Raymond Guth Movies
In this made-for-TV thriller, a quartet of female friends hire a boozy wilderness guide and head into the mountains for a little backpacking fun that is spoiled when they become the target of a militant survivalist group's war games. The film is also known as Bitter Creek. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Richard Pryor gives a compelling performance in Some Kind of Hero, playing a Vietnam veteran who tries to readjust to civilian life. Pryor plays Eddie Keller, who has just spent five years in a North Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp. Most of the time there, Eddie was able to hold his own against his captors, but he eventually was forced to sign a statement denouncing United States involvement in the Vietnam War. Eddie decided to sign the document in order to insure that his friend Vinnie (Ray Sharkey) would be given proper medical treatment. Because of this denunciation, when Eddie returns home from the war he is denied his back pay. He also discovers that his wife has left him for another man, his business has fallen apart, and his mother has been sent to an asylum. Eddie falls into a deep depression and hits rock bottom. But he meets a friendly prostitute, Toni (Margot Kidder), who helps him straighten out his life. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Pryor, Margot Kidder, (more)
While taking a train trip from L.A. to Chicago, mild-mannered George Caldwell (Gene Wilder) makes the acquaintance of Hilly Burns (Jill Clayburgh). As they indulge in a brief bit of spooning, Hilly tells George that her boss is on the verge of exposing a group of vicious art forgers. Later that evening, George sees the body of Hilly's boss being thrown off of the train. Detective Sweet (Ned Beatty) agrees to investigate, but he too is bumped off. The instigator of these outrages is master forger Roger Devereau (Patrick McGoohan), who, with his crony Mr. Whiney (Ray Walston) is planning a particularly diabolical crime. Worse still, they take Hilly prisoner so she can't tip off the cops. When George is also targeted for elimination, he manages in slapstick fashion to elude the killers. Falling off the train, he ends up being arrested on some trumped-up charge or other by a local sheriff. He makes his escape in the company of petty thief Grover Muldoon (Richard Pryor) -- and that's only the beginning. A box-office smash, Silver Streak paved the way for the equally successful 1980 Wilder-Pryor vehicle Stir Crazy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Wilder, Jill Clayburgh, (more)
The Big Bus is set aboard a nonstop, nuclear-powered luxury bus commandeered by Joseph Bologna. Naturally, Bologna is a tortured hero with a deep dark secret (he keeps insisting he didn't eat all those passengers on his last disastrous drive). Stockard Channing and Harold Gould play the designers of the big bus, and of course they have a few skeletons in their closet. In fact, there isn't a passenger on the all-star manifest that isn't hiding something. The supporting cast features contributions by René Auberjonois (parodying his M*A*S*H role), Ned Beatty, José Ferrer, Ruth Gordon (doing a devastating send-up of Airport's Helen Hayes), Sally Kellerman, Richard Mulligan, and many others; Murphy Dunne contributes a memorable bit as a smarmy cocktail pianist. Unfortunately, The Big Bus was dumped onto the summer 1976 release schedule without fanfare by Paramount, and it sank without a trace. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joseph Bologna, Stockard Channing, (more)
Funny Lady, the follow-up to the 1968 Funny Girl which made a movie star of Barbra Streisand, picks up the character of Fanny Brice in the 1930s. Although she is a tremendously famous Broadway star, she has suffered from the stock market crash and needs to boost her finances. Even Ziegfeld, who soon will pass away, is having a hard time raising money for a show. Into this scene bursts brash young Billy Rose (James Caan), an egotistical lyricist with unrestrained ambition. He cajoles and charms Fanny into linking up with him, convincing him that he can produce a revue that will showcase her to their mutual advantage. Out of town, the show is an unmitigated disaster, and Fanny uses her professional know-how to whip the show into shape. It arrives in New York a hit -- and Fanny and Billy arrive an item. Both of their careers blossom, but even though they marry, their relationship suffers. Fanny still carries a torch for first husband Nick (Omar Sharif), and Billy, partially because of insecurities caused by Fanny's feelings for Nick, has a roving eye. In California working on a lucrative radio show, Fanny and Nick connect again -- and Fanny realizes that she is finally over him. Thrilled, she flies to Cleveland, where Billy is working on a new show, ready to commit herself totally to him -- only to find him in bed with another woman. The two part, but years later they meet again to discuss a new show, and it's clear that the chemistry between them is still there. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbra Streisand, James Caan, (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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, (more)
- 1973
Joseph Wambaugh, the ex-cop turned novelist whose Police Story began its TV run in 1973, was responsible for the like-vintage TV miniseries The Blue Knight. William Holden stars as Bumper Morgan, a 50 year old cop on the verge of mandatory retirement. Morgan's last four days with the LAPD are packed with incident, notably the trackdown of the brutal murderer of a prostitute. Lee Remick plays Morgan's faithful lady friend, who is anxious for her man to retire but who will tolerate no criticism from anyone of the job the police are doing. Emmies went to William Holden, director Robert Butler and editors Marjorie and Gene Fowler Jr., while Lee Remick received an Emmy nomination. The film itself is derivative at times (one chunk of dialogue is lifted bodily from the Jane Fonda vehicle Klute), but otherwise is as realistic a portrayal of police work as TV censors would allow in 1973. Originally telecast in four one-hour installments, Blue Knight was cut to 103 minutes for syndication; a second Blue Knight TV movie, filmed in 1975 and starring George Kennedy as Bumper Morgan, served as the pilot for a short-lived TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Gary Grimes stars in this revisionist western as Ben Mockridge, a 16-year-old boy who has long dreamed of living the life of a cowboy. Wanting adventure, he persuades Frank Culpepper (Billy Green Bush) to take him along on a cattle drive, and Ben learns the hard way just how lonesome, exhausting, and violent the life of a cowhand can be. As one of the men on the drive puts it, "Being a cowboy is what you do when you can't do anything else." Hal Needham, who would later direct a string of successful films starring Burt Reynolds, can be spotted in a small role as Burgess, one of the cowboys. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Grimes, Billy Green Bush, (more)
Set during the Civil War, Bad Company stars Barry Brown as a Northern boy, Drew Dixon, who heads West to avoid getting drafted. He falls under the spell of Jake Rumsey (Jeff Bridges), an easygoing young con artist. Drew joins Jake's gang of boy bandits, who live by their wits and try to avoid confrontation with adult criminals like Big Joe (David Huddleston). It is Drew who must eventually save Jake from hanging, even though he realizes that his intervention could lead to his own execution. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The Grissom Gang is a remake of the notorious 1949 British melodrama No Orchids for Miss Blandish. Kim Darby plays a 1920s-era debutante who is kidnapped and held for ransom. Her captors are the Grissoms, a family comprised of sadists and morons, and headed by Ma Barker clone Irene Dailey. One of the Grissoms, played by Scott Wilson, takes a liking to his prisoner, which results in a bloody breakdown of the family unit. Both The Grissom Gang and the original No Orchids for Miss Blandish were inspired by the best-seller by James Hadley Chase, though neither film retains Chase's original ending. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kim Darby, Scott Wilson, (more)
- 1971
Season Thirteen of Bonanza began on September 19, 1971 with the series' 390th episode, "The Grand Swing." Young Jamie's carelessness results in the loss of a valuable horse. Hurt and humiliated, Jamie offers to leave the Ponderosa for good. Rather than display anger, the boy's adoptive father Ben Cartwright takes Jamie on a extended pack trip through the length and breadth of the Cartwright property, hoping to demonstrate how best to handle difficult situations. In the course of the story, Ben and Jamie become closer than ever. Highlights of this wonderful episode include a full tour of the Ponderosa spread (filmed in Arizona and California), and a poignant vignette involving a "witness tree", where Hoss and Joe Cartwright's names were carved years before. "The Grand Swing" was written by Ward and John Hawkins and William Koenig. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1970
Neville Brand guest-stars as Pepper Shannon, a stage robber whose career has been blown up to "heroic" proportions by the dime-novel brigade. Unfortunately, Ben Cartwright's adopted son Jamie idolizes Shannon, who has allowed Jamie to "capture" him to avoid being shot by his enemies. It is only after Shannon is framed for murder that the disillusioned Jamie realizes that his hero is a lily-livered coward. Also in the cast are Walter Brooke as Corey, Dan Tobin as Mills, and Arthur Peterson as Donovan. Written by John Hawkins, George Scheneck and William Marks, "The Luck of Pepper Shannon" originally aired on November 22, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1970
- PG
Monte Walsh (Lee Marvin ) and his pal Chet Rollins (Jack Palance) are two over the hill cowboys seeking work in the town of Harmony, Arizona in the final days of the Old West. They take a job at the ranch of Cal Brennan (Jim Davis) and meet an old friend Shorty (Mitch Ryan). Monte goes off to visit old flame Martine (Jean Moreau), a saloon girl suffering from tuberculosis. The ranch closes and Chet marries Mary Eagle (Allyn Ann McLerie), a widow who owns a profitable hardware store. He tries to talk Monte in to giving up his cowboy life and settling down. He asks Martine to marry him, but she declines and cites her deteriorating health as the reason for her refusal. Monte goes on a drinking binge and rides a wild horse through town. He is indignant when a rodeo owner offers him a job. Monte states he would rather spit on himself that resort to such degrading work. Shorty is soon unemployed and guns down local lawman (LeRoy Johnson). Distraught after the death of his beloved Martine, Monte goes after Shorty when he guns down Chet. This film marks the directorial debut for cameraman William A. Fraker. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lee Marvin, Jeanne Moreau, (more)
Adapted from William Faulkner's final novel, The Reivers top-bills Steve McQueen, but the major character is feisty 11-year-old Lucius McCaslin, played by Mitch Vogel. Growing up in Mississippi in the early 1900s, Lucius finds himself (through a hectic series of circumstances) in a bordello, where he is nearly killed trying to defend the "fast lady" (Sharon Farrell) who has befriended him. He has been brought to the house of ill repute by ne'er-do-well farm hand Boon Hoggenbeck (Steve McQueen), with whom he has been tooling about the countryside in a vintage automobile, together with his very distant African-American relative Ned (Rupert Crosse). This adventure segues into the next, as the three man combine their resources to train a broken-down racehorse. Meanwhile, Vogel's grandfather (Will Geer), who owns the fancy automobile that the "reivers" hope to win back, threatens to reappear at any moment to tan Lucius's bottom. Not exactly as wholesome as a Disney film, The Reivers is nonetheless acceptable family entertainment, with Steve McQueen delivering one of his best and most laid-back performances. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve McQueen, Sharon Farrell, (more)
- 1969
On trial for the murder of John Leggett, Candy comes before "hanging judge" Butler (Chick Chandler). The only eyewitness to the murder is Jacova (John Saxon), an Indian horse thief presently on the lam from the law. As the Cartwrights scour the countryside in search of Jacova, Candy is forced to put his life in the hand of defense attorney Theodore Scott (Woodrow Parfrey), who frankly doesn't seem to give a damn whether his client hangs or not. The script, by Jack B. Sowards and Stanley Roberts, makes a passing reference to the death of Custer-which, according the established chronology of Bonanza, was still several years in the future! "My Friend, My Enemy" first aired on January 12, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
"Hello, gorgeous!" was Barbra Streisand's first comment to the Oscar statuette which she won for her performance in this biopic of entertainer Fanny Brice. This is also her first line in the film itself, the catalyst for a movie-long flashback. Repeating her Broadway role, Streisand stars as legendary comedienne Brice (1891-1951), whose life until the mid-1920s is romanticized herein. A gawky New Yawker, Brice fast-talks her way into show business, certain that she's destined to be "The Greatest Star." Hired as a "dramatic" singer by impresario Flo Ziegfeld (Walter Pidgeon), Brice defies orders to play it straight, turning a "Beautiful Bride" tableau into a laugh riot by dressing herself up as an extremely pregnant newlywed. The stratagem turns Brice into an overnight star and the toast of Broadway. But all is not roses for Brice, especially in her turbulent private life as the wife of big-time gambler Nicky Arnstein (Omar Sharif). Nicky at first finds it amusing to be referred to as "Mr. Brice," but he begins to resent his wife's fame and fortune and starts taking foolish risks with other people's money. The film was nominated for 8 Oscars, including Best Picture and Kay Medford for her portrayal of Brice's mother, Rose. Funny Girl was produced by Ray Stark, Brice's real-life son-in-law, who had enough material left over for a sequel, 1975's Funny Lady. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, (more)
- 1967
Michael Sarrazin plays Curley, a young man gone AWOL from the Army who soon makes the acquaintance of Mordechai (George C. Scott), a veteran confidence man. Mordecai takes a liking to Curley, and offers to show him the tricks of the trade as they drift through the American South, pulling one scam after another. But when Curley meets Bonnie Lee Packard (Sue Lyon), romance rears its head and Curley decides to go straight. Mordecai is not so easily convinced to leave his trade behind, however, and when a car theft goes spectacularly wrong and Mordecai ends up in jail, Curley has to pull a fast one to got his pal out of stir. The Flim Flam Man also features a host of notable character actors, including Slim Pickens, Alice Ghostley, and Strother Martin. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George C. Scott, Sue Lyon, (more)
- 1967
Ben Cartwright protects longtime family friend Mary Farnum (Diane Baker) from the drunken rampages of her brutal husband Russ Wharton (Paul Richards). Misinterpreting Ben's kindness, the long-suffering Mary falls desperately in love with the Cartwright patriarch. Also in the cast are Dennis Cross as Monk and Raymond Guth as Goliath. Written by Joel Murcott, "A Woman in the House" originally aired on February 19, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1967
Six year-old Davey Cleaves (Danny Martins) is trapped in a moving van with two killers after witnessing a murder in this low-budget crime drama. Bull (Don O'Kelly) is the brains of the outfit, with the spineless Eddie (Harry Dean Stanton) as his vacillating accomplice. The boy is hiding in the van that contains his family's possessions. When the killers stop to bury the dead man, they discover the boy and try to silence the only witness to the crime. Davey runs to the safety of a nearby farmhouse, but Bull convinces the rural rubes that Davey is his runaway son. The police have been notified by Davey's panicked parents and they begin a race against time to find the wayward kid before the killers can silence him. Eddie considers turning himself over to the law just to end the ordeal. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don O'Kelly, John Carradine, (more)
- 1966
In Part Two of "Ride the Wind", Curtis Wade (Rod Cameron takes over from the late Charles Ludlow as head of the new Pony Express service. Determined to keep the service running and to finish the route despite attacks by the Paiutes, Wade is driven not so much by duty as by his ego, which has been fuelded by exploitive Eastern journalist Tully (DeForrest Kelley. Wade's delusions of grandeur may prove fatal for Joe Cartwright, who has signed on as a Pony Express rider despite the protests of his father Ben. Tom Lowell appears as Charles Ludlow's son Jabez, who ends up as the story's eleventh-hour problem solver. Written by Paul Schneider, the second half of the two-part "Ride the Wind" was originally broadcast on January 23, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1966
Written by Paul Schneider, "Ride the Wind" was Bonanza's first two-part story. Ben Cartwright is willing to provide Charles Ludlow (Victor Jory) with money to help finance the new Pony Express service, but isn't keen on allowing his son Joe to join Ludlow's riders. Nor is the Paiute Indian tribe amenable to allowing the Pony Express to go across their land. Exacerbating the problem is Ludlow's assistant, Curtis Wade (Rod Cameron), who hopes to make a name for himself as an Indian fighter. The story is sufficiently exciting to make one forget that the real Pony Express had been disbanded some three years before the events depicted in this episode. Part One of "Ride the Wind" first aired on January 16, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1965
Franklin Shore is supposed to have died ten years ago, but his widow Matilda (Louise Latham) stubbornly refuses to probate Franklin's will, presumably convinced that the man is still alive. It could be that Matilda is right: her niece Helen (Julie Sommars) receives quite a shock late one night when she receives a phone call from her "late" Uncle Franklin, asking her to meet him at a secret place. One thing leads to another, and before long someone has taken a shot at Helen's boyfriend Frank (Alan Reed Jr.), Helen's pet cat Monkey is poisoned, and the man who had been blackmailing Franklin Shores before his "demise" turns up murdered. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) has got a lot on his plate in this episode, which is based on a novel by series creator Erle Stanley Garnder). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Suffering from a advanced case of "spring fever," Hoss Cartwright is nonetheless assigned to pick up a prisoner in the town of Rimrock. Alas, Hoss arrives in the wrong town, where he ends up being jailed as a bank robber. Escaping, he finds shelter in the shack of local recluse Loulabelle (Glenda Farrell), better known around these parts as "Looney" (and not without good reason!) Stanley Adams and Lloyd Corrigan make brief appearances in the respective roles of Sheriff Tate and Mr. Simmons. Scripted by Lois Hire, "The Pure Truth" was first telecast on March 6, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
- 1963
The final episode of The Untouchables revolves around Roy Dahlgren (Jeremy Slate), a crazed WW1 veteran. Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) would like to know why all of the top gangsters in Chicago are leaving town in droves. The reason? The crooks want to establish an alibi when Ness is rubbed out. Mob boss Danny Mundt has offered $10,000 to anyone willing to kill Ness. The deranged Dahlgren accepts the assignment, preparing to finish the Fed off with his weapon of choice--a hand grenade. The climax finds a temporarily blinded Elliot Ness approaching a showdown with Dahlgren, who may or may not have one grenade left. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
A gang of bandits attacks the stagecoach carrying Hoss Cartwright and two nuns, elderly Mother Veronica (Ilka Windish) and young Sister Mary Kathleen (Judy Carne). When the younger of the nuns anxiously surrenders the money collected for a new convent hospital, the older nun rebukes her, informing the girl that she hasn't got what it takes to enter the sisterhood. Determined to prove her mettle to both Mother Veronica and herself, Sister Mary Kathleen sets out to recover the stolen money-with Hoss tagging along to make certain that the headstrong nun won't get in over her head. Written by Frank Cleaver, "A Question of Strength" first aired October 27, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
