The Canterbury Tales 1972 NC-17, 109 min. Genre: Drama / Comedy / Romance
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini Cast: Hugh Griffith, Laura Betti, Ninetto Davoli, Josephine Chaplin, Franco Citti, Alan Webb, Pier Paolo Pasolini, J.P. Van Dyne, Vernon Dobtcheff, Adrian Street, O.T., Derek Deadman, George Bethell Datch, Nicolas Smith, Dan Thomas
Following "The Decameron" (1971), Pier Paolo Pasolini is back with his second bawdy classic. Several of Chaucer's tales, including those of the Friar, the Wife of Bath, the Cook, the Merchant, the Miller, the Summoner, and the Reeve are told with both humor and drama. The stories reveal 14th-Century English culture–including sexual, social, and political life.
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Challenge to Lassie 1949 G, 76 min. Genre: Family / Drama
Director: Richard Thorpe Cast: Edmund Gwenn, Donald Crisp, Geraldine Brooks, Reginald Owen, Alan Webb, Ross Ford, Henry Stephenson, Alan Napier, Sara Allgood, Edmund Breon, Arthur Shields, Lumsden Hare, Charles Irwin
This "Lassie" story takes place in 19th-century Edinburgh where Lassie has been keeping watch over her dead master's grave–until she encounters strict police Sergeant Davie (Reginald Owen) who wants Lassie destroyed because he claims she is a stray. But, Lassie's life is spared when kindly innkeeper John Traill (Edmund Gwenn) proves to the court that Lassie, indeed, is not a stray when they track her down to her deceased owner's gravesite.
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Chimes at Midnight 1965 N/R, 113 min. Genre: Drama aka: Falstaff
Director: Orson Welles Cast: Orson Welles, John Gielgud, Jeanne Moreau, Norman Rodway, Margaret Rutherford, Marina Vlady, Ralph Richardson, Fernando Rey, Alan Webb, Walter Chiari
Set in 15th-century England, this Shakespearean drama is about Falstaff's (Orson Welles) relationship with the future King Henry V (John Gielgud).
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The First Great Train Robbery 1979 PG, 110 min. Genre: Action aka: The Great Train Robbery
Director: Michael Crichton Cast: Sean Connery, Donald Sutherland, Lesley-Anne Down, Alan Webb, Malcolm Terris, Robert Lang, Michael Elphick, James Cossins, Andre Morell, Brian Glover
This is a very entertaining film–based on Michael Crichton's popular novel about Edward Pierce (Sean Connery) and Agar (Donald Sutherland) who pulled off England's first train robbery in 1855.
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The Hunchback of Notre Dame 1982 TV, 150 min. Genre: Drama / Horror / Romance aka: Hunchback
Director: Michael Tuchner Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Derek Jacobi, Lesley-Anne Down, Robert Powell, John Gielgud, David Suchet, Gerry Sundquist, Tim Pigott-Smith, Alan Webb, Roland Culver, Nigel Hawthorne, Rosalie Crutchley, David Kelly, Joseph Batchley, Dave Hill
This made-for-TV miniseries stars Anthony Hopkins as the hunchback Quasimodo who is the bell ringer at Notre Dame Cathedral. Quasimodo leaves the bell tower and attends a festival during which, through a series of unfortunate events, he ends up the victim of a flogging. The sensuous gypsy Esmeralda (Lesley-Anne Down) consoles him by bringing him water, and Quasimodo falls in love with her. Later, after she is falsely accused of murder, Quasimodo rescues Esmeralda and brings her to the safety of the cathedral. But, his love for Esmeralda is doomed because she is in love with handsome soldier Phoebus (Robert Powell). This film features an outstanding supporting cast to provide an enthralling version of Victor Hugo's novel.
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King Lear 1971 PG, 136 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Peter Brook Cast: Paul Scofield, Irene Worth, Susan Engel, Anne-Lise Gabold, Jack MacGowran, Alan Webb, Cyril Cusack, Patrick Magee, Tom Fleming, Ian Hogg, Soren Elung Jensen, Robert Langdon Lloyd, Barry Stanton
Paul Scofield plays the aging King Lear, father of three very ambitious daughters Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia (Irene Worth, Susan Engel, and Anne-Lise Gabold). Lear bases the decision for whom to leave his kingdom to on who loves him the most. Cordelia won't play her father's game, and he exiles her. Now, Goneril and Regan deceive Lear and plot to take away all of his power. Meanwhile, Gloucester (Alan Webb) and his two sons Edmund and Edgar (Ian Hogg and Robert Langdon Lloyd) have their own problems, which are also based on unfaithfulness and scheming against the father. This intricate Shakespeare play is staged in an interesting manner.
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King Rat 1965 N/R, 134 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Bryan Forbes Cast: George Segal, Tom Courtenay, James Fox, Patrick O'Neal, Denholm Elliott, James Donald, Todd Armstrong, John Mills, Leonard Rossiter, Gerald Sim, John Standing, Alan Webb
Based on James Clavell's novel, the story takes place in a Japanese POW camp during World War II. Corporal King (George Segal) is quite a schemer and has a number of rackets going on, including selling rats to fellow prisoners for food. When he finds out that prisoner Peter Marlowe (James Fox) can speak Malay, the language of the locals, he sees an opportunity to expand his business. Academy award nominations were received for Black and White Cinematography and Art Direction.
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The Pumpkin Eater 1964 N/R, 110 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Jack Clayton Cast: Anne Bancroft, Peter Finch, James Mason, Janine Gray, Maggie Smith, Cedric Hardwicke, Eric Porter, Alan Webb, Richard Johnson, Anthony Nicholls, Rosalind Atkinson, Cyril Luckham, John Franklyn-Robbins, John Junkin
Jo Armitage (Anne Bancroft) is a weary mother of eight children whose life is made even unhappier when she learns of her husband's (Peter Finch) philandering ways. Bancroft was nominated for an Oscar.
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The Scapegoat 1959 N/R, 92 min. Genre: Mystery
Director: Robert Hamer Cast: Alec Guinness, Bette Davis, Nicole Maurey, Irene Worth, Pamela Brown, Geoffrey Keen, Peter Bull, Leslie French, Alan Webb, Eddie Byrne
John Barratt (Alec Guinness) is an Englishman on holiday in Paris when Jacque De Gue (also Alec Guinness), who looks exactly like Barratt, murders his wife and uses Barratt as the fall guy.
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The Taming of the Shrew 1967 N/R, 122 min. Genre: Comedy
Director: Franco Zeffirelli Cast: Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Vernon Dobtcheff, Michael Hordern, Michael York, Alfred Lynch, Cyril Cusack, Natasha Pyne, Victor Spinetti, Alan Webb
Petruchio (Richard Burton) marries the wealthy, mean Katharina (Elizabeth Taylor) and has his work cut out for him in this well-executed Shakespearean tale.
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The Third Secret 1964 N/R, 103 min. Genre: Drama / Mystery
Director: Charles Crichton Cast: Stephen Boyd, Jack Hawkins, Richard Attenborough, Diane Cilento, Pamela Franklin, Paul Rogers, Alan Webb, Rachel Kempson, Peter Sallis, Patience Collier, Freda Jackson, Judi Dench, Peter Copley, Nigel Davenport, Charles Lloyd Pack
TV commentator Alex Stedman (Stephen Boyd) conducts a private investigation into the case of the supposed suicide of a famous London psychiatrist. Stedman had been one of the deceased's patients and doubts that the death was a suicide. The dead man's daughter, Catherine (Pamela Franklin), also believes that it was not a suicide and gives Stedman a list of her father's patients. While interviewing the patients (Jack Hawkins, Richard Attenborough, and Diane Cilento), Stedman learns that all three had secrets in their lives. Then, Stedman comes across another patient–Catherine–who finally confesses that she killed her father to prevent being sent to an institution.
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Women in Love 1969 R, 132 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Ken Russell Cast: Glenda Jackson, Oliver Reed, Alan Bates, Jennie Linden, Eleanor Bron, Alan Webb, Michael Gough, Vladek Sheybal, Catherine Willmer, Phoebe Nicholls, Sharon Gurney, Christopher Gable
Glenda Jackson won the Academy Award for Best Actress in her role of Gudrun, whose cruel treatment of her husband, Gerald (Oliver Reed), leads to his suicide. Set in England during the 1920s, Gudrun's marriage is contrasted to her sister Ursula's (Jennie Linden) happy wedded life. A nomination was received for Best Director.
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| 1. The Canterbury Tales (1972)
2. Challenge to Lassie (1949)
3. Chimes at Midnight (1965) aka: Falstaff
4. The First Great Train Robbery (1979) aka: The Great Train Robbery
5. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982) aka: Hunchback
6. King Lear (1971)
7. King Rat (1965)
8. The Pumpkin Eater (1964)
9. The Scapegoat (1959)
10. The Taming of the Shrew (1967)
11. The Third Secret (1964)
12. Women in Love (1969)
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