Irene Handl
Encyclopedia
Life
Irene Handl was born in Maida ValeMaida Vale
Maida Vale is a residential district in West London between St John's Wood and Kilburn. It is part of the City of Westminster. The area is mostly residential, and mainly affluent, consisting of many large late Victorian and Edwardian blocks of mansion flats...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the daughter of an Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n banker father and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
mother. She took to acting at the relatively advanced age of 36, and studied at the acting school run by the sister of Dame Sybil Thorndike. She made her London stage debut in February 1937 and appeared in over a hundred British films
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
in supporting roles, mostly comedy character parts such as slightly eccentric mothers, grannies, landladies and servants. Among many stage appearances, she played Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at St. James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae in order to escape burdensome social obligations...
in 1975, directed by Jonathan Miller
Jonathan Miller
Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE is a British theatre and opera director, author, physician, television presenter, humorist and sculptor. Trained as a physician in the late 1950s, he first came to prominence in the 1960s with his role in the comedy revue Beyond the Fringe with fellow writers and...
.
She died in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
in 1987 and is buried at the Golders Green Crematorium
Golders Green Crematorium
Golders Green Crematorium and Mausoleum was the first crematorium to be opened in London, and one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The land for the crematorium was purchased in 1900, costing £6,000, and was opened in 1902 by Sir Henry Thompson....
.
Films
Handl had very minor roles in such landmark films as Night Train to MunichNight Train to Munich
Night Train to Munich is a 1940 British thriller film. It was directed by Carol Reed, with writing credits by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder. It is liberally adapted from the Gordon Wellesley novel Report on a Fugitive.-Plot:...
, Spellbound
Spellbound (1945 film)
Spellbound is a psychological mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1945. It tells the story of the new head of a mental asylum who turns out not to be what he claims. The film stars Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov and Leo G. Carroll. It is an adaptation by Angus...
and Brief Encounter
Brief Encounter
Brief Encounter is a 1945 British film directed by David Lean about the conventions of British suburban life, centring on a housewife for whom real love brings unexpectedly violent emotions. The film stars Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway and Joyce Carey...
. Her notable appearances included I'm All Right Jack
I'm All Right Jack
I'm All Right Jack is a 1959 British comedy film directed and produced by John and Roy Boulting from a script by Frank Harvey, John Boulting and Alan Hackney, based on the novel Private Life by Hackney...
as the wife of Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
' union leader Fred Kite, Tony Hancock's
Tony Hancock
Anthony John "Tony" Hancock was an English actor and comedian.-Early life and career:Hancock was born in Southam Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, England, but from the age of three was brought up in Bournemouth, where his father, John Hancock, who ran the Railway Hotel in...
landlady in The Rebel
The Rebel (1961 film)
The film The Rebel is a satirical comedy starring the British comedian Tony Hancock, and written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.-Plot:...
and Sherlock Holmes' housekeeper Mrs. Hudson in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes is a 1970 film directed and produced by Billy Wilder; he also shared writing credit with his longtime collaborator I. A. L. Diamond. It starred Robert Stephens as Sherlock Holmes and Colin Blakely as Dr. Watson...
. She had small roles in two of the Carry On series
Carry On films
The Carry On films are a series of low-budget British comedy films, directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. They are an energetic mix of parody, farce, slapstick and double entendres....
(Nurse
Carry On Nurse
Carry On Nurse is the second Carry On film, released in 1959. Of the regular team, it featured Joan Sims , Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor and Charles Hawtrey, with Hattie Jacques and Leslie Phillips. The film was written by Norman Hudis based on the play Ring For Catty by Patrick Cargill and Jack...
and Constable
Carry On Constable
Carry On Constable is the fourth Carry On film. It was released in 1960. Of the regular team, it featured Kenneth Connor, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims and Hattie Jacques. Sid James makes his debut in the series here, while early regulars Leslie Phillips, Eric Barker and Shirley...
).
Theatre
- Goodnight Mrs Puffin, Handl played the comic lead
- Move Over Mrs Markham
- The Importance of Being ErnestThe Importance of Being ErnestFor the Oscar Wilde play The Importance of Being Earnest.For other uses see The Importance of Being Earnest The Importance of Being Ernest is an album by American country singer Ernest Tubb, released in 1959 ....
Television
On television she appeared as a guest in a number of comedy series, notably as a regular in the 1958 series Educating ArchieEducating Archie
Educating Archie was a BBC Light Programme comedy show broadcast from June 1950 to February 1958 on Sunday lunchtimes featuring ventriloquist Peter Brough and his doll Archie Andrews. The programme was successful despite a ventriloquist on radio seeming strange, though in the United States, Edgar...
and as Cockney widow Ada Cresswell in For the Love of Ada
For The Love Of Ada
For the Love of Ada is an ITV sitcom that ran between 1970 - 1971.-Outline:This gentle sitcom starred Irene Handl as Ada Cresswell a Cockney pensioner widow who lives with her daughter Ruth Pollitt and son-in-law Leslie Pollitt .Ada starts a relationship with Walter Bingley , the gravedigger who...
, which would later be adapted for the cinema
For the Love of Ada (film)
For the Love of Ada is a 1972 British comedy film directed by Ronnie Baxter and starring Irene Handl, Wilfred Pickles, Barbara Mitchell and Jack Smethurst. It is a spin-off from the television series For the Love of Ada. An elderly couple are about to celebrate the first anniversary of their...
. She would also appear in Maggie and Her (1978) opposite Julia McKenzie
Julia McKenzie
Julia McKenzie is an English actress, singer, and theatre director. She is best-known for her performance in Fresh Fields, but to current television audiences, she is best known for her role as Miss Marple in Agatha Christie's Marple...
. In the early 1980s, she played Gran in the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
children's comedy show Metal Mickey
Metal Mickey
thumb|Metal Mickey, a robot character on UK children's television in the 1980sMetal Mickey was a five-foot-tall fictional robot, which was created, controlled and voiced by Johnny Edward. A modernised vision of a 1950s space toy, Metal Mickey first appeared on British television in the ITV...
. She appeared in a rare aristocratic role in Mapp and Lucia
Mapp and Lucia
Mapp and Lucia is a collective name for a series of novels by E. F. Benson, and is also the name of a television series based on those novels.-The novels:...
and as another aristocratic character in Eric Sykes
Eric Sykes
Eric Sykes, CBE is an English radio, television and film writer, actor and director whose performing career has spanned more than 50 years. He frequently wrote for and/or performed with many other leading comedy performers and writers of the period, including Tony Hancock, Spike Milligan, Peter...
' 1982 television film It's Your Move
It's Your Move (1982 film)
It's Your Move is the title of two short films written and directed by Eric Sykes . The story of both films involves a married couple moving into a new home and enduring the ineptitude of removal men. As with most other films directed by Sykes, the action unfolds in a style echoing the silent,...
where her chauffeur was played by Brian Murphy
Brian Murphy (actor)
Brian Murphy is a British actor.Murphy was born in Ventnor, Isle of Wight. Although a prolific actor in many films and theatre productions for almost half a century, Murphy's most famous role was as the henpecked husband George Roper in the sitcom Man About the House and spin-off George and...
.
Her last appearance was in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom In Sickness and in Health
In Sickness and in Health
In Sickness and in Health was a BBC television sitcom which ran between 1985 and 1992. It was also a sequel to both the highly successful Til Death Us Do Part which ran between 1966 and 1975 and Till Death... which ran for one series in 1981.-Series 1:This comedy series debuted in 1985 and took...
in 1987. She died at her flat in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, London on 29 November 1987, the cause of death being cited (on her death certificate) as "1(a) Carcinomatosis (b) Carcinoma of breast". She never married. It is noted in the published diaries of Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Charles Williams was an English comic actor and comedian. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the Carry On films, and appeared in numerous British television shows, and radio comedies with Tony Hancock and Kenneth Horne.-Life and career:Kenneth Charles Williams was born on 22 February...
that Handl appeared and/or was in the audience of an episode of the chat show "Wogan" in 1987 (being hosted by Williams, as happened periodically) and that Handl was in a wheelchair. He recalls just a few days later that Handl had died. The fact that her appearance in In Sickness and in Health
In Sickness and in Health
In Sickness and in Health was a BBC television sitcom which ran between 1985 and 1992. It was also a sequel to both the highly successful Til Death Us Do Part which ran between 1966 and 1975 and Till Death... which ran for one series in 1981.-Series 1:This comedy series debuted in 1985 and took...
is credited as her final role is no doubt due to it being screened after her death.
In addition to her acting career, she wrote three novels: The Sioux (1965), The Gold Tip Pfizer (1966), and The Green and Purple Dream.
Selected filmography
- Missing, Believed Married (1937)
- Strange BoardersStrange BoardersStrange Boarders is a 1938 British comedy thriller film, directed by Herbert Mason for Gainsborough Pictures and starring Tom Walls, Renée Saint-Cyr, Googie Withers and Ronald Adam. The film is an adaptation of the 1934 espionage novel The Strange Boarders of Palace Crescent by E. Phillips...
(1938) - The Terror (1938)
- On the Night of the FireOn the Night of the FireOn the Night of the Fire is a 1939 British thriller, directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Ralph Richardson and Diana Wynyard. The film is based on the novel of the same name by F. L. Green. It was shot on location in Newcastle upon Tyne and was released shortly after the outbreak of World...
(1939) - Inspector Hornleigh on HolidayInspector Hornleigh on HolidayInspector Hornleigh on Holiday is a 1939 British detective film directed by Walter Forde and starring Gordon Harker, Alastair Sim, Linden Travers and Edward Chapman...
(1939) - Mrs. Pym of Scotland Yard (1940)
- Night Train to MunichNight Train to MunichNight Train to Munich is a 1940 British thriller film. It was directed by Carol Reed, with writing credits by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder. It is liberally adapted from the Gordon Wellesley novel Report on a Fugitive.-Plot:...
(1940) - George and Margaret (1940)
- Dr. O'DowdDr. O'DowdDr. O'Dowd is a 1940 British drama film directed by Herbert Mason and starring Shaun Glenville, Peggy Cummins, Felix Aylmer and Irene Handl. The film is currently missing from the BFI National Archive, and is listed as one of the British Film Institute's "75 Most Wanted" lost films.-Cast:* Shaun...
(1940) - Girl in the NewsGirl in the NewsGirl in the News is a 1940 British thriller film directed by Carol Reed and starring Margaret Lockwood, Barry K. Barnes and Emlyn Williams.-Cast:* Margaret Lockwood - Anne Graham* Barry K...
(1940) - Mr. Proudfoot Shows a LightMr. Proudfoot Shows a LightMr. Proudfoot Shows a Light is a 1941 British World War II public information/propaganda short film, directed by Herbert Mason and featuring cameos from a number of well-known actors of the day. The film was commissioned by the Ministry of Information and was designed to emphasise, in a humorous...
(1941) - GasbagsGasbagsGasbags is a 1941 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde and Marcel Varnel and starring The Crazy Gang.-Plot summary:The film brims with British comedy talent of the period. The Crazy Gang’s mobile fish and chip shop is accidentally tied to a barrage balloon and the gang is carried to Nazi...
(1941) - SpellboundSpellbound (1941 film)Spellbound is a 1941 British drama film directed by John Harlow. The film is based on the novel The Necromancer by Robert Hugh Benson. It was also released under the titles of Ghost Story and The Spell of Army Nugent.-Plot:...
(1941) - UncensoredUncensored (film)Uncensored is a 1942 British World War II drama, directed by Anthony Asquith for Gainsborough Pictures and starring Eric Portman and Phyllis Calvert...
(1942) - Rhythm Serenade (1943)
- Get CrackingGet CrackingGet Cracking is a 1943 British, black-and-white, comedy, war film, directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Ronald Shiner as Everett Manley and George Formby. It was produced by Marcel Varnel, Ben Henry and Columbia Productions.-Synopsis:...
(1943) - I'll Walk Beside You (1943)
- The Flemish Farm (1943)
- Millions Like UsMillions Like UsMillions Like Us is a 1943 British propaganda film, showing life in a wartime aircraft factory in documentary detail. It stars Patricia Roc, Eric Portman, Megs Jenkins, and Anne Crawford, was written by Sidney Gilliat, and directed by Gilliat and Frank Launder...
(1943) - Dear OctopusDear OctopusDear Octopus is a 1943 British comedy film directed by Harold French and starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Wilding and Celia Johnson. It is based on a 1938 play Dear Octopus written by Dodie Smith...
(1943) - It's in the BagIt's in the Bag (1944 film)It's in the Bag is a 1944 British comedy film directed by Herbert Mason and starring Elsie Waters, Doris Waters and Ernest Butcher. Gert and Dasie try to recover a valuable lost dress...
(1944) - Welcome, Mr. WashingtonWelcome, Mr. WashingtonWelcome, Mr. Washington is a 1944 British drama film directed by Leslie S. Hiscott and starring Barbara Mullen, Donald Stewart, Peggy Cummins, Martita Hunt and Herbert Lomas. Two sisters are left almost peniless by their father's sudden death, and are forced to lease their estate as an airbase to...
(1944) - English Without TearsEnglish Without TearsEnglish Without Tears is a 1944 British Comedy film directed by Harold French and starring Michael Wilding, Penelope Dudley-Ward and Lilli Palmer. The niece of a British aristocrat falls in love with the butler.-Cast:* Michael Wilding ... Tom Gilbey...
(1944) - Give Us the MoonGive us the MoonGive Us the Moon is a 1944 British comedy film directed by Val Guest and starring Vic Oliver, Margaret Lockwood and Peter Graves. A young layabout son of a hotel owner becomes involved with a group equally committed to doing no work and tries to join....
(1944) - Mr. EmmanuelMr. EmmanuelMr Emmanuel is a British film directed by Harold French, based on a 1938 novel by Louis Golding, who adapted the novel for the screen.-Plot synopsis:...
(1944) - One Exciting NightOne Exciting NightOne Exciting Night is a 1922 American Gothic silent Mystery film directed by D. W. Griffith.The plot revolves around the murder of a bootlegger and the attempts of the cast to uncover the true murderer...
(1944) - Medal for the GeneralMedal for the GeneralMedal for the General is a 1944 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey. The screenplay by Elizabeth Baron is based on the novel of the same title by James Ronald.-Plot:...
(1944) - Kiss the Bride GoodbyeKiss the Bride GoodbyeKiss the Bride Goodbye is a 1945 British romantic comedy drama, directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Patricia Medina and Jimmy Hanley. The film also features an early role for Jean Simmons, almost two years before she achieved stardom in Great Expectations.-Plot:Factory girl Joan Dodd and Jack...
(1945) - For You AloneFor You AloneFor You Alone is a 1945 British World War II romance melodrama, one of only two films directed by cinematographer Geoffrey Faithfull, starring Lesley Brook, Dinah Sheridan and Jimmy Hanley...
(1945) - Great DayGreat Day (1945 film)Great Day is a 1945 British drama film directed by Lance Comfort and starring Eric Portman, Flora Robson and Sheila Sim. The small English village of Denley is thrown into excitement by the impending visit of Eleanor Roosevelt...
(1945) - Brief EncounterBrief EncounterBrief Encounter is a 1945 British film directed by David Lean about the conventions of British suburban life, centring on a housewife for whom real love brings unexpectedly violent emotions. The film stars Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway and Joyce Carey...
(1945) - Code of Scotland YardCode of Scotland YardCode of Scotland Yard is a 1947 British crime film directed by George King and starring Oskar Homolka, Muriel Pavlow, Derek Farr and Irene Handl. It was also known as The Shop at Sly Corner...
(1946) - I'll Turn to You (1946)
- Temptation HarbourTemptation HarbourTemptation Harbour is a British black and white crime/drama film directed by Lance Comfort, released in 1947 based on the novel Newhaven-Dieppe by Georges Simenon. The film was made at Welwyn Film Studios.-Synopsis:...
(1947) - The Hills of DonegalThe Hills of Donegal (film)The Hills of Donegal is a 1947 British drama film directed by John Argyle and starring Dinah Sheridan, James Etherington and Moore Marriott. A young Irish woman abandons a promising career as singer to get married, but soon discovers her husband is not the man she thought he was.-Cast:* Dinah...
(1947) - The Shop at Sly Corner (1947)
- Woman HaterWoman HaterWoman Hater is a 1948 British romantic comedy film directed by Terence Young and starring Stewart Granger, Edwige Feuillère and Ronald Squire. Lord Datchett invites a French film star to stay as his house but pretends to be one of his employees while he tries to romance her with the help of his...
(1948) - The Fool and the PrincessThe Fool and the PrincessThe Fool and the Princess is a 1948 British drama film directed by William C. Hammond and starring Bruce Lester, Lesley Brook and Adina Mandlová...
(1948) - Silent DustSilent DustSilent Dust is a 1949 British drama/thriller film, directed by Lance Comfort and starring Nigel Patrick, Sally Gray, Stephen Murray and Beatrice Campbell. The screenplay was by Michael Pertwee, adapted from his own play The Paragon...
(1949) - Adam and EvelyneAdam and EvelyneAdam and Evelyne, released in the U.S. as Adam and Evelyn, is a 1949 romance film starring Stewart Granger and Jean Simmons. According to Robert Osborne, host of Turner Classic Movies, this suited the stars, as they were romantically involved at the time, despite their age difference...
(1949) - For Them That TrespassFor Them That TrespassFor Them That Trespass is a 1949 British crime film directed by Alberto Cavalcanti and starring Richard Todd, Patricia Plunkett and Stephen Murray...
(1949) - The History of Mr PollyThe History of Mr. Polly (film)The History of Mr. Polly is a 1949 British film, based on the 1910 comic novel The History of Mr. Polly by H.G. Wells. It was directed by Anthony Pelissier and stars John Mills, Betty Ann Davies, Megs Jenkins and Finlay Currie...
(1949) - The Perfect WomanThe Perfect WomanThe Perfect Woman is a comedy, 1949 British film directed by Bernard Knowles and written by George Black, Jr and J. B. Boothroyd, based upon a play by Wallace Geoffrey and Basil Mitchell. A scientist creates what he considers the perfect woman in his lab...
(1949) - Cardboard CavalierCardboard CavalierCardboard Cavalier is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde and starring Sid Field, Margaret Lockwood and Jerry Desmonde. The film depicts a historical romance between Lord Lovelace and Nell Gwyne.-Cast:* Sid Field - Sidcup Buttermeadow...
(1949) - Dark Secret (1949)
- Stage FrightStage frightStage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, whether actually or potentially . In the context of public speaking, this fear is termed glossophobia, one of the most common...
(1950) - Young Wives' TaleYoung Wives' TaleYoung Wives' Tale is a 1951 British film directed by Henry Cass. It features one of Audrey Hepburn's earliest film roles, albeit a minor one, as Eve Lester.-Cast:* Joan Greenwood as Sabina Pennant* Nigel Patrick as Rodney Pennant...
(1951) - One Wild OatOne Wild OatOne Wild Oat is a 1951 British film starring Stanley Holloway, Robertson Hare and Sam Costa with a notable appearance by a pre-stardom Audrey Hepburn as an extra....
(1951) - Top SecretTop Secret (1952 film)Top Secret is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Mario Zampi and starring George Cole, Oskar Homolka and Nadia Gray. A sanitation inspector is mistaken for an international spy.-Cast:* George Cole - George Potts* Oskar Homolka - Zekov...
(1952) - Treasure HuntTreasure Hunt (film)Treasure Hunt is a 1952 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Martita Hunt, Jimmy Edwards, Naunton Wayne and Athene Seyler.-Cast:* Martita Hunt - Aunt Anna Rose* Jimmy Edwards - Hercules Ryall / Sir Roderick Ryall...
(1952) - Meet Mr. LuciferMeet Mr. LuciferMeet Mr. Lucifer is a black and white British comedy satire film released in 1953 starring Stanley Holloway. Filmed at Ealing Studios, London, The film is based on the play Beggar My Neighbour by Arnold Ridley -Plot:When Mr Pedelty leaves his firm, he is given a...
(1953) - The Wedding of Lilli MarleneThe Wedding of Lilli MarleneThe Wedding of Lilli Marlene is a 1953 British drama film directed by Arthur Crabtree and starring Lisa Daniely, Hugh McDermott and Sid James...
(1953) - Stryker of the YardStryker of the YardStryker of the Yard is a 1953 British crime film directed by Arthur Crabtree and starring Clifford Evans, Susan Stephen, Jack Watling and Eliot Makeham....
(1953) - Burnt EvidenceBurnt EvidenceBurnt Evidence is a 1954 British drama film directed by Daniel Birt and starring Jane Hylton, Duncan Lamont and Donald Gray. A man accidentally kills another and is hunted down by the police.-Cast:* Jane Hylton - Diana Taylor...
(1954) - The Weak and the WickedThe Weak and the WickedThe Weak and the Wicked is a 1954 British drama film directed by J. Lee Thompson based on the book by his wife, Joan Henry, starring Glynis Johns and Diana Dors....
(1954) - Duel in the JungleDuel in the JungleDuel in the Jungle is a 1954 British adventure film directed by George Marshall and starring Dana Andrews, Jeanne Crain and David Farrar. Its plot involves an American insurance investigator who is sent to Rhodesia in Southern Africa to investigate the suspicous death of a major diamond...
(1954) - Mad About MenMad About MenMad About Men is a British comedy film, made in 1954. It was directed by Ralph Thomas and written by Peter Blackmore, who also wrote the 1948 film Miranda which preceded Mad About Men...
(1954) - The Belles of St Trinian'sThe Belles of St Trinian'sThe Belles of St Trinian's is a comedy film set in the fictional St Trinian's School, released in 1954. It and its sequels were inspired by British cartoonist Ronald Searle. Directed by Frank Launder and written by him and Sidney Gilliat, it was the first of a series of five...
(1954) - A Kid for Two FarthingsA Kid for Two Farthings (film)A Kid For Two Farthings is a 1955 film, directed by Carol Reed. The screenplay was adapted by Wolf Mankowitz from his own novel of the same name.-Plot:...
(1955) - It's Never Too LateIt's Never Too Late (1956 film)It's Never Too Late is a 1956 British comedy film directed by Michael McCarthy and starring Phyllis Calvert, Patrick Barr, Susan Stephen and Guy Rolfe...
(1956) - The Silken AffairThe Silken AffairThe Silken Affair is a 1956 British romantic comedy film directed by Roy Kellino and starring David Niven, Geneviève Page, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Joan Sims, Irene Handl and Ronald Squire.-Cast:* David Niven as Roger Tweakham...
(1956)
- Now and ForeverNow and Forever (1956 film)Now and Forever is a 1956 British drama film directed by Mario Zampi and starring Janette Scott, Vernon Gray and Kay Walsh. It is based on the play The Orchard Walls by R.F. Delderfield...
(1956) - Who Done It? (1956)
- Opening Night (1956, TV film)
- Brothers in LawBrothers in Law (film)Brothers in Law is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Roy Boulting and starring Richard Attenborough, Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas and Jill Adams...
(1957) - Small HotelSmall HotelSmall Hotel is a 1957 British comedy film directed by David MacDonald.-Plot:A head waiter in a country hotel works various scams after he is told that he is to be placed by a young woman.-Cast:*Gordon Harker.....Albert*Marie Lohr.....Mrs. Samson-Fox...
(1957) - A Santa for Christmas (1957, TV film)
- Happy is the BrideHappy is the BrideHappy is the Bride is a 1958 British comedy film written and directed by Roy Boulting and starring Ian Carmichael, Janette Scott, Cecil Parker, Terry-Thomas and Joyce Grenfell...
(1958) - The KeyThe Key (1958 film)The Key is a 1958 war film set in 1940 during the World War II Battle of the Atlantic. It was based on the novel Stella by Jan de Hartog.-Plot:...
(1958) - Law and DisorderLaw and Disorder (1958 film)Law and Disorder is a 1958 British comedy film directed by Charles Crichton and starring Michael Redgrave, Robert Morley, Joan Hickson, Lionel Jeffries and John Le Mesurier. It was based on the 1954 novel Smugglers' Circuit by Denys Roberts. The film was started by director Henry Cornelius who died...
(1958) - Next to No TimeNext to No TimeNext to No Time is a 1958 British comedy starring Kenneth More, Betsy Drake, John Laurie, Sid James and Irene Handl. It was written and directed by Henry Cornelius and was based on Paul Gallico's short story The Enchanted Hour....
(1958) - Upstairs and DownstairsUpstairs and DownstairsUpstairs and Downstairs is a 1959 British comedy drama film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Michael Craig, Anne Heywood, Mylène Demongeot, Claudia Cardinale, James Robertson Justice, Joan Sims, Joan Hickson and Sid James...
(1959) - The Night We Dropped a ClangerThe Night We Dropped a ClangerThe Night We Dropped a Clanger is a 1959 British comedy thriller film directed by Darcy Conyers and starring Brian Rix, Cecil Parker, William Hartnell and Leslie Phillips. A British secret agent takes part in a secret operation in occupied France during the Second World War...
(1959) - Desert MiceDesert MiceDesert Mice is a 1959 British comedy film featuring Alfred Marks, Sid James, Dora Bryan, Irene Handl, John Le Mesurier and Liz Fraser. A group of ENSA entertainers with the British army in the North Africa desert during the Second World War thwart a Nazi plan...
(1959) - Carry On NurseCarry On NurseCarry On Nurse is the second Carry On film, released in 1959. Of the regular team, it featured Joan Sims , Kenneth Williams, Kenneth Connor and Charles Hawtrey, with Hattie Jacques and Leslie Phillips. The film was written by Norman Hudis based on the play Ring For Catty by Patrick Cargill and Jack...
(1959) - Left Right and CentreLeft Right and CentreLeft Right and Centre is a 1959 British comedy film directed by Sidney Gilliat and starring Ian Carmichael, Patricia Bredin, Richard Wattis, Eric Barker and Alastair Sim. It was produced by Frank Launder...
(1959) - The Crowning TouchThe Crowning TouchThe Crowning Touch is a 1959 British comedy film directed by David Eady and starring Ted Ray, Irene Handl and Greta Gynt.-Cast:* Ted Ray as Bert* Greta Gynt as Rosie* Griffith Jones as Mark* Sydney Tafler as Joe* Dermot Walsh as Aubrey Drake...
(1959) - I'm All Right JackI'm All Right JackI'm All Right Jack is a 1959 British comedy film directed and produced by John and Roy Boulting from a script by Frank Harvey, John Boulting and Alan Hackney, based on the novel Private Life by Hackney...
(1959) - No KiddingNo Kidding (film)No Kidding is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Gerald Thomas featuring Leslie Phillips, Geraldine McEwan and Irene Handl, Noel Purcell and Julia Lockwood. The film is adapted from Verily Andersons novel Beware of Children.-Plot:...
(1960) - Two-Way StretchTwo-Way StretchTwo-Way Stretch, sometimes titled Nothing Barred, is a 1960 British comedy film, about a group of prisoners who plan to break out of jail, commit a robbery, and then break back into jail again, thus giving them the perfect alibi – that they were behind bars when the robbery occurred...
(1960) - Inn for TroubleInn for TroubleInn for Trouble is a 1960 British comedy film - a movie spin-off of the 1950s sitcom 'The Larkins' - starring Peggy Mount, David Kossoff and Leslie Phillips....
(1960) - Carry On ConstableCarry On ConstableCarry On Constable is the fourth Carry On film. It was released in 1960. Of the regular team, it featured Kenneth Connor, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims and Hattie Jacques. Sid James makes his debut in the series here, while early regulars Leslie Phillips, Eric Barker and Shirley...
(1960) - Doctor in LoveDoctor in LoveDoctor in Love is a 1960 British comedy film — part of the Doctor in the House series, starring James Robertson Justice as Sir Lancelot Spratt and Michael Craig as Dr Richard Hare...
(1960) - School for ScoundrelsSchool for Scoundrels (1960 film)School for Scoundrels is a 1960 British comedy film inspired by the "Gamesmanship" series of books by Stephen Potter. The main character, Henry Palfrey , is a failure in sport and love, and victim of conmen. He enrols at the "School of Lifemanship" in Yeovil, run by Dr...
(1960) - Make Mine MinkMake Mine MinkMake Mine Mink is a 1960 British comedy directed by Robert Asher and featuring Terry-Thomas, Athene Seyler, Hattie Jacques, Billie Whitelaw, Elspeth Duxbury, Jack Hedley and Raymond Huntley, with cameos by Kenneth Williams and Irene Handl. A group of misfits go on a spree, stealing mink coats...
(1960) - A French MistressA French MistressA French Mistress is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Roy Boulting and starring Cecil Parker, James Robertson Justice, Ian Bannen, Raymond Huntley, Irene Handl and Thorley Walters.-External links:* at Yahoo Canada movies...
(1960) - The Pure Hell of St Trinian'sThe Pure Hell of St Trinian'sThe Pure Hell of St Trinian's was a 1960 British comedy film set in the fictional St Trinian's School. Directed by Frank Launder and written by him and Sidney Gilliat, it was the third in a series of five films.-Plot:...
(1960) - The Night We Got the BirdThe Night We Got the BirdThe Night We Got the Bird is a 1961 British comedy film and a follow up to the 1959 film, using the same title name The Night We Dropped a Clanger, it was directed by Darcy Conyers and starring Brian Rix, Dora Bryan, Ronald Shiner and Irene Handl...
(1961) - The RebelThe Rebel (1961 film)The film The Rebel is a satirical comedy starring the British comedian Tony Hancock, and written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.-Plot:...
(1961) - A Weekend with LuluA Weekend with LuluA Weekend with Lulu is a 1961 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Bob Monkhouse, Leslie Phillips, Alfred Marks, and Shirley Eaton.-Cast:*Bob Monkhouse as Fred Scrutton*Leslie Phillips as Timothy Gray...
(1961) - Nothing BarredNothing BarredNothing Barred is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Darcy Conyers and starring Brian Rix, Leo Franklyn and Naunton Wayne.-Main cast:* Brian Rix - Wilfred Sapling* Leo Franklyn - Barger* Naunton Wayne - Lord Whitebait* Charles Heslop - Spankworth...
(1961) - Double BunkDouble BunkDouble Bunk is a 1961 British black-and-white comedy set on a houseboat, that stars Ian Carmichael and Sid James.The musical score was composed by Stanley Black and the title song, sung by Sid James and Liz Fraser, was by Stanley Black, Jack Fishman and Michael Pratt.-Plot:When newlyweds Jack and...
(1961) - No KiddingNo Kidding (film)No Kidding is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Gerald Thomas featuring Leslie Phillips, Geraldine McEwan and Irene Handl, Noel Purcell and Julia Lockwood. The film is adapted from Verily Andersons novel Beware of Children.-Plot:...
(1961) - The Night We Dropped a ClangerThe Night We Dropped a ClangerThe Night We Dropped a Clanger is a 1959 British comedy thriller film directed by Darcy Conyers and starring Brian Rix, Cecil Parker, William Hartnell and Leslie Phillips. A British secret agent takes part in a secret operation in occupied France during the Second World War...
(1961) - Watch it, Sailor!Watch it, Sailor!Watch it, Sailor! is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Wolf Rilla and starring Dennis Price, Liz Fraser and Irene Handl. A salior returns home to marry his fiancee, but runs into a series of farcial situations.-Cast:...
(1961) - Heavens Above!Heavens Above!Heavens Above! is a 1963 British satirical comedy film starring Peter Sellers, directed by John and Roy Boulting, who also co-wrote along with Frank Harvey, from an idea by Malcolm Muggeridge...
(1963) - Just for FunJust for FunJust for Fun: The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary is a humorous autobiography of Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel, co-written with David Diamond. The book explains Linus' view of himself, the free software movement and the development of Linux.Linus's contribution to the...
(1963) - You Must Be Joking!You Must Be Joking! (1965 film)You Must Be Joking! is a 1965 British comedy film directed by Michael Winner.-Cast:* Michael Callan - Leuitenant Tim Morton* Lionel Jeffries - Sergeant Major McGregor* Denholm Elliott - Captain Tabasco* Wilfrid Hyde-White - General Lockwood...
(1965) - Morgan, a Suitable Case for TreatmentMorgan!Morgan! is a 1966 comedy film made by the British Lion Films Corporation...
(1966) - The Wrong BoxThe Wrong BoxThe Wrong Box is a British comedy film made by Salamander Film Productions and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It was produced and directed by Bryan Forbes from a screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Burt Shevelove, based on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne.The cast includes a...
(1966) - Smashing TimeSmashing TimeSmashing Time is a 1967 British comedy film starring Rita Tushingham and Lynn Redgrave. It is a satire on the 1960s media-influenced phenomenon of Swinging London.It was written by George Melly and directed by Desmond Davis...
(1967) - The Mini-AffairThe Mini-AffairThe Mini-Affair is a 1967 British romantic comedy film directed by Robert Amram and starring Georgie Fame, Rosemary Nicols and John Clive. A leading Pop star is kidnapped in swinging London.-Cast:* Georgie Fame - Georgie Hart* Rosemary Nicols - Charlotte...
(1967) - Lionheart (1968)
- WonderwallWonderwall (film)Wonderwall is the title of a 1968 film by first-time director Joe Massot that starred Jack MacGowran, Jane Birkin, Richard Wattis, Irene Handl, and Iain Quarrier, and featured cameos by Anita Pallenberg and Dutch designers The Fool...
(1968) - European Eye, (1968, TV film)
- The Italian JobThe Italian JobThe Italian Job is a 1969 British caper film, written by Troy Kennedy Martin, produced by Michael Deeley and directed by Peter Collinson. Subsequent television showings and releases on video have established it as an institution in the United Kingdom....
(1969) - Doctor in TroubleDoctor in TroubleDoctor in Trouble is a 1970 British comedy film, the last of the long-running Doctor in the House series of British comedy films. It was directed by Ralph Thomas it stars Leslie Phillips as a doctor who gets accidentally trapped on an outgoing cruise ship while it begins a round the world trip...
(1970) - The Private Life of Sherlock HolmesThe Private Life of Sherlock HolmesThe Private Life of Sherlock Holmes is a 1970 film directed and produced by Billy Wilder; he also shared writing credit with his longtime collaborator I. A. L. Diamond. It starred Robert Stephens as Sherlock Holmes and Colin Blakely as Dr. Watson...
(1970) - Rookery NookRookery Nook (1970 film)Rookery Nook is a 1970 British comedy television film starring Richard Briers, Arthur Lowe and Irene Handl. It is based on the play Rookery Nook, one of the Aldwych Farces, by Ben Travers. It was first aired on the BBC on 19 September 1970.-Cast:...
(1970, TV film) - On a Clear Day You Can See ForeverOn a Clear Day You Can See Forever (film)On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is a 1970 American musical/romantic fantasy film directed by Vincente Minnelli. The screenplay by Alan Jay Lerner is adapted from his book for the 1965 stage production of the same name...
(1970) - For the Love of AdaFor the Love of Ada (film)For the Love of Ada is a 1972 British comedy film directed by Ronnie Baxter and starring Irene Handl, Wilfred Pickles, Barbara Mitchell and Jack Smethurst. It is a spin-off from the television series For the Love of Ada. An elderly couple are about to celebrate the first anniversary of their...
(1972) - Confessions of a Driving InstructorConfessions of a Driving InstructorConfessions of a Driving Instructor is a 1976 British sex-farce film. This was the third instalment of the Confessions sequence on the erotic adventures of Timothy Lea, based on the novels published under the name by Christopher Wood.-Premise:...
(1976) - Adventures of a Private EyeAdventures of a Private EyeThe Adventures of a Private Eye is a 1977 British sex comedy film starring Christopher Neil, Suzy Kendall, Harry H. Corbett and Liz Fraser. It was the second in the trilogy of 'Adventures' films after the 1976 film Adventures of a Taxi Driver...
(1977) - Come Play with Me (1977)
- The Last Remake of Beau GesteThe Last Remake of Beau GesteThe Last Remake of Beau Geste is a 1977 American historical comedy film. It starred and was also directed and co-written by Marty Feldman. It is a satire loosely based on the novel Beau Geste, a frequently-filmed story of brothers and their adventures in the French Foreign Legion. The humor is...
(1977) - The Hound of the BaskervillesThe Hound of the Baskervilles (1978 film)The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1978 British comedy film spoofing The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It starred Peter Cook as Sherlock Holmes and Dudley Moore as Dr. Watson...
(1978) - Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers (1977)
- Come Spy with Me (1977, TV film)
- The Great Rock & Roll Swindle (1979)
- Riding HighRiding High (1981 film)Riding High is a 1981 British drama film directed by Ross Cramer and starring Eddie Kidd, Irene Handl and Murray Salem. A bored young motorcycle messenger begins training to take part in a major competition.-Cast:* Eddie Kidd ... Dave Munday...
(1981) - Absolute BeginnersAbsolute Beginners (film)Absolute Beginners is a 1986 British rock musical film adapted from the Colin MacInnes book of the same name about life in late 1950s London. The film was directed by Julien Temple, featured David Bowie and Sade, and a breakout role by Patsy Kensit...
(1986)