Gretchen Corbett Movies

James Garner is reunited with several of his fellow cast members from the Rockford Files series in this made-for-TV sequel. It all begins when schoolteacher Ernie Landale (Hal Holbrook), the husband of private eye Jim Rockford's ex-prostitute friend Rita Kapkovic (Rita Moreno), is accused of child molestation. Never mind that the evidence is circumstantial at best, flimsy at worst: The Media have already tried and convicted Landale, irresponsibly whipping up a journalistic frenzy that turns all of the benighted teacher's associates and friends against him. All, that is, except Jim Rockford (Garner), who, together with Landale's attorney Beth Davenport (Gretchen Corbett) and police lieutenant Dennis Becker (Joe Santos), is prepared to move heaven and earth to find the actual pedophile and clear Landale's name. Filmed in 1997, The Rockford Files: If It Bleeds, It Leads made its CBS debut on April 20, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

After accidentally killing his supplier, teenage drug addict Gil Reynolds (Tim Griffin) absconds with $250,000 belonging to the dead man's boss. Later on, Gil is found murdered, and his brother John (Mark Pellegrino) swears vengeance. This makes the job facing Hunter (Fred Dryer) all the more complex: not only must he nab Gil's killer and recover the money, but he must also prevent John from committing a desperate act that will ruin his life. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this socially conscious drama, an ex-con meets constant opposition from avaricious land owners who want the land on which he has set up a ranch-style juvenile correctional facility. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Magnum (Tom Selleck) discovers that former Radio Saigon deejay Holly Fox, whose sexy, sultry voice helped him weather many a lonely night during the war, is now working on Honolulu radio station KTDE under her real name of Holly Hudson (Gretchen Corbett). Although Holly could never hope to live up to the image concocted in Magnum's mind, he nonetheless offers his help in locating her long-lost fiance, a suspected thief. By taking on Holly's troubles, Magnum also puts his life on the line; one of the woman's "fans" has targeted her for murder! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The slight amount of credibility required for a successful horror movie is lost in the opening scenes of this derivative story of a cobra who is really Satan in disguise, taking revenge against a Catholic priest for some crimes committed by the priest's ancestors. When the cobra invades a train full of people, the glass partition that keeps the snake safely away from the actors is quite visible and is even emphasized as the poor snake hits its head against it. After that inauspicious beginning, the film cannot really go downhill, but it continues the same standard in the acting and script. Father Farrow (Fritz Weaver) belongs to a family cursed long ago because they persecuted Druids. Now snakes are taking the lead from the "king cobra" and attacking people in the town where the demoniacally harassed Father lives, while the mayor and local town leaders try to cover up the reptilian menace so as not to scare off patrons for the soon-to-be opened dog racetrack. Even if the snakes had raced the dogs, this horror film is too trite and predictable to be salvaged. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

The title The PSI Factor refers to inexplicable events occuring to normal people. In this instance, our bastion of normality is a civilian researcher at NASA. Accustomed to a well-ordered existence, our hero doesn't quite know what to make of strange radio signals emanating from far-off planet Serius B. Before long, he realizes that the Earth may be in danger of invasion-or extinction. Peter Mark Richman and Gretchen Corbett star in this modest thriller. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

High Ice is a made-for-television adventure thriller about an Army helicopter rescue team who has to race against time and the elements to save three mountain climbers who are stranded on a small, icy mountain ledge in Washington. Along the way, a lieutenant colonel and a forest ranger engage in a battle of wills, which only makes the rescue more difficult. High Ice has also been shown with the title Challenge of the High Ice. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

This feature-length pilot for an unsold TV series was based on Mandrake the Magician, the long-running comic strip created by Lee Falk and Phil Davis in 1934. Raised in the Himalayas, the orphaned Mandrake (played as a child by David Hollander, and as an adult by Anthony Herrera) is taught the secrets of magic and mass hypnosis by the wizard Theron (James Hong), and is given an enchanted amulet that will protect him from harm. With the help of his loyal assistant Lother (Ji-Tu Cumbuka), the caped, top-hatted Mandrake attempts to thwart an insane extortionist who threatens to kill innocent amusement-park patrons unless he is given 10,000,000 dollars. Princess Narda, Mandrake's exotic vis-à-vis from the funny papers, is here replaced by a feisty female cohort named Stacy (Simone Griffeth). Earning no plaudits from devotees of the original comic strip, Mandrake was little heard from after its initial NBC telecast on January 24, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rocky (Noah Beery Jr.) decides to open up a roadside restaurant with a chance acquaintance named Vinnie Whithead (Ken Lynch). From the outset of this enterprise, Rocky can't help but notice that an elderly man is watching every move he and Vinnie make. . .and no sooner has the restaurant opened than someone breaks into the joint. Investigating, Jim (James Garner) discovers that Vinnie is a retired mob boss, and that his trail has been dogged for the last 50 years by retired federal officer Eddie LaSalle (Victor Jory). Somehow, all this is tied in with a lawsuit brought about by Bruce Woodstock (Jess Nadelman), a total stranger who has managed to fall off the roof of Jim's trailer. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Jim (James Garner) wants to know why his dad Rocky (Noah Beery Jr.), currently vacationing in Hawaii, has been receiving huge sums of money in the mail. The Feds would also like the answer to that question--and there are several other interested parties lurking in the shadows. As usual, Angel (played by episode director Stuart Margolin) is no help whatsoever in extricating Jim from the plotline's deadly complications, but Rocky manages to "repay" Angel with a sublimely unique revenge. Future Magnum P.I. costar Roger E. Mosley appears in this final episode of The Rockford Files' third season as a sinister loan shark who has a remarkable way with words. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

While defending pro football player Davy Woodhull (Howard McGillin) on a robbery-murder charge, Beth (Gretchen Corbett) is harrassed by an unknown psycho. Jim (James Garner) must not only protect Beth, but also locate Doreen Carpenter (Sondra Blake), the only person who is able to clear Woodhull. Alas, Doreen is killed just before testifying in court--the first of several clues leading to the inexorable conclusion that Beth's tormentor is much closer to her than she thinks! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

While in the middle of delicate negotations to ransom the fabled Borland Diamond from a gang of thieves, Jim is pestered by the Wronko family, an annoying pack of tourists from Peru, Indiana who have parked their RV next to Jim's trailer. The Wronkos end up in the thick of things when one of the thieves stashes the diamond in Jim's barbecue grill. Unaware of the danger they're bringing upon themselves, the tourists steal the grill and high-tail it to California--with both hero and villain hot on their trail! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Ex-con turned private eye Jim Rockford (James Garner) continues serving the cause of justice by reopening closed cases in his own cynical, deceptively disheveled fashion in season four of The Rockford Files. The proceedings begin with "Beamer's Last Case," in which Jim must deal with someone who is impersonating him -- and taking all of his business in the process! The guest stars on this one include James Whitmore Jr. as the titular Fred Beamer, as well as James Garner's former Maverick co-star Jack Kelly. Later on, Isaac Hayes returns in the role of enterprising ex-convict Gandolph Fitch, this time in the company of Dionne Warwick, in "Second Chance." Also: veteran kiddie-show host and voice-over expert Chuck McCann is seen as a comedian whose precious collection of jokes is "kidnapped" and held for ransom in "Requiem for a Funny Box"; a pre-Dallas Larry Hagman appears in "Forced Retirement"; a post-M*A*S*H Larry Linville shows up in "A Deadly Maze"; and the two-part season closer "The House on Willis Avenue" serves to introduce Dennis Dugan as baby-faced greenhorn private eye Richie Brockelmann, who would soon be spun off into his own series. Best of all, "The Paper Palace" showcases Rita Moreno in her Emmy-winning performance as troublesome prostitute Rita Capkovic. In addition to Moreno, The Rockford Files itself was also honored with an Emmy this season, for Outstanding Drama Series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi