Chuck Connors Movies
Chuck Connors attended Seton Hall University before embarking on a career in professional sports. He first played basketball with the Boston Celtics, then baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. Hardly a spectacular player -- while with the Cubbies, he hit .233 in 70 games -- Connors was eventually shipped off to Chicago's Pacific Coast League farm team, the L.A. Angels. Here his reputation rested more on his cut-up antics than his ball-playing prowess. While going through his usual routine of performing cartwheels while rounding the bases, Connors was spotted by a Hollywood director, who arranged for Connors to play a one-line bit as a highway patrolman in the 1952 Tracy-Hepburn vehicle Pat and Mike. Finding acting an agreeable and comparatively less strenuous way to make a living, Connors gave up baseball for films and television. One of his first roles of consequence was as a comic hillbilly on the memorable Superman TV episode "Flight to the North." In films, Connors played a variety of heavies, including raspy-voiced gangster Johnny O in Designing Woman (1957) and swaggering bully Buck Hannassy in The Big Country (1958). He switched to the Good Guys in 1958, when he was cast as frontiersman-family man Lucas McCain on the popular TV Western series The Rifleman. During the series' five-year run, he managed to make several worthwhile starring appearances in films: he was seen in the title role of Geronimo (1962), which also featured his second wife, Kamala Devi, and originated the role of Porter Ricks in the 1963 film version of Flipper. After Rifleman folded, Connors co-starred with Ben Gazzara in the one-season dramatic series Arrest and Trial (1963), a 90-minute precursor to Law and Order. He enjoyed a longer run as Jason McCord, an ex-Army officer falsely accused of cowardice on the weekly Branded (1965-1966). His next TV project, Cowboy in Africa, never got past 13 episodes. In 1972, Connors acted as host/narrator of Thrill Seekers, a 52-week syndicated TV documentary. Then followed a great many TV guest-star roles and B-pictures of the Tourist Trap (1980) variety. He was never more delightfully over the top than as the curiously accented 2,000-year-old lycanthrope Janos Skorzeny in the Fox Network's Werewolf (1987). Shortly before his death from lung cancer at age 71, Chuck Connors revived his Rifleman character Lucas McCain for the star-studded made-for-TV Western The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1993). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Made for television, Standing Tall guest-stars Chuck Connors as one Major Roland Hartline. A proud, ruthless Depression-era cattle baron, Major Hartline carries on a range war with half-breed rancher Luke Shasta (Robert Forster). This isn't The Rifleman, so Chuck Connors is the bad guy. On Luke Shasta's side is full-blooded Native American Lonnie Moon (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest's Will Sampson) and Luke's ex-schoolmarm wife (Linda Evans). Standing Tall first stood on its own two feet on January 21, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
In this drama, five beauty aspiring beauty queens are abducted in a hijacked airplane. Also upon the plane is a strain of deadly virus. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Also known as Banjo Hackett: Roamin' Free, this TV pilot film stars Don Meredith in the title role. Banjo Hackett is a western horsetrader, circa 1885, who travels in the company of his orphaned nephew (Ike Eisenmann). While searching for a rare Arabian mare stolen from the nephew's late mother, Hackett occasionally pays a visit to Mollie (Jennifer Warren), a ranch owner whom Banjo would marry if he'd only admit he loved the woman. Millionaire Dan O'Herlihy and untrustworthy bounty hunter Chuck Connors are also after the stolen horse. The film's storyline is as rambling as Banjo Hackett himself, which was both its charm and curse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Meredith, Ike Eisenmann, (more)
- 1974
- PG
John Frankenheimer's bizarre, satirical gangster film is not for all tastes but has acquired a minor cult following. Elderly mobster Edmond O'Brien hires a hitman (Richard Harris) to eliminate his rival (Bradford Dillman) in a dystopic setting of not-quite reality. There are albino alligators, skillful chase scenes, and Chuck Connors as a one-handed psycho who can fit various deadly weapons on his stumpy arm. None of it makes much sense, and mainstream viewers may end up scratching their heads in bewilderment, but fans of more esoteric films should find it a lot of fun. It would likely have ended up as a big hit on the drive-in circuit if it hadn't been directed by Frankenheimer, from whom most people expect better. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Harris, Edmond O'Brien, (more)
Richard Fleischer directed this nightmarish science fiction vision of an over-populated world, based on the novel by Harry Harrison. In 2022, New York City is a town bursting at the seams with a 40-million-plus population. Food is in short supply, and most of the population's food source comes from synthetics manufactured in local factories -- the dinner selections being a choice between Soylent Blue, Soylent Yellow, or Soylent Green. When William Simonson (Joseph Cotten), an upper-echelon executive in the Soylent Company, is found murdered, police detective Thorn (Charlton Heston) is sent in to investigate the case. Helping him out researching the case is Thorn's old friend Sol Roth (Edward G. Robinson, in his final film role). As they investigate the environs of a succession of mad-from-hunger New Yorkers and the luxuriously rich digs of the lucky few, Thorn uncovers the terrible truth about the real ingredients of Soylent Green. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlton Heston, Edward G. Robinson, (more)
- 1973
Originally networkcast on March 20, 1973, Police Story was the 2-hour pilot for the long running anthology weekly which officially debuted seven months later. Created by novelist (and ex-police officer) Joseph Wambaugh, Police Story was set in Los Angeles, and each week detailed a different aspect of law enforcement work. In the pilot, Vic Morrow stars as a hard-nosed cop assigned to a unit devoted to stopping felonies in progress. Morrow's principal reason for being is to bring to justice an elusive veteran criminal named "Slow Boy," portrayed by Chuck Connors. This initial Police Story entry was rerun September 26, 1973, one week before the premiere of the series proper. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
It took several years and several TV movies like Night of Terror for Donna Mills to outgrow her "woman in jeopardy" period. Here she is pursued by a syndicate hit man. Mills doesn't know why, but she does know that her stalker has already killed two people in order to get to her. The lynchpin of the mystery is a earlier traumatic experience which Mills has blocked from her memory. The hit man knows that Mills has witnessed a murder...and he wants to keep her memory clouded on a permanent basis. Former police detective Eddie Egan, the role model for The French Connection's Popeye Doyle, has a supporting role in Night of Terror. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this crime drama, a hard-nosed cop is assigned to find a psychotic rapist in order to stop a mad bomber with delusions of grandeur who has been razing Los Angeles buildings to punish the evil sinners that live therein. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1972
In this drama a newspaper publisher begins to doubt the guilt of a hero convicted of murder. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1972
- PG
This biopic chronicles the exciting and colorful life of Mexico's most illustrious revolutionary/bandit. A thrilling train crash provides the story's best moment. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1972
In this spy thriller, Gorenko (Max Von Sydow) is on the run from his Russian spymasters, and wants to defect. The Americans hide him in their Beirut embassy until they can sneak him into the States. Colonel Kesten (Chuck Connors) appears to be an American, but is actually a Russian double agent with orders to kill Gorenko. Their dangerous cat-and-mouse game continues until Kesten is revealed for what he is and is finally subdued. Chuck Connors' performance is one of the highlights of this film. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Featuring a smorgasbord of has-beens and never-weres only a Love Boat casting director could love, this silly '70s movie-of-the-week involves a demonically-possessed Druid artifact from an English monastery coming to supernatural life aboard a transatlantic airline flight, taking control of one of the passengers, and causing lots of made-for-TV mayhem. Panicked personnel include William Shatner as a besotted former priest, Buddy Ebsen as a boisterous tycoon and Chuck Connors as the gung-ho pilot. Even Gilligan's Island alum Russell Johnson is along for the ride. Shatner's performance falls a bit short of his eye-popping histrionics as another terrorized air traveler on an episode of The Twilight Zone. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Some prisoners pin their hopes for freedom on a homemade aircraft in this made-for-television thriller. Based on a true World War Two story, Doug McClure stars as Harry Cook, an Allied soldier who tries to escape a Nazi prison camp with a scientist in tow, using a glider built by their fellow inmates. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
This Western action/comedy is told in the same tongue-in-cheek manner as its predecessor, Support Your Local Sheriff. Goldie (Marie Windsor), a madam, is a formidable woman, and Latigo Smith (James Garner) knows perfectly well that his disreputable ways will be trimmed considerably should she succeed in marrying him. Instead, he escapes from her and winds up in the town of Purgatory. The town's inhabitants have been expecting the arrival of Swifty Morgan (Chuck Connors), the famous gunfighter. All things being equal, Latigo is happy to be mistaken for Morgan's sidekick, while Jug May (Jack Elam) impersonates Morgan himself. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Garner, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1971
- PG
A captain convicted of deserting his cavalry (Bekim Fehmiu) is released to lead a band of deputized renegades. Together, the force must defeat a band of Apache braves. The film was released to video as Ride to Glory. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1971
In this chilling drama, a unit of American scientists go Down Under to study Aborigines. The trouble begins when they start disappearing or turning up dead. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1970
- R
In this spaghetti western, the head of a band of desperadoes steals the gold from a Union fort and hides it before the leader is captured by Yankee soldiers. In captivity, the outlaw is tortured by a sadistic Army officer, formerly the trader who conned him into the heist. The torture will not stop until the thief reveals the location of the gold. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chuck Connors, Frank Wolff, (more)
- 1970
The Broken Puzzle is a third-season installment of the weekly TV adventure series Name of the Game. Chuck Connors guest-stars as the governor of an unnamed state. Though popular with his constituents, Connors runs the state like a banana-republic dictatorship, complete with uniformed thugs. Magazine publisher Glenn Howard (Gene Barry) finds that the source of Connors' power may have bigger political stakes in mind. Patricia Crowley, Charles Aidman, Alex Dreier, and Mark Miller (father of 1990s leading lady Penelope Ann Miller) round out the guest cast of this March 12, 1971 Name of the Game episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Will (Chuck Connors) leads a group of American Civil War veterans into San Carlos, Columbia. The local mayor (Cesar Romero) welcomes the quintet, unaware they are scouting out the town for Columbian General Martinez (Andre Maruis). Soon the visitors are reveling with gypsies Mila (Anita Quinn) and Ramon (Jose Greco). Will and Mila end up making love, much to the dismay of the jealous Ramon. Will shoots and kills the hotheaded Ramon, and the mayor is called on to restore order. The five Americans are held for questioning following the murder. When the scouts fail to return to the General, the storm clouds of war gather over the once-peaceful town. Mila becomes ostracized by the townsfolk for her brazen behavior that resulted in Ramon's death. The mayor considers letting Will and Mila leave town in an effort to avoid further bloodshed. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chuck Connors, Aron Kincaid, (more)
- 1969
- G
Captain Nemo and the Underwater City thrusts several "name" actors into the specialized world of Jules Verne. Six 19th-century shipwreck victims are rescued by a modernistic submarine. The skipper is Captain Nemo (Robert Ryan), who had not died at the end of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as viewers had been led to believe. Instead, he has installed a fantastic underwater city, using this subterranean metropolis as a base of operations for his war against mankind. The ambitions of the screenwriters and director are defeated by the tackiness of the film's model and miniature work. Captain Nemo and the Underwater City represented MGM's first Jules Verne epic since its 1929 spectacular Mysterious Island. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Ryan, Chuck Connors, (more)
- 1969
Filmed in 1969 as Set This Town on Fire, the made-for-TV The Profane Comedy didn't make it to the tube until 1973. Chuck Connors has the leading role as a small town hero, recently exonerated of a manslaughter conviction when an old drunkard confesses to the crime. Now Connors is back in his home town and running for mayor. Carl Betz is a local newspaper editor who was instrumental in gaining Connors' freedom; but as subsequent events unfold, Betz begins to wonder if he's been duped. The Profane Comedy takes a while getting started, but moves along rapidly once Carl Betz wises up. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Told via flashback by a saloon keeper to a census taker in a tiny Texas town, this brutal, adult-oriented western offers the tale of a drifter who settles down to marry a woman he doesn't love so he can get at her inheritance. When that is exposed, the drifter flees and does not return for eleven years. He rides back into town with a fortune that he earned while hunting buffalo. The town's crooked banker and two thugs ride out to greet him. Thinking that the only way the reprobate could have gotten so much money is from rustling cows, they engineer a brutal reception that results in his being branded with a big "T." Naturally, the drifter passes out during his painful ordeal and when he finally comes to and learns the truth about the situation immediately gallops off to get his bloody revenge. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chuck Connors, Michael Rennie, (more)
