Helen Mayon Movies

The only thing genuinely brave about Three Brave Men is the second word in the title. The film is based on the true story of a Navy employee who was fired as a security risk, then took the case to court to prove his loyalty to the United States. Ernest Borgnine plays the victimized employee, whose life is ruined simply because he once briefly participated in an alleged "Pinko" organization. Borgnine and his family are ostracized from the community when word leaks out about his so-called disloyalty. Lawyer Ray Milland takes Borgnine's case; he pleads so eloquently on behalf of his client's patriotism that the navy, represented by Eisenhower lookalike Dean Jagger, reinstates Borgnine. The problem in Three Brave Men is in how the material is approached. Instead of attacking the atmosphere of paranoia that fostered the Communist "witch hunts" of the 1950s, the crucifixion of Borgnine is treated as a necessary evil in the interests of "democracy." The low point comes at the end, when Ray Milland profusely thanks the Navy for their open-mindedness before his client has been exonerated. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The first client of defense attorney Perry Mason (Raymond Burr in the very first episode of the TV series bearing his name is red-haired, blue-eyed Evelyn Bagby (played by Whitney Blake, in real life the mother of actress Meredith Baxter). It doesn't look good for Evelyn, who claims that she was being chased by a car driven by a man wearing a hood, and that she fired two shots scare off her pursuer. Alas, the body of Harry Merrill has been found in the wreckage of his car--with a single bullet in his body and a pillowcase over his head. Charged with murder, Evelyn hopes that Perry can clear her name...but it is clear that she isn't telling him the whole story. This episode is based on a 1954 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this tearjerker, a woman, depressed with the course of her life after two failed marriages and a tepid career, decides to return to her hometown and find happiness with her ex-boyfriend. Unfortunately, his cruel and manipulative mother presents a formidable obstacle to their happiness. To prevent them from marrying, she at first fakes a heart attack, but then ends up dying of the real thing. The couple marries anyway, but the husband's happiness is marred by memories of his mother's death. The lonely wife then begins an affair with a French writer. When the husband finds them in a hotel room, the affair ends. It is not long before the despondent woman tries to take her life. Fortunately she fails, and things begin to improve when her husband releases his guilt and begins concentrating on their marriage. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide