Lisa Pera Movies

Acting with more speed than usual, Dr. Astin (John S. Ragin) files an autopsy report declaring that a body found in the ruins of a fire was murdered. But Quincy subsequently discovers that the dead man suffered from a bad heart, which might have brought about his demise. This revelation gets Astin into hot water with his superiors--and now Quincy must determine the actual cause of death while simultaneously saving his boss' reputation. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

"The German Air Force is not at all what it used to be," says Anne Bancroft's Countess, about 16 minutes into The Hindenburg, pausing and then adding, "But then, nothing is these days." That seems to sum up the ponderous, irony-laden script and plot of Robert Wise's movie, which is posited -- in true post-Watergate fashion -- upon notions of conspiracy and cover-up behind the destruction of the German airship. The movie opens with a handy Universal newsreel that gives a vestpocket history of lighter-than-air flight, and that carries us to 1937 Germany. Colonel Franz Ritter (George C. Scott), a former hero pilot now working for military intelligence, finds himself assigned to the flight of the Hindenburg as chief of security; reports and rumors about the destruction of the zeppelin have circulated both in Germany and America, and the Nazi government takes these very seriously. What Ritter walks in on is a "Grand Hotel" of the air, several dozen passengers and crew whose ranks contain enough red herrings to keep Ritter (and us) jumping through hoops for most of the first half of the film, when we're not watching glorious shots of the zeppelin in flight. The answer to the script's presentation of the plot against the airship,and theidentityof the bomber and his motivations, are actually presented in the first 15 minutes, but there are so many false leads, subplots, and blind alleys put before us that the solution will probably pass by unnoticed. In the meantime, Ritter dances around with his ex-paramour (Bancroft), scheming businessmen (Gig Young), and passengers with skeletons in their closets (Alan Oppenheimer), an entertainer (Robert Clary) with a knack for offending loyal Nazis, several officers and crew with known "political" differences with the Nazi Party, a Gestapo man (Roy Thinnes) who's got an agenda of his own, and two genuine mystery men (Burgess Meredith, Rene Auberjonois) who don't seem to have any reason for traveling on this particular voyage. It's all a little tiring, or would be, if the setting and special effects weren't that interesting, and the cast wasn't so entertaining to watch in these relatively thankless roles. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

Anthony Quinn plays Matsoukas, a Greek/American ne'er do well, living in Chicago with his long-suffering wife Caliope (Irene Papas). When Matsoukas discovers that his son (Radames Pera) is dying, he decides that the boy needs to get out of the Windy City and recuperate in the more agreeable climate of Greece. All he needs is the money for the plane fare. One by one, Matsoukas' sources of income dry up until he is forced to fix a dice game in order to raise the cash. It is his wife who finally puts up the money by stealing from her own mother. Matsoukas makes the trip but realizes it would be better if he remain in Greece so as not to further humiliate the loyal Caliope. Inger Stevens co-stars as Quinn's mistress, while Sam Levene plays an old pal whose offer to put up the needed money evaporates when he suddenly drops dead. A Dream of Kings was adapted by Harry Mark Petrakis from his own novel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Perry Mason's one-and-only color episode is a loose adaptation of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. The "Fagin" character is slimy art collector Benjamin Huggins (Victor Buono), who with the assistance of henchman Bill Sikes (Scott Graham) masterminds a teenage car-stripping gang. Murder rears its ugly head when 18-year-old gang member Lennie Beale (Kevin O'Neal) is charged with killing Sikes, apparently as retaliation for Sikes' shooting of Lennie's girlfriend Robin Spring (Lisa Seagram). Even though he had previously been robbed by Lennie, Perry (Raymond Burr), in true "Mr. Brownlow" fashion, agrees to defend the boy in court. One of the seventy-six Perry Mason episodes removed from the series' original 1966 syndication package, "The Case of the Twice-Told Twist" was finally rebroadcast on cable TV in the early 1990s. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Doris Day and Rod Taylor star in this romantic comedy as Janet and Mike Harper, a married couple who relocate to England when Mike is transferred by the company for whom he works. While Janet and Mike seem to be happy together, the trip across the pond seems to bring on a case of the Seven Year Itch; he has his head turned by his new secretary, while she meets an amorous antique dealer. While the Harpers both begin to see the error of their ways, will they both retreat in time to save their marriage? The supporting cast includes Hermione Baddeley, Reginald Gardiner, and former presidential press secretary turned journalist Pierre Salinger. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi