Ted Knight Movies
Actor Ted Knight dropped out of high school in order to enlist for World War II service. During the postwar years, Knight studied acting in Hartford, Connecticut. He became proficient with puppets and ventriloquism, which led to steady work as a TV kiddie-show host. Knight spent most of the 1950s and 1960s doing commercial voice-overs and essaying minor TV and movie roles (he was the nonspeaking cop who handed Norman Bates a robe at the end of Hitchcock's Psycho [1960]). Just barely making ends meet with TV guest spots and cartoon voices, Knight was rescued professionally in 1970 when he was cast in the role of vainglorious TV anchorman Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Three years into the series, Knight threatened to quit because of the one-note stupidity of his character. He was assuaged when the MTM producers "humanized" him with an understanding girlfriend (played by Georgia Engel) -- and it didn't hurt that the actor later won two Emmy awards for his portrayal of the clueless Ted Baxter. When MTM left the air in 1977, Knight attempted to headline a sitcom of his own. After a couple of false starts, he struck pay dirt in 1980 with Too Close for Comfort, playing a comic-strip artist with two nubile daughters. Too Close left the network for syndication in 1984, then matriculated into The Ted Knight Show in 1985. Though gravely ill, Ted Knight valiantly taped a years' worth of episodes before succumbing to cancer at the age of 62. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1960
This action film set just after the Civil War tends to stay on the surface of the story instead of diving deeper into character motivation. A group of Union Army soldiers is charged with protecting a box of gold and getting it to its rightful place within the government coffers. As might be expected, their biggest enemies are former Confederate soldiers who have their own ideas about what to do with the gold. Battles and skirmishes succeed each other as the fight for the gold begins, and even some of the Union men start to wonder if the gold would not be better off in their own hands. Dissension splits the ranks as the drama heads towards its conclusion. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Grant Williams, Brad Dexter, (more)
- 1962
Leaning heavily on violence to ostensibly deliver a pacifist message, this standard drama by Philip Leacock looks at the problem of teen gangs from a slightly different angle -- these teens are all wealthy. Everything starts off when aerospace engineer Walt Sherill (Alan Ladd) is accosted and severely beaten by a group of young punks. The victimized man decides to hunt down the thugs on his own, at first just for curiosity and then increasingly for vengeance. His actions spark retaliatory measures, and before the credits roll, the body count is elevated by a few more victims in what amounts to nothing more than a blood feud. In the end, justice of the legal and politically correct sort makes a token appearance. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Ladd, Rod Steiger, (more)
- 1960
Raucous comedianJudy Canova plays it straight in this episode as Helen Parch, a small-town gossip who shares a telephone party line with two other ladies, Betty (Gertrude Flynn) and Emma (Ellen Corby). Years earlier, Helen had relinquished the phone to a man claiming to be making an emergency call, only to find out that the man was simply contacting his bookie. Subsequently, Helen refused to hang up during an actual emergency that resulted in a death. Now, it is Helen's turn to find herself in a desperate situation -- and this time, it is her "friends" Betty and Emma who won't give up the party line. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
Anatomy of a Crime is comprised of two episodes from the 1968-69 TV series The Outsider. Darren McGavin earns top billing as David Ross, an ex-cop who became a private eye after cooling his heels in prison on a trumped-up murder charge. Ever on the outside looking in, Ross only accepts case from other "outsiders" who've been wronged by Society. Most of the footage in Anatomy of a Crime consists of the 60-minute Outsider episode "There Was a Little Girl", wherein a young woman claims to be the kidnapped-in-infancy daughter of a wealthy industrialist. Joan Blondell, Simon Scott, and Dorothy Green do guest-star duty in this 1968 installment. Woven into the continuity of "There Was a Little Girl" are scenes from another 1968 episode, "Tell It Like It Was...and You're Dead." Marilyn Maxwell, Whitney Blake, Jackie Coogan, and Ted Knight play major roles in this story of an ex-burlesque queen who receives death threats after announcing plans to write a tell-all autobiography. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Aqualad is terrified when he confronts a fearsome-looking Gill-man (who bears a striking resemblance to the Creature from the Black Lagoon). It turns out, however, that the Gill-man is a good guy who has come to Aquaman for help. A huge and relentless Mastadon Man is destroying the Gill-people's village, and of course Aquaman agrees to swim to the rescue. Meanwhile, poor Aqualad finds himself at the mercy of the menacing Mastadon, and nearly ends up becoming a submersible shishkabob! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Aquaman's enemy on this occasion is modern-day pirate Captain Barracuda (not to be confused with the Marvel Comics villain of the same name). Accompanied by extraterrestrial starfish Starro, Captain 'Cuda intends to plunder the riches possessed by the underwater Jewel People--and to expedite this mission, he utilizes a paralyzing "pinwheel" ray. But though Aqualad is rendered immobile, Aquaman is still able to move freely about, as Captain 'Cuda and Starro quickly learn to their painful dismay! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
No sooner had the evil Black Manta been introduced in DC's "Aquaman" comic books than the black-cowled villain made his TV cartoon debut on The Superman-Aquaman Hour of Adventure. Piloting his sinister sea-saucer through the ocean depths, the Black Manta uses an electronic-impulsive device to drive a huge whale berserk! This of course attracts the attention of Aquaman and Aqualad, who mount their trusty sea horses Storm and Imp and ride off to do battle against the Manta and his hordes of Manta-Men--while Aquaman's lovely consort Mera remains helplessly trapped inside a giant clam. Holy halibut! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
While the Aqua-duo performs a maintenance check on the pipeline which pumps oxygen into Atlantic, the demonic Mephisto and his equally satanic minion Sandman prepare to lull the Altanteans to sleep with gigantic knockout pellets. Though Aqualad manages to catch the villains in the act, the pellet sends him to slumberland just when he's needed most (Holy haddock!) Will Aquaman be able to counterract Mephisto's deadly vibrobeam and save the day, or will he need outside help from a friendly bull whale? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
The Brain returns, this time equipped with a gigantic computer (they were ALWAYS gigantic in the 1960s!) which gives him access to all known facts about Aquaman. Using the information at hand, the Brain figures that the best way to vanquish the "Sea King" is to use an Oxymite buoyancy ray, which causes everything on the ocean floor that isn't nailed down to float upward--including Aqualad and Tusky. To save his friends from certain death at the ocean's surface, Aquaman enlists the aid of an enormous "cyclops" fish. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
A band of plundering space aliens dives to the ocean floor, there to harvest sea-life specimens for their own private collection. Among the life forms sucked up by the aliens' demon machine is Aqualad's walrus pal Tusky, who is then miniaturized for easier shipping. In order to rescue Tusky--and by extention everything else beneath the waves--Aqualad and Aquaman must battle a fearsome Venusian sea monster, who fortunately proves susceptible to the "Sea King"'s magic mind games. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
The supervillain-of-the-week is The Brain, who kidnaps Aqualad for more mental mischief. In what seems like record time, the enslaved Aqualad is not only brainwashed, but he is also endowed with superstrength, transforming him into the perfect weapon against Aquaman. Only after several awkward confrontations with his confused mentor does Aqualad regain his memory and rejoin the good-guy team, thereby affording Aquaman ample time to work out a strategy to outsmart the Brain and save the day again! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
The titular Crimson Monster is a creature from another dimension, capable of shooting dangerous bolts of acid at its enemies. Like most of the other horrific creatures in the "Aquaman" saga, this one decides to destroy Atlantis and everyone in it. Aquaman is eager and willing to do battle against the Crimson Monster, but this time he cannot count on backup from Aqualad, who has been knocked on conscious. Sufferin' sawfish! How is THIS adventure going to turn out? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
This time Aquaman is pitted against the evil (if slightly myopic) Molemen, who invade Atlantis in vessels with diamond-tipped drills. The villains bore a hole in the ocean floor which threatens do destroy not only Atlantis but also everything on dry land. Making matters worse, Aquaman is captured, and Aqualad is unable to race to his rescue. But fear not! Imp, Tusky and a huge army of friendly underwater creatures are still at Aquaman's telepathic beck and call. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Navy test pilot Mark Bartholomew asks Aquaman to help him try out the experimental vessel "Devil Fish", a combination jet and submarine. Anxious to get his hands on the invention, the Black Manta conjures up the Great Whirlpool to caputre the drylander. Leaving Aqualad behind on this occasion, Aquaman prepares to do battle against the Black Manta--but the Devil Fish proves to be a most formidable weapon when it is in the proverbial "wrong hands". Shudderin' Shad! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Solar-powered space aliens invade the earth, setting the planet's oceans on fire! The evil interlopers then barrage Atlantis with wave upon wave of flaming missiles. With Aqualad injured and out of commisison, it is up to Aquaman to save Atlantis and send the aliens back where they came from. Of course, the "Sea King" is aided and abetted by his many underwater friends, including an army of arthropods and dolphins who prove to be excellent volunteer firemen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
The "ice dragon" is of course no ordinary dragon (by the way, has anyone ever MET an ordinary dragon?) Instead of breathing fire, this huge lizard spews out cold air which freezes its victims on the spot. Aquaman, Aqualad and the others would love to do battle against the dragon, but unfortunately they've been rendered immobile by a chilling blast. Somehow or other, the "Sea King" manages to free himself and turn the tables on the dragon, which ends up trapped in a huge iceberg--but not for long! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Our old "friend" the Black Manta is back for more sinister skullduggery and world-weary wisecracks (though not necessarily in that order). This time, the cowled supervillain wants to steal Aquaman's latest invention, a "growth ray" that is capable of enlarging the smaller forms of sea life. After rescuing Aqualad from the Black Manta's clutches, Aquaman must focus his attention on a veritable army of gigantic plankton, created by the villain for the express purpose of destroying Atlantis! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
The Brain is back, and if anything he's nastier than ever. This time out, the Brain has teamed up with Reflecto from the planet Imago for the purpose of creating an Aquaman clone. Their master plan is to replace the orginal with the duplicate, then conquer Atalantis. At first, the ever-trusting Aqualad doesn't realize that the Aquaman lookalike is a phony, but the evil doppelganger soon reveals his true nature--just in time to be vanquished by the genuine "Sea King." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
The Octomen, a sinister race of multi-tentacled, scientifically advanced sea creatures, use giant suction cups to capture Aqualad and thereby lure Aquaman into a trap. It turns out that the King of Octo-City intends to steal Aquaman's power of telepathy--and if ordinary methods of persuasion fail, the villain is prepared to unleash his fearsome electronic Octo-Giant. But Aquaman figures out a way to turn the tables on the Octo-Men, proving (in this case at least) that two hands are better than eight. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
While having fun with Imp and Tusky, Aqualad is captured by the green, hissing Reptile-Men, who have taken over an Atlantean hydropower station. Responding to Aqualad's telepathic call for help, Aquaman races to his rescue, only to end up trapped in a subterranean air pocket, facing certain doom unless he can return to the water within the hour! Now it is Aqualad to the rescue--and let's not forget the positive input from that gigantic friendly sea turtle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
A bolt of lightning on the ocean floor releases the tyrannical Nepto and his "spooky" Viking Raiders after centuries in suspended animation. Rejecting Aquaman's gesture of friendship, Nepto picks up where he left off and sets about to conquer Atlantis. At first it seems that Aquaman and Aqualad are no match for Nepto's magic, electrically-charged trident--but faithful walrus Tusky and a surprisingly dexterous octopus join forces to rescue the Aqua-duo in the nick of time. Suffering sawfish! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
The Saturnians are a race of extraterrestrials (from guess where?) who look and act like demons. Anticipating global warming by several decades, the Saturninans intend to melt the Arctic Circle in order to flood the earth so they can take over everything. Though Aquaman and Aqualad mete out a lot of painful punishiment to Saturnians, it's Aqualad's walrus pal Tusky who infiltrates the enemy's submarine in order to save the world from "the big meltdown". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
An offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico is attacked by the scurrilous Scavo and the Sea Scavengers. Swimming to the rescue, Aquaman and Aqua-lad discover that Scavo has outfitted himself with a "mech", namely a Subma-Robot which rips things apart and spews out deadly steel bubbles. For bad measure, Scavo deploys a thermal ray gun, rendering the ocean boiling hot! But Aquaman is able to telepathically summon his finny friends to help him save the day. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Ever the good Samaritans, Aquaman and Aqualad lend a helping hand to the downtrodden victim of an evil--and unidentified--villain. Imagine the good guys' surprise when the "victim" turns out to be the villain in disguise: namely, an ancient Sea Sorcerer with awesome spellbinding powers. Using his crystal ball, the Sorceror conjures up such obstacles as a sandstorm and a dragon as the Aqua-Duo try to subdue him. Luckily, Imp and Tusky are able to summon assistance and prevent Aquaman from becoming the Sorceror's permanent slave! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Aqualad is captured and imprisoned in the orbiting globe commandeered by underwater buccaneer Captain Sly. Actually, Sly isn't all that interested in the "tadpole": he's merely using Aqualad to lure Aquaman into a trap. Though Aquaman manages to rescue his sidekick, he must still fend out Sly's army of motorized reinforcements--to say nothing of the villain's "limpness light ray." But as often happens on this show, Captain Sly ends up hoist on his own petard, courtesy of ever-faithful Tusky. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
