Ray Walston Movies
Raised in New Orleans' French Quarter, Ray Walston relocated to Houston, where he first set foot on stage in a community production of High Tor. Walston went on to spend six years at the Houston Civic Theater then three more at the Cleveland Playhouse. Moving to New York, he worked as linotype operator at the New York Times before landing small parts in theatrical productions ranging from Maurice Evans' G.I. Hamlet to The Insect Comedy. He won Theater World's "Most Promising Newcomer" award for his portrayal of Mr. Kramer in the original 1948 production of Summer and Smoke. In 1950, he was cast as "big dealer" Luther Billis in the touring and London companies of South Pacific, and it was this that led to a major role in Rodgers & Hammerstein's 1953 Broadway musical Me and Juliet. Two years later, he was cast in his breakthrough role: the puckish Mr. Applegate, aka The Devil, in the Adler-Ross musical smash Damn Yankees. He won a Tony Award for his performance, as well as the opportunity to repeat the role of Applegate in the 1958 film version of Yankees; prior to this triumph, he'd made his film debut in Kiss Them for Me (1957) and recreated Luther Billis in the 1958 filmization of South Pacific. A favorite of director Billy Wilder, Walston was cast as philandering executive Dobisch in The Apartment (1960) and replaced an ailing Peter Sellers as would-be songwriter Orville J. Spooner in Kiss Me, Stupid (1960). Having first appeared on television in 1950, Walston resisted all entreaties to star in a weekly series until he was offered the title role in My Favorite Martian (1963-1966). While he was gratified at the adulation he received for his work on this series (he was particularly pleased by the response from his kiddie fans), Walston later insisted that Martian had "ruined" him in Hollywood, forever typecasting him as an erudite eccentric. By the 1970s, however, Walston was popping up in a wide variety of roles in films like The Sting (1974) and Silver Streak (1977). For the past two decades or so, he has been one of moviedom's favorite curmudgeons, playing such roles as Poopdeck Pappy in Popeye (1980) and officious high school teacher Mr. Hand, who reacts with smoldering rage as his class is interrupted by a pizza delivery in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). He would re-create this last-named role in the weekly sitcom Fast Times (1985), one of several TV assignments of the 1970s and 1980s. In 1995, Ray Walston reacted with schoolboy enthusiasm upon winning an Emmy award for his portrayal of irascible Wisconsin judge Henry Bone on the cult-fave TVer Picket Fences. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1998
In this made-for-TV sequel to the popular films, the Addams set out to find some of their weirder relatives. Tim Curry and Darryl Hannah star. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Curry, Daryl Hannah, (more)
- 1985
Stars Kirk Douglas and Elizabeth Montgomery manage to rise above the melodramatic trappings of Amos. Douglas plays the title character, a fiercely independent senior-citizen baseball coach, forced to live in a retirement home after an auto accident. During his stay, Amos conducts a battle of wills with overbearing head nurse Daisy Dawes (Montgomery). This Cuckoo's Nest-derived setup has an added wrinkle: Amos suspects, quite rightly as it turns out, that Dawes has been systematically murdering her more troublesome charges. Made for TV by Douglas' own Bryna Productions, Amos first aired September 29, 1985 ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Gregory Harrison is the Angel of Death in this made-for-TV suspenser. In love with artist Jane Seymour, escaped convict Harrison vows to protect Seymour and her six-year-old son Brian Bonsall from any and all antagonists. Trouble is, Harrison is apt to love Seymour and her boy to death. If you don't care for the melodramatic angle, you'll love the scene wherein Harrison gains Seymour's confidence by agreeing to pose nude for her! Angel of Death premiered on October 2, 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
The 60-minute comedy Ask Max stars Jeff B. Cohen in the title role. A 12-year-old genius, poor Max is a washout socially. To impress his girl friend, he sells the design of his latest invention-a jumping bike-to a major toy company. The upshot of this is that Max is appointed a company vice-president (but he still hasn't quite won over that girl!) Cassie Yates, Ray Walston, and Glynn Turman costar, while Karem Abdul Jabbar makes a guest appearance. Ask Max originated as the November 2, 1986 installment of TV's Disney Sunday Movie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Dr. Wells (Jan Rubes) is joined by his fiancee three years after the death of his wife in a scheme to murder an old man for his inheritance money. She soon changes her mind when she discovers that brain transplants take place in the basement laboratory in the family mansion. None of the characters evokes much sympathy from the viewer as they are all criminally involved and devoid of any likeable qualities in this R-rated fright feature. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan Rubes, Lydie Denier, (more)
- 1990
An oddball trip to Texas Chainsaw Massacre territory by way of Peter Weir's The Cars That Ate Paris, this presents an inbred family of redneck psychopaths who orchestrate highway accidents, disassemble the vehicles for parts, then do the same to the drivers. The patriarch of this cabal of religious wackos, Mad Jake (Danny Nelson), then sells the pilfered human organs to a sleazy black-marketeer (Ray Walston). When traveler John Saxon and his wheelchair-bound daughter (Lori Birdsong) are ensnared by Jake's seedy gang, they manage to outwit the dimwits, slip past the jaws of the cuddly pet alligator and put paid to their hillbilly tormentors in appropriately gory fashion. Despite some clever moments of morbid humor, this opus comes off more grim than its makers probably intended, and there's not a sympathetic character in the bunch. And yes, the character of the boxer is played by Evander Holyfield. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Nelson, Lori Birdsong, (more)
- 2005
- Add Broadway's Lost Treasures, Vol. 3 to QueueAdd Broadway's Lost Treasures, Vol. 3 to top of Queue
Experience the performances that made Broadway history in this release that compiles twenty-three unforgettable musical performances from the Tony Award broadcast archives. Featuring such stars as Harvey Fierstein, Robert Goulet, and Carol Channing in performances from Show Boat, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Kiss Me Kate, My Fair Lady and many more, this release brings the magic of the stage directly into your living room. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Doris Day plays a swinging, mod-attired agent of espionage (yes, that Doris Day) in this caper comedy directed by Frank Tashlin. Patricia Fowler (Day) is an industrial spy who is hired to work undercover at a cosmetics company. While posing as a low-level employee, she is to get the goods on a new formula they intend to market. However, it turns out that makeup isn't all this firm has to sell; they're also involved in an international drug-smuggling ring, and she finds herself doing battle with other agents willing to kill to ensure that the flow of narcotics is unabated. Her adventures cause her to cross paths with Christopher White (Richard Harris), a fellow agent with whom Patricia is soon romantically involved, and together the couple locate the secret lab of cosmetics tycoon and evil genius Stuart Clancy (Ray Walston). While this was a game attempt to update Day's squeaky-clean image, it was not terribly well received; one year and three films later, Day retired from movies to devote herself to television work, and quit showbiz altogether in 1973 (with the exception of a short-lived talk show that aired in 1984). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Doris Day, Richard Harris, (more)
- 1989
The made-for-TV Class Cruise is Animal House for the MENSA crowd. As a reward for their scholastic brilliance, a group of high school kids is rewarded with a 14-week ocean cruise. Not surprisingly, the snootier kids spend most of the trip fending off the idiocies of the "slobs." There's also plenty of tickle-and-tease sexual situations, few of which get past first base. So many TV regulars (including the ineluctable McLean Stevenson) appear in the cast that the original ads for this film didn't bill the actors, but instead listed the series in which they appeared. The best scenes belong to Ray Walston as grizzled, generously eyebrowed "Cappy Connors." Class Cruise first sailed into view on October 22, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Based on the autobiography of convicted killer John Resko (played here by Ben Gazzara), this routine biographical drama looks at the crucial years between 1931 and 1949 in the convict's life. That period begins when Resko is convicted of killing a store owner and is sentenced to life in prison. After his arrival in prison Resko eventually gets involved in creating art, an activity that leads to a transformation in his character. That change became evident enough to garner the attention of the powers-that-be and by 1949, Resko receives a pardon. The prison system is shown as improving between the killer's first internment and his release, which in itself might make some viewers wonder what happened then, in the years between 1949 and the present. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Gazzara, Stuart Whitman, (more)
- 1988
A group of mischievous teen-agers get a notoriously difficult instructor that becomes their summer driving school teacher. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1958
Damn Yankees is a frothy, faithful adaptation of the 1956 Broadway hit. In an amusing slant on the "Faust" legend, aging baseball fan Joe Boyd (Robert Schafer) is given an opportunity to lead his beloved Washington Senators to victory by a devilish gent named Applegate (Ray Walston). Boyd is transformed into handsome young "Shoeless" Joe Hardy from Hannibal, Mo. (and in the process, the part is taken over by Tab Hunter, who's better than everyone said he was back in 1958). Joe becomes the Senators' star player, but at the price of his immortal soul; he isn't terribly worried, however, since he's built an escape clause into his contract with Applegate. To see that Joe doesn't get a chance to exercise that clause, Applegate sends his luscious assistant Lola (Gwen Verdon) to seduce the ballplayer. This effort doesn't work, but Applegate still manages to cause Joe to lose his chance at salvation. But there is still a ray of hope--if Hardy can win the deciding pennant game, he'll be able to foil Applegate's master plan of causing the Senators to lose. With Lola's aid, Joe gives the devil more than his due. The principal selling angle of Damn Yankees, beyond the presence of Gwen Verdon and Ray Walston delightfully recreating their stage roles, are the wonderful Richard Adler/Jerry Ross songs, including "You've Gotta Have Heart" and "What Lola Wants, Lola Gets." Based on the novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, the film (like the play before it) unfortunately throws away Wallop's wryly ironic climax; as a result, the last scenes appear rushed and haphazard. But why quibble? Damn Yankees is and always was a rock-solid piece of entertainment, as proven by its recent S.R.O. Broadway revival. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tab Hunter, Gwen Verdon, (more)
- 1990
Fine Gold was originally made for cable television, where it first aired July 15, 1990. Ted Wass stars as a man falsely accused of embezzlement. In the months that follow, he loses his job, his family, and most of his reason for living. The second half of the film concerns itself with revenge and an abundance of surprise plot twists. Jane Badler co-stars in this torrid melodrama. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Joanna Piper (Suzanne Pleshette) and Mike Coyne (Gil Gerard) are far more concerned with money than with love. To that end, they sign up as contestants for a TV giveaway show. The catch: in order to claim the grand prize of one million dollars, Joanna and Mike must pretend to be hopelessly, passionately in love with one another. The viewer can see the ending coming a mile away, but getting there is half the fun. Made for television, For Love or Money premiered November 20, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Based on the acclaimed children's book The Westing Game, the movie version of this tale, Get a Clue!, draws young viewers into the strange mysteries encountered by 13-year-old "Turtle" Wexler. After moving into a new town, Turtle learns the house next door is the notoriously haunted Westin mansion. Discovering the body of the dead millionaire, the spunky Turtle attempts to solve the case in hopes of receiving a $20 million reward. The live-action adventure stars Ashley Peldon, Diane Ladd, Sally Kirkland, and Ray Walston. ~ Sally Barber, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ashley Peldon, Ray Walston, (more)
- 1957
First staged on Broadway in 1940 with Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontanne and Montgomery Clift in the starring roles, Robert Sherwood's Pulitzer Prize-winning play There Shall Be No Night was originally set in Finland in the years before the outbreak of WW2. For this Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation, the character names have been altered and the setting changed to Hungary just prior to the 1956 Soviet invasion, but otherwise the plot remains substantially the same. Charles Boyer and Katherine Cornell star as Nobel Prize-winning Hungarian scientist Karoly Valkay and his American-born wife Miranda. Though a fiercely outspoken critic of Communist totalitarianism, Valkay is essentially a pacifist, and hopes that Hungary will someday regain its freedom without bloodshed. But when the Russians start rattling their sabers, Valkay is shamed into renouncing his pacifism by his son Erik (Bradford Dillman), who has joined the Hungarian freedom fighters. Adapted for television by Morton Wishengrad, There Shall be No Night was originally telecast live and in color. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Boyer, Katharine Cornell, (more)
- 1989
Based on a true story, the two-part TV movie I Know My First Name Is Steven tells the tragic story of Steven Stayner. At age seven, Steven was kidnapped by two men who held him captive in a tiny shed for seven years. One of the men, a habitual child abuser named Kenneth Parnell, sexually assaulted Steven on an almost daily basis during the boy's ordeal. At age 14, Steven finally was able to escape and return to his family. But we are shown that Steven's safe return was far from the happy ending it appeared to be. He's forced to adjust to a family he'd never really known, to convince himself that his parents had never forgotten him, and to put his seven-year hell behind him. While I Know My First Name Is Steven ends on an upbeat note, the real Stayner died in a motorcycle accident only a few months after this film was first telecast in May 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
Big-time movie director Kenneth Annakin called the shots in this TV pilot film. "Institute for Revenge" is the nickname for a computer known as IFR 7000 (voice by John Hillerman). The computer is employed by a large foundation dedicated to righting wrongs, albeit nonviolently. Sam Groom, Lauren Hutton and Robert Coote are the good guys who go after a charity swindler (special guest star George Hamilton). While it may sound a lot like a high-tech Mission: Impossible, Institute for Revenge bears a closer resemblance to the 1973 theatrical feature The Sting, a resemblance driven home by the presence of Sting costar Ray Walston in a supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Chief Ironside (Raymond Burr) wants to find out why a terminally ill convict named Walter Butler (Ray Walston) has been denied parole. The trail of clues leads to Madame Jabez (Barbara Rush), a woman who claims to have supernatural powers. Many strange and inexplicable occurences follow as Ironside matches wits with the cagey Mme. Jabez, who is somehow linked with a missing $50,000 and a troubled parole board member. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The Catholic League of Decency gave Billy Wilder's Kiss Me, Stupid! a "condemned" rating. The Moral Majority charged the picture with debauchery and movie theaters across the nation discontinued its run. The bed-trick comedy had America's panties tied in a knot; one could not imagine a story so distasteful. Dean Martin is Dino, a Las Vegas crooner, alcoholic, and celebrity playboy. Dino requires women like oxygen -- a companionless night leaves him with a headache. Ray Walston is Orville, a provincial piano teacher, aspiring songwriter, and jealous husband. Orville violently obsesses over his wife Zelda's (Felicia Farr) fidelity -- any man she encounters becomes his sworn enemy. When a chance detour brings Dino to Orville's hometown of Climax, NV, it is the perfect opportunity for the piano teacher and his songwriting partner, Barney (Cliff Osmond), to pitch their tunes. Yet, Orville predictably fears the possible combination of Dino's libido with Zelda's childhood crush on the singer. Before the two can meet, Orville deceitfully bullies Zelda out of their house and Barney hires local roadhouse prostitute Polly the Pistol (Kim Novak) to pose as Orville's wife. Zelda turns to drink for solace, ending up at the exact bar where Polly plies her trade and, eventually, in the call girl's empty trailer. By the next morning, Orville is with Polly and Dino (looking for a prostitute) finds his way to Zelda -- and husband, wife, hooker, and Barney will all reap the benefits of infidelity. This tale may be tasteless, but Kiss Me, Stupid! is now a cable favorite. Its modern rating? PG. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Martin, Kim Novak, (more)
Luther Davis' racy wartime comedy Kiss Them for Me was expurgated a bit for the 1957 film version. Cary Grant, Ray Walston and Larry Blyden portray three navy war heroes who've been booked on a morale-building "vacation" in San Francisco. Eluding their ulcerated public relations officer (Werner Klemperer), the trio arranges a wild party with plenty of pretty girls. Cary Grant is paired with knockout Suzy Parker, an icy socialite who eventually thaws under his charms. Also on hand is Jayne Mansfield, playing a "good time girl" whose profession was a bit more explicit in the original play; the role was originated by Judy Holliday, who brought a wistfulness to the character that Ms. Mansfield couldn't quite manage. TV sitcom fans will get a kick out of the supporting cast of Kiss Them For Me: Ray Walston, later star of My Favorite Martian plays a libertine navy officer; Werner Klemperer, shorn of the accent he'd use as Colonel Klink in Hogan's Heroes, is hilarious as the flustered p.r. man; and Richard Deacon (Leave It to Beaver, The Dick Van Dyke Show) pops up unbilled as a dour businessman who can't understand the war-hero mystique. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cary Grant, Suzy Parker, (more)
- 1979
A slick sports promoter (Ray Walston) convinces Jonathan Garvey (Merlin Olsen) that he has genuine talent as a wrestler. It is all part of a scheme to bilk the citizens of Walnut Grove by staging a rigged wrestling match. Things get really sticky when, consumed by gambling fever, Mrs. Oleson (Katherine MacGregor) bets the church funds on the outcome of the match. It is up to the crooked promoter's henchman (played by B-movie favorite Leo Gordon) to unexpectedly save the day. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, (more)
- 1972
The title of this Mission:Impossible episode refers to a potentially devastating new biological weapon. Traitorous government scientist Paul Morse (Ross Elliot) intends to sell TOD-5 to Gordon Holt (Peter Haskell), special representative of a terrorist organization known as the Alpha Group. With time rapidly running out, the IMF must locate the Alpha's headquarters and neutralize the weapon. Ray Walston guest-stars as Dr. Flory, while Barbara Anderson makes her third series appearance as erstwhile IMF agent Mimi Davis. First telecast on October 14, 1972, "TOD-5" was written by James D. Buchanan and Ronald Austin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Greg Morris, (more)
- 1987
Cornell Wilde guest stars as Duncan Barnett, the ruthless founder-CEO of Barnett Industries. Gathering his board of directors (and their wives and loved ones) to his lavish New York estage, Barnett seems poised to name his successor. Instead, he is killed in an accident--or, at least, it looks like an accident. Among the board members is a certain Maine-based mystery writer named Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), who begins to suspect that there's dirty work afoot as she watches Barnett's employees wheel, deal, bicker and backstab incessantly throughout the balance of the episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
