Pat Cranshaw Movies
- 1974
The centerpiece of this tense episode is a hostage situation on the roof of a shopping center. Having bungled a robbery, two armed criminals grab a female hostage and head to the roof. In their efforts to rescue the woman, Officers Reed (Kent McCord) and Malloy (Martin Milner) finds themselves engaging in a deadly war of nerves with the desperate thieves. Ironically, the "helpless" hostage is played by Regina Parton, one of Hollywood's best and bravest stuntwomen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
- PG
Frasier the Sensuous Lion would seem to have been conceived as a racy "answer" to Disney's sugary-sweet animal comedies. The talkative title character is befriended by zoologist Marvin Feldman (Michael Callan). When Frasier's loquaciousness becomes public knowledge, Feldman tries to save the lion from being commercially exploited by a sleazy California wildlife preserve. The film's supporting cast includes such TV perennials as Frank De Kova ("Wild Eagle" on F Troop) and Malachi Throne ("Noah Bain" on It Takes a Thief). Frasier's innuendo-laden dialogue is supplied by, of all people, Victor Jory. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
In their efforts to make their young house guest Lori Baker (Victoria Meyerink) feel at home, Oliver (Eddie Albert) and Lisa (Eva Gabor) shower the little girl with gifts and attention. Surprisingly, their generosity breeds jealousy -- on the part of their handyman Eb (Tom Lester). Having long before "adopted" Oliver and Lisa as his surrogate parents, Eb resents Lori's "intrusion"; in other words, it's sibling rivalry without siblings! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victoria Meyerink, Elsie Baker, (more)
- 1971
In the process of replacing a rotted board on his porch, Oliver (Eddie Albert) places another board on top of the bad one so that no accidents will occur. Unfortunately, agriculture agent Hank Kimball (Alvy Moore) inadvertently removes the "protection" board and promptly plunges through the porch, injuring his foot. Thus the stage is set for a Man Who Came to Dinner situation, with Oliver and Lisa (Eva Gabor) waiting on the recuperating Kimball hand and foot, and Mr. Haney (Pat Buttram) sensing a quick financial turnover by mounting a lawsuit against Oliver. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Foster Brooks, Pat Cranshaw, (more)
- 1970
It all starts when Oliver (Eddie Albert) decides to take his wife Lisa (Eva Gabor) -- and only Lisa -- on a quiet, intimate, old-fashioned picnic. Well, that was Oliver's intention, but the citizens of Hooterville see things differently. Misinterpreting the Douglases getaway as a "come-one-come-all affair," everybody in town (and then some!) descend upon the picnickers en masse -- and pretty soon not even the ants have room to eat! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry D. Mann, Mona Bruns, (more)
In this sci-fi film, lonely Martians wire Earth in hopes of finding fertile women to repopulate their dying world. They are particularly interested in a voluptuous dancing scientist. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1973
- PG
Originally released as Nightmare Honeymoon, this lurid thriller stars Dack Rambo and Rebecca Diana Smith. Rambo plays a Vietnam vet (he's certainly got the right name for it), while Rebecca is cast as his new bride, an heiress. While on their honeymoon, the newlyweds witness a murder and Rebecca is raped. Rambo's killer instinct quickly rises to the surface. Based on a novel by Lawrence Block, Deadly Honeymoon was to have been directed by Nicolas Roeg, but he ankled the project after less than a week and was replaced by Elliot Silverstein. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
- PG
- Add Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band to QueueAdd Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band to top of Queue
Pop star Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees star in this musical, loosely based on the popular 1967 Beatles album Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. In the story, Billy Shears, who now heads the Lonely Hearts Club Band, is the grandson of the famous Sergeant Pepper. He is confronted by the need to save the magical musical instruments of the band from the bad guys, led by music tycoon B.D. Brockhurst (Donald Pleasance), who want to steal them. If they succeed, the magic which infuses "Heartland U.S.A." will disappear. Among the many Beatles' songs performed in the film by well-known popular artists are: "She's Leaving Home" (Bee Gees, Jay MacIntosh, John Wheeler), "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" (Steve Martin), "Got To Get You into My Life (Earth, Wind & Fire), "When I'm 64" (Sandy Farina), "Come Together" (Aerosmith), "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (sung by the Bee Gees, Paul Nicholas), "With a Little Help from My Friends" (Peter Frampton, the Bee Gees), "Fixing a Hole" (George Burns), and "Get Back" (Billy Preston). ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Frampton, Barry Gibb, (more)
- 1977
Bob's prickly patient, Mr. Carlin, is given yet another reason to be neurotic; a woman from his past has slapped him with a paternity suit. But upon meeting his "son" for the first time, Carlin hasn't the heart to tell the boy that the suit is a phony. Meanwhile, Bob has troubles of his own with a recalcitrant telephone paging service. Future WKRP in Cincinnati co-star Loni Anderson appears as "wronged woman" Leslie Greeley, Sparky Marcus plays Billy, and occasional Star Trek supporting player Mark Lenard is seen as Earl S. Plummer. Written by Andrew Smith, "Carlin's New Suit" originally aired on October 22, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1975
Will Mackenzie makes the first of several series appearances as mercurial travel agent Larry Bondurant. The office is abuzz with speculation and trepidation when Carol announces her engagement to a man whom she met on a blind date -- 12 hours earlier. Others in the cast are Robert Casper as Judge Tanner, Pat Cranshaw as the Old Gentleman, and Vince Milana and Ric Mancini as the moving men. Written by Gordon and Lynne Farr, "Carol's Wedding" was the first Bob Newhart Show episode filmed for the 1975-1976 season, but was not shown until October 18, 1975, when the season was already six weeks old. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1980
Having accidentally broken an expensive mirror owned by Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke), Uncle Jesse (Denver Pyle) is in danger of losing his farm. Luke (Tom Wopat) tries to settle the debt by agreeing to a prizefight opposite the formidable Catfish Lee (played by real-life Golden Gloves champ Sonny Shields). It soon develops that Catfish--who like Luke is a Marine veteran--has reluctantly formed an alliance with a gang of crooks who have no qualms about playing dirty in order to "fix" the fight in their favor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
Arte Johnson and Avery Schreiber) guest-star as a pair of dimwitted crooks who manage to rob Boss Hogg's bank while wearing Laurel & Hardy masks. With the Dukes in jail for brawling and the rest of the menfolk quarantined because of a poison-ivy epidemic, it is up to Daisy (Catherine Bach) to track down the robbers herself--little realizing that the man who "innocently" caused the epidemic, Tom Colt (Burton Gilliam), is the mastermind behind the heist. Ingredients essential to the ensuing action include the stolen "General Lee", with Cooter (Ben Jones) stuck inside, and the robbers' getaway Winnebago, with Daisy astride the vehicle's roof! This is the final episode of The Dukes of Hazzard's first season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
During the 1970s, the Gong Show was a game/talent show phenomenon. With equal measures of parody, camp and pure lowest-common denominator exploitation, it presented a bizarre assortment of talented and untalented contestants (for example, the musician who played his trumpet with his bellybutton) making their bid for stardom, and a ridiculous prize of $516.32 while three rambunctious minor celebrity judges looked on offering scores for acts they liked, or instantly stopping showing disapproval by pounding furiously on a large Chinese gong. The co-creator, producer and acid-witted but smarmy daytime host of this tawdry kitsch pastiche was Chuck Barris (AKA "Chuckie Baby"). This attempt at a serious drama chronicles a day in his hectic life as he tries to prepare a new episode of his crazy show. As he deals with a seemingly unending string of increasingly freaky acts, the pressure begins to get to the sensitive, caring (as portrayed in the film) Barris and by the day's end he becomes a true lunatic. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chuck Barris, Robin Altman, (more)
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen concocted this stylish screwball comedic amalgam of Frank Capra and Howard Hawks. Tim Robbins stars as Norville Barnes, a dull-wit from Muncie, Indiana who wrangles a job with the big Hudsucker Industries. He has a singular idea for a new children's toy that he wants to present to corporate executive Sidney J. Mussberger (Paul Newman). As he makes his way up to Mussberger's office, the company president Waring Hudsucker (Charles Durning) is on his way down -- through the window of the forty-fourth floor boardroom! Hudsucker's death sets off a panic that Mussberger sees as an opportunity for taking over the company -- by installing a total incompetent in Hudsucker's place and devaluing the stock. When Barnes stumbles into Mussberger's office, Mussberger sees his pigeon and appoints Barnes as the new company president. The only problem is that the new product Barnes proposes for the company, the Hula Hoop, turns out to be a tremendous success, and Mussberger has difficulty manipulating his new corporate president. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, (more)
David Carradine and Kate Jackson spend most of their time peering over dashboards and revving up outboard motors in this extended chase film about moonshiners engaged in a frantic racing contest. Carradine is Harley Thomas, a Florida moonshiner who challenges Ralph Junior (Roger C. Carmel), the father of his girlfriend Nancy Sue Hunnicutt (Kate Jackson), to a competition to determine who can produce the most moonshine. Ralph Junior takes up the challenge and the two adversaries struggle to get the brew from their home stills to thirsty patrons without the cops or the mob trying to confiscate the firewater. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Carradine, Kate Jackson, (more)
