Craig Hill Movies
Actor Craig Hill spent the first few years of the 1950s as a contract player at 20th Century-Fox. Hill was seen in minor roles in such major Fox releases as All About Eve (1950), Cheaper by the Dozen (1950) and What Price Glory? (1952). He was better served at Paramount, where he was quite good as a prison-bound first time offender in Detective Story (1951). Baby boomers will fondly recall Craig Hill as helicopter pilot P. T. Moore on the well-distributed TV adventure series The Whirlybird (1956-59). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Filmmaker Oscar Aibar wrote and directed this Spanish film which blends together elements of the science-fiction and psychological-thriller genres. UFO-sightings are on the rise, and the country has become enthralled with the ominous threat of extra-terrestrials. Making the situation more serious is the mysterious discovery of two bodies bearing an enegmatic notes about beings from outer-space. Platillos Volantes stars Jordi Vilches and Angel Andres Lopez. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jordi Vilches, Ángel de Andrés Lopez, (more)
Adapted from David Leavitt's book The Page Turner, Food of Love tells the story of a cross-generational romance between two men. Paul (Kevin Bishop), a sexually repressed teenager, is an aspiring pianist who gets an opportunity to work as a page turner for Richard Kennington (Paul Rhys), a renowned pianist who also happens to be Paul's idol. A flirtation ensues between the two men after a concert one night, but further possibilities are thwarted by the meddling of Paul's neurotic mother Pamela (Juliet Stevenson). When Paul and Richard meet again six months later in Barcelona, they begin where they left off, tumbling headlong into a passionate affair despite the continued intrusion of Pamela, who believes that Richard is flirting with her. The affair is further complicated by the presence of Mansourian (Allan Corduner), Richard's manager and lover, who is suspicious of the relationship between Richard and Paul. Unable to deal with the situation, Richard flees to New York, and when he and his young lover finally meet again, Paul is a Julliard student engaged in an affair with yet another middle-aged man. Food of Love was screened at the 2002 Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Juliet Stevenson, Paul Rhys, (more)
Poltergeist-purger Zelda Rubinstein toplines this interesting, twisty psycho-thriller from Spain, which makes clever (though repetitive) use of its movie-within-a-movie premise. As the star of the horror film "The Mommy," Rubinstein plays a mother who hypnotizes her son (Michael Lerner) into seeking more victims to supply her growing collection of human eyeballs. "The Mommy" seems also to exert a weird hypnotic effect on the audience watching it, particularly one impressionable fellow who mirrors Lerner's actions by stalking fellow movie patrons... just as the onscreen murderer is entering a movie theater to do the same thing. If this sounds confusing, that's probably because it is. The interesting premise wears thin about halfway through, with the relentless attempts at viewer disorientation becoming more tiresome than frightening. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zelda Rubinstein, Michael Lerner, (more)
- 1987
When two small-time crooks get involved with a big-time Wild West shoot-'em-up gang, they find out what real tough guys are all about. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1983
Catalan director Antoni Ribas spent three years creating an epic in three parts, about three days in June, 1917 - a triple play that is successful in this first segment, handling the many factions active and bubbling over in Spain in 1917. The monarchy of Alfonso XIII was weakening so rapidly that he would leave the country permanently in 1931, Catalan nationalists were demanding independence for Catalonia, labor initiatives were in sympathy with the principles that stoked the Russian revolution, anarchists were shouting to be heard, and the military was not exactly a united front. The two leads in this story of an unstable nation in turmoil are a dedicated labor leader and a reserved army lieutenant. Action on all social levels - from the opera to the ghetto - keeps the drama moving at an interesting and fast pace. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helmut Berger
This is a serious piece that takes place after a nuclear war. ~ All Movie Guide
This well-handled giallo thriller was directed by Antonio Bido (Il Gatto dagli Occhi di Giada). After a young girl is murdered by a mysterious stranger, the young Stefano (Lino Capolicchio) comes home to Venice to visit his brother (Craig Hill), a priest with many enemies. As people start dying left and right, Bido introduces an odd assortment of characters, including a wife-killing doctor, an abortionist, and a nutty gay Count (Massimo Serato) who molests children. Stefano tries figuring out the mystery while having an affair with an interior decorator (Suspiria's Stefania Casini). It might be argued that the plot is merely a reworking of Lucio Fulci's superior Non se Sevizio un Paperino (1971), with shades of Capolicchio's previous starring turn in Pupi Avati's La Casa dalle Finestre che Ridono (1976), but in Italian genre film, the question of derivative plotlines becomes almost superficial. It works, and should please Euro-thriller fans. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
Hardin is out for revenge after his wife and child are killed and he locates and eliminates the six man gang led by villain Brazzi. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1970
Spanish horror icon Paul Naschy wrote, co-produced and stars in (but did not direct) this sophomoric monster mash about a visitor from the dying planet Ummo (a badly-dubbed Michael Rennie, who's played better alien visitors) whose plan for dominating the people of Earth includes the reanimation of several legendary monsters, including the infamous werewolf Waldemar Daninsky (Naschy), the vampire Count de Meirhoff, the mummy Tao-Tet, and Frankenstein's monster... or at least something called "Franksollen" (Naschy again). Everything goes according to his sinister plan until Daninsky has a change of heart (as is his wont in most of Naschy's monster films). Originally titled The Man from Ummo, this cheesy production often aired on late-night TV as Dracula vs. Frankenstein (although the two legendary monsters never actually butt heads). ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1969
Craig Hill, whom baby boomers will remember as one of the stars of TV's Whirlybirds, heads the cast of this spaghetti western. Hill, Ken Wood and Peter White play three hardened convicts who are given a second chance. A Mexican youth has been framed for murder. Our "heroes"' mission: find the real killer. No Graves on Boot Hill didn't see much American play until it was released to TV syndication in the late 1980s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
This is not the same film as the gosh-awful 1970 Al Adamson epic with J.Carroll Naish and Lon Chaney Jr. Originally titled Assignment Terror, this German/Spanish/Italian production stars Michael Rennie as an extraterrestrial invader. Unlike the pacifistic Klaatu, his character in The Day the Earth Stood Still, Rennie is a warmonger this time out, hoping to destroy the earth. To that end, he harnesses the awesome powers of Dracula, Frankenstein's monster et. al. Rennie is foiled (curses!) by a conscience-stricken werewolf. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Paolo Moffa directed this gritty spaghetti western under the name "John Byrd," and if the sets look familiar, they were previously seen in Sergio Leone's classic Per Qualche Dollaro in Piu. Craig Hill stars as Clive Norton, a bounty-hunter hired to track down the outlaw Johnny Gunn (Giovanni Cianfriglia, best known as "Ken Wood"), who has looted an army payroll. Norton saves Gunn's brother (Ettore Manni) from execution in exchange for his help, and later enlists a Mexican bandit (Francesco Santoveti) who double-crosses them and joins Gunn. The inevitable shootout follows, with predictable results. The film's most memorable performance comes from Cianfraglia, a former stunt double for Steve Reeves who later gained a cult following as star of the Super Argo series. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- 1966
The most interesting aspect of The Swinger is the name of the character played by Ann-Margret: the former Ann Margaret Olsson essays the role of Kelly Olsson. A naive small-town girl, Kelly aspires to become a writer in the Big City. When her stories are rejected because they aren't exciting and provocative enough, she decides to do some hands-on research by posing as the titular "swinger." She is so successful at this subterfuge that Hefner-like publisher Anthony Franciosa makes it his mission in life to reform the "fallen" Kelly. Didn't they do this one in the 1930s as Theodora Goes Wild, with Irene Dunne and Melvyn Douglas? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann-Margret, Anthony Franciosa, (more)
- 1966
The title of this episode refers to the Virginia town which serves as the home of the FBI Training Academy. One of Quantico's most promising trainees is Charlie Hunter (Michael Callan), who'd grown up in a slum neighborhood with his mentally unbalanced cousin Willard Smith (Robert Walker Jr.). Upon learning that Willard is planning to blow up the Supreme Court Building with a homemade bomb, Charlie is faced with a dilemma that could cost him his career--to say nothing of his life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
Using the alias Stephen Fitzgerald, con artist Andrew Cook (James Daly) has married the widow of a bank owner, embezzled the bank funds, and murdered his wife--a pattern he has followed for years in several other cities. Now the homicidal Cook has targeted wealthy Amy Hunter (Margaret Leighton) as his next victim, with both Amy's life and a million-dollar "prize" at stake. Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) must figure out the reason behind Fitzgerald's modus operandi in order to stop him before he can steal--and kill--again. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
When a B-52 plane crashes, a U.S. secret agent is sent to retrieve the black box before the enemies do. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
Follow Me, Boys!, Disney's paean to the Boys Scouts of America, leaves no cliché unturned: we're even offered the old reliable "kid hanging over cliff by rope" bit. Corny, sentimental and obvious though it may be, the film is a delight to watch, especially whenever Fred MacMurray dominates the screen. MacMurray plays Lem Siddons, a 1930s musician who decides to settle down in a small Midwestern town. Here he meets pretty bank teller Vida Downey (Vera Miles), who bemoans the fact that the local boys have no organized activities with which to occupy their time. Volunteering to be a scoutmaster, Lem begins a local scout troop. There are some tense moments when banker Ralph Hastings (Elliot Reid) demands that Lem's scouts vacate their headquarters, but Reid's feisty millionaire Aunt Hetty (Lillian Gish) comes to the rescue. The film's throughline is the regeneration of local "tough kid" Whitey (Kurt Russell), who, after joining the Boy Scouts, straightens out and matures into a solid citizen. The film's lachrymose climax is kept "honest" by the sincere underplaying of Fred MacMurray. Though lambasted by reviewers, Follow Me, Boys! struck a responsive chord with filmgoers, to the tune of a $5.5 million box-office take. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred MacMurray, Vera Miles, (more)
- 1964
A trained dog and jewel smugglers along with a circus have some incredible adventures. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1962
Hampered by a quickie conclusion, this routine melodrama by Reginald LeBorg features twin sisters, Sabena and Dara (Marcia Henderson) who are identical in physical appearance but about as alike as night and day. The evil twin learns that her good-hearted sister is about to come into some money and so she plots to get her hands on the lucre instead. What can be so difficult since the two of them look alike? She poses as her angelic counterpart but then runs into a series of problems that lead up to the abrupt ending. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Craig Hill, Marcia Henderson, (more)
- 1961
This is a competently put-together "B"-grade film starring Craig Hill as a doctor who in the process of trying to save a man badly beaten by two gangsters, identifies the culprits to the police. When their victim dies and the charge becomes murder, the doctor hightails it to the far woods where he finds a job as a clerk in a sporting-goods store. His plan is to lay low until the hoodlums forget about him. But complications arise from two different sectors. First, the doctor falls in love with a local woman and second, the murderers find out where he is hiding. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Craig Hill, Elaine Edwards, (more)
- 1961
Flight that Disappeared sugars its Vital Message with a sci-fi/fantasy coating. Three nuclear scientists prepare to deliver their report on the potentials of atomic weaponry to the President. En route to Washington, the scientists' plane disappears from view. They awaken to find themselves in the presence of benign aliens, possibly residents of the Afterworld. Before the scientists are permitted to leave, they have been persuaded that their nuclear report will need a healthy dose of anti-bomb rhetoric. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Craig Hill, Paula Raymond, (more)
