Robert Clarke Movies
Making an appearance on the 1950 TV anthology series Magnavox Theater, American actor Robert Clarke was billed as "that fast-rising leading man." What audiences didn't know was that Clarke had been on a very slow ascension for nearly six years. Signed to an RKO contract in 1944, Clarke was seen in such budget-conscious productions as The Body Snatcher, Bedlam, and Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome. Beginning with 1951's The Man From Planet X, he became a fixture of inexpensive horror and sci-fi epics. His film manifest includes such jewels as Captive Women (1952), The Incredible Petrified World (1962), and Terror of the Bloodhunters (1962). Upon completing The Astounding She-Monster (1958), Clarke, by now convinced that any film could attain a release no matter how wretched, made his directorial debut with The Hideous Sun Demon (1958). With such lofty credits to his name, Clarke was bound to achieve cult-idol status at some point or another; he became a much sought-after interview subject and movie-convention guest speaker during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1995, Robert Clarke, in collaboration with film historian Tom Weaver, penned an entertaining autobiography, To "B" or Not to "B": A Filmmaker's Odyssey. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Exploitation king Fred Olen Ray bulldozes Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Premature Burial" in this sleazy direct-to-video thriller. B-movie babe Brinke Stevens stars as an heiress tormented night and day by the ever-present phobia of being buried alive. Thanks to hypnotic past-life regression sessions under the guidance of New Age therapist Karen Black, she learns that she was indeed buried alive in a previous existence. Despite her relief at this discovery, Stevens' money-hungry husband (Jay Richardson) still goes through with his plan to place her in a sealed box while she sleeps, hoping it will cause her to die of fright. Instead, she goes completely berserk, breaking free and coming after him with a knife. Though no cheaper than Roger Corman's early forays into Poe territory, this incoherent and sex-laden mess more closely resembles recent exploitation product from Corman's Concorde-New Horizons direct-to-video outfit, and makes 1962's The Premature Burial seem masterful by comparison. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan-Michael Vincent, Brinke Stevens, (more)
- 1989
There's not much doubt this film's a direct descendant of Schwarzenegger's Terminator classic, though it's certainly a distant descendant. Here a fugitive from a far-away planet escapes execution in a hijacked spaceship and crashes on the planet Earth where he's befriended by some young campers and the local constable. However this Terminator take also has a chasing enforcer (the Alienator) who shows up before long, sent to capture the escapee. The earthlings come to the defense of their new friend and fight it out with the indestructible Alienator. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan-Michael Vincent, John Phillip Law, (more)
Originally released under the title Midnight Movie Massacre, director Mark Stock's Attack From Mars pits a desperate band of moviegoers against a terrifying horde of space vampires from Mars. As a group of 1950 science fiction-loving teens munch on popcorn, a UFO descends, unleashing a fearsome plague of extraterrestrial bloodsuckers. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Clarke, Ann Robinson, (more)
- 1985
The setting is New Orleans, where a prominent jazz musician is killed onstage in full view of a nightclub audience. It turns out that the victim was done in by a rare South American poison. So what does all this have to do with Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury? Well, it seems that a similar murder with the same weapon occurred in one of Jessica's mystery novels--a most embarrassing turn of events, especially since Jessica was in the audience at the time of the real murder! B-picture icons Robert Clarke and Jackie Joseph show up in supporting roles in this episode, which also boasts an unusually strong (for 1985!) cast of prominent African American actors. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The Hideous Sun Demon was a typically awful really low budget 1959 sci-fi monster movie which B-movie actor Robert Clarke produced, directed, and starred in. The current feature simply takes the original film and dubs in hip, funny, self-mocking dialogue to replace the old, stiff, self-conscious original dialogue, much in the manner of Woody Allen's creative redubbing of What's Up Tiger Lily?. Among the uncredited voices is that of comic Jay Leno. A small amount of new footage, carefully shot to match the original, has been added to fill out the story. In the original, a research scientist (Clarke) has been exposed to a radioactive substance which makes him turn into a reptile monster whenever he's exposed to sunlight. After this, he falls in love with a beautiful nightclub singer, but a series of mishaps result in his being killed while his love remains unconsummated. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Clarke, Patricia Manning, (more)
This uproariously bad film marks the less-than-glorious return of producer/director Jerry Warren, shameless purveyor of such cinematic abominations as Teenage Zombies, of which this is a remake of sorts. The crazy-quilt story line defies all rational explanation, but essentially begins with a wayward hot-air balloon crew -- including Warren alumnus Robert Clarke and a dog named Melvin -- becoming stranded on an island overrun by nubile jungle girls in Frederick's of Hollywood leopard-skin thongs. What sounds like an ideal vacation is disrupted by a bunch of zombies in Ray-Bans, the monster-making practices of a bleach-blonde mad scientist named Sheila, and the superimposed face of John Carradine (lifted from another film) mumbling "The Power! The Power! The Power!" Also on hand is a gibbering, drooling Steve Brodie as a howling mad pirate, and Cameron Mitchell as an equally deranged sea captain. It's very likely Warren himself had no idea what his own film was about, so viewers shouldn't waste valuable time trying to make sense of it. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1980
Adapted from the Judith Krantz novel of the same name, the CBS miniseries Scruples zeroes in on a trendy, upscale Beverly Hills boutique. The guiding force behind the Scruples shop is beautiful Billy Ikelhorn (Lindsay Wagner), who, though born into grinding poverty, had risen to the uppermost rungs of L.A. society by virtue of her marriage to millionaire Ellis Ikelhorn (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.). When her husband dies after a long illness, Billy compensates for her grief by becoming a Boadicea of the fashion industry. Her personal and professional life is entangled with those of her closest associates, fashion photographer Spider Elliott (Barry Bostwick) and designer Valentine O'Neill (Marie-France Pisier). Originally telecast in six two-hour episodes on February 25, 26, and 28, 1980, Scruples proved popular enough to warrant a 1981 TV-movie sequel, starring Shelley Smith as Billy, Dirk Benedict as Spider and Olga Karlatos as Valentine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lindsay Wagner, Barry Bostwick, (more)
- 1977
In this comedy, young Willie alarms the members of his small town when he shows off his computer-programming genius. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Thanks to the loopholes in the legal system, Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) are frustrated in their efforts to bring a hardened drug dealer and a teenage car thief to justice. Inevitably, a tragedy results from these judicial inquities. Featured in the cast as one of Jim and Pete's fellow officers is Joe Kapp, former pro quarterback with the Minnesota Vikings and the Boston Patriots. This is the final episode of Adam-12's fifth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Officer Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) is in for quite a drubbing from his partner Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and the rest of the police force when he decides to grow a mustache. But the kidding diminishes as the day wears on and the two mobile cops tackle a variety of tough cases during their brief sojourn with the Van Nuys Division. Foremost on the docket tonight is a plane crash in which a passenger is injured, and a scatterbrained female shoplifter. Featured in the cast is Priscilla Pointer, the mother of film star Amy Irving. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) round up some kids who have been committing minor crimes while playing hookey. Though society at large is willing to write off these youngsters as incorrigible, Reed decides to appeal to the kids' parents to help curb truancy. . .and to find out just how many crimes can actually be attributed to the truants, or to someone older who is acting as a ring leader. Barbara Nichols, one of Hollywood's favorite "dumb blondes" (dumb on film if not real life, that is), is seen as Mrs. Stephens. ~ 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
- 1970
Glenn Ford plays a man who joins a mysterious fraternity, "The Brotherhood of the Bell", while in college. Upon attaining wealth and prominence, Ford discovers that the Brotherhood has been keeping tabs on him, and expects certain favors from him in the private sector. It dawns on Ford that the Bell is a sinister, subversive organization bent on world domination. When he tries to bring this to the attention of the public on a TV program hosted by a "gonzo" talkshow star (William Conrad), he is mocked and humiliated. Realizing that the Brotherhood of the Bell is too big and powerful to be defeated by conventional methods, Ford attempts to take on the organization in his own way. The Brotherhood of the Bell was previously presented as a "live" hourlong television drama in the 1950s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
In this religious movie, a married pair of television writers begin researching a script on restless teenagers and end up as born-again Christians. Meanwhile their own adolescent son runs away with a pregnant teen who is looking for the child's father. When she cannot, she tries to kill herself. Later, the son goes to a Billy Graham crusade with his dad, and he too is saved. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
When Chris Carlyle's (Jay North) family leaves their farm for the city, Chris must give his pet puma up to the local zoo. When Chris discovers the terrible conditions that the animals are being kept in, he manages to find a way to set all of the creatures free, much to the dismay of the local residents. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jay North, Martin Milner, (more)
- 1964
In this Australian drama, a killer on the run is found lying flat on his face in a wet clay bank. He is rescued by potters who shelter him within their community. There he falls in love with a woman. Unfortunately, another man who has been calling upon the woman gets jealous and turns the fugitive in to the cops. The woman gets revenge. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1962
After being convicted for a crime he did not commit, a French author is sent to dreaded Devil's Island. He makes friends with one of the inmates and with the pretty daughter of the commandant. It is she who helps him and his friends escape into the dense South American jungle. Once there, the fugitives find that their ordeal is just beginning. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1962
In this crime drama, an unemployed detective begins taking incriminating photos for a Hollywood tabloid. Later he learns that his good work has been used by his editor as part of a grand blackmailing scheme. ~ Sandra Brennan, 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)
Often tagged "The Incredible Petrified Movie," this science-fiction mistake was created by one of the more unsung "heroes" of bad moviemaking, Jerry Warren, a Hollywood "auteur" comparable to the legendary Edward D. Woods, Jr.. This time, Jerry depicts a group of divers "stranded" in some underwater caverns when their diving bell malfunctions. While the intrepid little group of two men and an equal number of women (including erstwhile "Lois Lane," Phyllis Coates) scamper about beneath the surface, Professor Millard Wyman (John Carradine) works feverishly on solid ground to find a new diving apparatus that may reach them before an underwater source of oxygen runs out. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1960
Judson Curtis (Walter Sande) hopes to gain full control of the circus he co-owns with Jerry Franklin (Robert Clarke) by threatening to reveal that Franklin's wife Lisa (Chana Eden) is still legally married to circus clown Felix Heidemann (Douglas Henderson). Unfortunately for Curtis, he is shot to death during a clown act in full view of a huge audience. This is even more unfortunate for Heidemann, who is identified as the killer--and among the eyewitnesses is Lt. Tragg (Ray Collins), perennial nemesis of attorney Perry Mason (Raymond Burr). In the absence of series regular William Talman (DA Hamilton Burger), Kenneth Tobey appears as Deputy DA Alvin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
Edgar G. Ulmer, the phenomenally fast director of many a quickie horror effort, lensed Beyond the Time Barrier in Texas. Test pilot Maj. William Allison (Robert Clarke) is hideously disfigured by a mishap in space. In flashback, we learn that Clarke had earlier returned to his base, only to discover that he'd passed through a time warp and that the Earth has been decimated by some disaster or other. He crosses the path of the ruling class, led by the Supreme, and a tribe of mutants, left over from a plague caused by extraterrestrial radiation. Only by returning to his own time can Clarke save the world from this fate (sound familiar?). Augmented with footage from Fritz Lang's 1959 Journey to the Lost City (aka The Indian Tomb), Beyond the Time Barrier tries hard, but is ultimately defeated by its almost-nonexistent budget. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Darlene Tompkins, Arianne Arden, (more)
- 1959
This unexceptional adventure yarn by director Jacques Tourneur is set in the French Sudan during the beginning of World War II, when the French Foreign Legion was doing battle with the Tuaregs. In order to bring a halt to the hostilities, a powerful Muslim religious leader has to make it to Timbuktu, the center of the conflict. In the meantime, an American merchant-adventurer (Victor Mature) is helping out the French commander of the garrison at Timbuktu, and falling in love with the commander's wife (Yvonne De Carlo). Between the forbidden romance, the journey of the Muslim leader, and the angry Tuaregs, there are no dull moments even if the tension is not exactly unbearable. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor Mature, Yvonne De Carlo, (more)
