Dave Morick Movies

This largely autobiographical story written and directed by Michael Landon stars Timothy Patrick Murphy as Gene Orowitz (Landon's real name was Eugene Orowitz), a frail teenager with a talent for throwing the javelin and a close relationship to his father Sam (Eli Wallach), the manager of a movie theater. Sam's real love in life is writing fiction, and he pounds the keys of his typewriter well into the night as he tries to finish a major opus. One day when Gene sees Samson and Delilah (1949) at the theater where his father works, he becomes certain that whatever strength he has is due to his long hair and he refuses to cut his hair, even though long hair turns the school principal apoplectic and has to be disguised when Gene is at a sports meet. Gene's life is not a bed of roses, yet when he is dumped by his girlfriend Bonnie for Robert (Alan Hayes), an arrogant football player who has bullied him whenever the chance arose, his good friend Cathy (Hallie Todd) stays by his side. Later, he has his own revenge with Robert by connecting with a right to the jaw, shocking everyone, perhaps even himself. Gene has been working out to get ready for a big school meet and is a bit stronger in his javelin-tossing arm. As the day of the big meet approaches, life changes dramatically for him -- and the movie's climax, though it appears contrived, actually happened to Landon in real life. Landon also plays a small role in the film as a movie star visiting his hometown -- and in some ways, he was "Sam's son" because he himself took to writing -- including the script for this movie, in fact. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In this biting comedy satirizing Hollywood cynicism from writer-director Blake Edwards, Felix Farmer (Richard Mulligan) is a motion picture director whose career is on the skids. Having just completed a family musical that is sure to be a $30 million flop, Felix knows that his days are numbered and tries unsuccessfully to commit suicide. When he recovers, Felix suddenly has a brainstorm and hatches a scheme to buy the film back from his studio and lens new scenes that will turn it into a pornographic movie with big stars, a sure-fire box office winner. In order to pull it off, he'll need to convince his female lead and wife, Sally Miles (Julie Andrews, not coincidentally the director's real-life wife) to defy her wholesome, squeaky-clean public image by baring her breasts on film. S.O.B. (1981) was the final film of legendary actor William Holden. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

One of the bigger non-cartoon moneymakers for Disney in the 1970s, The North Avenue Irregulars is predicated on the premise of the "Neighborhood Watch" system. Priest Michael Hill (Edward Herrmann), newly arrived on North Avenue, decides to buck the patriarchal notions of his superiors by delegating church responsibilities to the neighborhood women. Since the ladies include Vickie, Jane, Anne, Claire and Rose (Barbara Harris, Karen Valentine, Susan Clark, Cloris Leachman and Patsy Kelly), we're well primed for a surfeit of feistiness. Father Michael entrusts the church funds to Rose, who loses it all at the race track. In trying to retrieve the cash, he comes up against an influential bookie ring, controlled by several of the above-suspicion town officials. The wily priest responds by organizing the ladies of his congregation into the North Avenue Irregulars, a two-fisted crimefighting unit. There's slapstick aplenty within the film's 99 minutes, including the expected comic car crash. North Avenue Irregulars is based on a (drawn-from-life?) novel by the Reverend Albert Fay Hill. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A pre-Rocky Sylvester Stallone is prominently featured in this episode as young detective Rick Daley, who accidentally shoots a boy while on duty. Daley claims that shots were being fired all around him at the time of the tragedy, and that he is innocent. Pressured by the higher-ups to protect Daley, Kojak (Telly Savalas) refuses to accept the young cop's story without positive proof--while certain members of the Internal Affairs division seem willing to throw Daley to the wolves whether he's guilty or not. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this film, also released under the title I Want Her Dead, Katie Lewis (Twiggy) and her husband Ben (Michael Witney) discover that they are the targets of a mysterious killer who leaves the letter W at the scene of their near-fatal "accidents." While trying to avoid death, the couple must struggle to discover where the source of these attacks stems from. This movie was Twiggy's first film appearance. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Recuperating from a bullet wound in the head, Jim (James Garner) mulls over the events that led up to this critical moment. It all began when journalist Sandra Turkel (Sian Barbara Allen) hired Jim to locate her friend, statuesque redhead Charlotte Duskey (Susan Damente-Shaw). Skeptical over reports that Charlotte is dead, Jim follows the trail of clues to an empty grave--and to a self-proclaimed federal agent (George DiCenzo) who may not be anything of the kind. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Earl Holliman guest stars as Frank Otten, a Federal witness in a Mob trial. When the hired thugs representing the defendant offer Frank a bribe to vote "Not Guilty", he jumps at the opportunity to finance a new start in life--and, he hopes, to repair his fractured relationship with his family. Unfortunately, the Mob has already decided that Frank knows far too much to keep on living. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hogan's Heroes utility player Dave Morick is spotlighted in this episode as a Nazi spy posing as an American officer named Lt. Miller. To dupe "Miller" into revealing the identity of his German contact, Hogan and his men stage an elaborate masquerade, transforming Klink's office into Nazi headquarters in Berlin and having Sgt. Carter give out with his legendary impersonation of Adolf Hitler. Oscar Beregi) appears as Herr Schneer. Written by R.S. Allen and Harvey Bullock, "The Meister Spy" first aired on January 17, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Neighbors in suburban Los Angeles segue a meeting to stop freeway construction into a sexual romp. A housewife (Ann Summers) gives in to the primal urges of her neighbor, (Clark Gordon) an erotic novelist. While her husband (Bernard Barrow) is off with his mistress (Jennifer O'Neill) at a forest retreat, she decides to have some fun on her own. Her husband's business partner (Philip Pine) has his eyes on their nubile 19 year old daughter (Deirdre Lenihan) who heart and the rest of her body belongs to daddy. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

In order to successfully pull off a sabotage operation, Hogan concocts an elaborate diversion. Thanks to carefully planted "slips," Klink is led to believe that he will be able to trail Hogan's crew to the Underground spy headquarters. In order to make himself the hero of the proceedings, Klink goes out of his way to persuade Hogan and his men to stage an escape. Written by Harvey Bullock and R.S. Allen, "Klink's Escape" originally aired on March 27, 1970, as the final episode of Hogan's Heroes' fifth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Disguised as a German soldier for an underground mission, Sgt. Carter is caught by an enemy Panzer division. At the behest of Hogan, Carter continues his masquerade in order to recover a cache of confiscated dynamite before the real Germans can find the explosives. Dave Willock appears as an American captain, while Hogan's Heroes general-purpose actor Dave Morick is cast as a sergeant. Written by Laurence Marks, "One Army at a Time" originally aired on February 13, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Amazingly, Sgt. Schultz actually knows the location of an atomic bomb plant. Unable to wheedle the information out of Schultz using the standard methods (including bribing the corpulent sergeant with LeBeau's gourmet food), Hogan relies on a vial of truth serum, courtesy of the Underground. Dave Morick, Hogan's Heroes' all-purpose supporting player during the series' final two seasons, is again cast as an officer. Written by Laurence Marks, "At Last -- Schultz Knows Something" first aired on December 26, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide