Jimmy Murphy Movies

It appears to be a clear-cut case of brain damage when young boxer Luke Stokes (Rodney Hoston) collapses and dies right after a championship bout. But the boxer's widow (Lynne Moody) insists that her husband was drugged just before the match. Medical examiner Quincy investigates, only to find that his own life is in jeopardy if he makes the "wrong" diagnosis. Legendary heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis appears as himself in this episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Genocide is the major theme of this dark drama that points an accusatory finger at the non-Jewish Poles who passively allowed their Jewish countryman to be slaughtered by the Nazi invaders. The story centers on a rabbi as he tries to talk one of his students into marrying his daughter. Unfortunately, the student is more interested in his schooling. Still the rabbi's instincts are good, and the student and the daughter end up in love. They marry, but when the Nazis come, they are torn apart and sent to different concentration camps. After the Nazis haul all the Jews away, the "Christian" Poles simply return wordlessly to their daily lives. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The Gnome-Mobile was Walt Disney's first all-out fantasy since Mary Poppins. Walter Brennan stars in a dual role, as kindly lumber tycoon D. J. Mulrooney and the irascible (and much tinier) 943-year-old gnome Knobby. Mulrooney likes Knobby and his fellow gnomes, but the feeling isn't reciprocal, since Knobby considers Mulrooney a threat to his beloved forest. Meanwhile, the tycoon's vice-president Ralph Yarby (Richard Deacon), hearing his boss' claims that he's been consorting with gnomes, decides that the old guy is insane and has him committed. Rescued by his grandchildren Rodney (Matthew Garber) and Elizabeth (Karen Dotrice), D.J. seeks out Knobby and Knobby's own grandson Jasper (Tom Lowell), who are hiding somewhere in the woods with gnome-king Rufus (Ed Wynn, in his final film role). There follows an amusing rite of passage wherein Jasper becomes engaged to gnomette Shy Violet (Cami Sebring), leading to a happy ending for all concerned. The film's title refers to D. J. Mulroney's precious 1930 Rolls Royce, which is "adopted" by the gnome population. Gnome-Mobile is a virtual inventory of Disney's most beloved trademarks, ranging from excellent miniature and special-effects work (including the producer's newest innovation, audio-animatronics) to a zany slapstick car chase. Walt Disney did receive a producer credit on this film, which was actually made in 1966 - the year of his death - and released nationally in 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this musical farce, a dim-witted fellow finally gets his chance to become a secret agent like his brother when the former receives an important phone call meant for the latter. He then begins looking into a conspiracy to sabotage an upcoming beach party. He learns of this plot from a concerned teen who over head a fellow who has been "driven mad by rock'n'roll" scheming with another. The film is filled with music from the day's popular stars including: "Malibu Run" (Jim Karstein, Leon Russell, Gary Lewis, T. Leslie, sung by Gary Lewis and the Playboys), "Out on the Floor" (Fred Darian, Al De Lory, sung by Dobie Gray), "She'll Come Back" (Nita Garfield, Howard Kaylan, sung by the Turtles), "Baby Please Don't Go" (Joe Williams, sung by the Astronauts), "It's Not Unusual" (Gordon Mills, Les Reed, sung by the Knickerbockers), "Funny over You" (Freddie Garrity, sung by Freddie and the Dreamers), "A Love Like You" (Quinn & Jones, sung by Freddie and the Dreamers), "What's Her Name," and "Hip City" (Darian, De Lory). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Evidently undergoing a mid-life crisis, Rob (Dick Van Dyke) decides to do something totally out of character. At least, that would seem to be the explanation when Rob pulls into his garage driving a snazzy new motorcycle. Despite Laura's (Mary Tyler Moore) strenuous objections, Rob is determined to take his "wheels" on a weekend joyride -- during which, after falling in with several much-younger cycle enthusiasts, our hero ends up getting arrested! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This film about characters who hang around a horseracing focuses on the darker side rather than the limelight of the winner's circle. Joey (Ty Hardin) is an ambitious horse trainer who is sleeping with the boss' wife Laura (Susan Pleshette). When husband Matt (Ralph Meeker) discovers the affair, Joey get fired. He goes to the boyfriend of an old flame to borrow money to buy the horse. The steed wins a race and a post position in an even bigger race. Matt tries to buy the horse from Joey, who refuses the generous offer. The horse loses the big race, leaving Joey harnessed with a balloon payment he can't possibly make. Another old flame helps Joey out by paring off the debt and sleeping with the sleazy loanshark. Exciting racing scenes and a cameo appearance of real life sportswriter Jim Murray highlight this film where hardly of the characters are likeable or endearing. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

This is a low-budget, standard drama by Charles Haas (his last film) in which a father investigates the mysterious death of his son in a military school. Steven Conway (Mickey Rooney) never knew his son who was raised by the ex-Mrs. Conway after their divorce. The son had been enrolled in a hard-as-nails military school, a place of last resort for delinquents of wealthy families unable to straighten out in any other way. Once he learns of his son's death, Conway goes to the school and comes up against a stone wall when he tries to find out how he died. As his investigation raises dangerous confrontations with school authorities it becomes more than apparent that his son was murdered. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

A routine western with a classic theme, the "lone Texan" of the title is Clint Banister (Willard Parker) who finds trouble at home when he returns after serving in the Union Army during the Civil War. Given his military history, he is hardly welcomed with open arms. In addition to the animosity of his former friends, he has to face an even more difficult issue. His lawless brother Greg (Grant Williams) is the town's sheriff, busy terrorizing the citizens, aided and abetted by his three chief deputies. Clint has no choice but to go against his brother, in spite of their family relationship and the town's attitude toward him. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In Jet Attack, a brainwashed scientist is rescued by a paramilitary team; in Paratroop Command, a soldier sets off North African land mines to regain his honor after killing one of his own men. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

When a city cafe owner buys himself a peaceful country manse to relax in, the Bowery Boys are quite excited. Unfortunately, they arrive to discover the house in a terrible stage of decay and so agree to help fix it up. No sooner do they begin repairs than they find a fortune hidden inside the house. The boys use the money to pay off the house. The makes the greedy real estate agent suspicious. Suspecting there is more money hidden around, the agent decides to convince the gang to sell back the house by making it seem as if it were haunted. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this musical, an ex-fan dancer leaves the burlesque to start a new in a small town with her two teenage children. There she soon becomes one of the most respected women in town; she also falls in love with the school principal. Unfortunately, her happiness disintegrates when her past is revealed. Fortunately, the townsfolk respect her too much to hold it against her. Songs include: "We're on Our Way", "Why Can't I?", "Is It Love?", "I'd Rather Be", "My Calypso Baby" (Paul Dunlap), and "Teenage Cutie" (Dick Kallman, sung by Luis Amando). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This is one of the last episodes of the long-running Bowery Boys film series. This time the trouble begins when a spoiled child television star swipes their car. They go to get it back and in so doing teach the kid a lesson or two. TV executives, frustrated from trying to deal with the youth on their own are so impressed that they hire the boys to keep the kid in line. Of course, that's not nearly as easy as it sounds, especially after the little star gets kidnapped. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Cell 2455 Death Row is based on the autobiography of condemned prisoner and "jailhouse lawyer" Caryl Chessman. William Campbell plays the Chessman counterpart, here renamed Whit. A seriously disturbed misfit, Whit begins a life of crime, culminating in sexual assault as the "Lover's Lane Bandit." Condemned to the gas chamber at San Quentin, Whit spends six years fighting his sentence, gradually winning the support and sometimes the respect of various legal experts. The film ends in 1955 (the year of its production), some five years before Caryl Chessman's ultimate execution; accordingly, the film's "open-ended" finale has been removed from many TV prints. A more thorough and incisive study of the Chessman case was offered in the made-for-TV movie Kill Me If You Can, which starred Alan Alda. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide