John Baxter

Charlie Chalk is a stop motion animation series produced in 1987 in the United Kingdom by Woodland Animations, from the creators of Postman Pat and the two other children's television programmes that are Gran and Bertha.

The granddaughter of an old showman is kept away from him by his daughter, ashamed of their background. But the girl is phenomenally talented by hereditary, and wins a talent competition, leading to star in a west end show.

After being arrested for assaulting a football referee, desperate train driver Bill (Arthur Askey) raids the railwaymen's holiday fund to cover his £55 fine. He knows he's going to be discovered though, leaving him no choice but to get the money back by hook or by crook! His last chance is to run a book on the United v City football derby. If that wasn't tense enough, Bill's son is also making his debut for United. It looks like it's going to be a day to remember - do you dare look? ...The Love Match.

In this delightful fantasy adventure, a mild-mannered writer of adventure stories for girls finds himself presented with an intriguing proposition from an elderly fan. She suggests that they conspire to steal a secret whiskey formula from ruthless distillers, who themselves stole it from her family in years gone by. With the recipe back in hand however, it's not long before they attract attention from the Inspectors of Scotland Yard.

Sid Gibson is a soap powder salesman who decides what he really needs is TV advertising. The problem is, he's absolutely broke. He calls upon his friend Arthur Ashton, who arranges to sneak a plug for Sid's suds into a live TV spectacular. The public goes bananas for the product but to maintain sales Sid and Arthur must arrange for ever more outrageous plugs on TV shows. The Ascots races, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo - no show is safe.

Depressing and realistic family drama about the struggles of unemployment and poverty in 1930s Lancashire. The 20-year-old Kerr gives an emotionally charged performance as Hardcastle, one of the cotton workers trying to make life better. Interlaced with humour that brings a ray of sunshine to the pervasive bleakness, this remains a powerful social study of life between the wars, and was a rare problem picture to come out of Britain at the time.

The Theatre Royal is a struggling London venue battling to keep its doors open. When the bank threatens to close it, the workers fear that they will soon be forced out of their jobs. The Royal's property master, Bob Parker (Bud Flanagan), recruits the rest of the staff to stage a benefit gala. They hope their show, featuring songs and dances, can raise enough cash to stave off the end. Meanwhile, they seek investors who can keep the Theatre Royal and its staff in business permanently.

An out-of-work comedian persuades a drunken nobleman to join a protest against the closing of a village hall.

'Farm life on the South Downs. A gentleman farmer beats his unscrupulous rival in sheepdog trials.' (British Film Institute)

Charters and Caldicott are touring the Middle East. After visiting Saudi Arabia they find themselves in Bagdad where they are mistaken by a group of German spies for the messengers who are to carry a song record by beautiful singer La Palermo which contains secret instructions of the German Intelligence. Realizing their error, the German spies follow Charters and Caldicott to Istanbul and Budapest, trying to eliminate them and retrieve the record.

As WWII begins, vaudeville entertainer Tommy Towers is called up to serve. He arranges a job for his girlfriend at the local pub. To keep moral up, his commanding officer orders him to perform for the troops.

On the death of his father, an eighteen-year old leaves school to take over the family firm in the City of London. Realising the other directors want to keep him in the dark he starts asking questions, and is soon undercover as a down-and-out in a hostel which will disappear if a company building project goes ahead.

A group of very strange men, refugees and casualties of the war, rally round when one of their number is framed by a drug racketeer. Co-opting a well-known journalist to their cause, they scheme to bring the racketeer to justice in a home-made "trial" in the crypt of a ruined church.

Mr. Ferber is an old man living in Pendragon Castle along with his two grandchildren Bobby and Paddy who find a small dragon to heat their castle. The dragon helps them to find hidden treasure in the castle.

A patriotic, cinematic salvo, this wartime production tells the story of the owner of a shipbuilding company doing his best to contribute to the British fleet. War is good for business, but what will happen once the war is won? It was based on a novel by George Blake.

A night watchman is being bludgeoned, as a safe is cracked open in the offices of the District Food Controller. A list of wartime foods to be rationed is stolen, and the police fear gangsters are planning to sell the foods on the black market. As the office charwoman, Old Mother Riley's fingerprints are all over the safe, and she becomes the police's number one suspect. To prove her innocence, Mother Riley turns detective, adopting various methods and disguises to track down the villains.

The Helliwells, the Soppitts, and the Parkers, old friends gathered to celebrate their common silver anniversaries. To their dismay they learn that their marriages may not be valid. On hand are an outrageous housekeeper and a photographer.

When a pretty Wren faints in a crowded train, Private Bud Flanagan and Captain Ches Allen are quick to render first aid. But over Bud's head, a heavy kitbag wobbles; it falls and scores a direct hit, knocking him unconscious. What follows is a dream sequence involving Ches, the Wren and Bud himself in a series of hilarious adventures as well as a magical medley of the duo's best-loved musical numbers!

Old Mother Riley does the laundry for the dancers in the pantomime "Aladdin", where her daughter Kitty works as a chorus girl. Sneaking a peek at the show one day, Mother Riley accidentally pops up through a trap door onto the stage. Accosted by the angry star, Mother Riley’s belligerent responses have the audience in stitches. Outraged, the star walks out, leaving Kitty to take over the leading role, to great success.

Bill Ramsbottom sells his English pub and drags his family off to Canada where he has inherited a ranch from his grandfather Wild Bill Ramsbottom. He ends up tangling with outlaw Black Jake, an Indian chief Blue Eagle, and the local law.