Rick Jason Movies

The most successful of network television's many WWII dramatic series of the '60s, Combat!, ran for five seasons on ABC -- or roughly one year longer than the war lasted! Set in the months following D-Day, the weekly, hour-long series focused on King Company, a platoon of American GIs battling their way through Southern Europe, encountering action, adventure, humor, heartbreak and dozens of guest stars along the way. Throughout the series' run, King Company was headed by gritty, taciturn Sgt. Chip Saunders (Vic Morrow) and his superior officer, cool and courageous Lt. Gil Hanley (Rick Jason). Though several soldiers were attached to the platoon from one season to the next, the most enduring of the supporting players were Pierre Jalbert as Paul "Caje" Lemay, Jack Hogan as "Wild Man" Kirby, and Dick Peabody as PFC Littlejohn. Some of the better episodes were directed by such Hollywood heavyweights as Robert Altman and Burt Kennedy. Filmed in glorious black-and-white during its first four seasons -- the better to accommodate newsreel footage of actual wartime battles -- Combat! switched to color for its fifth and final season on the air. ~ All Movie Guide

Hotel waitress Thelma Tompkins (Olive Deering) is surprised to learn that wealthy Mrs. Mannerheim (Celia Lovsky) has named Thelma in her will. Relating this news to her lazy musician boyfriend, Arthur (Rick Jason), in hopes that he will propose to her, Thelma is disappointed when Arthur replies that marriage is out of the question until Mrs. Mannerheim dies. Giving this set of circumstances, Thelma and Arthur have no alternative than to "help" Mrs. Mannerheim shuffle off her mortal coil -- a scheme ultimately foiled by the usual ironic twist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this western set in the California territory in the mid-19th century, a rancher tries to protect his Spanish land grant from greedy American landgrabbers. Unfortunately the eastern interlopers bring in a Texas gunfighter to frighten the man. The gunfighter ends up falling in love with the rancher's sister, and decides to spare them. In the end, the gunman is killed during the climactic shoot out. The girl who loved him is devastated. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The British Family Doctor was based on The Deeds of Dr. Deadcert, a novel by Joan Fleming. Young American medico Jethro (Rick Jason) pays a visit to a seaside resort in Devonshire. Ostensibly on vacation, Jethro is actually investigating the mysterious death of his ex-wife. He suspects that his wife's second husband, highly respected Doctor Dysert (Marius Goring), was responsible, but he can't prove it. Despite opposition from the local authorities, Jethro continues his probing, and before long he discovers that the saintly Dysert had been married to two other women, both of whom also met with an untimely demise--leaving Dysert with a tidy sum in the bank. Thus, Family Doctor isn't so much a Whodunit as a "When-Will-He-Get-His?" The film was released in the US by 20th Century-Fox as Rx Murder. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Frank Tashlin directed this comedy about a man whose marriage hits the skids when his wife gets caught in the draft. Gregory Whitcomb (Tom Ewell) served with distinction in the Army during WWII, but he now makes his living as a television writer. Gregory's wife Katy (Sheree North), several years his junior, was also a member of the military as a WAC. When the armed forces find themselves strapped for qualified personnel, Gregory and Katy are ordered to return to active duty; after his physical, Gregory is reclassified 4-F for health reasons, but Katy is judged 1-A and put back in camouflage. Now poor Gregory finds himself having to look after the home by himself and waiting for his spouse at the base, while both Katy and Gregory try to figure out how to free her from her military obligations. The Lieutenant Wore Skirts also features Rita Moreno and Rick Jason. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Independently produced by Allan Dowling Pictures, This is My Love was distributed in the U.S. by RKO Radio. The film stars Linda Darnell as Vida, a would-be writer, whose vivid imagination contrasts with the harsh realities of her middle-class household. Her sister Evelyn (Faith Domergue), married to the crippled and embittered Murray (Dan Duryea), is unable to escape into Vida's dream world, though she'd certainly like to do so. When Vida introduces her sweetheart Glenn (Rick Jason) to Evelyn, the latter immediate begins drawing up plans to steal the handsome hunk away from her sister. Not unexpectedly, things degenerate into deception, heartbreak and murder. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ricardo Montalban takes time out from mighty Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to star in the Sam Katzman quickie Saracen Blade. Montalban plays Pietro, a 13th-century intellectual who spends his evenings as a masked avenger. Pietro hopes to avenge the death of his father, and to this end will not rest until he has skewered the evil Count Siniscola (Michael Ansara) and the Count's son Enzio (Rick Jason). Somewhere in the middle of the film, Pietro finds himself in the Holy Land with the Crusades, as good an excuse as any to show off the physical charms of several Columbia starlets. Betta St. John co-stars as Pietro's beloved Iolanthe, while a blonde Carolyn Jones essays a rare unsympathetic role as Pietro's "wife-for-convenience" Elaine. The Saracen Blade was based on a novel by Frank Yerby. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide