Zooey Hall Movies
After writing, directing, and starring in The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother, Gene Wilder added the producer's hat to his three-headed beast in The World's Greatest Lover. Wilder plays Rudy Valentine, a Milwaukee baker who enters a talent search in the Hollywood of the 1920s, initiated by movie studio mogul Zitz (Dom DeLuise), to find a new Rudolph Valentino. He travels to Hollywood with his wife Annie (Carol Kane) in hopes of taking a screen test, but Annie falls in love with the real Valentino. Jealous of the Latin Lover, Rudy disguises himself as a sheik in an attempt to look like Valentino. Rudy then invites Annie to a rendezvous at the studio, where he tries to seduce his own wife. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Wilder, Carol Kane, (more)
- 1974
In one of his last TV roles, Sam Jaffe guest stars as Alex Zubatuk, a retired cobbler. When Zubatuk comes forth and confesses to a killing, detectives Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) are reluctant to take the old man at face value. And for good reason: what the viewer knows (but the detectives don't) is that the meek, self-deprecating Mr. Zubatuk is taking the rap to protect the grandson of his best friend Victor Karlinsky (Victor Karlinsky). The real killer is played by prolific character actor Zooey Hall, here billed as David Z. Hall. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
- R
Originally released as Albert and Annie, this low-budget, poorly lighted, non-action, slasher film features Albert (Zooey Hall) as a deranged youth locked up in a mental institution by his super-rich mother until one day he is stopped from watching soft-porn movies in his room, and, upset at this deprivation, he escapes and starts killing women. Albert first returns to his family mansion where he torments and kills the buxom housekeeper. When her nine-year-old daughter Annie (Geri Reischi) comes in from school, Albert sees her as a perfect, innocent female and is compelled to protect her at all costs -- even if it means killing off her impure, older sisters. If his sexual urges take over at night, Albert goes out and kills other "immoral" women -- until the police, through a maddeningly unrealistic bureaucratic maze, track him to a warehouse of mannequins -- and the chase is on, at least for awhile. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zooey Hall, Geri Reischl, (more)
- 1972
Described in the original TV Guide listings as "a young movie and TV comer", Martin Sheen essays another bad-guy role for producer Quinn Martin in this episode. Sheen is cast as Steve Chandler, a novice contract killer who goes into hiding from both the FBI and the Mob after bungling a job. On the verge of starting life anew with girlfriend Marcy Brandon (Meg Foster), Chandler realizes with startling suddenness that his days of freedom (and on earth!) might be numbered. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
- R
John Herbert's stage play Fortune and Men's Eyes first enjoyed a sensational run on Broadway with Sal Minneo in the lead and was originally a fairly tame drama which used prison homosexual activity as a framework around which to base a plea for prison reform. In this screen adaptation, Mineo's role as Smitty, the unfortunate naif sent to prison on a drug charge who becomes a brutal prison leader, is played by Wendell Burton. Basically, this is an earnest prison drama with some small amusement provided by its treatment of prison homosexuality. Michael Greer offers a noteworthy performance as the extremely flamboyant and effeminate "Queenie." While this film has strong language and some nudity, sexual situations are handled discreetly enough for the film to have merited an "R" rating at the time of its release. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1969
- PG
Gordon Parks' adaptation of his own novel The Learning Tree stars Kyle Johnson as Newt, a black teenager living in 1920s Kansas. He is an intelligent even-tempered young man who meets the many racial prejudices he faces with composure and pride. His best friend Marcus (Alex Clarke) is hot-headed and prone to react emotionally when confronted with life's problems. Newt gets into a difficult situation when he witnesses a murder and must decide if he should come forward to clear the man being framed for the crime. Doing so would forever change his own life, as well as Marcus'. In 1989, the film was selected to the National Film Registry in the Library of Congress. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kyle Johnson, Alex Clarke, (more)
- 1968
A small Arizona town is plagued by violence created from the tension between Anglo and Mexican-American youths. Tony (Tom Nardini) is the idealistic new kid in school who tries to alleviate long-time tensions between the rival factions. The Mexican gang is led by Paco (Zooey Hall), a hot-tempered youth with good reason to resent some of his Caucasian counterparts due to past prejudices. Bruce (David Macklin) is the leader of the white gang. Patty McCormack and Joanna Frank are the female interests who become victims of the gang struggles. Tony, formerly from San Diego, attempts to change the attitudes of the polarized and violent groups. Simms (Russ Bender) is a bigoted educator who fans the flames of hate, and Wilson (Arthur Peterson) is the school principal who is helpless to stop the violence between the two factions. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Nardini, Patty McCormack, (more)
