William J. Keenan Movies
Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin, Jr.'s 1974 animated classic comes to vivid life for a whole new generation of viewers in this live action holiday adventure starring John Goodman, Chris Kattan, Eddie Griffin, Ethan Suplee, and Carol Kane. When a depressed Santa Claus (Goodman) announces plans to take the year off after becoming convinced that the masses have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas, loyal elves Jingle (Suplee) and Jangle (Griffin) make it their mission to prove their boss wrong. Saving Christmas is going to be no easy task though, because in order to truly show Santa that the spirit of Christmas is alive and well Jingle and Jangle will first have to settle a longstanding feud between Mother Nature (Kane)'s tempestuous sons Heatmiser and Snowmiser. Perhaps, with a little luck and a bit of help from Mother Nature's notoriously disagreeable siblings, Jingle and Jangle may be able to lift Santa's spirits in time to get his sleigh in flight by the time the sun goes down on the biggest night of the year. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Goodman, Chris Kattan, (more)
- 1977
Laverne's widowed dad Frank (Phil Foster) has fallen head over heels in love with a flashy blonde named Veronica (Maureen Arthur). Laverne (Penny Marshall) and Shirley (Cindy Williams) aren't cool with this, deducing (correctly) that sweet Veronica is actually a conniving golddigger. Hoping to scare the vixen away, the girls persuade Lenny (Michael McKean), Squiggy (David L. Lander) and Carmine (Eddie Mekka) to pose as tough-talking mobsters--while Laverne and Shirley pretend to be scared-witless "victims". This episode was directed by comic actor Howard Morris, who'd previously helmed such classic sitcoms as The Andy Griffith Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and his wife Jean go out on a dinner date with Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) and his girlfriend Judy (Aneta Corsaut). Unfortunately, this pleasureable outing nearly ends before it begins when the Reeds witness a holdup. Further messing up the evening is an incident involving three escaped bulls, to say nothing of a nasty bar fight. Taking over from Mikki Jamison as Jean Reed in this episode is Kristin Nelson--who happens to be the niece of the episode's director, former Ozzie and Harriet costar David Nelson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
Jo Ann Pflug guest stars as Dana Hall, a new female police officer who is determined to prove her worth in a virtually all-male department. Frustrated that her current assignments do not allow her to demonstrate her intelligence or innate skills, Dana demands that she be given some challenging work. Thus it is that a reluctant Officer Jim Reed (Kent McCord) is temporarily teamed with Dana, who soon proves to be as troublesome as she is ambitious. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Jackie Coogan takes over from Ray Bolger in the role of Shirley Partridge's father Mr. Renfrew (now named "Walter" rather than "Fred"), while Rosemary DeCamp recreates her portrayal of Shirley's mom Amanda. The plot gets under way when Grandma Amanda goes to work as the Partridge's maid, if only to escape the rampant chauvinism of Grandpa Walter. Shirley (Shirley Jones) tries to patch up the argument between her dad and mom, succeeding only in sparking a gender-supremacy argument that divides the entire family. Finally, Reuben (Dave Madden) is enlisted to resolve the issue--but this requires him to impersonate a burglar! Songs: "Workin' on a Groovy Thing" and "Grandma". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Children will enjoy watching as Baron Von Frankenstein gets together with such old friends as Count Dracula, the Wolfman, the Mummy, and the Invisible Man. All of these characters gather together in the ballroom of the Transylvania-Astoria to see the Baron marry his perfect bride. Meet the woman the Baron chose to create as the Creature from the Blue Lagoon, while others turn this into a social event few won't soon forget. Kids will enjoy viewing this cartoon near Halloween or at other times when they need a break from the many action heroes and space creatures that populate other animated features. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
Rhodes Reason is the requisite Hollywood "name" actor in the Japanese-produced King Kong Escapes. While hacking through the jungle, expedition leader Nelson (Reason) and his companions are attacked by a dinosaur. They are rescued by King Kong, who since his traumatic experiences in New York has evidently changed his spots and become a lovable old Joe. Susan (Linda Miller), the prettiest member of Nelson's expedition, takes quite a liking to the big ape (Kong, not Nelson), and the feeling is reciprocated. The emphasis then shifts to dome-headed mad scientist Dr. Who (Eisei Amamoto), whose plans to take over the world include building a huge "Mechni-Kong," a robot designed to put the real Kong out of commission (if Amamoto sounds familiar to you, that's because his voice is dubbed by the ubiquitous Paul Frees). The climactic battle between the two Kongs is staged on a tinker-toy replica of Tokyo Tower -- hardly as imposing a structure as the Empire State Building, but consider what they're working with here. The Rhodes Reason/Linda Miller scenes were directed in Canada by Arthur Rankin Jr., the man responsible for the King Kong animated TV series of the late 1960s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rhodes Reason, Mie Hama, (more)
