Norman Leavitt Movies

The Day of the Locust is anything but a cheerful, light look at Hollywood in the '30s. It recreates both the town as well as the filmmaking world around which much of the town revolved with devastating accuracy. The movie tells the twin tales of talentless wannabe actress Faye Greener (Karen Black) and Homer Simpson (Donald Sutherland), a lovelorn accountant who couldn't care less about movies. Around this framework, a huge and intricate social network is tellingly revealed, until the film's gruesome and tragic ending. Not for those who prefer to hang onto their illusions about the glory days of Hollywood, The Day of the Locust, based on the novel by Nathanael West, is a must-see for serious film buffs. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

A man who can't stop looking at other women finds that it might cost him his marriage in this farcical comedy. William and Lisa Alren (Richard Benjamin and Joanna Shimkus) are a young married couple whose relationship has begun to go stale. Bored and looking for diversion, William begins spying playfully on the sexual habits of their neighbors and watching attractive women passing by; while his voyeurism falls short of criminal activity, it doesn't sit at all well with Lisa. Eventually, she becomes so troubled by William's roving eye that she leaves their home and moves in with her sister Nan (Elizabeth Ashley), a harridan who has verbally browbeaten her attorney husband Chester (Adam West) into submission. At Nan's insistence and with Chester's help, Lisa begins divorce proceedings against William, but he tries to convince her to give him another chance. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Granny expresses the desire for her own horse and buggy. Meanwhile, Mr. Drysdale purchases a race horse for the Clampetts. Inevitably, Granny tries to domesticate the nag for her own purposes. Herb Vigran, a frequent Beverly Hillbillies supporting player, is here seen as a horse handler. "The Trotting Horse" originally aired on January 12, 1966, the same evening that the Clampett family was knocked out of the top ten ratings by a little item called Batman, which aired one hour earlier. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this comedy, another entry in the slapstick series based on a popular TV show, meek little Ensign Parker finds himself getting promoted for no apparent reason. He gets himself rip-roarin' drunk one night and finds himself wearing an Air Force uniform and mistaken for a big-wig. He continues to mess up, but to no avail, no matter what he does, he continues to get promoted. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) fears for his future when an investment in a health farm turns sour. To help Mooney recoup his investment, Lucy (Lucille Ball) and the Countess (Ann Sothern) offer to publicize the farm. Unfortunately, this requires the ladies to undergo a grueling weight-loss regimen--and before long, our heroines are scheming to go "over the wall" before their treatment is complete. Watch this episode and you'll see why so many people compare The Lucy Show to Laverne and Shirley. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Toward the end of Jerry Lewis's Paramount studio period, Lewis slapped together this bitter comedy about Hollywood phoniness and fame that has to be the most rancid portrait of the Hollywood star system in the Rat Pack era this side of Clifford Odets. When a famous entertainer suddenly is killed in an airplane crash, his team of flunkies -- producer Caryl Fergusson (Everett Sloane), writer Chic Wymore (Phil Harris), press agent Harry Silver (Keenan Wynn), director Morgan Heywood (Peter Lorre in his final film role), valet Bruce Alden (John Carradine), and secretary Ellen Betz (Ina Balin) -- decide to continue their life style by finding a complete unknown and manufacturing him into a Hollywood star. That unknown turns out to be the nervous and inept bellboy Stanley Belt (Jerry Lewis). They train Stanley to become an over-night singing sensation, and despite a disastrous recording session and a failed nightclub performance, the public relations blitz makes Stanley's recording of "I Lost My Heart in a Drive-In Movie" a smash single. So much so that Stanley is given a shot at appearing on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Expecting the worst, Stanley's management team abandons him right before his performance. But Stanley musters up enough confidence to go on the live program alone and manages to surprise his pessimistic ex-staff. A collection of Hollywood celebrities circa 1964 --George Raft, Ed Wynn, Ed Sullivan, Mel Torme, Rhonda Fleming and Hedda Hopper -- make cameo appearances. High spots include an apocalyptic music lesson with voice teacher Dr. Mule-rrr (Hans Conried), Ed Sullivan performing a bizarre impersonation of himself, and an ending that would make even Jean-Luc Godard blush. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Betty Rose (Carmen Phillips) is ticked off when her boyfriend, Dandy Arthur (Robert Loggia), returns from military service with a young wife named Mieko (Pilar Seurat) in tow. After "helpfully" warning Mieko that Dandy has a homicidal streak, Betty confronts her ex-beau, resulting in a violent argument which ends with Betty's death. For a while, Mieko refuses to believe that her husband might be responsible for the tragedy -- until she stumbles upon some evidence that may well sign her own death warrant. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Leo Durocher appears as himself in this episode. Mr. Drysdale arranges for Jed and Jethro to play golf with Durocher, but when the Clampetts show up at the course, Leo the Lip assumes that they're caddies. The story goes off on a new tangent when Jethro demonstrates a dynamite pitching arm. Best gag: Jed and Jethro "changing in the locker." "The Clampetts and the Dodgers" originally aired on April 10, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A young widow from Boston travels with her three children to Maine to enjoy their summer vacation. Margaret Carey (Dorothy McGuire) is helped by the friendly Osh Popham (Burl Ives), who finds the family a rent-free house vacated by a vacationing landowner. Daughter Nancy (Hayley Mills) catches the eye of a young schoolteacher, Digby (Michael J. Pollard). The owner of the summer house shows up from Europe unexpectedly, but keeps his identity a secret when he too falls for the young Nancy. The entire family gets to croon with Burl Ives in a folksy front-porch singalong. The townsfolk make the Careys feel at home to the point that they consider making the idyllic coastal town their permanent home. This Walt Disney film is lighthearted entertainment for the entire family. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly-Joe DeRita are out of this world as The Three Stooges In Orbit. The veteran comedy trio defends a secret weapon invented by Professor Danforth (Emil Sitka) from falling into the hands of scheming Martians. Following his success as the villain in "The Three Stooges Meet Hercules", George N. Niese returns to play the role of villain, this time a malevolent Martian named Ogg. Of course, Zogg (Raymond Barnes) isn't far behind as the two conspire to steal the new invention that combines the features of a submarine, a tank, and a rocket ship. The Stooges prove their patented brand of slapstick comedy and sight gags work with or without gravity. This is the second Three Stooges film produced by Norman Maurer, who was Moe Howard's son-in-law. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Inasmuch as the spectacular Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart Broadway musical Jumbo was written in 1935, this 1962 film version can't help but seem a little quaint. Still, the film features the original production's star Jimmy Durante, energetically recreating his stage role as circus owner Pop Wonder; it is Durante's bravura performance that saves the film from dullness. Threatened with foreclosure, Pop Wonder and his pretty daughter Kitty (Doris Day) put their fates in the hands of go-getter Sam Rawlins (Stephen Boyd). What they don't know is that Sam is the son of Pop's biggest rival (Dean Jagger), and he's been sent to undermine the Wonder Circus. It goes without saying that Sam turns the tables on his dad, thereby saving the day and winning Kitty's hand. Martha Raye shows up as Lulu, a fortune teller who can't figure out what's going to happen next (funny, we can). And of course there's Jumbo the elephant, who figures into the film's funniest scene (as well as one of Jimmy Durante's most celebrated punchlines). Old MGM musical hands Charles Walters and Busby Berkeley share directing chores, but somehow the film hasn't the panache of their earlier work. Happily, most of the Rodgers-Hart songs are retained, including "My Romance" and "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World"-not to mention a few Rodgers-Hart tunes borrowed from other show, e.g. "This Can't Be Love". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Bungling courier Freddie Merkel (Tommy Noonan) dreams of creative success but always manages to botch things up at crucial moments. Shortly after destroying his motorcycle, he decides to become a songwriter. This gives con man Duke (Peter Marshall) the perfect opportunity for his latest scam, one that involves submitting Freddie's song to a contest. Unfortunately, a wind gust blows the finished piece away just before Freddie turns it in. The two scramble to catch the tune, but it ends up in the hands of a priest who is suddenly inspired to enter the contest himself. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi