Carol Anderson Movies
- 1986
The core and darker nuances of the original "Nutcracker" fairytale by E.T.A. Hoffman (with music by Tchaikovsky) are kept alive in this adept cinematic interpretation with its combination of ballet, special effects, and Maurice Sendak's costume and production designs. The Pacific Northwest Ballet Co. perform the tale about a young girl's dream. The Stahlbaum house is celebrating the night before Christmas, and the children, Fritz and Clara (Vanessa Sharp) welcome their godfather Herr Drosselmeier (Hugh Bigney) who brings them gifts. Clara's gift is a beautiful nutcracker, so beautiful that her brother becomes jealous and breaks it. Later, when everyone is in bed, Clara sneaks back to the Christmas tree to look at her repaired nutcracker and has a marvelous and often menacing dream. The Christmas tree grows to fill the room, and a mighty army of mice led by the Mouse King threatens her. The Nutcracker and the toy soldiers try to defeat the army but the Nutcracker is captured, at which point Clara (Patricia Barker as the dream Clara) bravely clobbers the Mouse King, and the army is defeated. From that point onward, she and the Nutcracker -- who has turned into a Prince -- have many adventures in the Land of Snow where a series of more than seven different dances introduce enchanting and grim characters. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugh Bigney, Vanessa Sharp, (more)
- 1970
- PG
Frank Sinatra stars in this bawdy western satire as Dingus Magee, a would-be outlaw who robs Hoke Birdsill (George Kennedy) while Hoke is en route to Yerkey's Hole, New Mexico. Hoke reports the theft to Belle Knops (Anne Jackson), the mayor of Yerkey's Hole and proprietor of the town's biggest business, a brothel favored by the enlisted men at the nearby Army fort. Belle appoints Hoke as the new deputy, and he tracks down Magee as he's enjoying a roll in the bushes with Anna (Michele Carey), a very friendly Indian maid. Hoke brings in Magee, but Anna then helps him escape; Belle uses Magee's unscheduled release to convince the commanding officers at the Army base that an Indian uprising is imminent, and that their planned relocation to Little Big Horn (where they hope to arrive before Gen. Custer and his troops) might be a bit premature (not to mention bad for her business). Soon Hoke is after Magee for robbing a stage and stealing the strongbox (which, of course, he can't open), the Indians are after Magee for running off with Anna, a sexually repressed schoolmarm named Prudence (Lois Nettleton) is after Magee after he awakens the woman within her, and John Wesley Hardin (Jack Elam) is after Magee, well, just because. "Catch-22" author Joseph Heller co-wrote the screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frank Sinatra, George Kennedy, (more)
- 1968
Having stolen $10 million, Albert Jenkins (Donnelly Rhodes) allows himself to be arrested for another offense under an assumed name, secure in the belief that, by the time his 14-year sentence has been served, the statute of limitations will have expired and he will be able to recover his stolen loot. It is up to the IMF to persuade Jenkins to reveal the whereabouts of the money. This assignment requires a phony medical diagnosis, which will convince Jenkins to allow himself to be cryogenically frozen: The next step is to convince him that he has awakened in the year 1983. Written by Paul Playdon, "The Heir" was originally broadcast on December 22, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, (more)
- 1963
When Todd Baylor (Robert Harland) inherits an equal partnership in his family's successful chain of clothing stores, his brother Martin (Peter Walker) is outraged. It seems that Martin wants the whole business to himself, and he is determined to force Todd out of the picture. In the end, however, it is Martin who is "forced out" courtesy of a sharp knife. It falls to Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) to prove that Todd is not guilty of fratricide. Featured in the cast are two prominent "celebrity spouses": Patrice Wymore, the former Mrs. Errol Flynn; and Nancy Kovack, future wife of conductor Zubin Mehta. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Poised to receive a huge inheritance on her 21st birthday, mixed-up Merle Telford (Jana Taylor) plans to free herself from her domineering Aunt Olivia (Jorja Curtwright) and elope with boyfriend Danny Pierce (Jack Ging). Correctly sizing up Danny as a fortune hunter--indeed, he intends to swipe the inheritance and run off with his real sweetheart Gina Gilbert (Joan Staley)--Olivia hires detective Paul Drake (William Hopper) to prevent Merle from ruining her life. But it appears as if Drake will be too late when Merle is accused of murdering Olivia during a party. Lucky for Merle that Drake is a close friend of defense attorney Perry Mason (Raymond Burr). This is the final episode of Perry Mason's fifth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
After the mysterious death of her motel-owner father Glenn (Russell Thorson), Stephanie Falkner (Peggy McCay) is left with nothing but her dad's property and a huge pile of debts. Enter big-time gambler George Castle (Joe De Santis), who dearly covets Stephanie's land. Unbeknownst to the girl, George had killed her father over a gambling debt--or perhaps Stephanie has known this all along. Whatever the case, when George himself turns up murdered, Stephanie is charged with the crime...and that's when Perry Mason (Perry Mason) takes a hand in matters. This episode is based on a 1958 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Perry (Raymond Burr) would rather not get involved when he finds out that his childhood friend Eileen Harrison (Anne Sargent) plans to divorce her overworked husband Danny (Arthur Franz), a schoolteacher who moonlights as a restaurant worker to pay for his baby daughter's operation. But Perry is more than willing to handle Danny's defense when the poor man is charged with murdering his old acquaintance Frank Curran (Stacy Harris), after a rather unpleasant disturbance at the greasy spoon where Danny works. "Maytag repairman" Jesse White is appropriately abrasive as Danny's nighttime boss. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
