Michael Standing

Profile

Michael Standing is a British film and television actor and writer, best known for his role in the feature film _The Italian Job_ and the infamous scene in which Michael Caine tells him "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!" He also starred in both versions of _Up The Junction_ (TV play and film) albeit as different characters, and _Poor Cow_. His last role was in the 1990 movie _Aftershock_. As a writer, Standing penned a 1967 Wednesday Play entitled _Another Day, Another Dollar_ and episodes of _Marked Personal_ in 1973-74. He emigrated to America and married Sherri Spillane, ex-wife of novelist Mickey Spillane. Born : 19th-Jun-1939

Movie Credits

The Italian Job

Charlie's got a 'job' to do. Having just left prison he finds one of his friends has attempted a high-risk job in Torino, Italy, right under the nose of the mafia. Charlie's friend doesn't get very far, so Charlie takes over the 'job'. Using three Mini Coopers, a couple of Jaguars, and a bus, he hopes to bring Torino to a standstill, steal a fortune in gold and escape in the chaos.
Released : 2nd-Jun-1969

The Violent Enemy

During the troubles in Ireland an IRA bomb plot is hatched to blow up a British power station. Sean Rogan (Tom Bell) is an IRA bomb expert and escapes from prison to try and stop the destruction.
Released : 1st-May-1967

Up the Junction

The lives and loves of three young working class women, set in the pubs, terraced houses and factories of Battersea, South London.
Released : 3rd-Nov-1965

Aftershock

An alien visits Earth during World War III, learns English by absorbing a dictionary, and meets good and bad earthlings.
Released : 5th-Oct-1990

Made

This compelling emotional drama stars Carol White as a young single mother who finds herself caught between two people – a local priest and a folk singer – each of whom wants to convert her to his own worldview. An elegy to a younger generation looking for something to believe in, Made co-stars hugely influential folk-rock musician Roy Harper in his screen debut. Produced by Joseph Janni – who previously made the astonishingly successful Poor Cow with White – directed by The Long Good Friday's John Mackenzie and featuring new songs specially composed by Harper.
Released : 1st-Oct-1972

Poor Cow

A young woman lives a life filled with bad choices. At a young age she marries and has a child--with an abusive thief who quickly ends up in prison. Left alone, she takes up with the guy's mate, another thief, who seems to give her some happiness but who also ends up locked up. She then takes up with a series of seedy types who offer nothing but momentary pleasure--if that.
Released : 5th-Dec-1967

Up the Junction

A young woman trades her upper-class existence for a new life in an economically depressed suburb of London.
Released : 25th-Jan-1968

Another Day, Another Dollar

A new steward on a large passenger liner finds himself subject to "charges" levied by the senior bar steward.
Released : 8th-Mar-1967

The Loving Lesson

Mary Abbott is a schoolteacher whose husband has to go away for the night on business. After returning home from a party she has an unexpected caller.
Released : 31st-Aug-1971

TV Credits

The Tomorrow People

- Born to human parents, an apparently normal child might at some point between childhood and late adolescence experience a process called 'breaking out' and develop special paranormal abilities. These abilities include psychic powers such as telepathy, telekinesis, and teleportation. However, their psychological make-up prevents them from intentionally killing others.
Released : 30th-Apr-1973

Gideon's Way

Ches Kelly - Gideon's Way is a British television crime series made by ITC Entertainment in 1964/65, based on the novels by John Creasey. The series was made at Elstree in twin production with The Saint TV series. It starred Liverpudlian John Gregson in the title role as Commander George Gideon of Scotland Yard, with Alexander Davion as his assistant, Detective Chief Inspector David Keen, Reginald Jessup as Det. Superintendent LeMaitre, Ian Rossiter as Detective Chief Superintendent Joe Bell and Basil Dignam as Commissioner Scott-Marle. The show did not acknowledge any help from Scotland Yard, any other police force or advisor. Daphne Anderson starred as his wife, Kate with Giles Watling as young son, Malcolm, Richard James as older son, Matthew who seemed to have a lot of new girlfriends and Andrea Allan as daughter, Pru. Unusually for police stories, Gideon was shown as a family man at home though urgent phone calls from his bosses tend to disrupt family plans too often. However, he did admit in "State Visit" that his wife had walked out on him for a while years ago when he put the job first and her second. They live in an expensive detached house in Chelsea.
Released : 18th-Mar-1965

The Champions

Frank Edwards - The Champions is a British espionage/science fiction/occult detective fiction adventure series consisting of 30 episodes broadcast on the UK network ITV during 1968–1969, produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company. The series was broadcast in the US on NBC, starting in summer 1968.
Released : 25th-Sep-1968

Ace of Wands

- Ace of Wands is a fantasy-based British children's television show broadcast on ITV between 1970 and 1972, created by Trevor Preston and Pamela Lonsdale and produced by Thames Television. The title, taken from the name of a Tarot card describes the principal character, called "Tarot" who combined stage magic with supernatural powers. Tarot has a pet Owl named Ozymandias, played by Fred Owl. Ace of Wands ran for two seasons of thirteen episodes and a third season of twenty. Many, if not all, of the first 26 episodes are believed to have been wiped, although the final season is intact. In the first two series Tarot is assisted by Sam Maxstead, a reformed convict and Lillian Palmer known by her nickname, Lulli, an orphan. Lulli shares a telepathic link with Tarot, which enables them to communicate over great distances. After having to leave the programme because of prior commitments, in the final series this pair were replaced by brother and sister Chas, a photographer, and Mikki, a female journalist, who have very similar roles, she also sharing a telepathic link with Tarot. A character named Mr Sweet who runs an antiquarian bookshop often has the answer to Tarot's questions. Sweet is based in a university for the last series. Mr. Stabs, played by Russell Hunter, is defeated by Ace of Wands's lead Tarot, yet returns, again played by Hunter, in an episode of the anthology series Shadows. The character's final appearance was in Dramarama, this time portrayed by David Jason. However, the Dramarama story was a prequel to the previous ones.
Released : 29th-Jul-1970

The Saint

Barlow - Simon Templar is The Saint, a handsome, sophisticated, debonair, modern-day Robin Hood who recovers ill-gotten wealth and redistributes it to those in need.
Released : 4th-Oct-1962

Life of Shakespeare

Man in street - Biography of William Shakespeare.
Released : 13th-Jun-1978

Thirty-Minute Theatre

- Thirty-Minute Theatre is an anthology drama series of short plays shown on BBC Television between 1965 and 1973, which was used in part at least as a training ground for new writers, on account of its short running length, and which therefore attracted many writers who later became well known. Thirty-Minute Theatre followed on from a similarly named ITV series, beginning on BBC2 in 1965 with an adaptation of the black comedy Parsons Pleasure. In 1967 BBC2 launched the UK's first colour service, with the consequence that Thirty-Minute Theatre became the first drama series in the country to be shown in colour.
Released : 7th-Oct-1965

The Tomorrow People

Ginge - Born to human parents, an apparently normal child might at some point between childhood and late adolescence experience a process called 'breaking out' and develop special paranormal abilities. These abilities include psychic powers such as telepathy, telekinesis, and teleportation. However, their psychological make-up prevents them from intentionally killing others.
Released : 30th-Apr-1973

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