Peter Duryea Movies
Peter Duryea was the son of veteran leading man and character actor Dan Duryea. Despite being born into the entertainment industry, the younger Duryea only worked in a handful of feature films and appeared in fewer than two-dozen network series.With his all-American good looks, Peter Duryea was a natural at playing wide-eyed innocents, but he also had considerable acting ability to go with the pretty-boy appearance -- the result was his ability at portraying evil of the most visceral and calculating sort. Thus, Gene Roddenberry chose him to play Jose Tyler, the junior bridge officer on the starship Enterprise, in "The Cage," the 1964 pilot for Star Trek, a role that wasn't picked up until the subsequent series went into production two years later. Jack Webb got even more impressive results, however, by casting Duryea in villainous roles in a string of Dragnet episodes, most notably a show entitled "The Fielder Militia," in which Duryea portrayed an eager-beaver member of an armed and dangerous right-wing paramilitary group. During this same period, he was portraying far more benign older teenage and college student roles on series such as Family Affair.
In feature films, Duryea's work was limited to large roles in low-budget movies such as Catalina Caper, and small roles in major films such as The Carpetbaggers. In contrast to his father's decades of work in film and television, the younger Duryea ceased working onscreen in the early '70s. His appearance in the Star Trek pilot (which was later re-cut into a two-part episode of the actual series) ensures that he is represented on home video and DVD in the 21st century. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- 1971
The Davises are surprised when housekeeper Emily (Nancy Walker) announces that she has other plans on the night of her son Jim's graduation ball. Eventually, it is revealed that Emily is staying away from the ceremony because she doesn't want to embarrass Jim (Peter Duryea): She has no date, she owns no formal clothes, and she can't dance. Assuming the role of "Fairy Godmother", Buffy (Anissa Jones) comes to the rescue of "Cinder-Emily" by pulling all sorts of strings, including maneuvering Mr French (Sebastian Cabot) into serving as Emily's escort--but there are surprises in store for one and all before the stroke of twelve! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
This episode focuses on the recurring character of housekeeper Emily Turner, played by the inimitable Nancy Walker). Even while trying to play matchmaker between butler Mr. French and nanny Miss Haversham (Heather Angel), Emily turns thumbs-down on a potential romance between her own Jim (Peter Duryea) and Cissy (Kathy Turner). The Davis family is angry about this, believing that Emily is putting herself down by thinking that Jim isn't good enough for Cissy...but strangely, the opposite turns out to be the case! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
- R
Though the title smacks of World War II, Is This Trip Really Necessary is actually a 1971-vintage drug flick. The "trip" of the title is induced by LSD, consumed by a couple of nubile film actresses at the behest of realism-obsessed director John Carradine. Hero Peter Duryea attempts to rescue the girls, but both are doomed to horrible deaths in a lovingly detailed torture-chamber set. Eighteen-year-old Carol Kane (here billed as Carole) was evidently offered no acting advice whatsoever by her veteran co-stars Carradine, Duryea, and Marvin Miller. This film was also inflicted on the public as Trip to Terror and Blood of the Iron Maiden. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
Answering a call from two park rangers, Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) conduct an A.P.B. search for a horse, stolen from a riding stable from alleged junkie. In turns out that the thief is a homesick Texan, who has gone to rather extreme measures to assuage his loneliness. Back on their home turf, Jim and Pete chase after a pair of vicious gunmen. This week's supporting cast includes a young Tim Matheson (The West Wing) and Peter Duryea, the son of veteran movie heavy Dan Duryea. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Hank Dolan (Tom Simcox), King Company's newest replacement, is a self-described "Jonah", causing mishaps and misfortune wherever he goes. Despite the trepidations of the other men, Hanley (Rick Jason) decides to take Dolan along on patrol. Sure enough, strange and inexplicable disasters begin to befall the members of the squad--and it looks like Dolan was telling the truth about being a bad-luck charm! This was the last Combat episode to be filmed, but not the last to be shown. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Beach parties abound in this youthful adventure that centers on two surfers-turned-detective as they look into the mysterious theft of a priceless Chinese scroll. Musical highlights include Little Richard singing "Scuba Party", and The Cascades with "There's a New World Opening for Me". The film is alternately titled Never Steal Anything Wet. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tommy Kirk, Del Moore, (more)
Dick Van Dyke stars as U.S. Navy pilot Lieutenant Robinson Crusoe in one of Disney's weakest comedies. Like in the Daniel Defoe story, Crusoe finds himself alone on a deserted island, but this time he arrives there after ejecting from his disabled plane on a mission in the South Pacific. He befriends a chimp who is part of the space program and long thought to be lost at sea. Soon he meets his girl Wednesday (Nancy Kwan), and the duo is chased by her tribal chieftain father (Akim Tamiroff) who wants his daughter to marry Crusoe. Only the popularity of Dick Van Dyke from his television show and his wonderful performance in Mary Poppins could attribute for the $8 million this misfire brought in at the box office. The highlights of the feature are the special effects. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dick Van Dyke, Nancy Kwan, (more)
- 1966
The starship Enterprise is diverted to Star Base 11 by a message supposedly sent by the ship's former commander, Fleet Captain Christopher Pike, and received by the ship's first officer, Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy). Upon arriving, however, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) discovers that Pike has been paralyzed by injuries from a space disaster and could not have sent the message, or even asked to have had one sent. Kirk tries to unravel the mystery, unwilling to believe that Spock could lie, but also troubled by Spock's longstanding loyalty to his former captain. Spock then kidnaps Pike and commandeers the Enterprise, locking the ship on a course for Talos IV, a mysterious planet that is off-limits -- on penalty of death -- to any Star Fleet vessel. Adding to the mystery is the fact that the only Earth ship ever to visit Talos IV was the Enterprise, under Pike's command with Spock as science officer, 13 years earlier. Kirk boards the Enterprise in the company of Commodore Mendez (Malachi Throne), but is unable to divert the ship's course. Spock insists upon a formal court martial for mutiny, during which he begins presenting a visual account of the Enterprise's first visit to Talos IV. The trial board sees how the ship was baited to the planet and Pike was kidnapped, taken below the surface by the inhabitants, who have the power to cast perfect illusions. An emergency signal interrupts the trial, as Star Fleet notifies Mendez that the Enterprise has been receiving images from Talos IV in violation of regulations. Kirk is relieved of his command, Mendez is ordered to do anything necessary to prevent the ship from reaching Talos IV, and Spock now faces a death sentence. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- 1966
Spock faces the death penalty for receiving signals from planet Talos IV. With the agreement of Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Fleet Captain Pike, the trial continues in closed session and the evidence -- the forbidden transmissions -- continues to be viewed by the trial board, as Kirk searches for a reason behind Spock's actions and a way to save his friend's life. They see Captain Pike (Jeffrey Hunter) and his strange adventure on Talos IV some 13 years earlier, and the manner in which the Talosians, with their power to cast illusions, tried alternately to torture and seduce him to secure his cooperation, and his successful resistance to the point where he was ultimately released. They also learn why any contact with planet Talos IV is forbidden, the danger that contact poses to the human race, and why that contact may mean the salvation of the stricken Captain Pike. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Worn out from the rigors of his job, Darrin accepts Larry's invitation to relax at the Tate's Catskill cabin retreat. Upon discovering that the "cabin" is little more than a tumbledown shack, Samantha twitches her nose and transforms the place into a luxury accommodation. When another couple offers to rent the cabin at an exorbitant price, a confused Larry heads to the Catskills to find out why his home away from home has become so desirable -- forcing Sam into yet another burst of benevolent witchcraft. Written by Paul Wayne, "The Magic Cabin" first aired on December 30, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, (more)
- 1965
Dan Duryea plays a Western bounty hunter, expert in his job, but ill at ease with his conscience. He is shunned by the "good" townsfolk until they need him to track down and kill a criminal; the gratitude doesn't last long, and it's back to outcast status for Duryea. At one juncture, the embittered bounty hunter delivers a condemnation against the "hypocrites" who hire him -- but nonetheless takes one more job. Ultimately, Duryea meets his end at the hands of a younger man (Peter Duryea, Dan's son), who becomes a bounty hunter himself, starting the cycle all over again. Produced very economically by B-Western specialist Alex Gordon, The Bounty Killer is distinguished by Dan Duryea's superb performance and by the presence in the supporting cast of several cowboy film veterans -- including Hollywood's very first Westerner, Billy Anderson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dan Duryea, Rod Cameron, (more)
- 1965
Saunders (Vic Morrow) and his men are assigned to provide coverage for a wire-laying team led by Communications Sergeant Barney McKloskey (played by a pre-Hawaii 5-0 Jack Lord). Openly contemptuous of the Infantry, McKloskey is certain that Saunders will be of no help at all. Later on, a sniper kills one of McKloskey's men, which serves only to confirm his suspicions. This is one of several Combat episodes in which two antagonists must set aside their differences and unite against a common enemy--before it's too late. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
A mysterious hulking figure prowls a university campus at night and yanks the door off of a locked storage room to steal chemicals -- a guard spots the intruder but before he can react, the man knocks him cold and kills him, carrying the body as if it weighed nothing. The police investigation, led by Lt. Branch (James Doohan), can't figure out how the door was removed or the guard was asphyxiated -- and the materials that were stolen are fairly mystifying as well, chemicals used in experiments with consciousness-expanding ("CE") drugs. Dr. Peter Wayne (Keith Andes), the head of the drug experimentation program, and his associate (and brother-in-law) Dr. Roy Clinton (Skip Homeier), insist that there's nothing missing that was worth a burglary, much less a murder, but the lieutenant insists on checking out a possible connection between the crimes and a group of students and faculty members who were previously dismissed from the university for their CE experiments. This leads to new puzzlements -- including a man (Aki Aleong) who turns up, seemingly dead, for no apparent reason -- and the murder of a philanthropist associated with the university, apparently committed by a man that no one except Dr. Wayne remembers seeing. And of what significance is one student's claim that he saw Dr. Clinton on campus, at the science building, on the night of the burglary, which Clinton insists can't be true? Or Clinton's suggestion that CE drugs may be at work on others around them, affecting their judgement and their abilities? The story poses lots of questions, as well as momentarily waxing poetic on the potential of consciousness-expansion, and then answers them very slightly too early and quickly, in this otherwise eerie and suspenseful mystery. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keith Andes, Skip Homeier, (more)
- 1964
In this western, the trouble begins when a rancher's mother and father are killed by a young outlaw and his family who want his land. The son returns the favor and slaughters them. As the father lies dying, he manages to hire three gunslingers to track the boy down. The boy is a good shot though and kills two of the hired guns and then flees into Indian territory. There he meets an old miner, his wife and their daughter. The remaining gunslinger finds him, but is taken prisoner by the miner. Later, the saucy wife makes a pass at the young man, but he rejects her. In retaliation, she frees the gunman, steals her husband's gold and takes off. She ends up being killed by the Indians. Meanwhile, the daughter, the miner, and the rancher's son are busy fighting off an attack of their own. They then ride off after the fleeing gunman whose horse is so laden down with gold that it collapses. This allows the son to shoot him dead. Afterwards, the son and the miner's daughter get hitched and live happily ever after. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Young, Dan Duryea, (more)
- 1964
Wrongfully accused of murder, Dr. Richard Kimble (David Janssen) continues his search for the "One-Armed Man" who can prove his innocence, while the relentless Lt. Gerard (Barry Morse) steps up his efforts to recapture Kimble and deliver him to Death Row, as The Fugitive launches its second season. Guest star Ed Begley appears as famed criminal laywer G. Stanley Lazar (Ed Begley), who during a TV discussion show claims that he could not only get a new trial for Kimble, but also an acquittal. After being contacted by the still-in-hiding Kimble, Professor Lazar tests his theory in a mock trial held before his law students. Alas, Lazar is plagued by a plethora of personal demons that could negatively affect the outcome of the "trial"--while Gerard, suspecting that Kimble is somewhere in the vicinity of the classroom, slowly closes in on his quarry. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Edward Dmytryk brings Harold Robbins' trashy, dirt-dishing Hollywood best-seller to the screen with George Peppard starring as Jonas Cord, a rancidly-sketched portrait of Howard Hughes. In 1925, when his father dies of a stroke, Jonas inherits the Cord Chemical factory, a manufacturer of dynamite and other explosives. Jonas proceeds with several cut-throat transactions, making a settlement with his sexy stepmother Rina (Carroll Baker) and liquidating the stock owned by cowhand Nevada Smith (Alan Ladd, in his final American film role). With the help of Mac McAllister (Lew Ayres), his father's attorney, Jonas builds his father's company into a multi-million dollar business, expanding into plastics and aeronautics. Meanwhile, Rina has become a top fashion model and movie star and Nevada Smith has parlayed his laconic demeanor into a career as a popular silent film cowboy idol. Jonas then marries, then ignores, the well-meaning Monica Winthrop (Elizabeth Ashley), and ruins her father's company in the process. Then, with the advent of sound films, Jonas helps Nevada Smith through the sound film crisis by offering financial backing for a film to star both Nevada and his ex-mother-in-law Rina. Jonas decides to direct the film himself, hoping to seduce Rina. But Jonas's insensitive and egomaniacal behavior causes Monica to leave him. Jonas invests all his time in film production but the alcoholic Rina dies in a car accident. The owners of the film studio -- Bernard B. Norman (Martin Balsam) and Dan Pierce (Robert Cummings) -- want to sell the studio to Jonas but hide the fact that Rina, the studio's biggest star, has died. Jonas buys the studio and when he finds his biggest asset is gone, he goes on a drunken binge. But Jonas quickly meets call girl Jennie Denton (Martha Hyer), who he decides to turn into a superstar modeled upon Rina. Despite having made her a star, Jonas's vile treatment of Jennie repulses both her and his old friend Nevada Smith, and Smith decides it's time to beat some sense into Jonas's head. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Peppard, Alan Ladd, (more)
