Malcolm Atterbury Movies
American actor Malcolm Atterbury may have been allowed more versatility on stage, but so far as TV was concerned he was the quintessential grouchy grandfather and/or frontier snake-oil peddler. Atterbury was in fact cast in the latter capacity twice by that haven of middle-aged character players The Twilight Zone. He was the purveyor of an elixir which induced invulnerability in 1959's "Mr. Denton on Doomsday" and a 19th century huckster who nearly sets a town on fire in "No Time Like the Past" (1963). Atterbury enjoyed steadier work as the supposedly dying owner of a pickle factory in the 1973 sitcom Thicker Than Water, and as Ronny Cox's grandfather on the 1974 Waltons clone Apple's Way. Malcolm Atterbury's best-known film role was one for which he received no screen credit: he was the friendly stranger who pointed out the crop-duster to Cary Grant in North By Northwest (1959), observing ominously that the plane was "dustin' where they're aren't any crops." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi- 1979
The victim of lifelong abuse at the hands of his drunken father, surly 17-year-old Tod Dortmunder (Timothy Wead) comes to live with his grandparents in Walnut Grove. Wasting no time getting into trouble, Tod soon faces a jail term for stealing Charles' watch. Rather than heap more punishment on the battered boy, Charles (Michael Landon) allows Tod to work out his sentence on the Ingalls farm -- where the teenager comes face to face with kindness and affection for the first time in his life. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, (more)
- 1978
While renovating her new apartment in an old Victorian mansion, Quincy's girlfriend Jenny Drake (Marj Dusay) unearths the mummified remains of two women. Later on, two other female corpses are found within the same walls. After a thorough examination, Quincy (Jack Klugman) concludes that three of the women died of natural causes--but that the fourth was murdered. Our hero's subseqent fact-finding misison brings him in close contact with the truly bizarre residents of the crumbling old mansion (and any resemblance to Hitchcock's Psycho is undoubtedly purely intentional). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1976
The enterprising Mr. Carlin gets Bob and Jerry involved in a shady real-estate scheme, wherein an old tenement will be razed to make room for a new development. Oh, the money is good, but the end result will be the eviction of an old man named Arbogast (Malcolm Atterbury). Will conscience once again make a coward out of Bob? Written by Michael Zinberg, "No Sale" made its first network appearance on January 3, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
A skyscraper and an all-star cast go up in flames in Irwin Allen's classic disaster movie. To celebrate the construction of the Glass Tower, the world's tallest building, architect Doug Roberts (Paul Newman) and builder James Duncan (William Holden) hold a gala bash on the highest floors. Trouble is, Duncan's son-in-law and electrical subcontractor Roger Simmons (Richard Chamberlain) installed faulty wiring throughout the 138-story behemoth to save money. While the guests -- including Doug's lady friend (Faye Dunaway), a rich widow (Jennifer Jones), a con man (Fred Astaire), and a politico (Robert Vaughn) -- enjoy the party, and a security guard (O.J. Simpson) wonders why his equipment is on the fritz, a burnt-out circuit breaker ignites some garbage on the 85th floor, swiftly turning the high-rise into, well, a towering inferno. With the guests trapped on the 135th floor, it's up to Roberts and Fire Chief O'Hallorhan (Steve McQueen) to find a way to stop the blaze. Though not the first all-star '70s disaster movie (1970's Airport and 1972's The Poseidon Adventure preceded it), The Towering Inferno was the most popular and the most spectacular. In a move that would become more common in late-'90s blockbuster Hollywood, The Towering Inferno's mammoth production was mounted by two studios; screenwriter Stirling Silliphant combined the two novels owned by the studios into one saga. 1970s "shake 'n bake" maestro Allen, with co-director John Guillermin (Allen did the action sequences), tapped into deep fears about the fragility of modern life in the face of extreme natural phenomena, as well as into the envies and insecurities of middle-aged professional men. The Towering Inferno packed theaters and earned eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture; it won for Cinematography, Editing, and Song. While its heroic, no-nonsense men provided some traditional comfort, The Towering Inferno still might provoke second thoughts about going into a skyscraper. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, (more)
In this gritty and violent period drama set in the depths of the Great Depression, Lee Marvin stars as "A No. 1", the acknowledged King of the Hoboes. A No. 1 is famous among his fellow tramps for his ability to catch a ride on any train, no matter how risky the hop or dangerous the guards. He acts as a sort of mentor for Cigaret (Keith Carradine), a young hobo who brags that some day he'll surpass A No. 1 in his accomplishments. But neither has had the courage to ride a train guarded by Shack (Ernest Borgnine), an unusually sadistic railroad cop who will brutally beat or even murder any man who tries to catch a ride on his train. A No. 1 is determined that no one, not even Cigaret, is going to deny him his title, so taking his life in his hands, he and Cigaret hop a ride on Shack's train, and they are soon bearing the full brunt of his violent nature. Emperor of the North features superb location photography by Joseph F. Biroc and a fine supporting cast, including Charles Tyner, Simon Oakland, Elisha Cook Jr., and Sid Haig. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, (more)
- 1969
- PG
Gordon Parks' adaptation of his own novel The Learning Tree stars Kyle Johnson as Newt, a black teenager living in 1920s Kansas. He is an intelligent even-tempered young man who meets the many racial prejudices he faces with composure and pride. His best friend Marcus (Alex Clarke) is hot-headed and prone to react emotionally when confronted with life's problems. Newt gets into a difficult situation when he witnesses a murder and must decide if he should come forward to clear the man being framed for the crime. Doing so would forever change his own life, as well as Marcus'. In 1989, the film was selected to the National Film Registry in the Library of Congress. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kyle Johnson, Alex Clarke, (more)
Hawaii hadn't even begun filming when director Fred Zinnemann was replaced by George Roy Hill; similarly, the role intended for Charlton Heston ended up being played by Richard Harris (though Heston would eventually star in the 1970 sequel, The Hawaiians). Based on James A. Michener's best-selling novel, the time frame of which was spread out over several centuries, the film concentrates only on the years 1820 to 1841. Still, Michener's basic point, that the virginal sanctity of the Hawaiian islands was forever shattered by the incursion of the white man, remains intact. Max Von Sydow stars as Abner Hale, an imperious minister who settles in Hawaii with his wife, Jerusha Bromley Hale (Julie Andrews). While Abner expects the islanders to adapt to him rather than the other way around, Jerusha goes out of her way to understand and appreciate her new neighbors. She eventually seeks comfort in the arms of her former lover Rafer Hoxworth (Richard Harris). Despite the lush location footage and such spectacular highlights as pagan ceremonies and an outsized typhoon, the scene most filmgoers remember is Julie Andrews' agonizingly convincing childbirth sequence. All told, it took seven years to translate Hawaii from script to screen -- and almost that long to make back its 15-million-dollar cost. In the early scenes of Hawaii (the 171-minute version, rather than the 151-minute reissue), Bette Midler plays a bit part as a ship passenger. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Julie Andrews, Max von Sydow, (more)
- 1966
When hitchhiker Frank Schroeder (a pre-Hawaii 5-0 Jack Lord) gallantly saves a young Mexican girl named Teresa (Pilar Seurat) from being sexually assaulted, she gratefully tags along with him on his Eastward journey. What Teresa doesn't know is that Frank is a triple murderer who for several days has been eluding a nationwide FBI dragnet. The girl is also blissfully unaware that her travelling companion is planning to pull off a million-dollar diamond heist--and to kill anyone who has the bad luck to get in his way. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1966
Now travelling under the name "Pete Allen", Kimble befriends Willie Turner (Denny Miller), a mentally challenged youth who is also on the lam from the law. To protect Willie, Kimble gets the boy a job as a carnival roustabout, but his generosity may result in his own arrest. Ultimately, the only person who can save both Kimble and Willie is Willie's sister Mary (Collin Wilcox)--if she chooses to do so. Featured in the cast are a young, pre-stardom Dabney Coleman and future Hill Street Blues regular Michael Conrad. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
All hell breaks loose in a Texas town when an escaped convict heads home in Arthur Penn's Southern gothic melodrama. Appointed by local kingpin Val Rogers (E. G. Marshall), benevolent Sheriff Calder (Marlon Brando) manages to keep the peace in Tarl, but the situation starts to fester one Saturday when news filters in that wild child Bubber Reeves (Robert Redford) has jumped prison. Bubber's impending arrival arouses hostility among Tarl's citizens, such as Edwin Stewart (Robert Duvall), who believes that Bubber will come after him to settle an old score, and Damon Puller (Richard Bradford), who, between grope sessions with Edwin's wife Emily (Janice Rule), uses Bubber as an excuse to terrorize black residents. As the atmosphere heats up, Calder wants to keep Bubber alive, and he convinces Bubber's wife Anna (Jane Fonda) and her lover, Val's son Jake (James Fox), to find Bubber and coax him into surrender. Val's fear that Bubber will kill his son, however, sparks a long confrontation that leaves rational law and order pummeled into the ground by the town's ignorant cruelty. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi
- Starring:
- Marlon Brando, Jane Fonda, (more)
- 1966
Posing as "Frank Whistler", Kimble (David Janssen) hitches a ride with a small-town minister--only to be involved in a car accident when the minister is accidentally shot and killed by young Gary Keller (Beau Bridges). Though Gary wants to turn himself in to the authorities, his domineering father Steve (Telly Savalas) refuses to let the boy jeopardize his future, so he manipulates the evidence to framed Kimble for the clergyman's death. Now all that remains is for Steve to track down and permanently silence the fugitive Kimble before the police catch up with him. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1966
Singer Wayne Newton makes his dramatic debut as Andy Walker, the son of domineering dirt farmer Willard Walker (Malcolm Atterbury). Desirous of pursuing a musical career, Andy is stopped in his tracks by his hidebound father. Ben Cartwright intervenes in this domestic dilemma-and along the way, guest-star Newton warbles such traditional tunes as "Old Joe Clark", "Scarlet Ribbons", "Danny Boy", and "The Old Rugged Cross". Also in the cast are Anne Jeffreys as Lily and Wayne Newton's real-life brother Jerry as Andy's brother Mike. First shown on April 10, 1966, "The Unwritten Commandment" was written by Jo Pagano, William Blinn and Dan Ullman. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1965
When the wife of Chaplain Craig Fletcher (Leslie Nielsen) is killed on an Army base, suspicion immediately falls upon PFC Byron Landy (Bruce Dern), a lifelong troublemaker and malcontent who has already beaten one murder rap. The angry locals demand immediate retribution against Landy, proof or no proof. It is up to Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) to defuse this volatile situation and to make certain that the actual murderer is brought to justice. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1964
Wealthy junk dealer and mayoral candidate Mort Lynch (Ted De Corsia) decides to give a job to dissolute college dropout Barry Davis (Carl Reindel), if only because Lynch was once a good pal of Barry's uncle. However, the boy quits the job after a bitter argument, then goes to work for a newspaper publisher who is trying to destroy Lynch's political career. Ultimately, Lynch is murdered, and the weapon is found in Barry's car. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) must prove that Barry is innocent, and that the actual killer is someone who was intimately involved in the criminal activities of Barry's uncle and the late Mr. Lynch. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Adapted by Rod Serling from the best-selling novel by Fletcher Knebel and Charles Waldo Bailey II, Seven Days in May was allegedly inspired by the far-right ramblings of one General Edwin Walker. Burt Lancaster plays General James M. Scott, who, convinced that liberal President Jordan Lyman (Fredric March) is soft on America's enemies, plots a military takeover of the United States. Every effort made by President Lyman to find concrete evidence of General Scott's scheme is scuttled by political protocol, human error and accidental death. Ultimately, Lyman must rely upon the man who first uncovered the plot: Colonel "Jiggs" Casey (Kirk Douglas). John Frankenheimer's terse direction and Ellsworth Fredericks' stark black and white photography enhance the "docudrama" feel of Seven Days in May. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, (more)
- 1964
When a philandering husband is found murdered, the man's paramour Lucey Russell (Lois Nettleton) is supsected of the crime. But Lucey has a perfect alibi: at the time of the murder, she was with a fellow named Joe Walker--which happens to be the current alias of fugitive Richard Kimble (David Janssen). Now Kimble must risk being arrested himself when he testifies as a coroner's inquest...while the victim's widow Amy (Patricia Smith) and corrupt deputy George Duncan (John Larch) cook up a scheme to frame the reluctant witness on a charge of accessory to murder. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1964
The President of the United States requires an emergency operation, which must be conducted in secret, after he is injured in a fall. The Seaview is chosen as the safest place for the surgery, but an enemy power has gotten an assassin aboard, as part of the surgical team performing the operation. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
- 1963
Robert Taylor closed out his MGM contract with the 1963 western Cattle King. Taylor plays a Wyoming rancher at odds with cattle baron Robert Middleton, who is dead set against barbed wire being erected on "his" land. Just so we know the film isn't kidding around, leading lady Joan Caulfield is shot full of holes some thirty minutes before the fade-out. Taylor finally vanquishes the evil Middleton, but not without help from Caulfield's previously spineless brother William Windom-not to mention the legal support of President Chester A. Arthur (Larry Gates). Cattle King was released in England as Guns of Wyoming. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Taylor, Joan Caulfield, (more)
- 1963
Disillusioned with the present, Paul Driscoll (Dana Andrews) builds a time machine and heads to the past, hoping to correct mankind's mistakes. Failing spectacularly in this endeavor, he elects to take up permanent residence in the small town of Homeville, Indiana, circa 1881, where he hopes to live out his life in quiet contentment. Alas, despite his herculean efforts not to alter the course of history, that is just what he ends up doing. As originally written by Rod Serling, this hour-long Twilight Zone episode opened with a lengthy philosophical discussion between Driscoll and his mentor Dr. Harvey. This was adjudged too dull for TV consumption, thus a new opening was dreamed up wherein Driscoll was shown trying to prevent the sinking of the Lusitania and the rise of Hitler's Nazi Party. Accordingly, the role of Dr. Harvey was diminished, obliging proposed costar Joseph Schildkraut to drop out of the episode. The final version of "No Time Like the Past" premiered March 7, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dana Andrews, Patricia Breslin, (more)
The story begins as an innocuous romantic triangle involving wealthy, spoiled Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), handsome Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor), and schoolteacher Annie Hayworth (Suzanne Pleshette). The human story begins in a San Francisco pet shop and culminates at the home of Mitch's mother (Jessica Tandy) at Bodega Bay, where the characters' sense of security is slowly eroded by the curious behavior of the birds in the area. At first, it's no more than a sea gull swooping down and pecking at Melanie's head. Things take a truly ugly turn when hundreds of birds converge on a children's party. There is never an explanation as to why the birds have run amok, but once the onslaught begins, there's virtually no letup. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, (more)
- 1962
The spokesman for a highly respected group of Danish artisans, cabinetmaker Axel Norstaad (Karl Swenson) is talked into selling the group's famous trademark to Martin Somers (Dennis Patrick), who claims that the money will be donated to charity. Only when several pieces of inferior furniture are shipped out under the coveted trademark does Axel realize that Somers is a con artist. Threatening to kill Somers if he ever sees him again, Axel is charged with murder when somebody beats him to it. Lawyer Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) investigates the possibility that Axel's sweetheart Edie (Marie Windsor) may know more about the crime than she's letting on (Detective fiction fans will be amused by the character name of the suspect played by Malcolm Atterbury). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The first of Allen Drury "all names changed to protect the guilty" political novels, Advise and Consent was brought to the screen by producer/director Otto Preminger. The film hinges upon the appointment of Robert Leffingwell (Henry Fonda) to Secretary of State. Leffingwell has been hand-picked by the President (Franchot Tone), meaning that there'll be a battle on the Senate floor between adherents of and opponents to the current administration. Among the participants are veteran Dixiecrat Charles Laughton, freshman Senator Don Murray and powerseeker George Grizzard. Burgess Meredith also shows up as a man who is brought into the Senate to "prove" that Leffingwell is a communist. To neutralize Murray, Grizzard threatens to dredge up a homosexual incident in Murray's past, which results in the latter's suicide. Advise and Consent is a slow and old-fashioned film, coming to life only when Laughton and Grizzard are on screen--and in the climax, in which the fate of Leffingwell's appointment is left in the hands of acting President Lew Ayres. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Fonda, Charles Laughton, (more)
- 1962
Andy and Barney can't figure out how a local cow thief is able to make his getaways without leaving any evidence. Incensed by the local constabulary's confusion, Mayor Roy Stoner decides to engage the services of a State Investigator to solve the mystery. In the end, however, it is Andy who cracks the case-and while we'd be remiss if we revealed the solution, suffice to say that not all cows are barefoot (or bare-hooved). Written by Ray Allen Saffian(aka R.S. Allen) and Harvey Bullock, "The Cow Thief" first aired on October 29, 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Parley Baer
Tennessee Williams' Broadway play Summer and Smoke (expanded from his one-act piece Eccentricities of a Nightingale) was brought to the screen by adaptors James Poe and Meade Roberts and director Peter Glenville. Geraldine Page repeats her stage role as minister's daughter Alma Winemiller, who lives a spinsterish existence in her WWI-era Mississippi home town. Though her hateful mother (Una Merkel) has nothing but nasty things to say about men, Alma carries a torch for her handsome next-door neighbor and lifelong friend, Dr. John Buchanan (Laurence Harvey). The doctor prefers the companionship of Rosa (Rita Moreno), a "wrong side of the tracks" girl who is as open and freewheeling as Alma is shy and repressed. Desperate for Buchanan's attention, Alma begins behaving with uncharacteristic affection towards him. He misreads her signals and attempts to seduce her. Already on the edge, Alma goes ballistic, literally running out of Buchanan's life. When the doctor throws an engagement party for himself and Rosa, the neurotic Alma tells Buchanan's father (John McIntire) that a wantonly immoral get-together is taking place in the doctor's home--an act of vengeance that has long-range tragic consequences. By film's end, the previously strait-laced Alma, unhinged by previous events, has become as misguidedly passionate as her spiritual sister, A Streetcar Named Desire's Blanche DuBois. Summer and Smoke earned Academy Award nominations for both Geraldine Page and Una Merkel; while Merkel would never win an Oscar, Ms. Page finally collected her statuette for 1985's A Trip to Bountiful. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Laurence Harvey, Geraldine Page, (more)
- 1961
Summoned to a small California mountain community by his client Iris McKay (Enid James), detective Paul Drake (William Hopper) is prompty arrested for the crime of being clean-shaven; it seems that it is "Pioneer Week", and every male in town is required to wear a false beard! Once this matter is cleared up, Paul gets down to business, attempting to locate nearly $34,000 that had been embezzled from the local bank by its former president Fred Swan (Russ Conway), who has returned to town after being released from prison. Paul ultimately finds the money--and also Swan's dead body. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) arrives on the scene to defend poor Iris on a murder charge. Watch for a pre-Batman Adam West in the supporting cast. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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