Anne Jeffreys Movies

Versatile Canadian comedian Martin Short plays a 10-year old boy in this comedy aimed at younger audiences. The tale is told in flashback to another little boy. Clifford is a manipulative brat. Clifford really wants to visit Dinosaur World in Los Angeles. Clifford wants to go so badly that he manages to force the Hawaii bound plane he and his parents are on to land in L.A. His parents need to attend a convention in Hawaii so they leave him with his Uncle Martin who despises children. Martin's fiance adores kids, so he pretends to be ecstatic about Clifford's visit. He must also pretend that Clifford is the angel child he isn't. Because Martin reneges on a promise to take him to Dinosaur World, Clifford begins an elaborate plot for revenge. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

All of Cabot Cove turns out for the funeral of Henry Vernon, the town's chief financial advisor. The ceremony is halted by the arrival of a woman claiming that Henry was murdered. Investigating, the local authorities open the coffin--only to find out that the occupant isn't Henry! Before the story is over, no fewer than two corpses have mysteriously vanished, then mysteriously reappeared, while Jessica (Angela Lansbury) conducts a thorough probe of the "late" Mr. Vernon's questionable business practices. Real-life husband and wife Robert Sterling and Anne Jeffreys, who'd once headlined the delightful fantasy sitcom Topper, appear as Ben and Agnes Shipley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Beggarman, Thief is the 4-hour sequel to the ratings-busting miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man; both productions were based on the works of novelist Irwin Shaw. For the purposes of the sequel, a new member of the Jordache clan is introduced: filmmaker Gretchen Jordache Burke, played by Jean Simmons. It is Gretchen's task to keep the family together after the murder of her brother Tom (played by Nick Nolte in Rich Man, Poor Man) and the recent disappearance of her other brother Rudy (Peter Strauss, re-creating his RMPM role). Originally presented in two parts, Beggarman, Thief was first telecast November 26 and 27, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Bushy-mustached character comedian Avery Schreiber and Jesus Christ Superstar leading man Ted Neely are among the participants in Southern Double Cross. It all begins when an American couple go on holiday to Mexico. Unbeknownst to the billing and cooing vacationers, they've been set up as smugglers. Certain bad guys have slipped valuable artifacts in the couple's luggage, intending to reclaim it-and rub out the two innocents-at a later date. We've seen this plot before in several other films, in locales ranging from Europe to India. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Singer Wayne Newton makes his dramatic debut as Andy Walker, the son of domineering dirt farmer Willard Walker (Malcolm Atterbury). Desirous of pursuing a musical career, Andy is stopped in his tracks by his hidebound father. Ben Cartwright intervenes in this domestic dilemma-and along the way, guest-star Newton warbles such traditional tunes as "Old Joe Clark", "Scarlet Ribbons", "Danny Boy", and "The Old Rugged Cross". Also in the cast are Anne Jeffreys as Lily and Wayne Newton's real-life brother Jerry as Andy's brother Mike. First shown on April 10, 1966, "The Unwritten Commandment" was written by Jo Pagano, William Blinn and Dan Ullman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

City in Flames is a potted TV remake of the 1937 feature film In Old Chicago. Kevin McCarthy and Jeff Morrow stars as the 19th century O'Leary brothers; one is a notorious Chi-town gambler, while the other is a pious reformer. When not battling over ideologies, the O'Learys are at each other's throats over the affections of a beautiful stage actress (Anne Jeffreys). After Mrs. O'Leary's (Lurene Tuttle) cow knocks over the fabled lantern, we are treated to generous stock footage from In Old Chicago's climactic conflagration. Also starring Roland Winters, the 60-minute City in Flames was first seen March 6, 1957, as an episode of the TV anthology The 20th Century-Fox Hour. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on the novel by Thorne Smith-and partly on the book's spinoff feature films-The Adventures of Topper stars Leo G. Carroll as Cosmo Topper, a mild-mannered banker with ghost problems. It seems that Topper's home is haunted by its previous owners: George and Marion Kirby, a fun-loving young couple who were killed in an avalanche (they died in a car crash in the original story, but this didn't sit well with potential automobile-manufacturing sponsors). Anne Jeffreys plays Marion, "The Ghostess with the Mostess", while Ms. Jeffrey's real-life husband Robert Sterling is cast as George, "That Most Sportive Spirit". Featured players include Lee Patrick as Henriette Topper, Thurston Hall as Topper's combustible boss, and a St. Bernard named Buck as "Neil", a ghostly pooch with a fondness for liquor ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Befitting his status as a genre star, Boris Karloff earns top billing over leading man Ralph Byrd in RKO's final Dick Tracy caper. The former Frankenstein monster plays an escaped convict masterminding a daring bank robbery. To get in and out of the bank without being noticed, the gang uses an asphyxiating gas that leaves anyone inside momentarily frozen in place. Everyone, that is, except for bank customer Tess Truehart (Anne Gwynne), who is able to contact Dick Tracy (Byrd) from a phone booth in the bank. With little or no clues, Tracy and his man Friday, Pat Patton (Lyle Latell), question the bank customers but none can shed any light on the mysterious goings-on. The disappearance of Dr. A. Tomic (Milton Parsons) and the odd behavior of his associate, Dr. I.M. Learned (June Clayworth), crack the case wide open, however, and Tracy is eventually able to track down both Gruesome and the surprising identity of his boss, L.E. Thal (Edward Ashley). According to some reports, RKO wanted to release Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome as "Dick Tracy Meets Karloff" but that title was vetoed by Karloff himself. The legendary horror star apparently later accepted his own box-office value and a 1949 Universal comedy was released as Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

No relation to the 1935 Jean Harlow-Spencer Tracy vehicle of the same name, RKO Radio's Riff-Raff is an action-packed vehicle for aging but still virile Pat O'Brien. At large in Panama, American private eye Dan (O'Brien) hopes to get his hands on a valuable map showing priceless oil concessions. He finds himself up against a formidable cartel of villains headed by Molinar (Walter Slezak), who likewise want to get their mitts on the map and are willing to commit murder to do so. Mixed up in the proceedings is worldly nightclub singer Maxine (Anne Jeffreys), whose reputation is such that O'Brien immediately distrusts her--an opinion he has good reason to reverse as the film rolls along. Percy Kilbride provides a few chuckles as a dry-witted Panamanian taxi driver. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A moody but extremely talented clarinet playing band-leader is contracted to write a symphonic, bluesy soundtrack for an upcoming film. Unfortunately, he can neither read nor write music. Instead he simply plays whatever he feels. The comedy in this musical begins when two professional arrangers are hired to transcribe his playing. Unfortunately, every time the musician's mood changes so does his style, so they must figure out some way to get him in a blue mood and keep him there till the project is completed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this espionage drama, a WW II veteran teams up with a government secretary and begins hunting a gang of Nazi agents who are seeking the secret documents carried by the G-man they killed. The two heroes are hindered on their hunt by fellow government agents who believe the two are responsible for the FBI agent's death. Mayhem ensues until the two prove their innocence, capture the culprits, and save the US from fascism. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Robert Young stars as a WW2 pilot named Hank, who accompanies his pal Jerry (Bill Williams, in his film debut) on a furlough. Jerry introduces his girlfriend Helen (Laraine Day) to Hank, a notorious and unrepentent womanizer. In a twinkling, Hank tries to steal Helen away from Jerry-but succeeds only after proving that he's a nice guy after all. Ann Harding, one of RKO Radio's leading star of the early 1930s, returns to her old studio to play Helen's all-knowing mother. Those Endearing Young Charms is based on a Broadway play by Edward Chodorov, originally purchased for the screen by independent producer Sam Goldwyn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Dillinger, the was the ninth effort from the enterprising King Brothers, and their most financially successful film to date. Lawrence Tierney became an overnight cult favorite with his gritty portrayal of maverick bank robber John Dillinger, though top billing is bestowed upon Edmund Lowe as gang chieftain Specs. The film traces Dillinger's criminal career from his first petty theft to his spectacular 1934 demise outside Chicago's Biograph Theater (incidentally, this film was banned in Chicago for several years). Anne Jeffreys plays Dillinger's fictional moll Helen, while Elisha Cook Jr., Marc Lawrence, and Eduardo Ciannelli go through their usual crime-flick paces. The film's set piece is an elaborate armored-car holdup, lifted in its entirety from footage originally shot for Fritz Lang's You Only Live Once (1937). Screenwriter Philip Yordan, fresh from his Broadway triumph Anna Lucasta, earned an Academy Award nomination for Dillinger. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide