Ray Daley Movies
- 1987
Dave (Jon Blake) and his buddy Peter (Mark Hembrow) are chased by a gang of thugs when they pick up the wrong box from a Melbourne warehouse in this comedy thriller. Instead of toys, the box contains a substantial amount of cash intended to be used in a money-laundering operation. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Blake, Mark Hembrow, (more)
- 1986
Laura Branigan stars as Kate Lawrence in this insipid and cliche-ridden romantic comedy. Kate is a singer who longs to be taken seriously as an actress. Despite the misgivings of her agent, she flies to Melbourne to read for a part in a play. Kate gets the part but is grilled by film critic Robert Landau (Michael Aitkens) at a press conference. Hate for Robert turns to love until he writes an unflattering review of her performance in the play. When Kate lands a job in a Broadway play, she leaves Australia hoping never to see Robert again. He hops a plane to New York to surprise her after her performance, waiting backstage to announce his love for her. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura Branigan, Michael Aitkens, (more)
- 1981
- R
This is a smarmy, leering sex-comedy from director John D. Lamond, who had done much better with 1978's erotic Felicity. Graeme Blundell, star of the similarly raunchy Alvin Purple, plays a nerd named Martin who sneezes whenever a woman turns him on, causing impotence. After an unsuccessful tryst with the boss's wife, Martin is sent to Tahiti on Banana Airlines. At this point, hilarity is supposed to ensue. It doesn't. Instead, what follows is the sort of drooling idiocy that would make even Benny Hill blush, as "randy" stewardesses "drop their knickers" while the offscreen narrator engages in supposedly saucy commentary of the "wink-wink, nudge-nudge" variety. There's body-painting, a stud pilot (Robin Stewart) who is sleeping with two stewardesses, and many dumb penis jokes. Lamond returned to the genre with A Slice of Life (1982), then made a failed mainstream film, Breakfast in Paris (1982), before wisely abstaining from directing for the next 10 years. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Graeme Blundell, Robin Stewart, (more)
- 1964
Set during the Allied invasion of the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theater during WWII, this film is based on the novel by James Jones. Keir Dullea is Private Doll, who dreads the invasion and steals a pistol to help him protect himself. Sergeant Welsh (Jack Warden), a caustic, battle-scarred veteran, hates Doll, whom he considers a coward. In battle, Doll kills a Japanese soldier and is filled with remorse, which further angers the sergeant. The next day, an emboldened Doll wipes out an entire enemy machine gun post and begins to feel as sadistic as Welsh. The two must work together to clear away some mines, but as they do, their platoon is surprised by a Japanese raid. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keir Dullea, Jack Warden, (more)
- 1961
Robert Culp guest-stars as former gunfighter Ed Payson. When he tries to buy supplies from general store owner Will Cass (Dabbs Greer), he is coldly refused service; it seems that, before hanging up his guns, Ed killed Will's son. Befriending Ed, Adam Cartwright tries to mollify Cass, but things only go from bad to worse. Others in the cast include Ray Daley (Billy Buckley), Abbagail Shelton (Sally), Robert Christopher (Cahill), and Richard Rosmini (Jamie). Originally shown on October 29, 1961, "Broken Ballad" was written by John T. Kelley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
- 1961
This is an uneven melodrama on the tragic life of Pima Indian Ira Hayes, one of the men who raised the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima. The story picks up with Hayes (Tony Curtis) leaving his reservation in Arizona to join the Marines, enter boot camp, and start to adapt to the life of a Marine. Hayes becomes good friends with Sorenson (James Franciscus), and it is this friendship that sustains him in a white man's world. But as time goes by and the moment immortalized on Iwo Jima ends, Hayes goes into a decline, being unconvinced there was any heroism involved in his actions during the war and never being able to adjust to civilian life. At this point in time, no one recognized the afflictions common to all soldiers after long years in battle, and the death of Sorenson is blamed for Hayes' downfall. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Curtis, James Franciscus, (more)
Crooked sheepherder Jeb Drummond (Everett Sloane) is caught trying to graze his flock on the Ponderosa without permission. Ben Cartwright orders Jeb and his sons Billy (Ray Daley) and Burton (Tom Reese) to get out and stay out. But Jeb has other plans -- and he kidnaps Ben's son Adam to make sure those plans are carried out. First telecast on February 13, 1960, "Blood on the Land" was written by Robert E. Thompson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
- 1959
In the town of Arroyo, Bart (Jack Kelly) is hired to protect gambling-hall proprietor Dave Lindell (Gerald Mohr) from a vengeful cowpoke named Brazos (Ray Daley). But it is Brazos who ends up being killed, whereupon Bart chases after the killer--unaware that he is a pawn in a sinister scheme that will culminate in his own demise. This prime example of "western noir" was written and directed by 77 Sunset Strip stalwart George WaGGner, who invariably billed himself in this curious fashion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The Five Pennies is the life story of influential jazz cornetist Red Nichols, played here by a remarkably straight-faced Danny Kaye. The somewhat romanticized screenplay chronicles Nichols' rise from obscurity, annotates the many future bandleaders who would play with Nichols' "Five Pennies," and details his self-destructive streak and (seeming) inability to conform to changing musical tastes. Weaving in and out of the main story is a sentimental subplot concerning Nichols' physically impaired daughter Dorothy, played by Susan Gordon as a child and by Tuesday Weld (in her movie debut) as a young woman. Nichols's long-suffering wife is portrayed by Barbara Bel Geddes. The storyline occasionally lapses into sappiness and the ending is almost impossibly lachrymose, but the musical highlights save the day. Especially memorable is Danny Kaye's duet with Louis Armstrong. Among the real-life musicians who grace the supporting cast of The Five Pennies are Bob Crosby, Ray Anthony, Shelly Manne, and, as Jimmy Dorsey, Bobby Troup. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Kaye, Barbara Bel Geddes, (more)
