Wright King Movies

The purpose of this ABC Afterschool Special is to educate youngsters in the joys of "empowerment" -- and also to prepare them for the disappointments and setbacks that life may have to offer. The central character is 12-year-old Rufus (Tierre R. Turner), who takes it upon himself to manufacture and market his own brand of toothpaste. Clearly, Rufus has what it takes to be an entrepreneur: not only is he offering his toothpaste for a thrifty three cents per jar, he has also made his product unique by eschewing the usual peppermint flavoring -- and substituting chocolate instead! ~ Rovi

In this "guilty pleasure" outing by B-budget director Denis Sanders (Shock Treatment), William Smith plays an FBI man investigating reports of a coven of "bee-girls" -- women who have taken on the characteristics of bees, and who kill men upon making love. A cute device throughout the film allows us to see the action from a bee's-eye view. The script, by no less than Nicholas Meyer, pokes gentle fun at the conventions of the cheapo-horror genre without ever stooping to cheap parody. Invasion of the Bee Girls was also released as Graveyard Tramps. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The modern-day Native American occupation and protest at Wounded Knee is the subject of this drama from Tom Giles. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

Nearly 20 years after it opened on Broadway, the E.Y. Harburg/Fred Saidy musical Finian's Rainbow was committed to film. Set in the mythical southern state of Missitucky, the story involves the whimsical Irishman Finian (Fred Astaire) and his daughter Sharon (Petula Clark) arriving in the community carrying a crock of gold, which they've stolen in the Auld Sod from Ogg the Leprechaun (Tommy Steele). Finian believes that if he buries the crock on American soil, it will grow into an even larger treasure--just as Fort Knox did (or so he thinks). Sharon falls in love with sharecropper Woody Mahoney (Don Francks), who like everyone else in the community is being threatened by the perfidy of Senator Rawkins (Keenan Wynn). While Finian haggles over three wishes with the tricky Ogg, Sharon runs afoul of the racially bigoted Rawkins. She wishes that Rawkins would turn black so that he could walk in someone else's shoes for a change--and this, thanks to Ogg, is exactly what happens. To rescue Sharon and Woody from being burned as witches, Ogg grants a last wish, which turns him into a human being; this is not an altogether bad thing, for Ogg has fallen in love with mysterious mountain gal Susan the Silent (Barbara Hancock). The racial tolerance subtext of Finian's Rainbow, considered radical in 1948, seemed rather antiquated in 1969, though it did allow for a hilarious scene in which a white associate of Judge Rawkins attempts to instruct young black botanist Al Freeman Jr. on the proper way to "act Negro". As Finian, Fred Astaire requested that the role be expanded to allow him to dance a little (as written, the character barely even sings). Most of the original score remains intact, including the hit song "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?" Francis Ford Coppola seemed a curious choice to direct a musical, and indeed the production was a troubled one due to Coppola's inexperience in the genre. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Upon learning of the death of his father, fugitive Richard Kimble (David Janssen) arranges a secret meeting with his sister Donna (Jacqueline Scott) in Fort Wayne, Indiana. What Donna doesn't know is that her every move is being monitored by Mike Ballinger (James Daly), the prosecutor who presided over Kimble's murder trial. Figuring that something is afoot, Ballinger alerts Lt. Gerard (Barry Morse)--and it looks as if Kimble is finally going to be ensared in an inescapable trap. Lin McCarthy appears in this episode as the latest of several actors cast as Donna's long-suffering husband Len Taft. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

James Clavell incorporated a few of his own experiences as a British POW in his novel King Rat. Bryan Forbes' film version stars George Segal as the mastermind of all black market operations in a Japanese prison camp. He is called "King Rat" because of his breeding of rodents to serve as food for his emaciated fellow prisoners; the nickname also alludes to Segal's shifty personality. British officer James Fox helps Segal expand his operation to include trading with the Japanese officers. Though on surface level a thoroughly selfish sort, Segal saves the ailing Fox's life by wangling precious antibiotics from the guards. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Eula Johnson (Diana Millay), the bored young bride of rancher Grover Johnson (Rod Cameron), begs her husband to sell his bleak desert spread, but he refuses. Enter wealthy Texas Nelson Barclift (a pre-Gilligan's Island Alan Hale Jr), who offers to pay Johnson four times what his property is worth. As it turns out, Barclift may be Eula's co-conspirator in a major swindle--but this becomes a moot point when both Barclift and Eula turn up dead. Accused of murder, Johnson puts his life in the hands of Perry Mason (Raymond Burr). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This 60-minute Twilight Zone entry was adapted by Rod Serling from Malcolm Jameson's short story "Blind Alley." Wearing thick "age" makeup, Albert Salmi stars as ruthless millionaire Feathersmith, who would give anything to relive his carefree youth. Enter Miss Devlin (Julie Newmar) -- actually the Devil, but a very shapely Devil -- who offers to strike a deal with the decrepit tycoon. Curiously, Devlin doesn't want Feathersmith's soul (which he had already lost several years earlier), but she will settle for cold, hard cash. Another cautionary "Be Careful What You Wish For" yarn, "Of Late I Think of Cliffordville" originally aired April 11, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This routine crime drama about a mysterious, abandoned yacht is directed by Robert Gottschalk who also wrote the original story. The action begins when three impoverished fishermen working along the California coast come across a yacht with no crew. The only thing they do find on the boat is a corpse, someone who had died of the mumps. The fishermen contact the right authorities and actually end up using the yacht themselves as a charter vessel. The American Coast Guard figures that if they let the men put the yacht to their own use, the real owners will show up sooner or later. They were right. The owners turn out to be some shady characters who carry guns, deal in drugs, and make the fishermen an offer they had better not refuse. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Journeying through the mountains, Paladin (Richard Boone) is mauled by a cougar. Seeking the aid of two men named Cull (Wright King) and Boggs (Ben Wright), the injured Paladin is instead robbed of everything he owns--and then left for dead. Painfully making his way to a nearby town, Paladin demands answers for why Cull and Boggs are seemingly free to come and go as they like, and to victimize anyone they choose. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Paladin (Richard Boone) is hired by a mortally woman named Mrs. Kilmer (Lillian Bronson), who wants to learn the whereabouts of her long-long son before she dies. The trail of clues leads Paladin to Harper City, a town held in the grip of the wealthy--and psychotic--Fred Harper (Charles Aidman). Clearly, Harper knows something about Mrs. Kilmer's prodigal son, but he isn't telling...and Paladin is fully aware that the previous detective hired to locate the boy turned up dead. This is the final episode of Have Gun, Will Travel's third season. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Steve McQueen returns as laconic bounty hunter Josh Randall as Wanted: Dead or Alive moseys into its second season. As in season one, the best episodes are graced by the presence of some of Hollywood's best supporting actors. Kasey Rogers, later to play the wife of Larry Tate (David White) on Bewitched, is seen as a frontier bride in "The Matchmaker." Future spaghetti Western stalwart Lee Van Cleef plays a condemned man whom Josh must safely escort to his hanging in "The Hostage." "The Empty Cell" features Lon Chaney Jr. as a highly suspicious lawman, while Star Trek's Deforest Kelley shows up in the same episode as a wily crook. Star-in-the-making Dyan Cannon pays her acting dues as the moll of a bank robber in "Vanishing Act." And Martin Landau, six years removed from Mission: Impossible and 34 years away from his Academy Award, is seen as an Indian elephant trainer in "The Monster." Beginning with the episode "Jason," Wright King becomes a semi-regular in the role of deputy sheriff Jason Nichols, who frequently teams up with Josh Randall to track down wanted men. By the time the season ends, King will be a full-fledged regular. Westerns reigned supreme on television during the 1959-1960 season, with four sagebrushers ranking in the Top Ten Nielsen ratings. Number nine of the ten was Wanted: Dead or Alive, up from 16th place during the previous year. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi