Kathleen Freeman Movies
The inimitable American actress Kathleen Freeman has been convulsing film audiences with portrayals of dowdy, sharp-tongued matrons since she was in her 20s. After stage work, Freeman began taking bit roles in major-studio features in 1948, seldom getting screen credit but always making a positive impression. The best of her earliest roles was in Singin' in the Rain (1952); Freeman played long-suffering vocal coach Phoebe Dinsmore, whose Herculean efforts to get dumb movie star Jean Hagen to grasp the proper enunciation of the phrase "I can't staaaand him" proved uproariously futile. Often cast as domestics, Freeman had a year's run in 1953 as the "spooked" maid on the ghostly TV sitcom Topper. Freeman was a particular favorite of comedian Jerry Lewis, who cast the actress in showy (and billed!) roles in such farces as The Errand Boy (1961), The Nutty Professor (1963) and Who's Got the Action?. As Nurse Higgins in Lewis' Disorderly Orderly (1964), Freeman weeps quietly as Jerry meekly scrapes oatmeal off her face and babbles "Oh, Nurse Higgins...you're all full of...stuff." Lewis so trusted Freeman's acting instincts that he sent her to the set of director William Wyler's The Collector (1965) in order to help build up the confidence of Wyler's nervous young leading lady Samantha Eggar. Throughout the '70s and '80s, Freeman took occasional "sabbaticals" from her movie and TV assignments to do stage work, enjoying a lengthy run in a Chicago production of Ira Levin's Deathtrap. Like many character actors of the '50s, Kathleen Freeman is frequently called upon to buoy the projects of baby-boomer directors: she was recently seen as an hysterical Julia Child clone in Joe Dante's Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie GuideArtist Christopher Pride (Jerry Lewis) has just been commissioned to work in Paris. Wanting to kill two birds with one stone, he plans to bring his soon-to-be bride along to celebrate their honeymoon. Unfortunately, his girlfriend (Janet Leigh) is a psychiatrist trying to contend with a trio of young women who utterly despise men. These women are too unstable to leave alone. In hopes of hastening the women's treatment, Christopher impersonates three men in hopes of helping them realize that not all men are cads. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerry Lewis, Janet Leigh, (more)
Klink's inability to win a promotion has kept him awake until the wee small hours of the morning, confounding Hogan's plans to smuggle a prisoner out of Stalag 13. To get Klink's mind off his problems, Hogan offers to act as matchmaker between Klink and General Burkhalter's attractive niece. Unfortunately, Burkhalter is more eager to marry off his less than attractive sister Gertrude (Kathleen Freeman, in the first of several series appearances). Written by Phil Sharp, "Cupid Comes to Stalag 13" originally aired on April 15, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, (more)
Lawyer Alex Morrow (Henry Jones) would like to dump his wife, Angela (Kathleen Freeman), in favor of his sexy mistress, Fiona (Linda Lawson), but he draws the line at divorce: Alex owns a valuable stamp collection, and does not want his wife to get it in the divorce settlement. Then one day, Alex becomes aware of the fact that he is being followed by a man named Richard Schausak (Robert Loggia), who happens to be a professional hitman. Seizing the opportunity, Alex hires Richard to kill Angela -- only to have a last-minute change of heart, one that will end up costing him dearly. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Jones, Robert Loggia, (more)
In this classic episode, Rob (Dick Van Dyke) and Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) give their neighbor Millie (Ann Morgan Guilbert) the lowdown about their big weekend in New York, which was supposed to have involved a romantic getaway at a plush hotel and a fabulous night at a Broadway show. Unfortunately, the couple's plans were radically altered when, while taking a bath, Laura got her big toe stuck in the bathtub faucet! Legend has it that Mary Tyler Moore burst into tears when she read the script for this episode because it required her to be off-camera for most of the action; but when the show finally aired, she realized that it represented one of her finest half-hours. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann Morgan Guilbert, Bernard Fox, (more)
In this romantic comedy, an aspiring actress pays her bills by working as a maid for various households. One of her employers is a wealthy and prominent publisher. After accidentally running into each other a number of times on the New York streets without recognizing each other, they begin to fall in love. She wants to take him home, but she is ashamed of her humble quarters. Believing that the publisher is out of town, she decides to take the lover to that apartment and pretend that it is hers. The lover/ publisher did have a business trip, but it was canceled. He decides to go along with her ruse and pretends that he has never been in his own apartment before. The trouble is, he now has no home to go home to; instead, he begins bunking with his business partner. In the end, both would-be lovers learn the truth, but they still refuse to tell each other that they know. Things get a little crazy, especially when the maid has all her girl friends dress up as hookers and come for a wild party at his apartment. He has the last laugh when they end up in jail. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sandra Dee, Bobby Darin, (more)
Two aging bronc-busters (Glenn Ford and Henry Fonda) make their meager money by breaking wild horses. They dream of better days--possibly retiring to some island paradise--but they never put any money in the bank because they spend it all on booze and girls. They think their no-dough days are done until they acquire a wild drunkard horse which they enter in a bucking contest--no one can ride the wild, hiccupping nag. This is a pretty funny '60s western-style comedy. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Henry Fonda, (more)
A couple's marriage is nearly destroyed by their attempts to save it in this farcical comedy. Dan and Valerie Edwards (Frank Sinatra and Deborah Kerr) are a couple who have been married for close to 20 years. Dan, a busy but successful advertising executive, believes they have a happy relationship, but Valerie feels stifled and thinks her once fun-loving husband has become a bore. Valerie consults a lawyer, Shad Nathan (John McGiver), about a divorce, but Nathan suggests she give things one more try, and recommends a romantic second honeymoon to put the spark back in their relationship. Following his advice, Valerie books a vacation in Mexico; Dan agrees to join her, but once they arrive south of the border, they encounter Miguel Santos (Cesar Romero), an overzealous shyster lawyer who grants them a divorce before they're entirely aware of what's happening. Dan and Valerie take the matter in stride and decide to use it as an opportunity to renew their vows, but just prior to their ceremony, Dan is called away on business. Dan asks his best friend, Ernie Brewer (Dean Martin), a devil-may-care ladies' man, to keep Valerie company until he gets back; however, as Ernie tries to explain to Valerie and Miguel that the wedding is off, he finds he's just become Valerie's new husband. Valerie, angry at Dan's sudden disappearance, decides not to divorce Ernie right away, while Ernie, who has long been infatuated with Valerie, is torn between his feelings for her and his loyalty to Dan. Marriage on the Rocks also features guest appearances by Nancy Sinatra and Trini Lopez; keep an eye peeled for DeForest Kelley in a bit part. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frank Sinatra, Deborah Kerr, (more)
Having temporarily given up their efforts to find a husband for Elly May, Granny and Mr. Drysdale concentrate their energies on locating a wife for Jed. The woman chosen is a friendly lady named Agnes (Kathleen Freeman), whom Granny and Drysdale assume is a millionaire. Alas, while it is true that Agnes does reside in a Beverly Hills mansion, it is because she is employed as a maid. "A Real Nice Neighbor" initially aired on November 10, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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)
Many viewers avoided Mail Order Bride upon its first release, assuming (thanks to MGM's shoddy promotional campaign) that the picture had been slapped together to capitalize on the popularity of Beverly Hillbillies star Buddy Ebsen. In truth, the film is an engaging and involving western drama, with Ebsen playing a character far removed from Jed Clampett. The mail order bride in question is not for Ebsen but for the wild young frontiersman in his charge (Keir Dullea). It is Buddy's hope that the girl will tame the boy (the son of an old friend) and give him some sense of responsibility. Lois Nettelton is the proper young lady who fills the bill. In the closing scenes, director Burt Kennedy restages the climactic shootout from 1962's Ride the High Country, which Kennedy scripted. Mail Order Bride is not only a satisfactory vehicle for Buddy Ebsen, but it also allows him an opportunity to sing the title song. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Buddy Ebsen, Lois Nettleton, (more)
Lucy (Lucille Ball) needs to have a check signed on behalf of daughter Chris (Candy Moore). Unfortunately, the only person authorized to sign the check is banker Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon), who is laid up in the hospital with a broken leg. Taking advantage of her "candy striper" status, Lucy tries to visit Mooney at the hospital, but when she is banned from doing so she returns disguised as a doctor--and almost has to perform an operation to keep up the pretense! Look for Bernie Kopell, the future "Doc" on The Love Boat, in a small role as (appropriately!) an intern. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gale Gordon, Kathleen Freeman, (more)
When her son Jerry (Jimmy Garrett) needs money for a new tuba, Lucy (Lucille Ball) wangles a job at the bank. Not surprisingly, she succeeds in driving Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) crazy, even though she's been given the simple, virtually foolproof task of handing out toasters to cutomers opening new accounts. But our gal Lucy hasn't even gotten started yet: wait until she inadvertently triggers a run on the bank! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gale Gordon, Mary Jane Croft, (more)
Once again, Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Viv (Vivian Vance) dream of untold riches by going into business together; this time their joint enterprise is a small restaurant. Unfortunately, despite several changes of "theme", the restaurant only seems to attract the local mailman and an army of bill collectors. Meanwhile, Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) finds out that a highway is to be built near the restaurant, which will potentially turn it into a goldmine. Mooney craftily tries to buy a share of the place for a cut-rate price, but circumstances conspire to foil his scheme. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gale Gordon, Jack Albertson, (more)
When Viv (Vivian Vance) casts aspersions on Lucy's cooking, Lucy (Lucille Ball) defiantly enters a big baking contest. Things get out of hand early on, with Lucy and Viv each inadvertently passing off the other's cooking as her own. The situation rapidly degenerates into--what else?--a huge pie fight! This final episode of The Lucy Show's second season was also the last written by Lucille Ball's longtime collaborators Bob Carroll Jr. and Madelyn Martin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gale Gordon, Mary Jane Croft, (more)
Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Viv (Vivian Vance) want to join the Danfield Art Society, but feel a bit outclassed when they notice that all the members have maids. To fit in with this snooty crowd, Lucy decides to hire her own maid--but to afford this luxury, she hires herself out as a domestic to wealthy Mrs. Van Vlack (Norma Varden). The scheme backfires when Lucy is assigned to serve dinner. . .for the members of the very Art Society which she hopes to join! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kathleen Freeman, Norma Varden, (more)
In a flashback to his Army days, Rob (Dick Van Dyke) recalls the problems encountered by Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) and himself when they attempted to go on their honeymoon. No sooner has the couple rented a "cozy" hideaway than the commanding officer of Camp Crowder, anxious to locate a possible thief, cancels all leaves! Will Rob be forced to go A.W.O.L. to spend time with Laura -- and will snoopy landlady Mrs. Campbell (the great Kathleen Freeman) end up tossing both Mr. and Mrs. Petrie out of her seedy motel? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kathleen Freeman, Peter Hobbs, (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)
A pair of enterprising sharpsters, James and Mabel Johnson (Murvyn Vye, Kathleen Freeman), take the Clampetts to court after a minor traffic accident. Wrapping themselves in bandages, the Johnsons spin a lucid account of how they were seriously injured by the "drunken" Clampett family, while a slick attorney (Dean Harens) prevents the defendants from telling their side of the story. Finally, Jed Clampett, acting as his own attorney, insists that the Judge (Roy Roberts) listen to a few facts, and as a result, Mr. Johnson incurs some real injuries at the hands of his outraged wife. First shown on May 1, 1963, "The Clampetts in Court" was The Beverly Hillbillies' highest-rated episode to date, and would remain the ninth most popular of the series' 274 installments. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This frantic comedy finds Raymond (Jerry Lewis) working in a department store. Mr. Tuttle (John McGiver) is the watchful owner, whose outspoken wife Phoebe (Agnes Moorehead) makes no secret about her feelings that Raymond is an incompetent boob. Barbara (Jill St. John) is the pretty elevator operator, and unknown to Raymond, the boss' daughter. Quimby (Ray Walston) is the floor manager who has more of an eye for the ladies than his job at the store. Raymond proceeds to wreck every department in the store, earning new positions with each mishap. Two of the many sight gags are when Raymond is sent to paint the top of a flagpole and a hilarious vacuum cleaner demonstration that naturally goes awry. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerry Lewis, Jill St. John, (more)
Professor Julius F. Kelp (Jerry Lewis) is an addle-brained, absent-minded chemistry instructor always incurring the wrath of the university administration by continually blowing up the classroom laboratory. The shy guy has his eyes on the student body of Stella (Stella Stevens). When a football-playing bully humiliates him, Kelp tries to concoct a chemical to help him gain physical strength and stature. The potion turns him into the handsome, hard-edged nightclub singer named Buddy Love. The mild-mannered professor's alter ego becomes a self-absorbed campus favorite at the Purple Pit, a hangout for hip cats and kittens. Stella falls for the enigmatic entertainer who wows the crowd with his jazzy, breezy delivery and cool demeanor. Buddy mixes it up with the bartender (Buddy Lester), who is instructed on how to mix the latest drinks by the professor-turned-party animal. The drawback of the potion is that it wears off at the most embarrassing an inopportune times for Buddy, turning him back into the helpless Kelp. Buddy performs at the annual student dance, and while on the dais, the elixir starts to wear off. The students and staff watch in amazement as he changes back into the professor. He gives an impassioned plea that people must learn to like themselves before others can like them in return. Stella still wants to be the teacher's pet, and the two make future plans together. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerry Lewis, Stella Stevens, (more)
Betty Rose (Carmen Phillips) is ticked off when her boyfriend, Dandy Arthur (Robert Loggia), returns from military service with a young wife named Mieko (Pilar Seurat) in tow. After "helpfully" warning Mieko that Dandy has a homicidal streak, Betty confronts her ex-beau, resulting in a violent argument which ends with Betty's death. For a while, Mieko refuses to believe that her husband might be responsible for the tragedy -- until she stumbles upon some evidence that may well sign her own death warrant. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Loggia, Pilar Seurat, (more)
This grim drama is set in the Mesa Vineyards of California and chronicles the horrible conditions suffered by migrant workers who are treated as slaves by a cruel vineyard supervisor. He is particularly brutal with the females whom he repeatedly rapes and batters. The foreman goes over the edge when he tries to beat the vintner to death so he can commandeer the ranch. Fortunately, the women band together and end up hacking up the brute with pruning shears. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Dana Andrews is ad-man Clint Lorimer in this uneven drama, the last feature film by director Bruce Humberstone, released several years after it was completed. Clint is fired from his job working for a big ad agency, and he is determined to prove himself better than his former bosses. He has two romantic liaisons, one with Peggy Shannon (Jeanne Crain) and another with Anne Temaine (Eleanor Parker). Anne works as the advertising agent for a milk company run by a weirdo exec (Eddie Albert) who plays with toy airplanes in his office, but as time passes he becomes Machiavellian and ego-maniacal. Anne herself changes from a frump to a tough and glossy businesswoman, perhaps making Clint's choice of a future bride easier. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Andrews, Howard St. John, (more)
The second of Jerry Lewis' directorial endeavors, The Errand Boy, like its predecessor The Bellboy, is essentially a series of "spot gags," some hilarious, others only moderately amusing. The gossamer-thin plot finds Morty Tashman (Lewis) being hired by the CEO of "Paramutuel Pictures" (Brian Donlevy) to spy on studio employees and report any incidents of wastefulness and sloth. This gives Morty a chance to wander all over the Paramutuel Pictures lot, inadvertently interfering with work in progress, encountering strange characters and inexplicable events, and overall making as much of a nuisance of himself as possible. Some of the better gags include Morty's chaotic behavior at the "wrap party" for a vainglorious movie queen (Iris Adrian); his attempts to eat lunch while a noisy battle scene from a war picture rages all around him; his misguided effort to dub in the singing voice of a tone-deaf actress; the "Mr. Baebrosenthal" bit; and Morty's tete-a-tete in the studio swimming pool with a scuba diver. The weakest scenes involve Morty's sugary encounters with the Ritts Puppets, and a smug curtain speech about the importance of laughmakers in this troubled world. The huge supporting cast includes such reliable chucklemeisters as Howard McNear, Sig Ruman, Milton Frome, Benny Rubin, Fritz Feld, Doodles Weaver, Joey Forman, Dick Wesson and Joe Besser; also making fleeting appearances are actress/writer/director Renee Taylor, veteran movie tough guy Mike Mazurki (in drag!), silent film comic Snub Pollard, and the four stars from TV's Bonanza. Even non-Jerry Lewis fans will come down with a case of loose chuckles while watching The Errand Boy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerry Lewis, Brian Donlevy, (more)
Comedian Jerry Lewis began directing movies in 1960, and this often unkind satire on the nature of American womanhood is one of his early efforts in that regard. The rubber-legged, rubber-faced Lewis plays Herbert, a man who is despondent over the break-up of his romance. While looking for a job, he comes across an impressive mansion (built as a set at the cost of $350,000) filled with women of all types -- and lo and behold -- they need a handyman. So Herbert gets to reside with a bevy of women of various types, all under the supervision of Mrs. Wellenmelon (Helen Traubel). In the end, the set itself outtrumps them all. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerry Lewis, Helen Traubel, (more)





















