Herbie Faye Movies
- 1965
Using his new camera to the max, Herman (Fred Gwynne) snaps a picture outside a bank, capturing the images of two fleeing bank robbers. As a result, both crooks and cops converge upon the Munster household--and both wish that they hadn't. Featured in the role of a policeman is former Hollywood stuntman Robert Morgan, the husband of Munsters star Yvonne DeCarlo (Morgan had suffered a crippling injury while filming How the West Was Won), whereupon his wife had put her career on hold for two years to nurse him back to health). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
As if one Jerry Lewis wasn't enough, The Family Jewels offers no fewer than seven Jerrys. Fans of Lewis will like the film. Others should be advised to steer clear of any and all French film festivals. The plot revolves around nine-year-old Donna Peyton (Donna Butterworth), who stands to inherit 30 million dollars. The catch: Donna must pick a new daddy from her late father's six closest male relatives. Lewis spends most of the film playing family chauffeur Willard Woodward, whom Donna loves above all others. He also portrays snaggle-toothed gangster "Bugs" Peyton, hirsute sea captain James Peyton, flying fool Captain Eddie Peyton, cynical clown Everett Peyton, Holmes-like detective Skylock Peyton (whose "Dr. Matson" is corpulent Sebastian Cabot), and photographer Julius Peyton (a reprise of Lewis' Nutty Professor character Julius Kelp). Though fitfully amusing, The Family Jewels is too sloppily put together to completely satisfy anyone other than Lewis' most fervent fans. Best bits: the in-flight movie starring Anne Baxter, the marathon pool game, and Bugs Peyton's outrage at being called a rat fink. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerry Lewis, Sebastian Cabot, (more)
Toward the end of Jerry Lewis's Paramount studio period, Lewis slapped together this bitter comedy about Hollywood phoniness and fame that has to be the most rancid portrait of the Hollywood star system in the Rat Pack era this side of Clifford Odets. When a famous entertainer suddenly is killed in an airplane crash, his team of flunkies -- producer Caryl Fergusson (Everett Sloane), writer Chic Wymore (Phil Harris), press agent Harry Silver (Keenan Wynn), director Morgan Heywood (Peter Lorre in his final film role), valet Bruce Alden (John Carradine), and secretary Ellen Betz (Ina Balin) -- decide to continue their life style by finding a complete unknown and manufacturing him into a Hollywood star. That unknown turns out to be the nervous and inept bellboy Stanley Belt (Jerry Lewis). They train Stanley to become an over-night singing sensation, and despite a disastrous recording session and a failed nightclub performance, the public relations blitz makes Stanley's recording of "I Lost My Heart in a Drive-In Movie" a smash single. So much so that Stanley is given a shot at appearing on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Expecting the worst, Stanley's management team abandons him right before his performance. But Stanley musters up enough confidence to go on the live program alone and manages to surprise his pessimistic ex-staff. A collection of Hollywood celebrities circa 1964 --George Raft, Ed Wynn, Ed Sullivan, Mel Torme, Rhonda Fleming and Hedda Hopper -- make cameo appearances. High spots include an apocalyptic music lesson with voice teacher Dr. Mule-rrr (Hans Conried), Ed Sullivan performing a bizarre impersonation of himself, and an ending that would make even Jean-Luc Godard blush. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerry Lewis, Ina Balin, (more)
In this comedy classic, Jerry Lewis plays Jerome Littlefield, an orderly in a mental hospital in this slapstick situation comedy that makes full use of Lewis's patented brand of screwball comedy. Dr. Jean Howard (Glenda Farrell) is the exasperated head of the sanitarium who almost becomes a patient after the antics of the frantic employee. Jerome takes on the symptoms of most of his patients and helps Susan Andrews (Susan Oliver) go from a woman considering suicide to an alluring woman of sensual confidence. When talkative patient Alice Pearce relates her maladies to Jerry, he hilariously has psychosomatic symptoms that mirror those of the woman. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerry Lewis, Glenda Farrell, (more)
- 1964
A vitamin deficiency is causing a lethargic Martin (Ray Walston) to disappear and reappear without warning. And whenever he's visible, Martin's desperate tapping of any energy source available causes people to fall asleep when they look into his eyes. Clearly, what is needed is an emergency dose of special vitamins that, fortunately, can be found at any pharmacy. Too bad that it's Sunday, and all the pharmacies are closed (remember, we're still in the 1960s!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
This filmization of Neil Simon's first Broadway hit was adapted for the screen by Norman Lear. Once we get past the illogical casting of middle-aged Frank Sinatra and twentysomething Tony Bill as brothers, we're home free. Sinatra, a swinger supreme, uses his New York apartment as a harem of sorts for his legion of lady friends. Bill, wishing to break loose from his protective parents (Lee J. Cobb and Molly Picon), moves in with older brother Sinatra, hoping to emulate his sibling in the sex department. Sinatra teaches Bill the tricks of the trade--to his everlasting regret, since Bill soon wins such prizes as Jill St. John and Barbara Rush away from Sinatra. The third act finds Sinatra behaving more like a parent than his parents, steering Bill on the straight and narrow and finally settling down with Rush. Also appearing in Come Blow Your Horn is singer Phyllis McGuire (an offscreen Sinatra vis-a-vis), Dan Blocker, and, in the uncredited role of a wino, Dean Martin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frank Sinatra, Lee J. Cobb, (more)
This amusing romantic comedy concerns Dr. Gerald Boyer (James Garner), a successful gynecologist with a wife and two children. Wife Beverly (Doris Day) focuses on maintaining the household and watching the kids. One of Gerald's patients, Mrs. Fraleigh (Arlene Francis), overhears Beverly talking up a new product she's discovered called 'Happy Soap' - whose manufacturer just happens to be Mrs. Fraleigh's father-in-law, Old Tom Fraleigh (Reginald Owen). She introduces Beverly to him; hugely impressed, the old man offers her $80,000 a year to pitch a new product called "Happy Soap." Beverly's career takes her away from her family responsibilities and causes a series of comedic commotions for Gerald and the kids. He comes home from work one morning and accidentally drives his convertible into a freshly dug swimming pool ordered by Beverly without his knowledge. The furious physician throws a bevy of boxes of Happy Soap into the pool, causing the house to be engulfed in suds by morning (which the kids mistake for snow). The family maid Olivia (Zasu Pitts) is nearly driven crazy with the events and has many harried scenes of comedic frustration. Directed by Norman Jewison, this thouroughly engaging comedy was written by Larry Gelbart and Carl Reiner. Reiner provides the screenplay for the feature which turned out to be the last film appearance of Zasu Pitts. With her passing marked the end of a long and successful career as a comedic and well respected actress that began in 1917. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Doris Day, James Garner, (more)
- 1963
Stuck for a comedy sketch for his boss Alan Brady, Rob (Dick Van Dyke) is delighted when his son Ritchie, with seemingly total spontaneity, comes up with a brilliant routine about a talking bowling pin. Only after Rob and his fellow writers submit the script do they discover that Ritchie had previously seen the bowling-pin bit on a popular kiddie program, "The Uncle Spunky Show." Even worse, Uncle Spunky has a reputation for suing anyone who dares lift a single line from one of his scripts! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Deacon, Herbie Faye, (more)
- 1963
First telecast October 18, 1963, the pedestrian Twilight Zone episode "A Kind of a Stopwatch" was scripted by Rod Serling from a story by Michael D. Rosenthal. Richard Erdman stars as McNulty, a nonstop talker and crashing bore. Unable to engage anyone in conversation, McNulty decides to manufacture a few "pregnant pauses" of his own with the aid of a magic stopwatch, given to him by a batty barfly named Potts (Leon Belasco). Though essentially a comedy, "A Kind of a Stopwatch" boasts an unusually unsettling denouement. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Erdman, Leon Belasco, (more)
One of the most memorable sports dramas because of its strong character development, Requiem for a Heavyweight is carried by Anthony Quinn as the washed-up boxer Mountain Rivera, and Jackie Gleason as his sleazy manager, Maish Rennick. In the opening scenes, Cassius Clay -- before he became Muhammad Ali -- knocks out Rivera in a stunning fight sequence. Rivera's career is over, and although his trainer Army (Mickey Rooney) and a social worker (Julie Harris) encourage him with vain hopes for an alternate career, the boxer's courage is stronger than his addled senses, a serious barrier to getting any job. Then Rivera's manager Rennick breaks down and tells him he has lost a gambling bet against the fighter and needs him to bail him out -- by becoming a wrestler. The question is, will Rivera take this humiliating path just to save his unethical manager, or will he stick to his scruples and reject the idea? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason, (more)
- 1962
Rob (Dick Van Dyke) is called for jury duty in a trial where the defendant is gorgeous Marla Hendrix (Sue Ane Langdon). Naturally, Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) is jealous over Rob's close proximity to such a beautiful and desirable woman. The situation isn't helped at all when, in the jury room, Rob is the only juror who holds out for a "not guilty" verdict. This episode marks one of several '60s "comeback" appearances by the delightful character comedian Patsy Kelly. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sue Ane Langdon, Patsy Kelly, (more)
- 1962
Ever seeking out new material for "The Alan Brady Show," capricious Rob (Dick Van Dyke) disguises his voice over the phone to see if he can fool his wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore). He comes to regret this little joke when Laura seems to succumb to the seductive charms of the Continental-sounding "stranger" with whom she has been speaking. Our hero spends the rest of the episode trying to find out if the demurely tight-lipped Laura knew that it was Rob on the phone all along! Listen for the voice of series creator Carl Reiner as a TV game show host. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Deacon, Herbie Faye, (more)
- 1962
Janos Willinski (Robert Emhardt), Julie Vernon (Herschel Bernardi) and Frankie Gruder (Don Gordon) have hit upon a brilliant scheme to extract money from the Syndicate. The three crooks begin turning in minor hoodlums to Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) and the Feds in order to take the heat off the Big Boys--whereupon they charge hefty protection fees to the Syndicate higher-ups. Hoping to prove that the trio's phony employment agency, Nationel Personnel Services, is actually a recruiting office for down-and-outers willing to be "fall guys", Ness finally gets his chance in the form of washed-up Mob chieftan Big Joe Hovack (Jay C. Flippen). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
Only one of three films directed by screenwriter Charles Lederer, known for movies as disparate as The Thing (1951) and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), this crime comedy-drama-musical obviously defies categorization. Mixing James Cagney as a gangster out to control a big union, with musical numbers and cute songs is about like mixing onions and vanilla pudding. Jake MacIllaney (Cagney) wants to be elected president of Longshoreman's union 26 and, being a top mob boss, is used to getting his way. He is not past almost any stunt or method of coercion to get votes. Dan Cabot (Roger Smith) is Jake's lawyer, and after Jake meets Cabot's wife Linda (Shirley Jones), he sets his sights on conquering her affections. Disregard the husband, he can be taken care of. Setting this to music introduces some entertaining songs (I'm Sorry -- I Want a Ferrari) but the seriousness of the mobster's immorality and power is hard to reconcile with a perky tune about not stealing the small stuff. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Cagney, Roger Smith, (more)
An obviously ailing Humphrey Bogart made his final screen appearance in The Harder They Fall. Adapted from a novel by Budd Schulberg, the film is a thinly disguised a clef account of the Primo Carnera boxing scandal. Bogart is cast as unemployed newspaperman Eddie Willis, who sells his soul down the river when he signs on as press agent for slimy fight manager Nick Benko (Rod Steiger). It is Willis' job to stir up publicity for Benko's newest protégé, Argentinian boxer Toro Moreno (Mike Lane). Benko's boy quickly rises to the top of his profession, though everybody but Toro knows that all the fights have been fixed. Upon learning that Benko intends to bilk Toro of his earnings, Willis regains his integrity, tells the wide-eyed young pugilist the truth, then sits down to write a searing expose of the fight racket. Jan Sterling costars as Willis' estranged wife, while real-life boxers Jersey Joe Walcott and Max Baer are suitably cast as Toro's trainer and ring opponent, respectively. There is also a heartbreaking cameo appearance by ex-fighter Joe Greb, cast as a punchdrunk skid row bum. The Harder They Fall originally went out with two different endings: in one, Eddie Willis demanded that boxing be banned altogether, while in the other, Willis merely insisted that there be a federal investigation of the prizefighting business. The videotape version contains the "harder" denouement, while most TV prints end with the "softer" message. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Humphrey Bogart, Rod Steiger, (more)
- 1955
Joseph Kramm's Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway play The Shrike was brought to the screen by its original director/star, Jose Ferrer. Most of the film takes place in a state hospital, where theatrical director Jim Downs (Ferrer) is convalescing after a suicide attempt. Downs' wife Ann (June Allyson) visits every day, ostensibly to offer support and comfort to her husband. In truth, Ann is the "shrike" of the title, tearing into Downs and mercilessly berating him for his lack of success. To the rest of the world, however, Ann is a self-sacrificing saint, because that's the side of her personality that she prefers to display. Unless Jim can escape Ann's harangues, he will be driven completely over the edge. The script, by Ketty Frings, adds all sorts of motivations for Ann's abusive behavior, thereby softening the misogynism of the original play. June Allyson does as best as she can in a most atypical role, though one would liked to have seen the original "shrike", Judith Evelyn, whose talents were never sufficiently utilized by Hollywood. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- José Ferrer, June Allyson, (more)
- 1954
Shot on location in New York City's Winter Garden Theatre, this is essentially a filmed performance of Phil Silver's hit Broadway show in which he plays a moody and egotistical television comic (allegedly patterned after Milton Berle). Trouble begins when the ratings for Jerry Biffle's (Silvers) television show begin to sag. The producer spice up the show by adding sales clerk Sally Peters (Judy Lynn) and handsome young Cliff Lane (Danny Scholl) as love interests. Jerry falls in love with Sally, but Sally is in love with Cliff. The ensuing tension is most problematic for Jerry's every diplomatic personal assistant Vic Davis (Jack Albertson). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Phil Silvers, Danny Scholl, (more)
