Frank Gerstle Movies
Tall, stony-faced, white-maned Frank Gerstle is most familiar to the baby-boomer generation for his many TV commercial appearances. In films from 1949 through 1967, Gerstle was generally cast as military officers, no-nonsense doctors and plainclothes detectives. His screen roles include Dr. MacDonald in DOA (1949), "machine" politician Dave Dietz in Slightly Scarlet (1954) and the district attorney in I Mobster (1959). Some of his more sizeable film assignments could be found in the realm of science fiction, e.g. Killers From Space (1953), The Magnetic Monster (1953) and Wasp Woman (1960). A prolific voiceover artist, Frank Gerstle pitched dozens of products in hundreds of TV and radio ads, and was a semi-regular on the 1961 prime-time cartoon series Calvin and the Colonel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1997
Preceded by the informative short What About Juvenile Delinquency?, The Atomic Brain involves a strange attempt at mad science -- as if there wasn't already enough on MST3K -- complete with brain transplantation and grave robbery. Transient vagabond Crow entertains on a break from the film, where the guys provide accents bred by a combination of previously separate cultures. Mary Jo Pehl performs "Magic Voice," while Mike's jaw motion proves less than magic to the 'bots. ~ Sarah Sloboda, All Movie Guide
- 1968
James Lake (Raymond St. Jacques) is an escaped black convict imprisoned for a murder he didn't commit. Leslie Whitlock (Kevin McCarthy) offers James money to kill his wife, Ellen (Dana Wynter). He declines and tries to look up his old flame Lily (Barbara McNair), but discovers his own brother is now married to the sultry nightclub singer. James returns to Leslie, and the trio travel towards a mountain retreat. James and Ellen escape and try to find the murderer who had framed James years before. He experiences prejudices from police and civilian alike before the trail leads to the dead girl's stepfather. Due to the constant sexual and racial overtones this film is considered an exploitation feature. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Wynter, Raymond St. Jacques, (more)
- 1968
There may be blood in the streets when the chief of staff of the "Second Force", a paramilitary vigilante group ostensibly set up to fight crime, is murdered. Despite his distaste for the group's racist rantings, Ironside dedicates himself to solving the man's murder before the vigilantes begin exacting vengeance against their supposed enemies. In the course of events, the Chief uncovers the group's true motives--and they are not pure in any way, shape or form. TV talk show host Les Crane appears as himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Del (John Ashley) is an auto mechanic who leaves his brother Marty (Marty Robbins) to open his own business in this routine action drama. The brothers are kidnapped when Del is chased by federal agents for running moonshine. Marty races stock cars during the day and sings at night. How else could they make room for him to sing five songs? Connie Smith and The Stonemans provide further music, with Robert Faulk and Frank Gertile as the moonshiners. The brothers face each other in a showdown at the racetrack for the finale. The interest for this film is fueled by fans of stock-car racing and the popularity of country singers Robbins and Smith. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marty Robbins, John Ashley, (more)
- 1967
Hogan and his men capture German Field Marshal Von Heinke (John Myhers), then arrange a prisoner swap to free American General Aloysius Barton (Frank Gerstle). Unfortunately, the mean-spirited Barton despises Hogan and very nearly sabotages his own bid for freedom. Now Hogan finds himself in the unenviable position of currying favor with both the Nazis and his own side. Written by R.S. Allen and Harvey Bullock, "The General Swap" first aired on January 6, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, (more)
- 1967
Ironside (Raymond Burr) stage-manages an elaborate ruse to bring mob kingpin John Trask (a pre-Hawaii 5-0 Jack Lord) to justice. Hiding the fact that a gangster who'd planned to turn state's evidence has been murdered, Ironside leads Trask to believe that the dead witness is still alive and really to spill everything. The rest of the episode is a tense waiting game, with Ironside hoping that Trask's nervousness will lead who to take the proverbial "one false step". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
This episode opens in a curious fashion as Jason McCord (Chuck Connors) is arrested by uniformed troops and placed in a prison van. Once incarcerated, he meets another prisonder: Former Confederate officer Randall Kirby (Harry Townes), who rambles on about overthrowing the government and establishing his own empire. It soon becomes obvious that Kirby will be able to set his plans in motion unless McCord--whose presence in the van may not be all that coincidental--intervenes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
This exploitation crime drama offers a fictionalized account of John Dillinger just before he became known as one of the most ruthless mobsters of the 1930s. The tale begins as Dillinger and his girlfriend try to rob her daddy's safe and get caught red-handed. Dillinger takes the fall and goes to the joint where he encounters some of America's most infamous gangsters including Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson. Dillinger helps them all escape and together they become some of the most fearsome criminals ever. Because he is considered Public Enemy No. 1, Dillinger decides to undergo a total face transformation. Following the operation, he kills the surgeon, who was trying to force himself on Dillinger's moll. Later, he wrongs her and this ultimately leads to tragedy for him and for her. Keep an eye out for background people dressed in 1960s clothing, quite an anomaly for a film set in the '30s. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nick Adams, Robert Conrad, (more)
- 1964
In this western, a cowboy finally returns to his home after a long absence precipitated by his killing a wicked rancher's son in a forced duel. The cowboy wants to live peacefully on his daddy's ranch and be with the woman that he loves. While on the trail home, he encounters a ruthless outlaw gang planning a bank robbery. Because most of the town men have gone on a giant cattle drive, the town is defenseless. The courageous cowpoke and his pal do all they can to keep the bad-guys at bay during a bloody battle. Eventually the good-guys prevail and the prodigal cowboy is appointed sheriff. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Audie Murphy, Merry Anders, (more)
This weird, morbid little sci-fi thriller stars Marjorie Eaton as a filthy-rich but decrepit old widow who has devoted much of her wealth to funding the dubious (to say the least) scientific research of Frank Gerstle, who has constructed a mad lab in the widow's basement in order to perfect a technique in which an infusion of atomic energy (or something) will enable him to transfer the widow's brain into a young and sexy physique. To this end, three subjects are solicited through a want ad (under the pretense of employing a housekeeper). The three young women, all of different nationalities (represented by horrendous accents), are subjected to the old woman's scrutiny, until she selects the prime candidate... as the others become fodder for the doctor's pet projects. Needless to say, things don't turn out quite as planned: people are burned, torn apart by man-beasts, and get their eyes ripped out -- one poor lass even winds up with the brain of a cat. This has a certain perverse charm and is competently directed (excepting some boring stretches) by Joseph V. Mascelli -- who, in spite of his work on this film and Ray Dennis Steckler's The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-up Zombies, would later publish a well-known book on cinematography. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frank Gerstle, Erika Peters, (more)
- 1964
Housekeeper Nellie Conway (Joan Lovejoy) tells Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) that she thinks her boss Newton Bain (Harry Townes) is planning to kill his invalid wife Elizabeth (Shirley Mitchell). Investigating the situation, Perry finds that Mary may not be playing with a full deck. Later on, Elizabeth is indeed murdered--but it is Mary Douglas (Nancy Gates) who is charged with the crime. Comedian Jerry Van Dyke plays a rare dramatic role in this episode, which is based on Erle Stanley Gardner's 1951 "Perry Mason" novel The Case of the Fiery Fingers (previously filmed under its original title during Season One). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Shock Corridor represents filmmaker Samuel Fuller at his most excessive, but few would have it otherwise. Peter Breck plays a ruthless journalist who believes that the quickest way to a Pulitzer Prize is to uncover the facts behind a murder at a mental hospital. To glean first-hand information, Breck pretends to go insane and is locked up in the institution. While pursuing his investigation, Breck is sidetracked by the loopy behavior of his fellow inmates. During a hospital riot, Breck is straightjacketed and subjected to shock treatment. By now almost as crazy as he's previously pretended to be, Breck begins imagining that his exotic-dancer girlfriend Constance Towers (a Samuel Fuller "regular") is actually his sister! Typical of the Fuller ouevre, the characters in Shock Corridor are either saved or destroyed by their individual obsessions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Breck, Constance Towers, (more)
- 1962
Leaning heavily on violence to ostensibly deliver a pacifist message, this standard drama by Philip Leacock looks at the problem of teen gangs from a slightly different angle -- these teens are all wealthy. Everything starts off when aerospace engineer Walt Sherill (Alan Ladd) is accosted and severely beaten by a group of young punks. The victimized man decides to hunt down the thugs on his own, at first just for curiosity and then increasingly for vengeance. His actions spark retaliatory measures, and before the credits roll, the body count is elevated by a few more victims in what amounts to nothing more than a blood feud. In the end, justice of the legal and politically correct sort makes a token appearance. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Ladd, Rod Steiger, (more)
- 1962
Tired of living in the shadow of older brothers Adam and Hoss, Joe Cartwright demands that his father Ben give him more of a say in running the Ponderosa. Impressed, Ben hands Joe the solo responsibly of suppling timber to a mining company's construction project. As he begins this assignment, Joe is certain that he can do the job without anyone else's help-but can he? The supporting cast includes Grant Richards as Will Poavey, James Beck as Dave Donovan, Frank Gerstle as Weber, Dan Riss as Crawford and Charles Seel as Hawkins. Written by John Joseph and Thomas Thompson, "The Quest" originally aired on September 30 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
This musical boxing drama finds Walter (Elvis Presley) as a recently discharged soldier looking forwork in New York's Catskill Mountains. He happens across Grogan's Gym, a boxing emporium that helps perfect the "gentle art." Proprioter Willie Grogan (Gig Young) and trainer Lew (Charles Bronson) run the camp for aspiring pugilists. Walter saves Grogan's long suffering girlfriend Rose (Joan Blackman) from an assault by a gangster when he knocks out the goon. He earns the nickname "Kid Galahad" and a chance to show off his talents in the boxing ring. While Walter trains for the big fight, Lew is approached by unsavory gamblers, who want Lew to be lax in repairing any cuts Walter sustains in the ring for a slice of the economic pie. Lew refuses and has his hands broken by the gambling goons. Although Walter knows the fix is on, he battles his way to victory against overwhelming odds and an intimidating opponent. Walter exacts revenge on the men who broke Lew's hands, which may be the first and only time in cinematic history that Charles Bronson needs any outside help. Presley delivers seven songs, the most memorable being "I Got Lucky." United Artists got lucky with the release of Kid Galahad, which drew legions of loyal Presley fans at the box office. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elvis Presley, Gig Young, (more)
- 1961
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
- 1960
When a notorious criminal escapes from the state prison, Mayberry sheriff Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) and his deputy, Barney Fife (Don Knotts), offer their assistance in tracking down the fugitive. Though the state troopers initially laugh off the bucolic Andy and Barney (especially after Barney not only allows the crook to slip through his fingers, but also gets bound and gagged for his troubles), they soon learn to appreciate Andy's uncanny ability to outguess and outsmart the outlaw. When this episode was originally broadcast on October 10, 1960, the TV Guide listings suggested that the fugitive was none other than town drunk Otis Campbell (Hal Smith), an error the magazine would not make in the future. As a further trivia note, this is the episode which established that Barney is Andy's cousin. "The Manhunt" was written by Jack Elinson and Charles Stewart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
This episode boasts the presence of two "Lieutenant Columbos": Thomas Mitchell, who created the role of disheveled detective Columbo in a 1960 theatrical production, and Peter Falk, who made the character internationally famous in a popular TV series. Mitchell is cast as Milo Sullivan, a gangland banker who supplies loans for various criminal operations--albeit with certain strings attached. Having a score to settle with Sullivan, hoodlum Duke Mullen (Peter Falk) tries to undercut his operation by pretending to fall in love with Milo's niece Louise O'Hara (Virginia Vincent). Meanwhile, Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) patiently awaits the inevitable downfall of both men. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
Thanks to the false testimony of freight owner Will Stanhope (Lewis Martin), Ed Stacy (Ed Nelson) was wrongly sent to prison. Now that Stacy has been paroled, Stanhope hires Paladin (Richard Boone), ostensibly to protect him from the ex-convict's wrath. But since Stanhope had previously hired Paladin to help him imprison Stacy the first time around, the erudite gunslinger suspects that it is not Stanhope whose life is truly in peril. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
In this WW II actioner, the crew of the Seahawk nearly mutinies when they discover that their new commander is a tactical instructor who has very little experience as a leader. They are quite angry because he refuses to allow them to sink the Japanese warships that are so close to them. Later they change their opinion after learning that he was only following orders. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Bentley, Brett Halsey, (more)
- 1959
An angry head-shrinker (not a psychiatrist) puts a curse upon a family of white traders in this well-wrought low-budget horror film. It must have been a doozy for 200 years later it is still going strong. The story opens as the eldest male descendant of the cursed Drake family finds himself on the brink of losing his head at the hands of a strange witch doctor and his spooky-looking servant. Fortunately his daughter and a detective show up in time to save his noggin from a fate too horrible to disclose here. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eduard Franz, Valerie French, (more)
- 1959
A low-budget, tawdry police yarn with the world of prostitution and gangsters thrown in, Vice Raid features Mamie Van Doren as Carol Hudson, a Motor City hooker. The bosses of the prostitution racket have Hudson go to New York City to entrap a police officer and get him thrown off the force. She does as she is told and then the gangsters make a mistake -- they abuse her younger sister. Angered to the core, Hudson decides to team up with the cop she helped frame and put the mobsters behind bars. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mamie van Doren, Richard Coogan, (more)
- 1959
Thanks to the notorious gangland conference in Appalachian, New York, the word "Mafia" was on everyone's lips in 1959. Rushing to capitalize on this fact was the low-budget expose Inside the Mafia. Grant Richards plays a Lucky Luciano type who is about to return to the US after several years' deportation. Richards arranges for an upstate New York gangland meeting, where minor mob functionary Cameron Mitchell plans to depose big boss Ted DeCorsia. Mitchell also intends to murder Richards so that he can rule the Mafia unfettered. But Richards is still master of his own fate, and he guns down his competition during the gang conference before surrendering to the police. Inside the Mafia told the public little that wasn't already known, but the film served its purpose of cashing in on a "hot" title. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cameron Mitchell, Elaine Edwards, (more)
- 1959
While messing around at Friends Lake, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) and Larry (Rusty Stevens) meet a couple of older kids, Red (Tommy Cole) and Fred (Tom Masters), who are floating in a boat. With unexpected generosity, Red and Fred let Beav and Larry borrow the boat, then quickly depart from the scene. It is only upon the arrival of a couple of scowling cops that our heroes discover that the boat was stolen -- and now they face arrest! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rusty Stevens, Madge Blake, (more)
- 1958
An enterprising gang of crooks has been systematically syphoning oil from storage tankers. These thefts are tied in with an elaborate swindle, preying upon trucking companies. In order to track down and capture the outlaws, police detectives Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) go undercover as a pair of unemployed truck drivers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
