Mark Rodgers Movies

Made for television, this is the third sequel to the popular war adventure. This time, a group of rag-tag soldiers must somehow shape up and take on a group of Nazi soldiers who are riding the Orient Express to Istanbul to establish their latest empire. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The pilot for an unsold weekly series, Uncommon Valor stresses the courage and resourceful of a team of firefighters in Salt Lake City, Utah. Headed by dauntless batallion chief Tom Riordan (Mitchell Ryam), the unit tries to drench a raging conflagration at County General Hospital (a disaster enhanced by some pretty good special effects). They also have to battle the villain of the piece, discreetly described in the original network press release as a "deranged arsonist." A production of Sunn Classic Pictures, the made-for-TV Uncommon Valor originally aired January 22, 1983, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

O. J. Simpson plays a chartered bus driver shepherding a group of wealthy tourists to Las Vegas. His bus is waylaid by a trio of murderers, who intend to kidnap one of the passengers and bump off the rest. Arte Johnson provides a few laughs as a tour guide, while one of the villains is played by Lorenzo Lamas. Detour to Terror is, by TV standards, a real oldie-it debuted February 22, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Disregarding an unsold pilot film starring Cathy Lee Crosby as the title character, William Moulton Marston's celebrated comic-book superheroine Wonder Woman made her TV bow in the formidable person of Lynda Carter. Introduced on November 7, 1975, with the two-hour opener The New Original Wonder Woman, the ABC fantasy adventure series began its semi-weekly run on April 21, 1976. Initially set during the WWII years, the series chronicled the adventures of a legendary Amazonian princess who hailed from Paradise Island, where her forebears had fled from male persecution back in the third century B.C. Like the other female residents of Paradise Island, Wonder Woman had powers far beyond those of ordinary women, and was decked out with gold bracelets and a golden belt containing the miracle metal Feminum, enabling her to deflect bullets with her wrists. She also possessed a golden lasso with which she "wrangled" various villains. Assuming the "mortal" identity of Diana Prince, Wonder Woman joined the U.S. army air corps as a yeoman, the better to be near handsome pilot Major Steve Trevor (Lyle Waggoner), whom she'd met when his plane crash-landed on Paradise Island. Since "Diana" wore glasses and dressed more modestly than her "real" self, Steve never quite caught on that she and Wonder Woman were one in the same. Most of the first-season episodes found Diana Prince helping Steve battle Nazi spies and saboteurs, with our heroine transforming herself into Wonder Woman by twirling around and around at super speed. These early episodes also featured Wonder Woman's younger sister Drusilla (aka Wonder Girl), played by no less than Debra Winger; also, Beatrice Cohen appeared as Corporal Etta Candy, Diana's best friend.

When Wonder Woman moved from ABC to CBS for its second season, quite a few changes were imposed upon its format. First, the title was altered to The New Adventures of Wonder Woman. Second, the series' time frame was moved up from the 1940s to the 1970s, with Diana/Wonder Woman fighting contemporary baddies on behalf of the IADC (Inter-Agency Defense Command), headed by Joe Atkinson (Norman Burton). Finally, Steve Trevor was replaced by his lookalike son (and W.W.'s immediate superior), Steve Trevor Jr. (played again by Lyle Waggoner), who because Wonder Woman was "immortal" appeared to be the same age as the heroine -- or, more accurately, she appeared to be the same age as he. Other additions to the property included IADC's all-purpose computer I.R.A. (voiced by Tom Kratochzil) and Steve Jr.'s secretary, Eve (Saundra Sharp). In this revised form, The New Adventures of Wonder Woman survived on CBS until September 11, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Don Murray stars as slick network news producer William Martin in The Girl on the Late, Late Show. In addition to his administrative duties, Martin is a news reporter, and it is in this capacity that he investigates a series of Hollywood murders. The unifying link between the killings would seem to be faded movie queen Carolyn Parker (Gloria Grahame). Several Tinseltown veterans show up in key roles in this made-for-TV mystery, including Van Johnson, Cameron Mitchell, John Ireland, Walter Pidgeon and Frankie Darro. First telecast April 1, 1974, Girl on the Late, Late Show was designed as the pilot for a weekly Don Murray TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The made-for-TV Savage is worth seeing today as an example of early Steven Spielberg. Martin Landau stars as Paul Savage, a TV investigative reporter. In possession of a photograph that might destroy the career of a Supreme Court nominee, Savage finds himself the target of scrutiny from all sorts of shady types. Barbara Bain, then Mrs. Landau, costars as Savage's producer. Originally titled Watch Dog, Savage was the pilot for a potential TV series. Despite high network enthusiasm, the project never went any farther than its March 31, 1973 telecast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A pre-Dallas Donna Mills is cast as Mary Ann Collins, a rather empty-headed rich girl in search of excitement. Poor Mary Ann gets far more excitement than she bargained for when she hitches a ride with Jerry Williams, an AWOL soldier with delusions of grandeur who has just robbed a bank and seriously wounded a guard. Williams is played by a young Michael Douglas, who was helpfully identified in the original TV Guide synopsis as "Kirk Douglas' son". Within a year the up-and-coming Douglas would be more gainfully employed by F.B.I. producer Quinn Martin as Karl Malden's costar on Streets of San Francisco. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Forgotten Man is an updated variation on the "Enoch Arden" theme. Dennis Weaver stars as Lieutenant Joe Hardy, who when captured by the Vietcong is reported killed. Upon his release, Hardy returns to his hometown, only to discover that life has gone on without him. His wife (Anne Francis) has remarried; his daughter (Pamelyn Ferdin) is living with another family under another name; and his friends and former business associates treat him as though they wish he was dead. Unusually powerful for a TV movie of its era, The Forgotten Man debuted September 14, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A Federal agent is seriously injured at the US/Canadian border when exiled Mafia functionary Peter Tenny (Christopher George) sneaks back into the contry. Though his main scheme is to regain control of his criminal activities, Tenny is also determine to prove that a trusted relative (Mark Richman) has been embezzling Mob funds. Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) hopes to use this "blood feud" to the Feds' advantage--provided that everyone stays alive long enough to be arrested. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The FBI is summoned to a ranching community to investigate a possible Civil Rights violation. Sheriff William Temple (James Olson) has been accused of excessive brutality and attempted murder by Peter Griffith (Bill Hickman), who has been arrested for smuggling illegal aliens. Faced with overwhelming evidence, Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) has no choice but to place Temple in custody--but Erskine can't shake the feeling that the sheriff is being framed by his longtime enemy, rancher Cliff Wyant (J.D. Cannon). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Having killed Federal officer Doug Mercer, criminal Gerald Wilson (Robert Duvall) manages to escape an FBI dragnet. Hoping to make it to Mexico, Wilson forces a thief named Jack Collins (Burr De Benning) to act as his accomplice. To make certain that Collins cooperates, Wilson holds the man fiancee Carolyn (Davey Davison) at gunpoint throughout their tortuous southward ordyssey. While Efrem Zimbalist Jr. is still nominally the star of The F.B.I., the series' producers devoted more magazine ad space to this episode's "special attraction": namely, the new 1970 Lincoln-Mercurys (guess who sponsored the show?) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr. swings into action when three convicts, led by William Hollis (Edward Binns), escape by tunneling out of prison--murdering a guard in the process. Now the trio plans to put their tunnelling skills to even more practical use by burrowing into a maximum-security bank. Featured in the guest cast is Joanna Moore, the ex-wife of Ryan O'Neal and mother of child actress Tatum O'Neal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide