Jock Mahoney Movies
Following his graduation from the University of Iowa and World War II service, Jock Mahoney came to Hollywood as a stuntman. Quickly establishing a reputation as one of the best and most courageous purveyors of his trade, Mahoney graduated to speaking roles in 1946. Billed as Jacques O'Mahoney, he played villains and secondary roles in Republic and Columbia westerns, showed up as a parodied "strong and silent" leading man in a handful of Three Stooges 2-reelers, and, while doubling for Errol Flynn, performed the legendary staircase leap in 1949's The Adventures of Don Juan.In 1951, Gene Autry hired Mahoney (who was now billing himself as Jack Mahoney) to star in the popular TV western series The Range Rider. This led to leading roles in such features as Overland Pacific (1954), Showdown at Abilene (1956) and I've Lived Before (1956). In 1958, Mahoney starred in another weekly TV western, Yancey Derringer. Two years later he played the villain in a Tarzan picture starring Gordon Scott, succeeding Scott as the "lord of the jungle" in Tarzan Goes to India (1962) -- during the filming of which he fell deathly ill, a fact that is painfully obvious in the completed picture.
Suffering a severe stroke in 1973, Mahoney made a near-complete recovery in the last five years of his life, performing his final stunt (tumbling from a wheelchair) in Burt Reynolds' The End. Reynolds exhibited his admiration for Mahoney in his 1980 vehicle Hooper, in which the stuntman character played by Brian Keith was named "Jocko." Mahoney's last film work was as stunt coordinator for John Derek's otherwise wretched 1981 remake of Tarzan of the Apes. Married for many years to actress Mary Field, whom he'd met while filming Range Rider, Jock Mahoney was the stepfather of Oscar-winning actress Sally Field. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1990
A tribute to Hollywood's Tarzan as played by Johnny Weismuller, Gordon Scott and Ron Ely as well as all the of the accompanying Janes and chimps. ~ Rovi
At the beginning of The End, Wendell Sonny Lawson (Burt Reynolds) is informed by his doctor that he's dying from "the same thing Ali MacGraw had in Love Story." Lawson's first reaction is to cry uncontrollably, much to the discomfort of his fellow elevator passengers. He heads to a nearby church to confess all his sins, only to be distracted by the wide-eyed fecklessness of the novice priest (Robby Benson). Attempting to resolve a few issues with ex-wife Mary Ellen (Sally Field), daughter Julie (Kristy McNichol), and his parents (Myrna Loy and Pat O'Brien), Lawson finds that they're all too absorbed in their own problems to pay him any attention. At the end of his rope, Lawson decides to kill himself -- with the help of a nutty mental patient (Dom DeLuise). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, (more)
- 1978
This adventure, based on a true-story, chronicles the amazing ability of a young man who can communicate with wild animals. He uses his gift to help heal wounded animals and send them back to their wilderness homes. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1974
Leslie Nielsen is the guest star in the season-three opener of Streets of San Francisco. Nielsen is cast as Joe Landers, an alcoholic police officer whose drunken bungling has caused the death of his longtime partner. Going to desperate and dangerous lengths to cover up his negligence, Officer Landers ultimately proves to be no match for diligent homicide detectives Mike Stone (Karl Malden) and Steve Keller (Michael Douglas). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1974
With only fragmentary evidence at their disposal, Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) search for the person who raped and murdered a young waitress. Meanwhile, the killer (Don Stroud) and his reluctant accomplice (Charles Martin Smith) are holed up in the home of two innocent bystanders (Ida Lupino, Patricia McCormack). Seen briefly as the murder victim is starlet Cheryl Stopplemoor, soon to achieve stardom as one of Charlie's Angels using her married name, Cheryl Ladd. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1973
This early '70s effort from veteran exploitation director Greydon Clark attempts to create a more socially conscious variation on the blaxploitation genre, but devotes most of its time to thrills of the most lurid variety. The story begins with Jim (director and co-writer Clark), a liberal-minded white Vietnam vet witnessing the death of a black soldier. He returns home and attempts to deliver the fallen soldier's posthumous Purple Heart to the soldier's family. In the process, he angers Makimba(Tom) (Tom Johnigarn), an angry militant who was the soldier's brother. Jim and Makimba's paths continue to cross as the two deal with their problems: Jim struggles to decide whether he should settle down with the prim and proper Nancy (Jacqueline Cole) or live with the free-spirited Bobbie, and Makimba develops an ever-growing anger towards white society as he is hounded by racist white cops, Lt. Stans (Aldo Ray) and Sgt. Berry (Jock Mahoney). Tom is finally driven over the brink and takes action, resulting in a tragedy that changes both men's lives forever. Despite the serious nature of the story line, the film that resulted is an exploitative affair that takes every opportunity to titillate the audience with plenty of sex and violence. As a result, its attempts at social consciousness went ignored, but its salacious moments went over well with the drive-in crowd. Director Greydon Clark later revisited the blaxploitation genre with the even more exploitative Black Shampoo. ~ Donald Guarisco, Rovi
- 1973
An explosion in Rampart's hospital lab not only endangers the workers, but also some valuable documents. A young woman who is trying to impress her boyfriend and his mother with a homecooked meal falls victim to one kitchen accident after another, ultimately resulting in a call to Squad 51. Dr. Early (Bobby Troup) tries to convince a man that he hasn't been placed under a hex. A sports car, and its driver, are pinned under a gas truck that is on the verge of blowing up. And station mascot Boots confuses one and all with his uncharacteristically lethargic behavior. This episode was originally scheduled to air on January 27, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1972
Originally telecast the week following the premiere of its two-hour "TV movie" pilot, the opening episode of Emergency wastes no time getting down to business. Squad 51 of the LA County Fire Department's Paramedical Rescue Service is kept busy with a heart-attack victim (Jock Mahoney) whose friends think he's only kidding, an apparent drunkard (Jeff Davis) who has actually gone into insulin shock, and a hunter trapped high on a treacherous precipice. On a lighter note, paramedic John Gage (Randolph Mantooth) is forced to play nursemaid to Bonnie, a troublesome dog belonging to auto-accident victim Paula Slayton (Pat McAnery). Real-life fireman Dick Hamner) appears as the Squad's captain (named, coincidentally, Dick Hamner), in this and all subsequent first-season episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1972
An insurance investigator looks into the mysterious disappearance of a professional football player during a live, televised game. An episode of the "Banacek" TV series. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi
- 1971
- PG13
In this semi-autobiographical romantic comedy starring Joseph Bologna and Renee Taylor (who also wrote the script together) two lonely hearts find each other in group therapy. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1970
Tarzan (Ron Ely) tries to stop a bloodthirsty Colonel (Jock Mahoney) from taking over an African village with his soldiers of fortune. The ape-man has been rendered deaf by an exploding hand grenade, effectively limiting one of his keen senses. Tarzan relies on his telepathic powers to stop a lion. Woody Strode also appears in this film that combines two made for television episodes. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ron Ely, Jock Mahoney, (more)
James Stewart and Dean Martin are atypically cast as outlaws in Bandolero! The film begins as Dee Bishop (Martin) and his gang are about to be hanged. The Scripture-spouting executioner turns out to be Dee's brother Mace (Stewart), who helps the desperadoes escape. They are pursued by a sheriff (George Kennedy), whose lady friend (Raquel Welch) has the hots for Dee. The brothers try to go straight, but before they can make up their mind they find themselves surrounded by Mexican bandidos and are forced to team up with the sheriff to fight them off. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Stewart, Dean Martin, (more)
- 1967
Chino (Dennis Hopper) is the tough leader of a motorcycle gang who starts off a war when he abducts and mistreats the leader of the enemy biker gang, Darryl (Jody McCrea), and his girlfriend Chris (Chris Noel). When Darryl comes back for revenge, things get violent. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dennis Hopper, Jody McCrea, (more)
- 1966
In this documentary, an American nurse in Vietnam tells her story to a war correspondent. Flashbacks ensue as the film chronicles her childhood in Korea during the 1950s. During the battle at Inchon, her mother was killed and she was taken in by helpful Marines. When all but two of the kindly squadron are killed, the girl vowed to become a nurse to honor their memory. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1966
In this drama, a stripper leaves the stage and becomes a grape picker at a California vineyard. There she soon arouses the suspicion of her co-workers; things get worse when the vineyard manager and his brother begin vying for her affection. Eventually tells her female co-workers who she is; she then gives them her jewelry and perfume. Later her manager shows up to bring her back to the nightclub circuits and dives. Instead the girl opts to marry the vineyard manager. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
Fort Santiago in the Philippines, built in 1574, was called "Intramuros, the walled city of Manila." This action feature is centered around Intramuros and the events that occurred there in February of 1945. After Japanese troops were finally showing defeat in Manila, they retreated into the fortress with 10,000 Filipino captives. American Lieutenant Jim Sorenson (Jock Mahoney), whose wife is held inside the fort, is instructed to rescue the prisoners with his guerrilla forces. Lt. Sorenson finds help from a brave Filipino (Fernando Poe Jr.) who managed to escape the fortress himself. Intramuros/The Walls of Hell was a slightly different topic for Filipino director Eddie Romero, known more for his low-budget exploitation and horror pictures. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jock Mahoney, Michael Parsons, (more)
- 1964
In this campy low-budget actioner, an Intepol agent heads to the Philippines to investigate the murders of two Americans whose corpses where found on an opium plantation. With the assistance of one of the victim's sisters he is led into the hellish religion of a charismatic, ruthless witchdoctor who has his followers help him smuggle guns and drugs. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jock Mahoney, Margia Dean, (more)
- 1963
Jock Mahoney makes his second appearance as the loinclothed one in Tarzan's Three Challenges. Tarzan is in Thailand this time, rescuing a young prince (Ricky Der) from his wicked uncle. Highlights include a fast-paced machete fight; lowlights include the scenes with a cute baby elephant named Hungry. Woody Strode, the African-American ex-athlete who would have made a pretty good Tarzan himself, is the Jungle Lord's principal adversary. The biggest challenge in Tarzan's Three Challenges was hiding the fact that Jock Mahoney was seriously ill all during shooting; if one doesn't notice that Mahoney's weight fluctuates from shot to shot, then director Robert Day did his job well. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jock Mahoney, Woody Strode, (more)
Allegedly based on the 1946 film starring Ray Milland but bearing no real resemblance to it, this is the story of the fight for statehood in California. The Californians want to break from Mexico, but Mexico doesn't want them to. This tale brings to the screen two brothers who are fighting on opposite sides in the battle. Not one of the best of Hollywood's efforts. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi
- 1962
One of a seemingly endless production of Tarzan movies -- still going strong decades later-- this tale by director and co-scripter John Guillermin places the hero in India. Tarzan (Jock Mahoney) is still physically musclebound, but his speech and attitude reflect more of his noble British origins than ape-man behavior. He is called to India to help save the many elephants that are endangered by the opening up of a new reservoir. The reservoir will flood the elephants' home territory, drowning them all. Tarzan not only has to do battle with recalcitrant businessmen interested only in the bottom line, he has to handle recalcitrant elephants as well. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jock Mahoney, Leo Gordon, (more)
- 1961
Another low-budget, clichéd detective yarn, Three Blondes in his Life features Jock Mahoney as a private eye who is intent on figuring out the reasons for the death of one of his acquaintances, an insurance investigator. As the detective gets to work on the case, he uncovers the investigator's sordid past that indicates there may be several people who would not mourn his passing. The blondes are mainly there to look comely, and the private eye gets to show off some good stunt work in one fight scene as the mystery of the death of the investigator starts to be resolved. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jock Mahoney, Greta Thyssen, (more)
- 1960
Gordon Scott's fifth and last appearance as Tarzan came in this 1960 installment of the long-running movie series featuring the adventures of the legendary ape man. Neither Jane nor son Boy appear in the film. Tarzan is hired to escort a hardened criminal, Coy Banton (Jock Mahoney), through the jungle so that he can be turned over to the police. Also in the party are a group of British visitors including Ames (Lionel Jeffries), whose wife Fay (Betta St. John) falls in love with the prisoner Banton. Tarzan must stop the jungle party from fighting amongst themselves. After this film, Mahoney replaced Scott as Tarzan in subsequent movies, while Scott made several Italian movies playing the role of Hercules. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gordon Scott, Betta St. John, (more)
- 1958
Douglas Sirk directed this doomed World War II love story, seen from the German side of the war, as filtered through a distinctly late-'50s Hollywood banality. The film is based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque, the author of the classic World War I anti-war novel All Quiet On the Western Front -- and who makes a cameo appearance in the film as an elderly schoolteacher. The film stars John Gavin as Ernst Graber, a young Nazi soldier home on leave during the height of World War II. While on leave, he falls in love and marries Elizabeth Kruze (Lilo Pulver). With bombs falling all around the young couple, they set up house with a kindly old woman. Then Elizabeth becomes pregnant. But before Ernst can grasp the reality of his becoming a father, he is sent back to the war -- to fight the brutal battle along the Russian front. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Gavin, Liselotte Pulver, (more)
- 1958
In this curious blend of Western and detective melodrama, Jock Mahoney plays a frontier gumshoe named Hogan. When an old prospector is murdered, Hogan takes on the assignment of finding the four heirs to the prospector's fortune. Briefly sidetracked by a romance with Mary Kingman (played by Kim Hunter in a rare Western appearance), Hogan not only finds the heirs but also the killers -- and in at least one case, heir and killer are one and the same. Money, Women and Guns was produced by Howie Horwitz, who, like screenwriter Montgomery Pittman, would go on to even bigger things in the TV industry. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jock Mahoney, Kim Hunter, (more)
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