Lisa Gaye Movies
A dancer at Los Angeles' Biltmore Hotel, Lisa Gaye (née Griffin) signed with Universal-International in 1953 and played a standard leading-lady role in Drums Across the River (1954). She also did such typical '50s genre pictures as Rock Around the Clock (1956) and Shake, Rattle and Rock (1957), but was busier on television, where she appeared on The Bob Cummings Show and the popular series Death Valley Days and Perry Mason. Gaye, who is the sister of former leading ladies Debra Paget, Teala Loring and Ruell Shayne, left show business in the '60s to raise her family. She should not be confused with the later cult star of the same name. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie GuideA bunch of hopeful heirs arrives on an isolated island to hear the will of a horribly scarred, mad scientist. They must not only find the person who is responsible for his disfigurement, but also survive the rampages of a vicious robot the scientist has made in his own image. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Brady, Virginia Mayo, (more)
Audie Murphy is at his taciturn best in the Universal western Drums Along the River. Murphy is cast as Gary Brannon, a peaceful homesteader living a quiet existence with his father Sam (Walter Brennan). No-account Frank Walker (Lyle Bettger), hoping to open up the Ute Indian territory for gold-mining purposes, tries to foment a war between the Utes and the local whites. As an added filip, he steals a gold shipment and pins the blame on Brannon. Now a fugitive from justice, Brannon joins Walker's gang, much to his father's dismay. Actually, it's all part of a plan to expose Walker's perfidy and prevent Ute hostilities, but no one knows this until Brannon wants them to. Jay Silverheels, best known as Tonto on TV's Lone Ranger, co-stars as Ute warrior Taos. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, Walter Brennan, (more)
Three high school teachers find themselves terrorized by a crazed young thug in this taut exploitation thriller. The trouble begins after the innocent trio embark upon a pleasant afternoon at Dodger Stadium. En route their car breaks down and they are stranded at an apparently abandoned gas station. Unfortunately, a psycho punk and his dim-witted partner appear and capture them. If there is one thing the punk hates it's teachers and when he finds out the occupation of his hostages, the blood begins to flow. The scenes of violence and torture are particularly well-done and realistic. The film is also titled Profile of Terror and The Sadist. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
This lurid Spanish thriller involves the efforts of a revolutionary plastic surgeon (Fernando Rey) to graft a lovely new face on a former mental patient (Lisa Gaye). Though she requires regular applications of an experimental skin cream in order to render the new look permanent, she escapes into hiding after committing murder to cover her shadowy past. When her supply of the treatment runs out -- on her honeymoon, no less -- she undergoes a grotesque transformation and sets out on the requisite murderous rampage. A bit of impromptu (and sloppy) cosmetic surgery was also performed on this film by its U.S. distributor, with additional English dialogue scenes haphazardly edited into the already confusing original. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
Frontier Rangers doesn't usually show up in the feature-film credits of director Jacques Tourneur for a very good reason: It really isn't a feature film at all. Rather, it is a pastiche of three episodes from the 1958 TV series Northwest Passage, stitched together as a feature and released theatrically in Europe. Produced by Adrian Samish and largely written by Gerald Drayson Adams, the series was based on the 1940 film of the same name, which in turn was inspired by the best-selling book by Kenneth Roberts. Keith Larsen stars as Major Robert Rogers, whose "Rangers" search tirelessly for an inland route that will permit boat travel through 18th century North America. Foremost among the troops is Rogers' old pal, Indian fighter Hunk Marriner, played by Buddy Ebsen. Guest stars in Frontier Rangers include Lisa Gaye and Angie Dickinson. The patchwork plotline is secondary to the unusually high (for a TV series) violence content. MGM released two additional ersatz Northwest Passage features for European consumption in 1959: Fury River and Mission of Danger. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
After a jade chess set owned by the uncle of hotel bellhop Hey Boy (Kam Tong) is stolen, Paladin (Richard Boone) agrees to track down the thieves and reclaim the loot. Riding to a lonely Montana town in hopes of intercepting the outlaws, Paladin spends the night in a rundown boarding house owned by Ma Warren (Jeanette Nolan). Before long, the original mission is all but forgotten as Paladin becomes enmeshed in a star-crossed romance between Ma's daughter Nancy (Lisa Gaye) and her would-be husband Chuck Anderson (Corey Allen, previously seen as James Dean's "chickie run" rival in Rebel Without a Cause). Future Bonanza costar Dan Blocker shows up in a minor role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this Award-winning episode, Paladin (Richard Boone) is extended the hospitality of Samuel Abajinian (Harold J. Stone), a prosperous Armenian winemaker. But before Paladin can partake of any vintage wine, Abarjinian asks him to track down his "helpless" daughter Helen (Lisa Gaye), who has run off with a ranchhand whom the winemaker regards as weak and unworthy. As it turns out, Helen is fiercely self-reliant--and as usual, there is more to the story than it seems at first glance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In the opening episode of I Dream of Jeannie's fourth season, Jeannie (Barbara Eden) stows away when Tony (Larry Hagman) and Roger (Bill Daily) are assigned to test a top-secret NASA spacecraft, which is shaped like a saucer. Alas, the craft crashlands in hillbilly country, whereupon a couple of gun-totin' rubes (Kathleen Freeman, J. Pat O'Malley) capture Tony, Roger and Jeannie, intending to collect a huge reward for bagging some genuine "Martians". But wait, there's more: Jeannie is unconscious, and can't use her magic to rescue herself or the others! The part of hillbilly gal Daisy Lou is played by Lisa Gaye, who previously costarred with Barbara Eden in the 1950s sitcom How to Marry a Millionaire. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
"Hold it! I think you're gonna like this picture!" With this jaunty assurance, Bob Cummings calmly snuggled into the late-Sunday-night NBC time slot previously occupied by The Hunter for the first season of the breezy sitcom Love That Bob (originally The Bob Cummings Show). Little time is wasted establishing professional photographer Bob Collins (Cummings) as an insatiable skirt-chaser, who uses his profession primarily as an excuse to romance a variety of curvaceous models and starlets. Nor is Bob the only person on the series with an ulterior motive. His widowed sister Margaret MacDonald (Rosemary de Camp), with whom he shares a tasteful little L.A. bungalow, is forever doing her best to undermine Bob's love life -- not out of any sisterly concern, but because she feels that Bob's hedonistic behavior sets a bad example for her teenaged son Chuck (Dwayne Hickman).
In the same vein, Bob's "gal Friday" Charmaine "Schultzy" Schultz (Ann B. Davis) never tires of delivering little verbal zingers calculated to throw Bob's models off the track -- not because she feels her boss would be better off keeping his mind on his work, but because she secretly yearns to be "Mrs. Collins" herself. The series' first episode finds Bob going through the motions of finding a suitable second husband for Margaret (again, there's that ulterior motive: Marry Margaret off, and she'll stop meddling in his affairs). Later on, he attempts to fix up Schultzy with a girl-shy soda jerk, and still later he gives her the "glamour" treatment so she'll be more appealing to her erstwhile sailor beau Frank (Dick Wesson). Of course, these missions of mercy are secondary to Bob's own never-ending pursuit of the fairer sex -- said pursuit arousing the envy -- and emulation -- of his two Air Force reserve buddies, Paul Fonda (Lyle Talbot) and Harvey Helm (King Donovan). Paul, in fact, evinces so many "wolf-like" tendencies that a panicky Bob tries to discourage what he thinks is a budding romance between Paul and Margaret. Love That Bob did not crack the Top Twenty ratings during its first season, and in fact never would rank any higher than 32nd or 33rd place. But the series was popular and a solid performer -- so much so that when NBC decided to cancel at the end of the first season, the series' sponsor simply shifted the program over to rival CBS, where it remained for the next three years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In the same vein, Bob's "gal Friday" Charmaine "Schultzy" Schultz (Ann B. Davis) never tires of delivering little verbal zingers calculated to throw Bob's models off the track -- not because she feels her boss would be better off keeping his mind on his work, but because she secretly yearns to be "Mrs. Collins" herself. The series' first episode finds Bob going through the motions of finding a suitable second husband for Margaret (again, there's that ulterior motive: Marry Margaret off, and she'll stop meddling in his affairs). Later on, he attempts to fix up Schultzy with a girl-shy soda jerk, and still later he gives her the "glamour" treatment so she'll be more appealing to her erstwhile sailor beau Frank (Dick Wesson). Of course, these missions of mercy are secondary to Bob's own never-ending pursuit of the fairer sex -- said pursuit arousing the envy -- and emulation -- of his two Air Force reserve buddies, Paul Fonda (Lyle Talbot) and Harvey Helm (King Donovan). Paul, in fact, evinces so many "wolf-like" tendencies that a panicky Bob tries to discourage what he thinks is a budding romance between Paul and Margaret. Love That Bob did not crack the Top Twenty ratings during its first season, and in fact never would rank any higher than 32nd or 33rd place. But the series was popular and a solid performer -- so much so that when NBC decided to cancel at the end of the first season, the series' sponsor simply shifted the program over to rival CBS, where it remained for the next three years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Cummings, Rosemary de Camp, (more)
Moving from NBC to CBS for its second season, Love That Bob (originally The Bob Cummings Show) also moved to a more advantageous time slot, Thursday nights at 8:00 PM. Here it would remain for the next two years -- never a huge ratings hit, but always consistently popular with its target audience, which seemed to be comprised of women who were attracted to star Bob Cummings, and men who envied Cummings' incredible luck with the opposite sex (at least on his TV show!) As was the case back at NBC, the CBS version of Love That Bob finds professional photographer Bob Collins (Cummings) ardently pursuing every beautiful and unattached girl who sashays into his studio.
Meanwhile, Bob's "gal Friday" Schultzy (Ann B. Davis) employs a full arsenal of wisecracks to cover up the fact that she carries a torch for her boss; and Bob's widowed sister Margaret (Rosemary de Camp), with whom he lives in a suburban L.A. bungalow , wishes that Bob would stop chasing about and get married, if only to provide a worthwhile role model for her teenaged son Chuck (Dwayne Hickman) -- who, more than ever during season two, is exhibiting a desire to emulate his uncle's Lothario tactics. In another carryover from season one, overprotective Bob is determined to save Margaret from the "lecherous" clutches of his airline pilot pal Paul Fonda (Lyle Talbot), even though Paul is basically a nice guy and a gentleman. Once he decides that Paul and Margaret should be together after all, Bob nearly louses up the relationship by being an overbearing buttinsky. And near the end of the season, Margaret tires of Bob's interference and sets about to "trap" Paul all by herself by shedding her sweet, domestic image and transforming into a Sadie Thompson-like vamp. Season two inagurates the series' policy of featuring story arcs that carry over from one episode to the next, a technique producer Paul Henning would hone to a fine science on such series as The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction. Typical is the two-episode arc in which Bob Collins follows guest star Jack Carson to Hawaii, hoping to dally amongst the sun-kissed island lovelies -- only to inadvertently become engaged to a local girl with a large and rather intimidating family! The most amusing development during Love That Bob's second season is the introduction of a "new" character: Bob's peppery, harmlessly wolfish grandfather Josh Collins -- also played by Bob Cummings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Meanwhile, Bob's "gal Friday" Schultzy (Ann B. Davis) employs a full arsenal of wisecracks to cover up the fact that she carries a torch for her boss; and Bob's widowed sister Margaret (Rosemary de Camp), with whom he lives in a suburban L.A. bungalow , wishes that Bob would stop chasing about and get married, if only to provide a worthwhile role model for her teenaged son Chuck (Dwayne Hickman) -- who, more than ever during season two, is exhibiting a desire to emulate his uncle's Lothario tactics. In another carryover from season one, overprotective Bob is determined to save Margaret from the "lecherous" clutches of his airline pilot pal Paul Fonda (Lyle Talbot), even though Paul is basically a nice guy and a gentleman. Once he decides that Paul and Margaret should be together after all, Bob nearly louses up the relationship by being an overbearing buttinsky. And near the end of the season, Margaret tires of Bob's interference and sets about to "trap" Paul all by herself by shedding her sweet, domestic image and transforming into a Sadie Thompson-like vamp. Season two inagurates the series' policy of featuring story arcs that carry over from one episode to the next, a technique producer Paul Henning would hone to a fine science on such series as The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction. Typical is the two-episode arc in which Bob Collins follows guest star Jack Carson to Hawaii, hoping to dally amongst the sun-kissed island lovelies -- only to inadvertently become engaged to a local girl with a large and rather intimidating family! The most amusing development during Love That Bob's second season is the introduction of a "new" character: Bob's peppery, harmlessly wolfish grandfather Josh Collins -- also played by Bob Cummings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Cummings, Rosemary de Camp, (more)
Happy-go-lucky photographer Bob Collins (Bob Cummings) continues to ardently pursue his lovely models -- and for that matter, any other lovely lady who tickles his fancy -- as Love That Bob (originally The Bob Cummings Show) enters its third season. Also still on hand are future Brady Bunch co-star Ann B. Davis as Bob's "gal Friday" Schultzy, who secretly pines for her boss; Rosemary de Camp as Bob's widowed sister Margaret, still hoping that her randy brother will stop playing the field and settle down to marriage; and Dwayne Hickman as Margaret's son and Bob's nephew, Chuck, now an 18-year-old who is even more determined to follow in his Uncle's footsteps as God's Gift to Women (late 1956 model). New to the series is Mary Lawrence as Ruth Helm, the wife of Bob's Air Force Reserve buddy Harvey Helm. Fully aware of Bob's reputation with the opposite sex, jealous Ruth keeps Harvey on a short leash, but she can't censor the gleam in her otherwise 100 percent faithful husband's eye whenever he gets a gander at Bob's harem of lady friends. Also conspicuous by her frequent appearances this season is Nancy Kulp as gangly bird-watcher Pamela Livingston, who'd like to feather Bob's nest someday (this character is virtually a "dress rehearsal" for Kulp's more famous role as Jane Hathaway on The Beverly Hillbillies, which like Love That Bob, was executive-produced by Paul Henning).
And finally, there are several more appearances this season by Bob's aged but spry grandfather Josh Collins, who is even more of a wolf than his grandson. (Both Bob and Josh are, of course, played by Bob Cummings.) Ol' Josh is in fact the focal point of the season opener, "Grandpa Meets Zsa Zsa" -- and it is surely unnecessary for us to mention who "portrays" Zsa Zsa! Of Season three's 35 episodes, several stand out. "Bob Clashes With His Landlady" is a film buff's dream, offering a romantic pairing of Amazonian character actress Hope Emerson and dialect comedian El Brendel. "Bob Meets Miss Sweden" introduces a new recurring player, real-life Miss Sweden Ingrid Goude." Former child actress Bonita Granville, on the verge of becoming co-producer of the TV series Lassiewith husband Jack Wrather, plays the cousin in "Bob Meets Schultzy's Cousin." And "Chuck at College" was originally intended as the pilot episode for a spin-off series starring Dwayne Hickman; though no such series materialized at the time, Hickman would eventually headline his own sitcom, Dobie Gillis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
And finally, there are several more appearances this season by Bob's aged but spry grandfather Josh Collins, who is even more of a wolf than his grandson. (Both Bob and Josh are, of course, played by Bob Cummings.) Ol' Josh is in fact the focal point of the season opener, "Grandpa Meets Zsa Zsa" -- and it is surely unnecessary for us to mention who "portrays" Zsa Zsa! Of Season three's 35 episodes, several stand out. "Bob Clashes With His Landlady" is a film buff's dream, offering a romantic pairing of Amazonian character actress Hope Emerson and dialect comedian El Brendel. "Bob Meets Miss Sweden" introduces a new recurring player, real-life Miss Sweden Ingrid Goude." Former child actress Bonita Granville, on the verge of becoming co-producer of the TV series Lassiewith husband Jack Wrather, plays the cousin in "Bob Meets Schultzy's Cousin." And "Chuck at College" was originally intended as the pilot episode for a spin-off series starring Dwayne Hickman; though no such series materialized at the time, Hickman would eventually headline his own sitcom, Dobie Gillis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Cummings, Rosemary de Camp, (more)
Moving from its familiar Thursday night time slot to a Tuesday evening berth, and leaving CBS to return to NBC in the bargain, Love That Bob (originally The Bob Cummings Show) enters its fourth season. Even after all these years, Bob Collins (Bob Cummings), the series' cheerfully lascivious photographer hero, exhibits no signs of fatigue as he continues pursuing the lovely ladies who show up at his photographer's studio -- or even those who don't show up there! Likewise as hale and hearty as ever is Bob's supporting cast: Ann B. Davis as Mr. Collins' "gal Friday" Schultzy, who, though she has a few beaux of her own, still carries a torch for her boss; Rosemary de Camp as Bob's widowed sister Margaret, tireless in her efforts to marry her roguish brother off to a decent, homespun girl; and Dwayne Hickman as Bob's nephew Chuck, now in his second year of college and as determined as ever to prove himself every inch the ladies' man that his Uncle Bob is. Also on hand are such sideline players as Bob's Air Force pal Harvey Helm (King Donovan) and Harvey's benignly domineering spouse Ruth (Mary Lawrence); bandy-legged bird watcher Pamela Livingston (Nancy Kulp), who'd like to get Bob in her sights on a permanent basis; and rascally old "Grandpa" Josh Collins, who fancies himself as much a Lothario as his grandson Bob (and who, like Bob, is played by Bob Cummings).
While many of the Love That Bob episodeshave the "ageless" quality enjoyed by such sitcoms as The Honeymooners and I Love Lucy, a number of the fourth season installments are firmly locked into a 1957-1958 timeframe, notably "Bob Digs Rock 'n' Roll," "Bob Goes to the Moon" and the TV-Western spoof Bob the Gunslinger." And at least one episode is a portent of things to come: "Bob Goes Hillbilly," which anticipates producer Paul Henning's even more successful sitcom venture The Beverly Hillbillies by five years. As a bonus, several '50s vintage guest stars show up this season, among them Alan Ladd, Connie Stevens, Don Knotts, and Rose Marie. The last episode filmed for the season (though not the last one shown) is "Bob Frees Schultzy for Romance," which looks suspiciously like the pilot for a spin-off series starring Ann B. Davis. That the pilot (if it is one) did not sell is evidenced by the opening episode of Love That Bob's next season, "Bob and Schultzy Reunite." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
While many of the Love That Bob episodeshave the "ageless" quality enjoyed by such sitcoms as The Honeymooners and I Love Lucy, a number of the fourth season installments are firmly locked into a 1957-1958 timeframe, notably "Bob Digs Rock 'n' Roll," "Bob Goes to the Moon" and the TV-Western spoof Bob the Gunslinger." And at least one episode is a portent of things to come: "Bob Goes Hillbilly," which anticipates producer Paul Henning's even more successful sitcom venture The Beverly Hillbillies by five years. As a bonus, several '50s vintage guest stars show up this season, among them Alan Ladd, Connie Stevens, Don Knotts, and Rose Marie. The last episode filmed for the season (though not the last one shown) is "Bob Frees Schultzy for Romance," which looks suspiciously like the pilot for a spin-off series starring Ann B. Davis. That the pilot (if it is one) did not sell is evidenced by the opening episode of Love That Bob's next season, "Bob and Schultzy Reunite." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Cummings, Rosemary de Camp, (more)
Still on NBC after moving from CBS a year earlier, Love That Bob (originally The Bob Cummings Show) enters its fifth and final season in first-run prime time. Bob Cummings returns in his signature role as professional photographer and self-styled ladies' man Bob Collins, with Ann B. Davis as Bob's faithful assistant Schultzy, Rosemary de Camp as Bob's widowed sister Margaret, and Dwayne Hickman as Margaret's son Chuck, now a college sophomore. With the series' ratings in a slump, Love That Bob producer Paul Henning tries to freshen up the proceedings with a gimmick or two. First off, there are more guest stars this season than ever before, including Steve Allen, George Burns, Art Linkletter, Peter Lawford, Anna Maria Alberghetti, and, most memorably, Mamie van Doren, here hiding her considerable assets under a frizzy wig, an outsized pair of glasses, and a dumpy outfit. (It is explained that van Doren is "preparing" for a movie character role!) Secondly, a belated effort is made to "domesticate" the rakish Bob Collins by introducing child actress Tammy Marihugh in the role of six-year-old Tammi Johnson. Attracted to Tammi's widowed mother, Bob suddenly (and uncharacteristically) finds himself working overtime to win the little tyke's affection and respect, at one point hiring actor George Montgomery, then starring on the TV Western Cimarron City, to teach him how to be a "real cowboy"! Though Love That Bob would conclude its nighttime run at the end of its fifth season, the series' episodes were rebroadcast on ABC's daytime schedule from 1959 through 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Cummings, Rosemary de Camp, (more)
This second film version of Lloyd C. Douglas' spiritual novel Magnificent Obsession is in its own way as successful as the first (filmed in 1935) in glossing over the plot holes and logic gaps in the original novel. Rock Hudson plays Bob Merrick, a reckless playboy who is indirectly responsible for the death of a kindly and much-beloved doctor. The dead man's wife, Helen Phillips (Jane Wyman), refuses to accept Bob's apologies. When Helen is accidentally blinded, Bob decides to "do right" by her anonymously, illustrating author Douglas' curious edict that the best sort of good deed is the one for which you're not rewarded. In record time, Bob becomes a brilliant physician, and it is he who performs the sight-restoring surgery on Helen. Rather than fade into the woodwork unheralded, Bob is at last forgiven by Helen, who has fallen in love with him during her sightless months without even knowing it. Luxuriously produced by Ross Hunter and directed con brio by Douglas Sirk, Magnificent Obsession was one of the most successful of Universal's big-budget "weepers" of the 1950s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, (more)
When a space capsule is accidently launched, a repairman finds himself in a time warp covering many centuries. ~ All Movie Guide
This is the second Maverick episode to be based on a story by Robert Louis Stevenson (the first, "The Wrecker", was seen during the series' inaugural season). Bart Maverick (Jack Kelly) finds himself the unwelcome guest of Mexican aristocrat Don Felipe when his "host"'s hacienda is surrounded by guerilla forces, determined to overthrow the Mexican government. Making things particularly dicey is th fact that the leader of the guerillas, Don Manuel (Joe De Santis), is the father of Don Felipe's fiancee Soledad (Lisa Gaye)--whose own loyalties are highly in doubt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this campy melodrama, a high school girl gets involved in the wrong crowd, and though innocent of wrong doing is sent to reform school. Soon after her release, she enters and wins the Miss Colorado contest, making her a contender for the Miss America title. Not long after winning the state pageant, she falls for and secretly marries an ex-convict. Unfortunately, he isn't reformed and is arrested for attempted kidnapping. When that happens, his secret marriage to the woman is exposed and she is publicly disgraced. The woman is distraught and becomes a kooch dancer. Her depression continues and this leads her to buy a gun and try to kill herself. Unfortunately, she fails. Later she tries to rob a drugstore, but ends up in prison. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Accompanied by her tempestuous cousin Concepcion (Faith Domergue), Lola Bronson (Lisa Gaye) breezes into LA from Argentina to finalize her divorce from her husband, aircraft designer Jeff Bronson (Lisa Gaye). But when she suspects Bill Ryder (played by singer Guy Mitchell) of deliberately sabotaging Jeff's business, Lola rises to her ex-husband's defense and tries to extract a confession from Ryder--at gunpoint. Ultimately, Perry Mason must defend both of the battling Bronsons on a charge of murdering Ryder. This is the final episode of Perry Mason's fourth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Scheming Harvey Scott (Tom Tully) has managed to regain control of his mining company while his nephew Rick (Henry Brandt) was in Acapulco, recuperating from an accident. To make certain that Rick doesn't return to the States to restake his claim on the company, Harvey orders his nephew's lovelorn niece Joanna (Anne Whitfield) to keep him occupied in Mexico. Eventually Rick tumbles to this scheme and heads to LA for a showdown. But when Harvey is killed, Rick is nowhere to be found--and Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) finds himself defending poor Joanna on a murder charge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
While deep-sea fishing with his colleague Paul Drake (William Hopper), Perry (Raymond Burr) receives word from his old friend Scott Cahill (Jeff York) that the Coast Guard has boarded Cahill's vessel looking for stolen gold bullion. Unfortunately, the officials not only find the gold, but also the body of Cahill's alleged partner Karl Magovern (Arch Johnson). This is the episode in which Perry inveigles his "friendly enemy" Hamilton Burger (William Talman) to take a crucial voyage on a Coast Guard cutter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This is the third of four consecutive episodes in which Perry Mason appears only briefly, while a "guest" lawyer handles the case at hand (Raymond Burr was at the time recovering from minor surgery). Subbing for Perry on this occasion is Bruce Jason (Hugh O'Brian), a lawyer who normally specializes in cases involving the entertainment world. But there's nothing "entertaining" about the death of Iron-curtain dignitary Franz Schreck, who turns up murdered shortly after making a big-money deal to sell some top-secret papers to columnist Elihu Laban (Abraham Sofaer). Ultimately, Jason must defend Laban on a double-murder charge, and in the process ends up chasing "himself" in the form of a lookalike assassin (also played by Hugh O'Brian). Removed from the original Perry Mason syndicated rerun package in 1966, this episode remained on the shelf until it was telecast on cable TV in the mid-1990s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
So far as the authorities are concerned, Dr. Stacey Fielding (George Wallace) died in a plane crash while flying to Salt Lake City--and the cause of death was not the crash but a heavy dose of poison. As the last person to see Dr. Fielding alive, his wife Miriam (Jeanne Cooper) is the most likely murder suspect, but she is cleared thanks to attorney Perry Mason (Raymond Burr). End of story? No way! After Miriam's day in court, Perry finds out that the man who died in Dr. Fielding's plane was actually mechanic Al Dolby (John Goddard)--and that Fielding may have faked his death in order to run off with his sexy nurse! This episode is based on Erle Stanley Gardner's "Perry Mason" novel The Case of the Fugitive Nurse, which was previously filmed under that title in 1958. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Although he no longer works for the insurance company that had hired him to track down the stolen Jokarta Diamond, shady private detective Jack Mallory (Michael Pate) has never given up the chase. Worming his way into the confidence of Katherine Stewart (Phyllis Hill), Mallory puts a tail on Katherine's husband Philip (Phillip Pine), recently released from prison after serving a manslaughter charge--and the primary suspect in the theft of the elusive diamond. After a confrontation in which he demands that Phillip reveal the diamond's whereabouts, Mallory is murdered--and Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) is hired to prevent "number one suspect" Phillip Stewart from going back to prison for keeps. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Two musicians whose dance band is going nowhere happen across a roadhouse in the sticks, where a pack of fun-loving youngsters are dancing to a new and different beat -- the kids call it rock 'n' roll! The band, Bill Haley and his Comets, leaves the two musicians mighty impressed, and they agree to manage Haley and his crew. They soon meet disc jockey Alan Freed, who immediately secures Haley and the boys a nightclub stand in the Big Apple, where the Comets become the hottest ticket in town. As stories go, Rock Around the Clock was not stunningly original, but at least director Fred F. Sears and producer Sam Katzman had the good sense to stay out of the way and let Bill Haley and his Comets do what they do best -- mix cowboy swing with rhythm and blues, make with the boogie, and have a fine old time doing it. Haley and Co. perform most of their best-known tunes here, including "See You Later, Alligator", "Razzle Dazzle", "Rudy's Rock" and (of course) the title tune, and if they look and sound a bit staid compared to what Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Gene Vincent would be serving only a few years later, their music is good, clean fun and swings a lot harder than most folks give it credit for. Rock Around the Clock also features performances from The Platters ("The Great Pretender" and "Only You") and Freddy Bell and His Bellboys. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Haley & His Comets, The Platters, (more)












