Frank Telford Movies

An autopsy performed by Quincy (Jack Klugman) determines that Mrs. Martha Steele (Karen Philipp) died of a cerebral hemmorhage, supposedly caused by an encounter with a burglar. But Quincy is certain that the brain damage occurred long before the burglary--and he suspects that Mrs. Steele was the victim of an abusive husband (played by Robert Colbert). Unfortunately, his investigation is dead-ended by the refusal of the Steeles' friends to discuss the matter or cooperate with the authorities. Incidentally, this is the episode in which we finally find out Quincy's first name (or at least, his first initial). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ironside star Raymond Burr makes his TV directorial debut in this episode, in which Chief Ironside comes to the aid of a troubled Federal judge and the judge's son. Slated to preside over a well-publicized fraud case, Judge Van Buren (William Windom) is approached by "certain parties" and told to either withdraw from the case or impose a lighter sentence than the defendant deserves. To make certain that Van Buren follows orders, the villains murder a young actress (Angel Tompkins)--then pin the blame on the judge's reckless son Larry (Rick Lenz). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

As part of a law-school assignment, Mark (Don Mitchell) writes a defense brief for convicted murderer Gerry Foster (James Wainwright), thereby reopening an old case in which Ed (Don Galloway) was the arresting officer. Mark begins to regret getting involved in the project when Foster declares that Ed framed him. Ed and Mark end up working in concert to determine the truth--and both men are astonished by what they find! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season Thee of Ironside begins as wheelchair-bound detective Robert T. Ironside (Raymond Burr) and his team set their sighs on prolific con artist Raymond Otis Baker (Joseph Campanella), who specializes in bilking little old ladies out of their life savings. Unfortunately for Baker--or, as he is now calling himself, Mr. Braithwaite--his most recent victim was the aunt (Beah Richards) of Ironside's bodyguard Mark (Don Mitchell). In order to trap the elusive "R.O.B.", Ed (Don Galloway) and Eve (Barbara Anderson) pose as a wealthy couple, ripe for plucking. But the plan goes awry when one of the villain's accomplices recognizes Ed from an earlier sting operation! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

It's 1951 in Korea, a time that the United States Army doesn't like to remember. The Communists, led by Chinese forces, are tearing up the battlefield and overrunning American and South Korean positions, and in the midst of it, Sgt. Paul William Ryker (Lee Marvin), decorated World War II hero, with medals that would be the envy of any man in uniform, has been convicted of treason for allegedly deserting, going over to the enemy, and spending weeks behind enemy lines. He's scheduled to be executed, but Capt. David Young (Bradford Dillman), the prosecutor in the case, begins to worry that Ryker wasn't properly represented at trial -- he believes Ryker was guilty, but wants him to be convicted fairly. It hardly endears Young to the men around him when he starts pressing his doubts, and then he meets Ryker's wife, Ann (Vera Miles), who doesn't have the best of marriages but believes her husband is innocent. They start working together and, in the process, become attracted to each other. Ryker claims that a now-deceased counter-intelligence officer, Colonel Chambers, recruited him for a secret mission that would take him behind enemy lines, allegedly as an American turncoat, all to help plug a leak in his own command -- but Chambers was killed just 24 hours after Ryker's mission started, and nothing in his effects verifies Ryker's story. Young is ordered to lay off the case by his commanding officer, the new head of counter-intelligence, and General Bailey (Lloyd Nolan), commanding the sector, but Young risks his career to get Ryker a new trial. Now he's got to defend the man himself, against his own commanding officer as prosecutor, and prepare for his own court martial for conduct unbecoming an officer, for his affair with Ann Ryker. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

A veteran cast gives the 1968 cheapie The Bamboo Saucer what little credibility it has. In his last role, Dan Duryea plays the head man of an expeditionary force in search of a missing UFO. Since the craft was last sighted in the mountains of Red China, the search takes on political significance. Duryea's American team is eventually forced to align itself with a similarly-purposed group of Soviet researchers (this being a 1968 film, the real bad guys are the Red Chinese). Lois Nettelton has some wonderfully campy moments as a Russian scientist. Bamboo Saucer was produced by Jerry Fairbanks, of "Speaking of Animals" and "Crusader Rabbit" fame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide