Dee Carroll Movies

Adapted from Paul Brodeur's novel, Richard Rush's story of a Machiavellian movie director and his accidental employee takes a darkly comic look at movie reality vs. "real" reality. Running from the law, Vietnam vet Cameron (Steve Railsback) stumbles on a movie shoot just in time to interfere with a staged accident, causing (perhaps) the stunt man's death. Rather than turn Cameron in, director Eli Cross (Oscar nominee Peter O'Toole) makes him an offer he can't refuse: replace the dead stunt man in return for safe harbor. Despite objections about Cameron's inexperience, Eli keeps him on, figuring that a vet will add an extra charge of realism to the World War I opus that he's filming. As leading lady Nina (Barbara Hershey) returns Cameron's affections, and Eli becomes ever more inscrutably mercurial, Cameron begins to wonder how far Eli will go to get the screen effects he wants, and if he would think twice about killing the stunt man. Placing a Vietnam vet in the midst of movie-making chaos, Rush adds a pointedly contemporary spin to Cameron's confusion; the war experience that makes Cameron a good stunt man wreaks havoc on his life. Rush in turn disorients the audience by seamlessly interweaving scenes from Eli's movie with scenes of its being made. Made two years before Rush found a studio to release it, The Stunt Man opened to raves for its wily narrative and O'Toole's messianic director. Its sly commentary on the blurred boundaries between movies and life became all the more striking at the dawn of the Reagan '80s. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

Disaster strikes the Walton family when their house is gutted by a raging fire. While the neighbors help John (Ralph Waite) rebuild, Olivia (Michael Learned) arranges for several neighbors to shelter her children in the interim, causing a great deal of friction between the younger Waltons and their temporary "families." Meanwhile, John-Boy (Richard Thomas) despairs over the possibility that his nearly-completed novel has gone up in smoke--and is wracked with guilt over the likelihood that he himself caused the fire. This is the first half of a two-part story, originally telecast as a single two-hour episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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

Based on a novel by Michael Crichton, Terminal Man is a sci-fi thriller about a scientist who decides to be the lab rat in an experimental surgery to control his violent tendencies. During the surgical procedure, a miniature computer is implanted in his head. Unfortunately, the mechanism malfunctions, and he becomes a vicious killer. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide

Now that he has been promoted to Engineer, Roy DeSoto (Kevin Tighe) is faced with the prospect of having to leave the Paramedics program. Meanwhile, a huge pileup on the fog-enshrouded San Diego Freeway results in dozens of seriously injured motorists. Other major crises arise when John (Randolph Mantooth) is trapped by a fire, and when the staff is called away from more pressing matters by a phony suicide alert. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

For his only directorial effort, Jack Lemmon selected his old friend and habitual co-star Walter Matthau to play the central character. Joseph P. "Kotch" Kotcher (Walter Matthau) is an irksome 72-year-old who lives with his son (Charles Aidman) and daughter-in-law (played by Lemmon's wife Felicia Farr). Kotch is far from senile, but there are times that his family wishes he was a little more docile and doddering; he insists upon expressing his unwarranted opinions on all matters, both large and small, forever challenging his daughter-in-law's authority. When it is suggested that Kotch find himself a nice retirement home, the rebellious old man decides instead to take a long bus ride, hoping that his family will have cooled off by the time he returns. Before leaving, he tries to make amends with the family's former baby-sitter Erica (Deborah Winters), whose dismissal he has brought about. Upon learning that Erica is pregnant, Kotch loans her some money; and when she moves away to Palm Springs, he moves in with her, hoping to be of some help. As they get to know one another, Kotch and Erica discover that they're very much alike: both have been cast aside by their relatives due to their independent airs. Kotch was adapted by John Paxton from a novel by Katharine Topkins. Watch for director Jack Lemmon in a bit as a bus passenger. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Shirley MacLaine plays Charity Hope Valentine who, despite her job at a seedy dime-a-dance joint, is an incurable optimist. Charity never stops looking for true love and never seems to look for it in the right places. We first see her in the company of Charlie (Dante DiPaolo), a slimeball who steals her purse and pushes her into the Central Park pond. Next she stumbles into a one-night stand with Vittorio Vidal (Ricardo Montalban), an egotistical movie star; this comes to nothing when Vittorio's contrite girlfriend Ursula (Barbara Bouchet) comes calling, forcing Charity to spend the night hiding in the closet. Desperate to escape the dance hall, Charity heads to an employment agency, where a bureaucratic clerk (Alan Hewitt) informs her that she has no qualifications. Unhappily, Charity heads for the elevator, where she becomes trapped with the very shy -- and very claustrophobic -- Oscar Lindquist (John McMartin). Once they've gotten out of the stalled elevator, Charity begins dating Oscar, never telling him of her checkered past or her sordid dance-hall job. Oscar eventually finds out but assures her that it doesn't matter. However, at the engagement party held at the dance hall, Oscar's puritanical streak emerges. He walks out on Charity, leaving her alone and heartbroken once more. With the help of a group of flower children (among them Bud Cort and Kristoffer Tabori), Charity is able to pick herself up and start living "Hopefully Ever After." Sweet Charity was adapted from the 1965 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was inspired by the 1957 Fellini flick Nights of Cabiria. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Despite all of Mr. Drysdale's strenuous efforts, "Jed Clampett Enterprises" still occupies the fifth floor of Drysdale's bank building. Joining Jed's fix-it shop and Granny's medical clinic, Jethro has put out his shingle as a Beverly Hills psychiatrist -- and soon enjoys a clientele consisting almost entirely of beautiful young ladies. Meanwhile, gold-digging secretary Jeanie (Georgene Barnes) sets her sights on the Clampett millions. "The Happy Bank" made its first network appearance on February 26, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Taking a well-deserved vacation, Phelps finds himself in a small town populated almost exlclusively by political assassins. Captured, Phelps is drugged and left in a paralytic state. Despite his helplessness, he manages to blink a message to Rollin, who rallies the rest of the IMF to prevent the murder of a Russian defector. Future Waltons costar Will Geer delivers a nicely nasty performance as a duplicitious doctor. First shown on February 18, 1968, "The Town" was written by Sy Salkowitz. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This is the much-anticipated episode in which Betty Jo Bradley (Linda Kaye) is married to Steve Elliott (Mike Minor). But it's still a sitcom episode, meaning that a few complications must ensue before the happy moment. Especially vexing to Betty Jo is the fact that her well-meaning friends and relatives have presented her with four different wedding gowns...meaning that, if she chooses one gown over the other, she risks offending a good portion of the wedding party! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The posh St. Gregory Hotel in New Orleans is the setting for this drama based on a popular novel by Arthur Hailey. Trent (Melvyn Douglas) is the long-time owner who realizes that the hotel is in dire financial straits. Trent calls on faithful manager Peter McDermott (Rod Taylor) to try and bring about the necessary reversal of fortune so that they can stay in business. After the Duke (Michael Rennie) and Duchess (Merle Oberon) of Lanbourne check in, the Duke is involved in a vehicular homicide after he has too much to drink. His car is traced back to the St. Gregory by hotel detective Dupere (Richard Conte), who blackmails the Duke. Although not on the same level of Grand Hotel, the film contains first-rate performances from a fine cast portraying a variety of eccentric guests. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Why have the millionaire Clampetts taken temporary department-store jobs during the Christmas season? It turns out that they have been motivated by sweet charity. Through yet another of the misunderstandings that crop up on this series with alarming frequency, the Clampetts are convinced that Mrs. Drysdale has gone broke -- and they're determined to help her out, whether she likes it or not. "The Christmas Present" first aired on December 21, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Arthur O'Connell guest stars as William Lawrence, a new arrival at the Shady Rest Hotel. Clearly a man of wealth, Lawrence claims to be a rocket scientist. But ever-suspicious Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan) is convinced that Lawrence is actually a wanted bank robber--and, characteristically, he makes an utter fool of himself to prove his theory! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide