Gerald Michenaud Movies
In this thought-provoking exploration of the values, ethics and moral responsibility involved in filmmaking, a group of young Hollywood filmmakers flimflam a small conservative town into believing that they are making a screwball comedy when in reality they are making a porno flick. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cyril O'Reilly, Ken Michelman, (more)
In this modern-day fairy tale, a sightless girl learns valuable life lessons after she helps her cruel father break out of prison. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Curtis, Neil Kinsella, (more)
Squad 51 isn't exactly looking forward to an inspection by a very exacting battalion chief. The emergency manifest this week includes a parachutist snagged on a high radio tower, an accident victim who lapses into a deep and dangerous shock, and a heart-transplant patient (Warren Berlinger) with a far from supportive spouse (Jeanne Cooper). Legendary rock deejay Wolfman Jack appears as a TV commercial director. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) try to negotiate a peace treaty between two Native Americans (Tom Geas, Bill Borsella), who plan to fight each other to the death. In other assignments, Jim and Pete search for an extortionist who specializes in bombing buildings containing businesses. Also, the two cops are summoned to the scene of an alleged burglary, where a hapless delivery man insists that he's just doing his job. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Some terrific reviews from showbiz columnist Sheila Faber (Mitzi Hoag) causes Danny's ego to swell to gargantuan dimensions. At first, Danny (Danny Bonaduce) toys with the idea of quitting the family act to strike out as a solo entertainer. Soon, however, he becomes inundated with stories of how lonely it is to be a star--and thus he is persuaded to quit show biz entirely, going so far as to hold auditions for his own replacement! Dick Clark makes a cameo appearance. Song: "Singing My Song". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Filmed in 1966 (when screenwriter Richard Breen was still around), this made-for-TV feature marked the return of Jack Webb's classic 1950s cop series Dragnet after a seven-year absence. Ordered to cut his vacation short, Sgt. Joe Friday (played by Jack Webb) is assigned to investigate the mysterious disappeances of two beautiful models and a pretty young war widow. In concert with partner Bill Gannon (Harry Morgan), Friday does his best to follow the trail of evidence, only to be continually stymied by contradictory or reluctant eyewitnesses. Before arriving at the disturbing conclusion that the missing girls have been the victims of a voyeuristic serial killer, Joe and Bill manage to solve another, unrelated murder involving a visiting Frenchman. Several members of Jack Webb's radio and TV Dragnet stock company are cast in colorful supporting roles, including Virginia Gregg, Victor Perrin, and Herb Ellis, while L.A. Dodgers catcher John Roseboro is seen as a fellow cop. A powerful opening sequence and an thrilling action climax more than compensate for the unevenness of the script (the last such by veteran Webb collaborator Richard Breen) and the occasional pokiness of the direction. Although this 97-minute Dragnet was good enough to convince NBC to revive the vintage Jack Webb series on a weekly, half-hour basis (it ran successfully for three seasons), the film itself was shelved for several years, not making its network TV debut until January 27, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Occasionally listed as In Enemy Hands (evidently a working title), In Enemy Country is a war film with "A" ambitions and a TV-movie budget. Wartime secret agents Col. Charles Waslow-Carton (Tony Franciosa) and Lt. Col. Philip Braden (Guy Stockwell) infiltrate enemy lines, posing as POWs. Their mission is to destroy a deadly new type of torpedo, hidden in a Nazi stronghold in France. Their contact is Denise Marchois (Anjanette Comer), whom Waslow-Carton had coerced into marrying a German baron (Paul Hubschmid) before the outbreak of war, thus allowing her to continue her spying activities unimpeded. Upon the completion of their mission, Marchois chooses to remain behind with her husband, whom she has grown to love. Too many peripheral characters, way too many plot twists, and a "French" village obviously constructed on the Universal back lot: for these and other reasons, In Enemy Country is a must to avoid. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Franciosa, Anjanette Comer, (more)
Chaddock (Barry Sullivan) is the straight-shooting marshall of Gloryhole, Montana. Wealthy rancher Rep Marlowe (Wendell Corey) practically owns the town by way of his gambling saloons, shady land deals and hired guns who intimidate the law-abiding citizens. Sheriff Tangley (Lon Chaney Jr.) calls on Chaddock when Marlowe holds the town hostage by damming the river and cutting off the water supply. Barbara Hale plays Sarah Cody, whose young son is killed by gunfire in the ensuing melee. The saloon girl Nora (Joan Caulfield) is a former schoolteacher forced into her tawdry occupation by the menacing Marlowe in this routine western film. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barry Sullivan, Joan Caulfield, (more)
Little Tonio (Gerald Michenaud) is convinced that flying nun Sr. Bertrille is his dead mother returning from Heaven. Trouble is, Tonio's dad, Luis (Nico Minardos), is about to walk down the aisle with his new bride, Manuela (Arlene Martel). How can Sr. Bertrille straighten things out without breaking Tonio's heart? Originally telecast on January 4, 1968, "Tonio's Mother" was written by Albert Mannheimer, John McGreevey, and Krishna Shah. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Enemy agent Peter Kiri (Sorrell Booke) has kidnapped US special envoy Wilson (James Daly) and replaced him with an exact lookalike named Gort. Kiri's plan is to discredit Wilson by having "him" behave in a disgraceful manner while on a delicate diplomatic assignment in a neutral nation. The IMF agents counter Kiri's scheme by providing their own Wilson impostor--a well-disguised Dan Briggs. Originally broadcast on March 25 1967, "Shock" was written by Laurence Heath. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Hill, Barbara Bain, (more)
The action in A Big Hand for the Little Lady centers around a high-stake poker game. The participants include some of the wealthiest men in the West (among them Jason Robards Jr., Kevin McCarthy, Charles Bickford and Paul Ford). Into this rarefied atmosphere trudges impoverished farmer Henry Fonda, who despite the protests of his wife Joanne Woodward plunks down his last dollars to join the game. Halfway through the proceedings, Fonda falls ill. With quiet desperation, Woodward sits down daintily at the table and says in a firm voice, "Gentlemen, how do you play this game?" End of story? Not by a long shot! This O. Henry-style shaggy dog story is based on a Dupont Show of the Week TV presentation Big Deal at Laredo. Keep an eye out for two movie veterans in bit parts: silent screen comic Chester Conklin and 1930's leading lady Mae Clarke. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Fonda, Joanne Woodward, (more)
Kelly (Constance Towers), a prostitute who wants to transform her life, beats up her pimp, takes the 75 dollars he owes her, and leaves town. Winding up in the small town of Grantville, she turns a trick with Griff (Anthony Eisley), who is actually the sheriff. After paying her for sex, Griff tells Kelly that Grantville is a clean town and orders her out, though he refers her to a brothel in a neighboring city. Instead, Kelly makes a final break with her past and becomes a nurse's aide at the local children's hospital. In that capacity, she meets Grant (Michael Dante), who is a benefactor of the hospital, a descendant of the town's founder -- and Griff's best friend. As Grant and Kelly fall in love, Griff viciously accuses Kelly of using her hospital job to hide ongoing illicit activities. When Kelly tells Grant about her past, he seems to accept her without reservation and proposes marriage; however, Kelly soon learns the perverse truth about her fiancée and takes matters into her own hands. Samuel Fuller's raw film noir exposes the hypocrisy of a supposedly proper society. Beneath the veneer of respectability lies an exploitive abuse of power, no different from that of any pimp. ~ Steve Press, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Constance Towers, Anthony Eisley, (more)
With the Germans advancing, Hanley (Rick Jason) and his men are ordered to evacuate a French village. Taking advantage of the situation, Frenchman Paul Lejeune (Jay Novello) switches a few road signs in order to misdirect Hanley's platoon into another village--his own. Lejeune hopes that by pulling the wool over the Americans' eyes, he can not only save the lives of the few villagers remaining, but also prevent a local winery from being bombed into oblivion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide














