Ed Nelson Movies

Ed Nelson guest stars as Vinnie Paquette, a war hero fallen upon hard times. Hoping to recapture some of his past glory, Vinnie gets mixed up in a high-stakes jewel robbery. This episode is capped by a thrilling helicopter chase, filmed high above California's Antelope Valley. Featured in the cast is Lee Meriwether, who'd been seen during the first season of The F.B.I as the erstwhile girlfriend of Inspector Lew Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This TV movie stars Suzanne Pleshette as the embittered widow of a research scientist. Seeking justice, she conceals her identity and goes after the professor (Ed Nelson) she holds responsible for her husband's "accidental" death. Pleshette launches an affair with the professor in order to get the goods on him, but she genuinely falls in love and comes to believe in his innocence. But the professor knows all too well that her husband's demise was no accident. Adapted from a novel by Leonard Lee, Along Came a Spider ran 73 minutes when it was first telecast in February of 1970; it was expanded to 92 minutes when released theatrically abroad. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ed Nelson is cast as Pvt. Jesse Burgess, one of two survivors of a dangerous reconnaissance mission. Returning from this assignment, Burgess is order to guide Saunders' men back to the German outpost that he has located. But Burgess' sergeant questions the circumstances surrounding the Private's "survival", and does not trust the man. Neither does Saunders (Vic Morrow), who spends the rest of the episode keeping close watch over Burgess, who may very well be a deserter...or a traitor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Stranded in the remote mountain town of Peaceful Valley, reporter Philip Redfield looks on in amazement as a dog and cat seemingly vanish into thin air. Apparently, Peaceful Valley houses some sort of deep dark secret -- which has naturally aroused Redfield's journalistic instincts. He may, however, have trouble filing his story -- the locals have made certain that he is unable to leave town, now or ever. This hour-long Twilight Zone installment also features future Star Trek regular James Doohan and child actress Susanne Cupito, who went on to adult prominence as Morgan Brittany. Written by Charles Beaumont, "Valley of the Shadow" first aired January 17, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Gangster Marty Pulaski (Ed Nelson) is unable to control the homicidal impulses of his mentally disturbed younger brother Herbie (Sherwood Price). The kid's itchy trigger finger is especially irksome to "overlord" Jake Szabo (Joe De Santis), who thinks that Marty is ordering the murders committed by Herbie as a means of taking over Szabo's operation. Required to leave town to testify in a trial, Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) hands the responsibility of tracking down Herbie (an "unknown sniper" so far as the public is concerned) over to Lt. Roy Gunther (Ford Rainey). More psychological melodrama than crime story, this is the last Untouchables episode to be filmed, though not the last shown. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Working as a masseur in a health club, fugtive Richard Kimble (David Janssen)--alias "Al Dexter"--is recognized by Sheriff Bray (Carroll O'Connor), who intends to use Kimble to advance his own political ambitions. At the same time, coworker Steve Edson (Ed Nelson), who has just been acquitted on a murder charge, offers to help Kimble escape--but there's a curious price tag attached. This is the famous episode in which Kimble itemizes his "rules of escaping detection". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the tenth volume in a collection culled from the 1963-1965 science fiction anthology television series, a group of international strike-force soldiers is captured by an alien culture. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

This 100th episode of Bonanza begins as Susan Blanchard (Pat Breslin) is injured in a wagon crash. Though there is nothing physically wrong with her, Susan is psychosomatically incapable of leaving her bed. Enter faith healer Garth (Ed Nelson), who promises to make Susan walk again if she will agree to marry him. Caught in the middle is Hoss Cartwright, who knows that Garth is a fraud but is unable to say so lest Susan suffer permanent emotional damage. Known variously as "The Miracle Worker" and "The Miracle Maker", this episode originally aired on May 20, 1962, as the final entry of Bonanza's third season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Victor Buono, who skyrocketed to stardom by virtue of his work in the title role of the earlier Untouchables episode "Mr. Moon", returns to the series in a different characterization. This time Buono is cast as Parnise Surigao, whose booming bootlegging operation is cutting into the profits of Frank Nitti's operation. To put it mildly, Nitti (Frank Nitti) is displeased, and orders an all-out war against Surigeo--who proves nearly impossible to bump off. After an innocent bystander is killed in the crossfire, Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) vows to end the war and put both sides out of business, using a "straw man" subterfuge to accomplish his goal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Bart (Jack Kelly) is determined to force George Parker (Alan Hewitt), the crooked town boss of Parkersville, to repay an outstanding gambling debt. Hoping to get rid of his nemesis without getting his own hands dirty, Parker prevails upon the notorious gunslinger Doc Holliday (Peter Breck, making his first appearance in this role) to kill Bart. But Holliday turns out to have an agenda of his own: He takes out a huge life insurance policy on Mr. Maverick--knowing full well that Parker owns the insurance company. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Now working as a health club instructor, former college athletic star Ward Nichols (Ed Nelson) hopes to marry Casey Daniels (Maggie Pierce), the niece of his boss Bernard Daniels (Les Tremayne). Unfortunately, Nichols' estranged wife Veronica (Leslie Parrish) refuses to let him go, and claims to be pregnant so she can shake him down for "hush money." Making matters worse, Mr. Daniels accuses Nichols of forging his name on the checks sent to Veronica. When Daniels is crushed to death by a barbell, the police think they've got Nichols dead to rights--but they haven't reckoned with the poor fellow's attorney Perry Mason (Raymond Burr). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Weakly etched characters are one of the problems in this simple story of three thieves on the run. Wayne (John Hudson), Jan (Lyn Bernay), and Dino (Ed Nelson) try pulling off a heist of a lumber company's payroll, and everything seems to go wrong right from the beginning, in spite of Dino's expertise. The trio take off for the woods in Canada with Wayne suffering from a wound and the law in hot pursuit. To complicate matters slightly there is a romantic tie-up with Jan, someone too tough and efficient to be easily won over. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

A fine example -- perhaps the best available -- of "B"-movie overlord Roger Corman's "Weekend Wonders" from the producer/director's early career (see also the original Little Shop of Horrors), this horror-comedy was also the first of beloved actor Dick Miller's dozen-odd portrayals of the character Walter Paisley. A geeky waiter and busboy at a happening Beatnik café, Walter is intensely jealous of the swinging social lives of the artistic types who hang there. A bizarre twist of fate changes everything; when Paisley accidentally kills his landlady's cat, his frantic attempts to hide the body lead him to encase it in a layer of clay, creating a morbid sculpture -- which is eventually discovered and hailed as an artistic triumph by the unwitting Bohemian art crowd. (When asked what he's named the piece, the befuddled Walter stammers, "Uhh... Dead Cat?") Beset by numerous requests for similar "truthful" works, the moronic Paisley is forced to find inspiration -- a matter which is readily solved when a nosy undercover cop tries to slap a heroin-possession charge on him and finds himself on the business end of a cast-iron skillet. Before long, the creative urge prods Walter to narrow the competition by whacking his peers with various blunt or sharp implements, and the demand for more sculptures just keeps growing. Miller's tour-de-force performance, writer Charles B. Griffith's hilarious "Daddy-O" dialogue, and Corman's emphasis on the story's more lurid aspects raise this bargain-basement production (ultra-cheap even by Corman's standards) to classic status. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide