Alice Frost Movies
- 1969
Tonight's case load for Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) is a hectic one indeed. The two patrolmen run the gamut from protecting a grocer from a knife-wielding bandt, and hauling in a hippie who has supped too full of "controlled substances." The central crisis involves a runaway boy (played by future Bonanza regular Mitch Vogel) who becomes lost in a cave. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
This episode runs the gamut from comedy to tragedy for LAPD mobile officers Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) and Jim Reed (Kent McCord). On the lighter side, the two cops break up a loud and nasty argument between a pair of "peace and love" cultists. Thing take a grimmer turn when the officers answer a call for help from a hysterical babysitter, and arrive on the scene of a calamitous swimming-pool accident. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
When it becomes apparent that newly appointed police lieutenant William Adams (Bernie Hamilton) is unable to handle a crime wave wherein dozens of cars are stolen but few are recovered, Ironside (Raymond Burr) must face the grim likelihood that there is a corrupt cop on the force. Convinced that Lt. Adams is blameless, Mark (Don Mitchell) goes undercover at a scrapyard. Following the trail of clues, Mark figures out that the real culprits are a gang of unusually wealthy hippies! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Cissy (Kathy Garver) goes to work as a hospital volunteer, while Buffy (Anissa Jones) joins the Brownies. Before long, both girls have run afoul of "The Rules": Cissy gives water to a patient without consulting a doctor, while Buffy is short the Brownies' age of admission by several months. Ultimately, and surprisingly, 7-year-old Buffy proves a bit more mature in handling her problem than 16-year-old Cissy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Bob Holcomb (Bob Hope) is a widower who worries about his teenage daughter JoJo (Tuesday Weld) in this light romantic comedy. He doesn't care much for JoJo's boyfriend Kenny (Frankie Avalon) because the smooth operator has a motorcycle and some money. Bob manages to get his company to transfer him to Sweden, which effectively separates Kenny and his daughter. JoJo adapts to her new surroundings and starts to date Erik Carlson (Jeremy Slate), an idle playboy and lothario. All of a sudden, Kenny seems all right by Bob, who tries to convince him to come to Sweden and fight for the woman he loves. Bob's new flame Karin (Dina Merrill) is less-than-sympathetic to Bob's babbling about the double standards he sets for his daughter. Maudie Prickett plays a man-hungry spinster, and the musical group The Vulcanes help out with some of the feature's 12 songs. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Hope, Tuesday Weld, (more)
- 1965
Forced into retirement, disgruntled truck driver Harold K. "Smitty" Smith (Arthur O'Connell) decides to get even with his employers. Assisted by two old friends, Smitty hijacks one of the company's trucks. It was supposed to have been a harmless gesture, but things become dangerous for Smitty when it turns out that the stolen vehicle contains a $500,000 shipment of furs--making him not only a fugitive from the FBI but also from some nasty professional thieves. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Newly married to his boss' daughter, George Maxwell (Patrick O'Neal) takes a taxi to the home of his former girlfriend, intending to end the relationship with a huge financial settlement. Alas, when George arrives at the girl's home, he finds that she has been murdered. Cab driver Sam Kirby (George Lindsey) is apparently the only person who knows that George was at the dead woman's house on the night of the death, and he figures that he should receive a great deal of money to ensure his silence. But Sam hasn't figured on the resourcefulness of George's demure wife, Mavis (Kathie Browne) -- whose gardening skills come in quite handy in the overall scheme of things. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick O'Neal, Kathie Browne, (more)
- 1964
This landmark Bonanza episode stars William Marshall (long before his tenure as "Blacula" and as "The King of Cartoons" on Pee-wee's Playhouse) in the role of celebrated black opera singer Thomas Bowers. Returning from a triumphant tour of Italy, Bowers encounters the rawest, most vicious forms of bigotry and prejudice when he arrives in Virginia City. Worse still, Bowers faces arrest as an escaped slave. The Cartwrights come to Bowers' aid. Others in the cast include Ena Hartman as Caroline, Kelly Thordsen as Sam, Jason Wingreen as Luke and Alice Frost as Mrs. Gable. This episode caused a stir in some areas due to its sensitive subject matter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
- 1964
At the behest of the family of the missing Alice Bradley (Sheila Bromley), Paul Drake (William Hopper) tracks the woman down to a mental institution, where she is suffering from amnesia--and as such is totally unaware that she is wanted for the murder of her husband. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) manages to clear Alice of that charge, but soon afterward has another client on his hands: Alice's son Charles (Richard Rust), who has been arrested for the murder of his embezzling coworker Henry Clement. The second victim is played by ventriloquist Paul Winchell, in a rare dramatic role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Based on the novel by Irving Wallace, The Prize takes place in Stockholm, where several laureates gather to accept their Nobel Prizes. At first, the film concentrates on iconoclastic novelist Paul Newman, but he is temporarily shunted to the background when physics expert Edward G. Robinson is kidnaped and replaced by his wicked twin brother. The real Robinson is to be spirited behind the Iron Curtain, while the "fake" Robinson is to disrupt the awards ceremony with an anti-American tirade. Newman gets wind of the plot, and with the help of Swedish foreign office functionary Elke Sommer, he endeavors to rescue the real Robinson and expose the phony-who has yet another trick up his sleeve before the film is over. We'll go along with the fantastic plot convolutions of The Prize, provided we don't have to swallow the premise of another man's voice emanating from that familiar Eddie Robinson mug. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Newman, Edward G. Robinson, (more)
- 1961
Just before he is to hold a very important party, successful novelist Kerwin Drake (John Emery) is confronted by his alcoholic wife, Molly (Jo Van Fleet), whom he hasn't seen for 23 years. To avoid public embarrassment, Kerwin tells his guests that Molly is his new cook. Somehow or other this situation leads to murder -- and a remarkable statement from one of Kerwin's A-list guests. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
Adapted by Rod Serling from a story by Jerome Bixby, "It's a Good Life" stands the test of time as one of the best-ever Twilight Zone episodes -- not to mention one of the series' most frightening efforts. The terrified citizens of Peaksville, Ohio, are held in thrall by a "monster" in the form of angelic-looking youngster Anthony Fremont (Billy Mumy). Possessed with the ability to read minds, coupled with mysterious destructive powers, Anthony bristles whenever he senses that someone is thinking bad thoughts -- and whenever he bristles, something really bad happens (yes, this is the one with the cornfield and the jack-in-the-box). Understandably, this episode has always been a favorite of youngsters, who would give anything to wield Anthony Fremont's awesome powers over their own parents. First telecast November 3, 1961, "It's a Good Life" was later reworked in the 1983 theatrical film Twilight Zone: The Movie -- and a few years after that, it was delightfully lampooned on one of The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror" episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cloris Leachman, John Larch, (more)
- 1959
Ida Lupino stars as Barbara Jean Trenton, a 1930s movie queen who refuses to admit that she's grown too old to play romantic roles. As her loyal agent Danny Weiss (Martin Balsam) looks on with a mixture of pity and disgust, Barbara insists upon sitting in her Hollywood mansion watching her old films. A surprise visit from her now-decrepit leading man Jerry Hearndon (Jerome Cowan) forces Barbara to face reality -- or does it? Bearing traces of Sunset Boulevard, but with a poignant Twilight Zone twist, "The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine" was written by Rod Serling and directed by Mitchell Leisen (one of the last assignments for this veteran); the episode originally aired October 23, 1959. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ida Lupino, Martin Balsam, (more)
