Muriel Landers Movies
Comedienne/singer Muriel Landers had a 20 year career in television and movies, the most memorable aspects of which were built around the mixture of her plump physique, sexy voice, and seemingly boundless energy. Born in Chicago in 1921, she made her small-screen performing debut in 1950, surprisingly -- given her subsequent established flair for comedy -- in a pair of dramas on the anthology series The Clock and Lux Video Theater. In the years immediately following, she would exploit her gifts for humor working on the big screen with the Three Stooges (#"Sweet And Hot") and on series such as Make Room For Daddy and The Jack Benny Program, as well as one Bob Hope special. Her girth was, of course, a frequent source of humor surrounding her performances -- she could have been the Totie Fields or the Wendie Jo Sperber of her era -- but Landers carried it well, and could look extremely attractive, and also had a sultry singing voice that she used on occasion to great effect. Jules White, the producer/director in charge of Columbia Pictures' B-movie unit, even proposed a new line of short subjects built around Landers, to be called "Girlie Whirls," but ended the project after a single such effort and, instead, put her to work alongside the Three Stooges. Landers continued performing until the start of the 1970s, when ill-health, caused by hyper-tension, forced her retirement. She passed away in 1977 age 55. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi- 1971
Comedian Muriel Landers, best remembered as Joe Besser's sister "Tiny" in the Three Stooges two-reeler Sweet and Hot, appears as Mommy Hoo Doo, the mother of evil magician Horatio W. Hoo Doo (Charles Nelson Reilly). Plaintively performing the ballad "I've Got Those 'Where Did I Go Wrong, What Should I Have Done, Broken Hearted Mommy' Blues," Mommy bemoans the fact that Hoo Doo has not lived up to her family's much-vaunted reputation for nastiness. The citizens of Lidsville do their best to convince Mommy that her son is a villain to be proud of...and then some. This episode is highlighted by clips from the previous Lidsville installments "A Little Hoo Doo Goes a Long Way," "Show Me the Way to Go Home," and "Fly Now, Vacuum Later." ~ Rovi
- 1970
Hogan plans to use the wedding of General Burkhalter's chubby niece Frieda (Muriel Landers) as a rendezvous point with an Underground agent -- and as step one in an elaborate escape plan. Thus it is that Hogan's Gallic "hero" LeBeau impersonates an effete Parisian designer. Others in the cast include Dick Wilson ("Mr. Whipple" of TV commercial fame) as Count Von Hertzel, horror-film regular Bruno VeSoto as the Allied agent, and Bruce Kirby (father of actor Bruno Kirby) as a Gestapo man. Written by Laurence Marks, "Gowns by Yvette" first aired on January 30, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, (more)
- 1969
Hogan must infiltrate a German hospital in order to contact one of the patients, a British agent (Forrest Compton) posing as a Nazi officer. To do this, Hogan convinces Klink that he has come down with a rare ailment known as "Polaris Extremis." Frequent Hogan's Heroes supporting player Henry Corden is cast as Dr. Klaus, while hefty comic actress Muriel Landers is seen as a nurse. Written by Harvey Bullock and R.S. Allen, "Up in Klink's Room" first aired on February 15, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, (more)
Rex Harrison, although not at all like the portly man described in Hugh Lofting's charming series of children's stories, is sheer perfection as the kindly animal doctor in Leslie Bricusse's musical fantasy Doctor Dolittle. Sadly, Harrison is the only thing nearing perfection in this overstuffed and over-mounted fiasco that nearly brought down 20th Century Fox. Considered a lunatic because he can converse in 498 animal dialects, Dolittle gathers up his friends Matthew Mugg (Anthony Newley) and Emma Fairfax (Samantha Eggar) and heads off on a journey to the South Seas to find the elusive great pink snail and the giant lunar moth. Along the way, the group encounters a succession of bizarre human and animal characters -- most notably the legendary pushme-pullyou, an animal so freakish that it compels Albert Blossom (Richard Attenborough) to burst out into the exuberant song, "I've never Seen Anything Like It in My Life." Incredibly, the film was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar in 1967. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, (more)
- 1967
In this countrified musical, a C&W singer does all he can to avoid fame and fortune because that is what destroyed his famous daddy. His managers have other plans though; musical mayhem ensues as they insure that he spends his life before an audience and not around cows. Songs include: "We've Got the Best There Is," "Don't Look Back," "I'll Make It Up to You," "Auctioneer," "What Am I Bid?" "When a Boy Becomes a Man" (Nash), "I Never Got to Kiss the Girl" (Tex Ritter). ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stephanie Hill
- 1964
Peter Whitney makes the first of four series appearances as shiftless mountaineer Lafe Crick. Arriving in Beverly Hills in hopes of freeloading off his old "friend" Jed Clampett, Lafe brings along his plump daughter, Essiebelle (Muriel Landers), who hopes to land Jethro as a husband. While Essiebelle is supposed to be a beauty contest winner, the real Miss Rheingold of 1963, Kathy Kersh, plays a supporting role. The second highest-rated episode of The Beverly Hillbillies, "The Girl From Home" originally aired on January 15, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1962
An atypical Twilight Zone entry from scriptwriter Earl Hamner, Jr., this episode stars Barry Morse as theatrical critic Fitzgerald Fortune, whose snide cynicism is matched only by his sadistic streak. While seeking out a birthday present for his young wife Esther (Joan Hackett), Fortune happens upon an old player piano, which, when activated, forces the people in its vicinity to reveal their true feelings. Wickedly amused by this, Fortune utilizes the piano at his wife's birthday party, resulting in a deluge of hidden emotions -- and, ultimately, disaster for Fortune himself. Not one of the better Twilight Zone episodes, this one benefits immensely from a stellar supporting cast, including Muriel Landers and Cyril Delevanti. Directed by future Hill Street Blues stalwart David Greene, "A Piano in the House" first aired February 16, 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Barry Morse, Joan Hackett, (more)
- 1962
Moon Pilot is an engaging Disney sci-fi comedy that manages to shoot off a few neat and surprisingly satirical barbs at the hypertense US/Russia "space race" of the era. Tom Tryon plays an astronaut who is ordered to keep his upcoming moon flight a secret, even from his family. While on a plane, Tryon is approached by lovely Dany Saval, who seems to know all about the astronaut's hush-hush mission, and who warns him about possible defects in his spacecraft. Despite the diligence of his FBI guards, Tryon is confronted time and again by Saval, who eventually reveals herself to be a visitor from the planet Beta Lyrae. A friendly alien, Saval merely wants to offer Tryon a special coating formula that will safeguard his rocket. Enchanted by the girl, Tryon plays hookey on his guards to spend more time with her, leaving the FBI, NASA, the CIA and the local constabulary to chase their own tails. When his rocket is launched, Tryon discovers that Saval has stowed away. The two sing a romantic song about Beta Lyrae while mission control (personified by Brian Keith at his most bombastic) expresses confusion over the bizarre transmissions emanating from Tryon's capsule. The release of Moon Pilot was heralded by a "preview" on Disney's Wonderful World of Color TV series, titled "Spy in the Sky." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brian Keith, Edmond O'Brien, (more)
The fabulously successful Pillow Talk was essentially Shop Around the Corner for the 1950s. Playboy composer Rock Hudson and interior-decorator Doris Day are obliged to share a telephone party line. Naturally, their calls overlap at the least opportune times, and just as naturally, this leads to Hudson and Day despising each other without ever having met in person. In a cute but convenient coincidence, Doris' boy friend is Tony Randall, who also happens to be Hudson's best pal. Thus Hudson gets a glimpse at Day, and it's love at first sight. To avoid revealing that he's her telephone rival, Hudson poses as a wealthy Texan and turns the charm on Day. But when he starts pitching woo, Day instantly recognizes all the "make-out" lines Hudson has used on the phone with his other conquests. She gets even by decorating Hudson's apartment in a hideous manner. But Hudson loves her all the same; he "kidnaps" her, carrying her through the streets in her nightgown in full view of everyone, including a laughing cop who refuses to intervene. He praises her horrifying interior decoration job effusively, and at this point Day can't help but give in to his marriage proposal. A bit too arch and cute for modern tastes at times, Pillow Talk is still one of the best of the frothy Doris Day-Rock Hudson vehicles; it made a fortune at the box office and garnered five Oscar nominations. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rock Hudson, Doris Day, (more)
- 1958
Filmed in 1957, this Three Stooges two-reel comedy featured Muriel Landers as Joe Besser's sister, a singer suffering from stage fright. Several scenes consisted of stock footage from I'm a Monkey's Uncle (1948) and Besser's solo effort G.I. Dood It (1955). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi
- 1952
Generous helpings of stock footage from the 1944 film Buffalo Bill help make Pony Soldier seem far more expensive and ambitious than it actually is. Tyrone Power stars as 19th-century Royal Canadian Mountie Duncan MacDonald, whose job it is to escort a group of Cree Indians back to their above-the-border reservation. His guide in this endeavor is the not-too-trustworthy half-breed Natayo (Thomas Gomez). Along the way, he tries to free two white captives of the Crees, escaped convict Jess Calhoun (Robert Horton) and Jess' sister Emerald (Penny Edwards). Calhoun nearly messes up the whole operation when he impulsively kills the brother of Chief Konah (Cameron Mitchell). Though set in Canada, Pony Soldier was filmed in Arizona's Coconino National Forest. A curiosity: leading lady Penny Edwards has barely five lines, while 6th-billed child actor Anthony Earl Numkena, cast as lovable Indian cub Comes Running, is given reams of dialogue. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tyrone Power, Cameron Mitchell, (more)
- 1952
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Bela Lugosi plays a mad scientist in the jungle who stumbles across a couple of comedians (intended to resemble Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis) and proceeds to use them as lab mice in his experiments. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bela Lugosi, Duke Mitchell, (more)
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