Jack Griffin Movies
One of the bigger non-cartoon moneymakers for Disney in the 1970s, The North Avenue Irregulars is predicated on the premise of the "Neighborhood Watch" system. Priest Michael Hill (Edward Herrmann), newly arrived on North Avenue, decides to buck the patriarchal notions of his superiors by delegating church responsibilities to the neighborhood women. Since the ladies include Vickie, Jane, Anne, Claire and Rose (Barbara Harris, Karen Valentine, Susan Clark, Cloris Leachman and Patsy Kelly), we're well primed for a surfeit of feistiness. Father Michael entrusts the church funds to Rose, who loses it all at the race track. In trying to retrieve the cash, he comes up against an influential bookie ring, controlled by several of the above-suspicion town officials. The wily priest responds by organizing the ladies of his congregation into the North Avenue Irregulars, a two-fisted crimefighting unit. There's slapstick aplenty within the film's 99 minutes, including the expected comic car crash. North Avenue Irregulars is based on a (drawn-from-life?) novel by the Reverend Albert Fay Hill. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward Herrmann, Barbara Harris, (more)
Recently widowed Dr. Nichols (Walter Matthau) finds himself ill at ease in re-entering the singles scene. Then he meets Ann Atkinson (Glenda Jackson), a patient recuperating from a jaw operation. Freshly divorced from a philandering spouse, Jackson is as reluctant to inaugurate a lasting commitment as Walter--but inaugurate they do, in a hilarious scene wherein Jackson and Walter try to emulate those romantic couples in 1930s movies who were forced by the censors to keep one foot on the floor while lying in bed. It is Jackson who encourages Matthau to stand up for his ideals during a lawsuit involving senile head physician Dr. Willoughby (Art Carney, who is unbearably funny at times). Richard Benjamin rounds off the cast of polished farceurs who add so much sparkle to House Calls. The film was later adapted into a TV sitcom starring Wayne Rogers in the Matthau role, Lynn Redgrave (and later Sharon Gless) in the Jackson counterpart, and David Wayne as a less aphasiatic version of the Carney character. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, (more)
- 1976
Joan Collins guest stars as female undercover officer Lynn Stiles. Teaming up with Tony Baretta (Robert Blake), Stiles tries to nab a murderous pimp who covets full control of the city's prostitutes. In an incredibly suspenseful climax, Baretta is forced to place Stiles in grave danger for the sake of justice. Star Robert Blake's wife Sondra Blake appears as Candy Lee, a character she'd introduced in the first-season episode "The Mansion." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Blake, Edward Grover, (more)
- 1974
The terror begins when dewey-eyed Peggy O'Malley (Lynne Marta) enters the United States after a flight from Canada, her leg encased in a plaster cast. But Peggy has not broken or even sprained anything: she is using the phony cast to smuggle a 20-dollar plate, stolen from the Canadian mint, past US customs. All the while, the hapless girl is pursued by the man who killed her boyfriend, and who will leave a trail of death in his wake while tracking her down. By the time Kojak (Telly Savalas) picks up the villain's trail, a doltish innocent bystander (Chuck McCann) has been swept up in the intrigue. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
One of the best of the early-1970s Disney farces, The World's Greatest Athlete stars Jan-Michael Vincent in the title role. A "wild boy" living off the land in the jungles of Africa, Vincent is discovered by coaches Tim Conway and John Amos. Cursed with a last-place college athletic lineup, Conway and Amos hope that Vincent will pull them out of their years-long slump. And he does, but not before several Disneyesque slapstick highlights, not to mention a handful of amusing special-effects gags (at one point, Conway is shrunk to mouse size by witch doctor Roscoe Lee Browne). Despite its formidable lineup of comedians-Conway, Billy DeWolfe, Nancy Walker, Vito Scotti et. al.--The World's Greatest Athlete's funniest line goes to guest star Howard Cosell! The script is the handiwork of Gerald Gardner and Dee Caruso, late of That Was the Week That Was and Get Smart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Conway, Jan-Michael Vincent, (more)
- 1973
- G
Finding that he hasn't much time left to live, a man makes needed changes in his life with the help of an angel in this Disney feature. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1972
- R
Claudia Jennings stars as Karen Walker, a woman who sets her sights for roller derby success. Released a few months after Raquel Welch's Kansas City Bomber, Unholy Rollers gives the Welch film a run for its money, despite its exploitation budget, by adding nudity and lesbianism. After being sexually harassed by her loutish boss at the factory, Karen walks out of her job and tries out for the roller derby. She quickly wins a spot on the team and rises to the top, intent on ignoring the violence and grandstanding and concentrating on winning games. Although her teammates dislike her, Karen becomes a hit with the roller derby fans. But soon, her desire for victory becomes an obsession and she ends up losing not only her cool but also most of her clothes. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claudia Jennings, Louis Quinn, (more)
- 1971
Interviewed by a WCBS-TV reporter about Nixon's economic plan, Archie is thrilled to learn that his interview will appear on the evening news. Alas, the Bunkers' TV set is broken and practically every other set in the neighborhood is likewise incapacitated. After numerous frustrations, Archie finally gets to see himself on the boob tube -- or does he? Neil J. Schwartz appears as Levy the repairman, who delivers the episode's funniest line. Written by Lennie Weinrib, Paul Harrison, and Don Nicholl from a story by Weinrib and Harrison (incidentally the same team responsible for the classic Saturday-morning series H.R. Pufnstuff), "The Man in the Streeet" first aired on December 4, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1970
This first of several episodes filmed on location in Salem, MA, originally aired on October 8, 1970. Attending the annual Witches' Convention in Salem, Samantha is wrongly branded a thief when an antique bedwarmer from the House of the Seven Gables inexplicably begins following her around. By the time blame for the "theft" has been shifted to Darrin, Sam can be of no help at all; her powers are temporarily on the fritz. The third episode in an eight-part story arc, "The Salem Saga" was written by Ed Jurist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1970
Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) spend most of this episode endeavoring to track down and clean up a particularly nasty stolen-car ring. Elsewhere, the two cops are summoned to a liquor store that has been robbed. And finally, there's a rescue mission in store for Jim and Pete's, as they attempt to extricate a youngster who has gotten himself trapped in a refrigerator. Featured in the supporting cast as Tex is versatile voiceover artist Walker Edmiston, best remembered by fans of Sid and Marty Krofft as the intellectual space alien Enik in Land of the Lost. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
- PG
Actor Don Murray wrote, produced, and starred in this drama about an alcoholic former serviceman who falls in with gangsters until he has a spiritual awakening and decides to devote his life to helping others. The supporting cast includes Linda Evans, Logan Ramsey, and Angelique Pettyjohn. Also shown under the titles Childish Things, Tale of the Cock, and Cockadoodle-Do. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Murray, Linda Evans, (more)
- 1969
This amusingly weird, painfully threadbare production pits a town of lethargic ex-hippie parents against their own offspring, who have been transformed into pasty-faced zombies (with cute little black fingernails) after their school bus passes through a cloud of radioactive fallout from a nearby nuclear plant. The kids' condition makes it difficult to for their deadbeat parents to reach out to them, thanks to their newly-acquired tendency to turn everyone they touch into an overcooked brisket in two seconds flat. In keeping with zombie-movie rules of engagement (as established in Night of the Living Dead), the bodies begin piling up before the nominal hero (local sheriff Gil Rogers) arrives at an effective zombie-killing method -- which in this case involves cutting off the children's hands. The most entertaining moments in this cheap and silly film come from its painfully bad attempts at horror and -- even more laughable -- social commentary. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1969
The worldwide charitable organization UNICEF was evidently a pet project of Screen Gems producer Harry Ackerman, who touted the organization's good works in virtually all of his TV programs. Case in point is this episode of Bewitched, which first aired on March 27, 1969. Samantha uses her witchcraft for a good cause when millionaire Mr. Haskell (Herb Voland) reneges on his 10,000-dollar pledge to UNICEF in order to shower luxuries upon his flashy girlfriend, Lila Layton (Sharon Vaughn). "Twitching for UNICEF" was written by Ed Jurist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Agnes Moorehead, (more)
- 1969
On another of his "no witchcraft" kicks, Darrin wants nothing to do with the magical cigarette lighter given to him as a birthday present by Samantha's father, Maurice. His feelings hurt, Maurice pays Darrin back for his stubborness by transforming him into a mule. This metamorphosis coincides with Gladys Kravitz's strident efforts to clean up zoning violations in the neighborhood -- beginning with the "unsanitary" mule in the Stephenses' living room. Written by Michael Morris, "Daddy Does His Thing" first aired on April 3, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, (more)
- 1968
Season five of Bewitched got under way on September 26, 1968, with the episode titled "Samantha's Wedding Present." Miffed at Darrin, Endora once again sets out to prove that her mortal son-in-law is a "small, small man." Accordingly, she casts a spell which causes Darrin to start shrinking -- on his wedding day. Before the mess can be straightened out, the teeny-tiny Darrin finds himself at the mercy of a dog, a brace of garbagemen (Jack Griffin, Art Metrano), and a greedy drunk (Dick Wilson, best known as "Mr. Whipple" of Charmin Bathroom Tissue fame). A comic variation on the sci-fi classic The Incredible Shrinking Man (complete with oversized props), "Samantha's Wedding Present" was written by Richard Baer, though some sources credit Bernard Slade. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, (more)
