William Hopper Movies

Show business is full of ironies. Back in 1961, the NBC western Bonanza was moved from a Saturday to a Sunday slot to avoid the heavy competiton of the popular CBS legal drama Perry Mason. By 1965, Bonanza was riding high in the ratings and the nine-year-old Perry Mason was slowly withering. Thus, when Mason was moved to Sundays opposite Bonanza, guess what happened? Though the handwriting was on the wall, the cast and crew of Perry Mason rallied sufficently to offer some of the series' finest hours during its terminal ninth season. The two best-remembered offerings of the year are "he Case of the Dead Ringer", in which Raymond Burr essays the dual role of Perry Mason and a cockney murderer; and the series' only color episode, "The Case of the Twice-Told Twist", a mordernized Oliver Twist with the redoubtable Victor Buono as the Fagin counterpart. (This episode was initially removed from syndication, but restored in the early 1990s). Also of interest is the addition of a new cast member, Richard Anderson, as Lt. Steve Drumm, replacing Wesley Lau as Lt. Anderson--who in turn had replaced longtime regular Ray Collins as Lt. Tragg. Also, there are some fascinating guest stars this season, among them former "Captain Midnight" Richard Webb, future Hill Street Blues star Dan Travanti, and the multitalented Cloris Leachman--not to mention several members of the LA Rams football team (including Roman Gabriel) in "The Case of the Impetuous Imp". The series wraps up its 271-episode run with, appropriately, "The Case of the Final Fade-Out", which in addition to exposing one of the most suprising murderers in the show's history also features several members of the Perry Mason production staff (including producer and former film star Gail Patrick Jackson) in minor roles, and series creator Erle Stanley Gardner as a judge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Although Perry Mason was showing signs of fatigue as the series entered its seventh season, the producers were able to stir up a great deal of publicity and audience interest with the announcement that, in the season's fourth episode "The Case of the Deadly Verdict", the unthinkable would happen: Brilliant defense attorney Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) would finally lose a case to prosecutor Hamilton Burger (William Talman), and his client (played by Julie Adams) would be sentenced to death). Not to give anything away, but it can be noted that Mason loses only because his client withholds information--a fact that affords our hero the opportunity to clear the poor woman in a second trial. Otherwise, Season Seven is fairly undistinguished, save for the always solid performances of supporting players Barbara Hale (as Della Street), William Hopper (Paul Drake), and Ray Collins (Lt. Tragg), who makes his final appearance this season due to illness. Of the guest stars, standouts include little Billy Mumy (pre-Lost in Space, and very pre-Babylon Five) in "The Case of the Shifty Shoebox", future superstar Ryan O'Neal in "The Case of the Bountiful Beauty", Oscar-winnner-to-be Strother Martin in "The Case of the Drowsy Mosquito", Man From UNCLE's David McCallum in "The Case of the 50 Millionth Frenchman", ventriloquist Paul Winchell as the murder victim in "The Case of the Nervous Neighbor", and Jerry Van Dyke in his first non-comic role in "The Case of the Woeful Widower". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season Five of Perry Mason marked the series' last stand in its traditional Saturday-night timeslot. Though ratings were quite good (the series ended the season in the Top Five), the CBS executives thought that the show would be more valuable on Thursdays, where the network had been floundering--so Thursdays it was, beginning with Season 6. Raymond Burr of course is still in harness as the fabulously successful defense attorney Perry Mason, with Barbara Haleas secretary Della Street, William Hopperas Paul Drake and William Talman (now fully reinstated after the unpleasantness of Season 3, during which the actor had been briefly fired because of his off-camera shenanigans) as prosecutor Hamilton Burger. Ray Collins is also on hand as irascible Lt.Trag, though illness had forced the veteran actor to curtail his appearances. The guest star roster this season includes Denver Pyle in the opener, "The Case of the Jealous Journalist"; Burt Reynolds in "The Case of the Counterfeit Crank", James Coburn in "The Case of the Angry Astronaut; future TV icons Alan Hale Jr. (Gilligan's Island) and DeForest Kelley (Star Trek) in "The Case of the Unwelcome Bride"; and James Drury, one year removed from his ascent to stardom as The Virginian, in "The Case of the Missing Melody". Significant to the overall Perry Mason saga is the presence of Bill Williams, real-life husband of series regular Barbara Hale, as the defendant in "The Case of the Crippled Cougar"; and Wesley Lau, who later joined the cast as Lt. Anderson, in a markedly different role in "The Case of the Impatient Partner". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

By the time Perry Mason rolled into its third season in the fall of 1959, the series was the 10th most popular program in America, and the uncontested leader in its Saturday night timeslot--despite formidable competition from the upstart NBC western Bonanza. Ironically, Perry Mason would ultimately wither on the vine in its ninth season when once again CBS moved it opposite the by-now extremely profitable Bonanza, but that was still several years in the future. Ratings and popularity, aside, the series' star Raymond Burr and his costars Barbara Hale, William Hopper and Ray Collins had ample reason for complaint this season, thanks to a corporate decision by parent network CBS. In March of 1960, William Talman, who played defense attorney Mason's friendly adversary, prosecutor Hamilton Burger, was hauled into jail for throwing a wild party (marijuana may or may not have been involved). Though Talman was never charged with anything, the network invoked the "morals clause" in his contract and fired him on the spot. Only the combined protests of the cast members--led by Burr, who threatened to quit the show if Talman wasn't reinstated--and tons of supportive fan mail compelled CBS to reverse its decision in December of 1960. By this time, however, Talman had missed several episodes (most of which were seen in the series' fourth season). March 1960 Talman had his wild party. Fay Wray murdered in "The Case of the Watery Witness", "The Case of the Lucky Legs", in "The Case of the Prudent Prosecutor", Burger asks Mason's help to clear an old friend on a murder charge. Otherwise, things moved smoothly on the series, with Perry Mason consistently proving the innocence of his clients and and exposing the real murderer on a weekly basis. Also, as in previous years, Season Three had its share of noteworthy guest performers, ranging from old-timer Francis X. Bushman to comparative youngsters Barbara Bain, Bert Convy and future Oscar winner Louise Fletcher. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

One of special-effects wizard Ray Harryhausen's pre-Seventh Voyage of Sinbad efforts, 20 Million Miles to Earth borrows a few pages from King Kong. An American spaceship crashlands off the coast of Sicily. The rescue party discovers that the astronauts have inadvertently brought back a curious gelatinous mass from the planet Venus. This lump of goo rapidly evolves into be a living reptilian creature, which scientists label an "Ymir". While being subjected to laboratory experimentation, the Ymir begins growing by leaps and bounds, and before long the gigantic monstrosity has escaped and is wreaking havoc in Rome. After battling a zoo elephant and taking a swim in the Tiber, the gargantuan creature holes up in the Colosseum, where the film's pyrotechnic finale occurs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This is the one in which the "villain" is a huge, carnivorous praying mantis. After the titular insect has attacked several people in a remote Arctic region, Col. Joe Parkham (Craig Stevens) swings into action. Parkham and his associates, Dr. Ned Jackson (William Hopper) and Ned's assistant Margie Blake (Alix Talton), track the predatory mantis as it heads southward to Washington DC (how did it get past customs?) The green monstrosity meets its Waterloo in "Manhattan Tunnel", where it is bombarded with poison gas (a little Raid or Black Flag might have come in handy). Some of the Arctic scenes in The Deadly Mantis were clumsily culled from the 1933 drama SOS Iceberg and a handful of Air Force training films. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The focus of this heartfelt family film is Skeeter (Brandon de Wilde), a 14-year-old orphan who lives with his aged Uncle Jesse (Walter Brennan) in the swamps of the deep South. Their lives are brightened by a stray dog that Skeeter discovers and takes in. He makes the basenji his own, but eventually finds out that the dog is missing and its owner has posted a reward for its return. ~ Nicole Gagne, All Movie Guide

Can evil be inherited? That's the question posed by Maxwell Anderson in his stage play The Bad Seed. This 1956 film adaptation stars many actors from the Broadway version, including Nancy Kelly, Patty McCormack, Henry Jones and Eileen Heckart. Young McCormack plays Rhoda, a too-good-to-be-true grade schooler who occasionally exhibits a vicious streak whenever things don't turn out her way. During a picnic, one of Rhoda's schoolmates is drowned; the victim is a boy who'd won a penmanship medal that Rhoda had coveted. Nancy Kelly, the girl's mother, slowly comes to the horrible conclusion that Rhoda was responsible for the boy's death--a suspicion fueled by the discovery that Kelly, who was adopted as an infant, is the daughter of a convicted murderess. Meanwhile, a moronic handyman (Henry Jones) accidentally tumbles to Rhoda's secret, whereupon he is "accidentally" burned to death. Realizing that Rhoda must be stopped before she can kill again, and reasoning that the authorities would never believe the truth, Kelly tries to put the girl to sleep permanently with barbituates, then shoots herself. The play's ironic ending--the mother dies, while the unsuspected Rhoda lives on--is sacrificed for a "divine retribution" finale in the film, with Rhoda being punished by a convenient bolt of lightning. This alteration is acceptable, but director Mervin LeRoy further gilds the lily with an asinine closing-credits sequence wherein Nancy Kelly throws Patty McCormack over her knee and administers a spanking! The 1985 TV movie remake of The Bad Seed retains the play's original ending, but all in all is not half as entertaining as the 1956 version (its hokey denouement notwithstanding). McCormack later starred in Max Allan Collins' unofficial 1995 sequel Mommy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

William Hopper guest stars as John Henry Jordan, a debonair holdup man who has convinced the people of Dodge City that he is a modern-day Robin Hood, stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Much to the frustration of Matt Dillon (James Arness), Jordan manages to beat an attempted-murder rap by persuading witnesses Mr. and Mrs. Bowen (Barry Atwater, Nora Marlowe) that he acted with the noblest of intentions. Ultimately, Jordan will reveal himself as a cold-blood murderer--but by then, it may be too late for the hapless Bowens. This episode is based on the Gunsmoke) radio broadcast of January 8, 1955. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The 1955 western Robbers' Roost was the second film version of the venerable Zane Grey yarn. George Montgomery stars as a taciturn outlaw who lands an honest job on the spread managed by physically disabled Bruce Bennett. When Bennett's sister Sylvia Findley is kidnapped by crooked Richard Boone and Peter Graves, Montgomery, seeing an opportunity to redeem himself, rides to her rescue. Fortunately for our hero, Boone and Graves are already at each other's throats, thereby weakening their resistance. Gorgeously photographed, Robbers' Roost suffers visually when seen in the faded color prints currently available to TV. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This landmark juvenile-delinquent drama scrupulously follows the classic theatrical disciplines, telling all within a 24-hour period. Teenager Jimmy Stark (James Dean) can't help but get into trouble, a problem that has forced his appearance-conscious parents (Jim Backus and Ann Doran) to move from one town to another. The film's tormented central characters are all introduced during a single night-court session, presided over by well-meaning social worker Ray (Edward Platt). Jimmy, arrested on a drunk-and-disorderly charge, screams "You're tearing me apart!" as his blind-sided parents bicker with one another over how best to handle the situation. Judy (Natalie Wood) is basically a good kid but behaves wildly out of frustration over her inability to communicate with her deliberately distant father (William Hopper). (The incestuous subtext of this relationship is discreetly handled, but the audience knows what's going on in the minds of Judy and her dad at all times.) And Plato (Sal Mineo), who is so sensitive that he threatens to break apart like porcelain, has taken to killing puppies as a desperate bid for attention from his wealthy, always absent parents.

The next morning, Jimmy tries to start clean at a new high school, only to run afoul of local gang leader Buzz (Corey Allen), who happens to be Judy's boyfriend. Anxious to fit in, Jimmy agrees to settle his differences with a nocturnal "Chickie Run": he and Buzz are to hop into separate stolen cars, then race toward the edge of a cliff; whoever jumps out of the car first is the "chickie." When asked if he's done this sort of thing before, Jimmy lies, "That's all I ever do." This wins him the undying devotion of fellow misfit Plato. At the appointed hour, the Chickie Run takes place, inaugurated by a wave of the arms from Judy. The cars roar toward the cliff; Jimmy is able to jump clear, but Buzz, trapped in the driver's set when his coat gets caught on the door handle, plummets to his death. In the convoluted logic of Buzz' gang, Jimmy is held responsible for the boy's death. For the rest of the evening, he is mercilessly tormented by Buzz' pals, even at his own doorstep. After unsuccessfully trying to sort things out with his weak-willed father, Jimmy runs off into the night. He links up with fellow "lost souls" Judy and Plato, hiding out in an abandoned palatial home and enacting the roles of father, mother, and son. For the first time, these three have found kindred spirits -- but the adults and kids who have made their lives miserable haven't given up yet, leading to tragedy. Out of the bleakness of the finale comes a ray of hope that, at last, Jimmy will be truly understood.

Rebel Without a Cause began as a case history, written in 1944 by Dr. Robert Lindner. Originally intended as a vehicle for Marlon Brando, the property was shelved until Brando's The Wild One (1953) opened floodgates for films about crazy mixed-up teens. Director Nicholas Ray, then working on a similar project, was brought in to helm the film version. His star was James Dean, fresh from Warners' East of Eden. Ray's low budget dictated that the new film be lensed in black-and-white, but when East of Eden really took off at the box office, the existing footage was scrapped and reshot in color. This was great, so far as Ray was concerned, inasmuch as he had a predilection for symbolic color schemes. James Dean's hot red jacket, for example, indicated rebellion, while his very blue blue jeans created a near luminescent effect (Ray had previously used the same vivid color combination on Joan Crawford in Johnny Guitar). As part of an overall bid for authenticity, real-life gang member Frank Mazzola was hired as technical advisor for the fight scenes. To extract as natural a performance as possible from Dean, Ray redesigned the Stark family's living room set to resemble Ray's own home, where Dean did most of his rehearsing. Speaking of interior sets, the mansion where the three troubled teens hide out had previously been seen as the home of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. Of the reams of on-set trivia concerning Rebel, one of the more amusing tidbits involves Dean's quickie in-joke impression of cartoon character Mr. Magoo -- whose voice was, of course, supplied by Jim Backus, who played Jimmy's father. Viewing the rushes of this improvisation, a clueless Warner Bros. executive took Dean to task, saying in effect that if he must imitate an animated character, why not Warners' own Bugs Bunny? Released right after James Dean's untimely death, Rebel Without a Cause netted an enormous profit. The film almost seems like a eulogy when seen today, since so many of its cast members -- James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Nick Adams -- died young. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

For The High and the Mighty, director William Wellman made a point of using Cinemascope to heighten the dramatic content of a confined screen space -- in this instance, the cockpit of a plane in flight. Copilot Dan Roman (John Wayne) seems a lot more in control of things than Captain John Sullivan (Robert Stack) when the plane loses an engine during a flight from Honolulu to San Francisco. Wellman crosscuts from the tension in the cockpit to the various subplots involving the plane's passengers, among them May Holst (Claire Trevor), Lydia Rice (Laraine Day), Howard Rice (John Howard), Sally McKee (Jan Sterling), Ed Joseph (Phil Harris), and Humphrey Agnew (Sidney Blackmer) (as a character named Humphrey Agnew -- a remarkable prescient cognomen given the future of the U.S. vice presidency!). Adapted by Ernest K. Gann from his best-selling novel, The High and the Mighty was one of the first (and most profitable) entries in the "terror in the sky" genre. Its theme music, written by Dimitri Tiomkin and whistled incessantly by John Wayne in the film, would later become a best-selling hit throughout the world. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This western offers one of Hollywood's more historically accurate accounts of the Battle of Little Big Horn. The story centers on a major in the cavalry who believes the Indians have the same rights as other Americans. Despite his efforts to stop Custer from embarking on his ill-fated mission, the general carries on. Later the major is court-marshaled for being a traitor and ends up sentenced to die. Fortunately, Sitting Bull sends a petition to the President and pleads for the good major's pardon. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide