Richard Deacon Movies
Very early in his stage career, Richard Deacon was advised by Helen Hayes to abandon all hopes of becoming a leading man: instead, she encouraged him to aggressively pursue a career as a character actor. Tall, bald, bespectacled and bass-voiced since high school, Deacon heeded Ms. Hayes' advice, and managed to survive in show business far longer than many of the "perfect" leading men who were his contemporaries. Usually cast as a glaring sourpuss or humorless bureaucrat, Deacon was a valuable and highly regarded supporting-cast commodity in such films as Desiree (1954), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), Kiss Them For Me (1957), The Young Philadelphians (1959) and The King's Pirate (1967), among many others. Virtually every major star who worked with Deacon took time out to compliment him on his skills: among his biggest admirers were Lou Costello, Jack Benny and Cary Grant. Even busier on television than in films, Richard Deacon had the distinction of appearing regularly on two concurrently produced sitcoms of the early 1960s: he was pompous suburbanite Fred Rutherford on Leave It to Beaver, and the long-suffering Mel Cooley on The Dick Van Dyke Show. Deacon also co-starred as Kaye Ballard's husband on the weekly TV comedy The Mothers-in-Law (1968), and enjoyed a rare leading role on the 1964 Twilight Zone installment "The Brain Center at Whipples." In his last decade, Richard Deacon hosted a TV program on microwave cookery, and published a companion book on the subject. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1984
Everyone is a stereotypical extreme in this sometimes mean-spirited black comedy about the vicious staff at an orphanage, the garrulous punk kids who live there, and the pretentious overblown rich couple who adopt one of the orphans -- this is not a happy world. In the Bleeding Heart Orphanage, Sister Serene (Anne De Salvo) applies all the mental and emotional restrictions she can to her wild charges, while Kurtz (Murphy Dunne) applies the electric cattle prod. When one of the children (all around 10 years old, more or less) is adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Fitzpatrick (Martin Mull and Karen Black), his cohorts come to rescue him from the terrors of an upper-class Santa Barbara existence -- and subsequent mayhem ensues. With a low-brow, low-budget approach, the premises are obviously meant to key in to the slapstick characterizations, but for some viewers, even the comic moments may not assuage the meaner undertones of the film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Mull, Karen Black, (more)
- 1983
Perhaps it's a blessing that old Ward Cleaver didn't live to see how his son Beaver (Jerry Mathers) turned out. Now in his mid-30s, the Beav is divorced, out of work, and living in his mother's house with his two children. Beaver's brother Wally, also married, is doing rather better, but his friendship with neighborhood sharpster Eddie Haskell (Ken Osmond) threatens his financial wellbeing. Only the boys' Mom June (Barbara Billingsley) has matured in the twenty years since Leave It to Beaver left the air. Still the Beaver was the pilot for one of those ubiquitous "reunion" series of the 1980s; this one sold, and ran for several seasons on the TBS Superstation as The New Leave It to Beaver. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
Ready for a major role reversal? Well, that's just what happens when Mel (Vic Tayback) gives up his diner to become an executive employee for a major catering firm led by R.J. Meyerson (played by the great Richard Deacon). At the same time, the waitresses take over ownership of the diner, making them their own bosses for the first time. Needless to say, this situation results in major headaches for all concerned. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
This is a romantic tale about a lovely artist who tastes the painful bliss of first love. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1981
In this television outing, condors run aerial reconnaissance to find new habitats that are free of human influence. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1980
Producer Aaron Spelling's made-for-TV Murder Can Hurt You is an unsubtle take-off of Neil Simon's theatrical feature Murder By Death. A crime is committed by the unknown, all-seeing Master Criminal. To solve the case, several top detectives are summoned, each one a takeoff of a popular TV gumshoe. Victor Buono plays Ironbottom, Jamie Farr and John Byner are Studsky and Hatch, Tony Danza is Pony Lambretta, Gavin McLeod impersonates Nojak, Connie Stevens goes by the name of Salty Sanderson, Burt Young portrays Palumbo....you get the idea. Just so we don't miss the joke, each character is introduced with the theme song of his or her "real" TV counterpart. The sporadically chucklesome Murder Can Hurt You was first telecast May 21, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor Buono, John Byner, (more)
- 1978
In this romantic comedy, a news anchorwoman's prenuptial jitters increase dramatically when another man, a songwriter, falls deeply in love with her and decides that he would do anything to be her husband. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Thomas, Bess Armstrong, (more)
- 1971
Seeking the location of a New York repair shop for his broken antique watch, Oliver (Eddie Albert) gets in touch with his former secretary Carol Rush (Elaine Joyce), who is now working for a realtor. One thing leads to another, and by the end of the story Oliver and Carol have combined forces to save her boss from being bilked out of 10,000 dollars. This 170th and final episode of Green Acres was intended as the pilot for a spinoff series starring Elaine Joyce, Emmaline Henry, and Richard Deacon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elaine Joyce, Emmaline Henry, (more)
- 1970
In the third episode of a nine-part story arc, the romance between Elly May and Navy frogman Mark Templeton (Roger Torrey) is progressing smoothly. Meanwhile, Granny continues to labor under the misapprehension that Mark is half-human, half-amphibian. To prevent Mark from lapsing into frog-hood, Granny turns to a Beverly Hills psychiatrist (Richard Deacon) for advice. "Doctor Cure My Frog" first aired on October 27, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
In the fifth episode of a nine-part story arc, Elly May's engagement to Navy frogman Mark Templeton (Roger Torrey) continues to terrify Granny, who believes that Mark is half-man, half-frog. Granny has further convinced herself that the source of Mark's "frog side" is the Clampett swimming pool. As a result, she tries to discourage Jed, Jethro, and Elly from diving into the "cee-ment pond," worried that she'll soon have a mess of giant amphibians on her hands. Richard Deacon is seen as a flustered psychiatrist. "The Frog Family" originally aired on November 17, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
In the fourth episode of a nine-part story arc, Navy frogman Mark Templeton (Roger Torrey) is on the verge of proposing to Elly May. Everyone in the Clampett clan is delighted -- everyone, that is, except Granny, who still believes that the designation "frogman" means that Mark is half-frog. In a surreal dream sequence, Granny imagines that Elly is marching down the aisle with a giant amphibian! Richard Deacon appears briefly as a bemused psychiatrist. "Do You Elly Take This Frog?" was originally telecast on November 10, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
In the sixth episode of a nine-part story arc, Granny tries to reconcile herself to the impending marriage between Elly May and Navy frogman Mark Templeton (Roger Torrey). Alas, Granny is still unable to shake the notion that Mark is more "frog" than "man." Her suspicions about Mark's amphibian side are apparently confirmed when Jed contributes $50 million to Mark's latest scientific project, aimed at planting crops on the ocean floor. "Farm in the Ocean" first aired on November 24, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Tony Rome (Frank Sinatra) is a Miami private detective who discovers a lady in cement while scuba diving. Rome is hired by Gronsky (Dan Blocker) to find out if the woman is his missing girlfriend. He interviews Kit Forrest (Raquel Welch), a boozy socialite who had seen the woman at a drunken party earlier. Tony is warned by Kit's neighbor Al Munger (Martin Gabel) to stay away from Kit. Tony discovers Al is a former rackets boss and suspects there is more to the story than Kit and Al are letting on. With the help of local Lieutenant Santini (Richard Conti), Tony contacts artist Arnie Sherwin (Richard Deacon), who helps identify the dead woman as Gronsky's girlfriend. The plot thickens when Gronsky admits that he and Al's son Paul (Steve Peck) were dipping into Al's fund of ill-gotten money. Tony eliminates Kit as a suspect as he tries to solve the crime in this murder mystery. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frank Sinatra, Raquel Welch, (more)
Blackbeard's Ghost was one of the first Disney productions released after Walt's death. Peter Ustinov stars as the eponymous wraith, who returns to Earth to come to aid of his descendant, elderly Elsa Lanchester. The villains want to kick Lanchester and her friends out of their group home so that they can build a crooked casino. Good guy Dean Jones evokes the spirit of Blackbeard to thwart the bad guys. The supporting cast ranges from Richard Deacon to Gil Lamb, while Peter Ellenshaw performs the visual effects with mattes, miniatures, and process screens. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones, (more)
- 1967
This very economical remake of the 1952 Errol Flynn vehicle Against All Flags stars Doug McClure in the Flynn role. Cashiered from the royal navy in disgrace, McClure becomes a buccaneer, guiding his loyal crew to an island completely populated by cutthroats. Here he links up with pirate-captain Guy Stockwell and lady-swashbuckler Jill St. John. The plot comes to a head when the pirates conspire to hold lovely Middle-Eastern princess Mary Ann Mobley for ransom. McClure comes to her rescue and routs the rascals, revealing along the way that he's been working under cover on behalf of the king (a fact rather given away by the title). The most fascinating moments of The King's Pirate concern a pair of well-proportioned belly dancers, who keep the other pirates occupied while McClure goes about his business. The camera lovingly and longingly records each bump, grind, and wiggle, allowing the audience to get its mind off the creaky plot contrivances. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Doug McClure, Jill St. John, (more)
- 1967
Hoping to purchase some farmland for Granny, Jed gets his signals crossed and ends up at the Happy Valley Cemetery. Likewise confused are cemetery-plot salesmen Brubaker (Richard Deacon) and Mortimer (Jesse White). Convinced that Granny has passed over to the other side, the two men try to sell Jed the "ideal location" for the old girl. "A Plot for Granny" made its original network debut on November 1, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Carl Reiner's semi-autobiographical novel Enter Laughing makes a largely successful transition to the screen. Reni Santoni plays the Reiner character, here named David Kolowitz. A machinist's apprentice in Depression-era New York, David dreams of becoming the new Ronald Colman. Defying the wishes of his parents (Shelley Winters, David Opatoshu), David lands a nonpaying job in a seedy theatrical production directed by broken-down ham Marlowe (Jose Ferrer). That the young aspiring actor knows nothing about his "craft" is evident the moment he speaks his first stage direction--"Enter Laughing"--as if it were a line of dialogue. Helped along by Marlowe's sex-starved daughter Angela (Elaine May), David manages to survive the rehearsal period, but his first public performance threatens to become a disaster when he can't find the entrance to the set. Still and all, David makes it through the play, cheered along by his now-supportive parents. Blessed with a marvelous supporting cast--including Jack Gilford, Don Rickles, Janet Margolin and veteran black comedian Mantan Moreland--Enter Laughing is a riot, especially for those viewers who have ever participated in amateur theatricals themselves. Only Reni Santoni fails to ring true as David Kolowitz (a role played on stage by Alan Arkin), though he has a few choice scenes, especially his impromptu performance on a subway. Watch for Rob Reiner in his film debut as a clumsy, self-conscious actor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- José Ferrer, Reni Santoni, (more)
- 1967
Just as Tony (Larry Hagman) developed amnesia in the first-season episode "I'll Never Forget What's Her Name", so too does Jeannie (Barbara Eden) lose her memory in this third-season offering. Unable to remember anything, Jeannie refuses to believe that she is a genie, going so far as to hire a lawyer (Richard Deacon) to sue NASA for the accident that caused her amnesia. Tony (Larry Hagman) must race against time to prevent Jeannie's doctor (Chet Stratton) from learning the truth about the girl--and to rescue Dr. Bellows (Hayden Rorke), whom Jeannie had previously transformed into a laboratory mouse bound for the moon! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
In keeping with producer Carl Reiner's edict, "Always leave 'em laughing," the final episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show (though not the final one to be shown) is one of the series' funniest outings. Assigned to write a cowboy sketch for his boss Alan Brady, Rob (Dick Van Dyke) dreams up an elaborate "High Noon" Western-spoof casting himself as a sheriff slated for a showdown with notorious outlaw "Big Bad" Brady (Reiner, of course). The show's entire cast joins in on the dream sequence, with Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) performing a spirited (and interminably repeated) rendition of "I Don't Care," Buddy (Morey Amsterdam) showing up as Rob's deputy, Sally (Rose Marie) appearing as the local saloon gal, and Richard Deacon, Jerry Paris, Larry Mathews, and Ann Morgan Guilbert likewise cavorting about in Old West costumes. The script contains more classic gags and one-liners than one can shake a stick at, and as the bonus, includes the only Dick Van Dyke Show sequence to be filmed out-of-doors." The Gunslinger" is everything a great series finale should be...even if it wasn't telecast as the series finale! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carl Reiner, Richard Deacon, (more)
- 1966
After five long years, Rob (Dick Van Dyke) finally finishes his autobiography. As he prepares to submit the masterpiece to a publisher, the series' cast revels in selected chapters -- thereby cuing lengthy excerpts from such past Dick Van Dyke Show episodes as "Where Did I Come From?," "The Attempted Marriage," and the unforgettable "That's My Boy??." This final episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show (but not the final one filmed) comes full circle when Alan Brady (Carl Reiner) options Rob's book as a possible TV situation comedy! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carl Reiner, Richard Deacon, (more)
- 1966
Fed up with their boss Alan Brady's tyrannical behavior, Rob (Dick Van Dyke), Sally (Rose Marie), and Buddy (Morey Amsterdam) capriciously dash off a script for the show festooned with insults directed at Alan. Of course, they've only done this to let off steam, and have no intention of submitting the script to their egotistical employer. Inevitably, however, the renegade script ends up on Alan's desk -- and subsequently finds its way to Alan's home, leading to a slapstick-filled nocturnal foray by a group of decidedly amateur burglars! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carl Reiner, Richard Deacon, (more)
- 1966
It is hardly surprising that Rob's overbearing, egotistical boss Alan Brady (Carl Reiner) has commissioned a filmed documentary about a "typical" day in his life. Nor is it unusual that Alan wants to film a key scene from the documentary in the living room of Rob (Dick Van Dyke) and Laura (Mary Tyler Moore). But it is highly inconvenient -- and ultimately disastrous -- when Alan and his camera crew insist upon invading the Petrie home on the night that Rob and Laura are throwing an anniversary party for Jerry and Millie Helper (Jerry Paris, Ann Morgan Guilbert). Perennial dumb blonde Joyce Jameson figures prominently into the (literally) gut-wrenching climax of this episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carl Reiner, Richard Deacon, (more)
