Comedy
Life with Father (1947, Warner Bros.) William Powell portrays Clarence Day, Irene Dunne is Vinnie Day, Edmund Gwenn plays Reverend Dr. Lloyd, and Elizabeth Taylor is Mary Skinner --- Based on the book by Clarence Day Jr. entitled Life with Father. Mr. Day is a late 19th century New York Wall Street broker that runs his home in an orderly manner, or does he?
Around the World in Eighty Days (1956, United Artists/Michael Todd Company distributed by Warner Bros.) Many movie cameos --- Red Buttons, Charles Boyer, Cesar Romero, Buster Keaton, Frank Sinatra, George Raft, Joe E. Brown, John Carradine, Marlene Dietrich, Noel Coward, Peter Lorre, Red Skelton, Cedric Hardwicke, Sir John Gielgud, and Trevor Howard to name a few --- Phileas Fogg takes a challenge to prove that he can go around the world in 80 days betting his entire fortune. Unfortunately, the Bank of England has just been robbed. Did Fogg do it? Is this why Fogg is taking the challenge --- to avoid arrest?
Colonial
Zulu (1964, Diamond Films) the movie introduces Michael Caine as Lt. Gonville Bromhead with Richard Burton as the narrator at the beginning & ending of the movie --- Outnumbered British soldiers battle Zulu warriors at Rourke's Drift. 4000 Zulu warriors advance on a British outpost guarded by 139 Welsh infantry men. Based on a true story of the battle which lasted 12 hours. Unfortunately, they have the Swedish missionary as a craven coward bending Scripture to support his depravity who, later, becomes drunk to cope with his cowardice. This is blatantly untrue as the real missionary in this situation was a very chivalrous Christian man seeing his duty to his fellow Christians and stays to help fight. Today, by and large, the Zulu nation are Christian and the humanist Mandella's biggest nightmare. An interesting aside --- the gentleman that plays the Zulu chief is the actual descendant of the real Zulu chief that fought the Welsh at Rourke's Drift. The bridal war dance at the beginning is NOT performed by Zulu women as they are Christian. NOTE: The bridal dance at the beginning is like National Geographics pictures. Where does one look? (Can you spot ... several Zulu warriors wearing wristwatches? Hook bayonets a Zulu under the armpit not through him as the mark on the wall indicates? Did you know the soldiers used rifles, not carbines?) NOTE: This movie can be violent, but can you imagine what it would be like if it were filmed today?
Khartoum (1996, Cinerama distributed by United Artists) Charlton Heston portrays General Charles "Chinese" Gordon and Laurence Olivier is The Mahdi --- Gives a good flavor for the times. A major problem being that the movie gives the impression that even though General Gordon demonstrates Christian courage and shrewdness, he was a little unusual. This is unfortunate. (See if you can spot the bloody spear head sticking out of Hick's chest prior to him being struck by the spear during the first battle scene).
Gunga Din (1939) with Cary Grant as Sergeant Archibald
Cutter, Victor McLaglen as Sergeant 'Mac' MacChesney, Douglas
Fairbanks Jr. as Sergeant Thomas 'Tommy' Ballantine, Sam Jaffe
as Gunga Din (117 minutes, black and white) ... read the Rudyard Kipling
poem with the movie !
Drama
Victoria & Albert (2001, BBC) Jonathan Firth, Victoria Hamilton, Sir Nigel Hawthorne, Jonathan Pryce, Diana Rigg, David Suchet, Sir Peter Ustinov --- The movie tells of the relationship between Victoria and Albert. Albert, it would seem, basically saved the royal monarchy in England to his high standards and morals. Fascinating look into this real life romance.
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945, MGM) George Sanders plays Lord Henry Wolton, Donna Reed is Gladys Hallward, Angela Lansbury is Sibyl Vane and Peter Lawford portrays David Stone --- The movie is based on Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. Handsome, young and morally debauched Dorian Gray has his portrait made. Dorian stays young while the portrait changes with each transgression of God's Law (i.e., sin). Dorian eventually hides the portrait in the attic, but his "agelessness" begins to attract suspicion.
Sense and Sensibility (1995, Columbia Pictures) Emma Thompson portrays Elinor Dashwood, Hugh Grant is Edward Ferrars, and Robert Hardy is Sir John Middleton --- Based on Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. Mr. Dashwood dies leaving his second wife and three daughters to the mercy of his son by his first marriage. Unfortunately, his son is married to a very greedy, grasping, social climber. The movie revolves around how Elinor Dashwood (the oldest daughter) steers her family through life's ups and downs. My girls love the scene where the two oldest Dashwood girls are leaving a carriage dodging "gifts" left by the horses in the street in order to attend a ball. Many a humorous family discussion has been started on this scene about God's providential care allowing us to be born NOW. (hmmm ... Marianne plays 3 keyboard instruments but all sound like a modern grand piano. Can you spot ... as Eleanor ducks in the dance scene between dancers. On the first pass she is wearing a shawl and when she comes back between the same row of dancers a few seconds later she is not wearing the shawl.)
Musicals
My Fair Lady (1964, Warner Bros. distributed by 20th Century Fox) Rex Harrison portrays Professor Henry Higgins and Audrey Hepburn is Eliza Doolittle --- Musical comedy. Professor Henry Higgins, a professor of linguistics, makes a bet with Colonel Pickering that he can teach a "commoner" proper English and pass her off as a duchess at a ball.
The King and I (1956, 20th Century Fox) Yul Brynner portrays King Mongkut of Siam and Deborah Kerr is Anna Leonowens --- Deborah Kerr contracts to teach English to the children of the royal household. There are many humorous incidents within the movie and wonderful songs highlighting in Yul Brynner and Kerr waltzing to "Shall We Dance" which is where our family stops watching. The movie takes a definite nose dive as Hollywood not only pushes Uncle Tom's Cabin, but in a Siamese ballet format too boot which our family fast forwards through to the Brynner/Kerr waltz. (Can you spot ... the king's moving earring during the "Puzzlement" sequence? Did you know there were no scarlet South American macaws in Siam's marketplace at this time?)
Mysteries
Sherlock Holmes
Movies with Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce
as Dr. Watson
| Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1942, Universal Pictures) |
| Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942, Universal Pictures) |
| Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943, Universal Pictures) |
| Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943, Universal Pictures) |
| Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) |
| Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939) |
| Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942) |
| Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman (1944) |
| The Scarlet Claw (1944) |
| The Pearl of Death (1944) |
| The House of Fear (1945) |
| The Woman in Green (1945) |
| Pursuit to Algiers (1945) |
| Terror by Night (1946) |
| Dressed to Kill (1946) |
Movies with Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes and Edward Hardwicke as Dr. Watson
| The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1994, WGBH Boston/Granada Television) |
| The Eligible Bachelor (1992, WGBH Boston/Granada Television) |
| The Master Blackmailer (1991, WGBH Boston/Granada Television) |
| The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes (1990, WGBH Boston/Granada Television) |
| The Hound of Baskervilles (1988, WGBH Boston/Granada Television) |
| The Sign of Four (1987, WGBH Boston/Granada Television) |
| A Scandal in Bohemia (1983, WGBH Boston/Granada Television) |
| The Dancing Men (1983, WGBH Boston/Granada Television) |
| The Naval Treaty (1983, WGBH Boston/Granada Television) |
| The Solitary Cyclist (1983, WGBH Boston/Granada Television) |
| The Crooked Man (1983, WGBH Boston/Granada Television) |
| The Speckled Band (1983, WGBH Boston/Granada Television) |
| The Blue Carbuncle (1983, WGBH Boston/Granada Television) |
| The Copper Beeches (1983, WGBH Boston/Granada Television) |
| The Greek Interpreter (1983, WGBH Boston/Granada Television) |
| The Norwood Builder (1983, WGBH Boston/Granada Television) |
| The Resident Patient (1983, WGBH Boston/Granada Television) |
| The Red-Headed League (1983, WGBH Boston/Granada Television) |
| The Final Problem (1983, WGBH Boston/Granada Television) |
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1983) with Ian Richardson, Denholm
Elliot as Dr. Mortimer (color/100 minutes)
Video Sets
Anne of Green Gables (1985, WonderWorks/Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) 3 video set --- Based on Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables Megan Follows as Anne Shirley, Colleen Dewhurst plays Marilla Cuthbert, and Richard Farnsworth is Mathew Cuthbert. Life of an orphan girl growing up on Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Anne of Avonlea (1987, Walt Disney/Canadian Broadcasting Company) 3 video set --- Picks up after the Anne of Green Gables video set. Unfortunately, Disney owns this set too. Rather than purchasing this film, opt to rent it from your Church or public library or, maybe, borrow it from a friend.
Request: Any recommendations for Victorian movies? If so, e-mail us your ideas by here