Royal Dano Movies
Cadaverous, hollow-eyed Royal Dano made his theatrical entree as a minor player in the Broadway musical hit Finian's Rainbow. In films from 1950, he received his first important part, the Tattered Soldier, in John Huston's 1951 adaptation of Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage. Thereafter, he was often seen as a Western villain, though seldom of the cliched get-outta-town variety; in Nicholas Ray's Johnny Guitar (1954), for example, he fleshed out an ordinary bad-guy type by playing the character as a compulsive reader with a tubercular cough. He likewise did a lot with a little when cast as Mildred Natwick's deep-brooding offspring in Hitchcock's The Trouble With Harry. Some of Dano's non-baddie characters include Peter in The King of Kings (1961) and Mayor Cermak in Capone (1975); in addition, he played Abraham Lincoln in a multipart installment of the mid-'50s TV anthology Omnibus written by James Agee. Toward the end of his life, Royal Dano had no qualms about accepting questionable projects like 1990's Spaced Invaders, but here as elsewhere, he was always given a chance to shine; one of Dano's best and most bizarre latter-day roles was in Teachers (1982), as the home-room supervisor who dies of a heart attack in his first scene -- and remains in his chair, unnoticed and unmolested, until the fadeout. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
The made-for-TV Once Upon a Texas Train offers us the once-in-a-lifetime teaming of Richard Widmark, Willie Nelson and Angie Dickinson. Nelson plays a veteran outlaw who robs a bank less than 6 hours after being paroled from jail. He uses the money to reunite his old gang, then sets about to repeat the train robbery that had gotten him arrested 20 years earlier. This time, however, Nelson is himself targetted for theft by a young, hungrier band of desperadoes. Widmark plays the lawman who caught Nelson before and intends to do so again. Written and directed by the reliable Burt Kennedy, Once Upon a Texas Train premiered January 3, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
In the last of three feature-length pilot films for the unsold TV series Joe Dancer, Robert Blake again stars as hard-boiled private eye Dancer, this time at large in Hollywood. While investigating an old scandal that could potentially destroy the career of a big star and topple a major studio, Joe Dancer is himself framed for murder. Directing this energetic if derivative whodunnit was Reza S. Badiyi, who had previously helmed several episodes of Blake's earlier cop series Baretta (and surprisingly remained on good terms with the mercurial star). Originally telecast by NBC on June 5, 1983, Murder One, Dancer 0 (working titles: Joe Dancer III, Lights, Camera. . .Murder) is probably due for a revival thanks to the more recent real-life legal travails of the redoubtable Robert Blake. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sondra Blake
- 1983
Based on the autobiography of actress Frances Farmer, Will There Really Be a Morning? was originally telecast on February 22, 1983 -- only a few months after the "rival" Farmer biopic Frances hit movie-theatre screens. Whether Susan Blakely is superior to Frances' Jessica Lange is open to debate. It is certain that Morning adheres more closely to the facts, principally because adaptor Dalene Young (a specialist in such true-life "perseverance" TV movies) drew her inspiration from Farmer's own words. The premise of the TV movie is that most of Frances' well-documented personal problems, including her drug abuse and mental illness, can be traced to her stormy relationship with her mother (Lee Grant). Joe Lambie plays Frances' movie-star husband Leif Erickson (here called "Bill Anderson," Erickson's real name), while John Heard is playwright Clifford Odets, whose rocky romance with Farmer fueled the flames of her neuroses. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Albert's classmate Sylvia (Olivia Barash) has been impregnated by a masked rapist, whereupon her "disgraced" father forcibly removes her from town. Already suspected of being the father of Sylvia's unborn baby, Albert (Matthew Laborteaux) courts further scandal by helping the girl run away from her intolerable home situation. Unfortunately, Albert unwittingly tips off the rapist to the girl's hiding place, leading to a terrifying denouement. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, (more)
- 1981
In the first episode of a two-part story, Albert (Matthew Laborteaux) develops a crush on his classmate Sylvia (Olivia Barash), a 14-year-old girl who has developed early. Sylvia's stern father disapproves of Albert's affections and orders his daughter to ignore the boy. Later on, Sylvia is raped by a masked assailant, whereupon her father demands that she keep her "shame" a secret. The situation worsens when Sylvia discovers that she is pregnant. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, (more)
- 1979
Having solved many a crime in the past, Quincy finds himself in the uneviable position of being accused of criminal behavior. The family of 21-year-old kidney donor Jack Murphy insist that Quincy declared the man dead prematurely in order to harvest his organs. In his efforts to clear his name, Quincy butts heads with sleazy, ambulance-chasing malpractice attorney Raymond Morrison (Granville Van Dusen), who will go to any lengths to win a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the entire LA Coroner's Office. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
The made-for-television movie Strangers: The Story of a Mother and a Daughter concerns a bitter widow (Bette Davis) who is upset about the unexpected return of her estranged daughter (Gena Rowlands). Davis won an Emmy for her performance. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1979
No sooner has Walnut Grove's first telephone been installed in the town's hotel than self-appointed operator Mrs. Oleson (Katherine MacGregor) begins eavesdropping on her neighbors. Overhearing a conversation between Alice Garvey (Hersha Parady) and her mother, Mrs. Oleson is shocked to discover that Alice was married before her union with her present husband, Jonathan (Merlin Oleson). This revelation causes a serious rift in the Garvey household -- at least until Jonathan finds out the real reason that Alice has never talked about her first husband. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, (more)
- 1978
This made-for-TV movie relates the true story of the infamous Donner Party, the group of unlucky pioneers who were stranded in the Rockies by a snowstorm and had to eat the bodies of the dead to survive. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Originally made for television and based on true events from 1972, the story concerns an airline crash in the Everglades and the courageous adventures of the 73 survivors. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1977
The cast of the popular old TV series Peyton Place reunite when Allison MacKenzie and Rodney Harrington are found dead. Other than that, and a decade's worth of gossip, nothing much has changed there. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Bad Georgia Road, an unpleasant little thriller directed by John Broderick, is the story of a young woman (Carol Lynley) who inherits an illegal liquor distillery from a relative. She turns it into a money-making business only to come up against the mob, who is her chief competition. The direction by Broderick is haphazard, the performances are uniformly poor, and there is little emphasis on production values or plot coherence. The only saving grace of this dismal melodramatic thriller is an appearance by Andy Warhol star and underground film-actress Mary Woronov who gives some life to her role. All in all, Bad Georgia Road is a poor, forgettable film. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- 1977
After burying his victim in an underground box with a limited air supply, a kidnapper rushes to the location where the ransom is to dropped--only to be killed in a car crash. Racing against time, the police desperately seek out clues as to the victim's whereabouts before his oxygen runs out. Joining the hunt is medical examiner Quincy (Jack Klugman), who hopes that a discarded piece of apple will provide enough forensic evidence to save a life. This is one of a handful of second-season Quincy, M.E. episodes deemed worthy of two network rerun showings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Big-game hunter David Farrow (Roy Thinnes) is hired to track down bank robbery suspect Clel Bocock (William Smith), who has escaped into the swamps of Louisiana. Complications arise when Farrow confronts Bocock's backwoods family and falls in love with the fugitive's wife, Mara (Sandra Dee). Originally intended for broadcast in 1968, The Manhunter was, for reasons unknown, consigned to the shelf until it was sold to British television, where it debuted in the spring of 1972. The film finally aired in America courtesy of the NBC network on April 3, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Dick Van Patten and Ruth Buzzi guest star as Carter and Amy Merkl, who are extremely grateful after the Squad 51 paramedics save their lives. Before long, however, the Merkls' persistent expressions of gratitude become downright annoying and obnoxious--especially when the couple insists upon hanging around the station house, day and night. Other emergency cases include a CPR attempt gone bad, a child struck in the eye by a BB gun (no, his name isn't Ralphie), a boat fire, and a potentially fatal false alarm. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
It's still the same old story...but what a story. This umpteenth filmization of the classic Mark Twain novel stars Ron Howard as Huck and Donny Most as Tom Sawyer. After faking his own murder to escape his brutish Pap (played by Howard's real-life father Rance), Huck and fugitive slave Jim (Antonio Fargas) fashion a raft and head off down the Mississippi. The darker elements and sociological commentary of the Twain original are carefully excised from this version, the better to allow more time for the antics of those "royal" rapscallions, the King (Jack Elam) and the Duke (Merle Haggard). Mark Twain himself makes a guest appearance, in the person of Royal Dano. Filmed along the Sacramento River in California (a frequent movie "stand-in" for the Mississippi), Huckleberry Finn was first broadcast March 25, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
1950s western star Rod Cameron appears in this episode as Martin Broule, the owner of a riding academy. Several horses have been stolen from Broule's establishment, and Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) investigate accusations that Broule himself is the thief. Elsewhere, the two mobile cops set a trap for a burglar. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Angie Dickinson essays the title role in Big Bad Mama. This Depression-era crime caper casts the future star of Police Woman as sexy Ma Barker type Wilma McClatchie, who forces her nubile daughters (Susan Sennett, Robbie Lee) into participating in a robbery/kidnapping/murder spree. Wilma seems to be as motivated by the erotic thrill of lawbreaking as she is by the financial gains. She evens hops in the sack with her daughters, as does her common-law husband, played by William Shatner. A sequel appeared in 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Angie Dickinson, William Shatner, (more)
- 1973
When Cliff Robertson was toasted by Ralph Edwards on the TV series This is Your Life in 1972, Robertson was standing on the set of Ace Eli and Roger of the Skies. This production was announced as an "upcoming release"-though as it turned out, the film lay on the shef for several years thereafter. Robertson plays a barnstorming stunt flyer of the Roaring Twenties. Accompanying him from job to job is his 11-year-old son, Eric Shea. Despite having a child in tow, Robertson has no trouble scoring with the local lovelies wherever they go. 20th Century-Fox had so little faith in Ace Eli and Roger of the Skies that the company changed many of the names in the production credits: producer "Boris Wilson" was really Robert Fryer, director "Bill Sampson" was actually John Erdman and screenwriter "Chips Rosen" was known to friends and family as Claudia Salte. Only poor Cliff Robertson was denied the opportunity to cloak himself in an alias. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A police officer who would rather use his brains than his gun is put into a situation where neither can help him in this police drama. John Wintergreen (Robert Blake) is a sawed-off and street-smart Arizona motorcycle cop who dreams of climbing the ladder and becoming a police detective, but his ambitions are scoffed at by his partner, Zipper (Billy "Green" Bush). Wintergreen's superiors tend not to take him seriously due to his short stature, but when he stumbles upon the site of a murder, he digs up enough relevant evidence to insure his advancement to detective status. However, after a few days on the job, Wintergreen begins to realize just how corrupt his superior Poole (Mitchell Ryan) truly is after Poole attempts to frame a local hippie, Bob Zemko (Peter Cetera), for a crime he didn't commit. Adding fuel to the fire is Poole's discovery that he and Wintergreen have been dating the same woman, dancer-turned-barmaid Jolene (Jeannine Riley). Electra Glide in Blue was the first (and to date only) directorial credit for James William Guercio. Successful in the music industry as a manager and producer, Guercio was best known for his association with the top-selling jazz-rock group Chicago; several members of the band appear in the movie, as does a young Nick Nolte in a bit part. On a note of sad irony, Terry Kath, the longtime Chicago vocalist who died in 1978 from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head, plays a gun-wielding killer in this film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Blake, Billy Green Bush, (more)
- 1972
Two gunshot victims are down in a liquor-store robbery, and the store owner (Victor Izay) is consumed by guilt over being forced to shoot the robber. As the paramedics deal with this crisis, Dr. Early has his hands full with a wino (Royal Dano) suffering from a particularly nasty case of "the shakes." Elsewhere, a hippie is bitten by a black widow spider; a pipefitter is trapped in a chemical plant accident; and a dog proves not to be the "best friend" of a female patient. And in less traumatic subplot, paramedic Johnny Gage (Randolph Mantooth) develops a hankering for a pretty student nurse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
In this rites-of-passage drama, two suburban children, one 12-years old, and the other 14, run away and head for L.A. En route they meet a hunter and his retarded son. They later meet and become friends with a pair of dope smoking hippies who operate a tavern. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Filmed for television, this story concerns a series of killings in the Louisiana bayou. The sheriff on the case believes that a werewolf is behind the murders. The film was adapted from a book by Leslie H. Whitten. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
