John Nolan Movies
Christopher Nolan made his feature directorial debut with this 16mm black-and-white British suspense drama, shot on weekends with a $6,000 budget. Wannabe writer Bill, aka "The Young Man" (Jeremy Theobald), is "between jobs," living in impoverished circumstances with no prospects, plots, or outlines. Desperate for ideas, he begins following people in the street to "gather material," more accurately described as a venture into voyeurism. When Cobb (Alex Haw) realizes he's being followed, he confronts Bill. Cobb explains that he goes one step further -- entering people's apartments not only for theft but also to spy on private possessions. The notion of illegal intrusions excites Bill, but graduating to the next plateau beyond break-ins sets him up as a fall guy. Shown at the 1998 San Francisco Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Theobald, Alex Haw, (more)
- 1980
This 1980 British production is based on the trashy romantic novel of the same name by Jackie Collins. Fabulously-successful advertising executive David Cooper (Anthony Franciosa) is a jet-setting philanderer who has a woman in seemingly every port of call. His long-suffering wife Linda (Carroll Baker) finally gets fed up with his infidelities, and she sets out to even the score. Linda exacts her vengeance by having her own string of affairs at several exotic locations, and also by launching various nefarious schemes to entrap and embarrass her husband. Collins is credited as the screenwriter. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Franciosa, Carroll Baker, (more)
- 1979
An autopsy X-ray reveals that the corpse of a murdered courier contained a sack of diamonds worth $2,000,000, hidden within a pacemaker. Under pressure from a team of U.S. Customs officials, Quincy (Jack Klugman) agrees to go undercove in hopes of flushing out a dangerous gang of international jewel smugglers. This explains why Quincy shows up at a Las Vegas beauty contest ("Miss Coroner", no less), offering to sell the diamonds to a notorious gangster...and acting very, very nervous about the whole thing. The climax of this episode bears a striking resemblance to the film noir classic D.O.A. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
- R
This horror feature should entertain fans of the blood and guts but ultimately fails to live up to its title. Royal ancestors feel the wrath of the curse of the condemned witch Mad Dolly L.E. Mack, who spews forth her prophetic venom while she is burned at the stake. The victims suffer death by having their heads removed in various fashions, getting their limbs caught in animal traps, knife wounds, and other methods of popular medieval torture. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Nolan, Carolyn Courage, (more)
- 1973
In the first episode of a two-part story, a flu epidemic has decimated the Rampart division, forcing Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) to take over an unusually large caseload. Admist the plethora of emergency calls, burglaries, and public disturbances, the two mobile officers find time to issue a traffic ticket to a rather formidable woman named Edna Dixon (Juanita Moore)--who turns out to be the new police commissioner. Producer Jack Webb introduces this episode, which features a brief appearance by former series sem-iregular Robert Donner, who for several years appeared in the role of police informant TeeJay. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Kojak (Telly Savalas) begins his search for the murderer of a womanizing Wall Street lawyer. What he doesn't know is that the perp is one of his own detectives, Nick Ferro (Hector Elizondo). Having committed the crime after discovering that his own wife (Barbara Rhoades) was one of the victim's lovers, Ferro cunningly sets up an airtight alibi--and even arranges to join the investigation team. Inevitably, Kojak's instincts kick in and he deduces that something is amiss...while Ferro desperately tries to halt the steady strem of evidence that is flowing inexorably in his direction. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
- PG
Based on a play by Terence Rattigan, The Nelson Affair recounts an infamous 18th century British scandal in slow-paced, talk-heavy fashion. Lord Nelson (Peter Finch) returns from battling Napoleon's navy and takes some well-deserved leave. He immediately picks up where he left off with Lady Hamilton (Glenda Jackson), blatantly carrying on their affair in public view of his family and beleagured wife (Margaret Leighton). Hamilton herself is under strain due to her advancing age and Nelson's unflagging need to return to sea. The picture plays more like a filmed theater piece than an epic historical romance (the famous Battle Of Trafalgar was filmed indoors and utilized stock footage), but Finch and Jackson turn in their usual excellent performances. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenda Jackson, Peter Finch, (more)
- 1971
A young Steven Spielberg helmed the made-for-TV Something Evil. Johnny Whitaker (Family Affair) is cast as Stevie Worden, an angelic child whose parents move into a foreboding Pennsylvania mansion. It isn't long before Stevie is possessed with the house's resident demonic spirit. In anticipation of The Exorcist and The Omen, the spirit within Stevie never lets anyone know when it's going to strike -- but everyone knows full well when it does. Spielberg evokes horror throughout by contrasting the most terrifying events with the plodding commonplace of day-to-day life. Something Evil was Spielberg's last TV-movie assignment. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Chasing down an erratic motorist, Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) end up issuing a citation to a driver who is blind drunk--and stark naked. Elsewhere, the two cops try to determine the source of $12,000 found by a youngster. And finally, Jim and Pete clean up the latest in a long line of auto-theft rings. Appearing in the role of J. Simmons is Sidney Miller, a multitalented performer who for several years was primary director of the original Mickey Mouse Club. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Sidelined by a fractured wrist, Officer Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) pulls what he regards as "light duty", a night-desk shift with attractive policewoman Doris Mills (Beth Brickell). But things go from light to dark in a hurry when the two officers are confronted by a armed sniper who demands that his criminal brother be released from jail immediately. Luckily, Pete's regular partner Officer Jim Reed (Kent McCord) is on hand to help his comrades survive this terrifying ordeal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Regarded by many as the best-ever episode of The Prisoner, "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling" was written by Vincent Tilsley. Number Six awakens with the belief that he is actually another man -- to be exact, an Army colonel (Nigel Stock). Failing to recognize his own face in his own mirror, the confused protagonist also learns that "The Colonel" has been missing for a full year. The answer to the mystery rests in the hands of one Professor Seltzman (Hugh Schuster), the inventor of an insidious intellect-transfer machine. Clues essential to the action include a reference to Number Six's former fiancée, and an inventory of the former intelligence agent's code names. Also appearing are Zena Walker as Janet and Clifford Evans as the new Number Two. As originally conceived, "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling" was supposed to have been the series' ninth episode, but instead was rescheduled as episode 13 on British television, making its first appearance on January 7, 1968. When The Prisoner was rebroadcast in America on CBS, the intended episode chronology was restored, and "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling" was properly shown right after episode number eight ("Dance of the Dead") on August 3, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
The premiere episode of Adam-12 finds veteran LAPD patrol officer Pete Malloy (Martin Milner), on the verge of retirement, reluctantly agreeing to "break in" a new partner, rookie cop Jim Reed (Martin Milner). Still not completely recovered from the death of his former partner, Pete makes no secret of his contempt for Jim's lack of experience as the two officers answer summonses to capture a pair of liquor store robbers, rescue a suffocating baby, and protect a hysterical woman from a runaway salamander. By the end of the shift, Pete begrudgingly admit to a fondness for Jim and a degree of admiration for the youngster's level-headed dedication to his new job...so he decides to stay on the force a little while longer, if only to keep the kid out of trouble. This debut episode was directed by series producer Jack Webb, who also penned the script under a pseudonym. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Jerry Lewis is aptly cast as The Big Mouth in this production (he also served as producer, director and cowriter). As bad luck would have it, Lewis is the exact double of a notorious gangster. The bad guys who think they've disposed of the gangster are taken aback when they see Jerry strolling about, while several other disreputable characters chase after Lewis in the mistaken assumption that our hero knows the whereabouts of a cache of stolen diamonds. Charlie Callas provides some good moments as a hit man who is so unnerved by Jerry's "resurrection" that he turns into a babbling idiot (so what else is new?) There's also a cute bit involving a Kabuki dance troupe. Overall, however, The Big Mouth suffers from the Curse of Jerry: too much repetition, too many pointless gags (will someone explain why Colonel Sanders makes a guest appearance?) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerry Lewis, Harold J. Stone, (more)
- 1966
Fresh from a nearly decade-long stint as Jeff Stone on The Donna Reed Show, Paul Petersen appears in this episode as Johnny Eagle Eye, the nephew of Hekawi chief Wild Eagle (Frank De Kova). Aware of Johnny's prowess with a rifle, O'Rourke (Forrest Tucker) schemes to make a fortune by disguising the boy in a Cavalry uniform and entering him as F Troop's representative in an Army sharpshooting contest. Also in the cast is veteran radio actress Cathy Lewis as Johnny Eagle Eye's overbearing mother. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
The title character in this standard comedy about the foibles of military life is Archie Hall (Robert Mitchum), a puffed-up dandy whose strutting personality makes the other privates in a Civilian Pilot Training program absolutely certain he is a spy. They figure him for a multiple-star general, out to entrap a Japanese spy by the unlikely name of Cindy (France Nuyen). A series of enlisted men and officers contribute to the misadventures due to the misunderstanding, including comics like Don Knotts as Captain Little and Louis Nye as Private Sam Beecham. Jack Webb directs, and plays the role of Archie's sidekick. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Mitchum, Jack Webb, (more)
- 1959
It's late Thursday night at the local paper and a savvy city editor, a world-weary but upright writer, and a beleagured copy boy prepare to put the next day's paper to bed. Suddenly two stories come over the wire. In the first, a young girl has gotten lost in the city's storm drains, and her life is endangered when a terrible storm erupts and the sewers begin to fill with runoff. In the second, the grandson of the writer is among a team of missing Air Force pilots who were attempting to set a record flying from Hawaii to Washington, DC. This suspenseful, newsroom drama chronicles the ways in which these situations affect the workers as they try to get the paper out on time. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1958
The "big hobby" of the title is photography, and the big hobbyist is an amateur cameraman (Kip King). This erstwhile shutterbug comes in handy during a manhunt conducted by police detectives Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander). The two cops are looking for a dangerous fugitive--and based on evidence gleaned from a detective magazine, the teenage cameraman thinks he's inadvertently snapped a picture of the man in question. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
In this drama, a Korean war vet becomes a pilot who must take care of his late war buddy's little sister and brother. The sister is upset when her brother begins hanging around with a bad biker gang. The vet manages to turn the kid around by convincing him that he would have more fun flying an observation plane for a uranium prospector. Meanwhile the vet and the little sister fall in love. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Loughery, Ed Kemmer, (more)
- 1958
Four hot rods have been stolen by thieves who intend to strip the cars for parts and accessories. Investigating, Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) cannot help but notice that three of the four missing cars had been entered in the same race just before their disappearance. As in the case of the earlier episode "The Big Rod", the two detectives are assisted in their efforts to track down the criminals by members of the National Hot Rod Association. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) investigate when a young man reports that his wife is missing. The two detectives are certain the woman was murdered--and indeed, her dead body turns up shortly afterward. A discarded button from a Navy pea jacket is the vital clue that leads Friday and Smith to the murderer. This is one of several late-1950s Dragnet episodes featuring Brett King, who after a brief bid for stardom at Columbia Pictures settled into a long and fruitful career as a character actor, specializing in villainy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
