Burr de Benning Movies

Raymond Burr tackles what amounts to a triple role in this episode, in which Chief Ironside investigates a series of murders that share a common bond. Each of four victims had in his possession a numbered disk: the current holder of Disk Number Five is none other than the police commissioner (Gene Lyons), while Number Six is held by an eccentric, bearded artist named Carlton Duffy (billed as "himself" in the closing credits but actually played by Raymond Burr). Bearing a startling resemblance to Duffy, Ironside takes the man's place in hopes of luring the murderer into a trap. Veteran Hollywood makeup artist Jim McCoy was handed the daunting task of transforming star Burr into ( a ) Chief Ironside, ( b ) Carlton Duffy, and ( c ) Ironside posing as Duffy! Featured in a supporting role is a young William Katt, the son of Burr's onetime Perry Mason costar Barbara Hale. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Anyone who adopts the initials "J.C." as a nickname probably has a Messianic complex. In Iron Horseman, the hero, the head of a motorcycle gang, wigs out on LSD. While day-tripping, he has a prophetic religious vision. This leads him back to his home town, where he challenges the local church leaders-even unto knocking down chairs and tables in righteous anger, just like....you know. Originally titled J.C., this cinematic epiphany was directed by its star, William McGaha; the better-known cast members include Joanna Moore and Slim Pickens. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jesse Royce Landis, who in an earlier episode played the aunt of Chief Ironside (Raymond Burr), is here cast as business executive Margaret Brainard, the widow of one of Ironside's oldest friends. When Margaret's purse is stolen, she asks Ironside to solve the crime--and to keep secret that the purse contained $200,000 worth of rare jewels. As it turns out, the real reason that Margaret wants Ironside to personally handle the case is that she is lonely and hopes that the Chief will keep her company! Featured in the cast is Solomon Sturges, the son of famed filmmaker Preston Sturges. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Irwin Allen, praised in some circles as a science fiction genius and damned in others as a shameless schlockmeister, produced and directed this fanciful TV-movie. Set in the 21st century, the film concentrates on a group of colonists dwelling in a modernistic underwater city called Pacifica. The emphasis is on drama rather than special effects, as we see the deep-sea denizens struggling to cope with the pressures of their new existence--and their own personal animosities. Stuart Whitman heads a large cast of TV veterans, including Time Tunnel regulars James Darren, Robert Colbert and Whit Bissell, and onetime Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea star Richard Basehart (as the US President). Expanded from a short "demo" pilot film, City Beneath the Sea is the one Irwin Allen project that could have matured into a truly worthwhile TV series; unfortunately no network was interested in subsidizing this expensive effort. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When his girlfriend is murdered in Golden Gate Park, Mark (Don Mitchell) is bound and determined to take the law in his own hands to catch the killer. As a result, Mark is himself held for murder when the chief suspect turns up dead. In his efforts to clear, Mark, Ironside (Raymond Burr) instills in his hotheaded associate a new and daunting respect for "due process." Former Dobie Gillis star Dwayne Hickman turns up in a supporting role, as does future Kung Fu and Kill Bill leading man David Carradine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sarah Deever (Sandy Dennis) is an idealistic young woman living in Brooklyn. Her altruistic nature finds her taking in visitors for a month at a time to help them in their time of need. Charlie Blake (Anthony Newley) is her latest reclamation project, a cardboard-box factory worker and owner of an annoyingly loud alarm on his wristwatch. Charlie gains entrance to her apartment and eventually her heart when he reveals he always wanted to be a poet. Sarah seeks to overcome her own problems by helping those in need, but her need for Charlie's love soon supersedes her initial intentions. He is allowed to stay for the month of November as she adheres to her traditional deadline on guests. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Cornel Wilde produced, directed, and stars in this sincere, hard-edged look at World War II that doesn't flinch from the horrors of battle. The action takes place during a single American campaign to take an island held by the Japanese. Brief flashbacks to civilian life are the only escape from the gritty, dreary setting. The usual cliché characters are replaced by new ones, such as the captain (Wilde) who loves his wife but hates the war, the sergeant (Rip Torn) who gets sadistic pleasure out of battle, the minister's son (Patrick Wolfe) who keeps remembering the girl he left back home, and the Southern illiterate (Burr DeBenning) who finds a place for himself in the Marines. The screenplay (from a 1945 novel by Peter Bowman) avoids stereotypes yet doesn't make any of these men into fleshed-out characters. Still, the acting is solid and Wilde deserves commendation for taking a harsh, unromanticized look at the Big One, over thirty years before Steven Spielberg did it with Saving Private Ryan. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide