Harry Holcombe Movies

The Young Savages is what used to be called a "thinking man's picture" about a potentially lurid subject: urban juvenile delinquency. A blind Puerto Rican boy is knifed to death in Spanish Harlem, and three teenage gang members are accused of the crime. Politically ambitious assistant DA Burt Lancaster initially presses for the conviction of all three boys. But as he gets deeper into the case, he realizes that what appears cut-and-dried on the surface is tortuously complex: for starters, the murder victim was hardly the paragon of virtue that the prosecution claims. Despite pressure from his superiors and from members of the accused boys' gang (who at one point threaten Lancaster's wife Dina Merrill with a switchblade,) Lancaster nonetheless sees to it that justice is properly administered. The defendants are portrayed with varying degrees of Brando/Dean "method" by John Davis Chandler, Neil Nephew and Stanley Kristien; more believable, less affected performances are rendered by Shelley Winters, Pilar Seurat and Telly Savalas. Filmed on location in New York, The Young Savages was based on the Evan Hunter novel A Matter of Conviction. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this classic episode, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) is en route to Gilbert's house while his folks are having a party. Suddenly, Beaver and Gilbert (Stephen Talbot) are attracted by a huge, three-dimensional billboard, depicting a woman holding a gigantic, steaming bowl of soup. Anxious to find out where the steam is coming from, Beaver climbs up the billboard -- only to become stuck in the enormous soup bowl! This is the Leave It to Beaver episode that everyone remembers, and for good reason -- the iconic image of Jerry Mathers "in the soup" perfectly encapsulates all of the series' charm and hilarity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this film based on a true story, Burt Lancaster plays Robert Stroud, a withdrawn prison inmate who cures a sick bird that flies into his cell and eventually becomes a world-renowned ornithologist -- all while serving a life sentence. An overbearing warden (Karl Malden) eventually transfers Stroud to the notoriously brutal prison on Alcatraz, but he is able to continue his research, abort a riot, start a romance, and eventually get his story out through a determined reporter (Edmond O'Brien). Directed with his usual solid craftsmanship by John Frankenheimer, Birdman Of Alcatraz tells a quietly moving tale for which Lancaster, Telly Savalas (as one of Stroud's fellow inmates), and Thelma Ritter (as Stroud's mother) all received Oscar nominations. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

An unusually tense and intelligent political thriller, The Manchurian Candidate was a film far ahead of its time. Its themes of thought control, political assassination, and multinational conspiracy were hardly common currency in 1962, and while its outlook is sometimes informed by Cold War paranoia, the film seemed nearly as timely when it was reissued in 1987 as it did on its original release. It opens with a group of soldiers whooping it up in a bar in Korea as their commander, Sgt. Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey), arrives to inform them that they're back on duty. These men obviously have no fondness for Shaw, and he feels no empathy for them. While on patrol, Shaw and his platoon are ambushed by Korean troops. Months later, Shaw is receiving a hero's welcome as he returns to the United States to accept the Congressional Medal of Honor, and several of the soldiers who served under Shaw repeatedly refer to him as "the bravest, finest, most lovable man I ever met." It soon becomes evident that after their capture by the Koreans, Shaw and his men were subjected to an intense program of brainwashing prior to their release. While several are troubled by bad dreams and inexplicable behavior, it's Capt. Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra) who seems the most haunted by the experience. In time, Marco is able to piece together what happened; it seems Raymond Shaw was programmed by a shadowy cadre of Russian and Chinese agents into a killing machine who will assassinate anyone, even a close friend, when given the proper commands. On the other side of the coin, Shaw is also used for political gain by his harridan mother (Angela Lansbury), who guides the career of her second husband, John Iselin (James Gregory), a bone-headed congressman hoping to win the vice-presidential nomination through a campaign of anti-Communist hysteria.

The Manchurian Candidate features a host of remarkable performances, several from actors cast cleverly against type. Frank Sinatra's edgy, aggressive turn as Marco may be the finest dramatic work of his career; Laurence Harvey's chilly onscreen demeanor was rarely used to s better advantage than as Raymond Shaw; James Gregory is great as the oft-befuddled Senator Iselin; and Angela Lansbury's ultimate bad mom will be a shock to those who know her as the lovable mystery writer from Murder, She Wrote. George Axelrod's screenplay (based on Richard Condon's novel) is by turns compelling, witty, and horrifying in its implications, and John Frankenheimer's direction milks it for all the tension it can muster. While Frankenheimer's career has had its ups and downs, The Manchurian Candidate and Seconds (1966) suggest that he deserves to be recognized as one of the most brilliantly paranoid American filmmakers of the '60s. Entertaining yet unsettling, both films indicate that things in the '60s were not what they seemed, with a resonance that still echoes uncomfortably in the present. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The "teaser" opening of this episode shows Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) losing an appeal before Judge Daniel Redmond (Robert Middleton). Later on, however, Redmond is banking on Perry to win in court--in fact, the judge's life depends on it. It seems that Redmond is running for lieutenant governor, but may be discredited in the eyes of the voters thanks to the dissolute Martin Weston (Vaughn Taylor), who claims that the Judge was involved in a nasty fraud scheme twenty years earlier. When Weston is killed, the police are convinced that Redmond is the guilty party--and it is up to Perry to un-convince them! This is the final episode of Perry Mason's sixth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Wealthy junk dealer and mayoral candidate Mort Lynch (Ted De Corsia) decides to give a job to dissolute college dropout Barry Davis (Carl Reindel), if only because Lynch was once a good pal of Barry's uncle. However, the boy quits the job after a bitter argument, then goes to work for a newspaper publisher who is trying to destroy Lynch's political career. Ultimately, Lynch is murdered, and the weapon is found in Barry's car. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) must prove that Barry is innocent, and that the actual killer is someone who was intimately involved in the criminal activities of Barry's uncle and the late Mr. Lynch. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Just before leaving on a business trip, Darrin is given a gift by Samantha: a tiny pin in the shape of a Siamese cat. Thus, when Darrin finds himself on board a yacht with gorgeous female client Margaret Marshall (Martha Hyer), he is convinced that Margaret's pet Siamese is really a jealous Samantha in disguise. This episode was co-written by veteran Hollywood scenarist Richard Sale and his wife, Mary Sale. "The Cat's Meow" was first telecast on January 21, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The sequel to 1963's Misadventures of Merlin Jones finds young Mr. Jones (Tommy Kirk) still in college and still going out with Jennifer (Annette Funicello). In this movie, he must help football players pass their tests and invent a flying machine win a contest for the school. Funicello and the Beach Boys sing the title song. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

A crisis develops when Martin (Ray Walston) develops an allergy to his brain-power pills, breaking out in embarrassing green blotches. Thinking quickly, Martin feeds the pills to Tim (Bill Bixby), figuring this will make Tim smart enough to discover a cure for the allergy. Trouble ensues when "super-genius" Tim ends up working on a top-secret government space project, an assignment that could end in disaster literally with the snap of the fingers! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While on a visit to Mayberry, Barney Fife discovers that he is idolized by his successor, deputy Warren Ferguson. Unfortunately, the nervous Barney has to live up to his reputation when a convict escapes. As he has done so often in the past, Andy comes to Barney's rescue without anyone knowing about it-including Barney. Written by Harvey Bullock, "The Legend of Barney Fife" made its network TV debut on January 17, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Dick Gautier guest stars as Aubert, a Parisian dress designer who has been frustrated in his efforts to break into the American market. As it happens, one of Aubert's best customers is Samantha, who uses magic to conjure up a duplicate of one of the designer's best creations. As a result, the wife (Barbara Morrison) of Darrin's client, J.T. Glendon (Harry Holcombe), becomes convinced that Sam designed the dress herself -- and, as the saying goes, comic chaos ensues. Written by Lee Erwin, "Samantha the Dressmaker" first aired on February 24, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the first episode of a two-part story arc, Aunt Clara tries to magically summon an electrician to fix Samantha's lamp. As usual, however, Clara gets her wires crossed, and as a result the Stephenses play host to the spirit of Benjamin Franklin. Actor Fredd Wayne, then touring the country in his one-man show Benjamin Franklin, Citizen, is cast as old Ben. Written by James Henerson, "My Friend Ben" first aired on December 8, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide