Michael Constantine Movies

Richard Boone stars as Anton Solca, an Iron Curtain defector living contentedly in California's Napa Valley. Now a successful wine grower, Solca finds himself targetted by a mysterious assailant. Someone from his East European past wants him dead, and by mid-film we find out why. Patty Duke, Michael Constantine, Jack Kruschen and Murray Hamilton costar in this TV-movie adaptation of Geoffrey Household's novel Watcher in the Shadows. Deadly Harvest debuted September 26, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Suddenly Single is an assembly-line ABC Movie of the Week, given extra value by its attractive star lineup. The ball gets rolling when pharmacist Hal Holbrook is served divorce papers rather than dinner by his wife. Having been out of circulation since his marriage, the handsome but befuddled Holbrook plunges into the '70s singles scene. Comedy alternates with drama until the letdown finale, which may have been acceptable in October of 1971 but is most unsatisfying when seen today. The all-TV cast includes Harvey Korman and Cloris Leachman here seen at their least excessive in their pre-Mel Brooks days. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Adapted from William Faulkner's final novel, The Reivers top-bills Steve McQueen, but the major character is feisty 11-year-old Lucius McCaslin, played by Mitch Vogel. Growing up in Mississippi in the early 1900s, Lucius finds himself (through a hectic series of circumstances) in a bordello, where he is nearly killed trying to defend the "fast lady" (Sharon Farrell) who has befriended him. He has been brought to the house of ill repute by ne'er-do-well farm hand Boon Hoggenbeck (Steve McQueen), with whom he has been tooling about the countryside in a vintage automobile, together with his very distant African-American relative Ned (Rupert Crosse). This adventure segues into the next, as the three man combine their resources to train a broken-down racehorse. Meanwhile, Vogel's grandfather (Will Geer), who owns the fancy automobile that the "reivers" hope to win back, threatens to reappear at any moment to tan Lucius's bottom. Not exactly as wholesome as a Disney film, The Reivers is nonetheless acceptable family entertainment, with Steve McQueen delivering one of his best and most laid-back performances. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Leonard Nimoy joins the Mission:Impossible cast as The Great Paris, master of disguise and jack of all trades, in the series' fourth-season opener, "The Code." The IMF heads to the Latin American democracy of San Cristobal, presently in danger of invasion by dictator Vincente Bravo (Harold Gould). While Phelps and Barney attempt to decipher a vital code message, Paris, posing as a famous guerilla leader, hijacks an airplane. Alexandra Hay also appears as Lynn, an IMF agent who has been planted on the "endangered" plane. Written by Ken Pettus, "The Code" first aired on September 28, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Don't Drink The Water is taken from a play by Woody Allen. Walter Hollander (Jackie Gleason) is a middle-aged caterer from Newark, New Jersey who takes his wife Marion (Estelle Parsons) and his teenage daughter Susan (Joan Delaney) on a tour of Europe. When their plane is high-jacked to Vulgaria, Walter is mistaken for an international spy when he takes some photographs. Secret agent Krojack (Michael Constantine) is dispatched to capture the alleged spy. The family takes refuge in the American embassy where Axel Magee (Ted Bessell) is the son of the ambassador. Axel arranges for the family to stay there, but leaving then becomes the problem. Susan's problems are solved when she and Axel are married, providing her with diplomatic immunity. Walter and Marion are forced to disguise themselves as part of an Arab delegation to escape from Vulgaria. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Producer and director Otto Preminger reportedly experimented with LSD in the late 60's, which inspired him to make this notorious comedy in which Jackie Gleason plays Tony, a mid-level gangster and former hired killer not very happy with his life. He bickers a lot with his wife Flo (Carol Channing) and isn't sure what to make of his daughter Darlene (Alexandra Hay), especially since she started dating a hippie named Stash (John Phillip Law). Two of Tony's superiors, Angie (Frankie Avalon) and Hechy (Cesar Romero), order him to get arrested, go to prison and once behind bars whack "Blue Chips" Packard (Mickey Rooney). Though he's not pleased with the idea, Tony grudgingly goes along, but once inside, he's accidentally dosed with LSD by counterculture activist the Professor (Austin Pendleton). His consciousness expanded by his trip, Tony leaves his violent lifestyle behind him and with the Professor's help plans an escape after turning the entire prison population on to acid. Certainly your only opportunity to see Groucho Marx play a character named "God," not to mention a supporting cast that includes Slim Pickens, Peter Lawford, George Raft, Frank Gorshin and Arnold Stang, Skidoo is also remembered as the film in which Harry Nilsson sang all the credits. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Ironside (Raymond Burr) has trouble believing that Samantha Dain (Marcia Strassman), a famous folksinger who sent him a cheer-up note during his convalescence, has committed suicide by leaping from a tall building. Suspecting that Samantha was murdered, Ironside conducts his own investigation--and unearths a sordid tale of drug addiction, depression and despair. In a true "sign of the times" moment, one sequence takes place in a discotheque called "The Psychedelic Daffodil", clearly inspired by the popular LA nightspot The Daisy. Actor-librettist George Furth, who later who the book for the Broadway musical "Company", appears as Ray Harrison. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hawaii hadn't even begun filming when director Fred Zinnemann was replaced by George Roy Hill; similarly, the role intended for Charlton Heston ended up being played by Richard Harris (though Heston would eventually star in the 1970 sequel, The Hawaiians). Based on James A. Michener's best-selling novel, the time frame of which was spread out over several centuries, the film concentrates only on the years 1820 to 1841. Still, Michener's basic point, that the virginal sanctity of the Hawaiian islands was forever shattered by the incursion of the white man, remains intact. Max Von Sydow stars as Abner Hale, an imperious minister who settles in Hawaii with his wife, Jerusha Bromley Hale (Julie Andrews). While Abner expects the islanders to adapt to him rather than the other way around, Jerusha goes out of her way to understand and appreciate her new neighbors. She eventually seeks comfort in the arms of her former lover Rafer Hoxworth (Richard Harris). Despite the lush location footage and such spectacular highlights as pagan ceremonies and an outsized typhoon, the scene most filmgoers remember is Julie Andrews' agonizingly convincing childbirth sequence. All told, it took seven years to translate Hawaii from script to screen -- and almost that long to make back its 15-million-dollar cost. In the early scenes of Hawaii (the 171-minute version, rather than the 151-minute reissue), Bette Midler plays a bit part as a ship passenger. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Christopher Wren's classic adventure story is brought to the screen for the third time in this version, which featured several popular television stars of the day. Beau Geste (Guy Stockwell) is forced to take the blame for a crime he didn't commit in order to protect the good name of his family; he and his brother John (Doug McClure) flee the country to avoid capture and join the French Foreign Legion. Under the leadership of the sadistic Sgt. Major Dagineau (Telly Savalas), Beau and John must battle Arab troops as they try to clear their names. For this more budget-minded adaptation of the story, the three Geste brothers were whittled down to two; Wren's story wasn't filmed again until Marty Feldman's send-up of the Foreign Legion epics, The Last Remake of Beau Geste, appeared in 1977. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Under the alias "Alan Mitchell", Richard Kimble (David Janssen) links up with another fugitive from justice, Joe Tucker (Fritz Weaver). Falsely accused of embezzlement, Tucker has returned to his home to town for the purpose of killing the man whose testimony sent him to prison. Normally, Kimble would do everything in his power to prevent Joe from ruining what is left of his life by committing murder; unfortunately, "our" fugitive is currently behind bars and is helpless to intervene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Rob (Dick Van Dyke) is hired to star in a low-budget experimental movie. Though Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) is skeptical about the project, Rob assures her that everything is okay -- and specifically, that there are no pretty actresses involved. Alas, the script has been changed without Rob's knowledge, and on the first day of shooting he finds himself in the arms of voluptuous (and under-clad) Italian leading lady Lucianna Mazetta (Jayne Massey). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Unable to break his contract with mean-spirited race car builder Pappy Ryan (Michael Constantine) Pete Griston (Henry Brandt) goes onto the track in a car owned by Harvey Rettig (Anthony Caruso)--and promptly gets involved in a spectacular wreck with Ryan's new driver (and Pete's best friend). Ryan then accuses Pete of conspiring with Rettig to deliberately destroy Ryan's car. Subsequently, Rettig is murdered and Pete is charged with the crime. In handling Pete's defense, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) is faced with some extremely compelling evidence that Pete and Rettig were definitely in cahoots. Watch for a young Paul Winfield in a small role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide