Dayle Haddon Movies

A young aristocratic military cadet gets a dose of reality that shakes his high ideals to the core when he is called to fight in the Spanish Civil War in this French anti-war drama. Rafael, is the boy. He comes from a prominent Spanish family of military heroes and has spent his teens studying in a prestigious French military academy run by Dominicans. By October, 1936, Rafael had become a lieutenant; his life forever changes when he is suddenly called back to France to fight against the Communists and defend Franco. He is assigned to report to Col. Masagual, an outwardly tough officer who is flamboyantly effete in his private life. Masagual orders Rafael to first serve on the firing squad to prepare him for the atrocities of the front. In this capacity, the innocent Rafael is forced to slaughter all manner of prisoners, including women and children. It takes a heavy toll upon him and while he and the others shoot the guilty, the colonel and his aristocratic guests, who have come to watch the festivities, gaily sip tea and chat. Soon Rafael has become a literal killing machine, with little emotion. His first experience with sex degenerates into brutal rape. Then Rafael is ordered to kill a renegade priest. Suddenly he remembers his ideals and double-crosses the cruel colonel. This leads to a moral sparring match between the priest and the colonel. The gist of their argument is to demonstrate the stupidity of war. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Julia Cole (Diane Salinger) is more than a little upset about turning 40. She's depressed about growing older, distressed at the lack of attention from her workaholic husband Charles (John Calvin), and bored with being a stay-at-home wife and mother. On her birthday, she finds a bottle of enchanted soap bubbles. Blowing them transports her to moments of happiness from earlier times in her life. Soon, she not only regains her youthful vigor, she cannot even remember how old she is. She changes her appearance, her personality is transformed from reclusive to outgoing, and her values change from strict to permissive. Eventually, she realizes that happiness is not age-dependent. George Clooney and Wallace Shawn are the biggest names in this low-budget, independently produced romantic comedy, also known as The Magic Bubble, directed by Deborah Taper Ringel and Alfredo Ringel. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

In a post-apocalyptic world, killer-for-hire Gibson Rickenbacker (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is hired to escort a cyborg--which contains valuable information on a cure for a deathly plague--to its research center. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

This routine French melodrama features Catherine Deneuve) as Margaux, an unhappily married recording-company executive with two children at home who starts an affair with Jeremy (Christophe Lambert), one of the singers she promotes through her company. Margaux's husband is away in New York working on a book, yet she still tries to hide her affair from her children, unwilling to let anyone know what is happening -- especially her husband. Jeremy's old singing partner Michel (Richard Anconina) misses his friend, who now spends most of his time with Margaux, and on one occasion Michel is forced to go to an important audition by himself. When the audition turns out to be a big success, Jeremy has to make up his mind about both his conflicting partnerships: one with Margaux and the other with Michel. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Violent scenes, such as a woman doused with gasoline and set on fire, do nothing to help this melodramatic crime-drama rise above others in its genre. When a police commissioner is determined to track down sources of corruption that reach up to the higher echelons of government he has no idea who he can trust and who not. Without the support of his love interest, a dedicated journalist, he would not stand a chance. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

One of the best of the early-1970s Disney farces, The World's Greatest Athlete stars Jan-Michael Vincent in the title role. A "wild boy" living off the land in the jungles of Africa, Vincent is discovered by coaches Tim Conway and John Amos. Cursed with a last-place college athletic lineup, Conway and Amos hope that Vincent will pull them out of their years-long slump. And he does, but not before several Disneyesque slapstick highlights, not to mention a handful of amusing special-effects gags (at one point, Conway is shrunk to mouse size by witch doctor Roscoe Lee Browne). Despite its formidable lineup of comedians-Conway, Billy DeWolfe, Nancy Walker, Vito Scotti et. al.--The World's Greatest Athlete's funniest line goes to guest star Howard Cosell! The script is the handiwork of Gerald Gardner and Dee Caruso, late of That Was the Week That Was and Get Smart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A beautiful teacher inadvertently causes campus chaos in this lively outing. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide