Beverly Hills Movies
- 1989
- R
The financial and personal dealings of high finance set the stage for this drama. The London branch of Whitney Paine, a major American investment bank, is in the midst of a crisis; after the loss of $100 million, one of their leading traders, Tony Eisner (Simon Slater) commits suicide by putting a slug through his head while seated at his place in the board room. Despite the high stakes, many of the firm's staff are eager to step into Tony's now-vacated shoes and get credit for saving the company. Daniel Pascoe (Paul McGann), the leading trader at the firm, is convinced that he's first in line for the assignment, but the firm imports a new trader from America, Anna Schuman (Rebecca DeMornay). Daniel is enraged and makes a point of trying to dig up as much dirt on Anna as he can (which, given her extra-curricular activities with dealers from other firms, is a considerable amount), but the longer Daniel and Anna work together, the more he finds himself attracted to her. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paul McGann, Rebecca De Mornay, (more)
- 1985
- PG
In a gritty teen drama-comedy about racial tensions and high school competition, Christopher Wild stars as Kevin, the son of a white racist who goes against his father's prejudices by making friends with many black kids at school. The blacks have a band and majorette corps called the Crusaders that are blessed with talent but not much discipline. The white kids at school have their own marching band called the Knights, and Kevin is a hot-shot drummer for this otherwise pretty awful group of musicians. The Knights team up with the gorgeous majorette troupe known as the Emeralds and get ready for the big up-coming competition. Kevin gets invited by the Crusaders' conga drummer Melissa (Beverley Hills) to come practice with them and from those simple beginnings, he is caught up in a new romance and racial biases all at the same time. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Christopher Wild, Warren Mitchell, (more)
Cain (Clint Walker), better known throughout the West as "Killer Cain," is released from prison in 1891, after serving 18 years for killing a man, one of over a dozen lives that he'd taken from the age of 16. But he finds that his penalty is hardly paid and his punishment hardly over, even though he's truly reformed and wants no trouble. He's unable to get away from his past, even though the Old West is fading fast in the face of civilization -- in fact, the fading of the West is making matters worse, as ordinary folks are mostly scared of and curious about him. Additionally, he still has enemies all around, who will give him no peace; and to top it off, the only man willing to give him any kind of a job is Dan Ruffalo (Vincent Price), operator of a Wild West show, as a sharpshooter. It turns out that Cain isn't even that perfect a shot anymore, but Cain still becomes the show's biggest attraction, because people will pay to see -- or say they saw -- a killer, and that upsets young Billy (Paul Hampton), Ruffalo's other sharpshooter, who never misses but has also never killed a man either. Billy is a lot more frightening to Cain than Cain could ever be to Billy, because Billy turns out to be a psychopath. Adding to his troubles is the presence of Luke Santee (Mike Henry), a killer with his own score to settle with Cain, as well as Karma (Craig Littler), a mysterious lawyer who's been looking for him. Cain and Billy seem headed for a collision sooner or later, even as Cain tries to find peace in the company of Monica Alton (Anne Francis), an artist from the East who loves him, and who has come out West to make a new life for herself. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
- Starring:
- Clint Walker, Vincent Price, (more)
- 1968
A team of research scientists believe they have discovered a superior intelligence. Jim Tanner (George Hamilton) and his pretty partner Margery Lansing (Susan Pleshette) have discovered the entity through their work on human endurance. The Power is able to control the minds of others, but Jim can't substantiate his suspicions that the force comes from one of the members of the scientific staff. A series of murders has Jim under suspicion by the police, as he tries to uncover the identity of the killer. Yvonne De Carlo, Earl Holliman, and Miss Beverly Hills also star in this sci-fi mystery. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- George Hamilton, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1968
- R
A pair of crooks conspire to rob the ticket booth at the Los Angeles Coliseum during a Rams game. Before they can perform the heist, the two must find precisely the right henchmen to join them. Each potential gang member must undergo a rigorous test of skill. Thanks to care and precise planning, the caper comes off smoothly and afterward the gang leader (Jim Brown) hides the money in the apartment of his ex-wife (Diahann Carroll). She only agrees to keep the money on the provision that he reform so they can get back together. Unfortunately, the wife's lust-crazed landlord (James Whitmore) busts into her house the next day and tries to rape her. During the struggle he kills her and then takes the loot. Later a crooked cop (Gene Hackman) investigates. Meanwhile, when the gang members learn that the loot is missing, they suspect a double-cross and engage in a huge battle. The cop finds the money and at first keeps it for himself. The head crook eventually figures out that the cop has it and so goes to him to make a little deal. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jim Brown, Diahann Carroll, (more)
Steve Grayson (Elvis Presley) is a swinging racecar driver whose manager Kenny (Bill Bixby) has bet his money on the horses. Most of the horses didn't win, causing Steve to be visited by IRS agent Susan Jacks (Nancy Sinatra). Gale Gordon plays Hepworth, her stuffy supervisor, and William Shallert has the role of Abel Esterlake, former racecar driver who helps Steve on the track. Steve engages in the stock-car races at the Charlotte Speedway to get back the money to keep him and his manager out of jail. Presley delivers 11 songs, the most notable being "Let Yourself Go." Elvis by now was just playing out the innocuous string of movies that his musically insensitive, cigar-chomping manager Colonel Tom Parker had contracted for him. Soon Elvis would undertake the most successful live comeback by any performer in history and leave these trashy features behind. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elvis Presley, Nancy Sinatra, (more)
The Philippine splatterfest Brides of Blood has also been released as Brides of the Beast, Island of Living Horror and Grave Desires. You get the idea. Anyway, the resident monsters are the spawn of nuclear radiation. These horrid creatures prey upon beautiful, undressed women; they have sex with their victims (by consent!), then gobble up the poor girls. John Ashley, an American actor who was a mainstay of the Philippine horror industry of the 1960s, tries to stem the monster uprising, along with dedicated scientist Kent Taylor and his onscreen wife, Beverly Powers, played by well-proportioned heroine Beverly Hills. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1968
Minister Sam (Andy Griffith) and his wife Mary Elizabeth (Lee Meriweather) move to a Kansas town divided by political concerns that stall the town's progress. Will Sinclair (Henry Jones) and Alex Gresham (Edgar Buchanan) have allowed a long-standing family argument to impede the progress of the small rural community. Sam must contend with his mother-in-law (Kay Medford) and his wild brother-in-law Bubba (Jerry Van Dyke) when Bubba sets up a moonshine still in the church basement with the help of his friend Calvin (Parker Fennelly). Art Shields (Gary Collins) is the ambitious young country lawyer who runs for mayor in hopes of bringing peace to the families, and he works for the best interests of the divided community. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Andy Griffith, Jerry Van Dyke, (more)
- 1967
In this western, a town sheriff contends with his reputation as the "fastest gun in the West." When a young gunslinger calls him out for a showdown, the sheriff is struck by the fellow's resemblance to himself and unsuccessfully attempts to talk him out of his foolish career choice. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Angie Dickinson, (more)
- 1966
Perry Mason's one-and-only color episode is a loose adaptation of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. The "Fagin" character is slimy art collector Benjamin Huggins (Victor Buono), who with the assistance of henchman Bill Sikes (Scott Graham) masterminds a teenage car-stripping gang. Murder rears its ugly head when 18-year-old gang member Lennie Beale (Kevin O'Neal) is charged with killing Sikes, apparently as retaliation for Sikes' shooting of Lennie's girlfriend Robin Spring (Lisa Seagram). Even though he had previously been robbed by Lennie, Perry (Raymond Burr), in true "Mr. Brownlow" fashion, agrees to defend the boy in court. One of the seventy-six Perry Mason episodes removed from the series' original 1966 syndication package, "The Case of the Twice-Told Twist" was finally rebroadcast on cable TV in the early 1990s. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1966
Once again, Lucy (Lucille Ball) has a hankering to see some movie stars close-up. Her first step in this direction is to take over the "maps to the movie stars' homes" kiosk owned by her recently departed neighbor (Reta Shaw). One thing leads to another, and by episode's end Lucy has become an usher (in an ill-fitting boy's uniform!) at a theater where a gala Hollywood premiere is about to be staged. The episode's inevitable special guest stars include Kirk Douglas, Edward G. Robinson, Jimmy Durante, Ben Casey star Vince Edwards, and Hollywood columnist Johnny Grant. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Reta Shaw, Bert Freed, (more)
Bob Holcomb (Bob Hope) is a widower who worries about his teenage daughter JoJo (Tuesday Weld) in this light romantic comedy. He doesn't care much for JoJo's boyfriend Kenny (Frankie Avalon) because the smooth operator has a motorcycle and some money. Bob manages to get his company to transfer him to Sweden, which effectively separates Kenny and his daughter. JoJo adapts to her new surroundings and starts to date Erik Carlson (Jeremy Slate), an idle playboy and lothario. All of a sudden, Kenny seems all right by Bob, who tries to convince him to come to Sweden and fight for the woman he loves. Bob's new flame Karin (Dina Merrill) is less-than-sympathetic to Bob's babbling about the double standards he sets for his daughter. Maudie Prickett plays a man-hungry spinster, and the musical group The Vulcanes help out with some of the feature's 12 songs. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bob Hope, Tuesday Weld, (more)
- 1965
This exploitation crime drama offers a fictionalized account of John Dillinger just before he became known as one of the most ruthless mobsters of the 1930s. The tale begins as Dillinger and his girlfriend try to rob her daddy's safe and get caught red-handed. Dillinger takes the fall and goes to the joint where he encounters some of America's most infamous gangsters including Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson. Dillinger helps them all escape and together they become some of the most fearsome criminals ever. Because he is considered Public Enemy No. 1, Dillinger decides to undergo a total face transformation. Following the operation, he kills the surgeon, who was trying to force himself on Dillinger's moll. Later, he wrongs her and this ultimately leads to tragedy for him and for her. Keep an eye out for background people dressed in 1960s clothing, quite an anomaly for a film set in the '30s. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nick Adams, Robert Conrad, (more)
The satire in Evelyn Waugh's darkly comic novel The Loved One was originally double-edged. The book was not only an attack on the Southern California funeral industry but also a lampoon of Hollywood's "British colony," those clannish, cricket-playing English actors of years gone by who bemoaned the artificiality of Tinseltown while eagerly accepting the demeaning and insignificant movie roles they were offered. The film version of The Loved One, anxious to live up to its ad-campaign promise of containing "something to offend everybody," downplays the British-colony business (save for the presence of the magnificent Robert Morley) and pumps up the "death" gags. Innocent British poet Dennis Barlow (Robert Morse) falls in love with funeral-home cosmetician Aimee Thanatogenos (Anjanette Comer), who in turn is loved by prissy funeral director Mr. Joyboy (Rod Steiger). The latter lives with his obese mother (Ayllene Gibbons), whose eating sequence is far more hilarious (and more tasteless) than many of the film's calculatedly "black" jokes. A huge guest-star cast is headed by Jonathan Winters in a dual role as a funeral home manager and his covetous twin brother, who operates an elaborate pet cemetery. Musician Paul Williams is also on hand as a 13-year-old aeronautics genius who develops a method of sending corpses into "eternal orbit" (a plot device that Waugh neglected to include in his novel). Film historian William K. Everson has commented that The Loved One is one of the best and most underrated comedies of the 1960s. For others, especially those who might feel guilty chuckling at the sight of Anjanette Comer committing suicide with an embalming needle, it's purely a matter of taste...or lack of same. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Morse, Anjanette Comer, (more)
Elvis Presley plays a double role in Kissin' Cousins. When the U.S. government wants land owned by the hillbilly clan headed by Pappy Tatum (Arthur O'Connell), they send Air Force Lieutenant Josh Morgan (Presley), a cousin of the Tatum's, to try and secure the land for a proposed missile base. Josh comes face-to-face with Jody Tatum, his blonde-haired look-alike. Glenda Farrell plays Ma Tatum, and distaff interest for Elvis is provided by Cynthia Pepper, Yvonne Craig, a busty Beverly Powers, and Hortense Petra. Watch for Maureen Reagan as one of the Kittyhawks, a group of desperate, man-hungry females out to get some love. This film was the first of the low-budget movies that would unfortunately plague the rest of Elvis' movie career. The song selection also reflects a decline in the quality of both recording and acting parts offered to Presley. Once he fulfilled his contractual obligations for the forgettable features, Elvis ended his film career and devoted his efforts exclusively to live shows and recording. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elvis Presley, Arthur O'Connell, (more)
- 1964
On the verge of bankruptcy, undertaker Vincent Price hits upon a novel method of drumming up business. Together with his cringing assistant Peter Lorre, Price sneaks into the homes of wealthy old men under cover of night and smothers the sleeping occupants to death--then collects a hefty commission when the victims' relatives come calling. At home, Price is continually frustrated in his efforts to poison his senile father-in-law Boris Karloff, who owns the undertaking business. Meanwhile, Price's neglected wife Barbara Nichols takes quite a shine to the shy Lorre. The homicidal undertaker's best-laid schemes go terribly agley when his latest "customer," wealthy Basil Rathbone, doggedly refuses to stay dead. Joe E. Brown has a cameo as a cockney graveyard attendant. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, (more)
- 1963
Using the alias "Jerry Shelton", Kimble (David Janssen) goes to work as lifeguard at the Nevada gambling resort run by a tough customer named Danny Polichek (Telly Savalas). While thus employed, Kimble catches the eye of Polichek's spoiled daughter Chris (Joanna Frank), who ever since her mother's death has gone out of her way to humiliate her father in public. Now Chris intends to raise some hell with the reluctant Kimble--knowing full well that Polichek has enough power and influence to slice the hapless lifeguard into tiny pieces. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1962
One year before her Oscar-winning performance in Hud, Patricia Neal guest-starred in this Untouchables episode as torch singer Maggie Storm (and never mind that we never hear her sing a note at any time). Maggie is the featured entertainer at the 808 Club, a night spot mentioned by dying drug peddler Benny Rivas (Herman Rudin) after a shootout with the Untouchables. Following this clue, Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) pays a visit to the club, thereby renewing an old acquaintance with Maggie (they'd been "friendly enemies" during Probibition). Ness would like to believe that Maggie isn't involved in the blatant drug trafficking that goes on at the club, but the evidence is stacked against her. Even so, she isn't the real villain of the piece: that honor is reserved for an unsavory character named Vince Shyre (Vic Morrow). Joseph Ruskin makes his first series appearance as the infamous Louis "Lepke" Buchalter. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
In an idealized New York City during the early '60s, Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) is a charming socialite with a youthful zest for life who lives alone in a nearly bare apartment. She has such a flippant lifestyle that she won't even give her cat a name, because that would be too much of a commitment to a relationship. Maintaining a childlike innocence yet wearing the most perfect of designer clothes and accessories from Givenchy, she spends her time on expensive dates and at high-class parties. She escorts various wealthy men, yet fails to return their affections after they have given her gifts and money. Holly's carefree independence is changed when she meets her neighbor, aspiring writer Paul (George Peppard), who is suffering from writer's block while being kept by a wealthy woman (Patricia Neal). Just when Holly and Paul are developing their sweet romance, Doc (Buddy Ebsen) appears on the scene and complicates matters, revealing the truth about Holly's past. Breakfast at Tiffany's was nominated for several Academy awards, winning Best Score for Henry Mancini and Best Song for Johnny Mercer's classic tune "Moon River". ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, (more)
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