John Alvin Movies
After befriending a kind-hearted prostitute, a 12-year-old boy attempts to set her up with his widowed father in this family comedy. Young Frank Wheeler (Michael Patrick Carter) first meets working girl V (Melanie Griffith) when he and two friends pool their money to buy a glimpse of a naked woman. V does the job and agrees to drive Frank home; along the way, he becomes convinced that this nice call girl would be the perfect new wife for his dad (Ed Harris). V happens to be on the run from a group of evil gangsters, so when he invites her to stay at their house in the suburbs, she readily agrees. Masquerading as a math tutor, she strikes a chord with Mr. Wheeler, but this budding romance is soon threatened by the return of V's past. Despite the potentially off-color premise, Milk Money aims to be innocuous family fare, with juvenile jokes mixing with unthreatening romance. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melanie Griffith, Ed Harris, (more)
- 1987
In this children's comedy, Hank Ketcham's enduring comic-strip character and his pals discover mysterious bones in their neighborhood. Paleontologists soon come to investigate and mayhem ensues. On video the film is titled: "Dennis the Menace: Dinosaur Hunter." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Somewhere in the Deep South, young singer Matt Burns (Brian L. Green) has been arrested for the murder of local bully Ed Bonner (Jeffrey Osterhage), son of the town's most influential citizen (Stuart Whitman). Innocent bystanders to this developing drama are Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) and her friend and fellow writer Ames Caulfield (Craig Stevens), one of whose former students happened to be Matt's mother. At the request of Matt's girl friend (and the dead man's sister) Linda (Cindy Fisher), Jessica does her best to prove Matt's innocence--while an angry lynch mob begins to swarm around the town jail. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Season Three of Murder She Wrote begins with the first episode of a two-part story, in which mystery writer Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) pays a visit to the Carmody Circus, an extremely small-time operation. It seems that Jessica has evidence that one of the circus' employees, a roustabout-clown who calls himself Carl, is actually her brother-in-law Neil (Jackie Cooper), who has long been presumed dead. No sooner does Jessica link up with Neil than the man is accused of murdering the circus' hateful manager Hank Sutter (Charles Napier). A young Courtney Cox appears as Neil's granddaughter, Carol Bannister. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
In the second half of Murder She Wrote's two-part Season Three opener, Jessica's long-missing brother in law Neil Fletcher (Jackie Cooper), who has been working under an alias with the Carmody Circus, has confessed to the murder of circus manager Hank Sutter. Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is convinced that Neil is innocent, and that he is covering up for somebody else--and this proves to be a reasonable conclusion when a second murder occurs, in which the victim is rival circus owner Harry Kingman (Joe Dorsey). Seriously hampering Jessica's investigation is the stone wall of resistance built up by the highly clannish circus folk--and by the curiously hostile local authorities. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Christopher Reeve got away from Superman and related costume roles in this dramatic fantasy film, adapted from Richard Matheson's 1960s vintage novel Bid Time Return. A young playwright, Richard Collier (Reeve), is approached by an elderly woman on the occasion of his first triumph in 1972 -- all she says to him is "Come back to me" and leaves him with a watch that contains a picture of a ravishing young woman. Eight years later, he visits the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island and comes upon a photograph of the same woman, whom he discovers was an actress who made an appearance at the hotel in 1912. He becomes obsessed with the image and what the woman -- who died the night she approached him in 1972 -- meant by what she said. In a manner somewhat reminiscent of the film Laura, he falls in love with her and her image as he learns more about her life and career. Then he comes upon the suggestion of a professor at his former college that time travel may, in fact, be possible, using an extreme form of self-hypnosis to free the person from the place they occupy in the time-stream. Collier's feelings for the woman are so strong that he succeeds, bringing himself back to the hotel in 1912 on the eve of her triumph. He meets the actress, Elise McKenna (Jane Seymour), and the two fall in love despite the machinations of her obsessive, autocratic manager (Christopher Plummer), who feels threatened by Collier's presence. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, (more)
- 1975
"Lizzie Borden took an axe/And gave her mother forty whacks/When she saw what she had done/She gave her father forty-one". New England spinster Lizzie Borden was acquitted of the charge of murdering her father and stepmother in 1892, but this made-for-TV movie, like most recreations of the murders and subsequent trial, adheres to the popular consensus that Borden was guilty. Elizabeth Montgomery takes a break from playing victims to portray the enigmatic Borden. The trial scenes are lifted directly from the original court records; scripter William Bast's speculation as to what really happened the night the elder Bordens were hacked to death is pure (but credible) conjecture. Accompanied by a "parental guidance suggested" tag, The Legend of Lizzie Borden was first broadcast February 10, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
While moonlighting as a cabbie, Archie is mugged. Reporting the crime to a cop named Garsky (Frank Campanella), Archie lets slip that he fended off the mugger with a concealed tear-gas pen. As a result, it is Archie who ends up being arrested for carrying an illegal weapon. Best line: "You ain't over-bright, are ya?" Paulene Myers appears as Judge Mackenzie, while future Trapper John MD regular Charles Siebert is cast as Mr. Sloan. Written by Larry Rhine and Mel Tokin, "Archie's Civil Rights" first aired on December 1, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1969
Bill (Brian Keith) grimly assumes all responsibility when a bridge on which he was working collapses, costing millions of dollars. Overhearing Bill's financial woes, the kids conclude that the family is about to go broke. This explains why Cissy goes out and gets a part-time job, while Buffy and Jody hold an auction of their most precious possessions--and also launch a brisk dog-walking business. Featured in the pivotal role of Mr. McAllister is veteran movie heavy Horace McMahon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Back for another guest appearance, country and western singers Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs are again accompanied by the curvaceous Joi Lansing as Mrs. Gladys Flatt (sic!). Still yearning for a show business career, Mrs. Flatt is awarded a screen test at Mammoth Studios. Only one hitch: her director is Jethro Bodine, whom Lester hopes will help discourage his wife's singing aspirations. Best line: "Uh, mister, yore light bulb's burned out." As a bonus, Joi Lansing performs a slinky rendition of the old standard "All of You." "Delovely and Scruggs" originally aired on March 29, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Two escaped killers, Carter (John Saxon) and Bains (Don Stroud), burst into Ironside's office apartment, holding the Chief (Raymond Burr) and his policewoman assistant Eve (Barbara Anderson). The captives' only hope for survival rests with Ironside, who agrees to help the desperate fugitives formulate a foolproof escape plan. This nailbiting episode takes place entirely within the walls of Ironside's police-building headquarters (hence its title). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
The Clampetts are convinced that they've seen little green men from Mars. Actually, they're half right: The "Martians" are really a group of professional little people (Frank Delfino, Billy Curtis and Jerry Maren), hired by Mr. Drysdale as a publicity stunt to promote his bank. After they've gotten over their initial shock, the Clampetts graciously welcome the "aliens" into their mansion for a truly down-to-earth, home-cooked dinner. "The Flying Saucer" originally aired on December 28, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 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)
- 1965
In the conclusion of My Favorite Martian's two-part Season Three opener, Martin (Ray Walston) and Tim (Bill Bixby) are still stuck in the West of 1849, still endeavoring to return to the 20th century via their "CCTBS" time machine. Joining a wagon train headed for California, they are victimized by a pair of riverboat thieves who think our heroes know the location of a valuable gold strike. Things get worse when Martin, Tim and the lookalike ancestors of Mrs. Brown (Pamela Britton) and Detective Brennan (Alan Hewitt) are captured by Indians. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
First shown on February 5, 1964, "The Race for Queen" was the fifth highest-rated episode of The Beverly Hillbillies. This time out, the Clampetts strike oil again, this time on their Beverly Hills property. Meanwhile, Elly May competes in the Miss Beverly Hills beauty contest. Robert Cummings, who starred in the previous Paul Henning-created series Love That Bob, appears as himself, while Susan Hart, a regular in the American-International beach pictures of the 1960s, is seen as Candy Davis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Every so often, Charley (Smiley Burnette) and Floyd (Rufe Davis) stop the Hooterville Cannonball so that they can pick apples. On one such occasion, their passenger is food salesman Jack Crandall (Stanley Adams), who wonders why his trip has been briefly cut short for so mundane an acitivity as apple-picking. When he learns that the apples are a primary ingredient in the special "bachelor butter" recipe created by Kate Bradley (Bea Benadaret), Crandall is impressed--and immediately sets about to see how he can cash in on this local delicacy! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This romantic comedy opens with a resounding warning: its chief concerns are passion, bloodshed, desire, and death. "Everything," exclaims the narrator, "that makes life worth living." Irma La Douce (Shirley MacClaine) is Paris' most prosperous prostitute. Wise, endearing, and compulsively clad in green, Irma rules the rue Casanova. She triumphantly works the most coveted corner on a street where the cops gladly look the other way and the naughty johns leave tips. Her street is a content community of live and let live and good-natured desire, an Augean stable of human understanding. However, to upright Nester Patou (Jack Lemmon), the area's new policeman, genial wrongdoing is still wrongdoing. Freshly promoted from day patrol at a children's playground, the scrupulous Nestor arrests Irma and her colleagues in a bumbling, unauthorized raid. He takes pity on Irma, but harasses the guilty johns -- including the police captain. Promptly unemployed, Nester returns to the scene of his crime, the rue, and to Irma. After physically besting her pimp, Nester unwittingly takes his position. The two fall madly in love, but Nestor quickly grows jealous of Irma's patrons. Thus, he masquerades as a wealthy English aristocrat and becomes Irma's sole customer -- only to eventually grow violently jealous of himself. Soon enough, this formally righteous cop is comically jailed for his own brutal murder! As the film's prologue promises, Irma La Douce is a celebration of life from beginning to end -- unabashedly adoring lust, emotion, fervor and, above all, foolish love. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, (more)
- 1962
Moving from Saturday to Thursday evening for its sixth season on CBS, Perry Mason kicks off the new year with another baffling murder case. This time the victim is Joseph Kraft (Maurice Manson) a crooked book dealer who traffics in forgeries of rare first editions. Not long after firing his clerk Ellen Carter (Phyllis Love) for misplacing a copy of Tristam Shandy), Kraft is found dead in a locked room, apparently the victim of a gas leak. Ultimately, the police decide that Kraft was murdered, and that Ellen is the most likely suspect. Enter Perry Mason (Raymond Burr), who intends to prove Ellen's innocence while setting a trap for the real killer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
A serial killer (Grant Williams) and his therapy sessions with a psychologist are juxtaposed with his gruesome, successive murders in this standard thriller by director Owen Crump. The killer, Charles Campbell, is fixated on calling in his next murder to the Los Angeles police, confident that he will always elude capture. Dr. Janz (Onslow Stevens) might have his own views on that if Charles were to let him know how he really gets out his rage. In fact, the doctor himself is no more than a father figure to Charles -- not a good analogy considering that the killer hated his domineering dad. The question remains, will the LAPD stop the killer before the world is minus one psychologist? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Grant Williams, Shirley Knight, (more)
- 1961
With his parents out of town, Eddie (Ken Osmond) wangles an invitation to spend the night with Wally (Tony Dow). Before long, however, Wally catches Eddie cheating at chess, the boys have a fight, and Eddie storms out of the house. When Wally refuses to go after him, Ward (Hugh Beaumont) and June (Barbara Billingsley) take matters into their own hands -- but first the Cleavers must convince the neurotic Eddie that they aren't burglars as he sits shivering alone in the Haskell house with all the doors locked and the lights on! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, John Alvin, (more)
- 1961
After she escapes from an asylum for alcoholics, Anne Gilrain (Gloria Talbott) is sent right back by her husband Tom (Liam Sullivan). Sensing that she is being mistreated by her husband, Anne's former boyfriend, comedian Charlie Hatch (Tommy Noonan), vows to "rescue" her. When Tom Gilrain is murdered, Charlie takes the rap for the crime, assuming that Anne is the guilty party--an assumption that proves quite problematic for attorney Perry Mason (Raymond Burr). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
At the height of a nasty corporate power struggle, embezzling accountant Robert Doniger (Phil Terry) is murdered. The man accused of the crime is Edward Nelson (Herbert Rudley), who had earlier hired Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) to protect him from threats he'd received from his spiteful wife Sylvia (Virginia Arness) and from business rival Frank Avery (John Stephenson). Now Perry must assemble enough evidence to prove that Nelson is not a murderer,and that someone else in his circle of "friends" is the guilty party. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
The year is 1922, and it is raining rocks in the town of Chico, California. Shortly after this disturbing phenomenon, an anonymous phone call is placed to the local newspaper. The caller not only takes "credit" for the "heavy" rain, but also predicts the exact time for the next downpour. Could all this be tied in with an earlier incident in Washington, D.C, involving an odd self-proclaimed inventor who claims to have created a revolutionary formula for converting water into gasoline? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Feeling sorry for Albert Sanders (Fred Sherman), who has lost his entire family in a terrible accident, Perry agrees to defend the man pro-bono on a smuggling charge. The situation becomes a bit more serious when Sanders is accused of murdering cabdriver Kim Lane (Betty Utey). In order to clear his client, Mason and Paul Drake must expose a vicious smuggling ring operating from a tawdry dance hall. This episode is based on a 1958 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1955
In order to pass through Comanche territory, the stranded passengers of a West-bound wagon train must sell the Indians their rifles in this western from Carl Hittleman. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
