Francis de Sales Movies

A two-bit criminal takes on the Mafia to avenge his brother's death in this drama based on a novel by Donald E. Westlake. Earl Macklin (Robert Duvall) is a small time criminal who is released from prison after an unsuccessful bank robbery only to discover that a pair of gunmen killed his brother. As it turns out, the bank that Earl and his brother hit was controlled by gangster Mailer (Robert Ryan). Macklin learns that he's on the mob's hit list as well, so he teams up with his old partner Cody (Joe Don Baker) to take on Mailer and his second in command, Jake Menner (Timothy Carey). The Outfit also features a top-notch supporting cast, including Karen Black, Sheree North, Joanna Cassidy, Richard Jaeckel, and Anita O'Day; Marie Windsor and Elisha Cook, Jr. also appear, 18 years after their memorable turn together in The Killing. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) encounters little difficulty catching up with Ed Benson (Ron Randell) the "inside man" for a $260,000 robbery at the Bayshore Park racetrack. Unfortunately, the Inspector's work is far from over: Benson reveals that he agreed to play along with the robbers only because they are holding his wife Ada (Antoinette Bower) hostage. Thus it is that Erskine once more goes undercover to catch a thief--and his disguise is a beauty! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

It's 1951 in Korea, a time that the United States Army doesn't like to remember. The Communists, led by Chinese forces, are tearing up the battlefield and overrunning American and South Korean positions, and in the midst of it, Sgt. Paul William Ryker (Lee Marvin), decorated World War II hero, with medals that would be the envy of any man in uniform, has been convicted of treason for allegedly deserting, going over to the enemy, and spending weeks behind enemy lines. He's scheduled to be executed, but Capt. David Young (Bradford Dillman), the prosecutor in the case, begins to worry that Ryker wasn't properly represented at trial -- he believes Ryker was guilty, but wants him to be convicted fairly. It hardly endears Young to the men around him when he starts pressing his doubts, and then he meets Ryker's wife, Ann (Vera Miles), who doesn't have the best of marriages but believes her husband is innocent. They start working together and, in the process, become attracted to each other. Ryker claims that a now-deceased counter-intelligence officer, Colonel Chambers, recruited him for a secret mission that would take him behind enemy lines, allegedly as an American turncoat, all to help plug a leak in his own command -- but Chambers was killed just 24 hours after Ryker's mission started, and nothing in his effects verifies Ryker's story. Young is ordered to lay off the case by his commanding officer, the new head of counter-intelligence, and General Bailey (Lloyd Nolan), commanding the sector, but Young risks his career to get Ryker a new trial. Now he's got to defend the man himself, against his own commanding officer as prosecutor, and prepare for his own court martial for conduct unbecoming an officer, for his affair with Ann Ryker. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

After the seemingly random murder of a civil servant, Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) follows the trail of clues to a Communist-funded news service based in Mexico City. What follows is a maelstrom of intrigue involving a possible defector, an eccentric collector of antiques, and a "mole" planted in the American Embassy in Vienna. The acting honors in this episode are won hands-down by the magnificent Viveca Lindfors. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Herman (Fred Gwynne) may be up for a better-paying position at the mortuary, but only if he can get a special hearse-driving license. Accordingly, Herman takes a driving test, with disastrous results. Hoping to re-qualify for the exam, Herman accompanies Grandpa (Al Lewis) to a small town where there will be fewer cars (and fewer pedestrians!) for him to plow into as he practices. Prominent in the proceedings is an old-timer named Charlie Wiggens, played by veteran character comedian Charlie Ruggles. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A full year before the debut of Warner Bros.' TV series The FBI, a pilot of sorts was filmed under the title FBI Code 98. Jack Kelly heads the cast of this Dragnet-style docudrama, wherein the action is underlined by William Woodson's stentorian off-camera narration. The main plot concerns a disgruntled mad bomber, who uses his heightened knowledge of electronics to stay one step ahead of detection. The all-Warner-contractee cast includes Maverick's Kelly, Ray Danton, Andrew Duggan, Philip Carey, William Reynolds (later a regular on The FBI), Peggy McCay and Merry Anders. Originally intended as a TV special, FBI Code 98 was released theatrically instead. The film was produced by Stanley Niss, the author of the book on which the screenplay was based. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Having been burned by a previous marriage to a callous fortune hunter, heiress Grace Renford (Diana Hyland) promises herself that she won't make the same mistake again. Thus, when she falls in love with handsome engineer Keith Holloway (Jeremy Slate), Grace does not tell him that she is fabulously wealthy. Nonetheless, Grace's surrogate mother, Minnie (Mildred Dunnock), is suspicious of the gregarious Holloway -- but this hardly seems to matter when an unexpected tragedy strikes, requiring the services of a spiritualist named Dr. Shankara (Abraham Sofaer). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The spokesman for a highly respected group of Danish artisans, cabinetmaker Axel Norstaad (Karl Swenson) is talked into selling the group's famous trademark to Martin Somers (Dennis Patrick), who claims that the money will be donated to charity. Only when several pieces of inferior furniture are shipped out under the coveted trademark does Axel realize that Somers is a con artist. Threatening to kill Somers if he ever sees him again, Axel is charged with murder when somebody beats him to it. Lawyer Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) investigates the possibility that Axel's sweetheart Edie (Marie Windsor) may know more about the crime than she's letting on (Detective fiction fans will be amused by the character name of the suspect played by Malcolm Atterbury). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This one-hour, police-story melodrama does not focus on the two-legged officers commonly found chasing the bad guys, but a four-legged K-9 corps German Shepherd named "Wolf" (played by Rocco), whose training forms a large part of the story. Wolf is put through his paces so that when the time comes, he can join up with his bosses and head out to capture some nasty arsonists, intent on torching buildings to collect insurance money. Given that Wolf's fans are likely to be the younger set, any ingrained clichés and lines of uninspired dialogue will not be a great problem. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

This standard love story adapted by Leonard Spigelgass from his stage play was acclaimed when it was released for probing into the nature of prejudice. Rosalind Russell plays Mrs. Jacoby, a Jewish widow living in Brooklyn whose daughter Alice (Madlyn Rhue) is married to Jerome (Ray Danton), a U.S. diplomat newly assigned to Japan. Because of Jerome's new post, Mrs. Jacoby decides to visit the land of the rising sun, and once there, she meets Koichi Asano (Alec Guinness). Asano is a suave, sophisticated, and wealthy man with an aesthetically impressive Tokyo home. After the two meet, love starts to blossom. This was one of the rare '60s films geared to the older set but it is significant that even during this period Hollywood still chose to cast a white actor (albeit Alec Guinness!) in the role of Asano. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

One of only two theatrical features by television director Vincent J. Donahue, Sunrise at Campobello is a biography of President Franklin D. Roosevelt that attempts to illustrate the statesman's courageous battle against infantile paralysis and his political foes. While in the prime of his life, Roosevelt (Ralph Bellamy) is stricken with a debilitating illness that threatens to end his career. Fortunately, his wife, Eleanor (Greer Garson), faithfully helps him regain his strength and become one of America's most influential and beloved Commanders in Chief. Hume Cronyn also stars as F.D.R.'s political strategist Louis Howe, who forms a successful triumvirate with the Roosevelts. For her performance, Greer Garson received a Best Actress nomination at the 1961 Academy Awards. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

While surveying the dense woodlands of the Northwest, a pilot reports seeing strange visions in the sky--just before his radio cuts off in mid-sentence. Days later, the same pilot is found wandering in the desert thousands of miles away, babbling incoherently. When the wreckage of the plane is found, it is covered with curious strands of gossamer which immediately disintegrate when touched. Hard-nosed airline executive Paul McCord (Robert Douglas) demands to know what has happened--but by this time, the deranged pilot is in no position to say anything. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi