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- 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)
- 1952
- NR
Above and Beyond is the story of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, as told from the perspective of the man who flew the mission. Robert Taylor stars as Col. Paul Tibbetts, commander of the Enola Gay. Once selected for this extremely dangerous mission, Tibbetts must hand-pick a crew worthy of the task. He is also forced to keep his mission a closely guarded secret, even unto withholding all information from his loving and patient wife Lucey (Eleanor Parker). The film concentrates on the strain placed upon Tibbetts, his crew and their families in the crucial days before the "big drop". The bombing itself is handled with taste and decorum, though the horror and mixed emotions of the moment are brilliantly conveyed on the faces of Tibbetts and his men. Above and Beyond represents a rare noncomedy endeavor from the writer-director team of Melvin Frank and Norman Panama. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Taylor, Eleanor Parker, (more)
- 1958
Worrywart Norman Frayne (James Best) is so wrapped up with his own problems that he is neglecting his wife, Paula (Katherine Bard). All this changes when Norman's old pal, handsome Al Revenel (Steve Brodie), comes to town. Now Norman has something new to worry about -- namely, that Al is poised to steal Paula away from him. His solution to this dilemma is to move out of his own house...and that is the first of his many fatal errors. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
Handsome young plumber Jack Staley (Lee Philips) supplements his income by blackmailing his female customers, threatening to tell their husbands of their "illicit" romances. But Staley's career as an extortionist comes to a formidable roadblock when he tries the same shakedown on Margot Brenner (Phyllis Thaxter). It turns out that Margot has a bit of a larcenous streak as well...and she's just a shade smarter than both Jack and her husband (played by Carl Betz). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1955
Forced to leave New York in a hurry, impoverished gambler Charlie Raymond (Peter Lawford) answers a newspaper ad from a fellow Londoner named Walter Hendricks (John Williams), who wants someone to drive with him to San Francisco and share expenses. En route to the West Coast, Raymond discovers that Hendricks is on his way to collect a huge inheritance. Seizing the opportunity, Raymond murders Hendricks and assumes his identity, certain that the Frisco authorities will fall for the ruse and that he will fall heir to 200,000 dollars. Want to bet that things don't quite work out as planned for our "hero"? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Despite the glut of TV westerns in 1958, 20th Century-Fox's Regal Films subsidiary continued grinding out profitable sagebrushers. In Ambush at Cimarron Pass, cavalry sergeant Scott Brady is ordered to escort a prisoner through treacherous Indian territory. A diehard Union sympathizer, Brady is forced to rely upon a group of ex-Confederates to successfully complete his mission. This may be difficult, however: the Apaches drive off the troop's horses, forcing them to complete the arduous journey on foot. Billed third in Ambush at Cimarron Pass is Clint Eastwood, no longer a bit player but not yet a star. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Brady, Margia Dean, (more)
- 1956
Few actresses other than Joan Crawford could have successfully pulled off the melodramatic excesses of Autumn Leaves. Though a very attractive fortysomething, Crawford remains aloof from romance until she meets Cliff Robertson, a young man half her age. An ardent and persistent suitor, Robertson finally breaks down her resistence to marriage. After a few weeks of wedded bliss, Crawford is confronted by Vera Miles, who claims to be Robertson's first wife. Miles further insists that Robertson is mentally unbalanced...and his subsequent behavior seems to bear this out. What Crawford doesn't know-but the audience does-is that the real villains of the piece are Miles and her middle-aged lover, Robertson's own father (Lorne Greene). Autumn Leaves works far better on screen than it does in print, thanks to the virtuoso performances of practically everyone in the cast. And, as anyone who's listened to top-40 radio during the past four decades already knows, the film also yielded a hit title song, written by Joseph Kosma, Jacques Prevert, and Johnny Mercer and performed during the credits by Nat King Cole. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Crawford, Cliff Robertson, (more)
Robert Wagner stars as insensitive Southern landowner who gets a much-overdue dose of humility and democracy when he's drafted into the army. Unable to curb his arrogance, Wagner runs afoul of a sadistic military officer (Broderick Crawford), who makes it his mission in life to break the recalcitrant recruit. After rescuing a fellow soldier (Buddy Ebsen), Wagner discovers he has the inner strength to change his outlook on life, and to stand up to the vicious Crawford. Based on a novel by Francis I. Gwaltney, Between Heaven and Hell features uncredited appearances by Frank Gorshin, Scatman Crothers, and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Wagner, Terry Moore, (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)
- 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
Ethel Merman reprised her role as a socialite turned diplomat in this screen adaptation of Irving Berlin's hit Broadway musical. Sally Adams (Merman) has made it her business to know everyone worth knowing in Washington D.C., and her penchant for parties pays off when she's appointed United States Ambassador to Lichtenburg. Once she is installed in her new position, she falls in love with suave Foreign Minister Cosmo Constantine (George Sanders), while Princess Maria (Vera-Ellen) has her head turned by Sally's press attaché, Kenneth (Donand O'Connor). Call Me Madam is a showcase for Merman's roof-raising musical comedy style, and here she gets to sing a handful of Berlin tunes, including "You're Just In Love," "Can You Use Any Money Today?" and "Hostess With The Mostes' on the Ball." Vera-Ellen's singing was dubbed by Carol Richards. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, (more)
"I want to report a murder...mine." So begins D.O.A. Told in flashback, the story tells of how vacationing CPA Frank Bigelow (Edmond O'Brien) becomes the recipient of a deadly poison known as iridium. Told by a doctor that he hasn't long to live, Bigelow desperately retraces his movements of the previous 24 hours, trying to locate his murderer. Through the aid of his secretary Paula Gibson (Pamela Britton) (who doesn't know of her employer's imminent demise), Bigelow traces a shipment of iridium to a gang of criminals who've used the poison in the commission of a crime. But for much of the film, it remains unclear why Bigelow himself was targeted. Though we know from the outset that Bigelow isn't long for this world, the film builds up an incredible amount of suspense towards the end, when Bigelow is taken "for a ride" by a psychopath (Neville Brand). with a penchant for pummeling his victims in the belly. DOA was remade in 1988 with Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edmond O'Brien, Pamela Britton, (more)
- 1955
Another of Disney animation director Ward Kimball's "outer space" projects, this Disneyland episode was intended as a followup to the highly praised 1955 entry Man in Space. In the early animated sequence, the Disney staff illustrates the various theories and superstitions surrounding Old Man Moon throughout the centuries. We then move on to the pioneering tales of space travel, notably the fanciful moon flight undertaken by Cyrano de Bergerac (the same). Finally, a combination of animation and live action offers a speculation of what the first manned moon flight will actually be like. With rocket scientist Wernher Von Braun providing both narration and technical advice, the film was remarkably accurate, even though it would be 13 years before Man actually set foot on the lunar surface. Rebroadcast in 1959 under the title Tomorrow the Moon, Man and the Moon was later excerpted in one of the "Ludwig Von Drake" episodes on Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1955
A storekeeper has been robbed and killed by two thieves, who have also wounded a police officer. The wife of the unfortunate storekeeper provides Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) with a vital clue: one of the thieves kept an unfolded handkerchief in his breast pocket. As often happens on this series, the perp's sloppiness proves to be his undoing. This episode was adapted from the Dragnet radio broadcast of June 22, 1954. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1954
Single mother Betty Dixon has been savagely stabbed to death with a bollo knife. A lack of additional evidence makes it extremely difficult for Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) to locate the perpetrator; all that is certain is that the killer is a madman. Ultimately, the detectives track down a recently discharged mental patient--who insists the victim "dared" him to murder her! This episode was adepted from the Dragnet radio broadcast of August 3, 1950. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1952
Working undercover, Friday (Jack Webb) poses as a hit man, hired by Charles Stone (Vic Perrin) to kill Stone's wife (Helen Kleeb). Not unexpectedly, the killing doesn't take place and Stone is arrested--but there's a surprise in store for Friday, courtesy of the incredibly forgiving Mrs. Stone. Based on a radio episode of Dragnet which originally aired on September 28, 1950, this TV version features Ken Peters as Friday's temporary partner Sgt. Bill Cummings, replacing the late Barton Yarborough as Ben Romero (Romero's absence is explained away as "A pretty bad case of the virus.") ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 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
- 1955
Investigating a missing-persons report, Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) are handed a clue when a ring worth $1500 shows up in a pawn shop. At this point, the missing man, Garfield Hunt (James Stone) resurfaces. It turns out that Hunt had been fleeced by a pair of clever con artists, and had hocked the ring so his wife would not find out he had lost all his money. Ultimately, the detectives catch up with the crooks--or do they? Peggy Webber, a charter member of the "Jack Webb Stock Company", shows up as a lachrymose drunk. Based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of February 8, 1955, this episode is currently available in several public-domain VHS and DVD collections. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1954
When police officer Jack Conley is murdered in cold blood on New Years' Eve, Joe Friday (Jack Webb) has the unenviable task of breaking the news to Conley's wife Betty (June Whitley)--just as she is preparing a big party. Making it his personal mission to track down Conley's killer, Friday pieces together the evidence and determines that the assailant was a drug addict. Future TV producer Aaron Spelling contributes a memorable cameo as a former dope pusher who has "seen the light." This episode is based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of March 8, 1951. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1952
Sergeants Friday (Jack Webb) and Jacobs (Barney Phillips) investigate when an elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Guthrie, are found dead in a rooming house--along with their pet parrot. Evidence indicates that the killer set fire to the Guthries' room to cover his tracks, using a homemade timing device connected with the heater (ironically, all this occurs during Fire Prevention Week). The final interrogation sequence with the chief suspect is all the more powerful thanks to Jack Webb's unusually subtle direction. This episode was adapted from a Dragnet radio play originally heard on November 16, 1950. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1955
This time the criminal at large is a con artist who poses as a "displaced person" in need of quick cash. Each of the con man's victims is offered a handful of genuine "perfect cut" blue-white diamonds for a fraction of what they are worth--but by the time the victim has made the purchase, the real gems have been switched with all-but-worthless zircon. When Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) catch up with the phony diamond merchant, he minces no words congratulating himself for proving the old adage "You can't cheat an honest man." This episode is based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of February 16, 1954. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1955
Based on the radio series of the same name, Gang Busters was an episodic documentary-style tale of criminals brought to justice. Veteran screen baddie Myron Healey plays John Omar Pinson, a real-life criminal once rated Public Enemy #4. The film recounts the many prison breaks staged by Pinson, all of which resulted in his recapture. Gangbusters was comprised of three half-hour episodes from the Gangbusters TV series (53), stitched together into an ersatz feature film. This pastiche approach proved successful enough to spawn two subsequent films, again culled from Gang Busters TV footage: Guns Don't Argue (57) and Ma Barker's Killer Brood (60). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Myron Healey, Don C. Harvey, (more)
- 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
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)
