Paul Mantee Movies

The people of Cabot Cove are thrown for a loop when Seth Hazlitt (William Windom) suddenly disappears. Making matters all the more disturbing are the blood stains in his office, and the evidence that Seth's body was dragged somewhere by parties unknown. All the same, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) can't quite dismiss her intuition that Seth is still alive (and no fair peeking at the cast lists of future episodes to figure out what happens next!) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The brief but eventful life of actor and martial arts trailblazer Bruce Lee is portrayed in this drama, based on a biography written by his widow Linda Lee Caldwell. Lee is introduced to the study of martial arts as a child living in Hong Kong by his father (Ric Young); the father dreamed that a demonic armored dragon would take his son from him, and wanted young Bruce to be able to protect himself. Bruce continues his training as he grows to adulthood, and after the cocky teenaged Lee (Jason Scott Lee, no relation to Bruce) seriously injures a prominent British citizen while fighting a gang of troublemakers at a dance, he's sent to San Francisco. While working as a dishwasher, Bruce begins to study philosophy, and in time develops a personal martial arts discipline, Jeet Kune-Do, which blends Kung Fu fighting techniques with lessons gained from his philosophical research. Bruce decides to open a martial arts academy on the advice of his fiancée Linda (Lauren Holly); Linda and Bruce encounter resistance as a mixed-race couple, especially from Linda's mother Vivian (Michael Learned), and Bruce earns the enmity of traditional Chinese martial arts experts for his new style. But after a strong showing in several public tournaments, Bruce's fighting skill and charisma attracts the attention of TV producer Bill Krieger (Robert Wagner). Bruce is cast as Kato, the karate-trained sidekick on the series The Green Hornet, and while the show is short-lived in America, it's a huge success in Asia, leading to a series of films based around Bruce's remarkable fighting skills. Sadly, shortly before the release of the film that would make him a major screen star in the United States, Enter The Dragon, a mysterious brain disorder sends Lee into a coma that soon kills him. In a tragedy with eerie timing, Bruce Lee's real-life son Brandon Lee died shortly before this film was released, the result of an accidental shooting while completing the picture The Crow. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Don Rickles guest stars as Harold Schwan, a successful dry cleaner with more than his share of dirty laundry. Unbeknownst to Schwan, the gang of thieves who've been robbing his stores consists of his "three ex-es": his former wife, his former mistress and his former secretary. As for the ladies, they are blissfully unaware that they have stolen money that Schwan was laundering (no pun intended) for a mobster named Munks (Ron Karabatsos)--and that's how Hunter (Fred Dryer) gets involved in the intrigue. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

As Season Seven of Hunter gets under way, police detective Rick Hunter (Fred Dryer) and his superior officer Charlie Devane (Charles Hallahan are transferred from Central Division Homicide to the elite Metro Division. Conspicuous by her absence is Hunter's longtime partner Dee Dee McCall, who has retired from the force to marry Dr. Alex Turnan and relocate to London (actress Stepfanie Kramer had left the series at the end of Season Six to pursue a singing career). In this first episode of a two-part story, Hunter's first assignment as a Metro officer is to investigate the murders of two Romanian immigrants--while an international assassin prepares to exact vengeance against the American crime family responsible for the killings. Darlanne Fluegel makes her first appearance as streetwise police officer Joanne Molenski. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the conclusion of a two-part story, McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) quits the force in the wake of the suicide of her friend and mentor Andy Polanski (Claude Akins). But try though she might, McCall cannot keep herself out of the center of the storm surrounding the crime wave perpetrated by Aryan Legion leader Frank Lassiter (Richard Lynch). As the episode races to a climax, McCall is being held hostage by Lassiter, who hopes to exchange her for his seriously wounded brother Rudy (Richard Lineback) --while Hunter (Fred Dryer) tries to find out who within the department has been leaking information to Lassiter's minions. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Vera's police-officer husband Elliot (Charles Levin) would love to nab the rustlers who've been stealing cattle in the vicinity, but he hasn't got the evidence. Turning to Mel (Vic Tayback), Elliot suggests that the diner owner go undercover to help trap the criminals. Motivated less by civic responsiblity than by a $5000 reward, Mel agrees to the plan--even though his "clever disguise" probably wouldn't fool a cow, much less a cow thief. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Golden Pagoda, a Chinese restaurant owned by Wan Chu (James Hong) and sponsored by the A-Team, has been targeted for harassment by a local criminal gang. Things take a sinister turn when it is revealed that Tommy Chen (Peter Kwong), the boyfriend of Wan Chu's daughter Sun (Lydia Lei), is working with the villains, who are determined to smuggle infamous drug dealer Chris Tomas (Paul Mantee into the country. Once the A-Team is involved, the viewer can be assured of an explosive climax--literally, in this case! The episode's title refers to the latest delusion of Team member Murdock (Dwight Schultz), who this week imagines himself to be Humphrey Bogart) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Made for television, When Hell Was in Session is the true story of Navy commander Jonathan Denton Jr., here played by Hal Holbrook. Shot down during a bombing mission over Vietnam in 1965, Denton endured nearly eight horrendous years as a POW. The plot details Denton's efforts to organize a resistance movement among his fellow prisoners. The film concludes with a powerful re-enactment of Denton's homecoming, as originally seen by millions of American televiewers in 1973. Based on the book by Denton and Ed Brandt, When Hell Was in Session debuted October 8, 1979 ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Filmed on location at Alcatraz Island, this two-part "whole story" actually concentrates on a handful of the denizens behind the cold grey walls of "The Rock". Michael Beck plays the real-life Clarence Carnes, an Oklahoma Choctaw Indian said to be the youngest man ever incarcerated in the notorious maximum security prison. Serving a 99-year sentence for a gas station holdup and murder, Carnes makes periodic attempts to escape, the final attempt being the most violent. Many of the subordinate characters are fictional (as are most of the details concerning Carnes' escape efforts); the one exception is Robert Stroud, the "Birdman of Alcatraz", here portrayed by Art Carney as a gentle, kindly philosopher. Telly Savalas, a costar of the Burt Lancaster vehicle Birdman of Alcatraz, also guest starred in the 1980 film. Originally titled Alcatraz and Clarence Carnes, this made-for-TV movie wavers between gritty realism and "I'm bustin' outta here!" artifice. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Not only does star Rod Steiger bypass The Honor Guard on his resume; it is also ignored by virtually every chronicler of Steiger's career. Why? Wouldn't you want to see a low-budget Canadian film wherein ex-marine Steiger, unhinged by the death of his son in Vietnam, terrorizes a young couple (David Huffman, Robin Mattson)? Most American viewers didn't catch up with this turkey until it was telecast on the Showtime Cable service in the summer of 1983. Originally titled Wolf Lake, The Honor Guard is rated R for its violence and sex content. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Sam (Robert Ito) finds it impossible to believe that his friend Steve Yomoshira (Bill Saito), a kind and gentle man, had gone berserk and killed a police officer before taking his own life. The subsequent autopsy reveals that Steve suffered from radiation poisoning, possibly connected with a covert Army experiment to determine a man's ability to withstand torture. With the help of Quincy (Jack Klugman), Sam sets about to learn the truth about this questionable procedure--and in the process, to clear Steve's name for the sake of his widow (Nobu McCarthy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Low-budget horror director William Girdler's last film stars Susan Strasberg as Karen Tandy, a San Francisco woman who develops a strange growth on her neck. After an operation fails because the doctor is forced to cut his own hand, Karen seeks out an Indian shaman (Michael Ansara), who tells her that the thing on her neck is the fetus of a reincarnated witch doctor. Eventually, Karen goes to the hospital and gives "birth" to a silly-looking creature played by Cousin Itt himself, Felix Silla. It runs amok in the building until boyfriend Tony Curtis figures out that his love for Karen can boost the hospital's electrical supply to zap the pesky beast. Generally acknowledged as one of the silliest horror films ever made, The Manitou should please camp buffs more than serious fans. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi