Alex Dreier Movies
- 1977
Kojak moved from its traditonal Sunday-night timeslot to a new Saturday evening berth for this concluding episode of a two-part story. Though suspended from the force, Kojak is determined to track down a serial murderer known as The Clothesline Killer. It's a personal crusade for the troubled detective: Back in 1969, he allegedly shot the Clothesline Killer to death--and now there is every possibility that he gunned down the wrong man. Diane Baker appears in flashback as the detective's former love Irene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
In the first episode of a two-part story, Kojak recalls the events leading up to his shooting of a notorious serial murderer in 1969. Though convinced at the time that he had disposed of the "Clothesline Killer", Kojak has reason to wonder if he got the right man: someone is currently embarked upon a murder spree, using the Clothesline Killer's modus operandi. At the same time, the detective experiences poignant memories of a lost romance. This was the final Sunday-night Kojak episode; Part Two of "The Summer of '69" would be seen in the series' new Saturday-evening berth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
- PG
Invisible Strangler tells the story of a boy who strangles his mother and while in a mental institution finds books which give him the key to making himself invisible. He then escapes from the hospital and goes on a murder spree, strangling his mother's friends in a series of unintentionally hilarious episodes, while they sit in their comfortable, expensive homes. The detective assigned to the case, Lt. Charles Barrett (Robert Foxworth) devises an unusual way to dispose of the killer. Sue Lyon, previously seen in Lolita, has a tiny role, as does Elke Somer. Originally shot in 1976 and titled The Astral Factor, this silly, obvious film sat on the shelf for 10 years before being released directly to video ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Foxworth, Stefanie Powers, (more)
- 1973
Murdock's Gang stars former TV newscaster Alex Dreier as celebrated trial attorney Bartley James Murdock. Framed for a crime, Murdock is disbarred and incarcerated. Upon his release, he becomes a private detective, assembling a gang of reformed criminals as his assistants. Murdock's team is expected to utilize their criminal skills for the purpose of solving crimes rather than committing them. In this pilot film for an unsold series, Murdock must solve the disappearance of a millionaire's trusted accountant. Murdock's Gang was partially filmed at Marineland of the Pacific. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
- R
Blake Edwards directed this murder mystery set against the backdrop of a busy metropolitan hospital. Dr. Peter Carey (James Coburn) is a pathologist who has signed on to work with Dr. J.D. Randall (Dan O'Herlihy) at a prominent hospital in Boston. When Randall's daughter Karen (Melissa Torme-March) dies after a botched abortion, another member of the hospital staff, David Tao (James Hong), is charged with her murder. Carey is convinced that Tao is innocent and sets out to prove his point. He also finds time for romance with beautiful Bostonian Georgia Hightower (Jennifer O'Neill). The Carey Treatment features Pat Hingle as police detective Peterson; Michael Crichton contributed to the screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Coburn, Jennifer O'Neill, (more)
- 1972
- R
Three teens--a half Navajo (Dean Stockwell), a rebellious girl (Pat Stich) and a retarded boy (Todd Susman)--hit the road after they're accused of killing a policeman. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Although the actors and character names aren't the same, Sweet Rachel was the pilot film for the TV series Sixth Sense. Alex Dreier plays a paranormal researcher whose patient, Stefanie Powers, suffers from disturbing ESP flashes. The source of these ghoulish images is a psychic murderer, who uses mind control to kill his female victims. Sutton Roley has directed tight, fascinating TV-movie horrors in the past; this isn't one of them. When Sweet, Sweet, Rachel became Sixth Sense, Alex Dreier was replaced by the younger, handsomer Gary Collins (A TV announcer-turned-actor replaced by an actor-turned-announcer. The mind boggles). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The Boston Strangler adopts the split-screen technique then in vogue (see also The Thomas Crown Affair) to relate the true story of self-confessed mass murderer Albert DeSalvo. Adapted by Edward Anhalt from the book by Gerold Frank, the film covers the years 1962 to 1964, during which time a dozen women were raped and murdered in the Boston area. State-appointed officer John Bottomly (Henry Fonda) arrests as many known sex offenders as he can get his hands on in hopes of finding a clue as to the Boston Strangler's identity. As these things often happen, the police come across the necessary evidence through pure luck. Well-played by Tony Curtis (whose makeup is startling), DeSalvo himself does not appear until an hour into the film. When caught, the schizophrenic DeSalvo insists that he knows nothing of the murders. Under interrogation and hypnosis, his homicidal impulses are exposed. Meticulously cast, The Boston Strangler offers excellent vignettes by Sally Kellerman as the Strangler's only surviving victim and by Hurd Hatfield as an erudite sex pervert. When Boston Strangler was first shown on TV in 1974, a voice-over coda was added, noting that Albert DeSalvo was stabbed to death in prison on November 26, 1973, and that many experts were convinced that he was not the killer but that his confessions were the product of a delusional mind. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Curtis, Henry Fonda, (more)
