Ron Rich Movies
- 1987
- PG
In this slapstick horror comedy, two goofy African-American cops are sent to a rundown, lonely Southern plantation to evict the residents so the mansion can be razed and a freeway erected in its stead. Unfortunately, the "residents" are all ghosts, who have been there since the Civil War, and they are not about to leave. When the film was distributed, director Lee Madden billed himself on the credits as Alan Smithee, the approved pseudonym of the Directors Guild of America that has been used since 1967 by directors not wanting to give their real names on certain films. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sherman Hemsley, Luis Avalos, (more)
- 1975
In this comedy, a jobless public relations specialist goes to get some much-needed rest in sunny Florida and discovers a whole new set of troubles. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1968
World champion boxer Sugar Ray Robinson makes a guest appearance in the two-part Mission: Impossible episode "The Contenders", which was loosely based on an actual event in Robinson's career. The IMF must prevent Charles Buckman (Ron Randell) from gaining control of all American sports events, and thereby destory Buckman's scheme to enrich himself by fixing athletic events. Crucial to the mission is Barney's impersanationg of a boxing contender and Cinnamon's ability to wrap Buckman around her little finger. Written by William Read Woodfield and Allan Balter, Part One of "The Contender" first aired on October 6, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, (more)
- 1968
In the second half of the two-part Mission: Impossible adventure "The Contenders", crooked sports promoter Charles Buckman (Ron Randell) still hopes to gain control of all professional and amateur athletics in the United States. Posing as an aspiring boxer, IMF agent Barney has managed to insuniate himself into Buckman's upper circle, the better to foil the villain's schemes with a "double fix." Former boxing champion Sugar Ray Robinson appears in a surprising characterizations, while Robert Conrad of Wild Wild West fame shows up unbilled. Written by William Read Woodfield and Allan Balter, part two of "The Contenders" was originally telecast on October 13, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, (more)
- 1968
Chubasco (Christopher Jones) is a wayward youth who is given a choice by the presiding judge. His choices are go to jail or take an honest job on a fishing boat. He chooses to set sail, leaving behind his girl Bunny (Susan Strasberg) and her father Sebastian (Richard Egan), who obviously has it out for the wayward teen. He works on a tuna boat, learning to break free of a life of crime. He also meets a bordello madame named Angela (Ann Sothern) who may or may not be his mother. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Egan, Christopher Jones, (more)
The British title of Billy Wilder's classic comedy was Meet Whiplash Willie -- for, despite Jack Lemmon's star billing, the movie's driving force is Oscar-winning Walter Matthau as gloriously underhanded lawyer "Whiplash" Willie Gingrich. CBS cameraman Harry Hinkle (Lemmon) is injured when he is accidentally bulldozed by football player Luther "Boom Boom" Jackson (Ron Rich) during a Cleveland Browns game. Willie, Harry's brother-in-law, foresees an insurance-settlement bonanza, and he convinces Harry to pretend to be incapacitated by the accident. To insure his client's cooperation, Willie arranges for Harry's covetous ex-wife Sandy (Judi West) to feign a rekindling of their romance. Harry's conscience is plagued by the solicitous behavior of Boom Boom, who is so devastated at causing Harry's injury that he insists on waiting on the "cripple" hand and foot. Meanwhile, dishevelled private eye Purkey (Cliff Osmond) keeps Harry under constant surveillance, hoping to catch him moving around so the insurance company can avoid shelling out a fortune. Wilder and usual co-writer I.A.L. Diamond were at their most jaundiced and cynical here, even if, after a sardonic semiclimax, the last ten minutes succumb to the sentimentality that often marred Wilder's later movies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, (more)
