Victor Izay Movies
- 1992
James Arness made his first appearance as Marshal Matt Dillon in eight years in the 1993 TV movie Gunsmoke: The Long Ride. Inasmuch as Amanda Blake (Kitty) and Milburn Stone (Doc) had passed on, and Dennis Weaver was disinclined to revive the role of Chester, big Jim pretty much goes it alone in this one. The plot is set in motion by a trio of murderous robbers. Matt Dillon chases after the threesome, while he in turn is being chased by a posse who thinks that Matt is the gang's boss. Featured in the cast are James Brolin as a helpful frontiersmen, and Ali McGraw as "Uncle" Jane Merkel (we're not about to explain that one). Gunsmoke: The Long Ride was originally telecast May 8, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Arness, James Brolin, (more)
- 1980
Already having great difficulty meeting his business deadlines, John Walton (Ralph Waite) is further stymied by a total breakdown of equipment at the lumberyard. Accordingly, John himself "breaks down"and announces his retirement, celebrating his new-found freedom in the company of his friend Ike (Joe Conley) at a local bar. When both men come staggering home three sheets to the wind, chaos ensues (as chaos often does). Elsewhere, cousin Jeffrey (Keith Mitchell) is a cinch to win an upcoming soapbox derby--mainly because he's the only contestant. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
In one of his first acting roles, Arnold Schwarzenegger is typecast as professional bodybuilder Josef Schmidt. Anticipating Arnold's earliest, villainous film appearances, Schmidt is dangerously sensitive to criticism of his chosen profession--a sensitivity that leads inexorably to murder. Who'd have thought back in 1977 that Schwarzenegger would one day forsake the Streets of San Francisco to take up residence in the gubernatorial mansion in Sacramento? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Though not readily apparent, Flight to Holocaust is the feature-length pilot film for a potential TV series. Crashing into the side of a high-rise building, an airplane is precariously wedged in the structure's 20th floor. Dispatched to rescue the survivors are a team of acrobatic troubleshooters, played by female circus performer Fawne Harriman and combat veterans Chris Mitchum, Patrick Wayne, Desi Arnaz Jr. and Paul Williams. As can be gathered by a perusal of the cast list, the film's gimmick was the presence of three second-generation Hollywood stars. After the initial telecast of Flight to Holocaust on March 27, 1977, NBC invited viewers to mail in their opinions of the film. Evidently the verdict was unanimous, since no weekly series resulted. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Disaster strikes the Walton family when their house is gutted by a raging fire. While the neighbors help John (Ralph Waite) rebuild, Olivia (Michael Learned) arranges for several neighbors to shelter her children in the interim, causing a great deal of friction between the younger Waltons and their temporary "families." Meanwhile, John-Boy (Richard Thomas) despairs over the possibility that his nearly-completed novel has gone up in smoke--and is wracked with guilt over the likelihood that he himself caused the fire. This is the first half of a two-part story, originally telecast as a single two-hour episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Doing his best to control his jealousy, Jim (James Garner) agrees to do a job for Beth's last boyfriend Dave Delaroux (John Saxon). Jim's assignment is to check up on a suspicious financial transaction, tied in with the disappearance of some potentially incrimimnating checks. As the story progresses, it appears that Delaroux himself may be a criminal--but thanks to some clever canoodling, it is Jim who is set up to take the fall, with Beth (Gretchen Corbett) helpless to intervene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Nurse-in-training Mary Ellen Walton (Judy-Norton Taylor) makes the wrong diagnosis, and it is her own Grandma (Ellen Corby) who suffers. Elsewhere on the medical front, the Mountain's doctor (Victor Izay), fed up with working on a barter rather than cash basis, is on the verge of quitting. Meanwhile, Erin Walton (Mary Beth McDonough) takes her first job, as assistant to fussy switchboard operator Fanny Tatum (Sheila Allen). Be assured that all three of these plot strands will be interwoven by fadeout time. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
In the conclusion of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single two-hour episode), the Waltons struggle to put their lives back in order in the wake of the fire that has gutted their house. John-Boy (Richard Thomas) is guilt-ridden over the likelihood that he was responsible for the blaze, while Erin (Mary Elizabeth McDonugh) believes that she may have indirectly caused John-Boy's novel to be destroyed. Olivia (Michael Learned) worries that her family will be split up now that she has been forced to "redistribute" the children to various other households while John (Ralph Waite) and the neighbors rebuild the Walton home. And Ben (Eric Scott) comes to realize the value of rules and regulations after spending a few days with the footloose Yancy Tucker (Robert Donner). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
No sooner has Olivia (Michael Learned) taken a job as a door-to-door salesman to help make ends meet in the Walton home than she discovers she is pregnant...again. As John (Ralph Waite) wonders if the family can afford another child, his youngest daughter Elizabeth (Kami Cotler) makes no secret of her disappointment over being supplanted as the "baby" of the family. Ultimately, the family comes to accept what seems to be The Inevitable--and then an unexpected plot twist puts the situation in a whole new light. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Of the two rape-oriented TV movies of the 1973-74 season, A Case of Rape, first telecast February 20, 1974, is far and away the finer film (the other was the compelling but contrived Cry Rape). Elizabeth Montgomery stars as a housewife who is sexually assaulted not once but twice by a so-called family friend (Cliff Potts). The rape is only the beginning of a long cycle of humiliation and self-doubt: the investigating police are dismissive of Montgomery's charges, the female defense attorney (Rosemary Murphy) tries to put the victim on trial, and Montgomery's reputation and marriage (to Ronny Cox) are irrevocably damaged. Though things don't go well for her in the courtroom, Montgomery emerges from the experience a stronger and more self-reliant person, unwilling to allow herself to be destroyed by outside influences. Don't miss the final confrontation between raper and rapist after the trial--an underplayed but bone-chilling vignette. Had not Cicely Tyson sewn up the Emmy with The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Elizabeth Montgomery would certainly have copped the prize with A Case of Rape. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Self-made low-budget maven Theodore V. Mikels -- the brains behind such bottom-bill drive-in fare as The Corpse Grinders -- shot much of this tediously tacky mess (also known as Female Plasma Suckers) at his castle-like mansion in California. The castle serves as the base of operations for the lascivious witch queen Mara (the exotic Lila Zaborin) and her coven of curvaceous followers, whose weekend pastimes include, among other things, human sacrifices. The title would seem to suggest a kinky good time for Z-movie buffs, but this one is a real groaner, with static shots, fuzzy post-synched sound and shabby lighting. (Judging by those castle digs, Mikels should have been able to afford better equipment.) The end result is an exploitation movie that doesn't bother to exploit anything. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Although she is becoming increasingly infirm and hard of hearing, Grandma Walton (Ellen Corby) stubbornly refuses to see a doctor. Grandma's intractability is more or less mirrored by 14-year-old Mary Ellen Walton (Judy Norton-Taylor), who wakes up one morning determined never again to be treated like a child. Unfortunately, Mary Ellen's declaration of independence may have negative results when she falls in love with a much-older college boy (James Carroll Jordan). The episode's closing narration clues us in to what the future holds in store for Mary Ellen--information which completely contradicts what will actually occur in such later Waltons episodes and TV-movies like Mother's Day on Walton's Mountain! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
The Waltons attend the annual County Fair, where each family member hopes to win a prize. At the same time, Olivia's former beau Oscar Cockrell (Peter Donat) shows up at the fair in hopes of advancing his political career. Comparing Oscar's affluence with his own family's lack of same, John-Boy (Richard Thomas) asks himself how different his life would have been if Olivia (Michael Learned) had accepted Oscar's proposal. Meanwhile, a "special ingredient" in Olivia's cake has a curious effect on the contest judges! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Seeking solitude to write his stories, John-Boy (Richard Thomas) takes a hike into the mountains. But peace and quiet is not on his schedule when he comes across his friend Sarah Simmonds (Sissy Spacek in her second series appearance), who has run away from her husband--and who is very pregnant and very, very ill. This chance meeting occurs not long after an earlier encounter between John-Boy and elderly mountain dweller Granny Ketchum (Frances Williams), who in repayment for a favor had supplied him with a home-made medicinal potion. When Sarah downs the potion, she suddenly goes into labor...and John-Boy is the only person within miles who can help her! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
The second season of The Waltons begins as the family's eldest son John-Boy (Richard Thomas) is torn between his own youthful desires and the more pressing needs of an elderly person. Octogenarian Maggie MacKenzie (Linda Watkins) is resolved to the fact that she isn't long for this world, but she refuses to give up the ghost until she is able to see the Atlantic Ocean one last time--the same Atlantic Ocean that had carried herself and her late husband from Scotland to America so many years ago. Pressed into service to transport Maggie to the seacoast is John-Boy, but he isn't happy about the assignment: Maggie's odyssey may well prevent him from attending a big dance with his erstwhile girlfriend Marsha (Tammi Bula). Series creator Earl Hamner Jr. briefly appears as Maggie's husband in a flashback sequence. This episode earned the Directors' Guild of America award for Harry Harris. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
In the first half of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single two-hour episode), John-Boy (Richard Thomas) is afforded the opportunity to qualify for a scholarship at Boatwright University--and, as icing on the cake, his former girlfriend Jenny (Sian Barbara Allen) is paying a return visit to Walton's Mountain. But joy turns to despair when John-Boy is injured in an accident, which may render him permanently blind. Meanwhile, Jason (Jon Walmsley) is beginning to have second thoughts about accepting a job from the dithery Baldwin Sisters (Mary Jackson, Helen Kleeb). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
In the first half of The Waltons' two-part Season One finale (originally telecast as a single two-hour episode), Mary Ellen (Judy Norton-Taylor) nervously looks forward to her first Easter dance. But her anticpation of this momentous event is eclipsed by a potential tragedy in the Walton household: Olivia (Michael Learned) has been stricken with polio. Though Dr. Vance grimly predicts that Olivia will never walk again, John-Boy (Richard Thomas) refuses to give up hope, and embarks upon a curious odyssey in desperate search of a miracle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
In the conclusion of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single two-part episode), John-Boy (Richard Thomas) refuses to reveal the seriousness of his accident, terrified that he will no longer qualify for a scholarship at Boatwright University. As John-Boy's eyesight grows weaker with each passing day, it is painfully obvious that the only way he can prevent permanent blindness is to undergo surgery. . .if it isn't already too late. Elsewhere, Olivia (Michael Learned) is outraged to discover that Jason (Jon Walsmley) has been dragooned into helping the Baldwin Sisters cook up their intoxicating "recipe"; and Ben (Eric Scott) and Grandpa (Will Geer) continue hunting for the family's Thanksgiving turkey. This episode earned an Emmy Award for scriptwriter Joanna Lee. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Dr. Brackett (Robert Fuller suspects that a boy whom the paramedics have rescued from a deep hole is the victim of child abuse. The problem now is to convince the Court, a task made difficult by the hotshot attorney (Richard Jaeckel) hired by the boys' parents. Meanwhile, the station adopts a stray dog named Boot, who turns out to be a literal lifesaver. John Travolta makes his first network TV appearance as an imperiled hiker in this episode . ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Two gunshot victims are down in a liquor-store robbery, and the store owner (Victor Izay) is consumed by guilt over being forced to shoot the robber. As the paramedics deal with this crisis, Dr. Early has his hands full with a wino (Royal Dano) suffering from a particularly nasty case of "the shakes." Elsewhere, a hippie is bitten by a black widow spider; a pipefitter is trapped in a chemical plant accident; and a dog proves not to be the "best friend" of a female patient. And in less traumatic subplot, paramedic Johnny Gage (Randolph Mantooth) develops a hankering for a pretty student nurse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Globetrotting author A.J. Covington (David Huddleston) finds himself briefly stranded on Walton's Mountain. In answer to John-Boy's incessant questions on how to become a writer, Covington modestly advises him to "write what you know"--and, not so modestly, regales the boy with tales of his own adventures. Inevitably, John-Boy (Richard Thomas) begins spending far too much time conversing with Covington, neglecting his responsibilities at the Walton's lumberyard to the extent that the family may lose a lucrative (and sorely needed) timber contract.This episode won an Emmy Award for Best Cinematography. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
The police are stymied by a lack of witnesses and clues as they investigate the murder of a pretty coed in San Francisco park. Hoping to arouse the conscience of The Public, Ironside (Raymond Burr) appears on an all-night TV debate show, begging people to come forward with any information that might help collar the killer. The Chief hopes that he can either panic the perpetrator into tipping his hand, or play for time until his assistant Ed Brown (Don Galloway) can ferret out the one clue that will crack the case. Featured in the cast is a young Ed Begley Jr. (who undoubtedly was bicycling to the studio even back in those pre-Global Warming days). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Humorist Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, makes his third Bonanza appearance, this time in the person of actor Ken Howard (fresh from his Broadway and Hollywood triumph in the musical 1776). As editor of the Virginia City Enterprise, Clemens is determined to prove that a government assayer is guilty of fraud and murder. Because he won't reveal his source in court, Clemens loses a libel suit, whereupon he enlists the aid of Ben and Joe Cartwright to bring the villain (who in the interim has committed another killing) to justice. The episode's closing scene, involving an outraged lady stagecoach passenger, is priceless. The supporting cast includes Dana Elcar as Merrick, Phil Kenneally as McNabb, Walter Burke as Campbell, Staats Cotsworth as Judge Hale, Richard Bull as Goodman, and Stacy Keach Sr. as Lawyer Prentiss. Written by Stanley Roberts, "The 26th Grave" was the first Bonanza episode to be filmed for the series' fourteenth season, but was shown as the eighth installment on October 31, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
Actor/auteur Tom Laughlin created the character of Billy Jack in the motorcycle flick The Born Losers. Wandering Christlike through the Southwest, Native American Vietnam veteran Billy Jack -- soft-spoken, but well-versed in martial arts -- champions the cause of a progressive school run by Jean Roberts (Delores Taylor, Laughlin's real-life wife). The bigoted white townsfolk don't cotton to Jean's minority-group students, so they do everything they can to humiliate and physically abuse the kids. When one of her charges is cruelly coated with white flour, Billy Jack goes berserk. Thus begins an orgy of self-righteous violence, culminating with our hero being hunted down on a murder charge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor, (more)
After the intense bloodshed of The Wild Bunch (1969), this comic western fable took the opposite approach to director Sam Peckinpah's continuing examination of the end of the West. Left for dead by a couple of lizard-slaughtering desperados in the middle of the desert, prospector Cable Hogue (Jason Robards) is saved by his unexpected discovery of water "where there wasn't any." Hogue turns the water hole, felicitously located near a stagecoach route, into a thriving business, creating a rest stop for a never-ending series of parched travelers. On his occasional trips to the closest town, he meets chipper prostitute Hildy (Stella Stevens), who joins him in his oasis, completing Hogue's little paradise. But even though Hogue may be able to succeed and avenge himself against his original attackers, there is one thing that he cannot stop: progress. Completed before The Wild Bunch was released, and replete with comical and even musical interludes, Peckinpah's gently picaresque telling of Hogue's rise and fall stands in distinct contrast to the visual violence of its predecessor. The underlying message about the cost of modernity, however, equals The Wild Bunch in seriousness. The callous randomness of Hogue's fate is as shocking as the Bunch's final blaze of glory; as in Robert Altman's McCabe and Mrs. Miller from the same period, a tool of "civilization" provokes a most uncivilized end for an Old West dreamer. Although the film was as light-hearted in approach as the 1969 smash hit revisionist western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Warner Bros. mishandled the release and it did barely any business; Peckinpah returned to his trademark gore in his next film, the controversial Straw Dogs (1971). Still, The Ballad of Cable Hogue is less an anomaly for a master of violence than an ironically charming chapter in Peckinpah's career-long elegy to the western. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Robards, Jr., Stella Stevens, (more)
