Eldon Quick Movies

There's not much "down time" for Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) as they go about their rounds in this episode. Of primary importance is the recovery of a stolen car, the trunk of which contains the owner's pet boa constrictor. Elsewhere, the two officers mediate an out-of-control neighborhood argument, and attempt to rescue two people from a smoke-filled room. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This comedy was banned in Mexico and plagued by vandalism and threats of violence during film production in San Antonio, Texas. General De Santos (Peter Ustinov) organizes a ragtag group of Mexican nationals for the purpose of retaking the Alamo. Using the Washington's Birthday Parade in Laredo as a guise to enter the United States, the group continues towards San Antonio ignored and unchallenged. With the help of Sergeant Valdez (John Astin), the unlikely invaders manage to raise the Mexican flag over the old mission for 24 hours. General Billy Joe Hallson (Jonathan Winters) is a colorful redneck called on to lead the National Guard to the site of the occupied landmark. Keenan Wynn, Alice Ghostley, Pamela Tiffin and Harry Morgan also star in this film farce. During filming, one irate Texan was arrested after waving a rifle in protest over the raising of the Mexican flag over the Alamo, long a symbol of Texas' pride and history. Electric cables were cut during the filming of this production, as some Texans could not even tolerate the fictional premise of the plot. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

It's a personal matter for FBI assistant director Arthur Ward (Phillip Abbott) when Marianne Lowe (Pamela McMyler), the daughter of Ward's good friend Philip Lowe (Lin McCarthy), is kidnapped. A clue in Marianne's diary leads Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) to suspect that an employee at the girl's favorite beauty parlor is in on the abduction scheme. Meanwhile, the captive Marianne chips away at the conscience of the conscience of her abductor Beau Manley (Mark Jenkins), who unlike his partner Alex Drake (Joe Don Baker) is reluctant to kill her...maybe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This classy and creative low-budget thriller depicts an all-out war of attrition between a group of neglected, disgruntled senior citizens and the heartless city officials who evicted them from their Cincinnati low-rent apartment building, which has been tagged for destruction. Their campaign goes far beyond writing strong letters to their alderman -- they begin by savagely murdering the social worker who orders their removal (Linda Marsh, in a budget Nurse Ratched mode), then take a violent stand against any contractors who attempt to stray onto their turf. Tightly directed from a clever script, portraying its geriatric killers with wit and empathy but never shying away from shocking scenes of violence. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Thanks to a bureaucratic snafu, the father of chief surgeon Hawkeye (Alan Alda) receives a letter informing him that his son is dead. Though upset that his dad is in temporary distress, the very much alive Hawkeye intends to take advantage of his "deceased" state--at least until he is denied his weekly paycheck. Later on, Hawkeye discovers that it's harder to prove that he's alive than dead; after all, the Army never, ever makes mistakes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

One of four dramatic miniseries carried by NBC under the blanket title Best Sellers, Captains and the Kings was adapted from a novel by Taylor Caldwell. Covering a time span from 1857 to 1912, this was the saga of the Irish-immigrant Armagh clan, with emphasis on the rags-to-riches career of Joseph Armagh (Richard Jordan). Achieving fame and prominence (if not full-fledged social acceptance) through a Byzantine series of investments in the oil industry, the elder Armagh was obsessed with the notion of having one of his sons become the first Irish-Catholic President of the United States (does this story sound vaguely familiar?). Along the way, Joseph and his offspring indulged in innumerable romantic liaisons, extramarital and otherwise. Featured in the all-star cast is Patty Duke Astin, who won an Emmy award for her portrayal of Bernadette Hennessey Armagh. Captains and the Kings was broadcast from September 30 to November 18, 1976 in seven installments, two of which ran 120 minutes, and the other six lasting 60 minutes -- a total of nine hours' air time in all. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The made-for-TV Anatomy of a Seduction was originally telecast May 8, 1979. Susan Flannery plays a divorcee who assuages her loneliness by starting an affair with 20-year-old Jameson Parker. It so happens that Parker is the son of Flannery's best friend Rita Moreno, who doesn't take it well when she finds out what's going on. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Underpublicized and underappreciated, the US ice hockey team heads for the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York. Driven a manner than can be described as merciless by coach Herb Brooks (Karl Malden), the team has learned how to swallow months of defeat and disappointment press on to success. The result: A stunning victory over the high-profile Russian and Finnish skating teams. Actual scenes from the Olympic finals are seamlessly blended with recreations of the event in this made-for-TV movie. Miracle on Ice costars Andrew Stevens as team captain Mike Eruzione. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide