Ed Begley, Sr. Movies
Born in Connecticut to an immigrant Irish couple, Ed Begley ran away from home several times before making a complete break from both his family and his formal education at the age of 13. For the next two decades, Begley knocked around in a variety of activities, from Naval service to working as bowling alley pin boy, before obtaining an announcer's job at a Hartford radio station in 1931. Ten years later, Begley moved to New York, where he became a prolific radio actor; from 1944 through 1948, he played the title role in the radio version of Charlie Chan. His belated Broadway debut at age 43 came in a short-lived play titled Land of Fame. In 1947, Begley created the role of benighted war profiteer Joe Keller in Arthur Miller's All My Sons; that same year, he was assigned a solid supporting part in his first film, Boomerang (1947). He was a familiar figure in TV's "golden age" of the 1950s, co-starring in the original video productions of Twelve Angry Men and Patterns. In 1955, he made the first of 789 appearances as the William Jennings Bryan counterpart in the Broadway drama Inherit the Wind, co-starring first with Paul Muni and then with Melvyn Douglas. Despite his ever-increasing activity, Ed Begley was standing in the unemployment compensation line in 1961 when he was informed that he'd been Oscar-nominated for his performance in Sweet Bird of Youth. Justifiably proud of his Oscar statuette, Begley reportedly carried it with him everywhere he went, even on short airplane flights! Ed Begley died at 69 while attending a party at the home of Hollywood press agent Jay Bernstein; he was the father of popular movie and TV leading man Ed Begley Jr. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
With a style and tone that wreaks of the late '60s, this cheap-looking adaptation of an H.P. Lovecraft story plays like an obvious reference to the battle between the establishment and the counterculture. The film stars Dean Stockwell as Wilbur Whateley, a brooding young man who makes a connection with a pretty librarian named Nancy (a very out-of-place Sandra Dee). Whateley wants to get his hands on the Necronomicon, a diabolical book that he believes will help him to open a doorway to a dimension inhabited by unspeakable creatures known as the "Old Ones." Hypnotized by Whateley's spell, Nancy accompanies the man back to his cursed home where he lives with his nutty grandfather (Sam Jaffe) and an unseen "thing" that is kept in an upstairs room. Meanwhile, the Necronomicon's owner, Dr. Armitage (Ed Begley), does some detective work on Whateley when he begins to fear for Nancy's safety. He quickly realizes that Whateley means to sacrifice Nancy in order to accomplish his diabolical plan. Whateley manages to steal the Necronomicon and begins the ritual to resurrect the Old Ones. As Armitage races to stop him, the thing from the upstairs room breaks out and beats a murderous path towards Whateley as well, leading to a final confrontation that leaves a lot to be desired. ~ Patrick Legare, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sandra Dee, Dean Stockwell, (more)
- 1970
In this drama, industrial espionage is discovered after a chemical plant blows up. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1970
- R
Mara (Rita Hayworth) is the lonely owner of a gas station on a remote road leading to Salina, Mexico in this psychodrama. A young hippie (Robert Walker Jr.) is mistaken for her son who had left four years earlier. He is encouraged to stay and develops an amorous relationship with his supposed sister Billie (Mimsey Farmer). He looks into the family history and discovers Billie may have killed her own brother and Mara could very well be covering up the crime. Warren (Ed Begley) and Mara dance the frug in this feature, the last for Begley who died in April, 1970 and the second to last film for legendary screen siren Hayworth. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rita Hayworth, Mimsy Farmer, (more)
- 1969
In this suspenseful crime drama set in war-torn Ireland, IRA terrorists conspire to blow up a British power station. Fortunately, a British supporter escapes from captivity and is able to stop them. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1969
Secret of the Pirate's Inn stars Ed Begley in one of his last roles, playing a retired Irish sea captain. Three kids (Jimmy Bracken, Annie McEveety, Patrick Creamer), try to help the old salt locate the lost treasure of pirate Jean Lafitte. A reporter (Charles Aidman) tags along, ostensibly to get a story. When the treasure is unearthed, the reporter shows his true colors by making off with the booty and kidnapping one of the kids. Secret of the Pirate's Inn originated as a two-part episode of TV's Wonderful World of Disney, initially broadcast November 23 and 30, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Begley, Sr., Charles Aidman, (more)
- 1969
The Silent Gun refers to the weapon no longer toted by Westerner Lloyd Bridges. Once a notorious gunfighter, Bridges has vowed never to shoot again after nearly killing a little girl. Thus, when faced with evil town boss Pernell Roberts, Bridges must rely on his wits to come out on top. This made-for-TV western compromises its potential with dull dialogue sequences and uninspired direction. The Silent Gun was based on a concept by Batman creator Bob Kane. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
- PG
Featuring members of Chicago's distinguished Second City comedy troupe, this way-out sci-fi comedy tells the tale of a failed alien invasion. The basically friendly Monitors have come to Earth to take over and force humans to clean up their acts by forbidding them to engage in politics, violence and sex. Naturally humanity is not willing to give up its favorite pastimes, and earth's inhabitants stage a world-wide rebellion. Monitors was an attempt by the film equipment maker Bell and Howell to establish Chicago as a new center for filmmaking. Unfortunately, the film bombed and their attempt failed. Larry Storch plays a military madman, Keenan Wynn plays a stuffy general, and Ed Begley is the President of the United States. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Guy Stockwell, Susan Oliver, (more)
- 1968
This musical chronicles the rise to fame of C&W singer Grady Dodd (Hank Williams Jr.). The tale begins as the talented young man defies the uncle who raised him and tries to break into the music business. As a result of the conflict, the boy learns that his mother, whom he doesn't remember, was a singer who died after she ran away with another musician. Songs include: The Humming Bird, It's All Over But the Crying, Rock in My Shoe (Hank Williams, Jr.), A Man Is On His Own (John Scoggins, Williams, Jr.), Money Can't Buy Happiness, Old Before My Time (Steve Karliski), Next Time I Say Goodbye, I'm Leaving (Larry Kusik, Eddie Snyder), and A Time to Sing (Scoggins). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hank Williams, Jr., Shelley Fabares, (more)
- 1968
Roy Thinnes was the star of this 1967-1968 science fiction series, about an Earth poised on the brink of alien takeover. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1968
While in Rome, publisher Glenn Howard finds corruption, illicit romance and narcotics at every turn. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1968
A rock star decides he'd rather rule the free world than just sell records in this ambitious fusion of political satire and teen exploitation. Teenage rebel Max Flatow (Christopher Jones) has grown tired of life in suburbia with his domineering mother (Shelley Winters) and weak-willed father (Bert Freed), and, having saved up 800 dollars he earned by selling home-brewed LSD to his schoolmates, he blows up the family car with a makeshift bomb and strikes out on his own. A few years later, Max has adopted the name Max Frost, and is one of the world's biggest rock stars, selling millions of records and earning a fortune from concert appearances and music publishing. Max has learned firsthand about the buying power of America's youth, and when Sen. John Fergis (Hal Holbrook) asks Max to appear at a "youth rally" to mobilize younger voters, he realizes the kids could also sway an election if they wanted. At Fergis' rally, Max debuts a new song, "Fourteen or Fight," which demands the voting age be reduced to 14; the youth respond by rising up in support of Max's demands, reducing many American cities to a standstill. As political leaders bow to public pressure, the age of suffrage is reduced to 15, but rather than choosing candidates to support, Max decides it's time he and his inner circle took control. After Max doses Washington, D.C.'s water supply with LSD, congress votes to make any registered voter eligible to hold federal office, and before long Max Frost has become president of the United States. Once in office, Max unveils a bold plan to once and for all do something about people over 30 -- including his parents. Wild in the Streets features an early screen appearance from Richard Pryor as drummer and political activist Stanley X, while media personalities Dick Clark, Walter Winchell, Army Archerd, and Melvin Belli portray themselves. Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil wrote the songs for fictional rockers "Max Frost and the Troopers," including the hit single "The Shape of Things to Come." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shelley Winters, Christopher Jones, (more)
Ex-lawman turned rancher Jed Cooper (Clint Eastwood) is moving a small herd of cattle when a group of nine men on horseback, led by Captain Wilson (Ed Begley Sr.), ride up and accuse him of having stolen the cattle and killed their owner. Refusing to believe his account, they string him up by the neck and leave him for dead, but they don't do the job right. Cooper is dangling there, barely alive, a few minutes later when Deputy U.S. Marshal Bliss (Ben Johnson) spots him and cuts him down. He survives the next few days in Bliss' tumbleweed wagon with the other prisoners, and is later cleared of any wrongdoing and released by Judge Fenton (Pat Hingle), just in time to witness the hanging of the man who really murdered the owner of the cattle and took Cooper's money. Cooper still wants revenge on the nine men who tried to hang him, but Fenton insists that he leave the bringing of them to justice to his deputy marshals. As it happens, Fenton is in desperate need of deputy marshals for the territory that he oversees, and he also knows that Cooper was a good lawman. Cooper, in turn, is now broke and in need of a job, and does want to see justice done. They strike an uneasy bargain, Cooper agreeing to wear a badge and bring in the men he's looking for -- alive -- for trial. The latter proves easier said than done, however, when the first of them that he spots tries to draw on him when he makes the arrest. One of the hanging party, Jenkins (Bob Steele), soon turns himself in and provides the names of the others. Cooper takes Stone (Alan Hale Jr.) alive, but the hapless blacksmith is later shot by the local sheriff (Charles McGraw) while trying to escape. The other men, led by Wilson, have no intention of dying, or even being brought to trial, without a fight. Two of them go on the run out of the territory, while Wilson and two of the others decide to take the law into their own hands once again. Meanwhile, Cooper becomes a hero when he single-handedly brings back a trio of rustlers who are also guilty of murder. This leads to Cooper's first confrontation with Judge Fenton, who, in a gripping scene, explains why it is essential that he be as seemingly quick to hang a man as he is. Unless the people are convinced that the law will do its job -- including hanging men who deserve it -- they will keep taking the law into their own hands and there will be more lynch mobs like the one that tried to kill Cooper. In the course of his quest for justice, Cooper also makes the acquaintance of Rachel (Inger Stevens), a young woman with her own search for justice, haunted by her own ghosts, and the two of them are drawn together, no more so than when Wilson and two of the others try to gun Cooper down in cold blood. The final confrontation between Cooper and Wilson escalates in violence to its savage, irony-laced conclusion. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clint Eastwood, Inger Stevens, (more)
Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda headline this western in which an old lawman (Stewart) attempts to keep his town safe from a band of recent returnees from the Missouri range wars and their villainous leader (Fonda), who threaten to destroy it with their drunken revelry. The old sheriff usually avoids the town, preferring to live on the outskirts of town with his pregnant wife. He is a bit of a pacifist, and when he sees what the outlaws are doing to the peaceful little village, he decides he must intervene, as no one in town seems to have the grit to fight back. At first the lawman attempts to reason with the outlaws. He fails at this, and even more violence ensues, forcing the sheriff to use a stronger form of persuasion. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Stewart, Henry Fonda, (more)
LAPD detective Sgt. Tom Valens (David Janssen) is a ten-year veteran of the force who has had more than his share of hard luck lately -- his marriage is a wreck, and he hasn't fully recovered from a serious wound suffered in the line of duty a year ago. He and his partner, Sgt. Ed Musso (Keenan Wynn), are working a stakeout one night at the Seascape Apartments, in hope of catching a killer who has already claimed three victims in that part of the city, when he confronts a man seemingly trying to sneak off the premises. The man tries to run, stops when ordered but starts to pull a gun, and Valens shoots him dead. The deceased turns out to be Dr. James B. Ruston, a well-known humanitarian and pillar of the community -- worse yet, the police can't find any trace of the gun Valens says he saw Ruston pull. Valens' nightmare builds gradually, as he's first assigned to a desk, then hung out to dry by an indifferent coroner (Carroll O'Connor) at an inquest, suspended from the force, and then indicted for manslaughter by a crusading prosecutor (Sam Wanamaker) with a personal ax to grind. Villified in the press and by protesters in the street, Valens has few even slightly sympathetic ears around him -- his partner, his captain (Ed Begley Sr.), and his soon-to-be-ex-wife (Joan Collins) -- and even fewer allies. The one attorney (Walter Pidgeon) with enough juice to fight the case on an even footing with the DA says he would only plead him guilty and try for a deal, based on his understanding of the law and of juries; and the one public pundit (Steve Allen) who takes his part is doing so for the most cynical of reasons. Valens realizes that the only way to save himself is to first prove that the so-called victim wasn't quite the candidate for sainthood that he seemed -- why did he run? -- and to find the missing gun. To do all of that, he's got to confront the victim's aggrieved patients (Lillian Gish), his alcoholic widow (Eleanor Parker), and his employees (Stefanie Powers), all of whom have every reason to hate Valens. He starts to dig into the doctor's finances and finds some anomalies that no one can explain (or wants to look at -- they'd rather hang Valens), and as he puts together the pieces of the puzzle, helped by a sympathetic tenant at Seascape (George Grizzard), Valens finds himself pursued by the doctor's thug of son and his friends with mayhem on their minds -- and someone else with a deadlier agenda. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Janssen, Ed Begley, Sr., (more)
Harry Palmer (Michael Caine), the reluctant secret agent from The Ipcress File (1965) and Funeral in Berlin (1966) -- both (like the source for this movie) based on novels by Len Deighton -- is back again in Ken Russell's Billion Dollar Brain. Having left Britain's espionage service, Palmer is scraping out a living as a private investigator, but he's still willing to give his old boss Colonel Ross (Guy Doleman) the bum's rush out of his office when he comes calling, offering a raise and promotion if he'll return. But Palmer ends up working for Her Majesty's government anyway -- a letter arrives, with a key and money, and telephoned instructions by a mechanical voice connect him up with a carefully sealed parcel (filled with what an x-ray reveals as eggs) that he must transport to Helsinki. No sooner does he get there than he discovers that an old friend, Leo Newbigin (Karl Malden), and his young lover Anya (Françoise Dorléac) are behind the trip, and that the man who was supposed to receive the parcel is dead. The eggs contain dangerous viruses stolen from a secret British laboratory, and England wants them back and wants to know why they were stolen. That assignment immerses Palmer in a deadly game of deception, double-dealing, and triple-crosses on all sides, as he finds that Leo is working for a privately operated intelligence network, set up by a rabidly right-wing Texas oil man, General Midwinter (Ed Begley Sr.).
The billion-dollar super-computer of the title, built by Midwinter, runs a network of spies and assassins aimed at the destruction of the Soviet Union. That interests Palmer's old friend, Soviet security chief Colonel Stok (Oskar Homolka, in an almost movie-stealing performance), very much, and he, too, wants to know what Palmer knows. And then there's Leo, who has taken millions from Midwinter, supposedly to establish a secret underground in Latvia, waiting for the signal to rise up against the Soviets occupying their country that will spread across the Baltics and beyond and bring down the Soviet government. He's taken the money, but all Harry find when he goes into Latvia is motley bunch of broken-down black marketeers whose orders are to kill him and make it look like the work of the Soviets. And there's Anya, who is sleeping with Leo, trying to seduce Harry, and seems to have an agenda all her own, but in whose interest? If it's all a little confusing, so was the book on which it was based, but there's enough striking visual material, courtesy of cinematographer Billy Williams, and engrossing performances (and a wry sensibility), courtesy of director Ken Russell and screenwriter John McGrath, that the leaps in plot, logic, and setting don't matter that much, and it is great fun. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
The billion-dollar super-computer of the title, built by Midwinter, runs a network of spies and assassins aimed at the destruction of the Soviet Union. That interests Palmer's old friend, Soviet security chief Colonel Stok (Oskar Homolka, in an almost movie-stealing performance), very much, and he, too, wants to know what Palmer knows. And then there's Leo, who has taken millions from Midwinter, supposedly to establish a secret underground in Latvia, waiting for the signal to rise up against the Soviets occupying their country that will spread across the Baltics and beyond and bring down the Soviet government. He's taken the money, but all Harry find when he goes into Latvia is motley bunch of broken-down black marketeers whose orders are to kill him and make it look like the work of the Soviets. And there's Anya, who is sleeping with Leo, trying to seduce Harry, and seems to have an agenda all her own, but in whose interest? If it's all a little confusing, so was the book on which it was based, but there's enough striking visual material, courtesy of cinematographer Billy Williams, and engrossing performances (and a wry sensibility), courtesy of director Ken Russell and screenwriter John McGrath, that the leaps in plot, logic, and setting don't matter that much, and it is great fun. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Karl Malden, (more)
- 1966
In desperate need of money for new furniture, Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Mary Jane (Mary Jane Croft) attempt to take advantage of an advertising campaign created by Col. Andrew Bailey (Ed Begley), aka "The Bean King." Succeeding at getting double her money back on a can of Colonel Bailey's Bean, Lucy and Mary Jane go through the same rigmarole time and time again, until the two ladies have managed to collect $1500. What our heroines don't know is that Lucy's boss Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) is Colonel Bailey's biggest investor! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Begley, Sr., Mary Jane Croft, (more)
- 1966
In Southern California, Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) and Rhodes (Stephen Brooks) go undercover as missile-plant works to plug up a security leak and capture an enemy spy. The situation becomes even more precarious when the Communist higher-ups arrange the "accidental" demise of one of their own agents to cover their tracks--and then formulate a plan to kill Erskine as well. In a plot device worthy of Alfred Hitchcock, the spies operate their network out of a local movie theater (which seems to run nothing but old Warner Brothers films!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
A heartless actor scrambles to the top of show business' sleazy summit in this drama. Frank Fane (Stephen Boyd) is a Hollywood leading man who is desperate to boost his career by winning an Academy Award, and he doesn't care who he has to betray to achieve his goals -- including his former best friend and PR man, Hymie Kelly (Tony Bennett), lonely acting coach Sophie Cantaro (Eleanor Parker), slimy agent Kappy Kapstetter (Milton Berle), and long-suffering girlfriend Kay Bergdahl (Elke Sommer). However, as Frank waits for his name to be called, certain that victory is in his grasp, fate has a little secret in store for him. The Oscar marked Tony Bennett's onscreen acting debut. The screenplay, based on the novel by Richard Sale, was written in part by award-winning author Harlan Ellison, who is known to often take comical potshots at the film, which he considers a low point in his career. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Boyd, Elke Sommer, (more)
- 1966
Ed Begley Sr. makes a return visit to Bonanza in the role of proud old Ponderosa wrangler Dan Tolliver. Sensing that Dan is getting too old for his work, Ben Cartwright arranges for the stubborn ranchhand to take on an easier job. Infuriated, Dan quits the Ponderosa and falls in with two outlaws who have a long-standing hatred for the Cartwrights. Others in the cast include Audrey Totter as Beth Riley, Sherwood Price as Sand, Renny McAvoy as Flint and former B-western star Don "Red" Barry as Temple. Written by Frank Chase and directed by movie leading man Paul Henreid, "A Time to Step Down", was originally seen on September 25, 1966, then rebroadcast on New Years' Eve, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1965
Ed Begley Sr. is cast as Clint Watson, an old muleskinner friend of Ben Cartwright. Now an explosives expert, Clint agrees to help Ben transport a shipment of nitroglycerin to a flood site, with Clint's sons Andy (Tom Simcox) and Ellis (Richard Evans) providing assistance. What begins as a western replay of the French suspense film The Wages of Fear develops into the sad story of a stubborn man who is unable to love his two sons equally. Bing Russell, normally cast as Deputy Clem, is here seen as Sheriff Walker. Written by Thomas Thompson, "The Other Son" originally aired on October, 3 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1965
Rob (Dick Van Dyke) thinks he's been ripped off when Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) purchases four costly "eider down" pillows from a guy named Lawrence Wiley (Alvy Moore). Our hero's suspicions are confirmed when he concludes that the pillows are actually stuffed with cheap chicken feathers. When Wiley refuses to refund his money, Rob takes the matter to court, acting as his own lawyer and generally proving the old "fool for a client" adage in front of surly Judge Taylor (guest star Ed Begley Sr.). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
The scene is India, where elderly, incompetent medical missionary Brother Thomas Fitzgibbon (Ed Begley) is on the verge of being replaced by his younger, more qualified assistant, Brother John Sprague (Tom Simcox). This does not rest well with Brother Thomas' wife, Mary (Jeanette Nolan), who is willing to go to any length to save her husband's position. Mary formulates a sinister scheme that has dark implications for Brother John's lovely young wife, Lucy (Maggie Pierce) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Begley, Sr., Jeanette Nolan, (more)
Meredith Willson's second Broadway hit (the first and biggest was The Music Man) proved a lucrative vehicle for the equally unsinkable Debbie Reynolds. Based on a true story, the film casts Debbie as hoydenish Molly Brown, who wangles her way into Denver High Society when she marries "overnight millionaire" Johnny Brown (Harve Presnell). When the local social arbiters give Molly the brush-off, she pulls off a coup by bringing a representative of European royalty, Prince Louis de Laniere (Vassili Lambrinos) into the Colorado community. Her admiration for the prince causes a rift in her marriage; it takes the sinking of the Titanic--wherein Molly heroically commandeers one of the lifeboats and is responsible for rescuing several of the passengers--to bring Molly and Johnny together again. While the energetic performances of such songs as I Ain't Down Yet and Belly Up to the Bar Boys are to be cherished, the real highlight of The Unsinkable Molly Brown is a society ball which ends up in a pie fight between the Denver "elite" and Molly's rambunctious mining-town cronies. Treated condescendingly by the critics, the film struck a responsive chord with audiences to the tune of a $7.5 million gross. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Debbie Reynolds, Harve Presnell, (more)
- 1964
When a TV fan recognizes a picture of Richard Kimble (David Janssen) on a quiz show, the fugitive takes refuge in a home for the blind. Posing as "Phil Meade", Kimble quickly acquaints himself several of the residents, including the attractive Claire Whittaker (Diana Van Der Vlis) and embittered ex-cop Dan Brady (Ed Begley), who harbors a dream of capturing Kimble so that he can reclaim his job. And then there is Bob Sterne (Peter Haskell), who is only pretending to be blind...but why? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Wrongfully accused of murder, Dr. Richard Kimble (David Janssen) continues his search for the "One-Armed Man" who can prove his innocence, while the relentless Lt. Gerard (Barry Morse) steps up his efforts to recapture Kimble and deliver him to Death Row, as The Fugitive launches its second season. Guest star Ed Begley appears as famed criminal laywer G. Stanley Lazar (Ed Begley), who during a TV discussion show claims that he could not only get a new trial for Kimble, but also an acquittal. After being contacted by the still-in-hiding Kimble, Professor Lazar tests his theory in a mock trial held before his law students. Alas, Lazar is plagued by a plethora of personal demons that could negatively affect the outcome of the "trial"--while Gerard, suspecting that Kimble is somewhere in the vicinity of the classroom, slowly closes in on his quarry. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
