BFI: A Message From Mars
Britainâs first fullâlength sciâfi feature,âŻA Message from MarsâŻ(1913), follows a Martian who lands on Earth on Christmas Eve to teach a selfish Charles Hawtrey a lesson in generosityâa twist onâŻAâŻChâŠ

Freeview 324 · 116 programmes this week
09:25 â 11:30
A 1946 drama directed by Lawrence Huntington, starring Eric Portman, Dulcie Gray, Derek Farr and Roland Culver. It tracks the son of a Victorian executioner whose sanity slips as he wrestles with the legacy of his father's work.
Next: 11:30 · Star Performance: To Whom It It May Concern
21 programmes
Britainâs first fullâlength sciâfi feature,âŻA Message from MarsâŻ(1913), follows a Martian who lands on Earth on Christmas Eve to teach a selfish Charles Hawtrey a lesson in generosityâa twist onâŻAâŻChâŠ
1955 British crime drama. Reporter Rex Banner (Peter Reynolds) is framed for his friendâs murder, so he tries to clear his name, track down a jewel robbery and catch the real killer. Heâs helped by hâŠ
Cinebox Memories is a look at classic 60s music TV, combining rare performance clips. Tonight youâll hear Shane Fenton and The Fentones perform âThat Old Yeah Yeah Feeling,â a lively rockâandâroll nuâŠ
HoneyâŻWest (1965) is a crime series produced by Aaron Spelling. Anne Francis stars as the private eye who takes on a case to clear a man wrongly accused. Fans of retro sleuth stories with a touch of âŠ
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The Rogues is a 1965 series about two linked families who work as international forgers and conmen. It has GigâŻYoung, DavidâŻNiven and CharlesâŻBoyer, a mix of charm and cheeky crime. Fans of slick capâŠ
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Great Day In The Morning is a 1956 western. A gambler wins a hotel in a highâstakes card game and soon gets tangled with two women as the Civil War looms. RobertâŻStack plays the gambler; VirginiaâŻMayâŠ
A 1953 comedy about cashâstrapped Roger (Bernard Braden) and his wife Jean (Barbara Kelly), who could pocket ÂŁ10,000 if Roger manages to stay sober and make a profit. The cast also includes Reg DixonâŠ
A 1946 drama directed by Lawrence Huntington, starring Eric Portman, Dulcie Gray, Derek Farr and Roland Culver. It tracks the son of a Victorian executioner whose sanity slips as he wrestles with the legacy of his father's work.
A 1953 drama starring David Niven, Martha Wentworth and Ned Glass. The story follows a bank clerk who races through a frantic chase to retrieve a letter before it reaches its destination. If you likeâŠ
A 1979 wartime drama starring Anthony Andrews, Judy Geeson and Nick Tate. Ash learns to dispose of new German land mines with help from naval experts. If you enjoy tense period action and solid perfoâŠ
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Landslide, 1959 â featuring Conrad Phillips, Willoughby Goddard and JenniferâŻJayne. William Tell runs into his perfect lookâalike â an Austrian hired by Gessler to pose as the resistance leader. [S]
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A 1957 drama directed by David Eady, starring James Hayter, Earl Cameron and David Hemmings. A murder suspect on the run has to lean on strangers to prove his innocence and clear his name. [S]
David Bailey, former Vogue photographer who also makes films, paints and sculpts, is the focus of this 50âminute documentary. Now in his early 70s, he works in his London studio and Devon home. It haâŠ
Nurse on Wheels is a 1963 comedy directed by Gerald Thomas that follows quietly competent young Joanna, played by JulietâŻMills, as she moves to a country village for her first job as a District NurseâŠ
Bespoke Overcoat is a 1955 drama directed by Jack Clayton, starring DavidâŻKossoff and AlfieâŻBass. A man wants nothing more than an overcoat. He dies of hypothermia, returns as a ghost, and asks his fâŠ
Whiplash is a 1960s AustralianâWestern set in the 1850s goldârush, following stagecoach boss Chris Cobb (PeterâŻGraves). In the âRibbons & Wheelsâ episode Cobbâs line is challenged by a new partnershiâŠ
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"The Odd Man Affair" is a 1965 episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,
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1971âs âThe Treasure Houseâ opens *The Mind of MrâŻJ.âŻG.âŻReeder* with HughâŻBurden as the detective, joined by WilloughbyâŻGoddard and MonaâŻBruce. A reformed safeâcracker plans to visit his friend ReadeâŠ
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Storm Over the Nile (1955) is a war drama coâdirected by Zoltan Korda and Terence Young, starring Anthony Steel and Laurence Harvey. The story follows a British officer labeled a coward by his comradâŠ
Fortean TV is a 1997 ChannelâŻ4 documentary series in which Reverend LionelâŻFanthorpe investigates the odd and unexplained. In this episode he tracks down a man who has perfected mummification, examinâŠ
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Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice is a 1969 comedyâdrama by Paul Mazursky that tracks two married couples as they ride the wave of the 60s sexual revolution. It stars NatalieâŻWood, ElliottâŻGould, RobertâŻCulpâŠ
21 programmes
1978 thriller from Daryl Duke starring Elliott Gould, Susannah York, ChristopherâŻPlummer and JohnâŻCandy. A bank clerk pockets fifty grand during a robbery, then the thief turns up demanding his shareâŠ
"Target: The Corruptors" is a 1961 crime drama that follows investigative reporters Paul Marino and Jack Flood as they dig into industrial corruption. The episode âJourney Into Mourningâ has StephenâŻâŠ
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The Rogues is a 1960s American caper series about two linked families of international forgers and conmen who target rich, ruthless victims for a fee. It has David Niven, Charles Boyer and GigâŻYoung âŠ
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Impulse is a 1955 drama about a nightâclub singer who convinces an estate agent that he has killed a jewel thief. It has Arthur Kennedy, Constance Smith and Joy Shelton, and is directed by Charles DeâŠ
1940 action picture directed by Rowland V. Lee, featuring Louis Hayward, George Sanders and Joan Bennett. The Duchess of Zona battles to protect her realm from the ruthless General Gurko.
A 1948 drama directed by FergusâŻMcDonell, starring James Donald, Valerie Hobson, DavidâŻGreene and HowardâŻKeel. It follows a couple who happen upon a car wreck and soon discover the survivors are armeâŠ
A short 1936 film that shows what examiners expected when you took your driving test back then, with a clear focus on proper highway use. Itâs a neat glimpse of motoring history, filmed in the eraâs âŠ
From 1954, this drama directed by Lewis R. Foster stars David Niven, Martha Hyer and Hal Baylor. A young woman assumes
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DangerâŻUXB (1979) is a wartime drama starring AnthonyâŻAndrews, KennethâŻCranham and GeraldineâŻGardner. It follows Ash and the men of 347âŻSection as they try to defuse Hitlerâs new butterfly bomb. The âŠ
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The Buccaneers is a 1950s British adventure drama starring RobertâŻShaw, RichardâŻPasco and EdwinâŻRichfield. In the âDead Manâs Rockâ instalment, Spaniards attack, the Sultana runs aground and GovernorâŠ
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1971 western from Ted Post, featuring Clint Walker, Kathryn Hays and Edgar Buchanan. Marshal Dave Harmon heads to Yuma, Arizona to put a stop to the townâs lawlessness. [S]
A 1961 documentary that goes inside the everyday lives of pets, with a particular look at the budgerigar. If youâve ever wondered what makes feathered and furry friends tick, this short slice of TV
DialâŻ999 is a 1958 crime drama starring Robert Beatty, BrunoâŻBarnabe and BillâŻEdwards. Maguire disguises himself as a tramp to track down an organised gang of car thieves in Hertfordshire. If you enjâŠ
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A 1958 war drama directed by Lewis Gilbert, âCarve Her Name With Prideâ tells the true story of WWII special agent VioletteâŻSzabo, who is recruited to work as a spy in occupied France. VirginiaâŻMcKenâŠ
Dial 999 is a 1950s crime drama. Canadian Mountie Mike Maguire (Robert Beatty) teams up with London railway police to chase a gang that stole mail from a LondonâGlasgow train. The episode âNight MailâŠ
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Give Us a Clue is an oldâschool ITV charades game. Two celebrity teams act out books, films, songs and more. This 1985 episode is hosted by Michael Parkinson. On one side sit JudithâŻChalmers, FrazerâŻâŠ
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The 1981 film follows Jack as he travels to Cork for the final of the annual seaâangling competition, giving viewers a close look at southern fishing. After the contest, he puts the rod away and headâŠ
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TravellingâŻMan returns to 1985. LeighâŻLawson plays Lomax, a man who works at a country pub. He is joined by TerenceâŻRigby and MaryâŻHealey. When Lomax and the landlord upset a local biker gang, the siâŠ
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1951 comedy directed by Alexander Mackendrick, starring AlecâŻGuinness as a goodânatured chemist who creates a stainâproof, neverâwearing fabric. Joan Greenwood and Cecil Parker appear as skeptical coâŠ
A 1957 war film directed by Anthony Mann, starring Robert Ryan, RobertâŻKeith, AldoâŻRay and VicâŻMorrow. It follows LtâŻBenson and his men in the Korean War as they stumble across a colonel battling sevâŠ
A 1982 drama directed by Jan Worth, featuring Sandy Ratcliff, Paul Copley and Bernice Stegers. It tracks three women â a researcher, a prostitute and a partâtime switchboard operator â as their livesâŠ
21 programmes
White Corridors is a 1951 drama set in Yeomanâs Hospital. It tracks the everyday hustle of doctors, nurses and patients in the early â50s. Pat Jackson directed it, and the cast includes Googie WitherâŠ
A short film follows a group of NewâŻZealand bikers on a clearâday ride, intercut with vintage footage of Wellington Airport from 1967. The result is a look at classic bike culture and a glimpse of miâŠ
Stagecoach West is a classic western where Wayne Rogers and RobertâŻBray run a stagecoach line across the Old West. They constantly run into killers, robbers and women in distress. The show is full ofâŠ
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The Rogues is a 1965 caper about two intertwined families of international forgers and conmen. It has GigâŻYoung, DavidâŻNiven and CharlesâŻBoyer pulling off swindles with style. If you enjoy clever diaâŠ
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Black Saddle is a 1959 western starring Peter Breck as a gunslinger who, after his brothers are killed in a shootout, hangs up his sixâshooter and becomes a lawyer. The series mixes classic frontier âŠ
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Set in 1938, this comedy stars Jimmy O'Dea, Paddy Moore and Harry Jameson. A salesman gets tangled up with a gang of jewel thieves, sparking a crossâborder rivalry as both sides try to win over a girâŠ
1947 thriller directed by AlbertoâŻCavalcanti, featuring Sally Gray, Trevor Howard and GriffithâŻJones. An exâRAF airman falls in with a gang, but a botched robbery sees him doubleâcrossed and set up fâŠ
1938 action picture directed by John English and William Witney, starring RalphâŻByrd with Lynn Roberts and Charles Middleton. Tracy goes after a clutch of spies and saboteurs, determined to put the SâŠ
This 1960 documentary looks at the Buckingham Palace sentries and explains why they remain such efficient soldiers. Youâll see their daily routines and the precision that keeps the palace guard in toâŠ
Robert Floreyâs 1955 drama follows an unfaithful wife who discovers her husband isnât the only man giving her grief. Charles Boyer, Peggy Maley and Jay Novello lead the cast with solid performances. âŠ
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DangerâŻUXB is a 1979 thriller set in the London Underground. A massive unexploded bomb threatens the city. It stars Anthony Andrews as Ash, with Judy Geeson and Iain Cuthbertson providing solid suppoâŠ
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Sir Crustabread watches King Arthur rename his trusted knight and send him on a rescue mission for a lady pressured into marriage. William Russell plays Sir Lancelot, with CyrilâŻSmith and RonaldâŻLeigâŠ
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It's a 1951 adventure helmed by Phil Karlson, starring Barbara Hale, Richard Greene and Carl Benton Reid. A farmer falls for an outlaw's daughter, and the romance leads to some bittersweet fallout.
John Harlowâs 1954 drama follows Tim, played by Jack Watling, who is tricked by his wartime friend, Terence Alexander, into revealing a gold shipment. The script is tight and the British acting feelsâŠ
Tommy the Toreador is a 1959 musical directed by JohnâŻPaddyâŻCarstairs, starring Tommy Steele, Janet Munro and SidneyâŻJames. Steele plays a sailor who steps in for a recently arrested matador at a locâŠ
Michael Aspel walks you through a collection of spooky footage, from eerie apparitions caught on camera to the legendary âghost planesâ that haunt the Peak District. The 1996 series combines realâlifâŠ
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"The Brothers" (1974) stars Jennifer Wilson, FrankâŻJarvis and MalcolmâŻStoddard. After Bill and Jim are taken by the police, the three face an uneasy dinner party. Jenniferâs presence raises the tensiâŠ
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Mark Saber is a 1959 British crime drama in which a tough industrialist hires the detective Mark Saber to find his missing wife. The episode âSing Softly Sistersâ has Donald Gray as the gumshoe, withâŠ
EpisodeâŻ7 of The Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club goes back to 1974. Eve Boswell sings âOne Godâ and âSugarâŻBushâ. The folkâpop group Fivepenny Piece performs âDonât Wanna Go Homeâ. Gene Pitney âŠ
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1976 drama from GeorgeâŻP.âŻCosmatos starring Sophia Loren, Richard Harris, Burt Lancaster and MartinâŻSheen â a lethal virus is released on a European train and the
Man Who Cheated Himself is a 1950 crime picture directed by Felix E. Feist. It stars Lee J. Cobb as a homicide detective who watches his girlfriend, played by Jane Wyatt, knock off her husband, then âŠ
25 programmes
Doomwatch returns with the 1971 episode âThe Logiciansâ, starring John Nolan and IreneâŻPrador. A powerful antibiotic formula is stolen near a school of gifted teens, and the crew wonders whether the âŠ
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1932 horror classic directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack and Irving Pichel, featuring Fay Wray, Joel McCrea, Leslie Banks and Robert Armstrong. After a shipwreck strands him on an island, a bigâgame huntâŠ
A Flight of Fancy is a short 1967 film that lifts you into a plane and offers sweeping views of the ocean, snowâcapped mountains and bustling cities below. The vintage travel footage gives an aerial âŠ
In this 1964 episode of *Burkeâs Law* titled âWho Killed My Girl?â, a silenced .38 revolver kills heiress Diana Mercer in her bedroom. Gene Barry heads the investigation, with Gary Conway and Regis TâŠ
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The Rogues is a 1965 series about two intertwined families of international forgers and conmen. It stars GigâŻYoung, DavidâŻNiven and CharlesâŻBoyer, who execute elaborate scams. If you like slick caperâŠ
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Della, a 1964 drama directed by Robert Gist, stars Joan Crawford as the reclusive matriarch of Royal Bay, an affluent seaside town. Crawfordâs character exerts tight control over the community and plâŠ
A 1953 comedy directed by Lawrence Huntington, featuring Michael Denison, Dulcie Gray and Sydney Tafler. It centres on a diamondâmerchantâs secretary who gets the sack from her new boss because sheâsâŠ
The Velvet Touch (1948) is a thriller in which police captain (SydneyâŻGreenstreet) tracks down the murderer of a producer, torn between the suspectâs former lover and her own former lover. The film fâŠ
Cinebox Memories goes back to 1964, when the English popârock group The Hollies perform their hit âLittle Lover.â You see the band at their peak, with the tight harmonies that made them famous. Itâs âŠ
In this classic 1966 episode of *The Lucy Show*, Lucy (LucilleâŻBall) is sent to deliver paperwork to JohnâŻWayne, and chaos follows. GaleâŻGordon appears as her usual foil, bringing his trademark snarkâŠ
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Four Star Playhouseâs 1953 drama âHouse for Saleâ finds IdaâŻLupino stepping into a property expecting a realtor, only to meet an escaped murderer. GeorgeâŻMacready adds a menacing touch. Jules BrickenâŠ
DangerâŻUXB follows SectionâŻ347 as they head to the coast to prepare for DâDay, and a hidden surprise awaits Ash. The story takes place on a pier inâŻ1979, combining wartime tension with intrigue. AnthâŠ
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The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre â âThe Partnerâ (1963) follows studio boss Wayne Douglas as he becomes entangled in shady deals that put him and his new actress, Lin, in danger. Directed by GerardâŻâŠ
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"The Sheriffâs Boots" finds the Sheriff of Nottingham desperate for a new pair of boots and a sleepy villageâs secret leatherâmaking process in his sights. Robin Hood (Richard Greene) and his gang geâŠ
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A 1962 comedy directed by Ken Annakin, featuring Leslie Phillips, Stanley Baxter and Wilfrid HydeâWhite. Smallâtime crook Dandy Forsdyke signs up with a looselyârun group thatâs out to straighten outâŠ
The Cheaters is a 1962 drama set in a jewellery shop. A new employee witnesses a robbery and tries to blackmail the thieves, but his plan falls apart. It stars John Ireland, Peter Howell and Ann LynnâŠ
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A Family At War is a 1970s drama about a family torn apart by the Second World War. It follows brothers Philip and David as they argue over a woman, while their mother comes to terms with Robert finaâŠ
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Rough Music, seasonâŻ2 episodeâŻ5 of the 1989 series Hannay, has Robert Powellâs privateâeye protagonist inherit a walkingâstick, a pair of field glasses and a lighthouse on a Fenland marsh after a friâŠ
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A cheeky 1964 comedy where a pub landlordâs practical joke on a customer goes wildly wrong and ends in a fistâfight. Kate Allitt, Brian Blessed and JosephâŻBrady deliver slapâup humour with a classic âŠ
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Public Eye â Transatlantic Cousins (1971) brings AlfredâŻBurke back as Marker. Heâs pulled into a case that links an old crook with a young American visitor. BrendaâŻCavendish and UnaâŻBrandonâJones appâŠ
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1970 thriller directed by Sam Wanamaker, starring George Peppard, Joan Collins and Judy Geeson. A British agent is determined to expose a respected colleague as a Soviet spy. The tension never lets uâŠ
Caroline Munro kicks off the Cellar Club with a quick intro to Supernaturalâs third episode, âThe Werewolf Reunionâ.
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1977âs The Werewolf Reunion stars Billie Whitelaw, Ian Hendry and Charles Kay. The last admirers of Countess Ilona find themselves stuck in her lonely castle as night falls. [S]
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Caroline Munroâs on at the Cellar Club tonight, rolling the 1963 supernatural horror The Terror, which features Boris Karloff and a young Jack Nicholson.
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From 1963, this horror picture directed by Roger Corman stars Boris Karloff alongside a young Jack
28 programmes
Caroline Munro wraps up tonightâs Cellar Club and gives you a quick preview of whatâs coming up next week.
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1975 French crime drama directed by JacquesâŻDeray, starring AlainâŻDelon, JeanâLouisâŻTrintignant and RenatoâŻSalvatori. It follows a hardânosed cop hunting a seasoned killer, and the chase quickly becoâŠ
Cinebox Memories is a shortâform series that brings classic music performances back to the screen. This instalment shows the English pop trio the Mudlarks with their 1963 hit âLaâŻDeâŻDaâ. Itâs a tidy âŠ
"The Vise" starts with the 1954 episode âThe Eavesdropperâ, starring TerenceâŻBrook, FrederickâŻLester and MilaâŻParĂ©ly. It follows a quiet feud between LadyâŻPendragon and her husband SirâŻArthur that wrâŠ
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The Rogues is a 1960s caper series about two interâlinked families of international forgers and conmen who take on highâstakes jobs for the right fee. It has film heavyweights David Niven, Charles BoâŠ
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1947. Comedy. Directed by Maurice J. Wilson. Stars: Wilfrid Lawson, Helena Pickard, Maureen Glynne. An abandoned greyhound puppy is trained to race after being found by a taxi driver. [S]
A nostalgic look into 1938 cinema etiquette, does it worry you talking or taking your shoes off in the cinema?
1980. Presented by Mike Reid. Prizes include a model car transporter with power boat, a transistor radio, and a Scalextric set. This episode features The Sinceros, sheep shearing and more.
1997. Stars Brendan Pollecutt, Fezile Mpela & Robert Finlayson. Princess Kama allows herself to be recaptured to save Briah's life and King Ram becomes ill.
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The Adventures of William Tell is a 1958 British swashbuckler starring Conrad Phillips as the Swiss folk hero, with WilloughbyâŻGoddard as the ruthless Gessler and JenniferâŻJayne as his wife Hedda. ThâŠ
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A wonderful short animation with some wise words from Tufty on matches. [S]
Louie's Lethal Lilac Time. 1968. Stars Adam West, Burt Ward, Yvonne Craig & Eartha Kitt. Louie the Lilac is in town and he is planning to corner the lilac perfume market in Gotham City. [S]
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Snake Tattoo. 1957. Directed by Sam Newfield. Stars John Hart, Lon Chaney Jr & Daryl Masters. Hawkeye and Chingachcook set out to help a young Native American. [S]
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Treble Cross. 1968. Stars Janna Hill, Jeremy Wilkin & Cy Grant. Captain Black attempts to kill and reconstruct test pilot Major Gravener as part of a plan to attack the world capital, Futura City. [S]
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Rescue. 1961. Stars David Graham, George Murcell & Graydon Gould. On its maiden flight, Supercar, piloted by Mike Mercury, is sent to rescue brothers Bill and Jimmy Gibson who are adrift at sea. [S]
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Flip and Jenny. 1957. Stars Robert Shaw, Jane Asher & Robert Hardy. Dan finds two children stowed away on his ship. Their father, an indentured servant, was sent to jail after refusing to work. [S]
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The Trap. 1956. Stars Richard Greene, Alfred Burke & Alan Wheatley. After coming to the realisation that no one will give up Robin Hood and his men, the sheriff plots to infiltrate the group. [S]
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1942 mystery directed by Roy William Neill, starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes with Nigel Bruce and Lionel Atwill. Holmes is on the job to keep a scientist
The Silent Enemy is a 1957 action film directed by WilliamâŻFairchild. It follows the British as they race to stop the Italian Navy from slipping mines onto their warships during WWII. The cast includâŠ
A 1930 slapâup comedy directed by James Parrott starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. In this short the pair take on double roles as cheeky little brats who wreck their own night of games and cause âŠ
Flood Tide. 1961. Stars Peter Graves, Shirley Broadway & Barry Linehan. Cobb and his only passenger seek shelter from a flood. They are joined by a man and Cobb finds some holds in the story. [S]
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1956. War. Director: Ralph Thomas. Stars Katharine Hepburn, Bob Hope, James Robertson Justice & Robert Helpmann. A female pilot lands a Russian aircraft on German soil after flying off in a rage. [S]
The Imposter. 1979 Stars Richard O'Sullivan, Christopher Benjamin & David Daker. Glutton hires a man called Miller to pose as Turpin and discredit his name, even Swiftnick has fallen for the scam. [S]
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The Revolver. 1960. Stars Rupert Davies, Ewen Solon & Margaretta Scott. Maigret is faced with a strange situation when his revolver is stolen and seems likely to be used for attempted murder. [S]
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A Lesson in Manners. 1977. Stars Gemma Jones, Kevin McNally & Robin Langford. Louisa takes a callow chauffeur in tow and tries to turn him into a ''proper gentleman''. [S]
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1973. Director: Daryl Duke. Stars Rip Torn, Ahna Capri & Elayne Heilveil. Maury Dann, a not-so-nice country-western singer, ruthlessly manipulates everyone around him to suit his selfish needs. [S]
1996. Tonight, Britain's biggest adult actress, Sarah Young, is interviewed in the studio and get to know the 70 year old couple who won the French pig imitation championships.
1997. Hosted by Reverend Lionel Fanthorpe. Tonight, find out how a chimp might help treat baldness, defy gravity with floating frogs and are paranormal powers at play at your local football ground?
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