Richard Todd: Action and Adventure Star

stuart.uk
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Richard Todd: Action and Adventure Star

Post by stuart.uk »

Richard Todd was as hot as any other British actor in the 50s for making classic movies.

he got of to a good start with The Hasty Heart with Ronald Reagen and Patrica Neal, though i thought his performance and the film was overrated.
in America he got noticed for his role in Hitchcocks Stagefright with Marlene Dietrich and Jane Wyman.

in did a couple of films with Disney, playing Robin Hood and Rob Roy. he also did a great dramatic film A Man Called Peter, a true story of a Scottish minister Peter Marshal who becomes the Chaplin to the U.S Senate with Jean Peters as his wife Catherine. it's a pity no one had an idea for a sequal here, because Catherine Marshal led an interesting life after the death of her husband. Todd also teamed with Bette Davis as Elizabeth 1 and Joan Collins in The Virgin Queen

however, it's for his war movies Todd will be remembered. The Dambusters is still one of the great movies of the genre ever made. the story told of a heroic raid of a squadren of RAF Bombers, who destroyed two of the great west Germany dams with bouncing bombs, but at the cost of 56 lives. both Todd as Guy Gibson and Michael Redgrave as inventor Barnes Wallace were outstanding. it remains to be seen how the new David Frost produced remake will compare. i imagine it'll have a more warts and all feel to the story as the original was made only 9-yrs after the war finished and couldn't really cause offence.

Todd's other great war film was Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst, where he played the ship's Captain Cairns in a true story of how a British Naval ship while under seige by The Chinese Liberation Party, plans and succeeds with a daring escape. future Doctor Who William Hartnel co-starred. the film had a great ending as the ship was met by a Naval destroyer after the successful escape

he also did The Long And The Short And The Tall with Laurence Harvey and Richard Harris. another Todd war movie was D-Day 6th Of June with Robert Taylor

The Longest day was a semi Biopic role for Todd, for the Officer he played was one of the first to land in Normandy on D Day. this was also true of the actor as a young man
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mrsl
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Post by mrsl »

Hi Stuart:

See what happens??!! Those movies you listed first, Hasty Heart, Stagefright, and all the Disney stuff, I've seen it all. A Man Called Peter was also a terrific role for Richard. I'll have to Google his wife, I wasn't aware she continued with anything after he passed away.

Then you get to his war movies, and we are completely lost. It's like Richard Todd appeared out of nowhere in Hasty Heart, never knowing he had a name in another country. I guess that is one of the few things we can be grateful about with todays' marketing.

Only my problem is I don't watch foreign language films that are not dubbed. For one thing, the old eyes and brain are not always co-ordinated enough to finish reading before they go on to the next scene, and most of the time, I'm doing needlework and cannot keep looking up at the TV to read. I feel if I want to read, I'll pick up a book.

I didn't think I had seen many British movies before, but since you joined us, I find I've seen a whole lot of them; in fact about 75% of the ones you've mentioned! Keep up the good work!

Anne
Anne


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stuart.uk
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Post by stuart.uk »

Try this for size, i hope it works. it's two you tubes of what's considered Richard Todd's finest film. check next post for second video. i think you'll find even more clips in the related video section. when the clip you're watching finishes, it and another clip will show up. it should be the opening credits. the Dambusters March, the soundtrack is worth watching the movie alone



www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCRIsjJFRNo · Cached page
YouTube - The Dambusters
opening of The Dambusters movie ... Thank you for flagging this video. Content of this ... The Dambusters - The First Dam

youtube.com/watch?v=G3tF-iLP8Oo · Cached page
Show more results from youtube.com
Last edited by stuart.uk on January 28th, 2008, 1:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
stuart.uk
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Post by stuart.uk »

sorry can't get it on here, but you should be able to get related videos from the first link. look for Dambusters The Conclusion. it's very moving
Last edited by stuart.uk on January 28th, 2008, 1:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
stuart.uk
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Post by stuart.uk »

was able to give you this clip from the film, but not the one i was looking for

youtube.com/watch?v=G3tF-iLP8Oo · Cached page
YouTube - The Dambusters - Entering Enemy Territory
Thank you for flagging this video. Content of this nature is not necessarily ... The Dambusters - Conclusion

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY2hOhuGoms · Cached page
Show more results from www.youtube.com
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knitwit45
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Post by knitwit45 »

In regard to Peter Marshall,(A Man Called Peter) and his wife, Catherine: I am pretty sure the book and series "Christy" was based on her mother's experiences as a young girl growing up in North Carolina, who became a missionary to the peoples of the Great Smoky Mountains, during the early teens of the last century.
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moira finnie
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Re: Richard Todd

Post by moira finnie »

I came across an astonishing number of Richard Todd films in their entirety (and not broken up into segments) on youtube:

[youtube][/youtube]

[youtube][/youtube]

[youtube][/youtube]

[youtube][/youtube]

[youtube][/youtube]

[youtube][/youtube]

[youtube][/youtube]

[youtube][/youtube]
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: Richard Todd: Action and Adventure Star

Post by charliechaplinfan »

Thank you Moira, I like Richard Todd but have seen only a handful of his movies.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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JackFavell
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Re: Richard Todd: Action and Adventure Star

Post by JackFavell »

This is fascinating - I know I've seen him in something, but haven't seen any of these movies - it's a treasure trove! Thanks, Moira. :D
stuart.uk
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Re: Richard Todd: Action and Adventure Star

Post by stuart.uk »

Try this great movie for size

[youtube][/youtube]

[youtube][/youtube]
stuart.uk
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Re: Richard Todd: Action and Adventure Star

Post by stuart.uk »

Here's a tribute
[youtube][/youtube]
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: Richard Todd: Action and Adventure Star

Post by charliechaplinfan »

I watched Richard in Chase a Crooked Shadow over the weekend. I was absolutely enthralled by the narrative. Richard walks into Anne Baxter's/Kim Presscott's villa in Barcelona surprising her but insisting he is her brother, she knows he's not but whereever she turns it seems she just can't prove it. The story takes some lovely twists. Herbert Lom plays the police captain. This film showcases how Richard Todd can play good and bad and also make the viewer be unsure of exactly who he is.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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charliechaplinfan
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Re: Richard Todd: Action and Adventure Star

Post by charliechaplinfan »

I've just watched LIghtining Strikes Twice. Did Richard Todd go to Hollywood during his long career? He has the classic looks of a matinee idol along with a sense of danger. Very smooth and suave.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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JackFavell
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Re: Richard Todd: Action and Adventure Star

Post by JackFavell »

I've seen only one Richard Todd film since this thread was started, Hitchcock's Stage Fright, and I have to say he was quite good, making you believe in him thoroughly at the beginning.
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Jezebel38
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Re: Richard Todd: Action and Adventure Star

Post by Jezebel38 »

JackFavell wrote:I've seen only one Richard Todd film since this thread was started, Hitchcock's Stage Fright, and I have to say he was quite good, making you believe in him thoroughly at the beginning.
Oh, my JF - you really must see THE HASTY HEART. It is coming up on TCM in just two weeks (see below):

http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/3 ... Heart.html
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