Pamela McMyler Movies

Based on a true story, the two-part TV movie I Know My First Name Is Steven tells the tragic story of Steven Stayner. At age seven, Steven was kidnapped by two men who held him captive in a tiny shed for seven years. One of the men, a habitual child abuser named Kenneth Parnell, sexually assaulted Steven on an almost daily basis during the boy's ordeal. At age 14, Steven finally was able to escape and return to his family. But we are shown that Steven's safe return was far from the happy ending it appeared to be. He's forced to adjust to a family he'd never really known, to convince himself that his parents had never forgotten him, and to put his seven-year hell behind him. While I Know My First Name Is Steven ends on an upbeat note, the real Stayner died in a motorcycle accident only a few months after this film was first telecast in May 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When his car breaks down on Walton's Mountain, young Arlington Wescott Jones III (Richard Gillilland) in his first series appearance) accepts the hospitality of the Walton family. Before long, "Jonesy" has fallen deeply in love with the widowed Mary Ellen (Judy Norton-Taylor), and the feeling appears to be mutual--until a stranger named Betty (Pamela McMyler) visits the Walton house in the middle of the night with some startling news. Elsewhere, Jason (Jon Walmsley) sets about to repair and revitalize the Dew Drop Inn. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

While John Carpenter's 1978 horror classic Halloween irrevocably changed the style of horror cinema with its simple but relentlessly tense story, it triggered more than a decade's worth of uninspired, exploitative knock-offs, and one could easily list Halloween II among these failures. As with its predecessor, this film was written and produced by Carpenter and Debra Hill, but the terse style and unbearable suspense of the first film are missing, replaced by a more simplistic stalk-and-slash scenario. Directorial duties were handed over to Rick Rosenthal, whose lack of expertise is quite evident (though he managed to hit his stride two years later with the prison actioner Bad Boys). The plot picks up exactly where the original left off: Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), shaken and injured from her battle with unkillable psycho Michael Myers, is taken to the Haddonfield Hospital for observation, while Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence) continues his desperate search for his monstrous patient. An interesting plot twist has Loomis' investigations revealing Michael's true identity (some of these sequences incorporate footage of young Michael originally shot for the television version of Halloween, which contained scenes hinting at the link between Michael and Laurie).

After slashing his way through the town, Myers manages to track Laurie to the hospital, where the remainder of the action takes place. Numerous night-shift employees are slaughtered in a variety of gruesome ways before Loomis catches up with his quarry, leading to an explosive -- and seemingly conclusive -- confrontation. Pleasence is compelling as usual, but Curtis, who made an auspicious debut in the original, is sadly wasted here, her character reduced to shuffling half-drugged through darkened hospital corridors and screaming helplessly. Carpenter's active involvement in the Halloween franchise continued to dwindle steadily from one sequel to the next, getting scarcely a mention by the time producers Hill, Moustapha Akkad and Irwin Yablans revived the series in 1988 for three more sequels. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Clearly inspired by the theatrical feature Norma Rae, The $5.20 an Hour Dream stars Linda Lavin as a recently divorced woman supporting herself and her 12-year-old daughter. The highest-paying job at the Oregon engine factory where she works is on the assembly line--which has traditionally been an all-male operation. Bucking the system (and several stereotyped "chauvinist pigs"), Lavin eventually wins a place on the line, as do several of her female friends. As always, Linda Lavin (for whom this film was a pet project) looks far too self-reliant to ever be considered a "victim," so the climax of $5.20 an Hour Dream is a foregone conclusion. This made for TV movie received an award from the National Commission of Working Women. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Season Three of Emergency begins as the emergency ward of Rampart Hospital is filled to overflowing with the victims of a bloody motorcycle-gang rumble (among the cyclists is singer Ron Townson of The 5th Dimension). Meanwhile, paramedic John Gage (Randolph Mantooth) desperately tries to call in an injury report, only to be stopped in his tracks as another paramedic unit monopolizes the same radio frequency--and the delay turns out to be fatal. Elsewhere, an artist is trapped in his own sculpture; and a child turns up drunk. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A youthful Martin Sheen guests as an elusive contract killer who takes refuge amongst a group of anti-Vietnam protesters. In exchange for the group's silence, the cagey hit man promises not to expose an "underground railway" which is transporting draft dodgers to Canada. In order to trap the murderer, Ironside (Raymond Burr) must first gain the trust of the young antiwar activists--and that's a tall order for anyone over 30! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

It's a personal matter for FBI assistant director Arthur Ward (Phillip Abbott) when Marianne Lowe (Pamela McMyler), the daughter of Ward's good friend Philip Lowe (Lin McCarthy), is kidnapped. A clue in Marianne's diary leads Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) to suspect that an employee at the girl's favorite beauty parlor is in on the abduction scheme. Meanwhile, the captive Marianne chips away at the conscience of the conscience of her abductor Beau Manley (Mark Jenkins), who unlike his partner Alex Drake (Joe Don Baker) is reluctant to kill her...maybe. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A student revolt is fomenting on a college campus, prompting police headquarters to dispatch a riot squad. Among those summoned to nip the hostilities in the bud is mobile officer Pete Malloy (Martin Milner). The problem: Malloy is currently taking classes at the troubled college--and several of his fellow students regard him as a traitor for taking the side of the "pigs." Watch for pro heavyweight boxer Jerry Quarry in a small supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

No relation to the 1977 Barbra Streisand vehicle of the same name, the independent 1966 film For Pete's Sake top-bills none other than evangelist Billy Graham. This well-intentioned effort concerns a gas-station attendant (Robert Sampson), his wife (Pippa Scott) and son (Johnny Jensen). Barely eking out a living, the attendant must endure harassment from a local motorcycle gang. After attending a Billy Graham revival meeting, the attendant and his family decide to apply their new found religiosity in dealing with the nasty cyclists. A remarkably stellar cast -- including Sam Groom, Al Freeman Jr. and Terri Garr -- do their best to lend credibility to this farfetched fable. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this lighthearted variation on the "Lysistrata" theme, Gidget (Sally Field) and her female friends are of the opinion that men in their lives are taking them for granted. At Gidge's institigation, the girls stage a "date boycott" , which will remain in effect until the boys learn some proper manners. Originally scheduled to air on November 10, 1965, this episode features early appearance by future stars Barbara Hershey and Bonnie Franklin. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi