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His family is horrified when Nausius brings home his prospective bride, a woman Ludicrus recognizes from his visits to Pompeii's strip clubs.
Talks of assassinating Caesar see Lurcio chosen as the one to commit the act, Ammonia overhears the plans and rushes to warn the Emperor, and a striking resemblance gives Ponderous an idea.
Jacko comes back from holiday with news that he is getting married to a bingo caller he met on his travels. When she shows up, everybody thinks she's after his money; in fact, Joan knows this girl to be a gold-digger--and already married. She sends the girl packing and the wedding is off. Albert thinks Jacko will jump into the canal, and everybody heads out there to stop him.
Chauvelin uses the Pimpernel's strong sense of chivalry to bait a trap with the beautiful Cecille as the bait. Informed that Madame la Guillotine awaits her pretty neck, Sir Percy plans a rescue.
The Way Ahead - World W*r II drama that follows a group of British draftees, starting with their rigorous basic training, and ending with their deployment in North Africa.
The Way Ahead (1944)
Director: Carol Reed
Writers: Eric Ambler(original story), Peter Ustinov(screen play)
Stars: David Niven, Stanley Holloway, James Donald
Genre: Drama, War
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English, French, German
Also Known As: The Immortal Battalion
Release Date: 6 June 1944 (UK)
Duration: 114 min
Filming Location: Pirbright Army Camp, Pirbright, Surrey, England, UK
Storyline:
A group of draftees are called up into the infantry during World War II. At first, they appear to be a hopeless bunch, but their Sergeant and Lieutenant have faith in them and mould them into a good team. When they go into action in North Africa, they realize what it's all about.
Reviews:
"This is a film about a seemingly run of the mill sort of group. After the Brits were involved in WWII and saw how bad the going would be, the government was forced to draft men who would traditionally have been exempt. Men who were a bit old or involved with careers that might be deemed 'useful' to the effort were suddenly being called to duty, as times were dire. The beginning of the film shows these men being selected for service.
Unfortunately, this is a rather motley group and they tended to complain quite a bit as well (mostly by Stanley Holloway's character). How they could become a productive unit seemed pretty doubtful and I doubt if such an unimpressive group of men would have been used as actors had this propaganda film been made a few years earlier--when things looked really bad for the British. However, now that the war was appearing win-able, I can understand the choices of actors.
There is nothing particularly magical about any of the film--their selection, their training or their combat experience in North Africa. However, all of it was very well handled and excelled because they tried to make it believable--normal, everyday men rising to the occasion. In many ways, it reminded me of a landlocked version of "In Which We Serve"--with fine acting and writing instead of jingoism and super-human exploits. Very well done.
There are a few interesting actors in the film. Peter Ustinov is in his first film and he plays a French-speaking man. While his French isn't 100% fluid, it was decent and a bit of a surprise. Apparently, he was in real life David Niven's assistant in the British Army and somehow ended up in the film.
The staff at Grace Bros are working late, but they are not alone in the building. There's a thief about. Well, two actually.
Groucho Marx hosts a quiz show which features a series of compe****ive questions and a great deal of humourous conversation.
Mr Hedges (Alderton), is only allowed to bring his unruly class, '5C' to the School Camp, if he takes full responsibility for their behaviour.
Starring John Alderton, Deryck Guyler, Joan Sanderson
Highlight of this show is clearly Groucho's encounter with Albert Hall (couple #3), a very funny exchange where Groucho looks genuinely thrown by the odd man with the crazy eyes.
While Groucho always had jokes to fall back on prepared in advance by staff writers, he never actually *met* the contestants until the show. Seeing him startled like this is always a high point when it happens. He spends most of the segment here pretending, hilariously, to be scared for his life.
Stars: Richard Basehart, Scott Brady, Jack Webb
Directors: Alfred L. Werker, Anthony Mann (uncredited)
A cunning psychopath is the subject of the greatest manhunt in LAPD history! The semi-documentary style of this film inspired co-star Jack Webb to create his iconic TV series Dragnet.
After filing a divorce, Irene moves to Paris, where she falls in love with Paul. But, with Irene's jealous husband, Bruce, pursuing to get her back to New York, will Paul and Irene ever unite?
Groucho Marx hosts a quiz show which features a series of compe****ive questions and a great deal of humourous conversation.
Murder mystery thriller starring Alastair Sim and featuring Trevor Howard. After the nurse who declares that a recent surgical death was a murder dies also, an enigmatic Scotland Yard inspector arrives to investigate.Green for Danger (1946)Studio: Individual PicturesDirector: Sidney GilliatWriter: Sidney Gilliat, Claud GurneyCast: Trevor Howard, Sally Gray
The shop floor becomes the dance floor. The ladies' and gentlemen's staff combine to enter a ballroom dancing competition at young Mr Grace's suggestion.
Barbie announces that she's pregnant, Bill brags, and Eddie tries to convince Joan to start a family as well, believing that anything Bill can do, he can do better.
Dean is joined by Frank Sinatra and their respective families for the Christmas show. Dean and Frank do a medley of standards. Frank Jr and Dino perform "How Do You Talk to Your Dad." Tina and Deana sing "Do-Re-Mi."
Gentle Trap
A 1960 Butchers production about safe cracker Johnny Ryan (Spencer Teakle) who after robbing a jewellers, is himself robbed by a rival gang headed by Ricky Barnes(Martin Benson). Barnes has also pinched Ryan's girlfriend and she in turn has set Ryan up.
However, Ricky's dumb henchmen miss the diamonds on Ryan. With this £60,000 booty, he acquires some refuge at a nightclub in the company of two sisters; the kindly Jean (Felicity Young) and deceitful Mary (Dorinda Stevens).
Joan convinces Eddie to buy a new bedroom suite in the sale. Unfortunately Bill wants the same suite, so they both decide to camp outside the shop overnight.
COUPLE #1: Ida Taylor, who ran away from a cornfield as a young girl / Charles McLaughlin, a vaguely self-described "entrepeneur"
COUPLE #2: Oney Boren, wife of an oil man / John Granger, whose beard gets in the soup
Ida Taylor is a real hoot, especially during the quiz segment. There's a fantastically funny outtake of her in the "stag reel" for this season (originally released by Shout Factory as a bonus on one of their two great YBYL DVD sets from a decade ago). It starts 5:57 into this video if the link doesn't start where it's supposed to (just make sure you play it to the end-- it's Ida's last line that's the real killer!):