Ken Clark Movies
A former physical culture model, handsome, blond Ken Clark (born Kenneth Donovan Clark) gave Richard Egan a run for his money in the beefcake sweepstakes at 20th Century Fox in the mid-'50s. But Clark, who also appeared on such television shows as The Jack Benny Program and Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, was dropped by Fox after Love Me Tender (1956, with Egan and, in his screen debut, Elvis Presley). He then drifted into low-budget fare, including what proved to be his most memorable film, the Roger Corman thriller Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959). After the failure of a proposed TV series -- Brock Callahan, based upon a character in William Campbell Gault's detective novels -- Clark went Europe, where he starred in such fare as Arizona Bill (1964) and as Agent 077 in two 1965 Italian spy movies. He resumed his Hollywood career in the '80s with such productions as Twice in a Lifetime (1985) and the mini-series Invasion (aka Robin Cook's Invasion) in 1997. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi- 1988
Though bereft of budget, the 1988 sci-fier Arena has its heart in the right place. The scene is a distant planet, where extraterrestrial gladiators square off in an arena. Earthling Steve Armstrong would like to prove his fighting skills, but the evil planetary ruler Marc Alaimo won't let him. After an intensive series of training sessions with martial-arts expert Claudia Christian, whose father used to run the arena, Armstrong is at last permitted to display his prowess in public. He also gets a chance to topple Alaimo's despotic regime, and, hopefully, to win himself a trip back to Mother Earth. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
On the occasion of his 50th birthday, blue-collar family man Gene Hackman is possessed by our old friend, The Mid-Life Crisis. Visiting a local tavern, Hackman becomes enchanted by gorgeous barmaid Ann-Margret. In less time than it takes to down his beer, he has resolved to leave his wife Ellen Burstyn, and his daughters Ally Sheedy and Amy Madigan, in favor of a fresh start with his sexy new "conquest." The film deals not so much with Hackman's impulsive decision as with the genuine pain he leaves in his wake. Madigan's vituperative lash-out at her father is one of many heartbreaking moments of truth in this refreshingly cliché-free domestic drama. The perceptive screenplay for Twice in a Lifetime was written by Colin Welland; the film's theme music was composed by Paul McCartney. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gene Hackman, Ann-Margret, (more)
The author of the famous late 1930's antiwar book Johnny Got His Gun wrote and directed this film adaptation. It concerns a nameless young soldier (Timothy Bottoms) in a veteran's hospital in the World War I period. The young man has had his face blown off, he is without the use of any of his senses save touch, and also has no arms or legs. He is in a coma at the beginning of the film, and his doctors doubt that he will regain consciousness. This is also what they hope. A nurse, while changing his dressings, discovers that he is awake and responsive. The unrelieved awfulness of his situation is apparent to many. However, in order to keep the "good order" of the military, the regular Army general commanding the hospital will not allow the boy to be seen or his family notified, nor will he permit anyone to perform a mercy killing. Interspersed with this horror are flashbacks of the youth's life before the war. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
In this Italian western, an outlaw enlists the aid of his pal and a robber gang to pull off a gold heist. Later, the gang argues about how the loot should be split. The robber gang then absconds with the gold leaving the other pair in the dust. The outlaw and friend set off to capture the treacherous gang. They finally find them in a Mexican town where the residents are celebrating a religious festival. A terrible shootout ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Garner, Dennis Weaver, (more)
- 1969
- R
In this jungle adventure, a group of explorers discover a wild jungle woman swinging from the trees. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1967
In this drama, a CIA agent must race against time to find a purloined nuclear bomb, "Bloody Mary", which had been taken by a ring of foreign spies. He soon finds himself aboard an Athens-bound freighter where he encounters Russian and Chinese agents. Will he find the weapon in time? ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1967
The Nazis pull out all the stops during their scheme to kill all the Allied leaders with one strike when it seems that the Allies are winning World War II. ~ Rovi
- 1965
- Add Agente 077 Dall'oriente Con Furore to Queue Add Agente 077 Dall'oriente Con Furore to top of Queue
When a brilliant professor is kidnapped and forced to develop a revolutionary weapon of mass destruction, it's up to Agents Dick Maloy (Ken Clark) and Evelyn Stone (Margaret Lee) to thwart the diabolical plans of a powerful criminal mastermind. Shortly after dreaming up a design for a lethal disintegration machine, Professor Kurtz vanishes without a trace. He's being held on an island fortress, and should he succeed in carrying out his captor's plans, they day of reckoning may finally be upon us. Now, Agents Maloy and Stone race to shut down the project and rescue the professor. Other films featuring Clark as suave super-spy Dick Malloy include Mission Bloody Mary (1965) and Operation Lady Chaplin (1966). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ken Clark, Margaret Lee, (more)
- 1965
A professor, inventor of the perfect beta ray, is kidnapped and tracked down by government agents. ~ Rovi
- 1965
When Indians threaten a rancher, he is helped by a young cowboy in this western film. (AKA Apache Fury) ~ Rovi
- 1964
In this western, an outlaw is so despicable that even his own gang abandons him in the desert. He is later rescued by a wagon train where straightens out his life by saving the travelers from Indians, helping destroy his former gang, and returning the money they took from a bank. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1964
Mark Forest stars as Hercules in this sword-and-sandal affair from 1960 (its American release occured two years later). The film bears a striking resemblance to the like-vintage Hercules Against the Barbarians, right down to the choice of leading man. We suspect that both films were excerpted from a longer Hercules epic, then released separately to engender a higher box-office take. Oh, yes the plot: Hercules takes on the three sons of Genghis Khan, quite a remarkable feat for a superhero from ancient Greece. Jose Greci also appears in this tribute to testosterone. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1964
The Italian None But the Lonely Spy stars Ken Clark as this week's James Bond imitator. Assigned to track down a drug-smuggling ring, Clark goes undercover. Only his immediate superior knows what he's up to, so our hero is as much in danger from the authorities as he is from the criminals. Bella Cortez plays the inevitable modern Mata Hari. None But the Lonely Spy was one of several full-color foreign espionage films bundled up for American TV in 1965 to cash in on the "007" craze. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1960
Bumping along over several flaws, this is an odd sci-fi film directed by David Bradley, best known for his incredibly vast private film library rather than his stints in the director's chair. A very motley crew is winging its way through space with the moon as its objective. On board the spaceship are a dozen scientists, engineers, and researchers from the U.S., Sweden, Russia, Israel, Germany, and even Turkey. The flight captain has not only a variety of nationalities to juggle but must also contend with the dissension between the German and Israeli due to a certain holocaust tragedy in World War II. The romance between the magnificent Swedish chemist and the Turkish biologist is also heating up. But the worst is yet to come. After landing on the moon, the crew discovers that underneath the lunar surface is a whole civilization of peace-loving moon-beings who never asked for visitors. Their reaction is rather chilling. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michi Kobi, Tom Conway, (more)
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