Ken Hutchison

One of the most brilliant character actors of his generation, Hollywood's loss was British television's gain with Ken Hutchison. Born in Scotland, his handsome features and cheeky expression guaranteed him a career in character roles, but his dangerous streak led him early in his career into dark, villainous roles. He was cast by Sam Peckinpah as one of the sinister villagers of Straw Dogs (1971), raping Susan George and participating in the film's closing violent siege. Peckinpah took to the actor, and the pair indulged in their love of drinking throughout the shoot, often to the frustration of those around them. Hutchison was soon offered a role in the Robert Mitchum film The Wrath of God (1972) but this was his one and only shot at the big time. Quite what went wrong is open to debate. Some say he was wary of success and got cold feet. Whether that is true or not, what certainly didn't help was his unruly behaviour which made studio execs nervous of casting him again. He returned to Britain and continued his career as an anonymous but astounding character actor. He appeared in two of John Mackenzie's Play For Today films based on Peter McDougall scripts. In Play for Today: Just Another Saturday (1975) he played the head thug of the Orange Lodge, and in Play for Today: Just a Boys' Game (1979) he played Dancer Dunnichy, an irresponsible rogue who lived for drinking and dodging responsibility, a character that seemed to echo his offscreen persona. Hutchison was a ...

Gandhi (1982)

EpicGrippingEmotionalEnjoyable

In the early years of the 20th century, Mohandas K. Gandhi, a British-trained lawyer, forsakes all worldly possessions to take up the cause of Indian independence. Faced with armed resistance from the British government, Gandhi adopts a policy of 'passive ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Richard Attenborough
CAST:  Ben Kingsley  •  Rohini Hattangadi  •  Candice Bergen  •  Roshan Seth

In the early years of the 20th century, Mohandas K. Gandhi, a British-trained lawyer, forsakes all worldly possessions to take up the cause of Indian independence. Faced with armed resistance from the British government, Gandhi adopts a policy of 'passive ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Richard Attenborough
CAST:  Ben Kingsley  •  Rohini Hattangadi  •  Candice Bergen  •  Roshan Seth

Ladyhawke (1985)

EpicRomanticClassicAdventurous

Captain Etienne Navarre is a man on whose shoulders lies a cruel curse. Punished for loving each other, Navarre must become a wolf by night whilst his lover, Lady Isabeau, takes the form of a hawk by day. Together, with the thief Philippe Gaston, they must try to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Richard Donner
CAST:  Matthew Broderick  •  Rutger Hauer  •  Michelle Pfeiffer  •  Alfred Molina

Captain Etienne Navarre is a man on whose shoulders lies a cruel curse. Punished for loving each other, Navarre must become a wolf by night whilst his lover, Lady Isabeau, takes the form of a hawk by day. Together, with the thief Philippe Gaston, they must try to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Richard Donner
CAST:  Matthew Broderick  •  Rutger Hauer  •  Michelle Pfeiffer  •  Alfred Molina

Straw Dogs (1971)

David Sumner, a mild-mannered academic from the United States, marries Amy, an Englishwoman. In order to escape a hectic stateside lifestyle, David and his wife relocate to the small town in rural Cornwall where Amy was raised. There, David is ostracized by the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sam Peckinpah
CAST:  Dustin Hoffman  •  Susan George  •  Peter Vaughan  •  T. P. McKenna

David Sumner, a mild-mannered academic from the United States, marries Amy, an Englishwoman. In order to escape a hectic stateside lifestyle, David and his wife relocate to the small town in rural Cornwall where Amy was raised. There, David is ostracized by the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sam Peckinpah
CAST:  Dustin Hoffman  •  Susan George  •  Peter Vaughan  •  T. P. McKenna

The World Cup: A Captain's Tale (1982)

The true story of the First world football competition, won by a team comprised of miners from Durham.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Tom Clegg
CAST:  Andrew Keir  •  Marjorie Bland  •  Ken Hutchison  •  Rod Culbertson

The true story of the First world football competition, won by a team comprised of miners from Durham.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Tom Clegg
CAST:  Andrew Keir  •  Marjorie Bland  •  Ken Hutchison  •  Rod Culbertson

Deadly Strangers (1975)

After she misses her train, a young woman is forced to hitch a ride back to town. After managing to get away from a lecherous trucker, she is given a ride by a good-looking but somewhat mysterious young man, who she comes to suspect may be a dangerous escapee from ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Hayers
CAST:  Hayley Mills  •  Simon Ward  •  Sterling Hayden  •  Ken Hutchison

After she misses her train, a young woman is forced to hitch a ride back to town. After managing to get away from a lecherous trucker, she is given a ride by a good-looking but somewhat mysterious young man, who she comes to suspect may be a dangerous escapee from ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sidney Hayers
CAST:  Hayley Mills  •  Simon Ward  •  Sterling Hayden  •  Ken Hutchison

Sweeney 2 (1978)

The plot is set on a group of bank robbers, who are both violent and successful, strangely getting away each time with an amount around the £60,000 mark, and often leaving behind cash in excess of this sum. The robbers are willing to kill their own team, to get ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Tom Clegg
CAST:  John Thaw  •  Dennis Waterman  •  Denholm Elliott  •  Nigel Hawthorne

The plot is set on a group of bank robbers, who are both violent and successful, strangely getting away each time with an amount around the £60,000 mark, and often leaving behind cash in excess of this sum. The robbers are willing to kill their own team, to get ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Tom Clegg
CAST:  John Thaw  •  Dennis Waterman  •  Denholm Elliott  •  Nigel Hawthorne

Just a Boys' Game (1979)

Jake lives in the shadow of his dying grandfather, who was once the town's toughest hard man. Despite their hatred of each other, Jake's sole aim is to be as tough as the old man was. One day in Jake's life, as he drifts, drinks and fights, leads to a bleak realisation.  (more)

DIRECTION:  John Mackenzie
CAST:  Frankie Miller  •  Gregor Fisher  •  Ken Hutchison  •  Jean Taylor Smith

Jake lives in the shadow of his dying grandfather, who was once the town's toughest hard man. Despite their hatred of each other, Jake's sole aim is to be as tough as the old man was. One day in Jake's life, as he drifts, drinks and fights, leads to a bleak realisation.  (more)

DIRECTION:  John Mackenzie
CAST:  Frankie Miller  •  Gregor Fisher  •  Ken Hutchison  •  Jean Taylor Smith

The Wrath of God (1972)

Set in the 1920s, several foreigners held by a South American military group are offered possible freedom if they accept to topple a local crazed military leader.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Ralph Nelson
CAST:  Robert Mitchum  •  Frank Langella  •  Rita Hayworth  •  John Colicos

Set in the 1920s, several foreigners held by a South American military group are offered possible freedom if they accept to topple a local crazed military leader.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Ralph Nelson
CAST:  Robert Mitchum  •  Frank Langella  •  Rita Hayworth  •  John Colicos

Blonde Fist (1991)

A woman attempts to escape her domestic problems by fleeing to New York in search of her father. She finds him, and also new problems, some friendship, a romance, and an unexpected career as pro-boxer, to make ends meet.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Frank Clarke
CAST:  Margi Clarke  •  Carroll Baker  •  Ken Hutchison  •  Sharon Power

A woman attempts to escape her domestic problems by fleeing to New York in search of her father. She finds him, and also new problems, some friendship, a romance, and an unexpected career as pro-boxer, to make ends meet.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Frank Clarke
CAST:  Margi Clarke  •  Carroll Baker  •  Ken Hutchison  •  Sharon Power

As an Eilean (1993)

The story, which is set in a small village on a remote Scottish Island, centres around the gifted Callum who is in his final year at school and preparing to go to University in Aberdeen on the mainland. He receives private tuition from Charles McAllister a former ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Mike Alexander
CAST:  Ken Hutchison  •  Iain MacLeod  •  D.W. Stiubhart  •  Wilma Kennedy

The story, which is set in a small village on a remote Scottish Island, centres around the gifted Callum who is in his final year at school and preparing to go to University in Aberdeen on the mainland. He receives private tuition from Charles McAllister a former ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Mike Alexander
CAST:  Ken Hutchison  •  Iain MacLeod  •  D.W. Stiubhart  •  Wilma Kennedy

Milner (1994)

Stephen Milner is a solicitor, but he fits uneasily into the world of Lewis Strange and Partners, who are an upmarket firm of solicitors. The film follows Milner's fraught relationship with a lucrative client, Ron Jesson. When one of his offices goes up in flames, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  John Strickland
CAST:  Mel Smith  •  Deborah Findlay  •  Ronald Pickup  •  Ken Hutchison

Stephen Milner is a solicitor, but he fits uneasily into the world of Lewis Strange and Partners, who are an upmarket firm of solicitors. The film follows Milner's fraught relationship with a lucrative client, Ron Jesson. When one of his offices goes up in flames, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  John Strickland
CAST:  Mel Smith  •  Deborah Findlay  •  Ronald Pickup  •  Ken Hutchison

Mantrap – Straw Dogs: The Final Cut (2003)

Documentary about the making of Sam Peckinpah's 1971 film "Straw Dogs."  (more)

DIRECTION:  Paul Joyce
CAST:  Mark Kermode  •  Martin Baum  •  J.M. Hosking  •  Peter Brayham

Documentary about the making of Sam Peckinpah's 1971 film "Straw Dogs."  (more)

DIRECTION:  Paul Joyce
CAST:  Mark Kermode  •  Martin Baum  •  J.M. Hosking  •  Peter Brayham

The Long Distance Piano Player (1970)

The first Play for Today is the story of one man's obsession (to win the world long distance piano playing record) and the battle for good (his wife) and evil (his agent) that rages around him.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Philip Saville
CAST:  Ray Davies  •  Norman Rossington  •  Lois Daine  •  James Hazeldine

The first Play for Today is the story of one man's obsession (to win the world long distance piano playing record) and the battle for good (his wife) and evil (his agent) that rages around him.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Philip Saville
CAST:  Ray Davies  •  Norman Rossington  •  Lois Daine  •  James Hazeldine

Just Another Saturday (1975)

It's the day of the Orange Parade in Glasgow, but for Jon, the thrill of leading the parade and swinging the mace soon turns to horror as he learns the truth behind the costumes and songs.  (more)

DIRECTION:  John Mackenzie
CAST:  Jon Morrison  •  Eileen McCallum  •  Bill Henderson  •  Ken Hutchison

It's the day of the Orange Parade in Glasgow, but for Jon, the thrill of leading the parade and swinging the mace soon turns to horror as he learns the truth behind the costumes and songs.  (more)

DIRECTION:  John Mackenzie
CAST:  Jon Morrison  •  Eileen McCallum  •  Bill Henderson  •  Ken Hutchison

Red Shift (1978)

Three men at three different times in history come to Mow Top hill in search of sanctuary from their troubles. A Roman soldier, a medieval rebel and a 1970s young man. Somehow they seem linked through an energy within the hill and an axe. Is history doomed to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  John Mackenzie
CAST:  Stephen Petcher  •  Lesley Dunlop  •  Bernard Gallagher  •  Stella Tanner

Three men at three different times in history come to Mow Top hill in search of sanctuary from their troubles. A Roman soldier, a medieval rebel and a 1970s young man. Somehow they seem linked through an energy within the hill and an axe. Is history doomed to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  John Mackenzie
CAST:  Stephen Petcher  •  Lesley Dunlop  •  Bernard Gallagher  •  Stella Tanner

All Quiet on the Western Front (1979)

At the start of World War I, Paul Baumer is a young German patriot, eager to fight. Indoctrinated with propaganda at school, he and his friends eagerly sign up for the army soon after graduation. But when the horrors of war soon become too much to bear, and as his ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Delbert Mann
CAST:  Richard Thomas  •  Ernest Borgnine  •  Donald Pleasence  •  Ian Holm

At the start of World War I, Paul Baumer is a young German patriot, eager to fight. Indoctrinated with propaganda at school, he and his friends eagerly sign up for the army soon after graduation. But when the horrors of war soon become too much to bear, and as his ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Delbert Mann
CAST:  Richard Thomas  •  Ernest Borgnine  •  Donald Pleasence  •  Ian Holm

A Gift from Nessus (1980)

"You've been a good man with us, Eddie. Made a lot of contacts. But two things you'd better realise. One: a salesman who doesn't sell is a liability. Two: don't charge your private life to our account." Salesman Edie Cameron experiences setbacks in his work and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  James Ormerod
CAST:  Ken Hutchison  •  Robert Urquhart  •  Alison Key  •  Elizabeth Bell

"You've been a good man with us, Eddie. Made a lot of contacts. But two things you'd better realise. One: a salesman who doesn't sell is a liability. Two: don't charge your private life to our account." Salesman Edie Cameron experiences setbacks in his work and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  James Ormerod
CAST:  Ken Hutchison  •  Robert Urquhart  •  Alison Key  •  Elizabeth Bell