Anthony Spinner Movies
Based on one of Shirley Jackson's spookier stories, this made-for-TV thriller recounts a small New England town's chilling annual ritual, a quasi-pagan affair involving human sacrifice performed in a particularly horrific manner. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1987
The last of the four Perry Mason movies telecast in 1987, The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel rounds up veterans Raymond Burr (as Mason) and Barbara Hale (as Della Street), with comparative newcomers William Katt (as Paul Drake Jr.) and David Ogden Stiers (as the "Hamilton Burger"-style prosecutor). The accused murderer in this outing is Susan Wilder, a reporter for a sleazy tabloid. The victim is the rag's hateful publisher, Robert Guillaume. Other suspects include Guillaume's ex-lover, and a banker who was ruined by the tabloid's half truths. Unlike most of the Perry Mason TV movies of the 1980s, The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel doesn't play fair with the audience; vital clues and character motivations are withheld from the viewer, robbing us of the pleasure of trying to second-guess the methodical Mr. Mason. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
While Walt Disney's 1961 filmization of Victor Herbert's Babes in Toyland pales in comparison to the 1934 movie version starring Laurel & Hardy, the Disney film is an unqualified classic when compared to the ill-starred 1986 TV version. Adapted for television by playwright Paul Zindel, the 1986 film stars Drew Barrymore as Lisa Piper, a contemporary girl whisked off Wizard of Oz fashion to Toyland. Here her friends and family from the "real" world are reincarnated as villainous Barnaby (Richard Mulligan), Old Mother Hubbard (Eileen Brennan), Jack-Be-Nimble (Keanu Reeves) et. al. Only "March of the Toys" and "Toyland" have been retained from the original Victor Herbert score; the rest of the songs were specially written for this adaptation by Leslie Bricusse-and, suffice to say, these were hardly classics. Irreparably damaging this version was its 180-minute length-over twice as long as the Laurel & Hardy version, and not even half as good. Filmed in Munich, Babes in Toyland was first telecast December 19, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
In this martial arts movie, an American art dealer, who doubles as a Ninja, must use his fighting skill, to save a group of scientists being held hostage by terrorists in Dallas. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Kojak moved from its familiar Sunday-night stamping grounds to a Tuesday slot with this episode, in which a young Dorian Harewood) is cast as Jake Riley, a prizefighter falsely accused of his wife's murder. Escaping custody, Riley takes several hostages in a local church and demands that the authorities provide him with $200,000 in ransom money and an escape route. Racing against time, Kojak (Telly Savalas must simultaneously talk sense to the desperate fugitive and locate the actual murderer. Featured in the supporting cast is Ken Foree, best known to contemporary horror fans as the protagonist in George Romero's Dawn of the Dead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
In this detective drama, two gumshoes are engaged by a millionaire father who wants to find his daughter who has been kidnapped. The film is also known as Love For Ransom. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Although Baretta entered its 4th season with strong ratings and an excellent timeslot (Wednesday evenings, just after the ABC ratings powerhouse Charlie's Angels and opposite such "soft" competition as NBC's Big Hawaii), things went downhill fairly rapidly thereafter. Perhaps the character of maverick undercover cop Tony Baretta had worn out its welcome, or perhaps viewers were growing weary of publicity surrounding the never-ending hostilities between series star Robert Blake and the network "suits." In addition, Blake was himself getting tired of the weekly series grind, and his lack of enthusiasm might have begun showing up on screen. Whatever the case, Baretta didn't even crack the "top 25 program" ratings during the 1977-78 season. ABC responded to this viewer dropoff with more than the usual quota of pre-emptions, and in February of 1978 the series lost its Wednesday-night berth to the more successful Starsky and Hutch. Relocated to Thursday evenings opposite CBS' unassailable Barnaby Jones, Baretta limped onward toward its inevitable cancellation, though ABC opted to rerun the series as part of the network's late-late-night manifest until the fall of 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
The saga of maverick undercover cop Tony Baretta (Robert Blake) sailed effortlessly into a third successful season in the fall of 1976. Although star Blake continued to engage in highly publicized battles with the series' producers and the ABC network "suits", audiences loved both the star and his series, as indicated by the ratings: Ranking 23rd out of 25 top shows during the 1975-76 season, Baretta closed out 1976-77 in eighth place, with an impressive 23.4 rating (it was tied with ABC's Sunday Night Movie and CBS' One Day at a Time). The fact that the series' Wednesday-night "lead-in" was the new ABC hit Charlie's Angels was a significant contributor to this remarkable boost in viewership. The regular cast of Baretta remained intact from Season Two. Most of the personnel changes were manifested in the production end of the series. Every member of the producers' roster, new and old, was nominated for an Emmy award, as were series costars Robert Blake and Tom Ewell. This time, however, none of the nominees took home a statuette. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
Created by Stephen J. Cannell, the weekly, hour-long crime series Baretta rose from the ashes of 1973's Toma, a short-lived weekly based on the exploits of David Toma, a real-life undercover cop with a penchant for elaborate disguises. For the "new" series, only two vestiges of the original Toma remained: Lead character Tony Baretta was an undercover detective, and he revelled in adopting bizarre costumes and eccentric "alternate" personalities. Otherwise, the two characters could not have been further apart. Remaining faithful to its source, Toma featured a tough but compassionate New Jersey cop who, though he preferred to buck the system and argue with his superior officers when pursuing a case, generally played by the rules; he also had a loving wife and two darling children, and lived in a modest but comfortable and well-appointed home. Conversely, Tony Baretta was a logical extension of Robert Blake, the bantam-cock actor who played the role. Like Blake, the streewise Baretta was fiercely, almost violently independent, bending and breaking the rules whenever possible and making no secret of his disdain for the by-the-book instincts of his superiors. And if Toma was diligent in his pursuit of lawbreakers, Baretta was downright savage; one suspects that he would have blown them to bits had he possessed the appropriate hardware. Also, unlike family man Toma, Baretta was single and a loner, his one bid for domestic bliss having been destroyed when his erstwhile fiancée was killed in the very first episode. Almost as if he was doing penance for allowing himself to be happy, Baretta lived in a rundown flophouse, managed by disheveled former cop Billy Truman. Outside of Billy and his pet cockatoo Fred, Baretta had no close friends: Certainly there was no love lost between himself and his commanding officer Insp. Shiller (Dana Elcar), while Tony's favorite street informant Rooster (Michael D. Roberts) was not exactly the sort of fellow one could call a bosom companion. Baretta was unceremoniously tossed into ABC's Friday-night schedule beginning January 17, 1975, as a midseason replacement for the canceled Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Clearly, the network felt that the series was expendable, inasmuch as it was slated opposite NBC's ratings magnet Police Woman. Within a few weeks, however, Baretta developed a respectable following, most of which was engendered by press reports of star Robert Blake's tiltings with the "suits" (his word for network executives) over the series' violence quotient and overall authenticity. By the time the series had completed its inaugural 12-episode run, Baretta was a shoo-in for renewal -- and Robert Blake had earned enough clout to start calling the shots so far as program content and casting choices were concerned. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Blake, Dana Elcar, (more)
Created by Stephen J. Cannell, the weekly, hour-long crime series Baretta rose from the ashes of 1973's 'Toma, a shortlived weekly based on the exploits of David Toma, a real-life undercover cop with a penchant for elaborate disguises. For the "new" series, only two vestiges of the original Toma remained: Lead character Tony Baretta was a undercover detective, and he revelled in adopting bizarre costumes and eccentric "alternate" personalities. Otherwise, the two characters could not have been further apart. Remaining faithful to its source, Toma featured a tough but compassionate New Jersey cop who, though he preferred to buck the system and argue with his superior officers when pursuing a case, generally played by the rules; he also had a loving wife and two darling children, and lived in a modest but comfortable and well-appointed home. Conversely, Tony Baretta was a logical extension of Robert Blake, the bantam-cock actor who played the role. Like Blake, the streewise Baretta was fiercely, almost violently independent, bending and breaking the rules whenever possible and making no secret of his disdain for the by-the-book instincts of his superiors. And if Toma was diligent in his pursuit of lawbreakers, Baretta was downright savage; one suspects that he would have blown them to bits had he possessed the appropriate hardware. Also, unlike family man Toma, Baretta was single and a loner, his one bid for domestic bliss having been destroyed when his erstwhile fiancee was killed in the very first episode. Almost as if he was doing penance for allowing himself to be happy, Baretta lived in a rundown flophouse, managed by a dishevelled former cop Billy Truman. Outside of Billy and his pet cockatoo Fred, Baretta had no close friends: Certainly there was no love lost between himself and his commanding officer Insp. Shiller (Dana Elcar), while Tony's favorite street informant Rooster (Michael D. Roberts) was not exactly the sort of fellow one could call a bosom companion. Baretta was unceremoniously tossed into ABC's Friday-night schedule beginning January 17, 1975, as a midseason replacement for the cancelled Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Clearly, the network felt that the series was expendable, inasmuch as it was slated opposite NBC's ratings magnet Police Woman. Within a few weeks, however, Baretta developed a respectable following, most of which was engendered by press reports of star Robert Blake's tiltings with the "suits" (his word for network executives) over the series' violence quotient and overall authenticity. By the time the series had completed its inagural 12-episode run, Baretta was a shoo-in for renewal--and Robert Blake had earned enough clout to start calling the shots so far as program content and casting choices were concerned. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
In this made-for-television disaster thriller, a carload rich commuters are held hostage by a trio of thugs. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1970
- PG
In this WW II actioner set in 1942, an American officer serving with the British Royal Navy attempts to blockade Malta and then destroy a German arsenal located in Sicily. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) heads to North Dakota in search of escaped murderer Vic Kiley (Gerald O'Loughlin). Having hijacked the car owned by widow Anne Williams (Mary Fickett), Kiley is forcing her to help him get by the many FBI roadblocks. Also targetted for terror is Anne's rebellious teenage son, played by a pre-superstardom David Cassidy. Throughout the episode, neither the kidnap victims nor the viewer is ever quite certain if the mercurial Kiley will kill his hostages, or keep his promise to release them once he has gotten away. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
Film star Gloria James (Lynn Borden has disappeared and her maid Janet Loomis (Ena Hartman) is kidnapped just before relating some vital information to Mark (Don Mitchell). These events, coupled with a conspicuously phony letter and an attempt on Mark's life, lead Ironside to suspect that the key to the mystery is Gloria's estranged husband, a fiercely possessive mob kingpin named Frank Rich (William Smithers). But Ironside had better confirm his suspicions in a hurry; if Gloria James and Janet Loomis aren't already dead, they soon will be! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) gives African American FBI agnet Harry Dane (Booker Bradshaw) plenty of latitude as Dane combs through a tough ghetto neighborhood in search of athlete-turned-criminal Nate Phelps (Billy Dee Williams). Meanwhile, Nate turns to his former girlfriend Lenore (Lola Falana), hoping she'll summon his underworld buddies for help in escaping the FBI agent. But none of Nate's cohorts want anything to do with him: He's a cop killer, and that's bad for business all around. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Helicopter Spies is a Man From UNCLE "feature film"--actually spliced together from a two-part adventure from the UNCLE TV series, then shown theatrically overseas. The Men from UNCLE, as always, are Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn), Ilya Kuryakin (David McCallum) and Alexander Waverly (Leo G. Carroll). This time they're dispatched to a faraway fortress in the deserts of Iran, where dwells megalomaniac Luther Sebastian (Bradford Dillman). Under the guise of the serene head of a religious cult, Sebastian has developed a nuclear prism, designed to zero in "death rays" upon unsuspecting aircraft. Helicopter Spies was originally telecast as "The Prince of Darkness Affair" on October 2 and 9, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) learns that Bishop John Atwood (Dean Jagger), a peace envoy to the US, has been targetted for assassination. Unfortunately, the trigger man, known only to the FBI as "Anton Christopher", has never been photographed or fingerprinted, making it virtually impossible to track him down. Further complicating the situation is the fact that Christopher has been hired by one of Bishop Atwood's most trusted confidantes! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
In hopes of smashing a Red spy ring, Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) poses as Adam Rogers, a foreign service worker. As expected, the undercover Erskine is approached by Chinese agents and asked to spy on his own country. The "maguffin" in this story is a document known as the Forsythe Memo. As often happens on The FBI, star Efrem Zimbalist Jr. is flanked by a veritable honor roll of scene-stealing character actors, including Patrick O'Neal, Kevin McCarthy and Keye Luke. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
TV buffs will undoubtedly relish this episode, in which future M*A*S*H "good guy" Wayne Rogers is cast as a psychotic killer, and future flint-eyed action star Kurt Russell appears as a terrified teenager. When Dan Winslow (Russell), the son of millionaire Marshall Winslow (Lew Ayres), is kidnapped by Logan Dupree (Rogers), the elder Winslow grows impatient with the FBI's handling of the case. Against the specific orders of Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.), Winslow alerts the media of Dan's plight--and in so doing may dig his son's grave. Featured in the cast is Ed Asner as Dupree's nervous henchman, and William Reynolds, later to join the regular F.B.I. cast as Special Agent Tom Colby, as an FBI field operative. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Solo is summoned to a tiny Middle Eastern nation by his former army commander, Col. Allan Morgan (Gene Raymond). Hoping to oust the local dictator, Morgan asks Solo to help him steal the nation's symbol, a religious icon. Unfortunately, Morgan is killed, leaving Solo and fellow agent Zia (Ziva Rodann) facing execution at the hands of the tyrannical Madame Karim (Lila Darvas) -- and there are even more disturbing plot twists and turns to come. Written by Anthony Spinner, "The Secret Sceptre Affair" was originally telecast on February 8, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Lt. Hanley (Rick Jason) is ordered to guard a much-despised French collaborator (Robert Loggia) who possesses valuable information. Hanley's job is to get the turncoat to London safely for interrogation. But the Americans find themselves in a standoff with several members of the French underground, who intend to capture the collaborator and executive him on the spot. Some sources list the title of this episode as "The Tree of Mercy". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Murray Brock (Simon Oakland) is a crusading New York district attorney out to prove that young Eddie Dickenson (Richard Jordan) is innocent of murder in this uneven crime drama. With the help of legal assistant Dave Ryan (Karl Held), he tries to keep Eddie from being convicted and sentenced to death. The routine feature was a television pilot that did not sell and was later given to theaters for commercial release. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Simon Oakland, Everett Sloane, (more)
- 1957
The TV drama anthology Kraft Television Theatre celebrated its tenth year on the air with an original drama written by Anthony Spinner. Tommy Sands plays Vito Serrano, a teenager living in Italy with his grandparents. Though he regards himself as an orphan, Vito still has a father -- if you can call gangster boss Frankie Serrano (Victor Jory) a father. Despite his unsavory roots, Vito has a strong desire to go to the U.S., where his father resides. He may get his wish when Frankie makes a sentimental journey to the Italian village of his youth, where he fills his son's head with stories about his "glamorous" American lifestyle. Somehow or other, the teleplay manages to find time for two songs performed by Tommy Sands, who'd already made his Kraft Television Theatre mark as the Elvis-like hero of the series' January 30, 1957 presentation "The Singin' Idol." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tommy Sands, Victor Jory, (more)
