Shirley O'Hara Krims Movies

When the drug craze of the '60s invades the straight-laced world of a military academy, a group of young cadets turn the school upside down. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Also known as Banjo Hackett: Roamin' Free, this TV pilot film stars Don Meredith in the title role. Banjo Hackett is a western horsetrader, circa 1885, who travels in the company of his orphaned nephew (Ike Eisenmann). While searching for a rare Arabian mare stolen from the nephew's late mother, Hackett occasionally pays a visit to Mollie (Jennifer Warren), a ranch owner whom Banjo would marry if he'd only admit he loved the woman. Millionaire Dan O'Herlihy and untrustworthy bounty hunter Chuck Connors are also after the stolen horse. The film's storyline is as rambling as Banjo Hackett himself, which was both its charm and curse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This week, Bob is besieged from all sides. Not only is Carol threatening to give notice to two of her four bosses, but Howard has given Bob a bad-taste gift -- and he expects to be praised for his largesse. Completing the canvas is the unscheduled appearance of a human fly. Shirley O'Hara appears as Debbie Flett. Written by Gary David Goldberg of Family Ties fame, "Et Tu, Carol?" originally aired on October 30, 1976, as the final episode in The Bob Newhart Show's familiar 9:30 p.m. Saturday time slot; thereafter, the series would be shown one hour earlier. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Elliot Carlin, the most neurotic of Bob's patients, wants to ask Carol out. Not surprisingly, Mr. Carlin becomes a basket case in anticipation of making his request. When she accepts, he's even worse than usual. Shirley O'Hara appears as Debbie, a character who would return to plague the Bob Newhart Show "gang" in the third-season episode "Dr. Ryan's Express." Originally telecast on December 15, 1973, "T.S. Elliot" was written by Gerry Renert and Jeff Wilhelm. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Driving down a deserted Southern California highway at a safe and sane 55 miles per hour, David Mann (Dennis Weaver) steps on the pedal to pass a large gas trailer truck. Moments later, the truck is back, dangerously tailgating Mann before abruptly cutting him off. For the next 90 minutes, Mann and the never-seen truckdriver are pitted against one another in a motorized duel to the death. Author Richard Matheson conceived Duel after a similar experience with a reckless trucker. The story first appeared in Playboy magazine, then was picked up for adaptation by the producers of The ABC Movie of the Week. The director chosen to helm Duel on location in Soledad Canyon was a bright 23-year-old who'd shown promise on such series as Night Gallery and Columbo: Steven Spielberg. First telecast on December 18, 1971, Duel was so popular that a somewhat longer version (with added violence and profanity) was prepared for theatrical release in 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Six year-old Davey Cleaves (Danny Martins) is trapped in a moving van with two killers after witnessing a murder in this low-budget crime drama. Bull (Don O'Kelly) is the brains of the outfit, with the spineless Eddie (Harry Dean Stanton) as his vacillating accomplice. The boy is hiding in the van that contains his family's possessions. When the killers stop to bury the dead man, they discover the boy and try to silence the only witness to the crime. Davey runs to the safety of a nearby farmhouse, but Bull convinces the rural rubes that Davey is his runaway son. The police have been notified by Davey's panicked parents and they begin a race against time to find the wayward kid before the killers can silence him. Eddie considers turning himself over to the law just to end the ordeal. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Thirty years after leaving Earth, a group of space colonists live a spartan existence on a desolate asteroid. All that keeps these castaways together is the charismatic leadership of Captain William Benteen (James Whitmore), an archetypal "benevolent despot." When a rescue ship arrives to transport the colonists back to Earth, everyone rejoices -- everyone but Benteen, who is unwilling to relinquish his self-anointed authority. Written by Rod Serling, "On Thursday We Leave for Home" was the last of the 60-minute Twilight Zone episodes, though not the last one to be telecast. The episode made its network debut on May 2, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

John Fox Jr.'s popular 1906 novel has been filmed several times, and converted into a number of theatrical presentations. The 1961 edition of Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come stars singer Jimmy F. Rodgers as a confused young man growing up in 1860s Kentucky. Sheltered from his brutal guardian by a friendly schoolmaster, Rodgers learns to love the tiny village of Kingdom Come and has no inclination of leaving. But when the Civil War breaks out, Rodgers finds himself at odds with most of his friends by joining the Union Army. His wartime experiences force Rodgers to grow up in a hurry, and he returns to Kingdom Come with a whole new outlook on his future existence. Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come was elaborately produced, but failed to establish Jimmy Rodgers as a movie star. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The High-Powered Rifle is a "B"-grade, private detective flick about Dancer (Willard Parker), a PI with a serious problem. Some hired hitmen are trying -- again and again -- to kill him, and now Dancer has had enough. He starts to get to the bottom of these attempts on his life, and that search leads to one suspect in particular. On the way to checking it out, Dancer gets involved with his suspect's girlfriend (Allison Hayes) and without knowing it puts himself in serious jeopardy. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

A car with two men visible in it pulls up to a Los Angeles service station at night, with a single attendant (Dub Taylor) working. As he starts to pump the gas, he doesn't see the third man come around the side until it's too late and he's knocked cold. The trio carries out their robbery but before they can finish, a motorcycle cop rolls up. A gun battle ensues, and one of the robbers is shot, as is the police officer. Now a manhunt is on for the trio, all escapees from San Quentin who were making their way south; the other two give the wounded man enough money to get to the apartment of a former cellmate of one of them, Steve Lacey (Gene Nelson). But Lacey is genuinely trying to go straight and live a clean, honest life with his wife, Ellen (Phyllis Kirk), and wants nothing to do with anyone he knew in prison, or with harboring an escaped prisoner. He's even more unhappy when Dr. Otto Hessler (Jay Novello), another ex-con and a veterinarian, arrives to treat the gunshot victim. But when the hood dies, matters get even more complicated -- Lacey's life becomes a nightmare as the police arrive, led by the hardboiled Det. Sgt. Sims (Sterling Hayden), who doesn't believe that any hood ever goes straight. Sims doesn't believe that Lacey's claim of knowing nothing of the escapees, and is ready to send him back to prison on a parole violation -- even though his parole officer (James Bell) believes him -- when he won't cooperate. And worse still, the other two escapees, Doc Penny (Ted de Corsia) and Ben Hastings (Charles Buchinsky, aka Charles Bronson), force their way into Lacey's home, insisting on hiding out there and threatening Ellen. And as they're now a man short, they want Steve's help on a major heist they're planning -- and will kill Ellen if he doesn't cooperate. Soon Lacey is up to his neck in a daylight bank robbery, timed to the minute, and his wife is at the mercy of a mentally deficient, sexually deviant confederate (Timothy Carey), while the police still seem to be following every trail but the right one. Steve realizes that he is the only one who is going to be able to save himself or his wife from this nightmare, and isn't convinced that he'll get out of it alive -- but by then, between being put on him by Sims and his unwanted companions, he's prepared to die in order to save Ellen. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

This Universal B-musical casts Desi Arnaz as himself: a Cuban bandleader making it big in the United States. Shawnee (Joan Fulton) schemes to draw Arnaz from his homeland and transform the Havana musician into a star in New York City by having him perform on a successful radio show. Adding urgency to her efforts is the show's sponsor, who threatens to pull out if Arnaz doesn't play. Her efforts prove ineffective until she gets support from Arnaz's beloved niece, who persuades him that the gig is worth taking. Songs include "El Cumbanchero" and "Rhumba Matumba". ~ Nicole Gagne, All Movie Guide

Originally slated for release through Monogram Pictures, The Chase was ultimately distributed by United Artists. Adapted by Philip Yordan from Cornell Woolrich's The Black Path of Fear (a perennial of the radio series Suspense), the film stars Robert Cummings as Chuck, shell-shocked ex-GI. Tormented by bizarre dreams, Chuck is drawn into the orbit of racketeer Roman (Steve Cochran). Hired as Roman's chauffeur, Chuck deals as best he can with his boss' faithless wife Lorna (Michele Morgan) and sinister henchman Gino (Peter Lorre). Persuaded by Lorna to help her escape the brutish Roman, Chuck agrees, only to end up accused of a murder he didn't commit. Thus begins the chase of the title, with Chuck eluding not only the authorities but also the stiletto-wielding Gino. Just when it seems that Chuck has cleared himself and all's right with the world, the story takes an unexpected turn, thrusting the hero back into a nightmarish maelstrom. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Previously filmed as a so-so Marx Brothers vehicle in 1938, the John Murray-Alan Boretz Broadway hit Room Service was effectively musicalized in 1944 as Step Lively. The plot remains intact: Fly-by-night theatrical producer Gordon Miller (Groucho Marx in the 1938 film, George Murphy in the remake) struggles to keep his production and cast together, despite severe deficiencies in the money department. Hotel-chain supervisor Wagner (Adolphe Menjou) threatens to throw Miller and his actors off the premises, an eventuality Miller hopes to forestall until he can obtain $50,000 from a wealthy backer. Meanwhile, Glen Davis (Frank Sinatra), the author of Miller's play, shows up to see how things are going. Before long, Glen is swept up in a desperate plot hatched by Miller and his underlings Binion (Wally Brown) and Harry (Alan Carney) to stay in the hotel despite Wagner's efforts to oust them. Caught in the middle are hapless hotel manager Gribble (Walter Slezak), potential backer Jenkins (Eugene Pallette), Glen's sweetheart Miss Abboli (Anne Jeffreys) and Miller's leading lady Christine (Gloria DeHaven). This being a musical, the outcome hinges on Glen's hitherto untapped singing ability, which might save the day if he overcomes a bout of psychosomatic laryngitis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide