Don Bexley Movies

Hunter (Fred Dryer) is approached by a deaf woman named Barbara Collins, who asks the detective to locate her runaway daughter Danni (Pierette Grace). Hunter agrees to do so, little imagining that this is no ordinary missing-persons case. In turns out that Danni is the sole witness to a murder that Hunter has been investigating for weeks--meaning that he'd better rush her to safety before the killer can strike again. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Hunter (Fred Dryer) finds it impossible to believe that his former partner Frank Garriman (James McEachin) is mixed up with drug-dealing and murder. Actually, Frank's delinquent son Bobby (Kevin Best) was the catalyst for the man's troubles: while delivering cocaine for his street gang, Bobby was caught in a shootout in which his mother was seriously wounded. As bodies begin piling up all over LA, Hunter hopes against hope that his old friend Garriman has not allowed his desire for revenge to turn him into a cold-blood killer--but all the evidence points in this direction. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the conclusion of a two-part story, McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) faces the possibility of permanent paralysis as she undergoes surgery to remove a bullet from her spine. Meanwhile, Hunter (Fred Dryer) heads to Mexico, there to settle accounts with notorious pimp Big Jack Hemmings (Robert Ridgely), whom he holds responsible for McCall's plight. When Big Jack turns up murdered, Hunter is arrested--and as the story winds down, the detective must place his life in the hands of his old enemy, gonzo defense attorney Mike Snow (Martin E. Brooks). This final episode of Hunter's third season was directed by series costar Stepfanie Kramer. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Season three of Hunter starts with a bang--actually several bangs--as police detective Rick Hunter (Fred Dryer) manages to shoot down one of two escaping murderers. Alas, the other killer gets away thanks to the interference of "gonzo" TV reporter Raoul Mercado (a thinly disguised "Geraldo" type played by Michael Wren). After Hunter has Mercado arrested, the reporter launches a personal vendetta against the detective, publicly raking him over the coals for his violent arrest record. Thus it is that when Mercado is killed by a car bomb, Hunter is Suspect Number One. With this episode, Captain Wyler (Bruce Davidson) is promoted to Deputy Chief; and Garret Morris becomes a regular in the formerly recurring role of street hustler Sporty James. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Screenwriter Walter Bernstein made his directorial debut with Little Miss Marker, a re-make of the Damon Runyon story that has been filmed many times before (most notably as Little Miss Marker with Shirley Temple, Sorrowful Jones starring Bob Hope, and the Tony Curtis vehicle 40 Pounds of Trouble). Here the cute little moppet is played by Sara Stimson, with Walter Matthau as the kid's nemesis Sorrowful Jones. The story concerns the relationship between the two when Little Miss Marker is left with Sorrowful as a down payment for one of her father's bets. Jones is involved with Blackie (Tony Curtis), who's trying to open an undercover casino in a mansion owned by Amanda (Julie Andrews). Jones and the kid find themselves in a number of dangerous scrapes as they try to keep one step ahead of the law -- and of Blackie. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Having already announced their engagement, Lionel (Demond Wilson) and Janet (Marlene Clark) eagerly make plans for their wedding. Then, out of nowhere, Janet's ex-husband John (James A. Watson Jr.) appears. From all outward appearances, John wants to kiss and make up with Janet -- but it turns out that he may have a hidden agenda. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Sanford Arms is threatened with foreclosure due to nonpayment of rent. Fred and Lamont Sanford (Redd Foxx, Demond Wilson) decide that the best way to avoid this contingency is to buy the rooming house outright -- but for that, they need 4,000 dollars immediately. Throwing caution to the winds, Fred turns to gambling to get rich quick, whereupon a streak of incredibly good luck convinces the Sanfords that their dreams might actually come true (for once). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A pair of shapsters persuade Fred (Redd Foxx) to invest in a shady sales promotion. The plan is to hold a fund-raising sweepstakes raffle -- without a winning ticket. The scheme backfires when a winner unexpectedly shows up, leaving Fred holding the bag. It is up to Bubba (Don Bexley) and an unwitting Aunt Esther (LaWanda Page) to bail our hero out. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Chuck Barris guest-stars in this zany episode, wherein Fred (Redd Foxx) and his cronies are booked to appear on The Gong Show. Unfortunately for Fred, his wise-guy brother-in-law Rodney (Allan Drake) is slated to appear on the same show -- and fully intends to win the grand prize. A last-minute plot wrinkle results in a hilarious song-and-dance performed con brio by Fred, Lamont (Demond Wilson), and Bubba (Don Bexley). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Hoping to impress his future grandson (Ed Crawford), Fred (Redd Foxx) weaves an incredible tale of his "heroic" exploits during WWII. Casting himself as the Patton-like "Major Fred G. Sanford," Fred concocts an unbelievable account based on every war movie cliché ever minted, culminating in a top-secret mission to sabotage a Nazi guided-missile plant. Naturally, Fred's contemporary cronies appear in his fabrications, among them "Lieutenant Lamont," "Fingers Rollo," and "Bubbaface Bexley." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Season six of Sanford and Son was launched on September 24, 1976, with the series' only two-part episode -- and also one of its funniest -- "The Hawaiian Connection," largely filmed on location in Honolulu and its environs. Then it was back to South Central Los Angeles, where irascible Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx) and his long-suffering son Lamont (Demond Wilson) divided their time between their junk business and their new enterprise, a boarding house called the Sanford Arms. Most of the series' familiar recurring characters were still in attendance. LaWanda Page continued to wield her heavy purse and spout Scripture as Fred's contentious sister-in-law Aunt Esther, with Raymond Allen occasionally showing up as Esther's mild-mannered husband, Woodrow, and Eric Laneuville making a handful of appearances as Esther and Woody's newly-adopted son Daniel. Fred Sanford persisted in his romantic relationship with his erstwhile fiancée, nurse Donna Harris (Lynn Hamilton), while son Lamont made preparations to wed the widowed Janet Lawson (Marlene Clark) and adopt Janet's son Roger (Edward Crawford). Additionally, the Sanfords played host to a variety of male chums, among them Bubba (Don Bexley), Rollo (Nathaniel Taylor), and, from time to time, Grady Wilson (Whitman Mayo, whose own spin-off series Grady had recently been canceled). Absent from the proceedings were neighborhood cops Smitty and Hoppy, previously played respectively by Hal Williams and Howard Platt. At the end of season six, it would seem that Lamont was headed to the altar, while Fred would continue maintenance of both Sanford and Son Salvage and the Sanford Arms. Though its ratings had slipped a bit, Sanford and Son still enjoyed a robust prime-time viewership, and was now being seen in rerun form as part of NBC's weekday schedule. Its future as a Friday-night fixture appeared to be completely secure. But appearances can be deceiving. Having been offered his own weekly ABC variety show, Redd Foxx opted to leave Sanford and Son for good and all. The series' producers were all prepared to continue the property under the new title The Sanford Arms, with Demond Wilson promoted to top billing. Unfortunately, Wilson squabbled over what he felt was inadequate financial remuneration for taking over as sole series star, and also took a walk. After the final nighttime telecast of Sanford and Son on September 2, 1977, The Sanford Arms was launched as scheduled on September 16. Many of the old Sanford regulars -- LaWanda Page, Whitman Mayo, Raymond Allen -- were still on board, but without the combined star power of Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson, this "new" series floundered and sank within four weeks of its premiere. Three years later, Redd Foxx tried to make the magic happen again with the "revival" project Sanford, with only Foxx and Nathaniel Taylor (Rollo) repeating their roles from the original series. Alas, audiences were unable to shake their pleasant memories of the old Sanford and Son, and Sanford was quietly terminated after a single season. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

To impress his son Lamont's future mother-in-law, Fred (Redd Foxx) tries to get into the Guinness Book of World Records. His plan is to stay awake longer than the current record-holder, the immortal Choo Choo Rabinowitz. As it turns out, it is Fred's crony Bubba (Don Bexley) who makes it into the Guinness annals by breaking a bizarre record all his own. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

With Lamont (Demond Wilson) away on a fishing trip, Fred (Redd Foxx) seizes the opportunity to grab a quick buck by renting out Lamont's room. His new tenant is a lonely -- and very pregnant -- young woman. This being a 1970s sitcom, it must needs be that the woman will go into labor, with only Fred in the vicinity to help with the emergency delivery. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi