Ed Parker Movies
Curse of the Pink Panther was released just after Trail of the Pink Panther with a script that has someone looking for the inept Inspector Clousseau and the fabulous stolen Pink Panther diamond at the same time. In Curse, Clifton Sleigh (Ted Wass) is a New York retread of the bumbling Inspector, chosen to look for him by Clousseau's former boss because Sleigh most certainly will never find him. Although peppered with a few inventive stunts, Curse still falls short of the Sellers classics. In a bizarre side note, David Niven was himself terminally ill at the time of his appearance in Trail of the Pink Panther and unable to speak adequately. His voice was dubbed in by impressionist Rich Little. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ted Wass, David Niven, (more)
- 1979
- R
Cycle-flick veteran William Smith stars as the head of a highly trained US intelligence team, each with the requisite invaluable "special talent." Headquartered in Hawaii, the team aims its sights on a powerful crime syndicate. Since the syndicate's henchmen are all martial arts experts, a combination of brawn and brains will be required throughout. The title alludes to the seven mobsters who must be wiped out by Smith & company in order to collect their $7 million reward. One gag in Seven was later appropriated (unconsciously or otherwise) by Raiders of the Lost Ark. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- William Smith, Barbara Leigh, (more)
- 1979
- R
Kill the Golden Goose headlines martial arts experts Brad von Beltz, Ed Parker, and Master Bong Soo Han. The plot turns out to be the umpteenth variation of 1934's Manhattan Melodrama: two former comrades find themselves on opposite sides of the honesty fence. The real villains are corrupt government officials and big-business influence peddlers. Diplomacy goes out the window as arguments are settled with fist, foot, and crushed skulls. Once Kill the Golden Goose gets started, there's no stopping it-save for the "The End" title and the "don't illegally duplicate this film" admonition. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1977
In this exploitation drama, an angry young man tries to maintain a peaceful demeanor, but finds it difficult because he must constantly defend himself from racially inspired attacks (one of his parents was a Native American). He soon finds himself in trouble and placed on a brutal chain gang. When he learns the ruthless warden is planning to massacre inmates, the hero escapes. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Don "Red" Barry
- 1968
The Money Jungle is an innovative mystery concerning some greedy oil companies in competition to secure off-shore drilling rights. Detective Blake Heller (John Ericson) is the hard drinking sleuth hired by the oil companies to try and keep the proceedings above board. He contends with a group that opposes the proposal and later finds there are elements against him in the very organization that hired him. Blake goes to local police lieutenant Dow Reeves (Nehemiah Persoff) when geologists start dropping like flies after being gunned down. Comedian Don Rickles stars in the straight role of crooked oilman Harry Darkwater in this offbeat detective story. Lola Albright croons two songs in her role as a gold-digging nightclub singer who turns out to be the ex-wife of one of the oil barons and owns lots of stock in the company. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Ericson, Lola Albright, (more)
- 1966
In this sci-fi spy thriller, a secret agent for Espionage, Inc., is assigned to stop the Dragon, a Chinese communist organization, from detonating a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1964
In this wartime espionage drama, two incarcerated safecrackers are released to help Naval Intelligence steal classified Japanese documents following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The documents are hidden in the Japanese embassy in Lisbon. Once there, the crooks learn that the papers are worth a bundle so after the mission is completed, one of the thieves attempts to steal them for himself. He ends up killed by their Lisbon contact, who absconds with the documents himself. He too gets killed and the Navy finally gets the papers. Meanwhile the other safecracker is caught by the Japanese and held captive on a ship. When it is torpedoed, the thief is saved and receives a presidential pardon for his heroism. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1963
A prowler has been reported in the neighborhood, so Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Viv (Vivian Vance) decide to learn how to defend themselves. This decision leads to a memorable afternoon at a judo academy, presided over by real-life martial arts expert Louis Coppola. Despite the usual slapstickery, the girls become quite adept at judo--but their new-found athletic prowess inevitably backfires, and at the worst possible time to boot. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dick Martin, Louis Coppola, (more)
