Frederic Louis Fox Movies
- 1978
The cartoon firm of Hanna-Barbera produced the live-action TV movie The Beasts are On the Streets. No, the beasts aren't Yogi Bear, Snagglepuss and Scooby-Doo, but instead a contingent of dangerous jungle animals. A tanker truck has smashed through the fence at a Texas game preserve, releasing the beasts upon a screaming and scrambling populace. Zoologist Carol Lynley tries to predict where the animals are most likely to strike-and strike they do, 'cause they're smarter than the av-er-age beasts. Filmed on location in Grand Prairie, Texas, The Beasts are On The Streets was first telecast May 18, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This western saga finds Jess Wade (Elvis Presley) as a reformed gunfighter who is stalked and captured by his former band of outlaws. Vince (Victor French) is the heavy who orders Jess' cheek to be branded with a hot iron. The gang terrorizes a small town by threatening to use a gold-plated and jewel-encrusted Mexican cannon on the innocent population. Presley sings only one song (the title track) in the last dramatic role of his career. The feature has the look and feel of the popular spaghetti westerns of the time. This routine western would be followed by the truly gaugeable The Trouble With Girls and Change Of Habit. Presley revived his live performing career soon after the forgettable last two films and continued touring until his death on August 16th, 1977. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elvis Presley, Ina Balin, (more)
- 1969
Wayne Newton is the hero of the warm-hearted family feature 80 Steps to Jonah. The piping-voiced Newton is accused of car thievery, but who could doubt the sincerity of that angelic face? On the lam from the cops, he takes a job at a summer camp for blind children. Passing himself off as the new handyman the camp is expecting, the fugitive quickly ingratiates himself with the kids. Soon the cops come calling, but the falsely accused man is rescued by a last-minute confession. Veteran producer/director Gerd Oswald, previously a specialist in taut crime mellers, unexpectedly goes "cute" on 80 Steps to Jonah, though the end result is better than it deserves to be. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wayne Newton, Jo Van Fleet, (more)
- 1968
Ben and Hoss Cartwright, together with ranchhand Candy, join a posse to capture Cully Maco (Bruce Dern), an ex-convict wanted for robbery and murder. Trouble is, the other members of the posse are determined to kill their prisoner without a trial. And as if that wasn't enough intrigue, Cully is innocent-the real culprit is posse member Sam Bragan (Warren Stevens. Also in the cast are Christopher Shea, the original voice of Charlie Brown in the "Peanuts" cartoon specials, and future father of Doogie Howser, Hill St. Blues regular James B. Sikking. Written by Louis Bercovitch and Frederick Louis Fox, "The Trackers" was first broadcast on January 7, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1966
Patricia Medina guest stars as Dr. Karen Miller, who has become an outcast on the frontier by virtue of her profession and her foreign birthplace. During a diptheria epidemic, Dr. Miller numbers among her patients another "outcast", namely ex-Army officer Jason McCord (Chuck Connors). As Jason struggles to recover from his illness, he decides to help Dr. Miller gain acceptance from the hostile settlers by acting as guinea pig for a new, untested serum. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
A horse thief with a price on his head is shot by both Joe Cartwright and his friend, stone-broke farmer Morgan Tanner (Dean Harens). When the authorities arrive, Joe takes full credit for the killing-and claims the reward, which Morgan and his family need desperately. Why is Joe acting in this seemingly cold and selfish manner? Also in the cast are Luana Patten and Regina Gleason as Morgan's wife Lorna and daughter Martha. Written by Frederic Louis Fox, "Credit for a Kill" first aired on October 23 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1965
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Jason (Chuck Connors) continues flashing back to an incident involving himself and a black Cavalry officer named Johnny Macon (played by future Mission: Impossible regular Greg Morris). Having escaped capture by fierce Apache chieftan Wateekah (Michael Keep), Macon finds himself imprisoned by the Army on a charge of possible cowardice. He manages to break out of jail, only to be lured into another trap by Wateekah--who intends to stand and watch as he forces Macon and Jason to fight to the death! Excerpts from "Fill No Glass for Me" were later spliced together with scenes from two other Branded episodes, "Now Join the Human Race" and "Call to Glory", to form the direct-to-video "feature film" Blade Rider: Revenge of the Indian Nations. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
In the first episode of a two-part story, Jason (Chuck Connors) recalls an incident in his past, involving a young and inexperienced African American Cavalry officer named Johnny Macon (played by future Mission: Impossible regular Greg Morris). While leading a small patrol into hostile Indian territory, Macon is captured by Apache chief Wateekah (Michael Keep), who has a sinister plan in mind for both Macon and his fellow captive Jason. Excerpts from "Fill No Glass for Me" were later spliced together with scenes from two other Branded episodes, "Now Join the Human Race" and "Call to Glory", to form the direct-to-video "feature film" Blade Rider: Revenge of the Indian Nations. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Michael Rennie guest stars as Charles Briswell, an accused murderer whom Jason McCord (Chuck Connors) rescues from a miner's kangaroo court. Jason's motives aren't entirely humanitarian: Briswell claims to have been a witness at the battle of Bitter Creek, and thus is in a position to clear McCord of cowardice charges. But as Jason escorts Briswell to the nearest army post, he begins to suspect that the man isn't being entirely open and above-board with his "eyewitness" testimony. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Andy Devine stars as Mr. Frisby, the biggest liar in three counties. Despite his constant gas-bagging about his alleged past acts of heroism, no one believes Frisby's tall tales -- no one, that is, except a team of space aliens, who accept Frisby's lies at face value. On the verge of being whisked off to another planet as a zoo specimen, Frisby stumbles upon a method of overpowering his extraterrestial captors (a method, incidentally, that would be expanded upon in the 1997 sci-fi movie spoof Mars Attacks!) Scripted by Rod Serling from a story by Frederic Louis Fox (in which Frisby became an outer-space TV personality), the fitfully funny Twilight Zone installment "Hocus-Pocus and Frisby" first aired April 13, 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Devine, Milton Selzer, (more)
- 1962
Larry Blyden stars in this hilarious Twilight Zone entry as egocentric TV western star Rance McGrew, who, while filming a fight scene, is knocked cold by a prop bottle. Upon awakening, Rance finds himself in the real west, circa 1880 -- and at the mercy of none other than Jesse James (Arch Johnson). It seems that old Jesse isn't too thrilled as to how he and his fellow outlaws have been depicted on Rance's series, and he intends to teach the vainglorious actor a lesson. Best line: "And you won an Emmy? Shoot, you can't act any better than you can draw!" This episode reunited two alumni of the classic 1951 sci-fi thriller The Thing: actor Robert Cornthwaite, and director Christian Nyby. Scripted by Rod Serling from an idea by Frederic Louis Fox (which in its original form wasn't a comedy at all), "Showdown with Rance McGrew" first aired February 2, 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Blyden, Arch Johnson, (more)
- 1957
This Republic potboiler is no relation to the like-vintage Swedish film of the same title. The wayward girl in question is Judy Wingate (Marcia Henderson), the stepdaughter of predatory alcoholic Frances Wingate (Katherine Barrett). Judy is thrown into prison for a murder actually committed by Frances. The motivation: both women were in love with the same man. Frances keeps mum about her crime until it's almost too late for the people whom the audience truly care about. Some of the best scenes involve B-picture "regular" Whit Bissell as a lovelorn middle-ager. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marcia Henderson, Peter Walker, (more)
- 1957
As indicated by the title, Taming Sutton's Gal is a backwoods melodrama with comic undertones. John Lupton plays citified bank clerk Frank McClary, who heads to hillbilly country to do some hunting. He rents a room from Aunty Sutton (Verna Felton), whose niece Lou (Gloria Talbott) takes a liking to Frank. Unfortunately, so does the nymphomaniacal Evelyn Phelps (May Wynn), the wife of dangerously jealous moonshiner Jugger Phelps (Jack Kelly). Things get really hairy when Jugger is shot and wounded: he thinks that Frank is responsible, but the truth is closer to home. The inevitable climactic showdown is consummately directed by Lesley Selander, a past master at making silk purses out of sow's ears. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Lupton, Gloria Talbott, (more)
- 1956
Some good performances overcome the scripted cliches in Dakota Incident. In the tradition of Stagecoach, the film offers a disparate group of travellers whose lives are imperiled when their coach heads deep into Indian territory. Linda Darnell plays Amy Clarke, the requisite you-know-what with a heart of gold. Dale Robertson costars as hard-bitten outlaw John Banner, who is willing to let a fellow passenger, bank clerk Carter Hamilton (John Lund), take the fall for a recent robbery. Ward Bond is Senator Blakely, whose "live and let live" policy regarding the Indians is a smokescreen for his corrupt activities. Regis Toomey is the obligatory drunk, here named Minstrel. And Whit Bissell is Mark Chester, the seemingly mild-mannered greenhorn who reveals hidden reserves of strength when the going gets rough. A clue as to who will survive the inevitable Indian attack is offered by the order of billing in the opening credits of Dakota Incident. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dale Robertson, Linda Darnell, (more)
- 1956
In this crime drama, mobsters swear to get revenge upon a zealous public prosecutor as he tries to get them put into prison. The desperate mobsters try to stop him by using his innocent daughter in a blackmail scheme. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1955
In this drama, the eagerness of a rookie reporter gets him into deep trouble after he finds himself entangled with big city racketeers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1951
Billed "Jack Mahoney" for the occasion, former stunt man Jock Mahoney steps up to the plate as a leading man in this average Western originally released in an inexpensive color process. Mahoney plays Ross Granger, a railroad agent masquerading as a telegrapher and looking into a series of Comanche raids on the railroad construction near Oaktown. But as Ross quickly establishes, the raids are sponsored by local businessmen Del Stewart (William Bishop) and Broden (George Eldredge), who want to force the railroad through land they possess. Stewart, an old friend of Granger's, is in love with Ann Dennison (Peggie Castle), the daughter of the railroad surveyor, but not even he can prevent Broden from having old man Dennison (Walter Sande) killed. Jock Mahoney had recently starred on television's Range Rider series when hired by former Columbia Pictures colleague Fred Sears for this independently produced Western. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jock Mahoney, Peggie Castle, (more)
