Harry Harvey Movies

Dick Van Patten guest stars as Harry Curtis, a lovable drunk whose hilarious wisecracks have arresting officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) in stitches. What isn't so funny is the desperation which Harry is hiding under his clownish veneer--in fact, it can be said that he's laughing to keep from crying. Perhaps inevitably, this story ends on a somber note...and need we add, no one feels like laughing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Robert Lansing guest-stars as Dundee, an ex-convict determined to prove that he spent five years in prison as the result of a frame-up. Ben Cartwright's efforts to help Dundee adjust to his new-found freedom are thwarted by the coldness of Dundee's wife Elizabeth (Fionnula Flanagan), and the casual betrayal perpetrated by the man's so-called friends. Written by Don Ingalls, this episode was largely filmed on location at Sonora. "Heritage of Anger" was first broadcast on September 19, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Anne Baxter guest stars as Ironside's attorney friend Carolyn White, whom the authorities have tagged as the "most obvious" suspect in the murder of her cheating spouse. Convinced that Carolyn is being framed, Ironside (Raymond Burr) dedicates himself to proving his thesis, while his colleagues accuse him of allowing his heart to rule his head. Meanwhile, the search goes on for the murder victim's missing body--a search that yields startling results. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though the title of this episode refers to the young lady played by Sheila Wells, the emphasis is on George's father, photographer Enos Blessing (Jack Albertson). Hired to provide an alibi for crooked lawyer Cato Troxell (Gerald Mohr), who plans to murder the judge (Fred Clark) responsible for hanging his brother, Blessing takes a group picture of the Ponderosa entourage, then doctors the photo to include Troxell. This little arrangement ultimately proves fatal for both Troxell and Blessing. Featured in the all-star supporting cast are Andy Devine and Patsy Kelly) as Roscoe and Mrs. Neely. Written by William H. Wright, "A Girl Named George" first aired on January 14, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Don Rickles guest-stars as "Killer" Kiski, a mean-spirited physical fitness instructor who is convinced that astronauts Tony (Larry Hagman) and Roger (Bill Daily) haven gotten too soft for their own good. To whip our heroes into shape, Kiski subjects them to an exhausting exercise regimen during a wildnerness outing. Sense that her Master has been nearly exercised to death, Jeannie (Barbara Eden) attempts to save the day by trying to appeal to Kiski's "tender" side...assuming he has one! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hoping to prepare Billie Jo (Gunilla Hutton) for a job as public stenographer, Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan) encourages her to enroll in a secretarial school. To practice her typing skills, Billie types up a letter from her mom Kate (Bea Benaderet) that she finds lying around the house. Unfortunately, the letter is an extremely nasty and insulting one, and Kate had never intended for it to be delivered--but delivered it is, placing poor Kate at the mercy of Post Office bureaucracy as she tries to retrieve the embarrassing missive! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Patricia Medina guest stars as Dr. Karen Miller, who has become an outcast on the frontier by virtue of her profession and her foreign birthplace. During a diptheria epidemic, Dr. Miller numbers among her patients another "outcast", namely ex-Army officer Jason McCord (Chuck Connors). As Jason struggles to recover from his illness, he decides to help Dr. Miller gain acceptance from the hostile settlers by acting as guinea pig for a new, untested serum. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Branded switches from black-and-white to color for its second season, which begins with this taut, tense "Mexican Standoff" yarn. Still roaming the west in hopes of proving that he was not a coward at the battle of Bitter Creek, Jason McCord (Chuck Connors) finds himself sharing a stagecoach ride with Major Tom Rock (Tom Drake), one of the officers who presided over his court-martial. Also on board is a condemned prisoner (Warren Oates) on his way to the gallows. Inevitably, McCord and his two fellow passengers must depend upon one another for their very survival--and making the situation even more complex, the life of Maj. Rock's daughter Laura (Kathleen Crowley) also hangs in the balance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This musical spoof of Westerns featured Lee Marvin in dual roles that won him a Best Actor Oscar. Jane Fonda stars as the title character, a prim schoolmarm returning to her hometown of Wolf City, Wyoming, after receiving an Eastern education. On the train ride, Cat meets up with a pair of friendly, charming crooks, Clay Boone (Michael Callan) and his uncle, Jed (Dwayne Hickman), the former becoming hopelessly smitten with the naive but tough Cat. Upon arriving home, Cat discovers that her eccentric father, Frankie (John Marley), is being threatened with bodily harm by a development company that desperately wants his land. When Frankie is murdered by ruthless, noseless killer Tim Strawn (Marvin), Cat straps on a pair of six-shooters and persuades Clay, Jed, and her father's loyal Native American hand Jackson Two-Bears (Tom Nardini) to sign on as her posse. In her quest for revenge, Cat also recruits Kid Shelleen (also played by Marvin), a one-time fearsome gunslinger who's now a hopeless alcoholic. Cat Ballou (1965) is interspersed throughout the narrative with appearances by Stubby Kaye and Nat King Cole as a pair of balladeers who comment on the action musically in Greek chorus style. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Middle-aged shopkeeper George Davies (Dean Jagger) is responsive to the flirtations of local "fast girl" Lola (Cathy Merchant) -- but when Lola mocks him, he strikes her down and accidentally kills the girl. Later on, Lola's boyfriend, J.J. Fenton (Will Hutchins), is arrested for the murder...and George is chosen to serve on the jury. At first pondering the possibility of allowing Fenton to be accused of the crime that he himself committed, George instead devises a method to get the boy off without incriminating himself. In the end, however, both George and J.J. suffer mightily for their association with the unfortunate Lola. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Bart (Jack Kelly) is framed for crimes he didn't commit by sadistic sheriff Horace Hadley (Edgar Buchanan) and his equally odious deputy Jones (played by future Oscar winner George Kennedy). The two crooked lawmen specialize in hunting down and murdering innocent men, then claiming that their victims are outlaws in order to collect the reward. In his efforts to expose Hadley and Jones' racket, Bart turns bounty hunter and solicits the aid of several familiar Warner Bros. TV-series stars--who prove to be no help whatsoever. Appearing in cameo roles are Clint Walker from Cheyenne, Will Hutchins from Sugarfoot, John Russell and Peter Brown from Lawman, and Edd "Kookie" Byrnes from 77 Sunset Strip (a title given a cute "westernization" in the context of the story). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Eleanor H. Porter's story of Pollyanna, "The Glad Girl," was first filmed in 1920 by Mary Pickford. While entertaining, the Pickford version tended to reduce the supporting characters to stereotypes. Disney's 1960 remake of Pollyanna wisely offers three-dimensional characterizations, enhancing the charm and believability of the story. In her first Disney film (indeed, her first American film), Hayley Mills stars as Pollyanna, an orphan girl sent to live with her wealthy aunt Polly (Jane Wyman). A humorless sort, Aunt Polly is taken aback by Pollyanna's insistence upon seeing the happy side of everything. With her best friend and fellow orphan, Jimmy Bean (Kevin "Moochie" Corcoran), Pollyanna spreads her sunshine all over town, transforming such local curmudgeons as hypochondriac Mrs. Snow (Agnes Moorehead), hellfire-and-brimstone Reverend Ford (Karl Malden), and reclusive Mr. Pendergast (Adolphe Menjou) into positive, life-affirming sorts. This she does not by being simpering or syrupy, but by applying common sense and refusing to indulge anyone's self-pity. Only Aunt Polly refuses to warm up. As the owner of the town orphanage, Aunt Polly will not hear of having a new, more modern facility built, and when handsome Dr. Chilton (Richard Egan) stages a charity bazaar in defiance of Aunt Polly, Pollyanna is forbidden to attend. She escapes to the bazaar by climbing down the tree next to her upstairs window; but when trying to return home, Pollyanna falls and injures her legs. Facing possible permanent paralysis, the "Glad Girl" is for the first time disconsolate and pessimistic. Her spirits are uplifted by the townsfolk whom she's helped, and finally by Aunt Polly, who's realized the folly of her stubbornness. Ebulliently optimistic once more, Pollyanna leaves town for an operation, as the townsfolk cheer her up and cheer her on. Possibly because it was perceived as having only little-girl appeal (a false perception indeed), Pollyanna was not the big hit that it should have been in 1960. Its latter-day reputation as one of Disney's finest features rests primarily on its many successful television showings. The film was remade for television with an all-black cast as Polly in 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally released as The Return of Dracula (and also known by the irrelevant title The Fantastic Disappearing Man), this interesting vampire variant on Shadow of a Doubt finds the infamous Count (Francis Lederer) leaving his castle digs in Transylvania and departing for the United States after killing an artist and assuming his identity. Passing himself off as a distant relative, he settles in with the Mayberry family in California, where he begins seeking fresh victims. The suspicions of young Rachel Mayberry (Norma Eberhardt) regarding her pale visitor's eerie nocturnal habits prove well-founded after the mysterious death of her best friend, and she soon discovers her own ghastly role in the Count's master plan; her only hope lies with an expatriate police inspector, who may be familiar with the ways of the undead. Played refreshingly straight, this modest Universal production benefits from Lederer's compelling performance as the seductive Count and several unique plot twists (including a blind girl who becomes sighted on turning into a vampire). ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide