Darby Hinton Movies
- 1989
In the conclusion of a two-part story, McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) quits the force in the wake of the suicide of her friend and mentor Andy Polanski (Claude Akins). But try though she might, McCall cannot keep herself out of the center of the storm surrounding the crime wave perpetrated by Aryan Legion leader Frank Lassiter (Richard Lynch). As the episode races to a climax, McCall is being held hostage by Lassiter, who hopes to exchange her for his seriously wounded brother Rudy (Richard Lineback) --while Hunter (Fred Dryer) tries to find out who within the department has been leaking information to Lassiter's minions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
- R
This routine erotic spy tale stars Darby Hinton as Cody Abilene, a private eye who teams up with the Contessa Luciana (Sybil Danning) and policewoman Beverly McAfee (Lori Sutton) to infiltrate a mansion and discover who is sending computer secrets to the Russians. The Contessa's friend Lady Lillian Chamberlain (Niki Dantine) runs the mansion, where sex is the presiding activity. The chauffeur is busy bedding down both a nephew and niece of Lady Lillian, as well as the nephew's wife; fortunately, driving is not a taxing activity. While four Playboy playmates cavort in various degrees of undress (no full frontal nudity), the mystery of who is selling computer secrets manages to also get uncovered. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Darby Hinton, Sybil Danning, (more)
- 1981
Marcia Wallace (The Bob Newhart Show) is cast as professional fitness trainer Barbara Terranova, who can only afford to pay private eye Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck) for one day's service. Thus it is that Magnum is faced with the formidable task of locating Barbara's missing fiance--who has been targeted for murder!--within 24 hours. Fortunately, Magnum is able to work out a "barter" deal with Barbara, who agrees to train him for the upcoming "Ironman Triatholon" in exchange for a few extra days' detective work; unfortunately, Barbara is a VERY strict taskmaster (or is that taskmistress?), This is the final episode of Magnum, P.I.'s first season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
- R
Low-budget action specialist Cirio H. Santiago directed this Philippine-set martial arts film, which bears more than a passing resemblance to his earlier T.N.T. Jackson and his later Angelfist. Jillian Kessner stars as Susanne Carter, a karate expert whose sister is murdered by mobsters. Genre regulars Ken Metcalfe and Vic Diaz co-star, and Kessner has a nude karate scene. Like most of the prolific Santiago's actioners of the period, this was released by exploitation specialist Roger Corman's New World Pictures, with ads touting Kessner as champion of the 1981 Black Belt Olympics. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jillian Kesner, Darby Hinton, (more)
The bottom-drawer science fiction cheapie was originally released as The Return. In a dusty New Mexico town, two children and an old man witness the arrival (via poor special effects) of an alien spacecraft. The phenomenon has such a profound effect on the lives of the witnesses that they anxiously await the return of the extraterrestrials--whom, it is suggested, have visited here several times before. When the big-name cast (Jan-Michael Vincent, Cybill Shepherd, Martin Landau, Raymond Burr and Neville Brand) failed to sucker customers into seeing The Return, the film was repackaged as The Alien's Return. If we are indeed visited by aliens someday, one hopes they aren't as dull as the creatures in this sorry little film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan-Michael Vincent, Cybill Shepherd, (more)
- 1980
This goofy sci-fi/horror nonsense plays like '50s-style alien-invasion schlock with a dollop of '80s-style blood and gore. The invasion -- such as it is -- is perpetrated on various backwoods hunters and campers by a scarcely-seen alien that looks like a menacing Star Trek guest star in a glam-rock outfit. The alien's rather simple frontal attack employs an arsenal of toothy, pulsating frisbees that glow in the dark and glom onto the necks and backs of various flannel-clad denizens of the woods. That's about it... oh, and there's a few reliable character actors on hand to spout silly dialogue. Jack Palance plays a crusty hunter who fancies the alien stuffed and mounted, not caring that it plans to do the same to him (now there's a trophy); Martin Landau turns in an eye-rolling performance as the local lunatic, whose paranoid ravings presage those of his character in the feature film The X-Files. Also known as It Came Without Warning. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Palance, Martin Landau, (more)
- 1978
- PG
Goodbye Franklin High is one of the most elusive of baseball pictures, even harder to locate than Ty Cobb's Somewhere in Georgia. The film stars Lane Caudell as a high school athlete who must choose between the certainty of college or the possibility of a baseball career. Everyone associated with the boy has a different opinion, making the final decision all the more dramatic. Julie Adams and William Windom play Caudell's parents, Ann Dusenberry is his girl friend, and Darby Hinton (formerly a child actor on the TV series Daniel Boone) is his good buddy. Produced by the here-and-gone Cal Am Artists Company, Goodbye Franklin High was lauded by film critics upon its initial release, but prints no longer appear to be generally available, either on TV or in video stores. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
In this Roger Corman production, co-producer Jesse Vint stars as Jingo Johnson, a stuntman who goes to work for a backwater mining company. Jingo unearths a hotbed of corruption, partially orchestrated by redneck sheriff, Grimes (Albert Salmi). The hero and heroine (Karen Carlson) are forced into any number of serial-like perils while eluding the villains. Black Oak Conspiracy is enlivened by the presence of several veteran character players, including Douglas Fowley, Peggy Stewart and Vic Perrin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jesse Vint, Karen Carlson, (more)
- 1974
- PG
Released under a variety of titles, Evil in the Deep is set in Jamaica. Scuba diver Hugo Graham (Stephen Boyd) searches for sunken treasure in the waters of the Caribbean. Ah, but there's a fly in the ointment: a very big, grey fly, known as a killer shark. Made before Jaws, Evil in the Deep went nowhere until its late-1970s re-release--at which point its producers were accused of trying to rip off the Spielberg film. Others in the cast include Cheryl Stopelmoor (before she became Cheryl Ladd), and Chuck Woolery. Chuck WOOLERY????? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
A meek and mild mailman decides that the only way to escape the constant nagging of his battle-ax of a wife is to turn himself into the title tree in this off-beat fantasy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Robards, Jr., Sandy Dennis, (more)
- 1969
- R
This film, set in the turn-of-the-century West, chronicles the exploits of a con-man and his very special dog. He uses the crafty canine in a bunco game. Unfortunately a tough widow beats him at his own game and now he must help her drive her turkeys to market. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Son of Flubber represented the first time that Walt Disney ever attempted a theatrical feature sequel: in this case, the earlier film was the 1961 moneyspinner The Absent-Minded Professor. While Flubber is more formula-bound than Professor, it proved an instant audience-pleaser, and a hit to the tune of nine million dollars. Fred MacMurray returns as professor Ned Brainerd, currently working on his new discovery, "dry rain." The comically destructive side effects of this discovery seemingly doom the professor to failure -- at least until the closing courtroom sequence -- but meanwhile he has better luck with Flubbergas, a byproduct of the antigravity glop he'd invented in the first film. In addition to MacMurray, Absent-Minded Professor alumni Nancy Olson, Keenan Wynn, Tommy Kirk, Leon Ames, Elliott Reid, Alan Carney, Gordon Jones, Forrest Lewis, and James Westerfield reprise their roles from the earlier film, while Ed Wynn shows up in a new guise as a nervous agricultural agent. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred MacMurray, Nancy Olson, (more)
- 1962
Hero's Island is not as esoteric as director Leslie Steven's Incubus (which was filmed in Esperanto!), but there's still enough bizarre camera angles and outre performances to please Stevens' hard-core devotees. The film is set on the Carolina coast in the 18th century. British expatriate Brendan Dillon, his wife Kate Manx (who at the time of filming was Mrs. Leslie Stevens) and their three children set up a homestead on remote Bull Island. They are joined in this endeavor by family friend Warren Oates, who becomes the surrogate husband and father when Dillon is killed by murderous local fishermen (including such reliable screen heavies as Rip Torn, Neville Brand and Harry Dean Stanton). Mysterious stranger James Mason (who co-produced the film) shows up on the island and offers to seek retribution for Dillon's murder, but Manx's religious convictions won't allow her to consider killing her enemies. During a final battle with the fishermen, Mason reveals that he is actually the notorious Blackbeard the Pirate. He fends off the attackers and is himself rescued from certain death by Manx, who has come to love him. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Mason, Kate Manx, (more)
- 1960
When his school holds a pet fair, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) gets neurotic over the fact that everyone owns a pet except him. To save face, he brags that he owns the talking parrot that he recently saw in the window of the local pet store. Of course, Beaver is certain that he can back up his boast by talking his dad Ward (Hugh Beaumont) into purchasing the parrot. But Ward isn't exactly made of money, and the best he can do is to bring home a hamster -- and boy, will Beaver get the business this time! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sue Randall, Rusty Stevens, (more)
