Brad Radnitz Movies
- 1978
Future Cop had been a disastrous 1977 TV series about a human cop and his "biosynthetic android" (or robot) partner. Not content to leave bad enough alone, Paramount Television attempted to revive the Future Cop concept under the title The Cops and Robin. As in the earlier TV series, Ernest Borgnine is the flesh-and-blood policeman, teamed with humanlike robot Michael Shannon. Borgnine and Shannon are assigned to protect Robin (Natasha Ryan), the 6-year-old daughter of the witness to a cop killing. Even if Cops and Robin had made it as a series, it would have run into trouble from authors Harlan Ellison and Ben Bova, who sued the producers on the basis that this TV-movie pilot was swiped from their own short story Brillo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
Eminent Shakespearean actor Maurice Evans guest stars as Leopold Summer, a history teacher dismissed from his job because he is a firm proponent of corporal punishment. Upon learning that one of his former colleagues has been shot in a tough high school, the already disturbed Summer goes completely off the deep end. Setting up a "classroom" in a deserted warehouse, Summer kidnaps several indolent high schoolers, chains them to desks, and forces them to learn history at gunpoint! Bernie Kopell (The Love Boat) appears unbilled as Summers' ex-boss, while among the imperiled students is future Welcome Back, Kotter costar Robert Hegyes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Veteran character actor Paul Fix (remember "Sheriff Micah" on The Rifleman?) guest stars as Ted Patterson, the grandfather of Buffy (Anissa Jones), Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) and Cissy (Kathy Garver). Returning from a five-year sojourn in Alaska, Grandpa Ted assumes that the children will treat him with the respect and deference worthy of his years. Unfortunately, the kids can barely remember Grandpa and aren't very comfortable around him--and Grandpa is just as uncomfortable with the ever-widening "generation gap" of the early 1970s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
The family's mercenary streak comes to surface when Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) feigns romantic interest in classmate Geraldine Haskins (Lisa Gerritsen) only because he wants one of Geraldine's valuable stamps for his own collection. At the same time, Uncle Bill (Brian Keith) is wooing Claudia Wells (Lee Meriwether), the director of the research foundation with which he hopes to do business. Upon discovering what Jody is up to, Bill realizes that he is using the same technique for similar selfish reasons, leading to a great deal of soul-searching for both of the men in the Davis family! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 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 several police drug busts go bad thanks to premature tip-offs, suspicion falls upon Ironside (Raymond Burr) who has been identified as a Syndicate informer by a captured dope pusher. A bad situation gets worse when Sgt. Ed Brown (Don Galloway) ordered to launch an investigation targetting Ironside. Though the rest of the Chief's team--especially Eve (Barbara Anderson)--are upset by this turn of events, Ironside himself remains surprisingly cool, calm and collected...almost as if he knows something that no one else does. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Anne Baxter guest stars as Ironside's attorney friend Carolyn White, whom the authorities have tagged as the "most obvious" suspect in the murder of her cheating spouse. Convinced that Carolyn is being framed, Ironside (Raymond Burr) dedicates himself to proving his thesis, while his colleagues accuse him of allowing his heart to rule his head. Meanwhile, the search goes on for the murder victim's missing body--a search that yields startling results. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Promising to smuggle wealthy Eastern Europeans across the Iron Curtain, banker Alfred Belzig 9James Daly) lures the hapless escapees to their deaths, then deposits the victims' money in his own bank to finance a neo-Nazi party. The IMF hopes to put Belzig out of business permanently by stealing his $3 million nest egg from his safety deposit box. Assisting the agents this time out is Paul Lebarre (Pierre Jalbert, a convicted bank robber who may not be entirely trustworthy. Originally telecast October 1 1967, "The Bank" was written by Brad Radnitz. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, (more)
- 1967
The Castaways pin their rescue hopes on a homing pigeon named Walter. Unfortunately, the recipient of Walter's messages is a guy named Burt (Sterling Holloway), who thinks the whole thing is a hoax. Worse is still to come when Gilligan (Bob Denver) and company are obliged to rescue the pigeon from a cave guarded over by a six-foot spider ("played" by celebrated animal imitator Janos Prohaska). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sterling Holloway, Harry Swoger, (more)
- 1967
Gilligan (Bob Denver) and the Skipper (Alan Hale Jr.) come across an ancient totem pole, built by the Kupaki headhunters. It so happens that the head atop the totem looks just like Gilligan, leading the first mate to ruefully conclude that he is a direct descendant of the Great God Mashuka. This remarkable resemblance turns out to be a lifesaver when a band of contemporary Kupaki headhunters invades the island and takes everyone captive (Incidentally, two of the hostile natives are played by ballplayers Jim Lefebvre and Al Ferrara of the LA Dodgers!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Lefebvre, Al Ferrara, (more)
- 1966
Gilligan (Bob Denver) awakens one morning to discover that his hair has turned completely white overnight. The Professor (Russell Johnson) is worried that Gilligan is suffering from "follicular albinism", which brings about premature ageing. Helpful Mrs. Howell (Natalie Schafer) provides Gilligan with her own special hair dye--which renders him totally bald, forcing the other Castaways to spare Gilligan's feelings by pretending not to notice his, er, condition. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Every 1960s TV sitcom had at least one obligatory "Beatles" spoof, and Gilligan's Island is no exception. In this case, a mop-topped musical aggregation called the Mosquitoes--Bingo, Bango, Bongo and Irving--arrive on the island to escape their fans. When it becomes obvious that the Mosquitoes aren't about to leave in a hurry, much less take the Castaways back with them, the islanders form two singing groups of their own in hopes of making the Mosquitoes worried enough about competition to return to the Mainland. This is the episode in which Ginger (Tina Louise, Mary Ann (Dawn Wells) and Mrs. Howell (Natalie Schafer--aka "The Honeybees"--perform that deathless r-and-r ballad "You Need Us." (Incidentally, three of the four Mosquitoes are portrayed by the The Wellingtons, the group that performs the series' theme song at the beginning and end of each episode). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Les Brown, Jr., George Patterson, (more)
