Basil Dearden

Dead of Night -- Exploring themes sparked in MANHUNTER, the 1986 Michael Mann film

A spectacular historical epic set in 1885... Commanded by a determined religious leader called "The Mahdi" (Laurence Olivier), 80,000 fierce Sudanese warriors massacre 8,000 untrained, British-led Egyptian troops in the desert, 100 miles beyond Khartoum. British Prime Minister Gladstone (Sir Ralph Richardson) learns of the slaughter and that The Mahdi is determined to claim the great city of Khartoum to prove his divine mission and power. General Charles "Chinese" Gordon (Charlton Heston) is persuaded to try to make peace. He must also find a way to evacuate the Egyptian army defending Khartoum and protect its inhabitants. Directed by Basil Dearden. The stunning action sequences were directed by Yakima Canutt.

Basil Dearden directs this caper comedy that follows veteran con man Silas (Richard Attenborough), his lover Liz (Alexandra Stewart) and their young protégé Bob (David Hemmings) as they trot the globe, swindling African militants and other high-profile marks out of their cash. But tension among the three crooks grows when Bob decides he would make a better criminal leader than the aging Silas -- as well as a more virile boyfriend for Liz.

In this epic tale of the British Army's travails in North Africa, two acting giants appear together for the first and only time: Charlton Heston portrays General Charles "Chinese" Gordon, who in 1883 led the defense of the Sudanese garrison against a Muslim rebellion. And Laurence Olivier plays the instigator of that uprising -- Mahdi, the "spiritual leader" of the Sudan. Robert Ardrey received an Oscar nomination for his screenplay.

A spectacular historical epic set in 1885. Commanded by a determined religious leader called "The Mahdi" (Laurence Olivier), 80,000 fierce Sudanese warriors massacre 8,000 untrained, British-led Egyptian troops in the desert, 100 miles beyond Khartoum. British Prime Minister Gladstone (Sir Ralph Richardson) learns of the slaughter and that The Mahdi is determined to claim the great city of Khartoum to prove his divine mission and power. General Charles "Chinese" Gordon (Charlton Heston) is persuaded to try and make peace. He must also find a way to evacuate the Egyptian army defending Khartoum and protect its inhabitants. Directed by Basil Dearde. The stunning action sequences were directed by Yakima Canutt.

A spectacular historical epic set in 1885. Commanded by a determined religious leader called "The Mahdi" (Laurence Olivier), 80,000 fierce Sudanese warriors massacre 8,000 untrained, British-led Egyptian troops in the desert, 100 miles beyond Khartoum. British Prime Minister Gladstone (Sir Ralph Richardson) learns of the slaughter and that The Mahdi is determined to claim the great city of Khartoum to prove his divine mission and power. General Charles "Chinese" Gordon (Charlton Heston) is persuaded to try and make peace. He must also find a way to evacuate the Egyptian army defending Khartoum and protect its inhabitants. Directed by Basil Dearde. The stunning action sequences were directed by Yakima Canutt.

On a covert mission to kidnap the young heir (Christopher Witty) to an oil-rich nation's throne, cunning Col. Drexel (Jack Hawkins) secretly double crosses his British superiors, frames his good friend, Frazer (Cliff Robertson), and attempts to personally pocket a hefty ransom for the prince's return. Based on a novel by Victor Canning, this witty spy parody also stars Marisa Mell as a tempting seductress.

When he learns that his cruel but fantastically wealthy uncle Charles (Ralph Richardson) intends to deny him an inheritance, greedy Anthony Richmond (Sean Connery) hatches a scheme with the old geezer's Italian nurse, Maria (Gina Lollobrigida), to get his hands on a chunk of the fortune. But Maria has second thoughts, and soon Charles turns up dead prematurely. Was it coincidence or foul play? Basil Dearden directs this thrilling mystery-drama.

A young man is kidnapped and subjected to unspeakable mental and physical torture at the hands of a mysterious doctor and his silent, brutal sidekick. But what has he done to warrant such treatment, and what is the doctor's ultimate plan for him?

After futilely hunting a mysterious arsonist dubbed "Firefly," upright police officer Jack (Stanley Baker) investigates youth gang leader Johnnie (David McCallum), falls in love with the lad's sister (Anne Heywood), and discovers connections between the boy and several blazes. Co-starring Peter Cushing as a stern but ultimately concerned priest, this juvenile delinquent drama culminates in a nail-biting climax.

Jean and Bill are a struggling married couple with Bill trying to scrape a living as a writer. Out of the blue they receive a telegram informing them that Bill's long-lost uncle has died and left them his cinema in the town of Sloughborough. They travel to Sloughborough expecting to sell the cinema to gain a huge inheritance. However, they discover the cinema is falling apart and is run by a comically incompetent. They set out with a plan to sell it but things don't quite go to plan.

This gritty thriller -- which heavily influenced later crime dramas such as Jack Webb's "Dragnet" -- focuses on interrelated episodes in the lives of several London policemen, including veteran bobby George Dixon (Jack Warner). When the seasoned officer is murdered by a pair of lowlife hoodlums (Dirk Bogarde and Patric Doonan), rookie cop Andy Mitchell (Jimmy Hanley) helps nail the killers in this BAFTA winner for Best Film.