Dodie Warren Movies
- 1988
In the conclusion of Night Court's two-part Season Six opener (originally telecast as a single hour-long "special"), prosecutor Dan Fielding (John Larroquette) is still marooned in a remote Eskimo village after surviving a plane crash. Successfully--if nervously--performing an emergency appendectomy, Dan then manages to alert the authorities to his whereabouts. Returning to New York City in a barely recognizable condition (shaggy beard and all), Dan arrives just in time to attend his own funeral! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Night Court launches its sixth season with the second episode of a two-part story, introduced as the cliffhanger ending of Season Five (the denouement was originally telecast on October 26, 1988 as a one-hour special, later to be re-edited for syndication as two separate episodes). Judge Harry T. Stone (Harry Anderson) and the Night Court staff are mourning the demise of smarmy prosecutor Dan Fielding (John Larroquette), who was reported killed in an Alaskan plane crash. In truth, however, Dan is still alive, having been rescued by an Eskimo family after his plane did "a half-gainer" in a glacier. Now stuck in the remote village of Kiska, Dan sets off a flare to alert the authoritities of his whereabouts--and accidentally incapacitates the only doctor in the area who is able to perform an emergency appendectomy on an Eskimo girl! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The owner of a financially foundering skin-flick production company decides that the only way to save it is to put on a Busby Berkeley-esque pornographic musical -- sort of a Broadway meets Times Square affair. Ribald humor, bawdy songs and plenty of skin abounds in this sophomoric satire that while unabashedly trashy, has developed a bit of a cult following. Songs include: "The First Nudie Musical," "The Lights and the Smiles," "Lesbian Butch Dyke," "Five Dancing Dildos," "Perversion," "Honey, What Ya Doin' Tonight," "I Don't Have to Hide Anymore," "Where Is a Man." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Nathan, Cindy Williams, (more)
- 1970
- R
Though the title smacks of World War II, Is This Trip Really Necessary is actually a 1971-vintage drug flick. The "trip" of the title is induced by LSD, consumed by a couple of nubile film actresses at the behest of realism-obsessed director John Carradine. Hero Peter Duryea attempts to rescue the girls, but both are doomed to horrible deaths in a lovingly detailed torture-chamber set. Eighteen-year-old Carol Kane (here billed as Carole) was evidently offered no acting advice whatsoever by her veteran co-stars Carradine, Duryea, and Marvin Miller. This film was also inflicted on the public as Trip to Terror and Blood of the Iron Maiden. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A murder investigation uncovers a plot that could destroy the world as we know it in this thriller. When a scientist doing research on nuclear weapons is murdered during a hospital stay, federal investigator Dave Pomeroy (Howard Duff) is called in to find out who killed him and why. With the help of Dr. Paula Stevens (Linda Cristal), the late scientist's assistant, Pomeroy learns that the scientist fell victim to a group of communist renegades whose members include two brilliant but unstable weapons experts, August Best (Nehemiah Persoff) and Myra Pryor (Anne Jeffreys). Pomeroy discovers that Best and Pryor have constructed an atomic bomb of their own -- and that they're threatening to use it to start World War III, forcing the detective to take swift action to prevent worldwide devastation. Panic in the City also features Dennis Hopper in the small role of Goff, just a year before Easy Rider would make him a star. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Howard Duff, Linda Cristal, (more)
- 1968
The Money Jungle is an innovative mystery concerning some greedy oil companies in competition to secure off-shore drilling rights. Detective Blake Heller (John Ericson) is the hard drinking sleuth hired by the oil companies to try and keep the proceedings above board. He contends with a group that opposes the proposal and later finds there are elements against him in the very organization that hired him. Blake goes to local police lieutenant Dow Reeves (Nehemiah Persoff) when geologists start dropping like flies after being gunned down. Comedian Don Rickles stars in the straight role of crooked oilman Harry Darkwater in this offbeat detective story. Lola Albright croons two songs in her role as a gold-digging nightclub singer who turns out to be the ex-wife of one of the oil barons and owns lots of stock in the company. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Ericson, Lola Albright, (more)
- 1968
National Intelligence Agent Dan Street (Richard Egan) is on the trail of some stolen laser rubies. It is assumed the agents will come after the raygun itself for their evil purposes. Count Romano (Michael Ansara) is the swimsuit-import mogul who tries to keep his head from going under while working for the enemy agents. The key to the mystery lies with Dutch (John Ericson), a Korean War veteran who fell into the hands of the brainwashing communists. Patricia Owens is Dan's love interest in this plodding suspense film. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Egan, Patricia Owens, (more)
- 1968
This exploitation film about the evils of marijuana finds art teacher Phil Blake (Fabian) discovering some of his students are smoking pot. Although he admits to the students he tried it himself in college, he is dumber than a bag of hammers about student drug use. Phil has eyes for fellow teacher Ellie (Diane McBain) until he discovers she is the main dealer, along with the star of the football team. Included in the cast is actress (Patty McCormick), all grown up since her appearance in Bad Seed, and Terri Garr, who makes a brief appearance as a student. This unintentionally laughable film, a feeble attempt to cash in on the sensationalism of marijuana use, was co-written by Richard Gautier and Peter Marshall of "Hollywood Squares" television fame. This film, along with similarly overblown 1930s anti-marijuana diatribes, cost the "straight" world a great deal of credibility at the time, and it became an instant "camp" classic. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fabian, Diane McBain, (more)
- 1963
This tuneful romp offers about an hour of good, trashy low-budget fun as it tells the tale of wealthy teens' struggles to keep their favorite hot spot intact after they learn that a real estate dragon-lady has set her avaricious eye upon it with the hopes of building a new high-rise there. Much of the tale centers on the land magnate, Roberta Crawford, and her vivacious teen-age niece, Vicki, who visits the club with her blue-blooded, arrogant beau Roger Kelly. Vicki is in the dark concerning her aunt's machinations until she hears the club's handsome star singer Mel Hudson talking about how he is trying hard to resist Roberta's onslaught of pressure to sell. Vicki falls for Mel right away and immediately decides to help him. Trouble ensues when the club mysteriously burns down and Roberta Crawford is accused of arson. Fortunately, the truth is revealed, someone has a change of heart, and amidst much celebration, a romance blooms. Songs include: "Come to the Party," "Mad, Mad, Mad," "Come A-Runnin'," "Watusi Surfer," "Greenback Dollar," "I Can't Get You out of My Heart," and "You Pass Me By." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Lauren, Molly Bee, (more)
