Clint Howard Movies
The son of actors, juvenile performer Clint Howard began showing up on screen in the mid-1960s, usually in the TV series and feature films co-starring his older brother Ron Howard. Clint's best-known TV guest appearances include the part of Balok in the 1966 Star Trek episode "The Corbomite Maneuver," and his vivid portrayal of a youthful prognosticator in the opening installment of Night Gallery's 1971-72 season. He was starred in the 1967 Ivan Tors theatrical feature Gentle Giant and in that property's TV-series spin-off Gentle Ben. Upon attaining adulthood, Howard was mostly consigned to character parts; he has also been featured in the films directed by his brother Ron Howard, from Eat My Dust (1978) to Apollo 13 (1995). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1962
Is meek and mild Henry Bennett (John Qualen) a natural-born jinx? Deputy Barney thinks so-and soon so does everyone else in Mayberry, despite Andy's herculean efforts to improve Henry's luck. As the episode draws to a close, it still isn't certain whether or not Henry really is a Jonah, but Andy proves that it doesn't really matter at all. Originally telecast on January 29, 1962, "The Jinx" was written by resident Andy Griffith Show wordsmiths Jack Elinson and Charles Stewart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Influenced by the Glenn Ford "G-Man" picture at the local movie house, Barney is determined to prove that security is lax at the Mayberry City Bank. To that end, he disguises himself as a little old lady in order to stage a phony holdup-and ends up locked in the bank vault, in full drag, for his troubles. Later on, a real robbery gives Barn' a chance to redeem himself. Originally broadcast on December 24, 1962, "The Bank Job" was written by Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Once again, Opie has to contend with a young bully. This time, it's Steve Quincy (Kim Tyler), a new kid in town who has been taunting and coercing the other kids into such anti-social activities as breaking windows and stealing apples. Opie would like to clean Steve's clock, but is worried that he'll make his Sheriff father look bad if he is caught fighting in public. Best bit: Barney's overconfident demonstration of his "steel-like" stomach muscles. Watch for Richard Keith, formerly "Little Ricky" on I Love Lucy, as one of Opie's pals. Written by Harvey Bullock, "One-Punch Opie" was first seen on December 31, 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Andy is informed that a top-secret gold shipment from Denver to Fort Knox is making a stopover in Mayberry. Sworn to silence, Andy makes the mistake of telling Barney about the shipment. Before long, the entire town is preparing to welcome the armored-car drivers. A disaster? Not quite-fate, and a bit of preventative strategy, will soon intervene. Rance Howard, father of series star Ronny Howard, plays the Treasury Man, while Ronny's younger brother Clint Howard is seen as little Leon. Written by John Whedon, "A Black Day for Mayberry" originally aired on November 11, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Receiving word that his father Dr. John Kimble (Robert Keith) is seriously ill, Richard Kimble (David Janssen) risks recapture by paying a return visit to his home town of Stafford, Indiana. No sooner has Kimble arrived than he is confronted by his resentful brother Ray (Andrew Prine), who seems to have lost the will to live since Richard was convicted of murder--and may well do something dangerously drastic in the near future. Jacqueline Scott makes her first series appearance as Kimble's supportive sister Donna, while James Sikking shows up as the first of several actors to play Donna's husband Leonard Taft. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Mayberry's customary calm is disrupted when Walker's Department Store is plagued with a wave of thefts. To catch the shoplifter red-handed, Barney poses as a store mannequin, with hilariously chaotic results. Andy and Barney eventually trap the crook, but in doing so they risk public ostracization (tune in, and see why). This episode was written by Bill Idelson and Sam Bobrick. "The Shoplifters" made its network broadcast premiere on March 2, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Clint Howard is the center of attention on this Bonanza episode as impressionable young Michael Thorpe. When his father Evan (Simon Scott) is seriously wounded, Michael takes literally the words of Ponderosa ranchhand Lijah (Rodolfo Acosta), who mournfully declares that "Only God" can save Evan now. The boy sets off on a trek into the mountains to search for God-and believes he has gazed upon the face of the Almighty when he meets fugitive mountainer Tom Caine (Leif Erickson). Originally shown on December 19, 1965, "All Ye His Saints" was written by William Blinn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1965
Beau Bridges guest stars as a wounded young man who stumbles into the Justice Department Building in Virginia, carrying half a million dollars in stolen cash. Awakening from a brief coma, the boy can remember nothing about what has happened to him nor how he came into possession of the loot. Though they suspect that "John Doe" is a thief and a possible killer, the Feds go through an elaborate charade of alerting the public that they are holding the money for its rightful owner. Predictably, the FBI offices are swamped with dozens of phony claimants--including two shady-looking gentleman who are determined to silence "John Doe" permanently! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
"Bears love honey and I'm a Pooh bear," sings Winnie the Pooh setting the stage for the goings-on in Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, the first of four Disney featurettes based upon the A.A. Milne characters. Indeed, Pooh has rather an insatiable desire for honey, and when he spies a group of bees making some of the lovely sticky stuff in the top of a nearby tree, he taxes his mental resources -- difficult for "a bear of very little brain" -- and comes up with a scheme. Enlisting the aid of Christopher Robin, he covers himself in mud, grabs hold of a big blue balloon and (thinking himself cleverly disguised as a little black rain cloud), tries to get some of the honey. The bees are not fooled, but soon Pooh finds an easier way of getting what he wants: visiting friend Rabbit at lunch time. Rabbit has a tremendous store of honey -- so much so that, after ingesting it all, Pooh gets stuck in Rabbit's doorway and can get neither in nor out. There's nothing to do but wait for Pooh to lose enough wait to squeeze out. When he does finally get rescued, Pooh somehow ends up in another sticky situation -- but one that is much more pleasing to the little bear. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
- 1965
George Savano (Edward Binns), an auto-parts dealer with mob connections, hires a new employee named Chris Benson--who, of course, is really fugitive Richard Kimble (David Janssen). When his sister Stella Savano (Diana Hyland) shows signs of being attracted to Kimble, the fiercely protective George warns Kimble to lay off or else. What George doesn't know is that Stella has already had a torrid affair with another employee, Jesse Strangl (Joseph Campanella), which resulted in an illegitimate baby. To prevent George from killing Jesse should he ever learn the truth, the delusional Stella convinces herself that Kimble is the father of her child. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Talion is the alternate title for the blood-splattered western An Eye for an Eye. You know that the filmmakers aren't kidding around when, in the very first scene, outlaw Slim Pickens puts a bullet into a squalling baby! Robert Lansing plays Talion, a homesteader who, after his ranch is burned to the ground and his wife and child are murdered, hires bounty hunter Pat Wayne to track down the killers. The men are forced to rely upon each other when Lansing's gun hand is shattered in a shoot out and Wayne is blinded during a confrontation with the outlaws. Lansing and Wayne combine into one single, unstoppable killing machine. Talion was co-scripted by Bing Russell, father of film star Kurt Russell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lansing, Slim Pickens, (more)
- 1966
The starship Enterprise, probing into an uncharted area of space, encounters a mysterious rotating cube that blocks its path. Attempting to pull away, the ship is bombarded by potentially lethal radiation and Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) is forced to order the destruction of the object. The ship is soon confronted with the giant spaceship Vesarius, hundreds of times the size and power of the Enterprise, which seizes the starship in a tractor beam and whose commander, Balok, announces that the starship will be destroyed in ten minutes. Kirk must engage in a battle of wits and wills to save his ship, running a bluff with a non-existent device and substance called "corbomite." He succeeds, only to discover that the alien Balok, despite the power of his vessel, was also running something of a bluff. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- 1967
The title character is a benign 7-foot-tall grizzly bear (perhaps all grizzlies are benign, but we're not about to get close enough to find out). Little Clint Howard befriends the bear, naming the beast Ben. Clint's wildlife-officer dad Dennis Weaver and mom Vera Miles have some trouble adjusting to the boy's new pet, but all ends happily after a lengthy sojourn in the Everglades. The best scenes involve ex-Bowery-Boy Huntz Hall, here playing a grizzled old swamp tramp. The upshot of Gentle Giant's success was the TV series Gentle Ben, which also starred Howard and Weaver and which ran from 1967 through 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Weaver, Vera Miles, (more)
The final animated feature produced under the supervision of Walt Disney is a lively neo-swing musical, loosely based upon the tales of Rudyard Kipling. The story takes place in a tropical jungle where people are conspicuously absent. But one day Bagheera the Panther (voice of Sebastian Cabot) discovers a baby in the wreck of a boat. Feeling pity on the child, Bagheera takes him to be raised with the wolves. Ten years later, the child has grown into Mowgli (voice of Bruce Reitherman). Mowgli discovers that his life is in danger because of the return to the area of Shere Khan the Tiger (voice of George Sanders), whose hatred of humans is such that Mowgli faces certain death if discovered. Bagheera agrees to transport Mowgli to the human village, where he will be safe from Shere Khan. Along the way to the village, night falls and Mowgli and Bagheera almost succumb to the man-eating snake Kaa (voice of Sterling Holloway). Escaping Kaa's coils, they run into the lock-step military elephant band of Colonel Hathi (voice of J. Pat O'Malley). Afterwards, Mowgli, who doesn't want to be sent to the human village, runs away from Bagheera and meets up with the fun-loving Baloo the Bear (voice of Phil Harrris). With both Bagheera and Baloo to protect him, Mowgli is saved from several more life-threatening situations -- including a barber-shop quartet of vultures, the crazed King Louie of the Apes (voice of Louis Prima), and Shere Khan himself -- before making it to the village of humans. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Reitherman, Phil Harris, (more)
- 1970
Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) is harrassed by school bully Tom Richards (Clint Howard), who insists that his dad (John Lawrence) can beat up Jody's Uncle Bill (Brian Keith). When Jody arranges for Bill and Mr. Richards to meet in the park for a showdown, Bill refuses to get involved, laughing off the challenge as silly and childish. Unfortunately, Mr. Richards does appear at the appointed time, and declares that the absent Bill is a coward! How is THIS crisis going to work itself out? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
After pulling off a jewel heist, four thieves headed by John Elgin (Steve Ihnat) escape to a ghost town in the desert. It isn't hard for Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) to follow the criminals' trail, but arresting them is another matter: The thieves have rounded up eight townspeople as hostages. When all is said and done, the fate of the prisoners is in the hands of a youngster named Josh Cobb (Clint Howard), who happens to own a ham radio--and knows how to use it. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
- G
Fires and tornados add to the difficulties of the Tanners, a Pittsburgh family of three which has pulled up stakes and moved to what they thought would be a fully functional ranch in Wyoming. Instead they find a broken down ruin. In addition to having to rebuild and battle the elements, they have a fight on their hands. Their cattleman neighbor controls the water, and he hates farmers. As the mother (Vera Miles) gets the household in order, the father and son (Steve Forrestand Ron Howard) struggle the get the ranch in working order; they are aided by a mountain man, Thompson (Jack Elam), and Two Dog, a Native American (Frank de Kova). When the showdown over water rights comes, these two new friends are at their side. This Technicolor western, set in the 1880's, is loosely based on the book "Little Britches," by Ralph Moody. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1973
The Red Pony is a 1973 TV-movie adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel, previously filmed for theatrical release in 1949. Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara star as a turn-of-century farming couple. Clint Howard plays their 10-year-old son, a rebellious lad constantly at odds with his taciturn father. The catalyst for the ultimate reconciliation of father and son is the magnificent (but foredoomed) red pony whom the boy raises. Farm hand Billy Buck, the colorful character portrayed by Robert Mitchum in the 1949 version of The Red Pony, is missing from this otherwise faithful adaptation, which premiered on March 18, 1973 as a Bell System Family Theatre special. The film would later be honored with a Peabody Award for "Outstanding Dramatic Special." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
A forbidding old mansion in a residential San Francisco neighborhood is the centerpiece of this grim story. When a young boy disappears, and is subsequently found dead, the neighbors suspect the mysterious recluse residing within the walls of the mansion. It is up to Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) to bring the mansion's dark secrets to light--and to expose the facts behind the tragedy. The episode's formidable guest cast is headed by Hollywood veteran Lew Ayres, light-years removed from his amiable "Dr. Kildare" characterization. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Clint Howard (brother of Ron, and former star of TV's Gentle Ben is herein cast as Tommy Sanders, a troubled teenager whose parents are divorced. Befriending another teen named Paul Harris (David Gruner), Tommy is present when a bitter family fight breaks out--and is subsequently accused of shooting Paul's stepfather (Joseph Perry). Cast respectively as Tommy and Paul's mothers are two of Hollywood's finest and hardest-working character actresses, Marge Redmond and Mariette Hartley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
It's still the same old story...but what a story. This umpteenth filmization of the classic Mark Twain novel stars Ron Howard as Huck and Donny Most as Tom Sawyer. After faking his own murder to escape his brutish Pap (played by Howard's real-life father Rance), Huck and fugitive slave Jim (Antonio Fargas) fashion a raft and head off down the Mississippi. The darker elements and sociological commentary of the Twain original are carefully excised from this version, the better to allow more time for the antics of those "royal" rapscallions, the King (Jack Elam) and the Duke (Merle Haggard). Mark Twain himself makes a guest appearance, in the person of Royal Dano. Filmed along the Sacramento River in California (a frequent movie "stand-in" for the Mississippi), Huckleberry Finn was first broadcast March 25, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Charles B. Griffith, author of Little Shop of Horrors, was the writer/director of the low-budget Eat My Dust!. Ron Howard heads the cast as Hoover Niebold, the hell-raising son of rural sheriff Harry Niebold (Warren Kemmerling). The sheriff is forced to chase after his own son when Hoover and his girlfriend Darlene (Christopher Norris) steal a racing car and zoom off to parts unknown. Joining the pursuit is the car's owner, professional racer Big Bubba Jones (Dave Madden). Watch for Ron Howard's dad Rance and brother Clint in supporting parts, and also for Paul Bartel in a bit role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ron Howard, Christopher Norris, (more)
In exchange for being allowed to make his directorial debut in Grand Theft Auto, Ron Howard agreed to take no salary as a director, merely as star and co-screenwriter (with his dad Rance). The plot finds Sam Freeman (Howard) eloping with his heiress girlfriend Paula Powers (Nancy Morgan). Her mob-connected dad Bigby Powers (Barry Cahill) vehemently opposes the marriage, and isn't about to change his mind now that Sam has stolen his Rolls-Royce and sped off to Las Vegas with his daughter in tow. Marion Ross, Howard's Happy Days mom, turns in an offbeat supporting characterization. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ron Howard, Nancy Morgan, (more)
