David Orrick McDearmon Movies
- 1967
Someone has been sending unsigned love letters to Mrs. Howell (Natalie Schafer). Determined to reveal the identity of his rival, Mr. Howell (Jim Backus) turns detective, with the assistance of a makeshift lie detector. The Inevitable Dream Sequence in this outing casts "Lovey" Howell as Cinderella, with Gilligan (Bob Denver) as her unlikely fairy godfather! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Curtis
- 1967
Denny Miller, who'd guested on Gilligan's Island's first season as a musclebound (and muscleheaded) surfer, makes a return appearance in this episode, this time as a Tarzan clone named Tongo the Ape Man (ironically, Miller had previously been one of the movie Tarzans in the early 1960s) . The Castaways become aware of Tongo's presence when he begins stealing food and supplies from their huts. Turns out that the "ape man" is actually an unemployed actor who has come to the island to prep himself for a possible film role--a circumstance complicated by the untimely arrival of a gorilla, who isn't at all interested in show business! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Denny Miller, Janos Prohaska, (more)
- 1965
Just before leaving on a business trip, Darrin is given a gift by Samantha: a tiny pin in the shape of a Siamese cat. Thus, when Darrin finds himself on board a yacht with gorgeous female client Margaret Marshall (Martha Hyer), he is convinced that Margaret's pet Siamese is really a jealous Samantha in disguise. This episode was co-written by veteran Hollywood scenarist Richard Sale and his wife, Mary Sale. "The Cat's Meow" was first telecast on January 21, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, (more)
- 1965
Hoping to help Darrin locate an exotic model for his latest ad campaign, Samantha transforms a Siamese cat into a gorgeous girl named Ling-Ling (Greta Chi). Unfortunately, Ling-Ling wants to remain in human form, and to that end she begins using her feline wiles on Darrin's handsome photographer, Walter Ames (Jeremy Slate). Now that Sam has (literally) let the cat out of the bag, she has to figure out a way to straighten out the mess. Written by Jerry Davis, "Ling-Ling" originally aired on February 11, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, (more)
- 1965
Samantha joins a movement to have a traffic light installed at a busy neighborhood intersection. She engages the services of Darrin's friend, attorney Joe Harvey (Gene Blakely). Despite Joe's legal expertise, Sam is once again forced to resort to witchcraft to persuade the Mayor (Dan Tobin) to see her side of the story. The supporting cast includes Vic Tayback as the mayor's chauffeur. Written by Roland Wolpert, "Red Light, Green Light" first aired on March 4, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, (more)
- 1961
Mike Sullivan (George Mitchell) and his cronies pitch camp at the Ponderosa, claiming that they've been sold a generous portion of the ranch's best land. It turns out that Sullivan and others have been hornswoggled by a fellow named John Zink, or maybe John Polk. Ben Cartwright finds himself in a bind when Zink, er, Polk turns out to be none other than his old Army comrade Colonel Bragg (John McGiver. First broadcast on December 31, 1961, "Land Grab" was written by Ward Hawkins. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
- 1961
After speculating on the possibility that a person can travel back in time and change history, Peter Corrigan (Russell Johnson) bids farewell to his friends and prepares to head home from his club. As he walks through the doors, he is unexpectedly transported from 1961 to 1865. Once he gets his bearings, Corrigan finds himself in a position to prevent the assassination of Abraham Lincoln -- but this "wrinkle in time" turns out to have entirely different results. Scripted by Rod Serling, "Back There" is one of the lesser offerings of Twilight Zone's 1960-61 season, though it does boast an excellent musical score by Jerry Goldsmith, which would remain in the standard TV stock-music repertoire throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The episode first aired January 13, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Russell Johnson, Bartlett Robinson, (more)
- 1960
After a brief production hiatus, the Twilight Zone staff resumed the series' first season with this episode, scripted by Rod Serling from a story by George Clayton Johnson. The story begins in 1880, as western outlaw Joe Caswell (Albert Caswell) is about to be hanged. Before the startled eyes of his executioners, Joe suddnely disappears from view. He rematerializes in 1960, in the laboratory of experimental scientist George Manion (Russell Johnson). Joe's sudden "invasion" of the 20th century has disastrous results on several people, including a modern-day murderer named Johnson (Than Wyenn). "Execution" first aired April 1, 1960. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Salmi, Russell Johnson, (more)
- 1960
Magazine critic Bartlett Finchley (Richard Haydn) despises all things mechanical, from electric typewriters to refrigerators. Such is his invective against machinery that, inevitably, all the machines in his household band together and turn against him. This was one of those "you can see the end coming a mile away" episodes that tended to weaken Twilight Zone's second season. First telecast October 28, 1960, "A Thing About Machines" was written by Rod Serling. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Haydn, Barney Phillips, (more)
- 1956
Pianist Gil Larkin (Robert Horton) falls in love with singer Mona Cameron (Cara Williams), who claims that her husband is abusing her. Gallantly, Gil heads to the husband's office to tell him off, only to witness the man's murder -- just before he himself is knocked unconscious. It soon develops that the husband's death had been carefully planned by an unknown party...and that Gil has been set up to take the fall. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
