Alec Guinness

Adela Quested (Judy Davis) is sailing from England to British Raj India with Mrs. Moore (Peggy Ashcroft), the mother of her intended bridegroom, Ronny Heaslop (Nigel Havers), Mrs. Moore's son from her first marriage. Heaslop is the City magistrate in Chandrapore, and Adela intends to see if she can make a go of it. Mrs Moore is scheduled to return from India after a few weeks, and Adela intends to stay on and has an open-ended ticket with the cruise liner. The ship arrives in Bombay, from where the ladies have to travel another 1000 miles over land to reach Chandrapore. Collector Turton (Richard Wilson) is Ronny's boss in Chandrapore and is travelling on the same train, with his wife Mrs Turton (Antonia Pemberton). The ladies are disappointed to find that the British community is very much separated from the Indian population and culture with a growing Indian independence movement in the 1920s. Anthony (Ashok Mandanna) is Ronny's butler. Major McBryde (Michael Culver) is in charge of law and order in the town. Turton makes attempts to help Adela and Mrs Moore meet Indians in social settings, but Adela is ashamed to see that the Indians are not treated well by the British. Indians are seen with distrust and disdain. Mrs Moore also admonishes Ronny and says that she cannot understand this disdain for the fellow human. Mrs. Moore meets by chance another Indian local, Dr Aziz Ahmed (Victor Banerjee) at the local mosque, which she visits at night and happens to find Aziz there. Aziz is a widower who is surprised by her kindness and lack of prejudice. Ali (Art Malik) and Aziz are good friends. Advocate Hamidullah (Saeed Jaffrey) and Begum Hamidullah (Dina Pathak) are also very close to Aziz. Adela and Mrs Moore are encouraged when the local school superintendent Richard Fielding (James Fox), introduces them to the eccentric elderly Hindu Brahmin scholar Professor Narayan Godbole (Alec Guinness). Fielding also formally introduces Aziz to the ladies. Aziz offers to host an excursion to the local Marabar Caves. Godbole tries to discourage the ladies by saying that the caves are dark and empty. Ronny reacts very strongly to Adela meeting Indians, prompting her to later tell Ronny that she has decided that she will not marry him. Meanwhile Aziz is in a state of panic. Hamidullah tells Aziz that he will have to arrange transport from the station to the hills, furniture for the English ladies to sit, food for the English and for Professor Godbole (who eats only fruits), and alcohol. All of this will mean he will have to hire servants. To clear her head, Adela takes a bike ride and comes upon some abandoned ruins. She finds ancient Indian art celebrating carnal love between man and woman. She finds the images savage and is also attacked by monkeys. She returns home to embrace Ronny and tells him that she was wrong to reject him. Ronny and Adela get engaged. On the day of the expedition, Fielding and Godbole miss the train when they arrive late due to Godbole's prayers. After the train, Aziz had arranged elephants to transport Mrs Moore and Adela to the hills. Just outside the caves, Aziz sets up the furniture and serves port wine to the ladies. The initial exploration of the caves shows that the size of the party should be limited when Mrs. Moore suffers from claustrophobia and the noise from the large entourage echoes exponentially inside the caves. Mrs. Moore encourages Adela and Aziz to continue their exploration of the caves alone with just one guide. They reach the caves at a higher elevation some distance from the group and, before entering, Aziz steps away to smoke a cigarette. He returns to find Adela has disappeared. Shortly afterwards, he sees her running headlong down the hill, disheveled. She is picked up by the doctor Major Callendar's (Clive Swift) wife, Mrs. Callendar (Ann Firbank) who had arrived at the caves with Fielding, and taken to the Callendars' home. Adela is bleeding and delirious. Dr. Callendar medicates Adela with a hypodermic syringe. Upon his return to Chandrapore, Dr. Aziz is accused of attempting to sexually assault Adela inside the caves, is jailed awaiting trial, and the incident exposes clear fault-lines between the Indians and the British. It is reported that Adela herself accused Aziz of sexual assault. Ali and Hamidullah volunteer to be Aziz's legal counsel. Adela is kept sedated as her entire body is riddled with cactus spines when she ran into while running down the hill. Godbole tells Fielding that no matter what he does, the outcome of the trial against Aziz is already decided. Mrs. Moore firmly believes Aziz did not commit any offense and departs India for England. Seemingly enjoying her passage at sea, Mrs. Moore suddenly suffers an apparent heart attack and dies. Hamidullah and Ali bring in noted advocate Amrit Rao (Roshan Seth) from Calcutta to defend Aziz. Fielding declares under pressure to Turton that he will resign from the college if Aziz is found guilty. In court, Adela is questioned by the prosecutor, who is stunned when Adela replies that Dr. Aziz never entered the cave, where the supposed attempt took place. It becomes clear to Adela that her earlier signed accusation of attempted sexual assault was false, so she recants. Aziz is freed and celebrated for his innocence. Adela is abandoned to her own devices by the British, except for Mr. Fielding, who assists her to safety at the college. She plans to return to England at the earliest moment. Hamidullah plans to sue Adela for damages of Rs 20,000 but Fielding talks Aziz out of it. Aziz rids himself of his western associations and vows to find a new job in another Indian state; he opens a clinic in the lake area near Srinagar, Kashmir. Meanwhile, through Adela, Fielding has married Stella Moore (Sandra Hotz), Mrs. Moore's daughter from her second marriage. Fielding brings Stella to meet Aziz in Kashmir. Aziz eventually reconciles with Fielding, and Aziz writes to Adela asking her to forgive him for taking so long to come to appreciate the courage she exercised when she withdrew her accusation in court.

An eccentric millionaire invites the world`s top detectives to his remote mansion to involve them in a baffling whodunit, convinced he can out-sleuth them all.

Dramatization of events in the life of St. Francis of Assisi from before his conversion experience through his audience with the pope, including his friendship with St. Clare. In early-13th-century Assisi in Italian Umbria, the son of a rich merchant, Francesco Bernardone, returns ill from war. In his delirium, he goes back in his memories to the days when he lived for parties and carnal pleasures. Yet, the shadow of the cross that he sees in fever brings an end to his old life. The armor which he calls "my death mask" appears to be his final clothing of the old human. He slowly recovers, but after the illness he is no longer the Francesco that everybody knew. Instead of spending hours in taverns, he spends them in meadows; instead of drinking, he meditates on the beauty of God's creatures. He encounters a ruined little church where, from the old cross, Christ changes his life forever. Francesco renounces riches and his family and starts to rebuild the church as "il Poverello--the poorest of the poor." Soon, he gathers many people who are willingly built into a powerful new Spiritual Temple. Will the kingly Pope accept a new order of beggars and the poorest of the poor? Will the shining gold accept the inner treasure? —Marcin Kukuczka

During World War II, a lonely German air-raid warden captures two downed American airmen and keeps them prisoner in his basement way past the end of the war. During World War II, two Americans are forced to bail out and parachute into a small German town. Herr Frick, being equal parts patriotic and lonely, keeps them as prisoners of war in his bomb shelter. While his prisoners go stir crazy, Herr Frick must decide if he's willing to lose their companionship by letting them know the war has ended. —Sean Starke <starke@worldcom.com>

One of cinema`s grandest epics, the movie recounts the life of T.E. Lawrence, a British officer who united and led the Arabs across a desert to attack the Turks in World War I.

In 1797, the humane Captain Crawford is in command of the frigate HMS Defiant during the French Revolutionary Wars. He soon finds himself in a battle of wills with his first officer, the sadistic and supercilious first lieutenant, Mr. Scott-Padget. The lieutenant believes that Crawford is too soft on his crew, and also disagrees with the captain's decision to follow his orders to sail to Corsica despite word that Napoleon's army has overrun much of Italy. Scott-Padget has powerful family connections, which he has used in the past to "beach" two previous commanding officers with whom he disagreed. Knowing that Crawford is helpless to intervene, Scott-Padget subjects the Captain's son, Midshipman Harvey Crawford, to excessive daily punishments so as to gain leverage over the captain. Meanwhile, some of the crew, led by seaman Vizard, are preparing a written petition for better conditions, in conjunction with similar efforts throughout the British fleet. They eventually pledge nearly the entire crew. In the Mediterranean, the Defiant encounters a French frigate escorting a merchant ship. After a sharp engagement, a boarding party from the Defiant captures the French frigate, and the merchantman surrenders. Crawford dispatches his son as part of the prize crew tasked to sail the captured merchantman to a British port, thereby placing him out of Scott-Padget's reach. Crawford tells Scott-Padget that bringing his son with him was a mistake, but now he's "put it right!" He further vows to take actions that will "astound" his second-in-command. Before long, Scott-Padget is confined to quarters as punishment for insubordination. His humiliation is compounded by the requirement that he appear on deck every two hours in full dress uniform, a punishment usually reserved for young midshipmen. Soon, Defiant fights and captures a Venetian frigate, taking on many prisoners. Crawford is severely wounded in the action and eventually loses his arm. Discovered among the prisoners is a key aide to Napoleon, from whom the British learn important information about a planned invasion of Britain. With Crawford incapacitated, Scott-Padget takes command, but his brutality goads the crew into a premature mutiny. Appealing to their patriotism, Crawford convinces Vizard and the other mutineers to sail for the main British fleet blockading Rochefort to warn them of the impending invasion. Crawford promises to intercede for the crew as best he can, on the condition that none of the officers are harmed. As the Defiant reaches the fleet at Rochefort, they receive word that the main British fleet has already mutinied, with the Admiralty agreeing to all of the sailors' demands and granting an amnesty to those who took part. The crew's jubilation at the news is cut short when a hot-headed seaman, Evans, murders Scott-Padget. Realising that they are now all doomed to punishment as mutineers, an enraged Vizard kills Evans. Their only course now is to try to escape with the ship. Just then, the French fleet sallies out from port, and a French fireship is sighted heading straight for the British flagship. As the only ship under sail, the Defiant has the unique opportunity to save the flagship. Once again, Crawford appeals to the crew's patriotism, making no promises but convincing them to intercept the fireship. Vizard is killed in the ensuing action, living just long enough to hear a message from the British admiral thanking Defiant for their honourable actions. The mutiny is over and HMS Defiant joins the fleet

In the first shot, a quintessentially British man in a dark suit and hat, tightly rolled umbrella, and immobile face, strides along Havana streets besieged by grinning musicians and hawkers. Hawthorne (Noel Coward) is a Secret Service official based in Jamaica charged with recruiting a group of secret agents to report on Cuban military activities for a monthly stipend. Hawthorne approaches Jim Wormold (Alec Guinness), an expatriate Englishman living in Havana in the late 1950s with his beautiful teenage daughter Milly (Jo Morrow), who is attending a Catholic all girls school. Jim has lived in Cuba for fifteen years, and despite the rocky political climate, considers it home. Wormold's spare time consists of drinks with German Dr. Hasselbacher (Burl Ives) and fawning over his daughter, who has reached that precarious threshold between childhood and adulthood. Milly is being trailed by police captain Segura (Ernie Kovacs), who is friendly with the nuns at Millys school, and is looking for a traditional and pretty young woman to be his wife from among the graduating students. Milly, a dazzling blonde, is his target. When the very conspicuous Hawthorne shows up, Segura guesses that something of interest to the police may be going on, and makes inquiries hoping to use the information for blackmailing Jim in his favor, if necessary. Jim owns a vacuum cleaner shop but isn't successful enough, as he wants to provide greater luxuries for Milly, such as finishing school in Switzerland, and Milly has some expensive expectations of her own, such as owning a horse. Jim says yes to Hawthorne because of his money needs, but he has no clue about spying. Hawthorne shows him how to encode messages for telegraphing his reports and gives him general pointers. Hawthorne just tells him to approach people he knows, but that gets Jim nowhere. Jim approaches one of his trusted employees but the man misunderstands and thinks Jim is asking for prostitutes. Several times during the rest of the movie, a prostitute is brought to him by this employee. Prodded by Millys wishes to have a horse, Jim gets the Secret Service to pay for his membership in a hugely expensive country club, with the excuse that he needs access to a place where he meets important people. When he approaches members of the country club, his social ineptitude creates confusions and they think he is trying to come onto them. Instead of spying, Wormold spends most of his time drinking at the country club, which he can finally afford. Jims closest friend, a former German army officer, Dr. Hasselbacher, suggests that the best secrets are known to no one, so Jim decides to pretend to have a list of agents and provide fictional tales for the benefit of the bosses in London. Hasselbacher opines that Jim would not be doing anything immoral because countries feel obligated to play a game and spy on each other, and it might has well be him who gets paid. As he does nothing real to report, Jim pretends first to recruit agents and then that they discover secret constructions. In order to have a semblance of credibility, the names and professions he gives his fake agents are names and professions of real people. When London messages demand some information beyond lists of names, Jim notices that images of his vacuum cleaners, if enlarged and doctored, look like odd buildings having a scientific or military purpose. He sends drawings to England, and the spy boss C (Ralph Richardson) is deeply impressed. Some other reports are inspired by comic strips. He is seen as the best agent in the Western Hemisphere, and the spy agency decides to send him support staff. Soon Beatrice Severn (Maureen O'Hara) arrives in Havana, sent by C to be his "bookkeeper" and assistant. Beatrice finds Jim romantically attractive. When she begins to catch on to the deceptions, she keeps quiet despite misgivings. There are others who get suspicious of Wormold at the Agency. One agent comments to C that the drawings look like parts of a vacuum cleaner, enlarged. Hawthorne hears this while he is behind C, and realizes what Guinness is sending, but he keeps quiet. Captain Segura is aware, after hearing of Jims approaches to local fellows, that Jim was recruiting spies, but he bides his time, as his interest is getting Jim's consent for him to marry Milly. Milly accepts some courting, but her interests are rather with her horse rather than marrying. Dr. Hasselbacher, tempted by Jims reports of easy money in exchange for false information, also starts to sell lies, judging that no significant harm results from the deception. Wormolds originally harmless fraud eventually becomes dangerous. As British Intelligence agencies begin to take his work seriously, so does the other side, and thus Wormold is a wanted man, dead or alive. Spys from the other side begin to decode his cables and start disrupting his network. One of the men whom Wormold pretended was one of his agents dies in a suspicious accident. An engineer named Cifuentes (Grégoire Aslan) whom Jim approached multiple times at the country club is kidnapped and dropped off at Jims doorstep bound and gagged. These events give London the impression that Wormold's networks are under attack. Hawthorne has Jim go to Jamaica for consultations, where he warns him that Jim's discovery of military secrets is so impressive that the other sides agents have decided to silence him by assassination, most likely by poisoning at a banquet Jim has to attend as part of his vacuum cleaner business. Hawthorne instructs Jim in a variety of techniques to avoid being poisoned by food or drink. Jim manages to figure out the assassin is none other than a friendly man he met on the flight to Kingston, but he is unable to prevent the murder of his friend Dr. Hasselbacher. In seeking to avenge his friend, Jim arranges to have a meeting with Segura, ostensibly to discuss the possible courtship of Milly. Jim must get Segura so drunk that he passes out, so he can steal a loaded gun. As both of them are avid checkers players, he arranges a game of checkers to be played with miniature bottles of liquor. Each time one is captured, it must be opened and drunk immediately. As the captain is in fact a better player, the Captain gets totally, drunk, and Jim takes the gun to kill the would be assassin. Pretending friendship, he has made arrangements to go out on the town with the assassin, using himself as a decoy, assuming that the assassin will use the occasion to have him ambushed and killed by others somewhere. He tells the assassin they will be going to a couple of semi clandestine night clubs, giving their names, but in fact he goes to others, so the ambushers are sent to the wrong place, the assassin is isolated, and Jim shoots him with Seguras gun at the door of a brothel. Captain Segura wakes from his drunken binge unaware of what happened. The next day, however, after Jim and Milly attend Hasselbachers funeral, the captain orders Jim deported, and he must return to London. He tells all details of what he has done to Beatrice, who decides to quit the spy business and return to London with him. Meantime, Beatrice and Milly have become friends, Milly accepts Beatrice as a future stepmother. Accompanied by Beatrice and Milly, Jim goes to a meeting with C and other spy bosses in London. While he is waiting to be seen, the officials discuss what they should do with him. To reveal to the Prime Minister and the other top brass that Jim concocted all his intelligence would have a damaging effect on the intelligence aparatus, so they come up with a solution. A story is fabricated, claiming the hardware that Jim's agent had seen had since been dismantled. Wormold is told he is to receive an O.B.E, and the secret service offers him a position teaching espionage classes to new recruits in London. With this money, he can afford to send Milly to the fancy school in Switzerland.

A highly principled British colonel becomes obsessed with leading a band of P.O.W.s to build a bridge at the behest of their Japanese captors in World War II Burma.

A Cardinal, a hero of resistance, endures brutal interrogation with unshakable resolve, refusing to confess his supposed treason. As his tormentor's methods fail, the interrogator finds himself unexpectedly moved by pity for indomitable. A Cardinal is arrested for treason against the state. As a Prince of his church, he's a popular hero of this people for his resistance against the Nazis during the war, and his resistance after his country again fell to another totalitarian conqueror. In prison, his interrogator is determined to get a confession of guilt from the strong-willed man, and thus destroy his power over his people. The verbal and psychological battles are gripping and powerful, not even the increasing pressures put upon the Cardinal can force him to weaken, not even solitary confinement, continuous blazing light in his cell, sleeplessness, efforts to persuade him he is going mad. And yet, in the deepening conflict, the superbly indomitable prisoner creates a tremendous pity on his tormentor. —alfiehitchie