Jeff Donnell Movies

Bob hopes to get away from his work by joining Emily on a relaxing ocean voyage. Fat chance! No sooner have they cast off than Bob has offered his psychological services to a battling married couple. Featured in the cast are Jeff Donnell as Clara, aka "The Little Woman"; John Crawford as Vern; Robert Phelps as Graham; and Jack Scalici, Claudette Duffy, and Timoth Himes as three wild-eyed participants in a shipboard scavenger hunt. Written by Earl Pomerantz, "Freudian Ship" first aired on January 7, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The "O'Brien" of the title is Mrs. O'Brien (Lillian Bronson), the feisty old manager of the apartment building wherein resides Officer Pete Malloy (Martin Milner). Someone has stolen Mrs. O'Brien's purse, and she is determined that the police capture the thief--even if it means picketing the Rampart station, much to Pete's annoyance and embarrassment. This episode was originally scheduled to air on November 2, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Naive teenager Karen Collins (Patricia Mattick) has been kidnapped--but she doesn't know it. Thanks to the duplicity of her two new "friends", Karen is convinced that she is merely on a weekend vacation. Meanwhile, Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) conducts an exhaustive search for the missing girl, who will undoubtedly be eliminated the moment she tumbles to the truth. Featured as Karen's father is Mark Miller, the real-life dad of film star Penelope Ann Miller. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Arte Johnson makes his first Partridge Family guest appearance as all-purpose handyman and "part-time Cossack" Nicholas Minski Pushkin. Hired to work for the Partridiges, the self-styled "Pushkin the Magnificent" proves to be inept in practical matters but a positive genius as a chef and painter--causing quite a ruckus in the latter category when he paints a portrait of a nearly-nude female on the family's garage door! Versatile cartoon voiceover artist Frank Welker makes a rare on-camera appearance. Song: "Last Night". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This 25-million dollar epic collaboration accurately recreates the events that led to the Japanese attack on the American naval base during World War II. With Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, the wheels are set in motion by Japan to plan the attack. After internal differences in the government, the Japanese quickly mobilize plans for the assault. Key American personnel ignored warnings of the possibility of Japanese aggression. The first part of the film divides scenes from both countries. Part two contains spectacular battle scenes of the bombing that destroyed the American naval base of operations in Hawaii. Governmental errors on both sides add to the confusion, but the Japanese ultimately carry out the deadly mission. The film did well in Japan, did not do well in the he United States, and took years to make back the production costs. It remains an insightful and well crafted World War II action drama that was the result of years of negotiations between the two countries. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Neil Kriton (Michael Tolan), a respectable businessman, is none too pleased when his black-sheep younger brother Ricky (Scott Marlowe) shows up, begging for a job. Neil relents and finds employment for Ricky, despite the reservations of Neil's wife Denise (Julie Adams) and sister-in-law Lori Donna Baccala). Perhaps the elder Kriton would have been wise to heed the warnings of the women in his life: Ricky happens to be a fugitive from the FBI, wanted for hijacking and attempted murder--and he has no intention of reforming. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This is one of a handful of episodes in which Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) appears only fleetingly, with the bulk of the drama handled by a "special guest attorney." While Perry is in Europe on business, fellow attorney Joe Kelly (Mike Connors) agrees to help Bill Jaris (Robert Harland), the owner of a bowling alley in the town of Tesoro. The town is controlled by Bill's monstrous mother-in-law Bonnie Mae Wilmot, aka "The Duchess", who conspires with Dr. Max Taylor (Milton Selzer) to have the bowling alley closed down for health reasons. When Taylor is murdered and Bill is charged with the crime, Kelly works overtime to defend his client. Reportedly, this episode (which for many years was not included in the series' syndication package and thus considered "lost") was contrived by the producers to test out Mike Connors as a potential replacement for Raymond Burr, who at the time was seriously considering retirement at the end of Perry Mason's eighth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Not a medieval epic, The Iron Maiden is a contemporary comedy. Nor is the title object a torture device; instead, it's new sort of steam roller. The hero (Michael Craig) is an aircraft designer who neglects his work because of his fondness for machine engines. The film's climax is a steamroller race across the British countryside, which is all right as steamroller races go. The American distributors of Iron Maiden sent this one out under the alluring and wholly misleading cognomen The Swinging Maiden. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This second film in the "Gidget" series stars Deborah Walley as Francie Lawrence, better known as Gidget. After being disappointed in love by surfin' dude Moondoggie (James Darren), Gidge joins her parents (Carl Reiner, Jeff Donnell) on a Hawaiian vacation. Complications ensue when Moondoggie likewise arrives in the islands, only to find Gidget "that way" about local beach stud Eddie Horner (Michael Callan). In general, Gidget Goes Hawaiian isn't up to the standards of the original Gidget, though there are a few bright moments, including a satiric dream sequence. Once more, the film proved successful at the box office, spawning even more sequels and no fewer than two weekly TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ernest Lehman drew upon his experiences as a Broadway press agent to write the devastating a clef short story "Tell Me About Tomorrow." This in turn was adapted by Lehman and Clifford Odets into the sharp-edged, penetrating feature film Sweet Smell of Success. Burt Lancaster stars as J. J. Hunsecker, a Walter Winchell-style columnist who wields his power like a club, steamrolling friends and enemies alike. Tony Curtis co-stars as Sidney Falco, a sycophantic press agent who'd sell his grandmother to get an item into Hunsecker's popular newspaper column. Hunsecker enlists Falco's aid in ruining the reputation of jazz guitarist Steve Dallas (Martin Milner), who has had the temerity to court Hunsecker's sister Susan (Susan Harrison). Falco contrives to plant marijuana on Dallas, then summons corrupt, sadistic NYPD officer Harry Kello (Emile Meyer), who owes Hunsecker several favors, to arrest the innocent singer. The real Walter Winchell, no longer as powerful as he'd been in the 1940s but still a man to be reckoned with, went after Ernest Lehman with both barrels upon the release of Sweet Smell of Success. Winchell was not so much offended by the unflattering portrait of himself as by the dredging up of an unpleasant domestic incident from his past. While Success was not a success at the box office, it is now regarded as a model of street-smart cinematic cynicism. The electric performances of the stars are matched by the taut direction of Alex MacKendrick, the driving jazz score of Elmer Bernstein, and the evocative nocturnal camerawork of James Wong Howe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Depression-New Deal subtext of the original 1936 My Man Godfrey was understandably dispensed with in this so-so 1957 remake. David Niven steps into the old William Powell role as hobo-turned-butler Godfrey, while June Allyson does her best in the Carole Lombard part as Irene Bullock, the spoiled, impulsive heiress who brings Godfrey into her zany household. The remake follows the original with reasonable fidelity so far as the basics are concerned, with Godfrey, a wealthy lawyer who dropped out of society after an unhappy romance, rescuing the screwball Bullock family from bankruptcy and self-destruction simply by applying a soupcon of common sense. The supporting cast is able, though not as "perfect" for their roles as their 1936 counterparts: the most interesting bit of casting is Jay Robinson, who rose to fame as Caligula in The Robe, as the parasitic "protégé" originally portrayed by Mischa Auer. In keeping with the custom of the times, My Man Godfrey is fitted out with an opening theme song, written by Peggy Lee and Sonny Burke, and performed by Sarah Vaughan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide