Brian Corcoran Movies

Thanks to a wager made by son Eddie (Butch Patrick), Herman (Fred Gwynne) finds himself commandeering the Munster Koach in a drag race. Even though he has decked himself out in a Brandoesque leather jacket, Herman proves to be no match for the pro drivers. Saving the day is Grandpa (Al Lewis), who roars onto the track in a vehicle of his own design--a motorized coffin called the "Dragula"! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Produced by Stanley Kramer, A Child is Waiting is set in an institution for the mentally handicapped, with many actual residents playing supporting and bit roles. Doctor Burt Lancaster and instructor Judy Garland often find themselves at odds over teaching methods, with Garland preferring an intense one-on-one approach with her students. Bruce Ritchey, a non-developmentally challenged youth, plays the retarded son of Gena Rowlands and Steven Hill, whose intellectual and social progress becomes the focal point of the film. The most uplifting sequence in A Child is Waiting takes place during a play staged by the genuinely handicapped children for their parents; while director John Cassavetes gilds the lily with close-ups of the teary-eyed audience, the kids themselves are earnest, engaging, and totally devoid of self-pity. According to Stanley Kramer, Judy Garland left her best work in this film on the cutting room floor; whenever completing a scene in which she'd exercised professional restraint, she'd insist upon a retake, then resort to the sobbing and breast-beating that her fans had come to expect. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This second film adaptation of the Victor Herbert operetta Babes in Toyland was producer Walt Disney's Christmas offering for 1961. The 1903 Herbert original had very little in the way of a plot, so screenwriters Joe Rinaldi, Lowell S. Hawley, and Ward Kimball lifted elements from the 1934 filmization of Toyland, which starred Laurel and Hardy. Annette Funicello plays Mary Contrary, about to wed Tom Piper (Tommy Sands) in the heart of Mother Goose Village. The villainous Barnaby (Ray Bolger), who covets Mary for himself, orders his bumbling henchmen Gonzorgo (Henry Calvin) and Roderigo (Gene Sheldon) to do away with Tom. Hoping to turn a profit, Gonzorgo and Roderigo sell Tom to a band of gypsies, enabling Tom to make a surprise return-in old-lady drag to rescue Mary from Barnaby's clutches. Later, Mary's younger siblings (including Disney regular Moochie Corcoran) wander into the Forest of No Return, compelling Tom and Mary to go after them. Everyone winds up in Toyland, where they try to help the Toymaker (Ed Wynn) and his invention-happy assistant Grumio (Tommy Kirk) meet their quota for Santa Claus despite the continued meddlings of Barnaby. Keep an eye peeled for 11-year-old Ann Jillian, making her screen debut as Bo Peep. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the 16th episode of Walt Disney's 17-part miniseries Tales of Texas John Slaughter, John (Tom Tryon) has been hired as the new sheriff of Tombstone, AZ. In his efforts to uphold the letter of the law, John has been forced to shoot and kill many a miscreant, and as a result, the townspeople are beginning to turn against him. But Sheriff Slaughter refuses to change his methods and is even more determined to prove that his way is the right way when he rides to Tucson to capture notorious stagecoach robber and murderer Jimmy Deuce (Joe Maross). Originally telecast as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology, "Trip to Tucson" and the subsequent episode "Frank Clell's in Town" were in 1966 excerpted for use in the expanded theatrical-feature version of the earlier Tales of Texas John Slaughter entry "A Holster Full of Law." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the 14th episode of Walt Disney's 17-part miniseries Tales of Texas John Slaughter, John (Tom Tryon) is summoned by General Miles (Onslow Stevens) to aid the cavalry in tracking down the elusive renegade Apache Geronimo (Pat Hogan). The two men are assisted by John's old Texas Rangers comrade Ben Jenkins (Harry Carey Jr.), now serving as a cavalry corporal (it must have been "old home week" for actor Carey, who had previously donned a cavalry uniform in several John Ford Westerns). Originally aired as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology, "The End of the Trail" and the 1960 episode "Geronimo's Revenge" were edited together in 1964 and released theatrically overseas as a "feature film," also titled Geronimo's Revenge. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the final episode of Walt Disney's ten-part miniseries Elfego Baca, frontier lawyer Baca (Robert Loggia) embarks upon a mission to bring fugitive gunslinger Gus Tomlin to justice. Upon hearing that Tomlin is dead, Baca is all for giving up the search -- until a citizen of the small town of Granite claims that Tomlin and his family are living on a farm under an assumed name. The father of a man allegedly killed by Tomlin begins forming a lynch mob, but Baca offers to personally bring Tomlin back for a fair trial -- if he lives long enough to do so. "Gus Tomlin Is Dead" was originally telecast as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the 13th episode of Walt Disney's 17-part miniseries Tales of Texas John Slaughter, John (Tom Tryon) finds himself in the uncomfortable position of mediating an argument between his son Willie (Brian Corcoran) and his new bride Viola (Betty Lynn). This domestic disturbance is temporarily shelved when word arrives that Apache marauders are killing the local ranchers' cattle. Hoping to stem this wave of terror, John pays a visit to his Indian friend Natchez (Jay Silverheels), who is now chief of the Apaches. Alas, the situation is beyond Natchez' control; the person responsible for the present crisis is the renegade Geronimo (Pat Hogan). Much against the wishes of his family, John tries to bring Geronimo out into the open by challenging the Apache to mortal combat. Originally telecast as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology, "Geronimo's Revenge" and the 1961 episode "The End of the Trail" were edited together in 1964 and released theatrically overseas as a "feature film," also titled Geronimo's Revenge. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the eleventh episode of Walt Disney's 17-part miniseries Tales of Texas John Slaughter, John's children, Willie (Brian Corcoran) and Addy (Patricia Gorman), have at last become accustomed to their new home in Tombstone, AZ. The kids are also anxious for the widowed John (Tom Tryon) to propose to neighboring rancher Viola Howell (Betty Lynn). Finally working up the courage to pop the question, John is unfortunately sidetracked when he is called upon to testify at the trial of outlaw Loco Crispin (Gene Evans) in which John was instrumental in bringing to justice. Meanwhile, Viola's mother (Nora Marlowe) is worried that her prospective son-in-law is still a man of violence. Modern-day viewers will likely be fascinated by the warm friendships forged between John Slaughter and two ethnic characters, Apache brave Natchez (Jay Silverheels) and African-American ranch-hand Batt (James Edwards). "Apache Friendship" originally aired as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based on the Anton Myrer novel The Big War, In Love and War is an entertaining showcase for several of 20th Century-Fox's younger contract players. Robert Wagner, Jeffrey Hunter and Bradford Dillman plays three young San Francisco residents who sign up for the Marines at the outbreak of WW2. The film traces the progress of all three in the Pacific "theater of operations", emphasizing the characters' individual strengths and shortcomings. One of the men is a gung-ho patriot, the second is a perennial goof-off, and the third hopes to prove his worth to his wealthy father. The women in the three protagonists' lives are played by Sheree North, Hope Lange, France Nuyen, and Dana Wynter, the latter delivering a powerhouse performance in an extremely difficult role. Providing comic counterpart to the more serious goings-on is nightclub comedian Mort Sahl, making his screen debut in a tailor-made role as an eternal griper. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This dynamic and commanding adaptation of Tennessee Williams' Pulitzer Prize-winning play focuses on a troubled Southern family and the discord over their dying father's millions. Wealthy plantation owner Big Daddy Pollitt (Burl Ives), celebrating his 65th birthday, is visited by his sons, Brick (Paul Newman) and Gooper (Jack Carson). He has cancer, but a doctor has deliberately and falsely declared it in remission. Seemingly perfect son Gooper and his wife, Mae (Madeleine Sherwood), have several children and are anxiously expecting to inherit Daddy's millions. By contrast, Big Daddy's "favorite," Brick, is a has-been football star who's taken to drinking his days away since the suicide of his "best friend" a year earlier. He resents his wife, Maggie (Elizabeth Taylor), because he believes that she had an affair with his deceased friend. As a result, he refuses to sleep with her, although she remains devoted to him. Since Brick and Maggie have failed to produce any grandchildren, Big Daddy is inclined to leave his estate to Gooper, but Maggie attempts to prevent that by telling him that she is pregnant. Big Daddy knows better, yet he recognizes that Maggie loves Brick so much that she would be willing to do anything for him. Although Brick is self-destructive and resentful, unable to come to terms with his losses, it takes Big Daddy's recognition of his own mortality to make Brick change his perspective. Brick's struggle with his sexual identity, and the nature of his relationship with his "friend," had to be toned down for mass consumption, although this intelligently written and acted film covers such topics as infertility, adultery, and alcoholism that were still considered taboo in the 1950s. Newman brings depth and feeling to the role as Brick, while Taylor succeeds brilliantly in portraying Maggie as a passionate and understanding woman despite her own real-life emotional turmoil over the death of her husband at the time, producer Mike Todd. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi

Tyrone Power is a Dutchman, and Susan Hayward is an Irish lass. If you believe that, then the rest of Untamed will go down a lot easier. Power is a Boer calvary commander attempting to bring peace to his South African homeland. He has an affair with Hayward, a married woman whose husband is killed during a Zulu attack. While rescuing the survivors, Power runs afoul of Dutch farmer Richard Egan, who insists that Hayward is his property. Egan turns bandit, targeting the diamond mines. Power is bound and determined to stop Egan--and, it is hoped, to clear the path towards lasting happiness with Hayward. The Untamed is a CinemaScope adaptation of a novel by Helga Moray. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi