Steven Marlo Movies
- 1983
Much against her better judgment, unlicensed midwife Olivia Allen (Lynn Hamilton) assists in the emergency delivery of an illegal immigrant's baby. When the child dies, the authorities charge Olivia with second degree murder. Her curiosity aroused by the subsequent similar deaths of several other infants, Olivia's friend Dr. Katherine Reed (Elizabeth Huddle) prevails upon Quincy (Jack Klugman) to help solve the mystery and clear Ms. Allen's name. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
After producer Irwin Allen highlighted the dangers of fire in the Towering Inferno and the dangers of water in the Poseidon Adventure, he is back to fire again but this time it is within the earth, at least for awhile. This fairly routine disaster film is set on a resort island with a volcano that is beginning to rumble. Stars include a long list of names: Paul Newman is Hank, the savvy oil driller who gets people to safety even against their will, Jacqueline Bisset is the woman he is interested in, William Holden, Eddie Albert, Barbara Carrera, Veronica Hamel and several others play individuals trapped on the island. Hank convinces some people to follow him to the highest part of the island as the volcano gets set to blow its top. They encounter several dangerous situations after the dormant volcano wakes up but nothing quite like the non-stop, action filled, death-defying scenes from the explosion of volcano movies that hit the screens in 1997: Dante's Peak, Volcano, Eruption, Volcano: Fire in the Mountain, and a few more from around the world. They formed a virtual 1997 "ring of fire." ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Newman, Jacqueline Bisset, (more)
Killer bees migrate to the United States from Africa via South America in this disaster film produced and directed by the genre's chief architect, Irwin Allen, and written by Stirling Silliphant, scribe of The Poseidon Adventure. Haughty entomologist Brad Crane (Michael Caine) shows up at a secret military base full of dead soldiers, shocking the attendant General Slater (Richard Widmark). Crane announces that the soldiers are the victims of killer bees with amazingly potent venom; he's been tracking huge swarms of the things and fears they'll kill millions before they're through. Eventually, the president asks Crane to lead the battle against the killer insects and he assembles a team of crack scientists. Meanwhile, the bees overpower a family picnic in nearby Marysville; only the son, Paul (Christian Juttner), escapes with his life. Crane and military physician Helena Anderson (Katherine Ross) head to Marysville to warn the populace about the impending danger. Among the citizens in the direct path of the bees are schoolmarm Maureen Schuster (Olivia de Havilland) and her competing suitors, Felix (Ben Johnson) and Clarence (Fred MacMurray). Eventually, the bees stage a massacre in Marysville and then set their sights on Houston. Neither pesticides, firebombing, nor the heroic sacrifice of scientist Dr. Krim (Henry Fonda) seems to offer a solution for the impending disaster. Universally reviled by critics, The Swarm failed to continue Allen's winning streak at the box office. Caine would re-team with his director the following year for Beyond the Poseidon Adventure. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Katharine Ross, (more)
- 1977
Fed up with low-quality television programs, John (Randolph Mantooth) stays up all night--for several consecutive nights--to develop his own TV game show. Back on the job, John joins Roy (Kevin Tighe) in treating an ex-jazz singer who may have heart problems. Other emegencies on tonight's docket include a tightrope walker who is trapped between two tall buildings, and a multiple-injury incident caused by a careless driver. This final episode of Emergency!'s sixth season is also the series' last hour-long episode; thereafter, the program would resurface in the form of six movie-length "specials", spread out over the next two years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Roy (Kevin Tighe) gets into big trouble when he agrees to temporarily provide a home for the bratty son of an accident victim. Emergency calls in this episode include a huge traffic accident on an isolated canyon road, requiring the combined services of Squad 51 and an air-rescue unit. Also, the passengers of a boat on fire must be airlifted to safety; and Dr. Early (Bobby Troup) treats a particularly nasty case of spinal meningitis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
The Queen is a luxury cruise ship, "played" by the Queen Mary in this made-for-TV thriller. The villain has it in for one of the ship's millionaire passengers. Accordingly, he (or she-we're not telling) plans to destroy the vessel and everyone on board. The producer of this all-star disasterfest was-drum roll, please-Irwin Allen. TV movie "regulars" John Gay and David Lowell Rich served as scripter and director, respectively, for Adventures of the Queen, which first sailed into American homes on February 14, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
The station house is plagued by a series of false alarms which seriously compromise the team's ability to handle genuine emergencies. Among the culprits is an old coot who pretends to be suffering from back pains so he can get a free ambulance ride. In other developments, an angry viewer suffers the consequences when he kicks his TV screen; a young person OD's on drugs; and a heart attack victim may never make it to the hospital thanks to a traffic accident. Among the guest stars in this episode are Hollywood veteran Keenan Wynn and future Hill Street Blues costar Michael Conrad. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Signe Hasso guest stars as Madame Vasiliev, a self-styled psychic operating out of her own "Chapel of the Mind." Though Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) suspect that Madame Vasiliev is a phony, they cannot deny that most of her prognostications have come true--and thus the two cops are forced to work alongside the Madame in hopes of locating a kidnapped girl. Cast as the victim's mother is Diana Douglas, the real-life mother of series costar Michael Douglas. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
- PG
Murder abounds at a wax museum after the owner decides to sell it, and seemingly waxen figures come alive. By the way, are wax images normally supposed to breathe when being filmed? ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1973
The Arnold of Arnold, like the Harry of The Trouble With Harry, is stone cold dead from the outset of this film. That doesn't stop Arnold's mistress Stella Stevens from marrying the corpse so as to come into his millions. The trick is to hide the fact that Arnold is indeed stiff as a mackerel. To accomplish this, a series of murders is a necessity. Special guest victims include Stevens' wastrel brother Roddy McDowall, her dotty sister Elsa Lanchester, handyman Jamie Farr, as well as lawyers Farley Granger and Patric Knowles. Also on hand are such dependables as Victor Buono, Shani Wallis, John McGiver and Bernard Fox. The script is by TV-sitcom stalwarts Jameson Brewer and John Fenton Murray. As one-joke films go, Arnold is as good as any. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Squad 51's emergency hotline is tied up a hysterical woman (Fintan Meyler) who is convinced that her husband (Charles Aidman) is being stalked. . .by the ghost of her late sister. Elsewhere, a tranquilizer overdose results in a quick trip to the E.R., a diver is trapped fifteen feet beneath the waves in his own car, and there's another crisis situation in a warehouse. The episode's guest cast includes a young Bruno Kirby, here billed as Bruce Kirby Jr.. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
A decidedly pre-Naked Gun Leslie Neilsen guest stars in this episode as veteran cop John T. Connor. Upon learning that he has a terminal illness, Connor vows to murder the slick racketeer whom he has been unsuccessfully trying to put behind bars for the past eighteen months. Thus are Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) forced into the uncomfortable position of saving a notorious criminal from one of their own colleagues. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Don Grady of My Three Sons fame guest stars as John McElroy, the irresponsible son of business executive Douglas McElroy (Murray Hamilton). After John inadvertently commits a crime on a government reservation, a mobster who witnessed the incident strongarms the boy's father into allowing his company to be taken over by the Mafia. Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) must not only bring John to justice for his crime, but also save the boy from becoming yet another Mob casualty. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Katherine Daly (Anne Baxter) is kidnapped from her own home by escaped robber-murderer Frank Padgett (Steve Ihnat). Heading to the Arizona desert with his captive, Padgett intends to force Katherine to guide him through the treacherous region to his getaway plane. Though Padgett has a considerable head start, Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) hopes to rescue Katherine by relaying a coded radio message to her--if it isn't already too late. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Like the first-season Mission: Impossible episode "The Ransom," the second-season installment "The Condemned" is an unusual departure from the series' format. Racing against the clock, Jim Phelps hopes to save the life of his close friend Kevin Hagen, who has been convicted of murder and sentenced to die in a Spanish prison. Unbeknownst to anyone, the "murder victim" is actually alive and well and living under an assumed name. Other plot wrinkles include the disappearance of a diamond tiara and the curious behavior of Webster's ex-sweetheart Luisa Rojas (Mariana Hill). First telecast January 28 1968, "The Execution" was written by Laurence Heath. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, (more)
- 1967
Ricardo Montalban guest-stars as Gerard Sefra, formerly the sadistic overseer of the defunct Boradur penal colony. Sefra has somehow come into possession of a sample of Cesium 138, the catalyst for a low-cost nuclear arsenal. To prevent Sefra from selling the Cesium to the highest bidder, the IMF agents concoct a scheme to destroy both the catalyst and the villain--a scheme that hinges on digging a tunnel underneath Sefra's stronghold in Boradur. Written by Judith Barrows and Robert Guy Barrows, "Snowball in Hell" originally aired February 18, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Hill, Barbara Bain, (more)
- 1967
Vivian Vance makes her first Lucy Show appearance since leaving the series at the end of Season Three, reprising her familiar role as Lucy's best friend Vivian Bagley--now known as Vivan Bunson, thanks to "that little band of gold." But it's not entirely a sentimental reunion: Viv has arrived from Danfield on a mission to rescue young Herbie Walton (Les Brown Jr.), who has seemingly dropped out of medical school to become an unshaven hippie on the Sunset Strip. Yes, this is the classic episode in which Lucy and Viv disguise themselves as hippies (though they look more like beatniks), then engage in a wild dancer number with a pair of male hippies (who look more like motorcycle bums). Far out, right on! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vivian Vance, Les Brown, Jr., (more)
- 1966
With Saunders (Vic Morrow) otherwise occupied, the estimable Pvt. Kirby (Jack Hogan) assumes temporary command of the squad--and not surprisingly, he lets his newly-acquired authority go to his head. Things take a dramatic turn when Kirby and the men are stranded in enemy territory. . .and worse, the radio is dead, preventing him from contacting Saunders for advice. Faced with the responsibility of being a genuine leader for the first time in his life, Kirby worries that he isn't equal to the task. It falls to Doc (Conlan Carter) to help Kirby overcome his terror and shepherd the squad to safety. This is the final episode of Combat's fourth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
This WW II drama offers a look inside an army hospital set up in the Philippines and chronicles the relationships between the wounded soldiers and their devoted nurses. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Marlo, Maura McGiveney, (more)
- 1966
Kirby (Jack Hogan) begins to question his priorities when he risks life and limb to make certain that a deadbeat soldier pays off a poker debt of several hundred dollars. The situation worsens when it becomes obvious that Kirby's debtor is willing to let his "buddies" die so that he can stay alive. Featured in the cast is future M*A*S*H star Mike Farrell, presciently cast as an Army doctor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
Jason Evers guest stars as wounded GI Jim Cully, an ill-tempered Virginia hillbilly who trusts absolutely no one. While Kirby (Jack Hogan) visits Cully in the hospital, we flash back to the tumultuous events leading up to the present moment. Essential to the action (and its outcome) is Pvt. Littlejohn (Dick Peabody), the only member of King Company willing to befriend the taciturn Cully--an act which may prove fatal to him. Watch for cult-film favorite Dick Miller in a small role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
Called up for two weeks' service as a Naval reserve Lieutenant Commander, Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) is reluctantly committed to be first officer on the submarine manned by Commander Moore (Robert Carson)--and it's all because of Lucy's well-meaning interference. But wait--there's more! Obliged to deliver an important message to Mooney, Lucy (Lucille Ball) is forced to disguise herself as a male sailor. A literally explosive climax caps this waterlogged misadventure, in which future Lucy Show semi-regular Roy Roberts (Mr. Cheever) appears as an admiral. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Roberts, Robert Carson, (more)
- 1966
Mickey Rooney shows up at the bank, hoping to float a loan from Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) to set up an acting school. The Mick gets the dough, only to find out that his first pupils are none other than Mr. Mooney and a certain redhead named Lucy (Lucille Ball). Suffice to say that the two would-be thespians are no threat to Laurence Olivier -- and that after a few hours of exposure to Lucy's acting skills, Rooney is seriously considering seeking out a new line of work. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mickey Rooney, Steven Marlo, (more)
- 1965
Sidney Pollack marked his feature film directing debut with this taut suspense drama, based upon an actual incident reported in Time Magazine. Sidney Poitier stars as Alan Nuell, a student volunteer at a medical clinic in Seattle who answers the phone to find Inge Dyson (Anne Bancroft) on the other end. Inge, depressed about her life, has just taken an overdose of sleeping pills. With Inge slowly dying, Alan tries to keep her talking on the phone while the police try to trace the call and save her life. Inge tells Alan that she has decided to end it all because her husband has discovered that he is not the father of her son. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sidney Poitier, Anne Bancroft, (more)
