Directing

John Sichel

Born — Died

1937-09-21 — 2005-04-05

Place of birth

France

Known for

Directing

Credits

30 titles

John Sichel (21 September 1937 - 5 April 2005) was a French-English theatre director. Early in his career, Sichel was sought by Sir Laurence Olivier to direct the National Theatre Company in the award-winning film adaptation of Chekhov's Three Sisters (1970) with Olivier, Joan Plowright, and Alan Bates. He then went on to direct Olivier in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (1976) and Alec Guinness and Ralph Richardson in Twelfth Night (1970). His experience as a commissioner and director of drama and drama-documentaries enabled him to work with some of the world's finest actors including Derek Jacobi, Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins, Sean Connery and Michael Caine. He has also worked as a…

Known for

Behind the camera

The Next Scream You Hear poster
5.5

The police receive an anonymous tip that Bernard Peel has murdered his wife, Jennifer. Peel declares his innocence, but there is a substantial amount of evidence contradicting his story. Is someone trying to frame Mr. Peel? Peel asks private detective Matthew Earp to investigate.

The Next Scream You Hear

1974

Twelfth Night poster
6.5

Sir Alec Guinness, Sir Ralph Richardson and Joan Plowright star in this merry on-stage mix-up of identity, gender and love in Tony Award-winner John Dexter’s production of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Originally broadcast on Britain’s ITV, this classic performance captures all the slapstick, puns and double entendres that have amazed and amused audiences for over four hundred years.

Twelfth Night

1970

The Colour of Blood poster
7.5

A young girl on a train finds out that her companion is a serial killer.

The Colour of Blood

1973

The Merchant of Venice poster
8.5

An Edwardian take on the Shakespeare play starring Laurence Olivier.

The Merchant of Venice

1973

Lady Killer poster
6.8

A shy, lonely American girl marries a charming man she meets while on vacation in England, unaware that he has sinister plans for her.

Lady Killer

1973

Death to Sister Mary poster
10.0

The cast of a British soap opera are attacked by a mad fan who confuses them with their TV roles.

Death to Sister Mary

1974

Ring Once for Death poster
9.0

Recently widowed Laura Vallance returns home to England after many years living abroad. She knows few people in England, but she desires rest and seclusion in her time of grief. However, she is more alone than she bargained for when she hires Roger Masters as her butler. With small doses of poison, the ruthless butler plans to keeps his wealthy employer incapacitated... permanently.

Ring Once for Death

1973

A Place to Die poster
8.2

Doctor Bruce Nelson takes over the medical practice of a village general-practitioner. Upon arriving in their new home, the doctor and his wife, Tessa, receive a very warm welcome from all the villagers. Tessa is at first flattered by the villagers' constant fawning and gifts, but soon becomes wary of their strange ways, and begins to suspect there is something evil in the village.

A Place to Die

1973

A Coffin for the Bride poster
8.0

Mark Walker is in the lucrative business of marrying wealthy older women and murdering them after the honeymoon. That all changes when he falls for cool blonde Stella McKenzie. He considers giving up his life of crime and finally marrying for love. The only obstacles in his way are a lawyer who suspects the truth, and temptation in the form of the perfect target for one more kill...

A Coffin for the Bride

1974

A Coffin for the Bride poster
8.0

Mark Walker is in the lucrative business of marrying wealthy older women and murdering them after the honeymoon. That all changes when he falls for cool blonde Stella McKenzie. He considers giving up his life of crime and finally marrying for love. The only obstacles in his way are a lawyer who suspects the truth, and temptation in the form of the perfect target for one more kill...

A Coffin for the Bride

1974

K Is for Killing poster
8.0

A husband and wife team are hired to protect an eccentric millionaire from an assassin but a series of murders follows.

K Is for Killing

1974

Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are poster
8.0

Two American girls go on a vacation to England and mysterious things begin happening when one of them falls to her death from atop a monument.

Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are

1974

Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are poster
8.0

Two American girls go on a vacation to England and mysterious things begin happening when one of them falls to her death from atop a monument.

Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are

1974

Once the Killing Starts poster
7.5

Married college professor Michael Lane falls in love with one of his students and hatches an elaborate scheme to dispose of his wife, Elizabeth. His murder plot goes as planned. However, he soon receives an anonymous note: "I know what you did, murderer!" Prof. Lane frantically tries to discover who knows his secret...

Once the Killing Starts

1974

An Echo of Theresa poster
6.5

American businessman Brad Hunter and his wife Suzy are visiting England for the first time. Meeting a business contact, Brad introduces his wife as "Theresa." But it seems to be more than an innocent slip of the tongue. Brad begins behaving strangely and knows more about specific locations in London than he would as a first time visitor. Suzy hires private detective Matthew Earp to look into the reasons behind her husbands sudden change in personality. This aired on British TV as part of the "Thriller" series (under the title "An Echo of Theresa") but was issued as a featured on home video in the U.S. as "Anatomy of Terror."

An Echo of Theresa

1973

In the Steps of a Dead Man poster
8.0

When a young soldier suddenly dies, his parents and his girlfriend are naturally shocked and upset by the news. Several months later a young man turns up at the parent's house claiming to be their dead son's best friend. They welcome him and invite him to stay for a while. They also introduce him to their son's girlfriend and she is similarly impressed by him. It is later discovered, however, that he is not what he appears to be and may have had a hand in their son's death.

In the Steps of a Dead Man

1974

I'm the Girl He Wants to Kill poster
8.7

Returning home to her flat, Ann Rogers passes a stranger leaving the building. A few moments later she discovers her neighbor lying dead in the hallway, the latest victim of a serial killer. Ann could be able to identify the killer, but the killer also knows her face and knows he needs to silence the witness... TV episode from the series, "Thriller" was also released as feature film on home video starting in the 1980s.

I'm the Girl He Wants to Kill

1974

The Eyes Have It poster
7.3

A group of terrorists posing as plumbers set up base at a school for the blind. The students remain blissfully unaware while the terrorists plan the assassination of a politician who will soon be passing the school on a parade route. Only one student, Sally, suspects that the men upstairs may be dangerous...

The Eyes Have It

1973

Sign It Death poster
7.5

A young woman schemes to marry a wealthy businessman by becoming his secretary.

Sign It Death

1974

Someone at the Top of the Stairs poster
7.7

A young woman and her friend rent a room in a boarding house. Soon they become aware of the fact that the other "renters" are a very strange lot, and that there are some very odd goings-on in the house that seem to be centered in the attic... Part of the ITV 'Thriller' anthology series.

Someone at the Top of the Stairs

1973

Someone at the Top of the Stairs poster
7.7

A young woman and her friend rent a room in a boarding house. Soon they become aware of the fact that the other "renters" are a very strange lot, and that there are some very odd goings-on in the house that seem to be centered in the attic... Part of the ITV 'Thriller' anthology series.

Someone at the Top of the Stairs

1973

Only a Scream Away poster
7.0

Newlyweds Samantha and Robert Miller emerge from the church to the sound of cheers. However, the happy scene is disturbed by a cruel practical joke, someone throws a paint-bomb at the bride. Later, upon returning from their honeymoon the couple discover the smashed remnants of their wedding cake and a mysterious gift -- one soiled glove. Could it be a warning? Does someone hold a grudge against the couple?

Only a Scream Away

1974

Kiss Me and Die poster
6.0

When his brother vanishes without a trace, American Robert Stone goes to his last known location: a remote English village. Robert's investigation leads him to the mansion of Jonathon Lanceford, a man obsessed with the Gothic works of Edgar Allen Poe, and his beautiful and enigmatic niece Dominie...

Kiss Me and Die

1974

Kiss Me and Die poster
6.0

When his brother vanishes without a trace, American Robert Stone goes to his last known location: a remote English village. Robert's investigation leads him to the mansion of Jonathon Lanceford, a man obsessed with the Gothic works of Edgar Allen Poe, and his beautiful and enigmatic niece Dominie...

Kiss Me and Die

1974

One Deadly Owner poster
8.5

A fashion model buys a Rolls-Royce. What she doesn't know is that it's haunted.

One Deadly Owner

1974

Possession poster
7.8

With the exception of the poor central heating system, Ray and Penny Burns' newly-purchased country house seems ideal. While repairing the pipes, a handyman digs up the cellar and uncovers the body of the home's previous owner who was murdered twenty years earlier. A séance held in the home reveals something very disturbing.

Possession

1973

H.M.S. Pinafore poster
8.0

Captain's daughter Josephine and common sailor Ralph Rackstraw are in love. However, their relationship is complicated by her arranged marriage to the high-ranking Sir Joseph Porter. A secret about the characters' true identities revealed by Little Buttercup, which leads to a farcical resolution. Performed by the D'Oyly Carte Company for Opera Australia.

H.M.S. Pinafore

1973

H.M.S. Pinafore poster
8.0

Captain's daughter Josephine and common sailor Ralph Rackstraw are in love. However, their relationship is complicated by her arranged marriage to the high-ranking Sir Joseph Porter. A secret about the characters' true identities revealed by Little Buttercup, which leads to a farcical resolution. Performed by the D'Oyly Carte Company for Opera Australia.

H.M.S. Pinafore

1973

Spell of Evil poster
7.5

A businessman hires a marriage bureau when his wife dies from a sudden illness and is delighted to find himself paired up with the beautiful Clara. Despite seeming like the perfect wife, Clara is in fact a witch and has nothing but evil intentions for her new husband.

Spell of Evil

1973

Spell of Evil poster
7.5

A businessman hires a marriage bureau when his wife dies from a sudden illness and is delighted to find himself paired up with the beautiful Clara. Despite seeming like the perfect wife, Clara is in fact a witch and has nothing but evil intentions for her new husband.

Spell of Evil

1973