Charles H. Radilac Movies
- 1969
Film star Gloria James (Lynn Borden has disappeared and her maid Janet Loomis (Ena Hartman) is kidnapped just before relating some vital information to Mark (Don Mitchell). These events, coupled with a conspicuously phony letter and an attempt on Mark's life, lead Ironside to suspect that the key to the mystery is Gloria's estranged husband, a fiercely possessive mob kingpin named Frank Rich (William Smithers). But Ironside had better confirm his suspicions in a hurry; if Gloria James and Janet Loomis aren't already dead, they soon will be! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Frequent Mission: Impossible director Alf Kjellin appears in this episode as art museum director Stefan Prohosh, the ousted party chairman of a small Eastern Bloc country. Hoping to regain his power, Prohosh steals a secret alloy which has been welded into a metal sculpture. The IMF's mission is to switch the alloy with a counterfeit sample--an assignment that requires an extremely noisy series of diversions. Scripted by John D. F. Black from a story by Black and Edward DeBlasio, "The Phoenix" was originally broadcast on March 3, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, (more)
- 1966
Somehow or other, the Germans have found the location of Stalag 13's escape tunnel. To locate the weak link in their underground security system, Hogan, LeBeau, and Newkirk must break out of camp -- and then back into camp -- without arousing Klink's suspicions. Susanne Cramer appears as Eva. Scripted by David Chandler, Jack H. Robinson, and Laurence Marks from a story by Chandler and Robinson, "The Flame Grows Higher" first aired on April 22, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, (more)
A double agent has to contend with enemies on both sides of the political fence as well as the woman he loves in this thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Prof. Michael Armstrong (Paul Newman) is an gifted American physicist who, at the height of the Cold War, decides to defect to East Germany. To his surprise, his fiancée, fellow scientist Sarah Sherman (Julie Andrews) follows him, and she soon discovers Armstrong is no traitor, but acting as a secret undercover agent. As Armstrong attempts to ingratiate himself with political and scientific factions in East Germany, Gromek (Wolfgang Kieling) becomes his guide, though Armstrong is aware he's a government agent assigned to trail him, and as he tries to shake Gromek, Armstrong realizes his new "friend" knows what his real agenda happens to be. Torn Curtain was one of the rare Hitchcock films from his "classic" era which did not feature a score by Bernard Herrman; due to objections from his studio, Hitchcock removed Herrman from the project, though excerpts from the score he had begun were included as a bonus on the film's DVD release in 2002. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Newman, Julie Andrews, (more)
The first person the audience sees in Ship of Fools is dwarf Michael Dunn, who speaks to viewers directly and acts as a Greek chorus throughout the film. It begins on the deck of an ocean liner travelling from Vera Cruz to Bremerhaven. The time is the 1930s, so close and yet so far from war. The cross-section of humanity on board includes ship's doctor Oscar Werner, Spanish political activist Simone Signoret, aging coquette Vivien Leigh, hedonistic baseball player Lee Marvin, philosophical Jew Heinz Ruhmann, a smattering of pro- and anti-Hitlerites (Jose Ferrer plays the nastiest and most vocal "pro") and young lovers George Segal and Elizabeth Ashley. Yes, it's Grand Hotel at sea, a feast for stargazers and an endurance test for those who aren't comfortable with non-stop speechmaking. Despite such lines as "What can the Nazis do? Kill all six million of us?," Ship of Fools manages to stay afloat throughout its 148 minutes. Michael Dunn was nominated for an Academy Award for his interlocutory characterization; the rest of the performances range from brilliant to merely filling up the room. Other Oscars were presented to cinematographer Ernest Lazslo and to the art-direction staff. Ship of Fools was adapted by Abby Mann from the novel by Katharine Ann Porter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vivien Leigh, Simone Signoret, (more)
- 1963
This is the third of four consecutive episodes in which Perry Mason appears only briefly, while a "guest" lawyer handles the case at hand (Raymond Burr was at the time recovering from minor surgery). Subbing for Perry on this occasion is Bruce Jason (Hugh O'Brian), a lawyer who normally specializes in cases involving the entertainment world. But there's nothing "entertaining" about the death of Iron-curtain dignitary Franz Schreck, who turns up murdered shortly after making a big-money deal to sell some top-secret papers to columnist Elihu Laban (Abraham Sofaer). Ultimately, Jason must defend Laban on a double-murder charge, and in the process ends up chasing "himself" in the form of a lookalike assassin (also played by Hugh O'Brian). Removed from the original Perry Mason syndicated rerun package in 1966, this episode remained on the shelf until it was telecast on cable TV in the mid-1990s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
- NR
- Add Mr. Sardonicus to Queue
In this 1961 William Castle film based on Ray Russell's novel Sardonicus, Guy Rolfe stars as the wicked Sardonicus, a wealthy count who wears a mask because his face is frozen in a horrifying death grimace. Ronald Lewis stars as Sir Robert Cargrave, a brilliant doctor who is at the top of his field in the early 20th century. A curious letter from his former love, Maude (Audrey Dalton), draws him to Europe where she lives in a remote castle with her brooding husband, his badly scarred, but dedicated man-servant, Krull (Oscar Homolka), and a frightened housekeeper whom Sir Robert finds tied up and covered with leeches. The good doctor soon discovers the truth behind the leeches...and the true nature of his visit when Sardonicus reveals his terrible story: He dug up his father's grave in search of a winning lottery ticket, and upon seeing the corpse, his face muscles froze leaving him looking like a living skull. Dangling Maude as his ransom, Sardonicus forces Sir Robert into attempting a radical treatment to make his face normal again, but even when it is a success, the evil Sardonicus can find no cure from the curse of his father's desecrated corpse. Castle appears in the climax to offer viewers an opportunity to afford additional punishment on Sardonicus which leads to a satisfying conclusion. ~ Patrick Legare, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Guy Rolfe, Audrey Dalton, (more)
