Richard Keith Movies

Shady promotor Fred Gibson (Pat Hingle) arrives in Mayberry, accompanied by a swaggering bully named Clarence Earp (Richard Jury), who claims to be the grandnephew of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp. After throwing his weight around town for a while, Earp challenges Sheriff Andy to a duel. Andy manages to take the wind out of the man's sails without shedding any blood (this was, after all, a situation comedy!) Written by Jack Elinson, "Wyatt Earp Rides Again" was first shown on January 31, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Taylor household is turned on its ear when Aunt Bee's sister Nora (Maudie Prickett), brother-in-law Ollie (James Westerfield) and their obnoxious children arrive for an extended visit. Andy Taylor's patience is sorely tested by Ollie's constant bragging, especially when the big blowhard claims that he'd make a better lawman than Andy. A convenient jailbreak-fabricated by Andy and his pals-has the salutary effect of shutting Ollie up once and for all (or so we hope!) First telecast on October 5, 1964, "Family Visit" was written by Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

On the occasion of his fifth anniversary with the Mayberry police departmer, short-and-scrawny Deputy Barney goes into a deep blue funk when the State Police Commission imposes new height and weight requirements. Certain that he'll never measure up, Barney tenders his resignation. But Sheriff Andy and his friends converge upon ol' Barn' to make him fatter and taller-within a matter of a few days. Written by Bob Ross, "Barney's Physical" first aired on September 28, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hoping to gain the funds to afford a pony, Opie and his friends sign up to sell the wares of the Miracle Salve Company door to door. Alas, not only are customers unreceptive, the salve is no good anyway. When the Miracle people refuse to release Opie from his contract, Barney tries to save the day with another of his master disguises-only to be defeated by his ingenuous "partner" Gomer Pyle (alias Opie Taylor Sr.!) Written by John Whedon, "A Deal Is a Deal" was originally telecast on April 6, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ever on the lookout for extra money, Lucy (Lucille Ball lands a temp job as a process server. Her first assignment is to serve a subpoena to a prominent local banker--Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon), of course. Through a series of mishaps, Lucy is unable to hand over the subpoena at Mooney's home, forcing her to trail him to the train station, which is the first leg of his summer vacation. Finally, Lucy catches up with Mooney in the stateroom of an ocean liner--whereupon Mooney graciously accepts the summons, laughing over the fact that he's going to spend a glorious summer far, far away from the troublesome Mrs. Carmichael...or is he? Watch for Richard Keith, the former "Little Ricky" on I Love Lucy, in the train-station scene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Encouraged by an enterprising hobo (Douglas Fowley), Opie and his friends begin playing "Robin Hood." Before long, the boys are blithely stealing from the rich and giving to the poor-namely, their pal the hobo. Richard Keith, formerly "Little Ricky" on I Love Lucy, is here seen as Johnny. First broadcast on December 30, 1963, "Opie and His Merry Men" was one of several fourth-season Andy Griffith Show installments written by John Whedon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Before there was Airport and its offspring, there was this aerial disaster film that stars Nancy Davis (later Nancy Reagan) as the devoted wife of an iron-willed sky pilot in charge of the doomed passenger plane. The trouble begins when the pilot realizes he must make an emergency landing in the Atlantic. Each of the diverse passengers has his or her own reaction to the impending disaster and many confessions are heard all around. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on what each person confessed) the water landing goes without a hitch and a US Naval ship is right there to save them. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This suspenseful air-borne adventure can rightfully lay claim to being the Mother of All subsequent in-flight disaster films of the '70s. The trouble begins when the pilot and crew of a Canadian passenger plane suddenly find themselves doubled over from accidental ptomaine poisoning and unable to continue flying the plane. The only other person on board who can save the terrified crew is a former WW II flying ace who is petrified of flying again. Fortunately, a courageous steel-nerved ground controller is there to offer full-radio support. Later the film became the basis of a TV movie Terror in the Sky and the hilarious parody Airplane (1980). Arthur Hailey, who wrote the teleplay on which this was based, went on to write the novel and the screenplay for 1970's Airport. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Arguably the most popular TV situation comedy in the known world (and possibly a few worlds beyond that!), I Love Lucy has never stopped playing in rerun form since it originally aired over CBS from October 15, 1951, through June 24, 1957. It can be said without much fear of contradiction that everyone -- yes, everyone -- loves Lucy...and Ricky? and Fred? and Ethel. The first sitcom to be filmed with three cameras before a live audience, I Love Lucy starred real-life husband and wife Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, who throughout most of the series lived in a modest New York apartment house managed by their best friends, Fred and Ethel Mertz. Cuban-born Ricky was the bandleader at the Tropicana Club; redheaded Lucy was a housewife who yearned to break into show business -- or, failing that, to become fabulously wealthy through some hairbrained get-rich-quick scheme or other, usually hatched in collaboration with her partner in crime, Ethel -- much to the dismay of the easily excitable Ricky and the eternally crotchety Fred. To call Lucy "zany" would be putting it mildly; there seemed to be no end to the ridiculous situations she could get herself into, nor any limit on the wild plans she cooked up on her own or with Ethel. But no matter how crazy things got, Ricky and Lucy invariably ended up in each other's arms, Ricky declaring his undying love and (at least temporary) forgiveness. During its first season on the air, I Love Lucy was the nation's third highest-rated program. Thereafter, it was ranked number one or very close to it. When during the series' second season Lucy Ricardo had a baby (to coincide with Lucille Ball's genuine pregnancy), the episode on which the blessed event occurred enjoyed the largest viewership of any single program up to that time -- and, since both Lucy Ricardo and Lucille Ball gave birth on the very same day (January 19, 1953), the news was of such magnitude that it pushed President Eisenhower's first inauguration off the front pages!

To keep the series fresh from season to season, I Love Lucy's extraordinarily talented team of writers would every so often alter the format, never more spectacularly than in season four, when the Ricardos and the Mertzes headed to Hollywood so Ricky could star in a movie musical version of Don Juan. In keeping with its tinseltown ambience, the episodes emanating from this premise positively glittered with such celebrity guest stars as Richard Widmark, William Holden, Cornel Wilde, and most memorably, Harpo Marx. The "Lucy in Hollywood" format spilled over into the next season, yielding an unforgettable two-episode story arc involving John Wayne. Season Five also saw the four principals heading to Europe, accompanying Ricky's band on tour. The most significant changes occurred during the sixth and final season. Ricky had quit his job at the Tropicana to open his own night spot, the Club Babalulu, and the increase in the Ricardos' bank account enabled the couple and their son Little Ricky (played from the fall of 1956 onward by Richard Keith) to move to an expensive ranch house in suburban Connecticut. Naturally, the Mertzes moved next door, while on the other side of the Ricardo estate there lived another couple, Ralph and Betty Ramsey (played by Mary Jane Croft and Frank Nelson, who also essayed several other supporting roles on the series). Although the half-hour version of I Love Lucy ceased production at the end of the 1956-1957 season, the four stars (and "Little Ricky") went on to appear in 13 hour-long "Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" specials, filmed between 1957 and 1960. And while Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz divorced in 1960, their production company Desilu remained a prolific TV-series factory for the next decade, turning out such hits as The Untouchables, Mission: Impossible, and Star Trek. On her own, Lucille Ball continued playing the "Lucy" character in two more series, The Lucy Show and Here's Lucy, which though very successful on their own never quite captured the unique chemistry and charm of I Love Lucy. ~ All Movie Guide