Sid Gould Movies
- 1987
- PG
- Add Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol to QueueAdd Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol to top of Queue
In the third sequel to the hit comedy Police Academy, Commandant Lassard (George Gaynes) decides that the police force is overworked and understaffed, and he comes up with the idea of recruiting civilian volunteers to work side-by-side with his officers. Of course, with the hapless Carey Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg) in charge of training the new Neighborhood Watch groups, one might reasonably expect things will not go smoothly; meanwhile, the duplicitous Capt. Harris (G.W. Bailey) sets his sights on Lassard's job, and he schemes to get his aging boss out of the way. Series regulars Bubba Smith, Michael Winslow, Bob Goldthwait, and Tim Kazurinsky are on board, as is Sharon Stone, who moved on to bigger and better things a few years later. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Guttenberg, Bubba Smith, (more)
- 1981
- R
- Add History of the World -- Part I to QueueAdd History of the World -- Part I to top of Queue
Mel Brooks produced, directed, wrote, and starred in this episodic comedy in the spirit of Monty Python and the 1957 studio travesty The Story of Mankind. The film is divided into five sequences that play like blue-toned Eddie Cantor vaudeville sketches -- "The Dawn of Man," "The Stone Age," The Spanish Inquisition," "The Bible," and "The Future." Also included is a Brooksian depiction of The Last Supper and a long-winded sequence about the French Revolution. The film starts with a 2001: A Space Odyssey parody, narrated by Orson Welles, in which a collection of ape-men learn to stand erect (in more ways than one). The Stone Age reveals the origins of both the first homo sapien and homosexual marriages. Brooks then appears in an Old Testament sequence as Moses, descending from Mount Sinai with three heavy stone tablets bearing the 15 Commandments; after he drops one of these tablets, the laws of God become 10 Commandments. The Roman period picks up with Brooks as Comicus, attempting to get a gig as a "stand-up philosopher" at Caesar's Palace. The Spanish Inquisition is a musical production number with monks torturing Jews to lively Broadway musical strains. The final French revolution section is a broad parody of The Man in the Iron Mask story. The film closes with coming attractions of "History of the World, Part II" that features a rousing Star Wars parody (anticipating Space Balls) called "Jews in Space" that includes a jaunty theme song. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Brooks, Dom DeLuise, (more)
- 1979
- PG
In this comedy a trio of undercover government cops in Miami decide that it would be a good idea to open a bogus fencing operation so they can trap criminals. When the crooks find out, trouble ensues and the fun begins. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dom DeLuise, Jerry Reed, (more)
- 1976
- PG
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Melvin Frank's burlesque amalgam of McCabe and Mrs. Miller and Wagonmaster teams George Segal and Goldie Hawn as Charlie Malloy, a happy-go-lucky card shark, and Amanda Quaid, an ingratiating dance hall hooker, who want to go to Salt Lake City. Pursued by a gang of outlaws, Charlie and Amanda join up with a wagon train of Mormons who are also heading to Salt Lake City. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Segal, Goldie Hawn, (more)
In this 1975 adaptation of Neil Simon's stage play, director Herbert Ross presents the story of two old-time Vaudvillians played by Walter Matthau and George Burns in his first starring role since 1939's Honolulu. After decades apart, the cantankerous duo is persuaded to reunite for a television special despite the fact that they hate each other. Richard Benjamin co-stars as Matthau's nephew, who has the responsibility of making sure the comedians go through with the show and don't kill each other in the process. Nominated for four Academy Awards, Burns took home the statue for Best Supporting Actor. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Walter Matthau, George Burns, (more)
- 1967
Singer Robert Goulet appears both as himself and as his exact double, truck driver Chuck Willis. When Mooney (Gale Gordon) turns Chuck down for a loan, Lucy (Lucille Ball) takes pity on the guy and enters him in a Robert Goulet lookalike contest, for a $5000 prizes. Unfortunately, Chuck loses the contest--but then, so does the real Goulet! Somewhere along the line, Robert Goulet sings his own composition, "Why Be Ashamed?" ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Goulet
- 1966
As a contestant on Art Linkletter's TV show (which looks a lot like People Are Funny), Lucy is offered a 200-dollar prize if she can refrain from talking for 24 hours. To make certain Lucy keeps her end of the bargain, Linkletter chooses a lady from the audience, one Helen Cosgrove (Doris Singleton), to accompany her home. What Lucy doesn't know is that Helen is a "plant," one of several actors hired by the capricious Linkletter to give our heroine as miserable a time as possible while she tortuously attempts to keep her mouth shut. Former child actor Jack Searl appears briefly as an escaped convict who rushes into the speechless Lucy's living room, desperately searching for a "one-armed man" (guess which TV show was popular when this episode was filmed back in 1965!). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Art Linkletter, Doris Singleton, (more)
- 1966
In desperate need of money for new furniture, Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Mary Jane (Mary Jane Croft) attempt to take advantage of an advertising campaign created by Col. Andrew Bailey (Ed Begley), aka "The Bean King." Succeeding at getting double her money back on a can of Colonel Bailey's Bean, Lucy and Mary Jane go through the same rigmarole time and time again, until the two ladies have managed to collect $1500. What our heroines don't know is that Lucy's boss Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) is Colonel Bailey's biggest investor! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Begley, Sr., Mary Jane Croft, (more)
- 1966
Confusion reigns supreme when a draft notice intended for a "Lou C. Carmichael" shows up in the mailbox of Lucy Carmichael (Lucille Ball). Despite the frenzied efforts of Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) to correct this bureaucratic snafu, Lucy is forced to undergo basic training at a Marine boot camp until the higher-ups receive official word that she is "Lucy" and not "Lou C." Jim Nabors shows up briefly in his familiar "Gomer Pyle" guise. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Nabors, Harry Hickox, (more)
- 1966
In the concluding episode of a two-part story, Lucy's roommate Carol Bradford (Carol Burnett) is hired along with The Vagabonds to perform a musical act at an upcoming Palm Springs golf tournament. When she is invited to accompany Carol to the gig, Lucy (Lucille Ball) feigns illness so she can skip work. Upon her arrival at Palm Springs, Lucy is fixed up with a date with handsome movie actor Collin Grant (Dan Rowan)--who happens to be the golfing partner of Lucy's boss Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon). Carol, Lucy and The Vagabonds (including an uncredited Joe Pesci!) perform "Lazy River" and "The Hukilau Song." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carol Burnett, Dan Rowan, (more)
- 1966
Season Five of The Lucy Show begins, typically enough, with a guest star--in this instance the ageless George Burns. While doing business with banker Mooney (Gale Gordon), Burns confides that he is working up a new nightclub act: All he needs is a "kooky" female partner. Enter Mooney's secretary Lucy (Lucille Ball), who proceeds to amaze Burns with a convoluted explanation of her unique filing system. Duly impressed, Burns invites Lucy to join him on stage--and what follows is not only a fond recreation of the old "Burns and Allen" days (with Lucy, of course, as Gracie), but also a song-and-dance duet to the tune of the old Sophie Tucker standard "Some of These Days." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Burns, Jack Benny, (more)
- 1966
Lucy's new neighbor Roger Gregory (John Howard) is an actor on a popular soap opera. Alas, Gregory is down in the dumps; the way the soap's plotline is going, it appears as though his character is going to be killed off. Outraged by this injustice, Lucy (Lucille Ball) intends to sneak a peek at an upcoming script for the show to see if her friend's job can be saved. Of course, this requires our heroine to relentlessly stalk the soap's head writer, Peter Shannon (played by comedian Jan Murray) -- and to do some fancy ad-libbing during the taping of Gregory's "final" episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan Murray, John Howard, (more)
- 1966
Much to the dismay of a wealthy female customer (Barbara Morrison), Lucy (Lucille Ball) stakes a claim to a fancy dinette set during a major department-store sale. It is only after putting a deposit on the set that Lucy realizes a bargain is a bargain only if you can afford to pay for it. In desperate need of the necessary funds, Lucy takes a job at the same store -- only to come face to face with the indignant socialite who had wanted to buy the dinette set herself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Morrison, Jonathan Hole, (more)
- 1965
Ever in need of extra money, Lucy (Lucille Ball) offers her services to banker Mooney (Gale Gordon) as a part-time employee. Her first assignment is to deliver an envelope to the television studio where Danny Thomas is rehearsing a special. Before Lucy shows up, it is carefully established that big-hearted Danny adheres to an iron-clad rule: under no circumstances will he ever fire anyone who's on their very first job, no matter how clumsy or inept that person may be. On cue, Lucy shows up, and is promptly mistaken for one of the special's chorus girls. Appalled by Lucy's incompetence, Danny angrily approaches her -- whereupon, in all innocence, she explains that it's her very first job.... ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Thomas, Mickey Manners, (more)
- 1965
Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Viv (Vivian Vance) are dying of curiosity: What did Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) buy Mrs. Mooney for her birthday. Peeking into the package, the girls discover that the present consists of a huge ceramic cat--which, in a twinkling, falls to the floor and breaks into a million pieces. It turns out that there is only one duplicate cat left in town...and nothing will stop Lucy from getting her hands on it, even if it requires a bit of creative larceny! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Dean, John "Red" Fox, (more)
- 1965
Jimmy Garrett makes his final series appearance as Jerry Carmichael in this episode. Hoping to get her son Jerry to come to California for Christmas at the least possible cost, Lucy arranges for Jerry's entire military-academy class to sing carols at Mr. Mooney's bank. Carried away by the Yuletide spirit (and despite his anger over Lucy's recent spending sprees), Mooney (Gale Gordon) himself agrees to sing bass with the youngsters, who fortuitously are portrayed by the real-life St. Charles Catholic Boys Choir. The episode's best line, involving "the little town of Bethlehem," affords Gale Gordon a choice opportunity to pull off one of those blustery double takes that he did so well. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lloyd Corrigan, Ted Eccles, (more)
- 1965
Still under the spell of the James Bond movie they've just seen, Lucy (Lucille Ball) and the countess (Ann Sothern) spot a pair of sinister-looking men at a restaurant. Jumping to the conclusion that the two men are enemy spies, the ladies trail them to a deserted warehouse, with a reluctant Mooney (Gale Gordon) in tow. This broad spoof of the mid-'60s "spy craze" features Jack Cassidy as a bearded gentleman who talks into a Man From U.N.C.L.E.-style miniature phone ("Napoleon who? You've got the wrong number!") and is capped by Lucy's hilarious imitation of Carol Channing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann Sothern, Jack Cassidy, (more)
- 1965
Spotting Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Mary Jane (Mary Jane Croft) at the racetrack, Mooney (Gale Gordon) hands Lucy his race tickets while he goes off to talk to an acquaintance. Thanks to a misreported photo finish, Lucy tears up the tickets, only to find out that Mooney's horse has actually won. Desperate to earn enough money to cover Mooney's winnings, Lucy once again dons the phony mustache and macho bravado of her male alter ego, Hollywood stuntman "Iron Man Carmichael" -- despite the wounds and bruises she sustained the last few times she did stunt work. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary Jane Croft, Ross Elliott, (more)
- 1965
Ann Sothern makes the first of several Lucy Show appearances as the Countess Framboise. Although Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) is enchanted by the notion of royalty in humble Danfield, Lucy (Lucille Ball) easily recognizes the widowed countess as her old school pal Rosie Hannigan. Their friendship takes quite a battering when Lucy and the Countess attend a fancy wine-tasting party--then proceed to get thoroughly smashed! This episode's classic drunk scene is a replay of a sequence that Lucille Ball and Ann Sothern had previously enacted in a 1957 "Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" special, as well as an episode of The Ann Sothern Show. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann Sothern, Carole Cook, (more)
- 1964
Selling vacuum cleaners door to door, Lucy (Lucille Ball) gives her first demonstration at the home of Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon)--only to inadvertently suck up a rare stamp worth $3000. Determining that she left the stamp in a pile of dirt at the home of her next customer Mrs. White (Mabel Albertson), Lucy discovers to her horror that the stamp has been affixed to an envelope and sent to the post office. As a result, Lucy and Viv (Vivian Vance) must cook up another wild scheme to retrieve the stamp before it can be cancelled and rendered worthless. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mabel Albertson, Herb Vigran, (more)
- 1964
Lucy (Lucille Ball) needs to have a check signed on behalf of daughter Chris (Candy Moore). Unfortunately, the only person authorized to sign the check is banker Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon), who is laid up in the hospital with a broken leg. Taking advantage of her "candy striper" status, Lucy tries to visit Mooney at the hospital, but when she is banned from doing so she returns disguised as a doctor--and almost has to perform an operation to keep up the pretense! Look for Bernie Kopell, the future "Doc" on The Love Boat, in a small role as (appropriately!) an intern. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gale Gordon, Kathleen Freeman, (more)
This lavishly produced, big-budget comedy (it cost $20 million in 1964 dollars) stars Shirley MacLaine as Louisa, a widow who is worth $200 million dollars. However, she's convinced that her fortune is cursed, and she wants to give all her money to the IRS. As she explains her sad tale to her psychiatrist, Dr. Stephanson (Robert Cummings), it seems that when Louisa was young she had the choice of marrying rich playboy Leonard Crawley (Dean Martin) or poor but decent Edgar Hopper (Dick Van Dyke). She chose Edgar, but soon he became obsessed with providing a fine home and fortune for her; he got rich but worked himself to death in the process. Despondent, Louisa flies to Paris, where she strikes up a romance with expatriate artist Larry Flint (Paul Newman). When Larry invents a machine that creates paintings based on sounds, he becomes wealthy and famous -- and dies. Louisa returns to America, where she figures to break her streak by marrying Rod (Robert Mitchum), a business tycoon who already has lots of money. He resolves to take life easier and becomes a farmer, only to die in a strange accident with a bull. Louisa is drowning her sorrows one night at a sleazy night spot when she falls for second rate entertainer Jerry (Gene Kelly). They marry, and a now-wealthy Jerry develops a relaxed, carefree quality to his act that makes him a huge star, which leads to his being crushed by a mob of his biggest fans. What a Way to Go! boasted a screenplay by Betty Comdon and Adolph Green that featured many amusing film parodies and a score by Nelson Riddle; it also marked the final screen appearance of comic actress Margaret Dumont, best remembered as Groucho Marx's straight woman in several films. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shirley MacLaine, Paul Newman, (more)
- 1964
Once again, Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Viv (Vivian Vance) dream of untold riches by going into business together; this time their joint enterprise is a small restaurant. Unfortunately, despite several changes of "theme", the restaurant only seems to attract the local mailman and an army of bill collectors. Meanwhile, Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) finds out that a highway is to be built near the restaurant, which will potentially turn it into a goldmine. Mooney craftily tries to buy a share of the place for a cut-rate price, but circumstances conspire to foil his scheme. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gale Gordon, Jack Albertson, (more)
- 1964
This first episode of The Lucy Show's third season finds Lucy Carmichael (Lucille Ball) endeavoring to become closer with her teenaged daughter Chris (Candy Moore). In her efforts to "bond", Lucy joins Chris for a session at the local roller-skating rink. Unfortunately, once Lucy gets her skates on, it is impossible to get them off--and it's only a few hours away from a fancy formal dance with her current gentleman friend Walter Kendricks (Charles Drake). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Drake, Glen Turnbull, (more)
- 1964
In dire need of 100 dollars, Lucy (Lucille Ball) is delighted to discover that her pinchpenny banker Mr. Mooney has been temporarily replaced by her former boyfriend Vincent Meyers (Max Showalter). Supremely confident that she will be able to flatter the money from Meyers, Lucy is stopped short when she is unable to remember the "pet name" she had bestowed on her old flame way back when. To cover her tracks, Lucy pretends to have temporary amnesia...and of course, must spend the rest of the episode pretending to try to get her memory back. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Max Showalter, Fifi D'Orsay, (more)
