Pamela Curran Movies

The initials in the title stand for "Law Enforcement Manpower Resources Allocation System"--or more simply, the LAPD computer system (the 1971 edition, that is). LEMRAS arranges for dedicated police officers like Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) to fill in the departmental manpower gaps whenever necessary. Tonight's case load includes a string of burglaries committed by a gang of elusive cyclists, an attempted kidnapping, and a hostage crisis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

It's a personal matter for FBI assistant director Arthur Ward (Phillip Abbott) when Marianne Lowe (Pamela McMyler), the daughter of Ward's good friend Philip Lowe (Lin McCarthy), is kidnapped. A clue in Marianne's diary leads Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) to suspect that an employee at the girl's favorite beauty parlor is in on the abduction scheme. Meanwhile, the captive Marianne chips away at the conscience of the conscience of her abductor Beau Manley (Mark Jenkins), who unlike his partner Alex Drake (Joe Don Baker) is reluctant to kill her...maybe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

TV certainly makes strange bedfellows, as witness this Branded episode featuring veteran film star Pat O'Brien and recording entrepeneur Dick Clark as those colorful 19th century showmen P.T. Barnum and J.A. Bailey! Angrily turning down Barnum's offer to showcase him as "the greatest coward on earth" in a new Wild West show, Jason McCord (Chuck Connors)--who'd met P.T. when he won a $50 prize by defeating a circus strong man--learns that his gesture is futile, since Barnum intends upon using McCord's name whether he gets permission or not. In order to prevent this from happening, Jason somehow stage-manages a merger between Barnum and his up-and-coming rival "J.A." (whose last name is not revealed until the end of the episode, as if there was any doubt!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Whisked back to ancient Persia, Tony (Larry Hagman) must avenge Jeannie's honor for an insult committed by Ali, the Killer of Giants (played by "giant" actor Richard Kiel). Though Tony may well be killed by Ali, he can take comfort in the knowledge that Ali will then be killed by Jeannie (Barbara Eden). The befuddled astronaut also meets Jeannie's parents (Florence Sundstrom, Henry Corden) who find Tony to be a bit "odd"to suit their daughter! This and the following seven episodes includes a different opening credits sequence, in which the familiar "dancing Jeannie" animation is replaced by a narrated recap of the events which led up to Jeannie adopting Tony as her master (that's Paul Frees as the narrator, by the way). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The satire in Evelyn Waugh's darkly comic novel The Loved One was originally double-edged. The book was not only an attack on the Southern California funeral industry but also a lampoon of Hollywood's "British colony," those clannish, cricket-playing English actors of years gone by who bemoaned the artificiality of Tinseltown while eagerly accepting the demeaning and insignificant movie roles they were offered. The film version of The Loved One, anxious to live up to its ad-campaign promise of containing "something to offend everybody," downplays the British-colony business (save for the presence of the magnificent Robert Morley) and pumps up the "death" gags. Innocent British poet Dennis Barlow (Robert Morse) falls in love with funeral-home cosmetician Aimee Thanatogenos (Anjanette Comer), who in turn is loved by prissy funeral director Mr. Joyboy (Rod Steiger). The latter lives with his obese mother (Ayllene Gibbons), whose eating sequence is far more hilarious (and more tasteless) than many of the film's calculatedly "black" jokes. A huge guest-star cast is headed by Jonathan Winters in a dual role as a funeral home manager and his covetous twin brother, who operates an elaborate pet cemetery. Musician Paul Williams is also on hand as a 13-year-old aeronautics genius who develops a method of sending corpses into "eternal orbit" (a plot device that Waugh neglected to include in his novel). Film historian William K. Everson has commented that The Loved One is one of the best and most underrated comedies of the 1960s. For others, especially those who might feel guilty chuckling at the sight of Anjanette Comer committing suicide with an embalming needle, it's purely a matter of taste...or lack of same. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jack Lemmon stars as Hogan, who lives a bachelor's dream as the manager of an apartment building that caters only to single women. Hogan likes to romance his tenants, and he sets his sights on a newcomer named Robin (Carol Lynley). Robin and her boyfriend David (Dean Jones) have moved in together, intending to see how compatible they are while maintaining a platonic relationship. This arrangement is the result of a suggestion from Irene (Edie Adams), a marriage counselor who is subletting her apartment to Robin while living with her own boyfriend, Charles (Robert Lansing). Irene thinks that Robin and David need to discover whether they are suitable as marriage partners without letting sex cloud their judgment. Hogan finds out about the arrangement and schemes to get David away so he can seduce Robin. The film is based on a hit stage play by Lawrence Roman. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

Applying for a driver's license, Martin (Ray Walston) is unable to provide copies of his fingerprints--mainly because he hasn't any. Thinking quickly, he "borrows" the print of the man standing next to him in line. Unfortunately, that man turns out to be notorious jewel thief Brian Henley (Howard Morton)...and when Tim (Bill Bixby) writes an in-depth article about Henley's latest heist, both he and Martin face some serious prison time! Madge Blake, later seen as Aunt Harriet on Batman, is here cast as a giddy, bejeweled dowager. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Pete Manders (Wynn Pearce), chief assistant to cartoonist Gabe Philips (Mark Roberts), cannot believe his good fortune when Philips sells him the rights to his popular comic strip "Zingy" at a bargain rate. Philips claims that he wants to retire from the daily grind and set up residence in the tiny artists' colony of Port Harmon, where he intends to become a serious painter under the name of Otto Gervaert. But that's only part of the story: Philips also wants to claim Manders' girlfriend Lesley Lawrence (Pamela Curran) for himself. When Philips--or Gervaert--is murdered, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) must seek out clues amongst the denizens of Port Harmon in order to keep Manders out of the Death House. The supporting cast offers a wide and varied range of acting styles, from the fluttery mannerisms of veteran comedienne ZaSu Pitts to the pompous pontifications of perennial "heavy" Victor Buono. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide