Steve Ihnat Movies
Born in Europe, Steve Ihnat spent most of his childhood and adolescence in Canada. Turning to acting, Ihnat began making the casting-call rounds in the 1950s and 1960s. He played secondary roles in theatrical features like In Like Flint (1967) and Madigan (1968), and chalked up a number of bad-guy portrayals on television. In the late 1960s, he segued into writing and directing on several episodic TV programs. He scripted and directed one theatrical feature, The Honkers (1972), before he was felled by a heart attack while attending the Cannes Film Festival. Steve Ihnat was married to actress Sally Carter, who after her husband's death loyally billed herself as Sally Carter Ihnat. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie GuideIn this made-for-TV pilot, a government agent must stop a rogue operative from releasing a lethal virus. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
Fuzz treads the line between raucous comedy and gut-churning melodrama. Based on an "87th Precinct" novel by Ed McBain (aka Evan Hunter), the film stars Burt Reynolds and Jack Weston as, respectively, detectives Steve Carella and Meyer Meyer. Their current assignment is to bring in Deaf Man (Yul Brynner), a mad bomber who has been targeting politicians. A subplot concerning a couple of punks who get their kicks by setting fire to sleeping winos is dramatically justified by the main storyline, but it was this element that caused a lot of trouble for the producers of Fuzz when a pair of real-life teenagers decided to imitate the film. On a lighter note, Raquel Welch co-stars as Detective Eileen McHenry, who is obliged to go undercover -- and under covers -- with fellow officer Bert Kling (Tom Skerritt). And as a bonus, viewers are treated to Burt Reynolds' first "drag" scene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Jack Weston, (more)
The exciting world of rodeo provides the framework for this western saga that centers around a temperamental bronc rider who tries prove himself worthy of his wife, son, and his best friend's respect. He also wants to keep his freedom. Songs include: "Easy Made for Lovin," "My Special Day," "I'm a Rodeo Cowboy." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Coburn, Lois Nettleton, (more)
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) has managed to capture one of the three men involved in a daring $1,800,000 amusement park robbery. Though Erskine knows where to find the other two criminals, Curtis Breer (Bradford Dillman), the criminal genius who masterminded the heist, remains out of reach. But it looks like Breer's luck is running out: this time around, he has double-crossed one partner too many. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In the first episode of a two-part story, criminal genius Curtis Breer (Bradford Dillman) masterminds a $1,800,000 amusement park robbery with three confederates. Though it looks like the perfect crime, the conspirators have failed to bring into consideration such intagibles as greed, betrayal, and revenge. Featured in the cast is Deanna Martin, the daughter of entertainer Dean Martin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Steve Ihnat guest-stars as a self-proclaimed journalist named Gans, who shows up with his entourage in Virginia City to cover the signing of a treaty between the Paiute Indians and the Army. In truth, however, the rabidly racist Gans plans to kill everyone at the ceremony with his Gatling Gun. It is up to Joe Cartwright to rescue one and all from Gans and his fanatical followers-and he has less than one hour to do so. Written and directed by series star Michael Landon, "Terror at 2:00" originally aired on March 7, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
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
False Witness is the British title of the American thriller Zigzag, which in turn was partially inspired by the 1950 film D.O.A. George Kennedy plays an insurance investigator who learns that he is dying from a brain tumor. Hoping to provide for his family, Kennedy confesses to a murder he didn't commit, thereby collecting the reward money. During his murder trial, Kennedy collapses and is rushed to the hospital. Subjected to laser surgery, he emerges from the hospital completely cured--and now he must unravel the airtight case he's contrived against himself in court. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Kennedy, Anne Jackson, (more)
Conspiracy to Kill was one of two pilot films for the Jack Webb-produced TV series The D.A. Robert Conrad stars as LA deputy district attorney Paul Ryan. This time around, Ryan reopens a case that he's already won. New evidence indicates that a supposedly victimized drugstore owner (William Conrad) was the brains behind a robbery and murder that occurred at his own establishment. The D.A. series proper ran from September 17, 1971, through January 7, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Actor Steve Ihnat, fed up with playing two-dimensional heavies, turned TV director in the late 1960s. Do Not Throw Cushions Into the Ring is a rare theatrical-feature directorial effort for Ihnat, who also produced, wrote, edited an starred in the film. Essentially a "work in progress," the film illustrates the high points of an actor's diary. Ihnat plays that actor, who acts out his frustrations on-screen, Fellini-style. The director's wife Sally Carter co-stars in Do Not Throw Cushions, as does a pre-Mary Tyler Moore Show Ed Asner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Ihnat, Arthur O'Connell, (more)
A rare radioactive isotope known as Trivanium is the prize in this tense Mission:Impossible episode. With only 48 hours at their disposal, the IMF must recover the isotope before it can be applied to the manufacture of nuclear weaponry. Paris poses as Stefan, the amnesiac former partner of Johan (Steve Ihnat), the thief who stole the Trivanium--and who thought he'd murdered Stefan in the process.. Also in the cast is Julie Gregg as IMF agent Monique. First telecast on December 21, 1969, "The Amnesiac" was written by Scripted by Robert Malcolm Young and Ken Pettus, from a story by Young. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Leonard Nimoy, (more)
Several of the Enterprise's top crew members, including Captain Kirk, are held captive by a madman in this episode from the third season of the 1960s science fiction series. The starship is entrusted with the shipment of supplies to a mental-hospital planet, including a new, powerful drug used to treat the dangerously insane. When Kirk, Mr. Spock, and several other crew members visit the planet's surface, however, they unwittingly stumble into a trap -- too late they discover that the man they believe to be the hospital's director is in fact a disguised patient. This patient, himself a former starship captain, activates the planet's security devices to keep the Enterprise crew captive, forcing Kirk and the others to attempt to outwit a brilliant madman. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
Steve Ihnat guest-stars as eponymous master spy Stefan Miklos in this psychologically complex Mission: Impossible episode. Discovered to be a double agent, Walter Townsend (Jason Evers) is fed false information by the Americans. In order to throw Miklos off the track, the IMF must convince him that Townsend's information is genuine. Once again, Rollin dons elaborate makeup and a thick accent to pose as the central villain--and once again, Barney and Willy pose as workers from the ubiquitious "Kompani die Gaz." Edward Asner also appears in this episode, as a man named Simpson. First telecast January 12, 1969, "The Mind of Stefan Miklos" was written by Paul Playdon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, (more)
Con artist Carl Beaumont (Steve Ihnat) and nurse Angela Reese (Joanna Moore) have worked out a "perfect" scam: Angela determines which of her female patients has the most money, whereupon Beaumont moves in and swindles the targeted lady out of her savings--then kills her before she can talk. Unfortunately for Beaumont, his most recent victim lived long enough to point FBI Inspector Lew Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr. in the right direction. But will Erskine be able to move quickly enough to save Beaumont's newest "mark", Sarah Whittaker (Mildred Dunnock), from sharing the same fate as the others? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A fugitive from the FBI, Frank Welles (Steve Ihnat) has also been marked for death by a Mafia hitman. Despite the danger involved, Welles makes a stopover in San Diego, intending to wreak vengeance against the man whom he holds responsible for the death of his best friend's daughter. Thus, Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) is placed in the position of protecting not only Welles but also Welles' intended victim. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Katherine Daly (Anne Baxter) is kidnapped from her own home by escaped robber-murderer Frank Padgett (Steve Ihnat). Heading to the Arizona desert with his captive, Padgett intends to force Katherine to guide him through the treacherous region to his getaway plane. Though Padgett has a considerable head start, Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) hopes to rescue Katherine by relaying a coded radio message to her--if it isn't already too late. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
It's a seemingly peaceful spring morning in New York City -- graduation day at the Police Academy -- and Police Commissioner Anthony X. Russell (Henry Fonda) is looking forward to giving a speech to the new officers. But all isn't well: Russell's been given apparently incontrovertible evidence that his oldest friend, Chief Inspector Charles Kane (James Whitmore), is shaking down a bar owner, and a black minister (Raymond St. Jacques) is claiming that his son was brutalized when he was picked up for questioning in a rape/assault case. Then Russell gets a call informing him that two first-grade detectives, Daniel Madigan (Richard Widmark) and Rocco Bonaro (Harry Guardino), allowed small-time hood Barney Benesch (Steve Ihnat) to get the drop on them, steal their guns, and escape while they were trying to pick him up for questioning at the request of Brooklyn detectives -- and Benesch is now a suspect in that earlier murder in Brooklyn. Madigan has other problems, including the fact that the commissioner -- his ex-captain -- doesn't trust him, always believing him to be a loose cannon who has taken advantage of the badge in accepting favors and cutting corners where peoples' rights were concerned. Madigan also has a beautiful, upwardly mobile wife (Inger Stevens) who loves him but can't abide all the time his job takes him away from her or crimps her socializing; and he has never fully gotten over Jonesy (Sheree North), a saloon singer he knew before he was married. Madigan and Bonaro are given 72 hours to bring in Benesch and begin beating the bushes for leads. They get help from "Midget" Castiglione (Michael Dunn), a bookmaker and an old enemy of Benesch's, and a nervous, long-haired punk named Hughie (Don Stroud). While the clock ticks away on Madigan's and Bonaro's careers, the commissioner must decide how to deal with Kane, whose father -- also a police officer -- was like his own, and he must also fathom how a four-star chief could be involved with anything as tawdry as pressuring a tavern owner. Russell genuinely believes that there must be "one standard, one rule" for any member of the department, but in the course of this one weekend, he finds this notion shattered by what he discovers about Madigan, King, and himself. Meanwhile, Benesch is still on the loose, acting like a complete psycho and a threat to anyone who crosses his path. Russell's and Madigan's paths finally cross personally, as the detective proves -- and the commissioner discovers -- just how good a cop he is. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, (more)
Improvisational director Robert Altman hadn't yet found his cinematic "voice" when he helmed the conformist, stick-to-the-script Countdown. James Caan is top-billed as a scientist who is chosen over astronaut Robert Duvall for the upcoming NASA moon shot. In their haste to beat the Russians to the moon, the NASA folks have tried to sidestep several safety measures, but doctor Charles Aidman sees to it that every possible precaution is taken. When Caan makes it to the lunar surface, he stumbles upon gruesome evidence that the Russians had sent up a secret expedition themselves--and had fatally ignored all those extra security precautions which he's been subject to. Ted Knight, who received some of his best pre-Mary Tyler Moore roles in Altman's TV work, co-stars in Countdown. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Caan, Joanna Moore, (more)
Feeling responsible for the death of his oldest son, Josh Carter (Steve Ihnat) has become an abusive alcoholic. As a result, he has alienated himself from his wife, Sarah (Julie Harris), and surviving children Timmy (Johnnie Whitaker) and Sally (Michele Tobin). When Hoss Cartwright tries to help the Carter family, Sarah falls in love with him. First broadcast on April 14, 1968, "A Dream to Dream" was written by Bonanza star Michael Landon, who later reworked his script as "Someone Please Love Me," a 1979 episode of his own series Little House on the Prairie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
Sam Moran (Richard Boone) is a Honolulu charter-boat captain who leads fishing expeditions in the tropical paradise. When his daughter is found murdered at the party of a wealthy young playboy, he seeks the truth about the murder. Convinced the playboy is guilty, he enlists the help of his friend Kittibelle (Joan Blondell), who runs an alcohol abuse treatment center. Sam runs into a wall of silence obviously built by hush money and islanders fearful of reprisals from the rich and powerful family. The determined dad fights to uncover the information that will land the murderer in jail as he avenges the death of his daughter. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Boone, Vera Miles, (more)
Derek Flint (James Coburn) is back in this James Bond-styled spy spoof sequel to Our Man Flint. Flint's boss Cramden (Lee J. Cobb) assigns him to stop a group of felonious females on the Virgin Islands who hope to take over the world; the bad femmes are kidnapping astronauts and replacing them with doubles to gain access to the world's missile sites. Andrew Duggan plays the U.S. President and his nefarious double. The feature was typical of the spoofs that followed in the wake of the successful James Bond spy films of the 1960s. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Coburn, Lee J. Cobb, (more)
John Sturges directed this sequel to his Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, which is more of a melancholy character study than an action Western. The Edward Anhalt screenplay (based on Douglas D. Martin's Tombstone's Epitaph) traces Wyatt Earp's (James Garner) moral decline from a lawman with high ideals to a mean-spirited vigilante bent on personal revenge. Ironically, Doc Holliday (Jason Robards), an admitted lawless gambler, reacts to Earp's vengeful turnabout by becoming the moral force that Earp has rejected. When Earp's brothers are killed by goons employed by Ike Clanton (Robert Ryan), Earp becomes obsessed with vengeance and organizes a posse to track down the killers. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Garner, Jason Robards, Jr., (more)
Baltic freedom fighter Nikolai Kurzon (Bob Tiedemann) has been kidnapped by Colonel Alex Stahl (Steve Ihnat), leader of the secret police in Kurzon's homeland. To rescue both Kurzon and his thousands of followers, the IMF must make it appear that Stahl has sold out his government. To accomplish this, Cinnamon poses as an astrologer with a remarkable record of accurate predictions. Much of the action takes place on an airplane that, to all appearances, is doomed to crash with Stahl aboard. Originally telecast December 3, 1967, "The Astrologer" was written by James F. Griffith. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, (more)
An international incident quickly develops when a celebrated Soviet track star disappears during an American athletic event. It's possible that the man was kidnapped, and equally possible that he has defected for love of a woman. Investigating the case, Ironside (Raymond Burr) must work hand and glove with the Soviet officials--all the while keeping secret the fact that the missing man was actually a counterintelligence agent for the U.S. TV's future "Lou Grant", Ed Asner, is seen as Marlon Davis, while Lee Miller, Raymond Burr's longtime stand-in, appears as a bartender. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Now working as a trucker under the alias "Stan Dyson", Kimble (David Janssen) falls in love with his company's dispatcher Barbara Wells (Janice Rule). What Kimble doesn't know is that Barbara is a parolee who must return to her jail cell every evening. Nor is he aware of this arrangement when Barbara breaks out of jail to join Kimble at a lakeside resort--with parole officer Art Meredith (Steve Ihnat) and the relentless Lt. Gerard (Barry Morse) hot on the couple's trail. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
















