Don Eitner Movies

Meek-and-mild longshoreman Pete Thornwall (Robert Walker Jr.) steps forward to take credit for the murder of much-despised loan shark Jake Hennafy (Roy Jenson). Although he is taken into custody, Pete basks in the knowledge that he has become a hero amongst his fellow dock workers, who rationalize that Hennafy was a man who needed killing. But Quincy threatens to burst Pete's bubble when he uncovers evidence that Hennafy died under entirely different circumstances--and that the real killer's motive had nothing to do with heroism. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Two TV films were shown during the 1973-1974 season dealing with the emotional and legal ramifications of rape. While the Elizabeth Montgomery vehicle A Case of Rape was closer to Real Life, Cry Rape! also had a lot going for it. Andrea Marcovicci stars as Betty Jenner, whose world is rent asunder when she falls victim to a rapist. Equally as humiliating as the violation itself is the aftermath; Betty must withstand the adversarial questions of the police on the case, and then must relive her nightmare in court. Filmed in a semidocumentary fashion, Cry Rape! veers dangerously close to discouraging any woman from reporting sexual assault, inasmuch as it demonstrates the step-by-step process by which the accuser often ends up the accused. Only its contrived melodramatic conclusion robs the film of its verisimilitude. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Iron Curtain functionary Kozani (Carl Betz, in an offbeat characterization) has captured guerilla leader Constantine (Eric Mason) and sentenced him to death within 24 hours. Within this extremely limited time-frame, the IMF must rescue Constantine and smuggle him back to his followers. The key to the success of this plan is manifested in the title of this Mission: Impossible episode. First seen on March 8, 1970, "The Crane" was written by Ken Pettus. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In a desperate effort to escape from his Mafia bosses, Walter Hazlett (Tim O'Connor) hijacks a plane and demands to be flown to Cuba. Hoping to save the life of a wounded man on board the plane, Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) tries to persuade Hazlett to give himself up. Meanwhile, Hazlett's daughter Ginny (Charlotte Stewart), who can't bring herself to believe that her father is a criminal, is targetted by Mob kidnappers who plan to use her to bring her father out in the open. Dabney Coleman is seen as the plane's beleagured pilot, while future M*A*S*H regular Larry Linville also plays a key role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When the Jupiter 2 crashlands on an uncharted green planet, Will (Billy Mumy), Dr. Smith (Jonathan Harris) and the Robot man the space pod for an exploratory mission. The little party comes across a variety of bizarre images, including what seems to be the rusty wreck of the Jupiter 2 and a huge statue built in commemoration of the Robot. As it turns out, the ship has been hurtled forward to the year 2270 AD, on a planet populated by descendants of the Robinson family--but this startling "explanation" turns out to be merely the prologue to an even more startling surprise. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Travelling to California under the alias "Jim Parker", Kimble (David Janssen) is trapped by a sheriff named Corby (John Larch), who unexpectedly strikes a bargain with the fugitive. It seems that Corby's estranged son Larry (Beau Bridges), in desperate need of money for himself and his pregnant girlfriend Ellen (Melinda Plowman), has been wounded while attempting a holdup. If Kimble agrees to tend to Larry's injuries and assist in covering up his crime, the Sheriff promises to set him free. It's a tempting offer--providing that the duplicitous Corby can be trusted. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Posing as "Frank Whistler", Kimble (David Janssen) hitches a ride with a small-town minister--only to be involved in a car accident when the minister is accidentally shot and killed by young Gary Keller (Beau Bridges). Though Gary wants to turn himself in to the authorities, his domineering father Steve (Telly Savalas) refuses to let the boy jeopardize his future, so he manipulates the evidence to framed Kimble for the clergyman's death. Now all that remains is for Steve to track down and permanently silence the fugitive Kimble before the police catch up with him. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Telly Savalas makes a return guest appearance to The Fugitive, this time in the role of Victor Leonetti. Having always held Dr. Richard Kimble (David Janssen) responsible for the death of his child, Leonetti takes vindictive delight in recognizing the fugitive Kimble posing as hospital orderly "Harry Reynolds." When Kimble is wounded in a shootout and placed in the hospital emergency ward, Leonetti is certain that at last he has his old "enemy" just where he wants him...until... ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A alien satellite enters close orbit around the Earth and releases a projectile that takes over the body and mind of Dr. Hubbell Eliot (John Emery), the director of Lab Central, America's top astrophysics research facility. Even as Elliot is falling victim to the invaders, Lab Central scientist Dr. Leslie Gaskell (Jeff Morrow) and his colleagues, Vera Hunter (Barbara Lawrence) and Dr. Arnie Culver (George O'Hanlon), have begun tracking the object -- not certain what it is -- and determine that it is going to hit the Earth in less than 24 hours. An attempt to destroy it with nuclear warheads fails, and the vehicle comes down off the coast of Mexico. While Eliot tries to resist the invaders' control and is hospitalized in a state of collapse, Gaskell, Vera, and Culver fly to the site of the landing, where the submerged craft emits a powerful energy pulse that spreads across the surface of the ocean and toward the beach. When it clears, there stands on the beach a huge metallic object -- a towering robot, inadvertently christened "Kronos" by Gaskell, in a relative moment of whimsy. Hundreds of feet tall and possessing immense power, Kronos proceeds to rampage across the countryside, destroying everything in its path as it seeks out and absorbs all sources of electrical and atomic energy. Back at Lab Central, Eliot temporarily breaks free of the aliens' control, long enough to tell Gaskell of the robot's purpose and mission -- Kronos is a accumulator, sent to Earth by a race whose own planet is depleted of energy, and it will continue to grow stronger unless someone can find a way of reversing the process; worse yet, if Kronos isn't destroyed, other accumulators will be sent to drain the Earth of all its energy. The robot advances relentlessly, growing in destructive power as it moves up the coast, and not even a hydrogen bomb can slow it down. Finally, as it heads toward an H-bomb depository and prepares to destroy the city of Los Angeles in its path, Gaskell devises a possible method of stopping Kronos, based on an untested, untried scientific theory. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi