Luther Adler Movies

In this legal drama from director Sydney Pollack, Sally Field stars as Megan, an ambitious newpaper reporter who, based on information from FBI investigator Rosen, played by Bob Balaban, writes a scathing article that implicates Gallagher, a reclusive business-owner played by Paul Newman, in the recent disappearance of a labor leader. When Gallagher confronts Megan and sets her straight, the two team together to prove his innocence and have a few romantic interludes along the way. Wilford Brimley and Melinda Dillon also star. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

Actor/writer Robert Shaw's powerhouse stage play The Man in the Glass Booth was transferred to the screen as part of the American Film Theatre series. Maximilian Schell plays Arthur Goldman, a Jewish businessmen living in Manhattan in 1965. A group of Israeli underground agents barge into Goldman's office and kidnap him. He is brought to Israel, placed in a bulletproof glass booth, and put on trial. His accusers charge that Goldman is not a Jew, but in fact a notorious Nazi war criminal, guilty of unspeakable crimes against humanity. Robert Shaw's name does not appear in the credits of The Man in the Glass Booth; he was so displeased with Edward Anhalt's screen adaptation that he had his name removed from the project. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Two Miami beach bums become notorious cat-burglars in this lively crime drama that is based on a true story. After successfully committing a series of burglaries of some of Miami's wealthiest, the two get bored and decide to steal the Star of India sapphire from the American Museum of Natural History, New York. One of the actual thieves, Allan Kuhn, served as the technical advisor. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This graphically violent crime drama follows the relatively brief career of the notorious racketeer Crazy Joe Gallo, who formed an alliance with all of New York City's African-American gangs while serving time in Attica. Once he got out, he used that alliance to try and take over the Mafia, an act that resulted in his brutal murder in a restaurant in Little Italy, 1972. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this drama, a psychiatrist learns that a good friend will die very soon and finds that this knowledge makes it very difficult for him to conduct his seminar on death. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In Martin Ritt's The Brotherhood, Kirk Douglas plays Frank Ginetta, an old-line Mafioso who resents the newer policies encouraged by his younger brother Vince (Alex Cord). Frank resists all attempts at modernizing his operation, whereupon Vince cajoles his father-in-law Dominick Bertolo (Luther Adler) to spearhead an inter-mob rebellion. Summing up Bertolo as a rat and a liar, Frank has the man murdered in a graphically brutal fashion. It is up to Vince to exact retribution by killing his own brother. Lewis John Carlino's screenplay includes many of the elements that would gain legendary status upon the release of The Godfather, including the dreaded "kiss of death." Star Kirk Douglas also served as producer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast a Giant Shadow is a big-budget, glossy action/adventure story set at the time that Israel became a nation. American Army officer Colonel David Marcus is recruited by the yet-to-exist Israel to help form an army. Marcus is conflicted because of his sudden appreciation for his Jewish heritage. Realizing that each of Israel's Arab nations has vowed to invade the poorly prepared country once the partition has been made, Marcus is made commander of the Israeli forces just before the war begins. The all-star cast includes Kirk Douglas, Senta Berger and Angie Dickinson. Aldo Tonti provides the beautiful photography by Aldo Tonti, and Melville Shavelson directs. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide

Three weeks prior to the repeal of Prohibition, Woody O'Mara (Mort Mills) prepares to eliminate brewery operator Franz Koenig (played by Hogan's Heroes' future "Sgt. Schultz" John Banner) so that he and Charlie Zenko (Luther Adler) can take over all illegal liquor activities on the North Side before it's too late. Zenko shows his "gratitude" by planting a bomb in O'Mara's car and assuming command of the entire operation himself. Ironically, Zenko himself ends up being betrayed by his own son Larry (Robert Loggia)--leaving Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) to solemnly pick up the pieces. Watch for Leonard Nimoy as a squirrelly trigger man named Packy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Nick Bousso (Mario Roccuzzo), the son of mob-connected cab driver Mario Bousso (A.G. Vigganza), has sworn vengeance against Elliot Ness for killing Mario in a raid. Taking advantage of Nick's anger, mob boss Gus Marco (Luther Adler) and "Purple Gang" functionary Charlie Steuben (Michael Ansara) intend to use the boy to bait a trap for Ness--not counting on the possiblity that Nicky might have a last-minute change of heart. Joe De Santis makes his first series appearance as hard-of-hearing Mob "troubleshooter" Louie Latito, one of the few people in the world capable of using a hearing aid as a weapon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In danger of losing his job, TV-producer David Wayne hopes to cook up a real ratings winner by building a network special around the life and work of elderly doctor Paul Muni. For the past 45 years, the iconoclastic Muni has run a free clinic in the slums of Brooklyn. Muni has no time for television, however, so Wayne tries to get Muni's lifelong friend Luther Adler to talk the doctor into appearing before the cameras. Adler agrees, on the proviso that Wayne's network promises to build a nice home in the suburbs for the physician and his wife (Nancy R. Pollock). Going to work on Muni, Adler convinces the old man that a coast-to-coast special will permit him to vent his spleen on the subject of the mercenary medical profession. On the night of the broadcast, Muni discovers that one of his slum patients, Billy Dee Williams, has been arrested for car theft. Leaving Wayne high and dry, Muni rushes down to the police station, where he is pressed into service to save a life. While doing so, he suffers a fatal heart attack, with the weeping Adler at his side. Wayne finally realizes that Muni's selfless idealism was of greater value than any commercially-motivated television program, and says as much when he hands in his resignation. The Last Angry Man turned out to be the cinematic swan song for veteran-actor Paul Muni; he died eight years later. Based on a novel by Gerald Green, The Last Angry Man would be remade for television with Pat Hingle in the Muni role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Evelyn Nesbit Thaw, the real-life personality so brilliantly (albeit briefly) portrayed by Elizabeth McGovern in Ragtime (1981), is given the full biopic treatment in 20th Century Fox's The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing. Since the real Mrs. Thaw served as technical advisor for the film, it isn't surprising that the controversial Evelyn comes across as being more sinned against that sinning. Joan Collins stars as Evelyn, the gorgeous chorine and original "Gibson Girl" who becomes the romantic bone of contention between ageing architect Stanford White (Ray Milland) and slightly unbalanced young millionaire Harry K. Thaw. Setting up Evelyn in a plush apartment, the lecherous White insists that she "perform" for him on the red velvet swing of the title (allegedly, Evelyn swung naked above the slavering White, though she's fully clothed in the film). Eventually, Thaw marries Evelyn, but cannot prevent White from continuing his romantic overtures. Things come to a head in 1906, on the roof of Madison Square Garden. As Evelyn sings and dances in a stage musical, the insanely jealous Thaw walks up to White, pulls out a pistol, and, in full view of the audience, pumps several bullets into the older man. Though Thaw manages to avoid the gallows by pleading insanity (he was eventually released), Evelyn's reputation is permanently besmirched, leaving her little choice but to capitalize upon her notoriety on the vaudeville stage (actually, Evelyn pursued a moderately successful film career before losing all her money to bad investments in the 1920s). By purifying the character of Evelyn Nesbit and thoroughly vilifying Stanford White, The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing is hardly 100 percent accurate; still, the film is immensely entertaining, thanks to the enthusiastic performances of the three stars. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The sixth telecast of ABC's United States Steel Hour was a live 60-minute adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's domestic drama Hedda Gabler. Tallulah Bankhead delivered a bravura performance as the title character, a general's daughter with a restless spirit and a head full of idealistic notions. Trapped in a dull marriage with pedant George Tesman (Alan Hewitt), Hedda carries a torch for brilliant, dissolute writer Eilert Lovborg (John Baragrey) -- who is himself romantically entangled with a troubled widow, Thea Elvsted (Eugenia Rawls). Wily Judge Brack (Luther Adler) observes the unfolding drama for the sidelines, awaiting his opportunity to claim Hedda for himself. At present, no kinescopes of Hedda Gabler are available for public viewing, though the program would be well worth seeing again if only for the presence of the incomparable Tallulah Bankhead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Elmo Williams, the veteran Hollywood film editor who gained fame for his work on High Noon, serves as director of the medium-budget western The Tall Texan. Lloyd Bridges plays the title character, a convicted murderer named Ben Trask. While being escorted to prison, Trask talks his captors into prospecting for gold. A rich vein has been found in Indian territory, attracting gold-hunters like flies to honey. Despite warnings from the local tribe, the prospectors refuse to leave. Even when a compromise is reached with the Indians, at least one of the gold-seekers oversteps his bounds. A climactic Indian attack is thus a foregone conclusion, and since none of the white characters is particularly sympathetic, the viewer is hard put not to root for the Indians. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide