Dick Conway Movies

This final episode of Emergency!'s fourth season was intended as the pilot for a spinoff series titled 905-WILD. The members of Squad 51 lend a helping hand to the LA Animal Bureau Control Team, whose emergency phone number 905-WILD is an abbreviation for "Wild Animal Loose, Threatening". David Huddleston heads the supporting cast as crusty head veterinarian Doc Coolidge, with Mark Harmon and Albert Popwell as Bureau officers Taylor and Gordon, Rose Ann Zecker as the team's dispatcher Patty Burns, and frequent Emergency guest star Gary Crosby as the Bureau's chief, Walt Marsh. And what about the Emergency! regulars? Well, Dr. Brackett (Robert Fuller) operates on a dying goat, relying on phoned instructions from Doc Coolidge; and paramedic John Gage (Randolph Mantooth) comes face to face with a bengal tiger. A huge canyon fire which threatens thousands of domesticated animals climaxes this "special" episode. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Jack Sheldon guest stars as Ronnie Colman, latest beau of the Bradley girls' longtime nemesis Henrietta Plout (Lynette Winter). His name notwithstanding, Colman is not a movie star but instead the owner of a cropdusting business. In her efforts to advance Ronnie professionally, Henrietta's mother Selma (Elvia Allman) resorts to dirty trickery to put the boy's chief rival, Steve Elliott (Mike Minor), out of business. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Don Ameche guest stars as George, the deceptively charming uncle of Steve Elliott (Mike Minor). No sooner does Uncle George arrive in Hooterville than he lives up to his reputation as a grade-A troublemaker, inadvertently leaving dissension and hurt feelings in his wake. Former series regular Rufe Davis briefly returns to his old role as engineer Floyd Smoot, substituting for the ailing Byron Foulger (Wendell Gibbs). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

An old land deed reveals that feckless game warden Orrin Pike (Jonathan Daly) is legal owner of Hooterville Valley. This news comes a tad late to Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan),who has just banished Orrin from the Shady Rest. Now Joe must do a quick 180-degree turnaround and pull off the biggest suck-up job in history to get back into Orrin's good graces! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When Floyd (Rufe Davis) retires as conductor-engineer of the Hooterville Cannonball, his successor turns out to be the notoriously lazy Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan). To the surprise of one and all, Joe proves to be super-efficient at his new assignment; unfortunately, he also drives everyone crazy by rigidly adhering to the CF&W Railroad's timetable. Unfortunately, the train company is looking for a quick tax write-off--and what could be quicker than selling the Cannonball? This episode includes clips from the earlier installments "The Valley Has a Baby" and "The Santa Claus Special". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Greg Mullavey guest stars as Jerry Roberts, the latest boyfriend of Billie Jo Bradley (Meredith MacRae). Quite taken by Jerry, Bobbie Jo (Lori Saunders) hopes to persuade him to marry her sister--and as a result everyone at the Shady Rest smothers the poor boy with hospitality! Interestingly enough, Meredith MacRae and Greg Mullavey would later marry in real life--the second couple matched up by Petticoat Junction (the first, of course, was Linda Kaye Henning and Mike Minor). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When game warden Orrin (Jonathan Daly) is seen buying a ring, everyone in Hooterville assumes that he's poised to propose to Bobbie Jo (Lori Saunders). However, Orrin is merely running an errand for shy, marriage-minded mountaineer Merlin Ferguson. This episode marks the TV acting debut of former LA Rams defensive tackle Merlin Olsen, who went on to star in his own series Father Murphy and Aaron's Way. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Hooterville's annual Founders Day celebration may be cancelled this year due to some serious generation-gap issues. It all begins when Selma Plout (Elvia Allman) declares that the Bradley girls' rock-n-roll tribute to her sainted Great Uncle Cyrus Plout is "indecent." But in true "Hey, kids, let's put on a show!" tradition, the young folks and the old folks finally reach an understanding--with a few surprise twists along the way. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Baby Kathy Jo develops a rash, and it looks as though she is allergic to her own father Steve (Mike Minor). Banished from his own house, a disheartened Steve decides to move out. This leads to a convoluted comedy of errors sparked by the loose tongues and suspicious minds of the town gossips, led by Mrs. Tucker (Amzie Strickland). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This final episode of Petticoat Junction's sixth season was obviously intended to be aired at an earlier time: The late Bea Benaderet is still billed in the opening credits, and Betty Jo (Linda Kaye Henning) is still pregnant. In any case, the plot revolves around a government contract which Betty's husband Steve (Mike Minor) dearly covets--so much so that he underbids it by nearly two thousand dollars. Future Hogan's Heroes regular Kenneth Washington appears as Bill Blake. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

After years of industrious laziness, Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan) suddenly announces his retirement. This declaration results in a great deal of good-natured razzing from his friends: After all, what exactly is Joe retiring from? But everyone stops laughing when Joe, his feelings wounded, vows to leave Hooterville--and never come back! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the first episode of a two-part story, the Bradley girls and Steve (Mike Minor) look forward to celebrating the first birthday of little Kathy Jo. Unfortunately, it looks like the guest of honor won't show up: She and her Uncle Joe have been thrown into jail, thanks to a kleptomaniac chimpanzee! Meredith MacRae sings "I Enjoy Being a Girl", while Buck Buchanan, son of series star Edgar Buchanan, shows up in an incidental role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Dr. Janet Craig (June Lockhart) deputizes the Bradley girls as nurses in order to dispense flu shots to everyone in Hooterville Valley. Unfortunately, the ladies encounter a formidable roadblock in the person of hillbilly Jasper Tweedy (Peter Whitley), who stubbornly refuses to allow his family to be inoculated. Like most of the seventh-season episodes, this one was directed by legendary radio personality Elliot Lewis. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi