Martin Milner Movies

Season one of Adam-12 gets underway with admirable rapidity, with the episode "Log 1: The Impossible Mission," directed by series creator Jack Webb. The opener details the first day on the job for rookie LAPD cop Jim Reed (Kent McCord), who has been teamed with crusty veteran Pete Malloy (Marvin Miller). Although Malloy is still bitter over the fact that his previous partner had been killed a few weeks earlier, he takes Reed under his wing and helps the youngster survive his shakedown cruise with flying colors. Later episodes find Reed and Malloy piloting their squad car to a variety of assignments, coming in close contact with drug pushers, burglars, abusive spouses, and stalkers. Many of the first-season installments deal with Reed's adjustment to his new job. In "Log 91 -- You're Not the First Guy's Had the Problem," Jim learns the hard way how to keep his emotions separate from his work when one of his best friends is seriously wounded. And in "Log 33 -- It All Happened So Fast," Reed is forced to kill a man in the line of duty for the first time. In the interests of fairness, however, Malloy also has his bad days. In "Log 112 -- You Blew It," Pete gives a speeding motorist a break and lets him go without a citation -- only to find out that the man had several warrants for robbery and weapons charges against him. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

As Adam-12 begins its third season, former rookie cop Jim Reed (Kent McCord) is promoted to full officer. No one is happier about this promotion than Jim's crusty veteran partner Pete Malloy (Martin Milner), who has regarded Reed as an equal all along. The supporting cast this season includes such series stalwarts as William Boyett as Sgt. McDonald and Gary Crosby as Officer Ed Wells. The one "new" cast member, Claude Johnson as Officer Norm Green, isn't new at all: during the past season, actor Johnson was seen from time to time in a similar role, as Officer Brinkman. Also, there are a number of noteworthy guest stars, including film noir regular Marie Windsor, legendary comedian Morey Amsterdam, and former singing star Dorothy Shay (aka "The Park Avenue Hillbilly"). The season's best episode is "Log 105 - Elegy for a Pig." Narrated by Pete Malloy, the episode recounts the last hours in the life of Pete's former partner, who had been killed in the line of duty. In other episodes, the partners must deal with street gangs, arsonists, a car-theft ring using beautiful girls as come-ons, game poachers, a misguided band of militants, and at least one naked motorist! Although it was fashionable amongst certain "hip" circles to deride Adam-12 as corny and reactionary, the public at large certainly didn't feel that way: the series ended its third season as America's 12th highest-rated program. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season five of Adam-12 boasts a number of fascinating guest stars, backing up series leads Martin Milner (as Officer Pete Malloy) and Kent McCord (as Officer Jim Reed). The season opener "Dirt Duel" features Micky Dolenz, late of The Monkees. "The Beast" offers an acting opportunity to Donna Douglas, the former Elly May Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies. And "The Late Baby" is a treasure trove of second-generation talent, not only featuring Adam-12 regular Gary Crosby (son of Bing) but also brother and sister Frank Sinatra Jr. and Christina Sinatra. Also worth noting is the series' first two-part episode, "Clear With a Civilian." And finally, there is "Lost and Found," a "crossover" episode co-starring several regulars from the Jack Webb-produced series Emergency!: Julie London, Bobby Troup, Robert Fuller, Randolph Mantooth, and Kevin Tighe. Although Adam-12 had reached its ratings peak the previous season, the series still finished strong at the end of season five, ranking as America's 11th most-watched program. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The seventh and final season of Adam-12 spends a bit more time on the private lives of LAPD officers Malloy (Martin Milner) and Reed (Kent McCord) than in previous years. Reed was seen commiserating with his wife Jean, played by Kristin Harmon (replacing season two's Mikki Jamison). As for the unmarried Malloy, he devoted much of his down time to talking about his new girlfriend Judy, who was seen from time to time in the person of actress Aneta Corsaut, better known as Helen Crump on The Andy Griffith Show. The season opens with one of the series' rare two-part episodes, "Camp," and closes with another two-parter, "Something Worth Dying For." In between, the viewer is treated to one of Adam-12's best-ever episodes, "X-Force," in which Malloy loses his cool with a child abuser and smacks his handcuffed prisoner against a wall -- leading to an excessive-force charge, with Reed reluctantly corroborating the evidence. Although Adam-12's ratings suffered mightily as a result of being scheduled opposite Happy Days and Good Times, the series still enjoyed a loyal following during its final season -- and, as a bonus, it had entered the Valhalla of media history as prime time's last-ever half-hour dramatic network series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this exciting Korean War-era actioner, two Marine combat photographers risk their lives on the front to chronicle the battles. When not behaving heroically up there, they are competing for the affection of a pretty Red Cross nurse. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Anna Sewell's 1906 novel Black Beauty was given its most elaborate and thorough filmization to date in this five-part TV presentation. The scene has been shifted from England to Maryland, but otherwise Sewell's story about 13 years in the life of the beautiful and headstrong colt Black Beauty remains intact. In part one, telecast January 31, 1978, we see how Black Beauty is raised from a foal by the family of farmer Tom Gray (Martin Milner). When Tom suffers a stroke, his wife (Eilleen Brennan) sells both farm and colt. Filmed in Kentucky, Black Beauty was narrated throughout its run by David Wayne. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Compulsion is a compelling, stylish thriller, loosely based on the famous 1924 murder trial of thrill-killers Loeb and Leopold, two homosexual students who murdered a young boy to demonstrate their intellectual superiority. Artie Straus (Bradford Dillman) is a sadistic, mother-dominated bully. Judd Steiner (Dean Stockwell) is a submissive, introverted sissy. Having been raised by wealthy, arrogant families, both Artie and Judd consider themselves above conventional morality. Unfeeling and conceited, the boys, after the killing, take delight in offering to aid in finding the culprits. It is this arrogance which leads to their capture and prosecution for the murders. Jonathan Wilk (Orson Welles), playing a Clarence Darrow-like criminal defense attorney, takes on the case, and puts on a defense, without the cooperation of his clients, who will offer no explanation for what they have done. Bradford Dillman gives an outstanding performance, as does Dean Stockwell as the utterly unsympathetic murderers. Orson Welles is flamboyantly imposing as Wilk, who must use all his wits to try to save the boys from execution. Compulsion is a suspenseful courtroom drama, even though most viewers will know the outcome. Tautly directed by Richard Fleischer, the film is an outstanding, believable courtroom drama. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide

An offbeat blend of World War II drama and "Arabian Nights" escapism, Destination Gobi is all the more odd in that it is allegedly based on fact. Richard Widmark heads a group of US Navy men, sent to Mongolia for weather observation. Widmark must lead his men across the treacherous Gobi desert to the freedom of the seacoast. Rescued from the Japanese by a Mongolian chief (Murvyn Vye), the men are compelled to repay their rescuer by securing enough saddles for his sixty horses. A flummoxed Pentagon okays the requisition, and the chieftain leads Widmark's band to Okinawa. Destination Gobi makes good use of the Arizona desert, which "stands in" for Gobi. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Eleven food markets have been held up in the past three weeks; there's clearly a pattern, but the police have trouble figuring it out. A break in the case finally comes when a young thief is caught in the act. Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) think they've gotten their man--but the thief insists he knows nothing about the previous ten holdups, and he claims he can prove it. This Dragnet TV episode is based on a radio broadcast of October 25, 1951. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the first episode of Dragnet's fourth season, Friday (Jack Webb) and Smith (Ben Alexander) search for a pornographer who has been distributing "dirty" books and pictures to a local high school. After interrogating a student (Martin Milner) who'd been found with several lewd books in his possession, and a naïve young girl (Carolyn Jones) who'd been gulled into posing for nude photos, the detectives conclude that the man responsible for all the filth is Charles Hopkins (Ralph Moody), a has-been movie producer. In a bravura closing sequence, the elderly Hopkins "relives" one of his silent masterpieces on a deserted backlot. This episode is based on the Dragnet radio broadcast of February 21, 1952. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Friday (Jack Webb) and Jacobs (Barney Phillips) put in a lot of long, hard hours to locate the hit-and-run driver who struck down pedestrian Sheila Gordon (Joyce McCluskey). The extra effort seems to have paid off when a man named Ralph Angelo is brought to trial. All that is needed to secure a conviction is the testimony of the fully-recovered Sheila Gordon--but the woman seems to have vanished from the face of the earth! This episode is based on a Dragnet radio program, originally broadcast April 20, 1950. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Coast Guard is highlighted in this propaganda drama set during WW II. In addition to the usual blend of romance and military adventure, the film also features an interesting glimpse in to the training of the young Guards as they prepare for war. The story centers around a crew of shipyard workers who, upon learning of the attack on Pearl Harbor, immediately sign up for the Coast Guard's officer training program. The crew also dupes their shipyard boss into joining. After their training they are sent into the South Pacific to fight. The film contains actual battle footage. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide