Eduard Franz Movies

Based on the popular television series created by Rod Serling, this film of horror and the supernatural tells four separate stories--each by a different director: John Landis, Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante and George Miller. In one, a bigot is taught a lesson when he is transported to experience the lives of three different victims of prejudice and intolerance. Another takes a trip to an old-age home where the arrival of a special man turns some of the residents into youthful people once again. In the third, a woman befriends a timid young child who turns out to be a maniacal brat with bizarre powers. The final segment shows how a man with an aversion to flying has a rough time when he panics and then sees a strange creature on the wing outside his window seat. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi

A 12-year-old Jodie Foster makes one of her periodic ABC Afterschool Special appearances as the title character in The Secret Life of T.K. Dearing. Considered something of an oddball by her family and peer group, peppery preteen T.K. Dearing finds a friend and kindred spirit in her young-at-heart grandfather (Eduard Franz). The story shifts into high gear when T.K. invites grandpa to join her secret club. (Hard to believe that Jodie Foster starred in this wholesome little escapade the same year that she played "working girl" Iris in Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver!) ~ Rovi

In this made-for-television disaster thriller, a carload rich commuters are held hostage by a trio of thugs. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The author of the famous late 1930's antiwar book Johnny Got His Gun wrote and directed this film adaptation. It concerns a nameless young soldier (Timothy Bottoms) in a veteran's hospital in the World War I period. The young man has had his face blown off, he is without the use of any of his senses save touch, and also has no arms or legs. He is in a coma at the beginning of the film, and his doctors doubt that he will regain consciousness. This is also what they hope. A nurse, while changing his dressings, discovers that he is awake and responsive. The unrelieved awfulness of his situation is apparent to many. However, in order to keep the "good order" of the military, the regular Army general commanding the hospital will not allow the boy to be seen or his family notified, nor will he permit anyone to perform a mercy killing. Interspersed with this horror are flashbacks of the youth's life before the war. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

The F.B.I. begins its fifth season as Federal Inspector Lew Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) persuades former counterespionage agent Anne Fraser (Diane Baker) to come out of retirement for one last assignment. Posing as lovers, Erkine and Anne hope to round up a spy ring specializing in blackmailing vulnerable diplomats--a task made difficult by the fact that the villains are protected by diplomatic immunity. In the original TV Guide ads for this episode, the producers shamelessly plugged their series' longtime sponsor by listing "The 1970 Fords" as "guest stars"! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The President's Analyst is James Coburn, whose position makes him privy to any number of delicate government secrets. Thus Coburn becomes a most desirable prize for several secret-agent organizations, including the CEA and the FBR (we know who these folks are really supposed to be, even though the phony names were crudely dubbed onto the soundtrack after the film was completed). When Coburn becomes expendable, he finds a pair of strong allies in the form of likeable political assassin Godfrey Cambridge and gay Soviet spy Severn Darden. The main plot involves an insidious, unnamed concern that wishes to harness Coburn's talents in order to brainwash the president -- and everyone else in America -- into submission. The President's Analyst is a terrific, on-target satire of virtually every sacred cow of the late 1960s; the satire was so potent, in fact, that when the NBC network broadcast the film in the early 1970s, it was compelled to remove the picture's punchline. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In desperate need of money for his daughter's operation, research chemist Edward Lennan (Arthur Hill) agrees to sell some stolen vials to foreign spy Jago (Michael Strong). Lennan is convinced that the vials contain only a newly developed cosmetic base. In truth, they are contaminated with a deadly bacteria--and unless FBI Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) acts quickly, millions of lives will be lost on both sides of the Iron Curtain. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The third of the "Ben Cartwright's Wives" trilogy (his marriages to first wife Elizabeth and second wife Inger were recounted in 1961 and 1962, respectively), "Marie, My Love" originally aired on February 10, 1963. While his son Joe hovers between life and death after suffering a fall, Ben Cartwright recalls his years with Joe's mother, New Orleans belle Marie (Felicia Farr), and also recalls the scandal which nearly tore the couple asunder. Also appearing are Eduard Franz as Marius and George Dolenz as Marcy. The script, by Anthony Lawrence and Anne Howard Bailey, provides a satisfactory resume of the eventful life and untimely demise of Marie Cartwright, even though certain "facts" do not jibe with those set forth in previous Bonanza episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Hatari! is Swahili for "danger"--and also the word for action, adventure and broad comedy in this two-fisted Howard Hawks effort. John Wayne stars as the head of a daring Tanganyka-based group which captures wild animals on behalf of the world's zoos. Hardy Kruger, Gérard Blain and Red Buttons are members of Wayne's men-only contingent, all of whom are reduced to jello when the curvaceous Elsa Martinelli enters the scene. In tried and true Howard Hawks fashion, Martinelli quickly becomes "one of the guys," though Wayne apparently can't say two words to her without sparking an argument. The second half of this amazingly long (159 minute) film concerns the care and maintenance of a baby elephant; the barely credible finale is devoted to a comic pachyderm stampede down an urban African street, ending literally at the foot of Martinelli's bed. The other scene worth mentioning involves comedy-relief Red Buttons' efforts to create a fireworks-powered animal trap. Not to be taken seriously for a minute, Hatari is attractively packaged and neatly tied up with a danceable-pranceable theme song by Henry Mancini. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

An idealistic, exceedingly arrogant young Austrian nobleman named Franz (Scott Marlowe) hopes to succeed where his ill-fated cousin, Emperor Maximillian, had failed by becoming Emperor of Mexico. Though he initially refuses to assist Franz in this foolhardy venture, Paladin (Richard Boone) quickly learns that Franz is willing to exact harsh punishment upon those who stand in his way. Ultimately, Paladin realizes that Franz is the unwitting dupe of his advisor Ludwig (Eduard Franz) who has entered into a gunrunning scheme with a notorious Mexican bandit. With famed fencing master Albert Cavens in the cast, it should be no surprise that a lively clash of swords is an episode highlight. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This Biblical epic stars Elana Eden as Ruth, who serves in the temple where the High Priestess (Viveca Lindfors) leads the worship of the Pagan idols of the people of Moab. When Ruth falls in love with Mahlon (Tom Tryon), a Hebrew, she must come to terms with his spiritual beliefs, but in time she embraces his faith and converts to Judaism when they marry. Ruth travels with Mahlon and his mother Naomi (Peggy Wood) to their homeland of Bethlehem. Ruth suffers hardship and religious persecution, and when Mahlon dies, Ruth's faith is severely tested. But her belief in God survives this trial by fire, and in time Ruth finds a new love with Boaz (Stuart Whitman). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Originally aired in 1959 as an installment of NBC's Lincoln Mercury Startime, Jerry Lewis' earnest tribute to the landmark 1927 Al Jolson film (the first feature to use synchronized sound) tells the tale of a Jewish nightclub crooner who is forced to weigh his career ambitions against his devotion to family after being given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The last in a long line of Jewish cantors, Joey Rabinowitz (Lewis) forsakes singing in the synagogue to entertain audiences as a jazz singer and comedian. Meanwhile, Joey's disapproving father (Eduard Franz) makes no attempts to conceal his disappointment in the fact that his son has gone secular. Just as Joey is beginning to feel as if fame isn't in the cards, a prominent television starlet invites him to perform before a national audience. The very same night that Joey is scheduled to make his big television debut, however, his father's health takes a sudden turn for the worse as he prepares to sing the "Kol Nidre" for their synagogue's Yom Kippur service. Now, with stars in his eyes and his dreams within reach, Joey must choose between taking his one shot at fame, or maintaining family tradition when his father needs him most. Silent film star Molly Picon, Italian actress/singer Anna Maris Alberghetti, and husky character actor Alan Reed (the voice of Fred Flintstone) also star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Fred MacMurray is the beleagured hero of the Universal western Day of the Badman. MacMurray plays circuit judge Jim Scott, who rides into town to pass sentence on convicted killer Jake Hayes (Lee Van Cleef). Unfortunately, it doesn't look as though Hayes will stay in jail long enough for the trial: the town's sheriff (John Ericson) is an ineffectual weakling, willing to bend to the wishes of the killer's powerful father Charlie Hayes (Robert Middleton). The elder Hayes demands that his son merely be "banished" from town, and to that end he terrorizes the townsfolk into honoring his wishes. But Hayes hasn't reckoned with Judge Scott, who is not so easily bullied and cowed. The judge passes a sentence of death--and he's well equipped to mete out that punishment himself! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi