Barry Atwater Movies

After witnessing a murder committed by notorious mob hitman Del Kane (Madison Arnold), Angel (Stuart Margolin) is placed in protective custody by the authorities. Much to the dismay and disgust of Jim Rockford (James Garner), Angel is set up in a luxurious hotel with unlimited room service. And much to the dismay and disgust of the cops, Angel's testimony is discredited and Kane goes free! Now it's up to Jim to save Angel from being bumped off himself. . .and he ever gets out of this mess alive, Angel hopes to write a book about his near-death experience. Future Simon & Simon star Gerald McRaney appears as a harried DA in this episode, which represents perhaps the only instance in TV history wherein a character is tied to a freeway trestle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The two-hour final episode of Ironside's seventh season serves as the pilot film for the spinoff cop series Amy Prentiss. Jessica Walter plays the title character, a hardworking San Francisco police woman who aspires to the position of Chief of Police. Though up against a lot of resistance from the all-male establishment, Amy has a staunch supporter in the form of former chief Robert Ironside (Raymond Burr. Originally telecast as a single extended episode, "Amy Prentiss: AKA The Chief has been divided into a brace of one-hour installments for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Art thief Van Cleve (Ed Nelson) steals $5 million worth of priceless pre-Columbian artifacts. To determine the hiding place of the precious booty, the IMF hatch a scheme whereby Van Cleve becomes convinced that he has precognitive powers. Essential to the mission's success is an outsized simulated earthquake. Originally telecast on March 2, 1973, "The Western" was written by Arnold Peyser and Lois Peyser. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Seedy newspaper reporter Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) is assigned the Las Vegas police beat by his boss Tony Vincenzo (Simon Oakland). A series of murders has been plaguing the Glitter Capital; the victims, all beautiful showgirls, have had the blood drained from their bodies. Kolchak can't understand why the authorities are so uncooperative as he probes the case. Nor can he believe the evidence he's gleaned on his own: There can't possibly be a Dracula-like vampire stalking Las Vegas, or can there? Adapted by Richard Matheson from a novel by Jeff Rice, The Night Stalker debuted January 11, 1972 - -and on that fateful evening, this thriller became the highest-rated TV movie up to its time, as well as an instant cult classic. The film spawned a popular sequel, The Night Strangler (1972), and a 1974 TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The title of this Mission:Impossible episode refers to a Gypsy tribe indigenous to the European country ruled by youthful King Victor (Barry Williams). Intent upon seizing the throne, Regent General Aragas (Mark Richman) hatches a scheme to murder the young monarch and to frame Victor's uncle for the crime. To prevent this, the IMF kidnaps Victor and turns the boy over to a pair of gypsies--actually IMF agents Paris and Zorka (Margarita Cordova). Written by Laurence Heath, "Gitano" first aired on February 1, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This episode of the 1960s science fiction series begins with the Enterprise coming across one of the most unexpected space travelers they have encountered: President Abraham Lincoln. Finding the long-dead President alive and well in outer space, a stunned Captain Kirk beams him aboard. The man, who indeed seems to be Lincoln, convinces Kirk and Mr. Spock to accompany him to the surface of a nearby planet. They agree, and Spock is similarly shocked when the trio is joined by Surak, a legendary Vulcan historical figure. The meaning of these strange encounters becomes clearer when the foursome meets a powerful alien, who explains that he is conducting an experiment to test the worthiness of their species, using them as examples. This test takes the form of a battle to the death with Kirk, Spock, Surak, and Lincoln on the side of good, against four historical representatives of evil, including Genghis Khan and the ruthless Klingon warrior Kahless. Kirk and Spock must band together with their idols to defeat their villainous opponents, or else they, and the Enterprise, shall be destroyed. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

Colonel Greg Brandon (Christopher George) is the commander of a B-17 fighter unit. His plan to send 1000 planes to bomb a strategic German airplane factory meets with continual rejection by everyone except General Palmer (J.D. Cannon). The tough-guy Colonel alienates himself to his men and superiors until his plan is approved. Royal Air Force Commander Hardwicke (Michael Evans) is sent to the United States to help train the pilots, and he clashes with the brazen Brandon. His girlfriend Gabrielle (Laraine Stephens) and Lieutenant Archer (Ben Murphy) are also alienated by the Colonel. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) gets to show off his tennis prowess when he goes undercover to end the criminal activities of suave racketeer John Harris (Joseph Campanella). The elusive Harris has ordered the killing of a Federal agent, and Erskine hopes to trap the man into incriminating himself. Meanwhile, Harris' paid assassin prepares to eliminate the only witness to the killing, a lonely teenage girl named Barbara (Brooke Bundy). Featured in a villainous role is future Hill Street Blues star Daniel J. Travanti, here billed as "Dan Travanty." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Over the objections of everyone concerned, Endora plans a wild party in the Stephens household to celebrate Halloween, her national holiday. Samantha joins forces with capricious Uncle Arthur to cancel the party before things get out of hand (or more out of hand than usual, that is). Baseball great Willie Mays appears as himself. Originally broadcast on October 27, 1966, "Twitch or Treat" was written by James Henerson and Robert Riley Crutcher. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Weighed down by a life of failure and disillusionment, Robert Manners (Steven Hill) finds that he cannot even commit suicide successfully. Thus it is that Robert checks into the ultra-exclusive Thantos Palace Hotel, where the clientele consists entirely of would-be suicides who have contractually agreed to kill one another -- and as a "bonus," the victim never knows when his or her number is up. Although at first Robert honors the rules and conditions of the Thantos, he changes his mind upon falling in love with another guest, the hauntingly beautiful Ariane Shaw (Angie Dickinson). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Richard Bellero (Martin Landau) is a brilliant but frustrated scientist, forever failing to find approval from his wealthy, pacifist-oriented father Richard Sr. (Neil Hamilton), even when he develops a practical high-energy laser. Much to the displeasure of his ambitious wife Judith (Sally Kellerman), he has been told by his father that he is being passed over for chairmanship of the family-founded corporation. By accident, however, Richard's laser device draws in an alien being (John Hoyt) who, among other attributes, possesses an invisible force-shield. Judith sees this shield as something that would earn her husband the respect of his father and the world, and the chairmanship of his father's corporation, if he could claim it as his discovery. With help from her servant Mrs. Dame (Chita Rivera), she shoots the alien and takes the control device, a button attached by a vein to the being's body, and activates the shield for her father-in-law; the shield is, indeed, impenetrable, but Judith finds she is unable to deactivate it. With her air running out, it becomes apparent that nothing, including her husband's laser, can get her free. Her father-in-law finds the alien's body, but is killed by Mrs. Dame, an act that stirs the alien -- who is barely alive -- just long enough to rescue Judith. Now freed, she starts to move across the room but is blocked by a barrier that only she sees -- she has gone insane. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

Betty Rose (Carmen Phillips) is ticked off when her boyfriend, Dandy Arthur (Robert Loggia), returns from military service with a young wife named Mieko (Pilar Seurat) in tow. After "helpfully" warning Mieko that Dandy has a homicidal streak, Betty confronts her ex-beau, resulting in a violent argument which ends with Betty's death. For a while, Mieko refuses to believe that her husband might be responsible for the tragedy -- until she stumbles upon some evidence that may well sign her own death warrant. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This episode opens with an apparent murder in a college classroom--which turns out to be a staged event, dreamed up by Professor Ronald Hewes (Barry Atwater) to test his students' powers of observation. After the demonstration, however, Hewes discovers that the gun used to "kill" him had only one blank and five real bullets, ample proof that someone is planning to do away with him. Can this have anything to do with the fact that Hewes has made a small fortune by claiming authorship of a lurid bestseller which was actually written by one of his former students, a young girl who'd committed suicide? Whatever the case, Hewes is currently being taken to the cleaners not only by the dead girl's sister, but also by his own wife Laura (Patricia Breslin)--and it is Laura whom Perry Mason must ultimately defend on a charge of murdering the "prankish professor". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide