Marjorie Bennett Movies

One of the bigger non-cartoon moneymakers for Disney in the 1970s, The North Avenue Irregulars is predicated on the premise of the "Neighborhood Watch" system. Priest Michael Hill (Edward Herrmann), newly arrived on North Avenue, decides to buck the patriarchal notions of his superiors by delegating church responsibilities to the neighborhood women. Since the ladies include Vickie, Jane, Anne, Claire and Rose (Barbara Harris, Karen Valentine, Susan Clark, Cloris Leachman and Patsy Kelly), we're well primed for a surfeit of feistiness. Father Michael entrusts the church funds to Rose, who loses it all at the race track. In trying to retrieve the cash, he comes up against an influential bookie ring, controlled by several of the above-suspicion town officials. The wily priest responds by organizing the ladies of his congregation into the North Avenue Irregulars, a two-fisted crimefighting unit. There's slapstick aplenty within the film's 99 minutes, including the expected comic car crash. North Avenue Irregulars is based on a (drawn-from-life?) novel by the Reverend Albert Fay Hill. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

At a demolition site, a human skeleton is found encased in cement. This is precisely the evidence needed by Lt. Kojak (Telly Savalas) to reopen a "cold" murder investigation--eighteen years after the killing took place. Veteran character actors Ned Glass and Marjorie Bennett) are prominently featured in this episode, which was initially slated to air on February 22, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This convoluted mystery centers upon a seductive private investigator who must look into the background of the potential recipient of an enormous inheritance. Unfortunately, she finds herself more deeply involved in the situation than she wanted to be and trouble soon follows. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Calliope, a sex farce, is clearly an exploitative remake of the much more significant and famous film La Ronde. In this film, ten people have a succession of sexual encounters until all of them have given and received "the gift that goes on giving," sexually transmitted diseases. What was considered to be funny and sexy in the age of penicillin would not be considered appropriate in the later age of AIDS. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

The only three-part adventure in the history of Mission: Impossible, "The Falcon" was written by series stalwart Paul Playdon. The IMF's assignment is to restore the rightful heir to a European throne. The usurping General Ramon Sabattini (John Vernon) hopes to gain control of the monarchy by marrying his cousin Francesca (Diane Baker), and to that end has threatened to kill Francesca's imprisoned fiance Prince Stefan (Joseph Reale). With the help of a falcon, not to mention the magical skills of agent Paris, the IMF endeavors to rescue Stephen and return the crown to young King Nicolai (Noel Harrision). Lee Meriwether makes her fourth appearance as IMF agent Tracey. Part One of "The Falcon" first aired January 4, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In Part Two of the three-part Mission: Impossible adventure "The Falcon", Willy poses as the Bishop who is to perform the marriage ceremony between General Sabattini (John Vernon), the pretender to a European throne, and the General's reluctant fiancee Princess Francesca (Diane Baker). Meanwhile, Paris poses as a master illusionist and mind-reader in order to rescue King Nicolai (Noel Harrison), rightful heir to the throne. Lee Meriwether again appears as IMF agent Tracey, here pretending to be Paris' stage assistant Mme. Vinski. Written by Paul Playdon, Part Two of "The Falcon" was originally telecast on January 11, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Clint Eastwood stars as Walt Coogan, an Arizona deputy sheriff who has been sent to New York City to extradite escaped killer James Ringerman (Don Stroud). On arrival, he's forced to wait by NYPD detective Lieutenant McElroy (Lee J. Cobb), who informs him that Ringerman is recovering from a bad acid trip at Bellevue Hospital. After briefly flirting with attractive probation officer Julie Roth (Susan Clark), Coogan heads for Bellevue, where he's able to con the hospital's staff into releasing the criminal. The cop and the fugitive are on the way to catch a flight back to Arizona, when Ringerman's hippie girlfriend Linny (Tisha Sterling) and a large accomplice spirit the killer away, leaving Coogan unconscious. Luckily, Julie is the girl's probation officer, and Coogan manages to get her address from the woman's files while getting to know her better. He tracks the girl to a popular psychedelic club, whereupon, deciding she likes the deputy, she takes him back to her apartment for further interrogation. The first in a series of films on which Eastwood would collaborate with director Don Siegel, it features a memorable scene in which a battle fought with billiard balls and cue sticks suggests the birth of a new martial art. Although its seemingly innocuous scenes of sex and violence drew criticism at the time, it served as the source for television's considerably more benign McCloud, starring Dennis Weaver as the laconic fish out of water. ~ Michael Costello, Rovi

The death of an ex-serviceman appears to be accidental, but Ironside (Raymond Burr) suspects murder when he finds six GI dog-tag numbers scratched in the dead man's watch case. It turns out that five former soldiers are desperately trying to cover up their complicity in a robbery which occurred several years before. Ironside's assistant Ed risks his job--and his life--to bring the criminals to justice. Martial arts icon Bruce Lee appears as a karate instructor in this episode, which is climaxed by a heart-pounding showdown in San Francisco's huge cable-car barn. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Captain Parmenter (Ken Berry) arranges a surprise party to mark Sgt. O'Rourke's 25th year in the Army. Entering into the spirit of things, Agarn (Larry Storch) digs up several of O'Rourke's old friends and comrades-in-arms for an elaborate "This Is Your Life"-style celebration (a cute trick, considering that This is Your Life wouldn't make its radio debut for another eighty years at least!) This is the classic episode in which an old dirty joke is cleaned up to explain how the Hekawi tribe earned its name. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

As if one Jerry Lewis wasn't enough, The Family Jewels offers no fewer than seven Jerrys. Fans of Lewis will like the film. Others should be advised to steer clear of any and all French film festivals. The plot revolves around nine-year-old Donna Peyton (Donna Butterworth), who stands to inherit 30 million dollars. The catch: Donna must pick a new daddy from her late father's six closest male relatives. Lewis spends most of the film playing family chauffeur Willard Woodward, whom Donna loves above all others. He also portrays snaggle-toothed gangster "Bugs" Peyton, hirsute sea captain James Peyton, flying fool Captain Eddie Peyton, cynical clown Everett Peyton, Holmes-like detective Skylock Peyton (whose "Dr. Matson" is corpulent Sebastian Cabot), and photographer Julius Peyton (a reprise of Lewis' Nutty Professor character Julius Kelp). Though fitfully amusing, The Family Jewels is too sloppily put together to completely satisfy anyone other than Lewis' most fervent fans. Best bits: the in-flight movie starring Anne Baxter, the marathon pool game, and Bugs Peyton's outrage at being called a rat fink. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In 1950, Maj. Jefferson Pike (James Garner), an Army intelligence agent who served with distinction in World War II, awakens in a hospital with severe amnesia. He isn't sure where he is, how he got there, or even who the woman at his side is, even though the doctor tells him that her name is Anna (Eva Marie Saint) and that she is his wife. The doctor instructs Pike to recall, in as much detail as possible, what he was doing before the accident that caused his traumatic memory loss. But the doctor isn't a doctor, Anna isn't Pike's wife, it isn't 1950, and he isn't in an American hospital. World War II is still very much in progress, and Pike is being duped in an elaborate scheme prepared by Maj. Walter Gerber (Rod Taylor), a German intelligence agent. Gerber is trying to trick a drugged and suggestible Pike into telling him everything he knows, as the injured soldier lies in a Bavarian military hospital after being taken prisoner. Will Pike be able to see through the cracks in Gerber's facade before he spills the beans that could mean death and defeat for American soldiers? 36 Hours was later remade for TV under the title Breaking Point. TV fans will want to keep an eye peeled for bit parts by James Doohan from Star Trek and John Banner from Hogan's Heroes. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Long resistant to film adaptations of her Mary Poppins books, P.L. Travers finally succumbed to the entreaties of Walt Disney, and the result is often considered the finest of Disney's personally supervised films. The Travers stories are bundled together to tell the story of the Edwardian-era British Banks family: the banker father (David Tomlinson), suffragette mother (Glynis Johns), and the two "impossible" children (Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber). The kids get the attention of their all-business father by bedevilling every new nanny in the Banks household. Whem Mr. Banks advertises conventionally for another nanny, the kids compose their own ad, asking for someone with a little kindness and imagination. Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews in her screen debut) answers the children's ad by arriving at the Banks home from the skies, parachuting downward with her umbrella. She immediately endears herself to the children. The next day they meet Mary's old chum Bert (Dick Van Dyke), currently employed as a sidewalk artist. Mary, Bert, and the children hop into one of Bert's chalk drawings and learn the nonsense song "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" in a cartoon countryside. Later, they pay a visit to Bert's Uncle Albert (Ed Wynn), who laughs so hard that he floats to the ceiling. Mr. Banks is pleased that his children are behaving better, but he's not happy with their fantastic stories. To show the children what the real world is like, he takes them to his bank. A series of disasters follow which result in his being fired from his job. Mary Poppins' role in all this leads to some moments when it is possible to fear that all her good work will be undone, but like the magical being she is, all her "mistakes" lead to a happy result by the end of the film. In 2001, Mary Poppins was rereleased in a special "sing-along" edition with subtitles added to the musical numbers so audiences could join in with the onscreen vocalists. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

One year after his financially successful Promises Promises with Jayne Mansfield, director Tommy Noonan released another nudie comedy with Three Nuts in Search of a Bolt. This time, it is Mamie Van Doren who gets to show various parts of her anatomy as she plays a stripper who collaborates with two other "nuts" seeking psychiatric help. Her partners in the fiasco are a used car salesman Paul Gilbert who gets a thrill from cheating customers and a male model John Cronin who dislikes women. Unable to afford the doctor's fees, the three set out to find a proper patient to represent each of them for the price of one. After they convince the perfect sucker, (Noonan), to play out each of their personalities, Doctor Myra Von (Ziva Rodann) inadvertently televises the sessions to several other doctors--worldwide. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi