Douglas Robinson Movies

The first wedding anniversary of Vera (Beth Howland) and her policeman husband Elliot (Charles Levin) threatens to be a disaster from the word "go". Not only is Vera unable to pry her husband away from his professional duties, but she can't even get him to remember their "special song"--until she gets arrested! The singing quartet The Indian River Boys (John George Campbell, Stephen Tolman, Curry Worsham and Rick Cox) weave in and out of the proceedings as a Greek Chorus of cops and jailbirds, while future political pundit Bill Maher and onetime Grease costar Barry Pearl (he was the original "Doody") show up as police officers. With this episode, Alice moved from Sundays to Tuesdays, where it would remain for the rest of its run. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Accompanying Carrie (Martha Raye) to the racetrack, Tommy (Philip McKeon) surprises everyone--including himself--by winning big. Convinced that he has hit upon the perfect "system", Tommy continues placing bigger and bigger bets...and when things start turning sour, Alice (Linda Lavin) holds Carrie responsible. Vic Tayback (Mel) does not appear in this episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A surly Mel (Vic Tayback) refuses to build a handicapped-access ramp for the diner, arguing that people with physical impairments shouldn't come into his establishment in the first place. But his perspective on this subject changes radically when Mel is himself confined to a wheelchair with two sprained ankles. Fortunately, this "very special" episode manages to strike a happy medium between mirth and moralizing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Freshman economics student Tommy (Philip McKeon) dispenses some valuable marketing advice to diner owner Mel (Vic Tayback). Sure enough, Mel's business improves dramatically--at least until Tommy takes a close look at the statistics and realizes that the diner is actually on the fast track to bankruptcy. Will Mel have to make up for the losses by firing Tommy's own mother Alice (Linda Lavin)? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mel (Vic Tayback) gets word that the "wealthy crackpot" who built his diner has stashed $20,000 in the walls of another of his buildings. Not long afterward, the waitress find some cash behind the diner's wallpaper. Thus is launched a "gold rush" that would have put the San Francisco 49ers (the prospectors, not the football players) to shame. This episode was filmed for Alice's sixth season, but held back due to a Hollywood writer's strike. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The air is filled with cries of "Stow It! Stow It" when Mel (Vic Tayback) gets into a verbal argument with the parrot owned by Vera (Beth Howland). At the height of the vocal barrage, Mel lets rip an emormous bellow--and the parrot promptly drops dead! Can it be that Mel has caused the bird to have a heart attack...and if so, how will Vera deal with this tragedy? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mel (Vic Tayback) is none too happy when his mom Carrie (Martha Raye) takes over the kitchen and starts turning out her famous chicken pies. An argument inevitably arises, ending when Mel kicks Carrie out of the diner. This proves to be a major blunder when Carrie goes to work for Mel's chief rival Benny Conway (Jack Kruschen)--and syphons off Mel's profits in the process. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While in the furniture shop for repairs, Archie's beloved easy chair is accidentally given to the wrong customer. Tracking down the precious piece of furniture, Archie discovers that the chair become the centerpiece of an avant-garde exhibition created by an artist named Lichtenrauch (Michael Pataki). Written by Mel Tolkin and Larry Rhine, this episode inadvertently anticipated the real-life honor bestowed upon Archie's celebrated chair, when it was enshrined in the Smithsonian Institution in 1978. "Archie's Chair" originally aired on January 15, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this children's movie, four kids are inadvertently locked in a department store over a weekend. There they somehow catch a gang of robbers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

When a beautiful model is found shot in her apartment, a famous television star is felt to be the murderer in a failed extortion plot. Although the investigation turns up a surprise ending, by the time most viewers get there they could not care less who did it. Singularly uninspired murder drama. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide

Novelist Mickey Spillane portrays his own creation, Mike Hammer, in The Girl Hunters. Hammer has spent seven years in an alcoholic funk after the supposed death of his secretary, Velda. He is brought back to the land of the living by his old friendly enemy, police lieutenant Pat Chambers (Scott Peters), who wants Hammer to extract some information out of a dying federal agent. This puts Mike on the trail of a subversive communist organization, the key to which seems to be sexy Laura Knapp (Shirley Eaton), the widow of a murdered senator. When Hammer determines that following this espionage trail may lead to relocating Velda, who might not be dead after all, he pursues matters with his usual fascistic tendency to pummel first and ask questions later. The Girl Hunters is the film in which Mike Hammer incapacitates an opponent by literally nailing the latter's hands to the floor. But that's kid stuff compared to the fate in store for the treacherous Laura Knapp. The Girl Hunters was filmed in its entirety in England. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

"The Decapod" is the professional name of a wrestling champion who the Avengers suspect of being an assassin. When the secretary of a Balkan ambassador is murdered, Steed's assistant Venus Smith (Julie Stevens) takes the dead woman's place. Trailing the killers, Venus ends up at a professional wrestling match, while Steed does some grappling of his own to fend off the real assassin. Written by Eric Paice, this episode was originally telecast October 13, 1962; its American debut was delayed until January 29, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide