Jack Mann Movies
- 1961
This is a competently put-together "B"-grade film starring Craig Hill as a doctor who in the process of trying to save a man badly beaten by two gangsters, identifies the culprits to the police. When their victim dies and the charge becomes murder, the doctor hightails it to the far woods where he finds a job as a clerk in a sporting-goods store. His plan is to lay low until the hoodlums forget about him. But complications arise from two different sectors. First, the doctor falls in love with a local woman and second, the murderers find out where he is hiding. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Craig Hill, Elaine Edwards, (more)
- 1961
Flight that Disappeared sugars its Vital Message with a sci-fi/fantasy coating. Three nuclear scientists prepare to deliver their report on the potentials of atomic weaponry to the President. En route to Washington, the scientists' plane disappears from view. They awaken to find themselves in the presence of benign aliens, possibly residents of the Afterworld. Before the scientists are permitted to leave, they have been persuaded that their nuclear report will need a healthy dose of anti-bomb rhetoric. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Craig Hill, Paula Raymond, (more)
- 1961
This episode was adapted by Rod Serling from "The Valley Was Still," a short story by Manley Wade Wellman. In the third year of the Civil War, Confederate officer Paradine (Gary Merrill) and his men march into a small town, where a regiment of Union Soldiers has been literally frozen in time. The only "moving figure" in the town is a deranged old man (Vaughn Taylor), who directs Paradine's attention to a book of black magic spells. Though he now possesses the means to win the war for the South, Paradine learns to his dismay that there's a diabolical "price tag" attached. First telecast November 24, 1961, "Still Valley" was the only half-hour Twilight Zone episode to be rebroadcast in the summer of 1963, by which time the series had expanded to an hour. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Merrill, Vaughan Taylor, (more)
- 1961
This one-hour, police-story melodrama does not focus on the two-legged officers commonly found chasing the bad guys, but a four-legged K-9 corps German Shepherd named "Wolf" (played by Rocco), whose training forms a large part of the story. Wolf is put through his paces so that when the time comes, he can join up with his bosses and head out to capture some nasty arsonists, intent on torching buildings to collect insurance money. Given that Wolf's fans are likely to be the younger set, any ingrained clichés and lines of uninspired dialogue will not be a great problem. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Brown, Merry Anders, (more)
- 1961
In this classic episode, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) is en route to Gilbert's house while his folks are having a party. Suddenly, Beaver and Gilbert (Stephen Talbot) are attracted by a huge, three-dimensional billboard, depicting a woman holding a gigantic, steaming bowl of soup. Anxious to find out where the steam is coming from, Beaver climbs up the billboard -- only to become stuck in the enormous soup bowl! This is the Leave It to Beaver episode that everyone remembers, and for good reason -- the iconic image of Jerry Mathers "in the soup" perfectly encapsulates all of the series' charm and hilarity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Osmond, Frank Bank, (more)
- 1957
Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) is delighted when his old friend Cam Durbin (a pre-MaverickJack Kelly) arrives in Dodge City accompanied by his pretty young wife Tilda (Joan Tetzel). Having been hired to run the faro table at a local saloon, Cam hires Lonnie Pyke (Thann Wyenn) as his dealer--not realizing that Lonnie has a long-standing grudge against Matt. Before long, Lonnie has managed to turn Cam against Matt by claiming that the Marshal is having an affair with Tilda--and it looks like a bloody showdown is inevitable. Based upon a radio broadcast first heard on June 4, 1955, this is the final episode of Gunsmoke's second season on TV. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
