Olan Soule Movies
Before making his film debut in 1949, character actor Olan Soule was well-known for starring on two radio shows. The first, the soap opera Bachelor's Children, ran for over a decade. The second, First Nighter, ran from 1943 to 1949, and again from 1952 to 1953. Soule appeared in a wide variety of films through the mid-'70s. He was even busier on television, doing everything from guest-starring roles to semi-regular stints in comedies, dramas, and even children's animated series. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1979
In the first episode of a two-part story, Patrick MacNee guest stars as Count Iblis, a shipwrecked alien rescued by a Galactica recon mission. Claiming to be the last descendant of a long-gone alien culture, Iblis promises to grant three wishes to the Colonials -- including safe passage to the 13th Colony. All he asks in return from them is total, and unquestioning, obedience. Not surprisingly, Cmdr. Adama (Lorne Greene) is suspicious of Iblis' true motives -- but he is unable to sway the Colonials, who are more thn willing to agree to the godlike alien's terms. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict, (more)
- 1978
In an outer-space replay of a familiar western plotline, the Gallactica must gather enough seed to replant its devastated agroships, lest the crew and passengers starve. In order to gain the necessary seed from a group of alien farmers, Adama (Lorne Greene) is obliged to romance a former girlfriend who wields great power over the populace. Meanwhile, Starbuck (Dirk Benedict) loses a rigged card game and is pressed into service as the local sheriff, whereupon he must rally an army of warriors against the planet's principal persecutors, the piglike Borays. "The Magnificent Warriors" was later combined with the Battlestar Galactica episode "Fire in Space" and reissued as the two-hour "TV movie" Curse of the Cylons. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict, (more)
- 1978
Acting with more speed than usual, Dr. Astin (John S. Ragin) files an autopsy report declaring that a body found in the ruins of a fire was murdered. But Quincy subsequently discovers that the dead man suffered from a bad heart, which might have brought about his demise. This revelation gets Astin into hot water with his superiors--and now Quincy must determine the actual cause of death while simultaneously saving his boss' reputation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
The major difference between the original Hanna-Barbera/DC Comics cartoon series Super Friends and its successor The All-New Superfriends Hour is the latter series' expanded cast. Old Justice League of America favorites Superman, Batman & Robin, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman are back in harness, along with a pair of brand-new junior members: the Wonder Twins Zan and Jayna, who had the ability to morph into icelike statues, in case the job at hand required such a talent. During the series' first (and only) season, each major Superfriend appeared in his or her own adventures, usually in the company of a "guest" superhero, with all the main characters rallying together for a climactic "League of Justice" component. Four different stories are presented per episode, bearing such titles as "Invasion of the Earthors," "The Brain Machine," "City in a Bottle," "The Marsh Monster," "Doctor Fright," "Super Friends vs. Super Friends," "Planet of the Neanderthals," "Attack of the Giant Squid," "The Tiny World of Terror," and "The Mummy of Nanza." All told, the single season of All-New Superfriends Hour features 14 thrill-packed sixty minute installments. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Woodson, Bob Lloyd, (more)
Robert Stevenson, Walt Disney Productions' house director, cobbled together his 19th family film for the organization with this slapstick sequel to the Disney comedy The Shaggy Dog (produced 17 years after the fact). Dean Jones plays Wilby Daniels, a lawyer running against the villainous John Slade (Keenan Wynn) for district attorney. His campaign is cast into doubt when he comes upon an ancient ring that transforms him into a fat sheepdog. But the campaign progresses on a level playing field when the unscrupulous Slade finds himself also turned into a canine -- a disgruntled bulldog. Another sequel, The Return of the Shaggy Dog, followed. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Jones, Tim Conway, (more)
Ex-crime reporter turned novelist Raymond St. Ives (Charles Bronson) is drawn back into the world of his former profession by wealthy Abner Procane (John Houseman). St. Ives is hired to locate a stolen set of ledgers that, if made public, could trigger an all-out mob war. Amazingly, St. Ives fails to recognize who his real friends and enemies are in the course of his investigation, and it takes all his mental and physical resources to keep from being exterminated. One of the characters who isn't all that she seems is sexy Janet Whistler (Jacqueline Bisset). While the "main" cast is serviceable, the lineup of future stars in minor roles (Daniel J. Travanti, Jeff Goldblum, Robert Englund, Michael Lerner) is fascinating. Based on The Procane Chronicle, a novel by Oliver Bleeck. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, John Houseman, (more)
- 1975
"Lizzie Borden took an axe/And gave her mother forty whacks/When she saw what she had done/She gave her father forty-one". New England spinster Lizzie Borden was acquitted of the charge of murdering her father and stepmother in 1892, but this made-for-TV movie, like most recreations of the murders and subsequent trial, adheres to the popular consensus that Borden was guilty. Elizabeth Montgomery takes a break from playing victims to portray the enigmatic Borden. The trial scenes are lifted directly from the original court records; scripter William Bast's speculation as to what really happened the night the elder Bordens were hacked to death is pure (but credible) conjecture. Accompanied by a "parental guidance suggested" tag, The Legend of Lizzie Borden was first broadcast February 10, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The Apple Dumpling Gang stars Bill Bixby as Russell Donovan, a slick frontier gambler. In Runyon-esque fashion, he is compelled to look after three precocious oprhaned kids. He can't handle the responsibilities alone, so he agrees to an in-name-only marriage to hoydenish stagecoach driver, Magnolia Dusty Clydesdale (Susan Clark). Fortuitously, they discover that a mine belonging to the kids' late father is worth millions. This brings several disreputable characters into the storyline: bumbling "nice" bandits Theodore Ogelvie and Amos (Don Knotts and Tim Conway), and deadly "bad" bandits headed by Frank Stillwell (Slim Pickens). Based on a novel by Jack M. Bickham, The Apple Dumpling Gang was successful enough to spawn a sequel-not to mention several future screen teamings for Don Knotts and Tim Conway. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Bixby, Susan Clark, (more)
- 1974
With his newly-purchased camera in hand, John (Randolph Mantooth) drives his coworkers at Squad 51 crazy by constantly snapping "candid" photos. But the team recovers its sanity in time to rescue the victims of a schoolhouse arsonist, to determine if a fireman has collapsed from heart failure or food poisoning, to save a woman who has been bitten by a scorpion, and to prevent a truckful of dynamite from causing wholesale destruction. Also, Dr. Brackett (Robert Fuller) and nurse Dixie (Julie London) go out for a nice quiet lunch--only to end up delivering another diner's baby. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A skyscraper and an all-star cast go up in flames in Irwin Allen's classic disaster movie. To celebrate the construction of the Glass Tower, the world's tallest building, architect Doug Roberts (Paul Newman) and builder James Duncan (William Holden) hold a gala bash on the highest floors. Trouble is, Duncan's son-in-law and electrical subcontractor Roger Simmons (Richard Chamberlain) installed faulty wiring throughout the 138-story behemoth to save money. While the guests -- including Doug's lady friend (Faye Dunaway), a rich widow (Jennifer Jones), a con man (Fred Astaire), and a politico (Robert Vaughn) -- enjoy the party, and a security guard (O.J. Simpson) wonders why his equipment is on the fritz, a burnt-out circuit breaker ignites some garbage on the 85th floor, swiftly turning the high-rise into, well, a towering inferno. With the guests trapped on the 135th floor, it's up to Roberts and Fire Chief O'Hallorhan (Steve McQueen) to find a way to stop the blaze. Though not the first all-star '70s disaster movie (1970's Airport and 1972's The Poseidon Adventure preceded it), The Towering Inferno was the most popular and the most spectacular. In a move that would become more common in late-'90s blockbuster Hollywood, The Towering Inferno's mammoth production was mounted by two studios; screenwriter Stirling Silliphant combined the two novels owned by the studios into one saga. 1970s "shake 'n bake" maestro Allen, with co-director John Guillermin (Allen did the action sequences), tapped into deep fears about the fragility of modern life in the face of extreme natural phenomena, as well as into the envies and insecurities of middle-aged professional men. The Towering Inferno packed theaters and earned eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture; it won for Cinematography, Editing, and Song. While its heroic, no-nonsense men provided some traditional comfort, The Towering Inferno still might provoke second thoughts about going into a skyscraper. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, (more)
- 1974
There's definitely something in the air when a pungent perfume bottle smashes in the back seat of Adam-12. Despite the all-pervading stench, Officers Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) and Jim Reed (Kent McCord) valiantly remain on the job. Unforutnately, most of their calls turn out to be false alarms, notably a reported burglary at a church--which may have been committed by the parish minister (Stuart Nesbit. Featured in the cast is another longtime member of producer Jack Webb's "stock company", Olan Soule. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A French/Czech co-production, the dream-like La Planete Sauvage concerns the degradation of the Oms, human-like creatures on the futuristic planet Yagam. The Oms are kept as pets and beasts of burden by the Draggs, 39-foot beings who comprise Yagam's ruling class. The status quo is upset when Terr, one of the Oms, accidentally receives an education, whereupon he organizes the other Oms to demand equality with the Draggs. Based on Stefen Wul's novel Ems En Serie, Fantastic Planet was the winner of a 1973 Cannes Film Festival grand prize. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Originally seen on March 30, 1973, "Imitation" was the final first-run Mission:Impossible episode to be broadcast on CBS, even though it was the seventh of the 22 episodes filmed for the series' climactic 1972-73 season. Singer Barbara McNair guest stars as Jena Cole, the beautiful leader of a band of jewel thieves. With only 72 hours at their disposal, the IMF must recover the Marnsburg Crown Jewels from Jena's clutches. Going undercover as a crook, Barney joins the gang, only to inadvertently endanger the mission when Jena falls in love with him. "Imitation" was written by Edward J. Lasko. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Greg Morris, (more)
- 1971
- R
Russ Meyer followed-up his delirious Beyond the Valley of the Dolls with this surprisingly straighforward drama, which offered little of Meyer's traditional tongue-in-cheek humor or remarkably proportioned women in favor of a serious message about the evils of censorship. A bookstore sells a copy of a notorious erotic novel, entitled The Seven Minutes, to a teenager who is later arrested for rape. A prosecutor on a crusade against pornography seizes upon this as an opportunity to have the book declared obscene, and the trial sparks a heated debate about the issue of pornography vs. free speech, as well as revealing a startling revelation about the novel's true author. Adapted from a novel by Irving Wallace, The Seven Minutes featured one of Meyer's more interesting casts, including veteran character actors John Carradine and Alexander D'Arcy, a post-Munsters Yvonne de Carlo, a pre-Magnum P.I. Tom Selleck, lounge comic Jackie Gayle, and Wolfman Jack as himself. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wayne Maunder, Marianne McAndrew, (more)
- 1970
Conspiracy to Kill was one of two pilot films for the Jack Webb-produced TV series The D.A. Robert Conrad stars as LA deputy district attorney Paul Ryan. This time around, Ryan reopens a case that he's already won. New evidence indicates that a supposedly victimized drugstore owner (William Conrad) was the brains behind a robbery and murder that occurred at his own establishment. The D.A. series proper ran from September 17, 1971, through January 7, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
In the opening episode of Family Affair's fifth and final season, Bill (Brian Keith), his nieces Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Cissy (Kathy Garver), and his nephew Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) have been living together in New York for nearly five years. Now the time has come for Buffy and Jody to wax nostalgic over the friendliness of the neighbors in their home town of Terre Haute--especially when compared to the coldness and hostility of their current neighbors in the Big Apple. The kids try to hold a "togetherness" party for the residents of their apartment building, but the event proves to be a failure. It takes something as simple as stuck elevator for the kids' neighbors to suddenly discover that there is nothing wrong with being gracious and generous--at least temporarily. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
Filmed in 1966 (when screenwriter Richard Breen was still around), this made-for-TV feature marked the return of Jack Webb's classic 1950s cop series Dragnet after a seven-year absence. Ordered to cut his vacation short, Sgt. Joe Friday (played by Jack Webb) is assigned to investigate the mysterious disappeances of two beautiful models and a pretty young war widow. In concert with partner Bill Gannon (Harry Morgan), Friday does his best to follow the trail of evidence, only to be continually stymied by contradictory or reluctant eyewitnesses. Before arriving at the disturbing conclusion that the missing girls have been the victims of a voyeuristic serial killer, Joe and Bill manage to solve another, unrelated murder involving a visiting Frenchman. Several members of Jack Webb's radio and TV Dragnet stock company are cast in colorful supporting roles, including Virginia Gregg, Victor Perrin, and Herb Ellis, while L.A. Dodgers catcher John Roseboro is seen as a fellow cop. A powerful opening sequence and an thrilling action climax more than compensate for the unevenness of the script (the last such by veteran Webb collaborator Richard Breen) and the occasional pokiness of the direction. Although this 97-minute Dragnet was good enough to convince NBC to revive the vintage Jack Webb series on a weekly, half-hour basis (it ran successfully for three seasons), the film itself was shelved for several years, not making its network TV debut until January 27, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
The FBI is called on the scene when the baby of prominent African American leader John Sheppard (Moses Gunn) is kidnapped. The abductors are an impoverished black couple, Ed and Nora Tobin (Billy Dee Williams, Denise Nicholas), whose actions were motivated by anger and frustration. Whether or not the Tobins intend to return their captive becomes a moot point as the baby faces a variety of life-threatening dangers in the couple's rat- and disease-infested ghetto apartment. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
Betty Jo (Linda Kaye Henning) and Steve (Mike Minor) have chosen Dr. Janet Craig (June Lockhart) to be godmother at the christening of baby Kathy Jo. It thus falls to Janet to select the godfather from five likely candidates: Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan), Doc Stuart (Regis Toomey), Sam Drucker (Frank Cady), Wendell Gibbs (Byron Foulger) and Bert Smedley (Olan Soule, temporarily in the role normally played by Paul Hartman). Unfortunately, the jealous jockeying for position amongst these five candidates results in a near-disaster. Mike Minor sings "The Lord's Prayer". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
National Intelligence Agent Dan Street (Richard Egan) is on the trail of some stolen laser rubies. It is assumed the agents will come after the raygun itself for their evil purposes. Count Romano (Michael Ansara) is the swimsuit-import mogul who tries to keep his head from going under while working for the enemy agents. The key to the mystery lies with Dutch (John Ericson), a Korean War veteran who fell into the hands of the brainwashing communists. Patricia Owens is Dan's love interest in this plodding suspense film. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Egan, Patricia Owens, (more)
- 1968
With Kate still "out of town" (star Bea Benaderet's illness kept her from appearing), the Shaddy Rest Hotel is taken over by her southern cousin Mae Belle Jennings (Shirley Mitchell). In characteristic fashion, Mae Belle manages to alienate everyone in town in record time. Goodness knows what fate might have befallen the Shady Rest had not Kate's sister Helen come to the rescue. This episode introduces Rosemary DeCamp in the recurring role of Aunt Helen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
The twins (Anissa Jones, Johnnie Whitaker) enter a cereal contest, in hopes of winning an outboard motor. Instead, they receive a consolation prize: a very noisy baby lamb. When the neighbors complain about the lamb's incessant nocturnal bleating, Bill (Brian Keith) is faced with the problem of getting the kids to give up their new pet without breaking their hearts. With this episode, Sebastian Cabot returns to the role of Bill's butler Mr. Giles French--and as a bonus, Cabot's real-life daughter Annette Cabot also appears in a supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This sci-fi outing was originally released in 3-Dimensional "Spacevision" and tells the tale of a young couple who go for a fun day of flying and end up forced into a gigantic plastic bubble during a sudden violent storm. Inside the inverted bowl is an apparently empty ghost town, that on further inspection proves to be filled with old movie props and strange "residents" who seem to suffer from a bizarre form of echolalia. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Cole, Deborah Walley, (more)
- 1967
The 1938 Marx Brothers comedy Room Service was the obvious inspiration for "Monkees Manhattan Style" (aka "Monkees in Manhattan"). Arriving in New York to star in a rock musical, the Monkees discover that the show is being cancelled because the backer has bailed out. The boys spend the rest of the episode trying to escape the wrath of irate hotel manager Weatherwax (Philip Ober while simultaneously attempting to raise money for the musical's producer ($Dick Anders). The superb supporting cast includes Doodles Weaver as a butler, "lovable lush" Foster Brooks as a conventioneer, Olan Soule as a waiter, and Susan Howard and Geoffrey Deuel as a honeymooning couple. Songs: "Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)", "The Girl I Knew Somewhere", and "Words". At the end of the episode, the Monkees appear out of character for an interview with director Bob Rafaelson -- a tantalizing preview for the series' first-season closer, "The Monkees on Tour." Written by Gerald Gardner and Dee Caruso, "Monkees Manhattan Style" first aired on April 10, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
