Nan Martin Movies
American actress Nan Martin's first burst of activity was in the late '50s, when TV anthology work abounded. Her film appearances commenced with The Buster Keaton Story in 1957. She remained a busy character actress into the mid '70s, playing such roles as the mother of paralyzed skiier Jill Kinmont (Marilyn Hassett) in The Other Side of the Mountain (1975) and its 1978 sequel. In 1986, Nan Martin had a recurring TV role as typist Grace D'Angelo on the Jeffrey Tambor sitcom Mr. Sunshine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1956
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This meticulous and unusually long cinemadaptation of Sloan Wilson's best-selling novel The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit stars Gregory Peck as an ex-army officer, pursuing a living as a TV writer in the postwar years. Hired by a major broadcasting network, Peck is assigned to write speeches for the network's president (Fredric March). Peck comes to realize that the president's success has come at the expense of personal happiness, and this leads Peck to ruminate on his own life. Extended flashbacks reveal that Peck had experienced a torrid wartime romance with Italian girl Marisa Pavan, a union that produced a child. Peck is torn between his responsibility to his illegitimate son and his current obligations towards his wife (Jennifer Jones), his children, and his employer. Among the many life-altering decisions made by Peck before the fade-out is his determination to seek out a job that will allow him to spend more time with his family, even if it means a severe cut in salary. The superb hand-picked supporting cast of The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit includes Ann Harding as March's wife, Keenan Wynn as the man who informs Peck that he'd fathered an Italian child, Henry Daniell as a detached executive, and an unbilled DeForrest Kelley as an army medic (who gets to say "He's dead, captain"!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregory Peck, Jennifer Jones, (more)
- 1957
The Buster Keaton Story is the sublimely inaccurate life story of immortal film comedian Buster Keaton, played by Donald O'Connor. The film begins with young Buster appearing in his parents' circus acrobatic act (the real Keatons never appeared in a circus, but were vaudevillians instead). After Buster's dad dies (an event that actually occurred when Keaton was in his 30s and already a star), the boy strikes out on his own. He makes it into silent films as a top slapstick comic (this much is accurate), but his private life is complicated by two loves, a "sweet" girl (Ann Blyth) and a wealthy temptress (Rhonda Fleming) (Buster was married three times, but not to either one of the ladies depicted in this film). When talkies come in, Buster is browbeaten by autocratic director Peter Lorre (all of Keaton's talkies were directed by Eddie Sedgwick, one of his best friends) and finds himself unable to handle dialogue (no comment). He turns to drink (true) and destroys himself in Hollywood (partly true). But through the love of good girl Ann Blyth, Buster makes a comeback in vaudeville, and finally decides to get married and settle down for the first time in his life (Buster did tour in vaudeville with wife Eleanor Norris, who was wife number three and whom he met nine years after the advent of talkies). The nicest thing about The Buster Keaton Story was that the amount Paramount paid Keaton for permission to film his "life story" ($50,000) was large enough for Buster to remain financially solvent for the rest of his life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donald O'Connor, Ann Blyth, (more)
- 1958
In this crime drama, a police psychiatrist sets out to capture a whacko purse snatcher who has been scarring the faces of his female victims as he makes off with their bags. When a girl is killed, all evidence points to the mugger, but when he is captured he fervently denies it. The police then begin looking for the real culprit and discover that the killer is the dead girl's brother-in-law and close friend of the shrink. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kent Smith, Nan Martin, (more)
- 1962
This is the first of two Untouchables episodes intended as pilot films for the proposed spinoff series White Knights, starring Dane Clark and John Gabriel as US Public Health Service agents Dr. Victor Garr and Dr. Daniel Gifford. The plot gets under way when hoodlum Chicago Arnie Kurtz (Carroll O'Connor) sends his brother-in-law Benno (Herschel Bernardi) out of town to deliver some cash. Upon his turn, Benno becomes deathly ill, prompting Elliot Ness to rely upon the medical expertise of Garr and Clifford. The diagnosis: Benno is suffering from a deadly--and highly contagious--disease known as "parrot fever." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Pat Hingle guest stars as Mike Decker, a Chicago newspaper columnist who has always believed in the innocence of accused murderer Richard Kimble (David Janssen). Managing to make contact with the fugitive Kimble, Decker agrees to mount a widespread search for the elusive One-Armed Man (Bill Raisch) who actually committed the murder. The fly in the ointment is Mike's alcoholic wife Paula, whose reckless behavior may end up betraying Kimble to his relentless pursuer Lt. Gerard (Barry Morse). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Reginald Rose adapted the script for this Twilight Zone episode from his own 60-minute Studio One teleplay, which originally aired June 13, 1955. The earlier version starred Art Carney as Horace Ford, a middle-aged toy manufacturer with the temperament of a child. Forever yearning for the days of his idyllic childhood, Horace is at last able to relive his youth, only to find that things weren't quite as rosy as he remembered. Pat Hingle played the old Art Carney role in the Twilight Zone version of "The Incredible World of Horace Ford," which was first telecast April 18, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pat Hingle, Nan Martin, (more)
- 1963
Julian Berniers (Dean Martin ) return from Illinois with his young bride Lily (Yvette Mimieux) to the family in New Orleans. Sisters Carrie (Geraldine Page) and Anne (Wendy Hiller) welcome the couple, who arrive with expensive gifts for the spinsters. The sisters hope brother Julian will help with much needed expenses, and he tells them his profitable factory went out of business but that he managed to save some money. It turns out Julian pulled of a real estate scam and took off with the dough. Carrie wishes to welcome her brother back with more than just her open arms. Carrie's jealousy of Lily pushes her to discover the shady land deal for herself as she tries to wreck the marriage. Lily returns to her mother Albertine (Gene Tierney), and is horrified to find her having an affair with their black chauffeur Henry (Frank Silvera). This film version of the Lillian Hellman play proves that Tennessee Williams is not the only playwright mining the twisted psychological profiles of characters from the deep South. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Martin, Geraldine Page, (more)
- 1964
Hired as a construction worker at a missile site, Kimble is one of several people trapped in an underground shaft by an explosion. Among the others similarly entombed are Congresswoman Snell (Nan Martin) and construction head Jack Glennon (Stephen McNally), who happen to be longtime enemies. Kimble must somehow patch up the differences between these two and persuade him that he is innocent of murder before the rescue party arrives--a party which includes the fugitive's dogged pursuer Lt. Gerard (Barry Morse). Featured in the cast is Richard Anderson, who would return in the series' final two-part episode as Kimble's brother-in-law Leonard Taft. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Every prediction made by a fortune teller to Patricia Kean (Julie Adams) has come true, including her marriage to her wealthy boss Max Armstead (Jesse White). This is why Patricia begins worrying when the seer predicts "You'll wear white. . .then widow's black." Sure enough, Max ends up being fatally poisoned--and as he breathes his last, he accuses Patricia of being his murderer. This place Patricia's lawyer Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) in an uncomfortable position, inasmuch as both he and Lt. Drumm (Richard Anderson) were present when Max spoke his final words! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
William Inge co-wrote this story about a young man who may have outgrown the straight-laced boundaries of his home town. After a hitch in the Navy, Bus Riley (Michael Thomas Parks) comes home to the staid Midwestern town of his birth; however, home doesn't feel quite like it used to, and Riley is looking for a new sense of purpose in his life. While his girlfriend Judy (Janet Margolin) tries to offer him the love and understanding he needs, she just isn't enough any more, and Riley soon starts looking for thrills with Laurel (Ann-Margret), a local floozy. Michael Thomas Parks, better known simply as Michael Parks, first put his James Dean-esque loner persona to work in this film; he'd get the most use out of it three years later, when he was top-billed in the briefly popular TV series Then Came Bronson. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ann-Margret, Michael Parks, (more)
- 1965
Two bohemians come up with a get-rich-quick scheme that goes awray in this comedy scripted by Carl Reiner. Paul (Dick Van Dyke and Casey (James Garner) are two American expatriates living in Paris; Paul is an artist and Casey a writer. Both have been trying to make a career, but with little success; Paul's girlfriend Nikki (Angie Dickinson), who is still in America, believes in his work and pays his rent. But Paul has reached the end of his tether and wants to go back home; Casey is horrified at the prospect of losing a rent-free home, so he comes up with an idea to help Paul's career and make some money. Since works by dead artists tend to fetch higher price tags and command more interest than work by living painters, Paul will fake his death with Casey's help and they'll both clean up. The plan works at first, until Casey finds he's been accused of murdering Paul. Ethel Merman has a supporting role as a madam with a habit of bursting into song. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Garner, Dick Van Dyke, (more)
When it was released in 1968, For Love of Ivy was the first mainstream Hollywood film to depict a mature romantic relationship between a black man and woman. Sidney Poitier stars as Jack Parks, a trucking executive who runs an illegal travelling casino out of one of his vehicles. Abbey Lincoln co-stars as Ivy Moore, the much-valued maid of the white Austin household. To make sure that Ivy won't quit her job, Frank Austin (Carroll O'Connor) blackmails Poitier into romancing her. He eventually falls in love with Ivy for real, but not before she's discovered that he's little more than a "hired hand" in affairs of the heart. Beau Bridges costars as amiable hippie Tim Austin, the only truly likeable member of his snooty, upper-crust clan. Robert Alan Aurthur based his screenplay on an original story by star Sidney Poiter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sidney Poitier, Abbey Lincoln, (more)
- 1968
A modern Don Juan pays the price when he "two-times" three different women. Paxton Quigley (Christopher Jones) is the campus Casanova who sleeps with Caucasian coed Tobey (Yvette Mimieux), the black beauty Eulice (Judy Pace) and the Jewish hippie girl Jane (Maggie Thrett). The three women discover the extra curricular activities of the man, and they seek revenge by locking Paxton in a attic where they feed him steak and try to kill him with sex. Soon Paxton goes on a hunger strike as the viewer is left to wonder whether or not a man's ultimate sexual fantasy can lead to his downfall -- or even death. What a way to go. Chad and Jeremy provide the music, which includes the title track in this feature plagued by lines like "Is it possible for a woman to be Jewish and psychedelic at the same time?" ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yvette Mimieux, Christopher Jones, (more)
- 1969
Hal Holbrook guest stars as Christopher Seims, a prolific art forger who specializes in copies of famous oil paintings. The FBI becomes interested in Seims' activities when he gets enmeshed in a Mafia scheme to flood the market with expensive counterfeits. Meanwhile, Seims finds his future (and his life!) on the line when he becomes attracted to Susan Craig (Nan Martin), a wealthy but rather gullible art connoisseur. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Based on one of author Phillip Roth's shorter works, Goodbye Columbus stars Richard Benjamin as Neil, a young man of humble means who falls in love with Jewish-American-princess Brenda (Ali MacGraw). Their romance is out of the question so far as Brenda's suburbanite parents are concerned, so Neil and Brenda rendezvous in some of the sleaziest motels ever seen in a 1960s film (and that assessment includes The Bates Motel). Unwilling to take birth control pills because they upset her tummy, Brenda opts for a diaphragm, which unfortunately is discovered by her mother. Their rocky relationship comprises the bulk of the film. The trendy, New Wave-influenced direction by Larry Peerce gained a great deal of critical attention in 1969, notably such self-indulgent devices as having a close-up of a girl's navel dissolve into a long-shot of a swimming pool. Far more memorable is Peerce's amusingly straight-on depictions of upper-class Jewish/American social functions. In their film debuts, Richard Benjamin and Ali MacGraw are appealingly awkward; the more memorable performance is delivered by Michael Meyers as MacGraw's adenoidal younger brother. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Benjamin, Ali MacGraw, (more)
- 1969
Harley Garnett (Michael Burns), a wealthy but seriously disturbed young man, murders socialite Karen Blakely (Brooke Mills) when she spurns his advances. Garnett commits his crime on government land, bringing the FBI into the investigation. Noticing that the murder follows the same M.O. as one committed several years earler, Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) begins to wonder if Everett Giles, currently serving a life sentence for the previous crime, is guilty after all. Cast as the sullen, embittered Giles is a young Harrison Ford. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
In a replay of the "Rasputin" story, phony mystic Emile Vautrain holds the Grandduchess Theresa of Trent (Nan Martin) in his power. To prevent Vautrain from taking full control of the tiny duchy, the IMF stages a real-life Grand Guignol presentation, complete with a fully functioning electric chair. Conveniently for the purposes of the plot, Vautrain bears an amazing resemblance to IMF agent Paris--as well he should, since both roles are played by Leonard Nimoy (a fact that was withheld from the original TV Guide listings for this episode). First telecast on March 22, 1970, "The Choice" was scripted by Ken Pettus, from a story by Henry Sharp. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Leonard Nimoy, (more)
- 1971
Once again, Tabitha brings all of her toys to life. Though she manages to recall most of her playthings, her "humanized" toy troll (Felix Silla) escapes -- just when Samantha is out having her "10,000 Twitch Overhaul." Meanwhile, Darrin's new client, Mr. Berkeley (Robert Cummings), insists upon meeting Mrs. Stephens, obliging Sam's lookalike cousin, Serena, to come to the rescue. Written by Lila Garrett and Joel Rapp, "Samantha and the Troll" first aired on February 18, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick Sargent, (more)
- 1972
The FBI and the Reds are both on the prowl for traitorous scientist Frederic Scott (Richard Kiley). While on assignment for the spy ring to whom he has sold out, Scott suddenly dashes off to parts unknown in search of his estranged wife Margaret (Marian McCargo). This clash of priorities threatens to prove fatal for both the traitor and his wife. Featured in the cast is Hurd Hatfield, best remembered for his saturnine portrayal of the title character in the 1945 film version of The Picture of Dorian Gray. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) are obliged to track down a perpetrator who under normal circumstances might have been the heroine of the story. Refusing to believe that her baby was stillborn, young mother Barbara Talmadge (Kity Winn) goes on a desperate search for her child, who has been spirited away by a crooked adoption agency. By the time the hapless Barbara catches up with the unwitting couple who have adopted her baby, she has already committed murder--and is willing to kill again if necessary! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
In this drama set in WW II, an uncle living with a New England family shares his memories after the family's four sons head off for combat duty. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1973
- R
This crime drama is the fourth in Roger Corman's series of sexy "nurseploitation" films. Three curvaceous health care workers in a big city hospital expose a drug ring that is operating from inside the facility. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1975
- PG
A woman struggles to rebuild her life after a devastating accident in this drama based on the true story of Jill Kinmont. Kinmont (played by Marilyn Hassett) was a top ranked amateur downhill skier who seemed assured of a place on the 1956 Olympic team. But while racing in Utah's Snow Cup competition, Kinmont suffered a serious fall from a mountain that left her paralyzed from the shoulders down. Kinmont became severely depressed; her career as an athlete was over, and her fiancée, who couldn't deal with the emotional toll of her accident, left her. But when she met pilot Dick Buek (Beau Bridges), she found both love and a new inspiration to make a career for herself as a teacher. But Kinmont discovered she still had more mountains to climb when Buek died in the crash of a small plane. Marilyn Hassett won a Golden Globe award for her performance as Jill Kinmont, and she reprised the role in a sequel two years later. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marilyn Hassett, Beau Bridges, (more)
Yvette Mimieux delivers a sensitive, nuanced performance in a role that could have easily spread into a cheap exploitation turn in Jackson County Jail. Mimieux plays advertising executive Dinah Hunter, who leaves Los Angeles and a promising career after she discovers her lover has been cheating on her. Determined to start fresh in New York City, she gets into her car and heads east. Picking up some young hitchhikers along the way, she ends up stranded in an out-of-the-way western town after being beaten up and having her car stolen. Thrown into the local jailhouse on trumped up charges, she finds herself at the mercy of a psychopathic guard who further beats her and then rapes her. Dinah kills the jailkeeper and goes on the lam with fellow jailhouse inmate and down-home radical Coley Blake (Tommy Lee Jones). The sheriff's department engages the couple in a wild car chase through a parade commemorating the United States' Bicentennial, as Dinah and Coley try to break free to the open road. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yvette Mimieux, Tommy Lee Jones, (more)
- 1977
A Circle of Children is an A-number-one TV adaptation of Mary MacCracken's autobiographical book. Recently separated from her husband, Mary (Jane Alexander) doesn't want to be just one more wealthy, useless divorcee. She plunges into volunteer work at a school for autistic children, where her presence is resented by brilliant but testy special-ed teacher Rachel Roberts, who considers MacCracken merely a dilettante. Ms. MacCracken proves her worth--to the teacher as well as herself--through her efforts to communicate with an 8-year-old victim of autism (Matthew Laborteaux). This Emmy-winning film was followed up by the equally superb Lovey: A Circle of Children, Part Two (1978). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Alexander
