Frances Fong Movies

This action thriller from Hong Kong begins with Princess Rawleen (Mandy Moore) having to rush back home after her father (the king) dies unexpectedly and cannot finish a major deal with the U.S. Rawleen gets sidetracked when her jet is sabotaged, and she ends up at the mansion of a friend where she is kidnapped. The hero, a CIA agent named Jack Sargeant (Bruce Baron) sets out to find her with the help of the Dragon Force, an international, underground, crime-fighting unit headed by a karate expert (Bruce Li). The hapless Princess cannot become unkidnapped until the heroes have kicked and chopped the competition down to zero, a feat which takes up much of the 100-minute running time. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Six recently divorced males gather 'round a restaurant table and talk about their past lives and their recently failed marriages while trying to piece their lives back together. This drama is somewhat interesting for presenting the topic of life after a divorce from a man's point of view. (And yes, Neil Sedaka sings the smash title song over the final credits - so don't change that dial!) Originally made for television, and broadcast on ABC in two parts - one on Wed., Sep. 5, 1979, and one on Friday, Sep. 7, 1979 -- this film was reissued on video about ten years later to capitalize on Billy Crystal's growing fame. When it arrived on home video, the picture received its first MPAA rating (R) and was edited down from its original running time of 150 minutes to 96 minutes. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In the opening episode of M*A*S*H's fifth season, the 4077th prepares to pull up stakes and move out in the face of a rumored Chinese attack. Unfortunately, Hawkeye is in the middle of a crucial operation and cannot move his patient. B.J. (Mike Farrell) and Margaret (Loretta Swit) volunteer to stay behind and assist Hawkeye--and, hopefully, stay alive in the process. Originally telecast as a 60-minute "special", "Bug Out" has since been reedited as two half-hour episodes for syndication purposes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of a two-part story, Archie's ordeal as a surgical patient is alleviated somewhat when he finds out that he has been rehired by his former employer -- and with a raise and promotion in the bargain. Alas, Archie's elevated financial situation is brought back to earth by his staggering hospital bill. Liz Torres makes her second appearance as soon-to-be series regular Teresa Betancourt, while future Archie Bunker's Place supporting player Danny Dayton is introduced in the role of Hank Pivnik. Written by Mel Tolkin and Larry Rhine, part two of "Archie's Operation" first aired on October 27, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Evidently, this episode of Bewitched was scripted by Lila Garrett and Bernie Kahn before the "birth" of Samantha's son Adam, but not filmed until afterward; as a result, the action is framed in the form of a flashback. Darrin recalls how he was cloned by Endora so that he could spend time with his pregnant wife Samantha while simultaneously attending a business conference in Japan. Richard Loo, the "heavy" in many a World War II propaganda film, is here cast as Mr. Tanaka. "Samantha's Better Halves" first aired on January 1, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Chance Buckman (John Wayne) heads a team of international trouble shooters who travel around the world to put out oil fires. The dangerous profession has taken a toll on the marriage between Chance and Madelyn (Vera Miles), who leaves when she can no longer endure the stress of saying goodbye and fearing she will never see him again. With his faithful assistant Greg (Jim Hutton), the team is ready at a moments notice to race anywhere to extinguish the flames of oil fires raging out of control. Greg eventually falls for Chance's daughter, Tish (Katherine Ross), who shares her mother's concern over the dangers the men endure. Hellfighters received technical advising from famed oil-well fighter Red Adair and his assistants who provided excellent and credible information for the film and the pyrotechnic team headed by legendary special-effects expert Fred Knoth. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of a two-part story, Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) steps up his search for kidnap victim Bob Griswold (Dave Macklin). Meanwhile, Bob's ex-convict father Max (Arthur Hill) reluctantly launches the final stage of an elaborate robbery that will net the kidnapper a cool three million dollars. A wild seagoing chase caps this nail-biting suspenser. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The first of two Clark Gable films produced by 20th Century-Fox, Soldier of Fortune casts Gable as an American mercenary, running a successful smuggling operation in and out of Hong Kong. Gable is hired by Susan Hayward, who hopes to locate her missing husband, photographer Gene Barry. Upon discovering that Barry is being held by the Communists somewhere on the Chinese mainland, Gable risks his neck to rescue the man. Along the way, he falls in love with Hayward, which may or may not compromise his dedication to saving Barry's neck. Filmed largely on location, Soldier of Fortune deserves to be seen in its original CinemaScope form--or, at the very least, in the "letterboxed" version recently made available to cable television. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide