Alvin Rakoff

In 1978, the BBC set itself the task of filming all of William Shakespeare’s plays for television. The resulting productions, renowed for their loyalty to the text, utilised the best theatrical and television directors and brought great performances from leading contemporary actors.

Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes a pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.Read More »

Synopsis by Michael P. Rogers
Before Eddie Constantine became a French pop icon as the slapdash “Lemmy Caution,” he played Johnny, a straightforward London taxi driver. When his new taxi is smashed and he needs a big loan, he agrees to a five-minute marriage to Malou, a naive French girl, so she can become a British citizen. As planned, the two part after the nuptials, not realizing that this has all been rigged as a recruiting scheme by Nick (Herbert Lom), the boss of a Soho prostitution ring. Malou learns of Nick’s plans for her future and tries to escape but is drugged and locked up. With help from the head “girl,” Vicki (Diana Dors), Johnny learns of Malou’s peril, and hatches a plan to free her. This dark action thriller has a few clever twists, and Dors is gorgeous, but her fans may be disappointed at the smallness of her roleRead More »