Robert Knapp Movies

When an Indian agent is assaulted on a reservation, it's a federal crime demanding the attention of the FBI. Thus it is that Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) investigates several mining accidents near a sacred Indian burial ground--accidents that the locals have chalked up to supernatural activity. Filmed on location at California's Mono Crater Park, this episode marks one of the final pre-M*A*S*H appearances of Wayne Rogers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Once again going undercover, Inspector Erskine poses as an art expert to trap a gang of thieves headed by Porter Brent (Vic Morrow). The villains intend to sell a valuable painting back to the museum whence they stole it, and Erskine sets himself up as go-between. The problem: One of the gang members, Yvonne Shelby (Susan Howard), was arrested by Erskine eight years earlier--and she hasn't forgotten his face. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

With the "inside" help of misguided maid Maria Montoya (Pilar Seurat), a gang of thieves steals a 33-carat diamond from wealthy Everlyn Harcourt (June Vincent). The FBI enters the scene after one of the crooks is killed during the heist and the rest scatter to the four winds. Athough the gang's fence is captured, master thief Victor Amazeen (Jack Klugman) manages to elude a trap set by Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.)--but if Amazeen thinks his problems are over, he is sorely mistaken. Featured among the villains is future Hill St. Blues star Daniel J. Travanti, here billed as Dan Travanty. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Embezzler Robert Pollard (Peter Donat) uses his considerable charm to persuade lonely women to assist him in his criminal activities. The FBI is alerted to Pollard's presence when his most recent "dupe", a female bank cashier, turns up murdered. Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) must now race against time to save the life of Pollard's latest unwitting accomplice Kate Burke (Vera Miles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Having played various crime victims in previous F.B.I. episodes, Lynda Day does an about-face as the villainess of the piece. The actress is cast as go-go dancer Joyce Carr, who after skipping Federal parole assists her two male accomplices as they murder her soldier husband for his insurance. Inspector Erskine must put a stop to Joyce's activities before another hapless GI (played by Patrick Wayne) falls victim to her deadly scam. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though he would frequently be cast in later FBI episodes as a crime victim, David Macklinis here seen as a the heavy of the piece, a deranged teenager named Howard "Howdy" Collier. After blowing up a freight train with a homemade time bomb, Howdy threatens to destroy a passenger train if he isn't paid a ransom of $100,000. To locate the seriously disturbed Collier, Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr. puts the boy's mother (Louise Latham) under surveillance--while a new and unanticipated danger looms over the horizon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A young woman named Linda (Antoinette Bower) arrives in the town of Ladera, claiming to be the daughter of wealthy Addison Blake--who died seven years earlier, presumably a bachelor. Floyd Grant (played by Bill Williams, in real life the husband of Perry Mason costar Barbara Hale) insists that he has documented proof that Linda is a phony, but apparently doesn't trust the local DA to do anything about it. Otherwise, why would Grant arrange for Linda to be killed in an "accidental" explosion at the Ladera dairy? As it turns out, Grant is the one who ends up dead, and Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) is called upon to defend Linda on a murder charge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When the body of wealthy Peter Baxter (Anthony Joachim) is found in the charred ruins of his mansion, caretaker James Hing (Benson Fong), who'd been made Baxter's sole heir in his will, is accused of the crime. Hing admits to burning down the mansion, but insists that he did so on the orders of Baxter, who'd planned to fake his death in order to test the loyalty of his heirs. Can it be that someone else got wind of Baxter's scheme and decided to bump him off for real? That's what Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) must find out before the final commercial. This episode is based on Erle Stanley Gardner's novel The Case of the Black Cat, previously adapted as a 1935 theatrical feature, with Ricardo Cortez as Mason. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this violent drama, a young juvenile delinquent gets into more trouble when he gets involved with a gang that steals auto parts and resells them on the black market to pay for their beer parties. It looks as if he might actually turn his life around after he meets a good-hearted woman, when he decides to run a final game of chicken against a juvenile delinquent girl who gets killed in the ensuing crash. The terrified boy then takes his girlfriend and splits. He is later shot-down by the police. Later the authorities learn that the boy was set upon his crooked path by policemen who beat him when he was younger. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This unusual western drama stars Ben Cooper as Jeff Blaine ,a twelve-year-old boy growing up sans a mother or a father in the small town of Plainsville. Jeff's mom died during his infancy, and his dad Nate (Dane Clark) left not long after and became an outlaw. With both of the parents absent, Jeff's aunt, Ruth Sewall (Ellen Drew) decided to step in and raise the young boy. As the tale opens, Nate turns up at Ruth's home and reveals his recent involvement in a gunfight. Because the law is on his tail, his time is rapidly running out. Though Nate hopes to make amends with his son, Jeff stringently rejects him, and Ruth backs up the boy's sentiments by politely asking Nate to leave, then returning the meager amount of support money that Nate sent to Jeff. In time, father and son do begin to make amends, but several obstacles threaten to stand in the way of a peaceful long-term relationship between them, including the violence of Nate's past, and the hostility of Ruth, who soon demonstrates that she's willing to do almost anything to make sure that the outlaw father doesn't take permanent custody of his son. ~ All Movie Guide

In this western, angry Apaches begin a series of raids on a cavalry outpost. First they steal all the horses from a regiment on maneuvers forcing them to march back to the fort. Upon their return, the soldiers discover that everyone at the fort has been massacred. Now a rookie West Point officer is left in charge, and unfortunately, he is too green to lead. Fortunately, a sergeant is there to take over the reins. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Several low-budget films came out in the 1950s "exposing" such scandal magazines as Confidential. Most of them came off as sleazy as the publications they were targetting. Republic's Scandal, Inc. is one of the more subdued examples of this genre; in fact, it's so low-key that at times it induces slumber. His good name sullied by a tell-all rag, movie star Robert Hutton threatens dire consequences to the reporter responsible. When that reporter turns up murdered, Hutton is naturally the prime suspect. Attorney Paul Richards takes on Hutton's cause, simultaneously clearing him of the murder charge and the earlier scandal that ruined him in Hollywood. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide