William Sargent Movies

A diminutive mouse strives to make a mammoth change in his troubled kingdom in this adaptation of author Kate DiCamillo's Newbery Medal-winning children's book. A long time ago, in the distant kingdom of Dor, a horrible accident broke the heart of the king, left a beautiful princess crestfallen, and filled the townspeople with despair. As the sun disappeared from the sky and the flowers were drained of color, the laughter slowly ceased in this once-magical land. It was into this darkened world that a tiny mouse named Despereaux Tilling was born, and while this virtuous little rodent may have been short in stature, his bravery was ultimately too big for such a small world to contain. An unlikely hero with oversized ears and a discernible wheeze, Despereaux was taken with tales of chivalry, and longed to one day become a noble figure among his people. Sometimes in order to realize their true destiny, heroes must first experience great hardship, however, and when Despereaux fails to adhere to the rigid rules of his society, he is banished from Dor.

Later, while exploring the outer realms, the lonely Despereaux is joined by a kindhearted rat named Roscuro. Roscuro, too, has been excommunicated from his homeland, and still cannot stand to look into a mirror lest he be reminded of his painful past. Later, as Despereaux embarks on a treacherous quest to rescue the endangered Princess Pea, Roscuro is set down the path of self-destruction after receiving a painful rejection from his highness. Now, on their way to realizing their extraordinary destinies, these two unlikely heroes will face off against the malevolent leader of the sewer rats, who is plotting revenge on humans from his subterranean kingdom; befriend a common serving girl who longs to become princess; and meet a whole host of colorful characters that they will never forget. Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Watson, and Tracey Ullman lead a powerhouse cast in this animated feature produced by Gary Ross and Allison Thomas. Also lending voices to the project are Sigourney Weaver, Kevin Kline, Stanley Tucci, William H. Macy, and Christopher Lloyd. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Bill Bixby guest stars as Charles Pine, a former government agent turned professional assassin. Hired by a group of fanatical right-wingers, Pine prepares to kill a Chinese diplomat visiting the U.S.--all the while keeping the woman in his life (Linda Marsh) from interfering with his sinister mission. Cast respectively as a retired military officer and a nurse are Andrew Duggan and Peggy McCay, who twelve years earlier had costarred in the ABC sitcom Room for One More. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The FBI is summoned to a ranching community to investigate a possible Civil Rights violation. Sheriff William Temple (James Olson) has been accused of excessive brutality and attempted murder by Peter Griffith (Bill Hickman), who has been arrested for smuggling illegal aliens. Faced with overwhelming evidence, Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) has no choice but to place Temple in custody--but Erskine can't shake the feeling that the sheriff is being framed by his longtime enemy, rancher Cliff Wyant (J.D. Cannon). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The FBI launches a search for Curtis Stone (Roy Poole), a sleazy extortionist who preys upon the families of servicemen. There is someone else anxious to catch up with Stone: Sgt. Paul Devlin (John Ericson), whose wife committed suicide while he was in Vietnam. Holding Stone responsible for his wife's death, Devlin is determined to mete out his own brand of retribution--and Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) is equally determined to prevent the embittered Devlin from becoming a murderer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The FBI investigates a possible case of sabotage when a chemical plant is blown up. What Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) doesn't realize is that the "saboteur", research chemist Roger Mason (Bradford Dillman), was driven by neither politics or monetary gain, but by mental illness. A schizophrenic, Mason has cracked under the pressures of both his job and his home life--and worse, he has no idea of why he's behaving so monstrously, nor where he plans to strike next! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Bernard Herrmann composed his final Twilight Zone musical score for the December 20, 1963 episode "Ninety Years Without Slumbering." Ed Wynn stars as septuagenarian Sam Forstmann, who resists his family's efforts to sell his precious grandfather clock. It seems that the clock began running on the day that Sam was born, and he is convinced that if its stops running, so will he. As originally conceived by George Clayton Johnson, this episode was to have had a "cyclical" ending, with Sam's death coinciding with the birth of his grandson. But as rewritten by Richard de Roy, "Ninety Years Without Slumbering" settled for a "happier" -- and weaker -- denouement. Watch for Dick Wilson, TV's "Mr. Whipple," as a moving man. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Pinned down by heavy shelling, Saunders (Vic Morrow) is unable to move his men out of their hiding place, even though the Enemy is rapidly descending upon them. Making the situation worse is the fact that Pvt. Billy Nelson (Tom Lowell) has been seriously wounded and is lying near death. The rest of the episode is an unbearably tense game of cat-and-mouse between Americans and Germans, punctuated by horrendous screams. Milwaukee Braves pitcher Warren Spahn appears in an unbilled cameo as a German soldier. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While on an orbital flight, American astronaut Robert Gaines (Steve Forrest) experiences a sudden blackout. When he awakens, he finds himself in a hospital room surrounded by his friends, loved ones and fellow officers, and he is told that his spacecraft somehow managed to land by itself. All well and good -- until Gaines begins to suspect that the world on which he landed was not the world he had originally left behind. Written by Rod Serling, the 60-minute Twilight Zone episode "The Parallel" first aired March 14, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This Untouchables episode is the first of two pilot films for the proposed spinoff series The Seekers, starring Barbara Stanwyck as Lt. Agnes "Aggie" Stewart of the Chicago Missing Persons Bureau. The story is set in motion when gangster Charlie Radick (John Larch) learns that he is dying of leukemia. Summoning Elliot Ness (Robert Stack), Charlie offers to provide evidence against his fellow hoodlums. There's just one catch: Radick will turn "fink" only if Ness agrees to locate the mobster's missing daughter Margaret (Peggy Ann Garner) for one last reunion. It is at this point in the proceedings that Aggie Stewart enters the picture, along with her loyal secretary June (Virginia Capers) and her favorite detective Frank Benton (Edward Asner, curiously billed as "Asher" in the closing credits). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide