George Mitchell Movies

1968  
 
A distant relative of Ben Cartwright, preteen tomboy Samantha Dorcas (Linda Sue Risk is delivered to the Ponderosa in the hope that Ben will be able to "tame" the troublesome girl. Meanwhile, Sam's mother Martha (Antoinette Bower) struggles desperately to escape her existence as a saloon girl. Further complications ensue when Sam's grandfather Calvin (George Mitchell) arrives on the scene. First shown on November 3, 1968, "Little Girl Lost" was written by Michael Fessier. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Read More

Starring:
Lorne GreeneMichael Landon, (more)
1967  
 
Michael Sarrazin plays Curley, a young man gone AWOL from the Army who soon makes the acquaintance of Mordechai (George C. Scott), a veteran confidence man. Mordecai takes a liking to Curley, and offers to show him the tricks of the trade as they drift through the American South, pulling one scam after another. But when Curley meets Bonnie Lee Packard (Sue Lyon), romance rears its head and Curley decides to go straight. Mordecai is not so easily convinced to leave his trade behind, however, and when a car theft goes spectacularly wrong and Mordecai ends up in jail, Curley has to pull a fast one to got his pal out of stir. The Flim Flam Man also features a host of notable character actors, including Slim Pickens, Alice Ghostley, and Strother Martin. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Read More

Starring:
George C. ScottSue Lyon, (more)
1967  
 
Director Monte Hellman and writer-star Jack Nicholson filmed this western simultaneously with The Shooting (1967). Nicholson stars as Wes, cowpuncher pal to Vern (Cameron Mitchell) and Otis (Tom Filer), who have all been hired as hands for a cattle roundup. En route to their new jobs, the men come across the handiwork of a lynch mob. Later, they find hospitality at the home of Blind Dick (Harry Dean Stanton), who graciously provides them with food and shelter. The cowboys are unaware that Blind Dick and his men recently robbed a stagecoach and murdered the driver. A sheriff (Bradon Carroll) and his posse surround the cabin and hang the thieves. Though innocent, the terrified cowboys flee. Otis is killed, but Wes and Vern escape -- with the posse in pursuit. When they stop to rest at the ranch of Evan (George Mitchell), Wes considers taking Evan's daughter hostage. Trying to steal Evan's horse, Vern is killed by the rancher, who in turn is shot by Wes. Once a law-abiding citizen, Wes has been transformed by unjust vigilantism into a killer. Fascinated by frontier era journals that he discovered in an L.A. library, Nicholson used the documents as inspiration in writing the script. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Read More

Starring:
Cameron MitchellJack Nicholson, (more)
1966  
 
Burke has a showdown with Roger -- and the bone of contention is Burke's recent prison sentence. Victoria tries to pump handyman Matthew for information concerning Elizabeth's curious business transactions. Later on, Elizabeth warns Victoria that Matthew is not as harmless as he seems. This episode first aired on July 13, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Read More

1966  
 
What caused the auto accident which nearly killed Roger? And who is responsible: Roger's sworn enemy, Burke, or his own son, David? Meanwhile, Carolyn has another clandestine meeting with Burke. This episode first aired on July 18, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Read More

1966  
 
While searching for David Collins (David Henesy) in the cellar of Collinwood, Victoria (Alexandra Moltke) is frightened by a stranger. He turns out to be handyman Matthew Morgan (George Mitchell), who promptly unfolds a strange story. Later, Elizabeth (Joan Bennett), confronted by evidence that she knows more of Victoria's past than she is willing to admit, denies everything. This episode originally aired on July 4, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Read More

1966  
 
Add Nevada Smith to QueueAdd Nevada Smith to top of Queue
Henry Hathaway's film is based on a character from Harold Robbins' The Carpetbaggers, who, in turn, based it on cowboy actor Ken Maynard. Set in the West of the 1890s, the film opens with the torture and murder of the parents of Max Sand (Steve McQueen) by a trio of gunslingers seemingly motivated by their hostility toward the mixed nature of the marriage, since the wife is a Native American. Swearing revenge, the young cowhand enlists the help of itinerant gunsmith Jonas Cord Brian Keith, who teaches him how to shoot while counseling against revenge. Nonetheless, Sand doggedly scours one town after the other before finally running up against one of the murderers, Jesse Coe (Martin Landau). He finally kills Coe in a vicious knife fight, but is severely wounded himself and has to be nursed back to health by Neesa (Janet Margolin), a young Kiowa woman. He next heads for Louisiana where another of the murderous trio, Bill Bowdre (Arthur Kennedy), is serving a prison sentence in a remote swamp. In order to get close to the man, Sand stages a robbery, and is soon among the prison inmates. This was the only film on which McQueen worked with Landau, the only other person admitted to the Actor's Studio out of thousands of applicants in 1957. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide

Read More

Starring:
Steve McQueenKarl Malden, (more)
1965  
 
Dumped by his girlfriend because she thinks he's a crashing bore, Walter Mills (Larry Blyden) decides to completely alter his looks and personality. Thus, he grows a beard and rechristens himself "Philip Marshall," and it is in this guise that he gets mixed up with the attractive Noreen Kimberly (Kathie Browne). Unfortunately, Noreen has a jealous boyfriend named Curly (Berkeley Harris), who threatens to tell Noreen that Walter is a phony -- unless our "hero" joins Curly in a plot to smuggle some stolen jewels out of the country. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Read More

Starring:
Larry BlydenKathie Browne, (more)
1965  
 
Nelson discovers the scientific team that he was supposed to meet in Scotland has been killed, apparently in an encounter with the Loch Ness monster. Using a secret underground conduit, the Seaview journeys to the renowned body of water to investigate. They find something far more nefarious than any creature, mythical or otherwise, including a threat to the Seaview itself. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

Read More

1964  
 
In Bayou country, Kimble (David Janssen) hitches a ride with Hanes McClure (Warren Oates), an obnoxious braggart who happens to be wanted by the authorities of a variety of crimes. Local police captain Charles Shafter (Philip Abbott) is grateful when Kimble subsequently helps him capture McClure, but he still is duty-bound to hold Kimble until Lt. Gerard (Barry Morse) arrives. Complicating matters is a mixed-up kid named Tad Thompson (Dee Pollock), who idolizes Hanes and helps him bust out of jail. Though willing to take advantage of the jailbreak himself, Kimble realizes that he must prevent Tad from following in McClure's crooked footsteps. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Read More

1964  
 
Add The Unsinkable Molly Brown to QueueAdd The Unsinkable Molly Brown to top of Queue
Meredith Willson's second Broadway hit (the first and biggest was The Music Man) proved a lucrative vehicle for the equally unsinkable Debbie Reynolds. Based on a true story, the film casts Debbie as hoydenish Molly Brown, who wangles her way into Denver High Society when she marries "overnight millionaire" Johnny Brown (Harve Presnell). When the local social arbiters give Molly the brush-off, she pulls off a coup by bringing a representative of European royalty, Prince Louis de Laniere (Vassili Lambrinos) into the Colorado community. Her admiration for the prince causes a rift in her marriage; it takes the sinking of the Titanic--wherein Molly heroically commandeers one of the lifeboats and is responsible for rescuing several of the passengers--to bring Molly and Johnny together again. While the energetic performances of such songs as I Ain't Down Yet and Belly Up to the Bar Boys are to be cherished, the real highlight of The Unsinkable Molly Brown is a society ball which ends up in a pie fight between the Denver "elite" and Molly's rambunctious mining-town cronies. Treated condescendingly by the critics, the film struck a responsive chord with audiences to the tune of a $7.5 million gross. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Read More

Starring:
Debbie ReynoldsHarve Presnell, (more)
1963  
 
Famous for her collection of valuable rings, movie star Bunny Blake (Maggie McNamara) is inexorably drawn back to her home town by an unusual ring which seems to talk to her. Upon her arrival, Bunny continues heeding the messages conveyed by the ring, and in so doing averts a tragedy -- for everyone but herself. If Earl Hamner, Jr.'s script is carefully scrutinized, it could be suggested that Bunny brought about the tragedy herself, but let us not cavil. Vic Perrin, the unseen "Control Voice" on The Outer Limits, shows up briefly as a state trooper. "Ring-A-Ding Girl" made its Twilight Zone debut on December 27, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Read More

Starring:
Maggie McNamaraMary Munday, (more)
1963  
 
American "B"-movie mogul Jerry Warren can always be counted on to turn a cheap but fun horror import into a boring, unwatchable mess -- as proven by this tedious effort, originally produced in Mexico as The Aztec Mummy and later padded out with deadly-dull exposition. The original film is silly enough; the first of a popular Mexican series, it involves the awakening of the mummy Popoca to avenge the desecration of his tomb by infidels. As a cost-saving measure, instead of re-dubbing the Spanish dialogue, Warren added new scenes with American actors, who drone on about reincarnation and past-life regression and bring the action to a screeching halt. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Read More

1963  
 
This is the first of four consecutive episodes in which Perry Mason appears only briefly, while a "guest" lawyer handles the case at hand (Raymond Burr was at the time recovering from minor surgery). No less than Bette Davis is cast as female attorney Constant Doyle, the widow of famed defense attorney Joe Doyle. Taking her late husband's place, Constant agrees to defend young Cal Leonard, who is accused of burglarizing the offices of Otis Industries and beating up a night watchman. Actually, Constant doesn't like Cal very much and was thinking of dropping the case until her curiosity was aroused by the fact that Lawrence Otis was all too willing to drop the charges against the boy. As it turns out, Cal is lucky to have Constant on his side when he charged with the murder of his cousin Steven (Jerry Oddo). Removed from the original Perry Mason syndicated rerun package in 1966, this episode remained unseen until it was telecast on cable TV in the mid-1990s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Read More

1963  
 
Former TV leading man Richard Chamberlain plays a young lawyer about to take on an important murder case. He is shepherded through this big break by veteran attorney Claude Rains. The client is the disreputable Nick Adams, who seems determined to sabotage his own case. But a last-minute scrap of evidence saves the day and establishes Chamberlain's reputation. Based on a novel by Al Dewlen, Twilight of Honor was released in Britain as The Charge is Murder. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Read More

Starring:
Richard ChamberlainJoey Heatherton, (more)
1963  
 
A haunting folk song written by Van Cleave serves as a framing device for this macabre hour-long Twilight Zone episode. Anne Francis plays the title character, a spiteful mountain girl who despairs when her boyfriend Billy-Ben Turner (James Best) dumps her in favor a Ellwyn Glover (Laura Devon). Hoping to win back Billy-Ben's affections, Jess-Belle asks witch-like Granny Hart (Jeanette Nolan) to stir up a love potion -- which has some unexpected side effects. Scripted by Earl Hamner, Jr. of The Waltons fame, "Jess-Belle" originally aired February 14, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Read More

Starring:
Anne FrancisJames Best, (more)
1963  
 
Taking on the alias of Jim Fowler, fugitive Richard Kimble (David Janssen) finds work as a delivery man in a farming community. Unfortunately, he runs afoul of little Jenny Ammory (Gina Gillespie) a compulsive liar who accuses Kimble of trying to assault her. The only person in the community who believes in Kimble's innocence is schoolteacher Emily Norton (Patricia Crowley), who is jealously shunned by the local ladies because of her beauty. Later on, the spiteful Gina claims that Kimble and Emily are having an affair--and when Kimble steps forward to defend the beleagured teacher, he finds himself facing a lynch mob. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Read More

1962  
 
In this crime drama, a teen sees a racket boss go down during a gangland hit. The boy tries to tell the cops, but the crooked police chief, in cahoots with the mob, instead tries to blame the killing on the boy. Terrified, the youth takes off and hides out on Skid Row. He is stalked by a professional killer. Eventually he runs to his girlfriend's house. He tells her that her father, the police chief, is part of the gangsters. They begin looking for proof. When the crooks catch up to the teens, a gunfight erupts. The two youths are hurt, but the gangsters end up killing each other. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Read More

1962  
 
After suffering a blow on the head, Phil Townsend (Richard Basehart) awakens to discover that he has long been suffering from amnesia. Realizing that he's slated to be married, Phil rushes to the house of his fiancée, only to discover that he is three years late. Soon afterward, he finds out that he has spent those three years living under the name of David Webber -- and as it happens, "David Webber" is suspected of murdering the wife of his ex-employer. This episode is based on a novel by Cornell Woolrich, previously filmed in 1942 as Street of Chance (with Burgess Meredith as the amnesiac protagonist) and thereafter adapted several times for the radio anthology Suspense. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Read More

1962  
 
In this drama, a young mother refuses to marry her son's father because he is too violent. The young father has a secret brother, a mute, whom his ashamed parents have locked away in an insane asylum. One day a cruel guard turns a hose upon him and, because he is deathly afraid of water, the terrified young man escapes. Later he meets his nephew and the two become friends. Soon after, the quiet misanthrope sees his new friend drowning. Overcoming his fear, the fellow jumps in to save the lad. He is carrying the unconscious boy to safety when the posse appears. Thinking he has hurt the boy, they beat the man and return him to the hospital. Later the boy runs away to be with the mute and his father pursues him. Once there, the boy locks his father in a room filled with other patients. It is then that the father is forced to realize that the patients are gentle and will not hurt his son. He promises to visit his brother the next day, causing the elated brother to speak for the first time in years. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Read More

Starring:
James DruryJan Shepard, (more)
1962  
 
Add Kid Galahad to QueueAdd Kid Galahad to top of Queue
This musical boxing drama finds Walter (Elvis Presley) as a recently discharged soldier looking forwork in New York's Catskill Mountains. He happens across Grogan's Gym, a boxing emporium that helps perfect the "gentle art." Proprioter Willie Grogan (Gig Young) and trainer Lew (Charles Bronson) run the camp for aspiring pugilists. Walter saves Grogan's long suffering girlfriend Rose (Joan Blackman) from an assault by a gangster when he knocks out the goon. He earns the nickname "Kid Galahad" and a chance to show off his talents in the boxing ring. While Walter trains for the big fight, Lew is approached by unsavory gamblers, who want Lew to be lax in repairing any cuts Walter sustains in the ring for a slice of the economic pie. Lew refuses and has his hands broken by the gambling goons. Although Walter knows the fix is on, he battles his way to victory against overwhelming odds and an intimidating opponent. Walter exacts revenge on the men who broke Lew's hands, which may be the first and only time in cinematic history that Charles Bronson needs any outside help. Presley delivers seven songs, the most memorable being "I Got Lucky." United Artists got lucky with the release of Kid Galahad, which drew legions of loyal Presley fans at the box office. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Read More

Starring:
Elvis PresleyGig Young, (more)
1962  
 
Add Birdman of Alcatraz to QueueAdd Birdman of Alcatraz to top of Queue
In this film based on a true story, Burt Lancaster plays Robert Stroud, a withdrawn prison inmate who cures a sick bird that flies into his cell and eventually becomes a world-renowned ornithologist -- all while serving a life sentence. An overbearing warden (Karl Malden) eventually transfers Stroud to the notoriously brutal prison on Alcatraz, but he is able to continue his research, abort a riot, start a romance, and eventually get his story out through a determined reporter (Edmond O'Brien). Directed with his usual solid craftsmanship by John Frankenheimer, Birdman Of Alcatraz tells a quietly moving tale for which Lancaster, Telly Savalas (as one of Stroud's fellow inmates), and Thelma Ritter (as Stroud's mother) all received Oscar nominations. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

Read More

Starring:
Burt LancasterKarl Malden, (more)
1961  
 
Mike Sullivan (George Mitchell) and his cronies pitch camp at the Ponderosa, claiming that they've been sold a generous portion of the ranch's best land. It turns out that Sullivan and others have been hornswoggled by a fellow named John Zink, or maybe John Polk. Ben Cartwright finds himself in a bind when Zink, er, Polk turns out to be none other than his old Army comrade Colonel Bragg (John McGiver. First broadcast on December 31, 1961, "Land Grab" was written by Ward Hawkins. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Read More

Starring:
Lorne GreenePernell Roberts, (more)
1960  
 
After a brief production hiatus, the Twilight Zone staff resumed the series' first season with this episode, scripted by Rod Serling from a story by George Clayton Johnson. The story begins in 1880, as western outlaw Joe Caswell (Albert Caswell) is about to be hanged. Before the startled eyes of his executioners, Joe suddnely disappears from view. He rematerializes in 1960, in the laboratory of experimental scientist George Manion (Russell Johnson). Joe's sudden "invasion" of the 20th century has disastrous results on several people, including a modern-day murderer named Johnson (Than Wyenn). "Execution" first aired April 1, 1960. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Read More

Starring:
Albert SalmiRussell Johnson, (more)

BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster Inc. © 2009 Blockbuster Inc. All rights reserved.

Portions of Content Provided by All Movie Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.© 2009 All Media Guide, LLC.