Leif Erickson

In 1959 Sweden, young Ingemar (Anton Glanzelius) lives with his dying mother and his nasty older brother. He survives all of life's knocks by comparing himself to those who are worse off--such as Laika, the little Russian space dog who was rocketed to his death and had nothing to say in the matter. Ingemar begins to identify with Laika more and more as his mother's health deteriorates, at times dropping to all fours and baying at the moon. When his mother is advised to get some peace and quiet away from her children, Ingemar is sent to live with his loveable uncle and aunt. For the first time, the boy is surrounded by relatives and classmates who pose no threat and who genuinely like him. He even has a sexual awakening. When his mother dies, he no longer rationalizes his misfortunes by comparing himself to those less fortunate; from now on, he can conjure up pleasant memories of his summer away from home to sustain him through the hard times. My Life as a Dog (Mitt Liv Som Hund) is based on the autobiographical novel by Reidar Jonsson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A former prison inmate finds he can't leave his violent past behind in this sequel to the cult favorite Penitentiary. After earning his parole by winning the prison boxing tournament, Martel "Too Sweet" Gordone is tired of fighting and wants to move on to a more peaceful life, but as a condition of his release, he has to work for Handler Cunningham, a boxing promoter who also runs a gym in Los Angeles. Too Short isn't interested in boxing, and would rather stay with his sister, Ellen (Peggy Blow), and her husband, Charles (Glynn Turman), both successful lawyers who support him in his desire to start his life over. But things take an unexpected turn when Half Dead (Ernie Hudson), Too Sweet's nemesis from prison, escapes with the help of his cronies Do Dirty (Cepheus Jaxon) and Simp (Marvin Jones), and they murder Clarisse (Eugenia Wright), Too Sweet's girlfriend. In order to get justice, Too Sweet returns to the ring, and with the help of a new trainer (Mr. T) and the management expertise of his brother-in-law, Too Sweet is on the road to the championship -- but can he get the big fight before Half Dead finds him? Penitentiary II features cameo appearances from boxing legend Archie Moore, Dolemite star Rudy Ray Moore, and Tony Cox. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Season Six of The Rockford Files begins as Jim Rockford (James Garner) faces permanent expulsion from the community of Paradise Cove as the result of a damage suit instigated by vindictive neighbor C.C. Calloway (Leif Erickson). Court-appointed receiver Althea Morgan (Mariette Hartley) shows up at Jim's doorstep to inventory his possessions, the better to find out if he should be forced to liquidate everything he owns to pay the $35,000 demanded in the lawsuit. As if Jim's life isn't in enough turmoil, he must also deal with a mystery involving a fortune in buried bullion, and the reopening of a scandal dating all the way back to 1929. Inevitably, all of Jim's problems turn out to be inextricably linked--and the result may prove fatal for himself and the hapless Althea. Though obviously conceived to capitalize on the popularity of the then-current camera commercials costarring James Garner and Mariette Hartley, this episode is strong enough to stand on its own merits--and Ms. Hartley earned an Emmy nomination in the bargain. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Soured on America by his experiences as a POW in Vietnam, General Lawrence Dell (Burt Lancaster) hopes that his government will someday tell the truth about the Southeast Asian debacle, thereby allowing his country to embark upon a healing process. Regarded as a dangerous embarrassment by the higher-ups, Dell is framed on a manslaughter charge and sent to prison. Escaping with three hardened convicts (Paul Winfield, Burt Young, and William Smith), Dell takes over an SAC base, threatening to launch nine Titan missiles if his demands that top-secret Vietnam files be made public are not met. Thus, the fate of the world rests in the hands of the mentally unbalanced Dell, his former superior General MacKenzie (Richard Widmark), and U.S. president David Stevens (Charles Durning). For this picture, Edward Huebach and Ronald M. Cohen adapted Walter Wager's novel Viper Three. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Bermuda Triangle claims more victims when an archaeological expedition disappears and rewakens on an island complete with the past, present and future. (AKA Fantastic Journey) ~ All Movie Guide

If familiar with the Patty Hearst episode, the viewer will likely believe this is a spin-off because it has most of the elements: wealthy white upper-class gal abducted by terrorists and held for big stakes--this time the ransom is the demand that a wealthy-man's palace (a high-rise condominium) be bombed in defiance of capitalist policy. However, the real source of the movie was a Harrison James novel published before the Hearst drama. This is an exploitative film, focused upon violence, nudity, lesbianism and of course, sex. ~ All Movie Guide

It is hardly a fond reunion when Ironside (Raymond Burr) is summoned to his home town by a letter from his former high school classmate Alice Schmidt (Fay Spain). Upon his arrival, the Chief learns that Alice never wrote the letter--and that her husband John has been murdered. When another member of the Class of 1940, Dick Gillis (William Bryant), likewise turns up dead, Ironside follows a trail of clues leading to an accidental killing that occurred 34 years earlier...thereby setting himself up as the murderer's next victim! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Made for television, The Family Rico was adapted from the same Georges Simenon novel that served as the basis of the 1958 Columbia theatrical feature The Brothers Rico. Ben Gazzara plays a powerful mobster put in an embarrassing position by younger brother Sal Mineo. When Mineo refuses to carry out a contract killing, Gazzara is ordered to rub out his own brother. Eventually he ascertains the identity of Mineo's "hit" and realizes that his brother was acting more out of loyalty than cowardice. While the original Brothers Rico concentrates on the one honest member of the Rico brood, The Family Rico adheres to Godfather tradition by dealing solely with the criminals in the family. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Joshua Cabe (Buddy Ebsen) is a trapper in the old west. He hopes to set up his own homestead, but new government laws won't allow him any land unless he has a family. Cabe's own daughters refuse to come west to live with their dad, so Joshua hires three "shady ladies" (Karen Valentine, Lesley Ann Warren and Sandra Dee) to pose as his offspring. A made-for-TV movie, Daughters of Joshua Cabe did well enough in the ratings to encourage producer Aaron Spelling to develop a series based on the property. Unfortunately, neither of the two subsequent pilot films--New Daughters of Joshua Cabe and Daughters of Joshua Cabe Return, each with brand-new casts--aroused network or sponsorial interest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This western is notable for having Bill Cosby in a dramatic role in his first feature film. Caleb Rivers (Cosby) is a black Civil War Veteran who just wants to clear out his Arizona homestead and live in peace with his neighbors. Instead, he and his son (George Spell) have to track his stolen horse all over the Southwest, fighting bigoted bullies and the hardships of nature the whole way. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Where do dreams end and reality begins? That's the question facing research scientist Lloyd Bridges in the made-for-TV Deadly Dream. Each night, Bridges suffers nightmares, in which he is on trial for his life before a mysterious tribunal. The whys and wherefores of Bridges' torment are revealed bit by bit throughout the film's 73 minutes. The Deadly Dream was the September 25, 1971 installment of ABC's Movie of the Week anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide