Leonard Kantor Movies
- 1975
In the first of two Streets of San Francisco guest appearances, Pat Hingle plays Bert Morris, the sole witness to a jewel robbery. Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) take Morris into protective custody in hopes of capturing the thieves. There's only one problem: Morris is a pathological liar, and his false information ends up making a bad situation even worse--especially for his long-suffering spouse Jeannie (Nancy Olson). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
- PG
In this comedy, filmed in Beirut, an American interpreter wins a trip to the Middle East and finds gets a lot more than a guided tour when she hires an adventurer, who is taking the body of a deposed African leader to its final resting place. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1966
When hitchhiker Frank Schroeder (a pre-Hawaii 5-0 Jack Lord) gallantly saves a young Mexican girl named Teresa (Pilar Seurat) from being sexually assaulted, she gratefully tags along with him on his Eastward journey. What Teresa doesn't know is that Frank is a triple murderer who for several days has been eluding a nationwide FBI dragnet. The girl is also blissfully unaware that her travelling companion is planning to pull off a million-dollar diamond heist--and to kill anyone who has the bad luck to get in his way. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
As "Jack Fickett", Kimble (David Janssen) lands a general-purpose job at a motel called "The Chinese Sunset." Unfortunately, the motel is currently under police surveillance, due to the presence of big-time bookie Eddie Slade (Paul Richards) and his slovenly girl friend Penelope (Laura Devon). Touched by Penelope's pathetic lack of social skills, Kimble generously offers to teach her how to be a "proper lady"--little realizing the danger in which he is placing himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
Coleen Dewhurst guest stars as Amy Doucette, a deranged woman who is hired sight unseen as a babysitter by a young couple (Davey Davison, Geoffrey Horne). Kidnapping the baby, Amy enlists the aid of her neurotic sister Stella (Collin Wilcox) in her efforts to elude the authorities. Armed with the knowledge that Amy is morbidly obsessed with the date "April 2", Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) literally races against time to save the life of the abducted child. (Trivia note: costars Collin Wilcox and Geoffrey Horne were husband and wife at the time). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
While posing as "Ben Horton", Kimble (David Janssen) is hired by Norma Sessions (Angie Dickinson) to look after her brother Leslie (Robert Duvall), a reclusive, embittered invalid. Someone getting through to the truculent Leslie, Kimble wins the man's trust and friendship. Meanwhile, Norma and her boyfriend Lars (John Ericson) hatch a scheme to murder Leslie for his insurance money--and pin the blame on Kimble. (Trivia alert: David Janssen and Angie Dickinson later costarred in the highly regarded 1977 TV movie A Sensitive Passionate Man, while Dickinson and Robert Duvall had both previously appeared in the 1963 Gregory Peck vehicle Captain Newman, M.D.). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
When her gangster uncle is gunned down in the soup kitchen where "Untouchable" Rossi (Nick Georgiade) is working undercover, mild-mannered Ginnie Littlesmith (Phyllis Love) falls heir to her uncle's record books, which chronicle all illegal activities of a criminal organization known as The Group. Though Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) would dearly love to get his hands on those books, Ginnie intends to keep them in her possession, the better to extract $100,000 from her uncle's former associates. What Ginnie doesn't know is that she is being set up for betrayal by her own boyfriend (Don Gordon). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
Beating the U.S. Army to the punch by nearly six years, Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) goes after a criminal gang with links to the Nazi party. Otto Frick (Jack Warden), a racketeer in charge of several travelling carnivals which are distributing narcotics throughout the country, enters into an unholy partnership with the Hitler government. The Nazis agree to supply narcotics for free--on the condition that Frick drum up membership for the German-American Bund, in anticipation of a huge pro-Hitler rally at Madison Square Garden. Meanwhile, Frick's cohort Hans Eberhardt (Richard Jaeckel) is seduced into double-crossing his partner by Hedda Messlinger (Erika Peters), the sexy "niece" of a suave Nazi contact man (Francis Lederer). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
The Untouchables launches its second season with one of the series' most celebrated episodes. Elizabeth Montgomery earned an Emmy nomination for her bravura performance as Rusty Heller, a scheming chorus girl who has a personal vendetta against the mobsters who've done her dirt all her life. Using every feminine wile at her disposal, Rusty hopes to use an upcoming gang war between two bootlegging operations to her own advantage by cozying up to the leaders of both operations. Meanwhile, Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) hopes to appeal to Rusty's last vestige of decency to enlist her aid in bringing the criminals to justice. Paul Picerni joins the regular cast in the role of "Untouchable" Lee Hobson. Fans of Bewitched will particularly enjoy the now-famous scene in which Elizabeth Montgomery makes passionate love to David White, long before the two actors were cast respectively as Samantha Stevens and Larry Tate. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
Steven Hill guest stars in this episode as flamboyant mobster Jack "Legs" Diamond. The Mob doesn't like the publicity stirred up by Diamond's many extramarital affairs, so they order him out of town for a spell while they orchestrate a scheme to smuggle $5 million worth of narcotics into the country. But Legs get wind of the plan and hijacks the valuable cargo, demanding a piece of the action from his disgruntled fellow hoods. Ultimately, Legs double-crosses himself by continuing to flaunt his affair with Follies dancer Dawn Dolan (Suzanne Storrs) in front of his embittered wife Alice (Norma Crane). Crime historians will have no trouble identifying the characters played by Oscar Beregi and Peter Whitney as thinly disguised versions of real-life scofflaws Arnold Rothstein and Big Bill Dwyer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
After stealing a million dollars from the burning ocean liner "Morro Castle", Cuban thief Valentine Ferrar is pursued by by both Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) and underworld "judge" Foley (Richard Devon). Seeking a means of escape without detective, Ferrar answers a classified ad from widow Lucy Wagnall (Joan Blondell), who is seeking a driver for her annual cross-country trip to celebrate her wedding anniversary. Things take a macabre, Hitchcock-like turn when Mrs. Wagnall reveals that she has plans of her own for the unwitting Ferrar--leading to a fateful rendezvous between the duplicitous widow and the sinister Foley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
Making a rare TV appearance after falling victim to the 1950s Hollywood Blacklist, Larry Parks guest stars as minor hoodlum George "Blackie" Dallas, a character obviously inspired by real-life outlaw "Machine Gun" Kelly. Egged on by his ambitious wife Lily (Norma Crane), Dallas kidnaps millionaire Thomas Randall (Dabbs Greer) and holds him for ransom. Though he is unable to save Randall's life, Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) still holds out hope that he can bring Blackie and Lily to justice--and to do this, he exploits the couple's personal problems with their young daughter Arlene (Judy Strangis). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
In this sequel to "The Underground Court", Nero Rankin (Will Kuluva) has installed himself as chairman of the Syndicate, replacing the estimable Judge Foley. When Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) manages to convince Rankin's secretary Sylvia Orchins (Jean Carson) that her boss will be killed unless she cooperates with the Feds, Rankin quickly disposes of the hapless girl and gives Ness a "message" by sparking a bloodbath in which innocent bystanders are mowed down in the streets. Ironically, this turns the public against Ness rather than Nero--making it all the more crucial to end Rankin's reign of terror before Chicago becomes one huge slaughterhouse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
This episode is a tour de force for future Oscar winner Cliff Robertson, here cast as hideously ugly escaped convict Frank Holloway (a character allegedly based on the equally repulsive Alvin "Creepy" Karpis). After breaking out of jail, Holloway is helped along his cross-country escape route by mobster Daniel Oates (Joe De Santis), who hopes that Frank will lead him to a fortune in stolen loot. Also interested in catching up with Holloway is Federal agent Elliot Ness (Robert Stack), who has a personal score to settle. Along the way, Holloway undergoes plastic surgery which transforms him into a handsome heartthrob--a fact that will ultimately prove fatal to his pathetically love-starved travelling companion Mona (Virginia Vincent. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) breathing down his neck, Mig Torrance (Mike Kellin), head of With a large and thriving prostitution racket, moves his base of operations south of the Mexican border. Though Mig refuses to dirty his hands with firearms, he has no qualms about dispatching his minions to gun down anyone who threatens his business; as a result, the hookers victimized by Torrance are unwilling to cooperate with the Feds. In the end, Ness must bank upon the courage of feisty retired madam Mrs. B (Betty Field)--and the cowardice of Torrance's sniveling kid brother Ernie (a decidedly pre-Bewitched Dick York). "The White Slavers" boasts a higher dead-body count than any other Untouchables episode...and also features the single most brutal act of violence in the series' history. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Jamboree adheres to the usual formula of late-1950s rock&roll films: A plethora of musical numbers linked together by the wispiest of plotlines. Kay Medford heads the cast as manipulative showbiz agent Grace Shaw. Hoping to land pop singer Pete Porter (Paul Carr), Grace connives to break up Pete's romance with female vocalist Honey Wynn (Freda Holloway). But who cares? The audience came to see such musical faves as Fats Domino, Count Basie, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jodie Sands, Ron Coby, Slim Whitman, Carl Perkins, Frankie Avalon, Charlie Gracie and the Four Coins. As a promotional tie-in, Jamboree also features appearances by 21 of North America's top rock-and-roll deejays. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1955
Tight Spot is based on Leonard Kantor's novel Dead Pigeon, which in turn was obviously inspired by Virginia Hill's appearance before the Kefauver Committee. Ginger Rogers plays hard-boiled model Sherry Conley, who is serving a prison term for a crime she didn't commit. Sherry is offered her freedom -- and immunity -- by U.S. attorney Lloyd Hallett (Edward G. Robinson) if she'll agree to appear as a material witness in the trial of mobster Benjamin Costain (Lorne Greene). Unfortunately, Costain has a long reach, and is able to coerce Vince Striker (Brian Keith), the detective assigned to guard Sherry, to allow Costain's hired guns to invade the hotel room where Sherry is being hidden. The star witness is surly and uncooperative, but she finally decides to testify when her escort, policewoman Willoughby (Katherine Anderson), is murdered by Costain's goons. But Striker is still around and about, still determined to do Costain's bidding. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ginger Rogers, Edward G. Robinson, (more)
