Robert Sorrells Movies
Chevy Chase added a classic comic hero to the film landscape with Fletch, one of his few truly popular star vehicles in a famously misguided post-Saturday Night Live career. Chase plays Irwin M. Fletcher, known to everyone as Fletch, a Los Angeles Lakers-loving investigative reporter with a gleeful disdain for deadlines and a knack for pushing the buttons of his frustrated editor (Richard Libertini). He's also known for donning numerous disguises and assuming zany false identities to help gain information. While pursuing an ongoing story about a powerful drug dealer who operates from Venice Beach, he comes across an intriguing offshoot in which he becomes intimately involved. Aviation executive Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson) has an unusual proposition for Fletch: If Fletch agrees to an elaborate plan to kill him, for reasons Stanwyk refuses to divulge beyond explaining that he has bone cancer, Fletch will walk away with a healthy sum of money and a plane ticket to Brazil. Curious yet suspicious by profession, Fletch begins investigating Stanwyk's true motives, which leads him through numerous misadventures. Among them are a visit to a stuffy country club; a high-speed car chase with an unwitting passenger; repeat encounters with Stanwyk's wife (Dana Wheeler-Nicholson), although she may not be his only one; and a trip to Provo -- that's Utah, not Spain. Inspired by a novel of the same name by Gregory McDonald, Fletch went from thriller to comedy as it was adapted into a vehicle for Chase. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chevy Chase, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, (more)
- 1978
- PG
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Filling the shoes occupied by Walter Matthau in the Bad News Bears and William Devane in The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training, Tony Curtis takes on the role of the teams newest coach in this, the third installment in the series. Jackie Earle Haley returns as Kelly Leak, the Bears' star player, as the team ventures to the other side of the world to face off against the best little league team in Japan. While there, the Bears find their way into mischief and Kelly finds love with a local girl. Though this was the last entry in the film series a television series followed a year later. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Curtis, Jackie Earle Haley, (more)
- 1976
While driving through a particularly treacherous stretch of woods, Olivia (Michael Learned) and her two youngest children Elizabeth (Kami Cotler) and Jim-Bob (David W. Harper) are stranded by a flat tire. In their efforts to find their way home, the three Waltons end up getting lost. After briefly taking refuge in a cabin owned by a bootlegging family, they are driven even deeper into the bear-infested woods--and now, storm clouds are ominously gathering on the horizon. Without tipping off the climax of this episode, it can be noted that the "hero" turns out be the least expected candidate. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Grandpa (Will Geer) and Grandma (Ellen Corby) find themselves on opposite sides of a civic battle when the historic Whitley House is slated for demolition. Believing that the old house can be renovated, Grandma starts up a petition to that effect. Trouble is, Grandpa has already signed a contract to destroy the house in order to bring extra money to the family business. Caught in the middle of this brouhaha is John-Boy (Richard Thomas), who must write a newspaper editorial on the crisis--stating his own opinion! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
John-Boy (Richard Thomas) is elated when a big-city publisher offers to assemble his short stories into a book. But elation turns to despair when John-Boy learns that he has been bamboozled by a "vanity" press and is expected to pay his own publication costs--and this after a public celebration has been arranged in his honor. Meanwhile, budding musician Jason (Jon Walmsley) prepares to make his professional debut with bandleader Bobby Bigelow (Mayf Nutter in his first series appearance). Featured in the guest cast is Kathy Cronkite, the daughter of CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
Although Salty Hubbard (Arthur Hunnicutt) is Sunville's biggest liar, everyone in town believes Salty's claim that stranger Hoss Cartwright is really notorious outlaw Big Jack (Mike Mazurki). To stay alive, Hoss is forced to fake his own death, funeral and all. Meanwhile, the real Big Jack prepares to take full advantage of "Good Tuesday", a local bank holiday. In the episode's comic highlight, Hoss suddenly rises from the dead as the nonplussed Preacher (John Carradine) and the other mourners look on in bug-eyed terror. Others in the cast include Ivor Francis as the Banker and Milton Parsons as (what else?) the Undertaker. First shown on December 7, 1969, "Dead Wrong" was written and directed by Bonanza star Michael Landon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1969
- PG
This routine western finds Gannon (Tony Franciosa) as a lone drifter on the Kansas plains. He never looks for any trouble because trouble always manages to find him. Gannon takes on a young Eastern dude named Jess (Michael Sarrazin) and teaches him the ropes of being a cowboy. The two end up in conflict with the widow Beth (Judy West) when she desires to erect a barbed wire fence to corral the cattle. The widow also wishes to corral Gannon before he is befriended by Mattie (Susan Oliver), the local hooker with a heart of gold. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Franciosa, Michael Sarrazin, (more)
- 1969
- PG
Famed anonymous director Alan Smithee (in this case a hybrid of Richard Totten and Don Siegel), directed this turgid western drama concerning Marshal Frank Patch (Richard Widmark), who, even though he has kept the peace in Cottonwood Springs for over twenty years, is now considered a local joke by the town liberals who want some new blood in the Marshall's Office. They get it when Patch shoots the drunken Luke Mills (James Lydon) in self-defense. Now the forces of progress really want Patch out. So much so that the local newspaper editor, Andrew Oxley (Kent Smith) demands his resignation. Patch not only refuses to quit but disgraces Oxley so badly in front of his son Will (Mercer Harris) that Oxley kills himself. Will is now out for blood, but Patch remains stoic, even when his old friend Lou (John Saxon) comes to town to advise him to quit. Patch refuses Lou's suggestion but decides to marry Claire (Lena Horne), the owner of the local saloon and whore house. But an uninvited guest attends the wedding ceremony --Will. And both Will and his gun are loaded. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Widmark, Lena Horne, (more)
- 1968
On trial for murder, Hoss Cartwright may well be sent to the gallows on circumstantial evidence. Worse still, Hoss is suffering from amnesia, and doesn't know if he is guilty or innocent. The only person willing to take Hoss' case is legendary Sacramento defense attorney Barney Sturgess (Albert Dekker)-who is now the town drunk. First telecast on May 12, 1968-seven days after the mysterious, sordid and still-unsolved death of guest star Albert Dekker-"The Bottle Fighter" was written by John Hawkins, Colin Mackenzie and S.H. Barnett. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1967
In this western, a town sheriff contends with his reputation as the "fastest gun in the West." When a young gunslinger calls him out for a showdown, the sheriff is struck by the fellows resemblance to himself when he was young. He therefore, attempts to talk him out of his foolish career choice, but the young man refuses to listen. The saloon hostess attempts to talk the sheriff out of the duel, but the old fellow does not listen. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Angie Dickinson, (more)
- 1967
Never once does Bobby Darin sing "Mack the Knife" or "Splish Splash" in Gunfight in Abilene. Instead, he plays a peaceable western sheriff, determined to stave off an outlaw invasion. The head outlaw is Leslie Nielsen, which makes this film very hard to watch with a straight face these days. The Universal City backlot gets a good workout in the blood-spattered finale of Gunfight in Abilene, which barely made the theatrical rounds before entrenching itself on late night television. The film should not be confused with Gunfighters of Abilene, a 1960 oater starring Buster Crabbe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bobby Darin, Emily Banks, (more)
- 1967
The movie opens as two outlaws are just being rescued from being hung as thieves by an old friend. They go their separate ways, but keep running into each other across the country on their way to California as they alternately are on the good and bad side of the law. Their rescuer becomes the infamous "Black Bandit," the nemesis of the Wells Fargo line, they work for the line and have to protect it. They decide to rob the line.... ad infinitum. Good working relationship between the actors makes this a much more comfortable movie than it might have been with the hackneyed plot line. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Lord, James Farentino, (more)
- 1966
Bruce Dern guest stars as Hutch, the vicious leader of a motorcycle gang known as The Devil's Disciples. Abducting Richard Kimble (David Janssen), Hutch plans to use the fugitive as a fall guy in a scheme to murder the old man who was indirectly responsible for the death of a gang member. Kimble's only hope for escape is in the hands of cyclist Don (Lou Antonio) and his girlfriend Penny (Diana Hyland), who are slightly less sociopathic than Hutch. In addition to its "Hell's Angels" trappings, this 1960s time capsule also manages to weave the Vietnam War into the storyline. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
Hoping to rescue a thoroughbred race horse named Dalleyrand from its trainer, Samantha transforms the horse into a woman named Dolly (Patty Regan). This proves to be a troublesome spell when the humanized Dolly begins giving "inside" race tips to Darrin's friend, Gus Walters (Robert Sorrells), who desperately needs money to finance a new invention. Sid Clute rounds out the supporting cast as trainer Jack Spindler. First shown on March 3, 1966, "The Horse's Mouth" was written by Paul David and John L. Greene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, (more)
- 1966
To prevent his sweetheart in Pasaic, New Jersey from marrying a horse-car conductor, Agarn (Larry Storch) sends the girl a letter claiming that he has killed the infamous Apache warrior Geronimo (Mike Mazurki). Alas, Agarn sets him self up for a scalping when Geronimo learns of the deception and goes on the warpath again. Jackie Joseph, then the wife of series regular Ken Berry, appears as Agarn's girlfriend Betty Lou MacDonald. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Now calling himself "Joe Taft", Kimble agrees to drive Peggy Franklyn (Suzanne Pleshette) and her daughter Nancy (Debi Storm) to California. What he doesn't know is that Peggy's ex-husband, biological scientist Dean Franklyn (Liam Sullivan), has not given his consent for the westward journey; even worse, Nancy has taken along a pet rabbit that her father has injected with a highly contagious strain of meningitis. Ultimately, Kimble must reveal his true identity--and risk immediate arrest--to save Nancy's life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Ben Cartwright makes a solemn promise that the entire estate of dying skinflint Jake Smith (Burt Mustin will go to Jake's next of kin, Meredith Smith. But Ben never expected to be besieged by six different people, all laying claim to be the Meredith Smith-among them a woman named Meredith (Anne Helm) and a scroungy hillbilly known as Little Meredith (the great Strother Martin). Also in the cast are Robert Colbert as Ace, Winnie Coffin as Widow Smith, Guy Lee as Ah Chow, and Robert Sorrells as the Cowby. First shown on October 21, 1965, this comic episode was written by Lois Hire. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1964
In Bayou country, Kimble (David Janssen) hitches a ride with Hanes McClure (Warren Oates), an obnoxious braggart who happens to be wanted by the authorities of a variety of crimes. Local police captain Charles Shafter (Philip Abbott) is grateful when Kimble subsequently helps him capture McClure, but he still is duty-bound to hold Kimble until Lt. Gerard (Barry Morse) arrives. Complicating matters is a mixed-up kid named Tad Thompson (Dee Pollock), who idolizes Hanes and helps him bust out of jail. Though willing to take advantage of the jailbreak himself, Kimble realizes that he must prevent Tad from following in McClure's crooked footsteps. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Guest star Henry Jones plays a flamboyant eccentric who imagines himself to be King Arthur. Wearing full armor, "Arthur" rescues Adam Cartwright from stagecoach bandits. When Adam is accused of masterminding the holdup, he finds that no one believes his wild yarn about a "knight in shining armor"-and before long, virtually everyone in the cast is convinced that Adam has gone off the deep end. Also appearing are Robert Sorrells as Cyril, Charles Watts as Sheriff Munsey, Zeme North as Phoebe and Rodolfo Acosta as Juan. Written by Robert V. Barron, "A Knight to Remember" was originally shown on December 20, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
- 1963
In this classic-and hilarious-Bonanza episode, Hoss Cartwright returns to the Ponderosa with a strongbox of gold, which he claims to have received from a band of "Little People"-Leprechauns, in fact. Though Hoss' family and friends don't quite swallow his story of his tiny benefactors, they cannot deny that the treasure exists, and thus a mini-gold rush ensues. Meanwhile, the "Leprechauns"-actually a group of carnival midgets and dwarves-rebel against their boss, crooked impresario Professor McCarthy (Sean McClory). Featured in the cast are such well-known professional Little People as Frank Delfino, Harry Monty and Nels Nelson, the latter two veterans both of the 1939 theatrical feature The Wizard of Oz. Scripted with tongue firmly imbedded in cheek by Robert Barron, "Hoss and the Leprechauns" was originally shown on December 22 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
- 1963
The men of King Company are anxious to leave the small French village where they've been billetted. One look at the local female population, however, and the guys immediately change their minds. In particular, squad members Kirby (Jack Hogan), Caje (Pierre Jalbert) and Nelson (Tom Lowell) want to cozy up to a trio of gorgeous mademoiselles, and to that end they promise to throw the girls a party--regulations or no regulations! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
- NR
In one of his first roles, Warren Beatty plays a callous, self-involved young man who is idolized by his younger brother Brandon DeWilde. When Beatty and DeWilde's parents Karl Malden and Angela Lansbury take in Eva Marie Saint as a boarder, Beatty makes violent love to the poor (but not entirely unwilling) girl. Saint becomes pregnant, a contingency which brings out the absolute worst in Beatty. When he deserts her, she kills herself. Only at this point does DeWilde (who has worshipped Saint from afar) realize that Beatty has feet of clay. Attempting to kill his older brother, DeWilde relents when he decides that Beatty is more pathetic than evil. Playwright William Inge adapted the screenplay for All Fall Down from a novel by James Leo Herlihy. So dependent is this film on its stark black and white photography that the currently available colorized version is tantamount to sacrilege. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eva Marie Saint, Warren Beatty, (more)
- 1960
This episode was based on an earlier Rod Serling TV play, in which a losing baseball team was saved by a 70-year-old pitcher. In the Twilight Zone version of this yarn, the old man was transformed into a muscular robot named Casey (Robert Sorrell), who comes to the rescue of the cellar-dwelling ball club skippered by Mouth McGarry. Winning game after game, Casey ultimately comes acropper when he suddenly develops human emotions -- and an unwillingness to see anyone lose a ball game! When first filmed in mid-1959, "The Mighty Casey" starred Paul Douglas as Mouth McGarry. Unfortunately, Douglas was in the last stages of the devastating illness that would kill him, and the producers were uncomfortable with his appearance on the screen. After Douglas' death, the episode was refilmed with Jack Warden as McGarry, with Alvin Ganzer taking over the directorial reins from Robert Parrish. "The Mighty Casey" finally aired June 17, 1960, as the next-to-last Twilight Zone of the 1959-60 season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Warden, Robert Sorrells, (more)
