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Lionel Jeffries
Lionel Charles Jeffries was an actor, director, and writer. He was born in Forest Hill, London in 1926, and became bald prematurely which he attributed to the humidity he experienced while serving in the Army in Burma during the Second World War. He is famously remembered playing the eccentric Grandpa Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He married in 1951 to Eileen Walsh and had one son and two daughters. He died in Poole, Dorset on 19th February 2010. A great actor who often stole the limelight from the lead role by a simple twitch or one liner.
Ref.: Anthony Hayward, The Independent, 20/02/10.
What members say |
Filmography
Lionel Jeffries - what members say
review by A customer from Birmingham, UK
Harryhausen in space... 19 January 2005
review by from Blandford Forum, Dorset.
Great murder yarn 23 June 2005
Lionel Jeffries - filmography
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The Danny Champion Of The World
on DVD
(1989)
Starring: Jeremy Irons, Robbie Coltrane, Samuel Irons
Director: Gavin Millar
Certificate: 
Nine year-old Danny lives in a gypsy caravan with his father William. Lord of the manor Victor Hazell is determined to own the land on which their caravan stands anyway he can. When William is snared by a man-trap Danny devises a plot that will see the obnoxious Victor Hazell off. Based on the ..read more »
 
68%
from 1,339 member
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A Chorus Of Disapproval
on DVD
(1988)
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Jeremy Irons, Richard Briers
Director: Michael Winner
Certificate: 
Following the death of his wife, Guy Jones (Jeremy Irons) is moved by his company to a sleepy seaside town, where, faced with knowing no-one and nights of boredom in front of the TV, he decides to join the local amateur dramatics society.
He is enthusiastically welcomed by eccentric Welsh Director,..read more »
56%
from 243 members
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The Water Babies
on DVD
(1978)
Starring: James Mason, Billie Whitelaw, Bernard Cribbins
Director: Lionel Jeffries
Certificate:
Charles Kingsley's classic magical children's tale of Tom, a twelve year-old boy who is apprenticed to the unkind Master Chimney Sweep, Grimes. Life is tough for Tom - while he sweeps, Grimes and his unpleasant sidekick, Masterman, busy themselves thieving. Live action and animation.
64%
from 960 members
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Wombling Free
(1977)
Starring: David Tomlinson, Frances De La Tour, Bonnie Langford
Director: Lionel Jeffries
Certificate:
Watch now: Included in all packages with LOVEFiLM Instant
Based on the long running TV series, WOMBLING FREE has the adorable Wombles facing two struggles. Whilst they continue to wage their ongoing war against litter after being invited to a child's birthday party, they have to prove their existence to the people of Wimbledon common.
60%
from 407 members
Not available for rental
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The Amazing Mr Blunden
(1972)
Starring: Laurence Naismith, James Villiers, Diana Dors
Director: Lionel Jeffries
Certificate:
A mysterious, old solicitor Mr Blunden offers a destitute family the chance to become housekeepers of a derelict country mansion, which is currently in his charge. Once there the children meet the spirits of others who died in a fire a hundred years earlier. They concoct a potion to enable them to ..read more »
70%
from 1,174 member
Not currently released
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Eyewitness
(1970)
Starring: Mark Lester, Lionel Jeffries
Director: John Hough
Certificate: 
Mark Lester (OLIVER) stars in this thriller as Ziggy, an 11 year-old with a penchant for telling tall tales who witnesses the assassination of an African president by two corrupt policemen. Because of his propensity for spinning tales, when Ziggy tries to tell people what he saw no one believes him,..read more »
36%
from 5 members
Not available for rental
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Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon
(1967)
Starring: Burl Ives, Troy Donahue, Gert Frobe
Director: Don Sharp
Certificate:
Watch now: Included in all packages with LOVEFiLM Instant
When Phileas.T. Barnum and friends attempt to send the first rocket to the moon, in the hope of making a fortune, their mission is rife with problems. Beginning with dire capital discrepancies, the crew also finds itself the object of sabotage and espionage. It seems impossible that they shall be ..read more »
57%
from 175 members
Not currently released
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Camelot
on DVD
(1967)
Starring: Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave, Franco Nero
Director: Joshua Logan
Certificate:
A musical adaptation of the legendary King Arthur and the Knights Of The Round Table. Songs include: 'If Ever I Would Leave You', 'How To Handle A Woman' and 'Then You May Take Me To The Fair'. Music directors include Ken Darby and Alfred Newman. Music and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, Edward Carere ..read more »
60%
from 941 members
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The Spy with a Cold Nose
(1966)
Starring: Laurence Harvey, Daliah Lavi, Lionel Jeffries
Director: Daniel Petrie
Certificate:
A veterinarian is hired by the British government to implant a recording device into a bulldog, which will then be given to the Russians as a gift. When the dog gets sick, the vet must fly to Russia to treat it before the Russians find out the animal is "bugged."
27%
from 8 members
Currently unavailable
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First Men In The Moon
on DVD
(1964)
Starring: Edward Judd, Martha Hyer, Lionel Jeffries
Director: Nathan Juran
Certificate:
As a team of United Nations astronauts are planning an upcoming moon mission, they are approached by an elderly man who recounts a trip he took to the moon 65 years ago (in 1899) and was attacked by "Selenites," a race of ant-like beings that dwell in caverns of crystal. Based on the story by H.G. ..read more »
66%
from 1,142 member
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The Scarlet Blade
on DVD
(1963)
Starring: Douglas Blackwell, Lionel Jeffries, Oliver Reed
Director: John Gilling
Certificate:
A historical adventure set during the English Civil War from the famous Hammer Film Productions. Oliver Reed is in devilish form as a Roundhead soldier who kidnaps the King on the orders of his tyrannical Colonel (Lionel Jeffries). It's down to a local group of loyal soldiers to rescue him, led by ..read more »
59%
from 11 members
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The Notorious Landlady
on DVD
(1962)
Starring: Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, Fred Astaire
Director: Richard Quine
Certificate:
This uneven farce by director Richard Quine has its hilarious and witty moments as American diplomat William Gridley (Jack Lemmon) inadvertently gets caught up in a jewel theft and mayhem. After William lands in London to take up his new position and get settled in his new digs, he becomes involved ..read more »
60%
from 9 members
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Two Way Stretch
(1960)
Starring: Peter Sellers, Wilfrid Hyde White, Lionel Jeffries
Director: Robert Day
Certificate:
Watch now: Included in all packages with LOVEFiLM Instant
Even though the prison conditions in which Sellers and his pals live are more similar to those of a luxury hotel than a jail, they find that they must leave a day before their scheduled parole in order to pull off a jewel heist.
72%
from 1,171 member
Currently unavailable
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Revenge Of Frankenstein
on DVD
(1958)
Starring: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Francis Matthews
Director: Terence Fisher
Certificate: 
When Dr. Frankenstein escapes the guillotine he returns to his sepulchral experiments, starting over with fresh body parts and assisted by a hunchbacked dwarf. Running a clinic for the wealthy, he secretly creates another creature from various body parts and places the brain of his hunchbacked ..read more »
64%
from 546 members
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The Baby and the Battleship
on DVD
(1956)
Starring: John Mills, Richard Attenborough, Andre Morell
Director: Jay Lewis
Certificate: 
After a quayside mix-up with the Italian family of his fiancée, able Seaman, Knocker White, finds himself literally left holding the baby. Unable to return it before his ship sails he enlists the help of best mate Puncher Roberts to smuggle the child aboard. But babies are surprisingly demanding ..read more »
68%
from 61 members
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Jumping for Joy
on DVD
(1956)
Starring: Frankie Howerd, Stanley Holloway, A.E. Matthews
Director: John Paddy Carstairs
Certificate:
It’s a dog’s life in this hilarious British comedy! When Willie Joy (comedy legend Frankie Howered) is fired from his job at the greyhound stadium, he takes pity on a fellow victim and adopts an injured greyhound called Lindy Lou, who would otherwise be destroyed.
Teaming up with amiable con-man ‘..read more »
62%
from 23 members
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The Colditz Story
on DVD
(1954)
Starring: John Mills, Eric Portman, Lionel Jeffries
Director: Guy Hamilton
Certificate:
This collection features four of the greatest British war films of all time. THE DAM BUSTERS, starring Michael Redgrave and Richard Todd, is a World War II adventure which centers around the British efforts to destroy two enormous dams in Germany. In THE COLDITZ STORY, starring John Mills, a group ..read more »
70%
from 1,924 member
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Lola / The Witness
on DVD
(1953)
Starring: Charles Bronson, Susan George, Jack Hawkins
Director: Richard Donner
Certificate:
Features two movies on one DVD. In LOLA, a middle-aged writer falls in love with a 16-year old English nymphet. Boasting a strong performance from Charles Bronson as the writer. In THE WITNESS, a young boy who has witnessed the crime for which his father is being wrongly accused attempts to free ..read more »
40%
from 79 members
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Black Rider/Glad Tidings
on DVD
(1953)
Starring: Jimmy Handley, Rona Anderson, Barbara Kelly
Director: Wolf Rilla
Certificate:
Black Rider: Jimmy Hanley stars in this 1954 production filmed at Nettlefold studios, Walton. Directed by Wolf Rilla (Village of the Damned) and with a strong British cast, local reporter Jerry (Hanley) is out to prove the ghostly monk is infact very real, with bosses daughter (Rona Anderson) the ..read more »
27%
from 4 members
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Prisoner Of Zenda
on DVD
Starring: Peter Sellers, Elke Sommer, Lionel Jeffries
Director: Richard Quine
Certificate:
A comical remake of the drama which sees the king of Ruritiana dying in a hot air balloon whilst his eldest son plays around in London. A stand-in is called in for the old king in the form of a London cabbie, to foil the plans of evil Prince Michael.
50%
from 36 members
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The Shillingbury Tales
(2 discs)
Starring: Robin Nedwell, Diane Keen, Lionel Jeffries
Director: Val Guest
Certificate:
The village of Shillingbury is a tranquil place, representative of traditional rural England. It is a picture postcard village of thatched roofs and afternoon cream teas. Everything is perfect...
60%
from 144 members
Not available for rental
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Lionel Jeffries facts
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...iques. Loosely based on H.G. Well's book and with mild comic relief provided by Lionel Jeffries, the film's transfer to DVD is bright and colourful although I was disappointed...
