Richard Hale Movies

The "Gold Dust Twins" are two L.A. gals who kidnap a likable-loser type who's a driving instructor (Alan Arkin) and force him to take them from Los Angeles to New Orleans. On the way they run into action of all sorts, and by the time they get to the Bayou state, the three have bonded as buddies. ~ Rovi

In this comical Disney western, a cavalry rider goes AWOL in the midst of a raid to save the lives of a band of Indian women and children. He then takes off across the New Mexican desert astride a camel. En route, he meets a young white boy who was raised by an Indian. The Indian is trying to find his tribe and so enlists the aid of the wayward soldier. Later they encounter a widow and her daughter. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this biker flick, an L.A. policeman becomes friends with another officer and the tough black leader of a biker gag. Conflict ensues, especially when the biker leader's ambitious and vengeful second in command beats up his girlfriend and abducts the leaders pregnant girl. He takes her on a wild ride that almost kills her and the child. He is pursued by the cop who eventually captures him, but not before the badguy slits his throat. Surprisingly, he does not die. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In the two-hour pilot film for the subsequent TV "occult" anthology, series creator Rod Serling hosts three macabre short stories, introducing each with a framed portrait in a nocturnal art gallery. The first story stars Roddy MacDowall as a covetous nephew who murders his uncle, suffering the consequence of being possessed by a family painting. The second story stars Joan Crawford as a blind, thoroughly despicable millionairess who purchases the eyes of down-and-out Tom Bosley in order to enjoy 12 precious hours of sight. The final tale involves a Nazi war criminal (Richard Kiley), who attempts to evade his pursuers by escaping into a painting in a museum. The middle sequence is by far the best, directed with youthful bravado by 21-year-old Steven Spielberg. An uneven package, Night Gallery was nonetheless infinitely superior to the series that followed, which suffered from too much network and studio interference and not enough Rod Serling. The Night Gallery pilot was first telecast November 8, 1969; the series ran from 1970 through 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This is the much-anticipated episode in which Betty Jo Bradley (Linda Kaye) is married to Steve Elliott (Mike Minor). But it's still a sitcom episode, meaning that a few complications must ensue before the happy moment. Especially vexing to Betty Jo is the fact that her well-meaning friends and relatives have presented her with four different wedding gowns...meaning that, if she chooses one gown over the other, she risks offending a good portion of the wedding party! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Visiting the Blackwell farm, Joe Cartwright is aghast to learn that his friend Tom Blackwell (Jason Evers) has turned to crime. Enter a gang of outlaws, who hold Joe, Blackwell's wife Ellie Sue (Elizabeth Rogers) and the couple's son captive, thereby forcing Mrs. Blackwell to tend to the injuries of wounded outlaw boss Wade Hollister (John Ericson). Joel Murcott wrote the teleplay for this nail-biting drama. "Journey to Terror" was first telecast on February 5, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Meredith MacRae joins the cast as the third (and final) actress to assume the role of Billie Jo Bradley as Petticoat Junction launches its fourth season. Ever on the lookout for a fast buck, Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan) tries to drum up business at the Shady Rest Hotel with a "Free Wedding and Honeymoon Contest". Without further elaboration, it can be noted that the supporting cast includes veteran character actors Ernest Truex and Sylvia Field, husband and wife in real life. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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, Rovi

Inheriting $180,000 in gold doubloons from their Uncle Gilbert (Richard Hale), the Munsters dutifully deposit the gold in their local bank. Shortly thereafter, bank clerk Alan Benson (Charles Robinson) shows up at the Munster Mansion and apparently falls in love with Marilyn (Pat Priest) at first sight. Thrilled that their "homely" niece has finally landed a beau, Herman (Fred Gwynne) and Lily (Yvonne DeCarlo) do everything they can to encourage the romance--blissfully unaware that Mr. Benson is actually a heartless fortune hunter. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Defense lawyer Ned Murray (Martin Landau) is certain that he has made a name for himself by getting his client Lew Rydell (Frank Gorshin) acquitted on a murder charge. Later on, however, Lew mockingly informs Ned that he was actually guilty of the crime -- and under the rule of double jeopardy, he cannot be prosecuted twice for the same crime. Motivated by both guilt and the fear that he will be ruined if the truth comes out, Ned tries to figure out a way to bring Rydell to justice. But, as things turn out, the lawyer is placed in the unenviable position of saving Lew's life all over again. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiographical novel was translated to film in 1962 by Horton Foote and the producer/director team of Robert Mulligan and Alan J. Pakula. Set a small Alabama town in the 1930s, the story focuses on scrupulously honest, highly respected lawyer Atticus Finch, magnificently embodied by Gregory Peck. Finch puts his career on the line when he agrees to represent Tom Robinson (Brock Peters), a black man accused of rape. The trial and the events surrounding it are seen through the eyes of Finch's six-year-old daughter Scout (Mary Badham). While Robinson's trial gives the film its momentum, there are plenty of anecdotal occurrences before and after the court date: Scout's ever-strengthening bond with older brother Jem (Philip Alford), her friendship with precocious young Dill Harris (a character based on Lee's childhood chum Truman Capote and played by John Megna), her father's no-nonsense reactions to such life-and-death crises as a rampaging mad dog, and especially Scout's reactions to, and relationship with, Boo Radley (Robert Duvall in his movie debut), the reclusive "village idiot" who turns out to be her salvation when she is attacked by a venomous bigot. To Kill a Mockingbird won Academy Awards for Best Actor (Peck), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Art Direction. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Roger Corman's stripped-down remake of Universal's 1939 period classic elevates that film's supporting player Vincent Price to the starring role, essayed in the original by Basil Rathbone. Price chews scenery as hunchbacked mad monarch Richard III, who ascends the throne through murder (including the Duke of Clarence's wine-vat drowning), torture (lovely Sandra Knight gains a few inches on the rack), and elaborate deception. Bloody events and plot twists notwithstanding, this low-budget outing is painfully threadbare for a period piece, even in comparison to Corman's Edgar Allan Poe films for AIP from the same period. The film's saving grace is found in Price's manic performance, which ranks among the horror legend's most flamboyant. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi