Tige Andrews Movies
The son of Lebanese parents, American actor Tige Andrews, born Tiger Androwaous, has played supporting roles on television and in films where he is usually cast as an amiable bad-guy. He is best known for his television work; he was a regular on the 1970s series Mod Squad. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Henry Fonda returned to films after an eight-year absence in this masterful adaptation of the actor's Broadway hit Mister Roberts. Written and partially directed by Joshua Logan, the film stars Fonda as Lt. Doug Roberts, chief cargo officer of the supply ship "Reluctant." WW2 is in its last few months, and Roberts is itching for combat duty. But the Reluctant's surly, despotic captain (James Cagney), anxious to use Roberts to expedite his own promotion, refuses to sign any of Roberts' transfer requests. Helping to brighten Mister Roberts' humdrum existence are his best friends, Ensign Frank Pulver (Jack Lemmon, in an Oscar-winning performance) and the ship's philosophical doctor (William Powell, in his final film appearance). Most of the laughs are provided by Pulver, officer "in charge of laundry and morale." When he isn't wheeling and dealing to bring a bevy of beautiful nurses on board the Reluctant, Pulver is concocting elaborate schemes to avenge himself against the Captain -- even though he's spent 14 months on the Reluctant without ever meeting his nemesis. The film's highlights include the efforts by Roberts, Pulver, and Doc to mix a bottle of Scotch from Coca-Cola, Iodine, and other vital ingredients; and Mister Roberts' (and later Ensign Pulver's) assertion of manhood by tossing the Captain's precious palm tree overboard. Halfway through shooting, legendary director John Ford was replaced, ostensibly because of illness, by Mervyn LeRoy. One of the finest service comedies ever made, Mister Roberts spawned a less amusing sequel, Ensign Pulver (1964), as well as a 1965 TV sitcom. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Fonda, James Cagney, (more)
- 1957
Matt (James Arness) has reason to believe that fugitive outlaw Jim Glass, former accomplice of Billy the Kid, is living in Tescosa under the name of Nate Timble. Investigating, Matt can't help but notice that the mild-mannered Trimble (Carl Betz) spends most of his time trying to rehabilitate a derelict cowboy. Just what exactly is Nate's game--assuming that it is a game? This episode is based on the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of August 22, 1953. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The Wings of Eagles is filmmaker John Ford's paean to his frequent collaborator--and, it is rumored, drinking buddy--Cmdr. Frank "Spig" Wead. John Wayne stars as Wead, a reckless WW1 Naval aviator who (it says here) was instrumental in advancing the cause of American "air power". In private life, Wead becomes estranged from his wife Minnie (Maureen O'Hara) after the death of their baby. Drinking heavily, Wead tumbles down the stairs of his home, and as a result he is apparently paralyzed for life. With the help of happy-go-lucky Navy mechanic Carson (Dan Dailey), Wead is able to regain minimal use of his legs, but it seems clear that his Naval career is over. Fortunately, he manages to find work as a prolific Hollywood screenwriter, and after the attack of Pearl Harbor he is called back to active duty to oversee the construction of "jeep carriers". Not one of John Ford's more coherent films--in fact, it's downright sloppy at times--The Wings of Eagles nonetheless contains several highlights, not least of which are the "I'm gonna move that toe" scene with John Wayne and Dan Dailey, and Ward Bond's inside-joke performance as irreverent film director "John Dodge". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Wayne, Dan Dailey, (more)
- 1957
- NR
Adapted by Robert Anderson from a story by James A. Michener, the Robert Wise-directed soaper Until They Sail is set in World-War-II New Zealand. Paul Newman plays been-there-done-that U.S. marine captain Jack Harding, assigned to investigate servicemen's requests to marry local girls. An unemotional cipher, Harding begins to warm up when he meets war widow Barbara Leslie Forbes (Jean Simmons), a woman with three sisters (played by Joan Fontaine, Piper Laurie, and Sandra Dee -- what a gene pool!). The Newman-Simmons relationship is played against the romance between uptight spinster Anne Leslie (Fontaine) and good-natured officer Richard Bates (Charles Drake), and the dysfunctional marriage between the emotionally desperate (and nymphomaniacal) Delia Leslie (Laurie) and slimy Shiner Friskett (Wally Cassell), who is off in battle. The fourth sister, Evelyn (Dee), watches her sisters' amorous pursuits longingly, her mind occupied by her own true love, who is off to war. Until They Sail was a copacetic reunion between star Newman and director Robert Wise, who'd previously collaborated in Somebody Up There Likes Me. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Simmons, Joan Fontaine, (more)
- 1958
- NR
Based on a novel by William Chamberlain, Imitation General has a bit more story depth and character development than the average WWII service comedy. Glenn Ford stars as M/Sgt. Murphy Savage, who is forced to take drastic action when Brigadier General Charles Lane (Kent Smith) is killed in action. To assure the success of the General's mission, and to sustain morale within the ranks, Sgt. Savage poses as the deceased Lane. Standing on the sidelines to kvetch and moan is Red Buttons as Cpl. Chan Derby, who's certain that both he and Savage will be shot at sunrise for the sergeant's deception. Finnish actress Taina Elg is somewhat incongruously cast as a French farm girl. Given the fact that the story of Imitation General is motivated by the "passing of a torch", it's ironic that the film's first network showing in November of 1963 was postponed by the JFK assassination. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Red Buttons, (more)
Cliff Brandon (Victor Mature) is a US pilot serving in China in 1943, flying supplies to Allied soldiers in Burma. He's the best at what he does in the air, but he's also emotionally cut off from everyone around him, disillusioned by the loss of men in his command during nearly two years of war. When he's not in the air on a mission, or riding his new men (including Stuart Whitman, Tige Andrews and Johnny Desmond) to learn their jobs as fast as they can so they can survive, he's usually either passed out drunk or getting there on the ground. One night, while staggering out of his usual watering hole, he chances to meet an elderly Chinese man and, after a barely understood conversation, hands him a pile of money. When Cliff awakens the next day, he discovers that he's bought three months of housekeeping service from the man's daughter, Shu-Jen (Li Li Hua). At first he's at a loss over what to do about her -- he would gladly send her back to her father, until he learns from local missionary Father Cairns (Ward Bond) that Shu-Jen (whose name means "precious jewel") is the sole supporter of her family; and that if he sends her back, they'll return his money as a matter of honor, and have to sell her services as a housekeeper again; and that the next time that may be to someone who is a lot less honorable than Cliff, and could destroy the rest of the girl's life. So they're stuck with each other, and in the course of three months together Cliff discovers through Shu-Jen a joyous side to life that he'd forgotten -- his men even notice that he smiles occasionally, and he actually seems like a human being, enough so that Cliff soon wants more out of life than just day-to-day survival; he wants a life with Shu-Jen. And despite her initial misgivings, they decide to marry. But duty constantly beckons to Cliff, especially when he's moved to a forward base to support a new Allied offensive -- he isn't there for the birth of their child, but he is able to bring them both to him, only to find that the war is now on both their doorsteps. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor Mature, Li Li Hua, (more)
- 1958
In his third starring feature, Onionhead, Andy Griffith plays a character somewhere inbetween the bucolic ingenuousness of Will Stockdale in No Time for Sergeants and the hotheaded truculence of Lonesome Rhodes in A Face in the Crowd. Griffith is cast as Al Woods, a college student majoring in girls and parties. When his grades drop and his relationship with girlfiend Jo Hill (Erin O'Brien) sours, Al joins the Coast Guard as assistant cook on the SS Periwinkle, fully expecting to sit out WW2 in peace and quiet. Instead, he runs afoul of navy protocol in general and mess officer Red Wildoe (Walter Matthau) in particular. In or out of trouble, Al remains a stubborn individualist, and it is this quality that attracts him to Wildoe's erstwhile fiancee Stella (Felica Farr). Strong support is provided by Roscoe Karns as Al Woods' crusty father, James Gregory as the skipper of thePeriwinkle, and Joey Bishop is the inevitable Brooklynite. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Griffith, Felicia Farr, (more)
- 1959
A trio of energetic young men try to put on a good show for their Army camp, in this lightweight comedy by Raoul Walsh. Luigi (Sal Mineo just risen to stardom), Jerry (Berry Coe), and Mike (Gary Crosby) are in boot camp when they are presented with a chance to represent their unit in competition on a national television show. The three guys are up to the challenge, which begins a chain of unusual circumstances that not only have them singing and dancing at the proper times, but also running into a trio of alluring young women (Barbara Eden, Terry Moore, and Christine Carere). Then there is that little mix-up when the Assistant Secretary of War mistakenly marries herself off to a doped-up Private Jerry, all for a good cause. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sal Mineo, Christine Carère, (more)
- 1967
Captain Kirk vies with a rival Klingon commander in a struggle for the allegiance of an unclaimed planet in this installment of the landmark science fiction series. The Enterprise arrives at the planet after receiving word of the Klingon's presence and finds Krag, a skillful Klingon commander, already deep in negotiations with the planet's civilization. Kirk beams down to the planet to present the Federation's side of the case. On the planet, however, he is shocked to witness the beginnings of a ritual killing and intervenes to save the intended victim, a pregnant woman named Eleen. But this intended act of kindness may turn out to be a crucial mistake: not only does it convince the planet's people that Kirk has no respect for their traditions, it is also a serious violation of Federation policy. The conflicted captain must now attempt to undo the damage and win over the planet while still protecting the woman's life. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) and Rhodes (Stephen Brooks) head to the Florida Keys, where Gloria Burnett is hiding in an abandoned house. Gloria is the only person who can identify her husband Charles (James Franciscus) and his accomplice Allen Cole (Hunt Powers) as the masterminds behind a thwarted kidnap attempt, and Charles is not about to let her tell anyone what she knows. Ratcheting up the melodrama is an oncoming hurricane that threatens to wipe out all of the principal characters in one fell swoop. Glen Campbell shows up as a philosophical guitar player. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Now working as a trucker under the alias "Stan Dyson", Kimble (David Janssen) falls in love with his company's dispatcher Barbara Wells (Janice Rule). What Kimble doesn't know is that Barbara is a parolee who must return to her jail cell every evening. Nor is he aware of this arrangement when Barbara breaks out of jail to join Kimble at a lakeside resort--with parole officer Art Meredith (Steve Ihnat) and the relentless Lt. Gerard (Barry Morse) hot on the couple's trail. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Occasionally listed as In Enemy Hands (evidently a working title), In Enemy Country is a war film with "A" ambitions and a TV-movie budget. Wartime secret agents Col. Charles Waslow-Carton (Tony Franciosa) and Lt. Col. Philip Braden (Guy Stockwell) infiltrate enemy lines, posing as POWs. Their mission is to destroy a deadly new type of torpedo, hidden in a Nazi stronghold in France. Their contact is Denise Marchois (Anjanette Comer), whom Waslow-Carton had coerced into marrying a German baron (Paul Hubschmid) before the outbreak of war, thus allowing her to continue her spying activities unimpeded. Upon the completion of their mission, Marchois chooses to remain behind with her husband, whom she has grown to love. Too many peripheral characters, way too many plot twists, and a "French" village obviously constructed on the Universal back lot: for these and other reasons, In Enemy Country is a must to avoid. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Franciosa, Anjanette Comer, (more)
Meet Pete, Linc and Julie: The Mod Squad. This trio consisted of rich, long-haired Pete Cochran, Lincoln "Linc" Hayes from the tough streets of inner city Los Angeles, and beautiful flower child Julie Barnes, a runaway from San Francisco. They're recruited by police captain Adam Greer (Tiger Andrews) for a covert unit that will help bridge the generation gap. Each week these three cops with love beads wrestled with criminals - and their own consciences. They may have been the "fuzz," but they were determined to never compromise their values. They were The Mod Squad!
- Starring:
- Michael Cole, Clarence Williams III, (more)
- 1974
Skyway to Death is still another TV-guest-stars-in-jeopardy opus. This time, everyone is packed into an aerial tramway. As the assorted characters hang some 8500 feet in the air, their car breaks down and threatens to plummet earthward. The special guest victims include Ross Martin (sometimes erroniously listed as the film's director), Stefanie Powers, Bobby Sherman, Tige Andrews, Nancy Malone, John Astin and Joseph Campanella. Skyway to Death first dropped onto American's TV screens on January 19, 1974. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Kojak opens its second season with a powerful two-part episode (originally telecast in a single 120-minute timeslot). Several murders have occurred in New York's Chinatown district, and police detective Theo Kojak (Telly Savalas) is concerned that an all-out war between rival crime families is about to erupt. What no one knows--at least at this point in the story--is that the kilings have been perpetrated by three "neutral" Chinese-American criminals, determined to play both sides against the middle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
In the conclusion of Kojak's two part second-season opener (originally telecast as a single 120-minute episode), Lt. Kojak (Telly Savalas) races against time to solve a series of murders in New York's Chinatown--and, hopefully, prevent a bloody full-scale war between two rival crime clans. Meanwhile, the murderers persist in their plans to play both sides down the middle, kidnapping a powerful mob boss and holding him for ransom. Most of this episode was filmed on location--a rarity during Season Two of Kojak, when much of the series was being shot in the studio. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
In this crime drama, the Chief must quickly solve the murder of a detective whose corpse was found in a cheap motel room with a young woman, before a scandal erupts and his reputation is ruined. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
