Frank Christi Movies
- 1978
Future Magnum,P.I. star Tom Selleck makes his first Rockford Files appearance in the role of the dazzlingly handsome and insufferably successful private eye Lance White. Reluctantly teamed with Lance, Jim tackles the case of Veronica Teasdale (Karen Austin), the allegedly kidnapped daughter of a prominent weapons industrialist (Bill Quinn). The investigation veers off into unexpected twists and turns thanks to a covert scheme to sell arms to Palestine, and an elderly gangster who wants to die in Israel. Through it all, Jim is driven crazy by Lance White's "perfection" and incredible good fortune ("Things have a way of working out" is his infallible motto)--to say nothing of the fact that Jim's perennial nemesis Lt. Chapman (James Luisi) has no qualms about fawning all over Mr. White. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Once again, Jim (James Garner) crosses paths with his old prison "pal" Gandy Fitch (Isaac Hayes), who is now managing the singing career of his girlfriend Thea (Dionne Warwick). Unfortunately, Thea has a hot-tempered ex-husband named Joe Moran (Tony Burton), who up until recently was serving time for murder. Released from prison as part of a touchy-feely "Second Chance" program, Moran uses HIS second chance to kidnap Thea and spirit her away. All this rigmarole is tied in with a hidden "treasure", stuffed in an old stereo system. It's up to another of Jim's prison buddies, Angel Martin (Stuart Margolin) to provide a most appropriate coda to this latest chapter in the saga of Gandy Fitch. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
"The Mansion" is a huge estate in which vices of all sorts are bought and sold. With the Syndicate holding the Mansion in an iron grip, the police have been unable to shut the place down. Hoping to succeed where his colleagues have failed, Tony Baretta (Robert Blake) gains entrance to the Mansion by posing as a gangster on the lam. Sondra Blake, the then wife of series star Robert Blake, is one of the supporting players in this tension-packed episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Blake, Dana Elcar, (more)
- 1974
Broadway favorite Kay Medford (Bye Bye Birdie et. al.) guest stars as Mrs. Bernice M. Sandler, a middle-aged bookkeeper. Inasmuch as Mrs. Sandler is the only person who can identify the two people suspected of murdering her boss, the salty-tongued lady finds herself in the protective custody of detectives Kojak (Telly Savalas) and Crocker (Kevin Dobson)--who, truth be told, are not thrilled with the assignment. Keep an eye out for future Wiseguy star Ray Sharkey in a supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
- R
In Sidney J. Furie's interminable caper film, Billy Dee Williams is a federal agent who takes matters into his own hands after the government refuses to do anything about French drug trafficking. After his daughter dies of an overdose of heroine and the authorities seem unconcerned, Nick Allen (Williams) takes it upon himself to organize a small independent task force of mercenaries to travel to France in order to kill the nine leaders of a Marseilles drug syndicate. This motley group of angry American citizens who are out for blood include the rabid Mike Willmer (Richard Pryor); the sedate Sherry Nielson (Gwen Welles); the robust Dutch Schiller (Warren Kammerling); and the kindly old Jewish couple, Ida (Janet Brandt) and Herman (Sid Melton), who want to inflict Old Testament revenge upon the dope peddlers. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor, (more)
In this organized crime drama (one of many that came in the wake of The Godfather, Tony (Frederic Forrest) and Vince (Al Lettieri) are two brothers whose father is a high-ranking Mafia kingpin; they've followed him into the family business, operating a profitable drug ring. While waiting for a delivery of a large supply of heroin, the pair are ambushed, which leads them to suspect their associate Frank (Robert Forster) is a snitch. They soon realize that the corruption within their organization runs deeper than expected when they discover that their father has been assassinated. Don Angelo (Anthony Quinn) is chosen to be the new boss in a tense meeting of the Mafia brass, but Tony and Frank refuse to follow his leadership. Meanwhile, Orlando (Charles Cioffi), a mob accountant whose boss, Don Bernardo (J. Duke Russo), is behind bars, has a plan to bring himself to a position of power in the mob; he engineers a situation that will put Frank's fiancée Ruby (Angel Thompkins) into the arms of Don Angelo, thereby sending Frank into a murderous rage. Cult figure Sid Haig has a supporting role as The Arab. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Quinn, Frederic Forrest, (more)
- 1973
- R
After female prisoners arrive at an island prison full of male convicts, they are brutalized and fight back in an attempt to set up a more democratic system. This exploitative drama includes performances of Tom Selleck and Roger E. Mosley of television's Magnum P.I. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Once again, the IMF agents must break the bank of a popular casino to bring down a master criminal. In this case, the villain is Syndicate chieftan Orin Kerr (Orin Kerr), who controls not only the casino but the entire resort town where it is located. The IMF's mission is twofold: Hit both the casino's gaming tables and its vault simultaneously. Originally broadcast on February 19, 1972, "Casino" was written by Walter Brough and Howard Berk. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Greg Morris, (more)
- 1972
Although he is locked up in prison on a tax-evasion charge, Syndicate boss Sam Dexter (Dane Clark) is still running his criminal operation with the outside assistance of his silent partner, a shadowy figure known only as The General. The IMF must determine the identity of the General, and also prove that Dexter murdered his mistress --- and to do that, another of the Force's celebrated prison breakouts is called for. Barbara Anderson again appears as on-and-off IMF agent Mimi Davis, who as an ex-thief is no stranger to life behind bars. First telecast on November 11, 1972, "Hit" was written by Douglas Weir. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Greg Morris, (more)
- 1971
- R
In this comedy, Harold Weiss (Richard Benjamin) is a professor at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, when a nuclear holocaust seemed imminent. Rather than sit around waiting to die, he decides to drive from Long Island to Los Angeles, taking in such sights as Las Vegas along the way. As he travels, he assumes different momentary identities which he uses--to humorous effect--in his interactions with the people he meets. This story is captured in a number of short sketch-like episodes, as the professor acts out his fantasies with increasing abandon. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1969
The murder of a stockbroker tips Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) to Organized Crime's latest racket: obtaining valuable stock certificates which are then used as collateral for large Mob loans. At the center of this scheme is the beautiful but treacherous Meredith Schader (Michele Carey), who targets vulnerable male stockbrokers, pretends to fall in love with them, then blackmails them into doing the Mob's bidding. Meredith's latest victim is wealthy but lonely Val Palmer (Barry Nelson), who is blissfully unaware that he is being set up for the worst fall of his life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
A formerly rough-and-tumble Western mining town has lived in peace and tranquility ever since the arrival of gentle giants Jamie and Ben McMahon (Arch Johnson, Read Morgan). All this changes when an odd-looking little man (Norman Lloyd) shows up in town, promptly challenging the McMahon brothers' authority. Despite their combined brawn, Jamie and Ben prove utterly incapable of standing up to the Little Man -- who seems to possess demonic powers! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
