Tom Drake Movies
American actor Tom Drake inaugurated his acting career in 1938 with Clean Beds, a Broadway-bound play that closed out of town. A revived Clean Beds in 1939 brought Drake to the attention of MGM, who only half-heartedly promoted the actor, usually casting him in bits or secondary roles. His chance at stardom in White Cliffs of Dover (1944) was squelched when Drake's scenes were cut from that still-overlong wartime drama. A better opportunity came in the role of Judy Garland's "boy next door" vis-a-vis in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944); this was followed by an even meatier part in The Green Years (1946), in which Drake managed to keep his head above water despite such formidable supporting acting talent as Hume Cronyn, Charles Coburn, Jessica Tandy and Gladys Cooper. Unfortunately, the good roles began diminishing shortly afterward; Drake's performance as Richard Rodgers in Words and Music (1948) was knocked out of the box by Mickey Rooney's tyro interpretation of Lorenz Hart, while in Mr. Belvedere Goes to College (1949) everybody in the cast - including Shirley Temple - played second fiddle to Clifton Webb. Never able to fulfill his potential, Drake continued into the '70s playing subordinate roles in 'A' pictures, the occasional lead in low-budget films, and secondary TV parts in such productions as Marcus Welby MD and The Return of Joe Forrester. A classic example of how talented people could fall between the tracks of the studio contract system, Tom Drake spent his final years supplementing his performing income with a job as a used car salesman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1976
The title character in this episode is Melanie "Mel" Desmond (Leslie Ackerman), the lonely, alienated daughter of prominent clothing designer Julie Desmond (Dorothy Malone). When her mother's gambler lover is murdered, Mel startles everyone by confessing to the crime. In truth, however, the attention-hungry girl merely witnessed the killing--which of course makes her the real murderer's next target! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Rod Taylor stars in this feature-length pilot film for the unsold TV series Shamus. The star is cast as Shamus McCoy, who befitting his name, makes his living as a private detective. While investigating the bomb killing over another gumshoe, McCoy picks up a trail of evidence leading to a major gambling operation. Anita Gillette played the "wife" in question, one Helen Baker. A Matter of Wife...and Death first aired April 10, 1976 on NBC -- an event unheralded by TV Guide, which mistakenly listed a telecast of the theatrical feature The Ballad of Cable Hogue on that same evening. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Taylor, Joe Santos, (more)
- 1975
Lloyd Bridges stars as plainclothes policeman Joe Forrester. When a gang of robber-rapists besiege his old beat, Forrester voluntarily returns to uniform duty. He hopes that his presence will encourage the frightened residents to help bring the gang to justice, but the most immediate results of Joe's return are several attempts on his life. Eddie Egan, the real-life model for The French Connection's Popeye Doyle, appears in a small role. First telecast as a 90-minute installment of Police Story on May 6, 1975, Return of Joe Forrester led to a weekly Joe Forrester series, which ran from September 1975 to August 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
The Rampart police division swings into action after receiving a long-distance call from Omaha. A frantic woman reports that her husband, currently living in LA, has called her and threatened to commit suicide. As Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) search for the husband, they find an abandoned baby along the away. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
In this episode,Banacek must investigate the disappearance of an innovative rocket after it is stolen from an exposition center. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
This is a "hunt & find" film where two girls are kidnapped while on vacation in Los Angeles. An all-out search is conducted, in hopes of locating their crazed abductor ~ All Movie Guide
- 1973
- PG
With only the slightest basis in fact, this horror film purports to chronicle an incident from the life of Edgar Allen Poe. It has to do with his mad 13-year-old cousin Lenore, whom Poe deeply loved. She is insane and lives in an asylum. Poe visits there and discovers that the hospital is but a facade for a terrifying chamber of horrors. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Season Seven of Ironside begins as Chief Ironside (Raymond Burr) goes head-to-head with the staff of a smarmy gossip magazine that has held a grudge with the San Francisco police department ever since the "botched" investigation of a missing actor. Now the magazine is going after Ironside himself, threatening to tell all about the Chief's alleged romance with a notorious Madam (Dorothy Malone). Ironcially, Ironside soon finds himself having to protect the lives of the magazine's employees from a mysterious bomber. A key player in the proceedings is an elderly caretaker William Schallert who seems to know more than he's letting on. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Investigating a missing-child report, officers Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) and Jim Reed (Kent McCord) expose an illegal adopting ring. In another incident, the two cops probe a report of stolen narcotics on a college campus, following the trail of clues to a star football player. And this being Adam-12, the episode is capped by a high-speed car chase. Featured in the cast are two former child stars, Jackie Coogan and James Lydon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Irwin Allen, praised in some circles as a science fiction genius and damned in others as a shameless schlockmeister, produced and directed this fanciful TV-movie. Set in the 21st century, the film concentrates on a group of colonists dwelling in a modernistic underwater city called Pacifica. The emphasis is on drama rather than special effects, as we see the deep-sea denizens struggling to cope with the pressures of their new existence--and their own personal animosities. Stuart Whitman heads a large cast of TV veterans, including Time Tunnel regulars James Darren, Robert Colbert and Whit Bissell, and onetime Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea star Richard Basehart (as the US President). Expanded from a short "demo" pilot film, City Beneath the Sea is the one Irwin Allen project that could have matured into a truly worthwhile TV series; unfortunately no network was interested in subsidizing this expensive effort. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Echo of a Nightmare is a 90-minute TV thriller involving a kidnapping. The crime in question occurred some 25 years ago. Now the kidnapper has been mysteriously murdered, compelling Crime magazine editor Dan Farrell (Robert Stack) to investigate. Curiously, the partner of the abduction victim's millionaire father tries to bribe Farrell to drop the case. This episode of the TV series Name of the Game first aired March 20, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
In this routine western, Captain Tom York (Howard Keel) tries to warn the residents of Deadwood of an impending Sioux Indian attack in the wake of the Custer massacre. The people mistake him for a deserter and pay no heed to Tom's warning. Local gunfighter Ep Wyatt (Scott Brady) convinces the locals that York should be taken seriously and combines forces with the Captain. The two fortify the town with a pair of Gatling guns that are later transported to help defend the cavalry under attack from Sioux warriors. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Howard Keel, Joan Caulfield, (more)
Johnny Reno (Dana Andrews) is a US Marshall who is bushwhacked by outlaws on his way to Stone Junction, Kansas. Joe Connors (Tom Drake) and his brother Ab (Dale Van Sickle) mistakenly believe the lawman is after them and fire on Reno, and Reno captures Joe after Ab is killed in the gun battle. The two face an angry mob in a town where local Sheriff Hodges (Lon Chaney, Jr.) is in cahoots with the corrupt Mayor Jess Yates (Lyle Bettger). Although Reno believes Joe may have killed an innocent Indian, he must protect the prisoner from the growing mob that threatens to lynch the man before his trial. Jane Russell plays Johnny's sweetheart Nona, owner of the local saloon. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Andrews, Jane Russell, (more)
- 1966
Henry Koster directed this cloying family musical based on the true life story of Soeur Sourire, a Belgian nun whose recordings made her an overnight sensation on The Ed Sullivan Show. Debbie Reynolds stars as Sister Ann, a Belgian nun who likes to compose little tunes on her guitar. She writes the song "Dominique" for a lonely little boy, Dominic Arlien (Ricky Cordell), whose mother has died and whose father is an alcoholic. Father Clementi (Ricardo Montalban) tries to promote the song, getting help from his old friend Robert Gerarde (Chad Everett), a record producer. "Dominique" becomes an international hit, thanks to Robert's efforts, and Ed Sullivan appears on the scene to film Sister Ann for his television program. Unsure of how to handle her amazing success, Sister Ann seeks out Father Clementi for advice, unsure of whether to give up her singing and remain a nun or to continue on with her singing career and renounce her vows. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Debbie Reynolds, Ricardo Montalban, (more)
- 1965
While there are many people who hate accused coward Jason McCord (Chuck Connors), few are as vehement in that hatred as ranch owner Christina Adams (Kathryn Hays). Unfortunately for her, Christina needs Jason's testimony in a lawsuit to keep from losing her land. Will Jason do the "right thing", or has he at last come to the end of his patience for people who refuse to give him the benefit of the doubt concertning the battle of Bitter Creek? Featured in the cast as Thomas Teal is Bing Russell, the father of film star Kurt Russell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton -- then Hollywood's most bankable couple -- appeared onscreen together for the third time in this romantic drama shot on beautiful locations along the Big Sur region of the California coastline. Laura Edwards (Elizabeth Taylor) is a free-thinking artist and Bohemian who is raising a her teenage son, Danny (Morgan Mason), conceived out of wedlock, on her own. Laura has issues with conventional teaching methods, and prefers to educate Danny about both intellectual and ethical matters on her own. However, Danny has become something of a problem, and child welfare authorities demand that Danny either be sent to school or become a ward of the state. Rather than send Danny to public school, Laura arranges for him to attend a private academy run by Dr. Edward Hewitt (Richard Burton), an Episcopalian minister. Edward is at first shocked by Laura's embrace of free love and rejection of conventional moral codes, but as he gets to know her better, he finds himself increasingly attracted to her, despite the fact he has a wife, Claire (Eva Marie Saint), and two children. Before long, Edward's desire overpowers his scruples and he begins an affair with Laura. Wracked with guilt over his infidelity, Edward confesses his indiscretion to Claire, which proves to have severe and unexpected consequences. While saddled with poor reviews upon its initial release, The Sandpiper did win an Academy Award for Johnny Mandel's theme song, "The Shadow of Your Smile." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, (more)
- 1965
Saunders (Vic Morrow) is more dispirited than usual over the latest crop of replacements. One of the newcomers has been wounded in battle and walks with a limp; another is wallowing in homesickness; a third is a former politician who has never seen combat; and all three of them are rapidly approaching the age of 40. Now Saunders must lead these "oldsters" on a risky recon patrol to grab a German prisoner. Appearing as the over-the-hill combatants are three of Hollywood's best character actors: Simon Oakland, Tom Drake and William Phipps. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Branded switches from black-and-white to color for its second season, which begins with this taut, tense "Mexican Standoff" yarn. Still roaming the west in hopes of proving that he was not a coward at the battle of Bitter Creek, Jason McCord (Chuck Connors) finds himself sharing a stagecoach ride with Major Tom Rock (Tom Drake), one of the officers who presided over his court-martial. Also on board is a condemned prisoner (Warren Oates) on his way to the gallows. Inevitably, McCord and his two fellow passengers must depend upon one another for their very survival--and making the situation even more complex, the life of Maj. Rock's daughter Laura (Kathleen Crowley) also hangs in the balance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
In this action film, a reporter (Tom Drake) travels to the Philippines during World War II to report on a famous American colonel, John Hannegan (George Montgomery). However, when he meets the revered colonel and witnesses a battle, he discovers that the man's heroics come at the cost of ruthless, brutal war tactics. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Montgomery, Tom Drake, (more)
- 1965
A weird little low-budget item featuring Lon Chaney, Jr. and John Carradine as the DeSarde brothers, a pair of sorcerers with opposing powers. The evil brother (Chaney) sports devil's horns and torments the captive guests at the DeSarde mansion, while the invalid benevolent brother (Carradine) languishes in his sickbed. This lackluster production is hampered by a weak story overstuffed with metaphysical mumbo-jumbo and spiced up with belly-dancers and cut-price werewolves, and it keeps its dueling warlocks (who look decidedly bored with the entire ordeal) from sharing any scenes together. Apparently three separate directors contributed footage to this project; the resulting lack of cohesion is obvious. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Alfred Hitchcock's long-running suspense anthology wraps up its ten seasons on the air with its 361st episode, directed by a pre-French Connection, pre-Exorcist William Friedkin. John Gavin heads the cast as Johnny Kendall, a trigger-happy cop who is suspended from the force after killing a derelict during a liquor-store holdup. With no other source of income, Johnny heads to a small vacation town to take a job as a watchman. His efforts to keep his temper in check seem to be working until Johnny begins to suspect that his girlfriend, Sandy (Indus Arthur) is fooling around with the local sheriff's ex-deputy (Richard Jaeckel). "Off Season" was written by Robert Bloch, whose most famous collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock is the 1960 chiller Psycho. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Gavin, Dody Heath, (more)
- 1962
Martin Balsam essays the title role in this episode as nightclub owner Benjy Leemer. Caught in the middle of a turf war between slot-machine "czar" Joe Bohman (Tom Drake) and gambler Porker Davis (Gavin MacLeod), Leemer ends up with his business burned to the ground and his songstress wife Julie (Cloris Leachman) out of a job. Amidst several symbolic scenes with a pair of "tame" rats, Benjy quietly plots vengeance against both Bohman and Davis--while Julie appears to cross over to the enemy by becoming Bohman's main squeeze. Fans of The Mary Tyler Moore Show will be impressed by the noncomic performances of that series' "Murray" and "Phyllis"...even though Gavin MacLeod and Cloris Leachman never appear together in the same scene.. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
A valuable Matisse is stolen from an art museum and replaced by a forgery. Museum curator June Sinclair (Mala Powers) and her boyfriend David Lambert (Joe Maross) are suspected of the crime--and then charged with the murder of the actual thief, David's wife Lisa (Carmen Philips). Thus it is that Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) has two clients to save from the gas chamber. The huge supporting cast includes veteran radio actresses Isabel Randolph and Elvia Allman, and former B-western hero Jack Perrin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
In this high-gloss soap opera (not dissimilar to the then-popular Peyton Place), Guy (Richard Burton) is a doctor who returns to the New England town where he grew up to help care for his good friend Larry (Tom Drake), who is dying of Hodgkins Disease. Guy gets to know Larry's wife Margaret (Barbara Rush), and a strong attraction quickly develops between them; before long, they're having an affair. His betrayal of his friend notwithstanding, Guy is deeply upset by Larry's rapid decline into illness; when it becomes obvious that Larry cannot be saved, Guy cuts off his life support to end Larry's suffering. Guy is then arrested for murder, as the police believe that he killed Larry to marry his wife, who is now carrying Guy's baby. Fran (Angie Dickinson) is a nurse who was attracted to, and spurned by, Guy; while she harbors bitterness against him, she also knows that Guy's actions were well-intended. Fran falls into an affair with Bert (Jack Carson), a local political figure who wants to see Guy behind bars. Bert persuades Fran to pose for a set of nude photos, and he then gives them to newspaper editor Parker Welk (Henry Jones) as blackmail to keep her quiet about Guy's innocent intentions and Bert's infidelity. The film was based on a best-selling novel by Charles Mergendahl. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Burton, Barbara Rush, (more)
