum was 60 at the time of filming, far older than Chandlers 33-year-old Marlowe, in 1970s England, private detective Philip Marlowe is asked to the stately home of General Sternwood, who hires Marlowe to learn who is blackmailing him. While at the mansion, he meets the Generals spoiled and inquisitive daughter Charlotte, marlowes investigation of the homosexual pornographer Arthur Geiger leads him to Geigers employee, Agnes Lozelle, and to a man she has taken up with, Joe Brody. He also discovers Camilla at the scene of Geigers murder, where she has posed for nude photographs, returning to the crime scene, Marlowe is interrupted by gambler Eddie Mars, who owns the house where Geigers body was found. Marss wife Mona hasnt been seen in a while and may have run off with Charlottes missing husband, and due to Charlotte Regans gambling debts, Mars appears to have a hold over Charlotte as well. Camilla tries to get her pictures back from Brody, who now is in possession of them, Marlowe intervenes but Brody is shot and killed by someone unseen. A man named Harry Jones comes to Marlowe with a proposition and he is working with Agnes now and she is willing to sell information as to Mrs. Mars whereabouts. But on the night Marlowe shows up for their meeting, Harry is poisoned by Lash Canino, Marlowe pays Agnes for the address. He tracks down Canino at a garage, where he is overpowered. Mars supposedly missing wife Mona is there as well, at a moment when Canino is out, Marlowe persuades her to set him free. In a shootout, he then kills Canino, Camilla Sternwood appears to be grateful to Marlowe, and asks Marlowe to teach her to use a gun so she can protect herself. Later, he takes her out to an area so she can learn. He gives her a gun and then goes about setting up some things on a log for her to use as targets. While he is doing this, she points the gun at him and she becomes hysterical at the ruse and he takes her home. It turns out that the emotionally disturbed Camilla had murdered her sisters husband Rusty, after confronting Charlotte with the facts, Marlowe tells her to have Camilla hospitalized
.jpg)
