Sally Mansfield Movies
A graduate of Actors Company of Chicago and a nightclub dancer, Sally Mansfield was awarded a Paramount contract in 1951, appearing in several Martin & Lewis comedies. She became a star on the small screen, however, reportedly beating 300 other actresses for the female lead on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, a syndicated science-fiction drama starring Richard Crane. "Miss Emmy" of 1954, Mansfield went on to appear on such television shows as The Andy Griffith Show and McHale's Navy and was a regular on Bachelor Father from 1961-1962. She later did commercial voice-over work. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide- 1965
It is time again for Founder's Day in Mayberry, and on this occasion a mobile museum has arrived in town. Meanwhile, deputy Warren struggles to get the park's ornamental cannon in working condition, hoping to fire a salute in honor of the governor's visit. As an added plot complication, a gang of crooks has shown up in town, planning to take advantage of the excitement by staging a heist. Written by Jack Elinson, "The Cannon" originally aired on November 22, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Burns
- 1962
Nabbed by Andy for an outstanding traffic citation, powerful newspaper mogul J. Howard Jackson (Roy Roberts) vows to get even by having Andy removed from office. Barney unwittingly helps Jackson by providing "evidence" against Andy to girl reporter Jean Boswell (Ruta Lee). When Andy's case is brought to court, it is the shamefaced Barney who saves the day. Written by Jack Elinson and Charles Stewart, "Andy on Trial" originally aired on April 23, 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ruta Lee
The second of Jerry Lewis' directorial endeavors, The Errand Boy, like its predecessor The Bellboy, is essentially a series of "spot gags," some hilarious, others only moderately amusing. The gossamer-thin plot finds Morty Tashman (Lewis) being hired by the CEO of "Paramutuel Pictures" (Brian Donlevy) to spy on studio employees and report any incidents of wastefulness and sloth. This gives Morty a chance to wander all over the Paramutuel Pictures lot, inadvertently interfering with work in progress, encountering strange characters and inexplicable events, and overall making as much of a nuisance of himself as possible. Some of the better gags include Morty's chaotic behavior at the "wrap party" for a vainglorious movie queen (Iris Adrian); his attempts to eat lunch while a noisy battle scene from a war picture rages all around him; his misguided effort to dub in the singing voice of a tone-deaf actress; the "Mr. Baebrosenthal" bit; and Morty's tete-a-tete in the studio swimming pool with a scuba diver. The weakest scenes involve Morty's sugary encounters with the Ritts Puppets, and a smug curtain speech about the importance of laughmakers in this troubled world. The huge supporting cast includes such reliable chucklemeisters as Howard McNear, Sig Ruman, Milton Frome, Benny Rubin, Fritz Feld, Doodles Weaver, Joey Forman, Dick Wesson and Joe Besser; also making fleeting appearances are actress/writer/director Renee Taylor, veteran movie tough guy Mike Mazurki (in drag!), silent film comic Snub Pollard, and the four stars from TV's Bonanza. Even non-Jerry Lewis fans will come down with a case of loose chuckles while watching The Errand Boy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerry Lewis, Brian Donlevy, (more)
Crash of Moons consists of three half-hour episodes from the mid-1950s science fiction TV show Rocky Jones, Space Ranger. Richard Crane stars as Jones, spaceship commander for the United Worlds. Scotty Beckett costars as obligatory comedy relief Winky, while Maurice Cass is Professor Newton and shapely Sally Mansfield is navigator Veda. The 39 Rocky Jones episodes were constructed cliffhanger style, enabling the producers to reissue them as 13 ersatz "feature films". Per its title, Crash of Moons concerns two inhabited planets which seem inexorably headed for an apocalyptic collision. The film boasts some impressive special effects-impressive, that is, by 1950s TV standards. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The syndicated TV sci-fi series Rocky Jones, Space Ranger (1953) was dual-purposed. Though running 39 episodes, the series consisted of thirteen serialized continuities, each running three weeks. These adventures were later assembled into ersatz "feature films" for theatrical release. One such three-part adventure was Manhunt in Space, in which Rocky Jones and his space rangers battled a group of extraterrestrial desperadoes from the planet Prah. Scotty Beckett, Sally Mansfield and Maurice Cass costar in this low-budget but highly imaginative effort. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1954
After several years of domestic squabbles, the marriage of Nina and Robert Tracy (Judy Holliday, Jack Lemmon) goes "phffft"! Upon receiving their divorce papers, Nina and Robert are certain that they'll remain friends, no matter how many new lovers they pick up along the way. Nina dallies briefly with bombastic Charlie Newton (Jack Carson), while Robert has a fling with the luscious Janis (Kim Novak). These romantic episodes only serve to make Nina and Robert realize how much they're still in love with each other. According to costar Jack Lemmon, the original title of this film was Phfffft!, but after an all-night bull session at Columbia Pictures it was decided to take out one of the "F"s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judy Holliday, Jack Lemmon, (more)
- 1953
Sir James Barrie's whimsical play Rosalind was updated and urbanized as the 1953 film Forever Female. Ginger Rogers plays a veteran Broadway star who has optioned a play written by William Holden. Though on the less sunny side of 40, Rogers expects to play the leading role, that of a 19 year old girl. Producer Paul Douglas--who also happens to be Rogers' husband--insists that Holden alter the age of the main character. Meanwhile, iron-willed ingenue Patricia Crowley, who is far more suited to the part than Rogers, begins her own campaign to win the role. Far more enjoyable than the plot mechanics of Forever Female are the sly showbiz inside jokes, courtesy of screenwriters Julius and Philip Epstein. It's also fun to tick off the familiar faces in the supporting cast, including George Reeves as a stuffy suitor, future Mrs. Bing Crosby Katherine Grant as an auditioning actress, and Gunsmoke and Dragnet villain Vic Perrin as an effeminate set designer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ginger Rogers, William Holden, (more)
When an alien rocket descends to Earth, an expedition into space to find the origins of the strange device results in a clash between two worlds in this science fiction film that was compiled from three episodes of the Rocky Jones, Space Ranger television series. Upon studying the alien rocket and determining that it must have come from the planet Fornax, Professor Newton sends a team led by space ranger Rocky Jones to investigate. Arriving on Fornax to discover an alien race that has been brainwashed by the nefarious Professor Kardos into thinking that the population of Earth is about to invade, Rocky attempts to persuade the alien leader that this is not the case. His efforts are complicated when his arch enemy Griff arrives and attempts to use the alien's advanced technology against the population of Earth. Now Rocky and the aliens must join forces to overcome Griff if they hold out any hope of diffusing tensions between Earth and Fornax and saving the planet that Rocky calls home. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Crane, Sally Mansfield, (more)
- 1953
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Rocky Jones, Space Ranger was an action/adventure television show of the early '50s that followed the trials and tribulations of Rocky Jones, a pilot who flew the spaceship Orbit Jet for the United Worlds. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
