Jan Merlin Movies

The U.S. Space Academy is the training ground for young cadet Tom Corbett as he prepares to protect and defend Earth in this volume from the early '50s television series. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide

Tom, a cadet at the U.S. Space Academy finds adventure while he trains to defend Earth and neighboring planets in this volume taken from the '50s television series. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide

This exciting caper outing is loosely based on the famous robbery of Brinks in Boston that netted the crooks $2.5 million. The story covers the six years small-time hood Jerry Florea (Tony Curtis) spent planning the heist. The story begins with the events that led a young Florea (played by Sal Mineo) to become a crook. Hoping to save him from a life of crime, a kindly policeman and his wife take him under their wing. Though he appreciates their kindness, Florea seems destined to become a criminal. As a young man, he begins pretending to reform and even gets a job at Brinks. The loving couple have no clue that it is only a ruse and that he is preparing to rob the establishment. It is only after he and his gang pull-off the job that Florea reconsiders his actions and then makes a daring attempt to make amends. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

One of the earliest examples of the hot rod/juvenile delinquency flick, Running Wild featured William Campbell as a rookie cop infiltrating a gang of teenagers that are stealing cars for Ken Osanger (Keenan Wynn), a nasty type who uses a gas station as a front for his nefarious purposes. Going undercover as a teenage rebel, Ralph Barclay (Campbell) not only saves pretty Leta Novak (Kathleen Case) from being ravaged by Osanger, but wins the love of voluptuous Irma Bean (Mamie van Doren), the former girlfriend of teenage gang leader Scotty Cluett (Jan Merlin). John Saxon, Walter Coy, and teen flick regular Kenny Miller also appeared in this highly exploitative crime drama from Universal directed by character actor Abner Biberman. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

A Day Of Fury stars Jock Mahoney as town marshal Alan Burnett, whose life is saved by a stranger he meets on the trail. His rescuer turns out to be Jagade (Dale Robertson), a gunslinger just returned after years away, who finds when he gets into town that he can't abide the peace that has been settled between "his" people (i.e. the saloon-keepers, gamblers, etc.) and the righteous, "respectable" folk. Jagade stirs up trouble by persuading the saloon owners to open on Sunday, which they'd voluntarily stopped doing years ago. Suddenly, the peace that had settled over the town is broken, and gambling and other vices that had been in check rise anew, drawing in many of the respectable townsmen and women in the process -- some of the men can't resist the lure of a good high-stakes poker game or a pretty woman, and even the spinster schoolteacher finds herself drawn to Jagade's dark charisma. An escalating cycle of vice and violence unfolds in barely 24 hours; Burnett won't back Jagade down, partly because the man has broken no laws and also partly due to his gratitude to the gunman for saving his life. None of the townspeople can comprehend his inaction, however, and this soon jeopardizes not only his job as marshal and his safety, but also the well-being of his fiancée, Sharmon Fulton (Mara Corday), who was a saloon girl before she was brought out of that life and given a home with a respectable family. Soon Jagade loses control of what he's started, and the town begins to destroy itself in a cycle of guilt, anger, betrayal, murder, suicide, and lynch law.
~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

James Mitchell stars as a gunslinger-turned-parson in The Peacemaker. Arriving in a hostile western town, Rev. Terrall Butler (Mitchell) intends to win over the townsfolk with faith rather than force. His religiosity is immediately put to the test when Butler tries to mediate a feud between the local ranchers and farmers. He then must face down the vicious gunmen hired by railroad mogul Gray Arnett (Herbert Patterson), who intends to lay his tracks through the territory despite the protests of the farmers. The Peacemaker was the first and last effort from Hal B. Makelim Productions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Frank Lovejoy plays the title role in Cole Younger, Gunfighter. The scene is post-Civil War Texas, when the state was under the despotic control of the "bluebellies"-corrupt law enforcement officials, answerable only to carpetbagger-governer E. J. Davis. Persecuting Texans in general and Rebel sympathizers in particular, the bluebellies make life hell for everyone with whom they come in contact. Only a few courageous souls like Kit (James Best) are willing to stand up to these uniformed bullies, and in so doing they find themselves branded as outlaws. While hiding out from the authorities, Kit befriends desperado Cole Younger, believing him to be a kindred spirit. Younger proves that he's a "right guy" by saving Kit from a trumped-up murder charge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the ninth episode of Walt Disney's 17-part miniseries Tales of Texas John Slaughter, John (Tom Tryon) and his friend, Kentucky horse breeder Ashley Carstairs (Darryl Hickman), arrive in Tombstone, AZ, with their newly purchased cattle herd. Hoping to establish a new ranch on open land, Slaughter runs afoul of ruthless cattle baron Ike Clanton (James Westerfield). John and Ashley are also briefly taken prisoner by feisty Viola Howell (Betty Lynn), who accuses them of thievery. "Range War at Tombstone" originally aired as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though originally identified by TV Guide as a departure from Perry Mason's fourth-season Summer rerun schedule, this is actually the first episode of the series' fifth season. There's skullduggery at the "Los Angeles Chronicle" following the death of the paper's top executive in a drowning accident. Acting editor Joseph Davies (Linden Chiles), realizing that his fiancee Kerry Worden (Claire Griswold) has the potential to ruin both him and the paper, does his best to get rid of her. Even so, Davies is not responsible for Kerry's murder, and Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) intends to prove it in court. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Guns of Diablo was cobbled together from two episodes of the TV series The Travels of Jamie McPheeters. 14-year-old Kurt Russell plays Jamie, an orphaned boy heading westward with a wagon train. Charles Bronson tops the cast as wagon scout Linc Murdock, who runs into difficulties when he meets old flame Maria (Susan Oliver), who is now married to corrupt lawman Rance Macklin (Jan Merlin). The jealous Macklin has Murdock arrested, but Maria frees him, permitting Murdock and Jamie to embark on a new adventure involving a "lost" gold mine. Curiously, Dan O'Herlihy, Kurt Russell's costar on Travels of Jamie McPheeters, does not appear in this ersatz feature. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Nelson (Richard Basehart) and Crane (David Hedison) are assigned to conduct a top Communist agent to the West, so that he can defect -- but their plan is betrayed and the man they're helping is wounded. He gets aboard, but unbeknownst to all concerned, the enemy has placed a trained assassin aboard to kill the defector -- and anyone who gets in his way. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

Posing as "Ben Russell", Kimble finds refuge in the home of the Koraks, a family of Hungarian emigres. When the police put the family's apartment building under surveillance while searching for an escaped murderer, Josef Korak (Ludwig Donath) begins to worry that his past criminal record as an illegal abortionist will be revealed. To save himself, Korak plans to turn Kimble over the authorities--until the runaway murderer invades the family's flat and dramatically changes the whole scenario. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Awakened at 3 AM and summoned to a secret meeting with President Grant (William Bryant), Jason (Chuck Connors) recalls a similar meeting between himself and Grant during the Civil War. Captured by Confederate soldiers, Jason soon discovers that his fellow POW is none other than General Grant--whose incarceration may well turn the tide of the war in favor of the South. Andrew J. Fenady, who wrote this episode, makes a cameo appearance as General Phil Sheridan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide