Robert Phillips Movies
American actor Robert Phillips played supporting roles on television and in feature films of the '60s, '70s, and '80s. Phillips specializes in playing villains. His daughter, Barbara Livermore, is also an actress. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1981
In a variation of the "D.B. Cooper" legend, a gang of crooks drops a cache of diamonds from a hijacked plane, hoping to pick up the loot later. The diamonds land on the Dukes' farm, whereupon Uncle Jesse (Denver Pyle) declares that the gems will remain on the property until he can find the rightful owner. Shortly thereafter, sexy jewel thief Lisa (Linda Hart) shows up on the farm, posing as a reporter--and at the same time, Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke) schemes to get his hands on the loot with the help of a phony FBI agent. This episode was directed by series costar James Best (Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
Actor/producer Robert Blake tried and failed three times to launch a TV detective weekly titled Joe Dancer. The first such attempt was the feature-length pilot The Big Black Pill. As Joe Dancer, Blake struts and frets his way around Beverly Hills in search of a killer. Blake's then-wife Sondra co-stars as Joe Dancer's physically challenged assistant. The Big Black Pill went down in one gulp on January 29, 1981. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
In the opening episode of The Rockford Files' fifth season, Jim Rockford (James Garner) wants to know why his dad Rocky (Noah Beery Jr.), temporarily employed as a delivery driver, was forced off the road and his cargo--consisting of breakfast sausages--was hijacked. The main culprit would seem to be the sausage company's front man, country-western singer Charlie Strayhorn (Taylor Lachman). But Charlie turns out to be a mere pawn in a widespread smuggling scheme masterminded by the real villain of the piece. The title song for this episode was written (but not performed) by Willie Nelson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
- Add Walking Tall: The Final Chapter to QueueAdd Walking Tall: The Final Chapter to top of Queue
Rated R for violence, this is another of the promises broken to us by the movie industry. When they promise that we won't have to see something again, why can't they make it happen? Although this, like the Jason movies (Friday the 13th ad nauseam), is followed by a made for TV movie and a series, they really have to be prequels to this "final chapter," as dictated by the fiery conclusion of the movie. The story of a sheriff who just isn't going to take it anymore, it is based on a true story but, as with all Hollywood fare, made larger than life. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bo Svenson, Maggie Blye, (more)
One of the first efforts of actor/producer/director Fred Williamson's Po' Boy productions, Adios Amigo costars Williamson with Richard Pryor. Playing a couple of inept western outlaws, Williamson and Pryor mastermind several failed crimes, ranging from a real estate scam to a statecoach holdup. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Williamson, Richard Pryor, (more)
- 1972
Syndicate boss Charles Rogan (Robert Webber) has salted away $5,000,000 in order to finance a mob-benefiting political coup in the Carribean nation of Camagua. Commandeering a Navy patrol boat, the IMF stages a characteristically elaborate scam (including the "murder" of agent Barney) in order to locate the key to Rogan's hidden millions. Barbara Anderson makes her second appearance as temporary IMF agent Mimi Davis. Originally telecast on September 30, 1972, "The Deal" was scripted by George F. Slavin and Stephen Kandel, from a story by Slavin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Greg Morris, (more)
- 1970
Don Grady of My Three Sons fame guest stars as John McElroy, the irresponsible son of business executive Douglas McElroy (Murray Hamilton). After John inadvertently commits a crime on a government reservation, a mobster who witnessed the incident strongarms the boy's father into allowing his company to be taken over by the Mafia. Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) must not only bring John to justice for his crime, but also save the boy from becoming yet another Mob casualty. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
World champion boxer Sugar Ray Robinson makes a guest appearance in the two-part Mission: Impossible episode "The Contenders", which was loosely based on an actual event in Robinson's career. The IMF must prevent Charles Buckman (Ron Randell) from gaining control of all American sports events, and thereby destory Buckman's scheme to enrich himself by fixing athletic events. Crucial to the mission is Barney's impersanationg of a boxing contender and Cinnamon's ability to wrap Buckman around her little finger. Written by William Read Woodfield and Allan Balter, Part One of "The Contender" first aired on October 6, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, (more)
- 1968
In the second half of the two-part Mission: Impossible adventure "The Contenders", crooked sports promoter Charles Buckman (Ron Randell) still hopes to gain control of all professional and amateur athletics in the United States. Posing as an aspiring boxer, IMF agent Barney has managed to insuniate himself into Buckman's upper circle, the better to foil the villain's schemes with a "double fix." Former boxing champion Sugar Ray Robinson appears in a surprising characterizations, while Robert Conrad of Wild Wild West fame shows up unbilled. Written by William Read Woodfield and Allan Balter, part two of "The Contenders" was originally telecast on October 13, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, (more)
John Sturges directed this sequel to his Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, which is more of a melancholy character study than an action Western. The Edward Anhalt screenplay (based on Douglas D. Martin's Tombstone's Epitaph) traces Wyatt Earp's (James Garner) moral decline from a lawman with high ideals to a mean-spirited vigilante bent on personal revenge. Ironically, Doc Holliday (Jason Robards), an admitted lawless gambler, reacts to Earp's vengeful turnabout by becoming the moral force that Earp has rejected. When Earp's brothers are killed by goons employed by Ike Clanton (Robert Ryan), Earp becomes obsessed with vengeance and organizes a posse to track down the killers. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Garner, Jason Robards, Jr., (more)
- 1967
Written by William Read Woodfield and Allan Balter, "The Council" was the second multipart story of Mission: Impossible's second season. In their most ambitious assignment to date, the IMF must destroy a criminal empire that threatens to drain America's gold reserves. As part of the plan, Rollin concocts a dangerous strategy of his own, one that requires him to impersonate crooked businessman Frank Wayne (Paul Stevens). As it turns out, the success of the mission hinges upon a mob flunkey who has been targetted for extermination--and has already been buried alive. Part One of "The Council" was first broadcast November 19, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, (more)
- 1967
In the second half of the two-part Mission: Impossible adventure "The Council", the IMF's plan to topple a gangland syndicate is threatened when one of the mobsters apparently sees through Rollin's impersonation of crooked businessman Frank Wayne (Paul Stevens). Meanwhile, the real Stevens lies unconscious on the operating table of a master plastic surgeon. And in a startling development, Phelps is the victim of a mob "hit"--or is he? Written by William Read Woodfield and Allan Balter, Part Two of "The Council" originally aired on November 26, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, (more)
Director Robert Aldrich took what he considered a hopelessly old-fashioned script by Lukas Heller and Nunnally Johnson and fashioned The Dirty Dozen into one of MGM's biggest moneymakers of the 1960s--and the sixth highest-grossing film in the studio's history. Lee Marvin plays Major Reisman, assigned to coordinate a suicide mission on a French chateau held by top Nazi officers. Since no "normal" GI can be expected to volunteer for this mission, Reisman is compelled to draw his personnel from a group of military prisoners serving life sentences. This "dirty dozen" includes a sex pervert (Telly Savalas), a psycho (John Cassavetes), a retarded killer (Donald Sutherland), and the equally malevolent Charles Bronson, Trini Lopez, Jim Brown, and Clint Walker. On the dim promise of receiving pardons if they survive, the criminals undergo a brutal training program, then are marched behind enemy lines dressed as Nazi soldiers, the better to overtake the chateau and kill everyone in it--including the innocent wives and mistresses of the German officers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, (more)
- 1967
John Saxon makes the first of three Bonanza appearances as Steve Friday, a former Ponderosa ranchhand turned gunfighter. Putting his own life on the line, Joe Cartwright tries to save an ailing Friday from a paid assassin, hired by the powerful and revenge-driven Judge Wyllit (Ford Rainey). Featured in the cast are Robert Phillips as Jakes, James Davidson as Cole Berry, and Robert McQueeney as Enos Low. Written by Herbert Kastle and John Hawkins, "Black Friday" was originally seen on Sunday, January 22, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1966
In this sci-fi spy thriller, a secret agent for Espionage, Inc., is assigned to stop the Dragon, a Chinese communist organization, from detonating a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1966
The title of this episode refers to the Virginia town which serves as the home of the FBI Training Academy. One of Quantico's most promising trainees is Charlie Hunter (Michael Callan), who'd grown up in a slum neighborhood with his mentally unbalanced cousin Willard Smith (Robert Walker Jr.). Upon learning that Willard is planning to blow up the Supreme Court Building with a homemade bomb, Charlie is faced with a dilemma that could cost him his career--to say nothing of his life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
Spock faces the death penalty for receiving signals from planet Talos IV. With the agreement of Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Fleet Captain Pike, the trial continues in closed session and the evidence -- the forbidden transmissions -- continues to be viewed by the trial board, as Kirk searches for a reason behind Spock's actions and a way to save his friend's life. They see Captain Pike (Jeffrey Hunter) and his strange adventure on Talos IV some 13 years earlier, and the manner in which the Talosians, with their power to cast illusions, tried alternately to torture and seduce him to secure his cooperation, and his successful resistance to the point where he was ultimately released. They also learn why any contact with planet Talos IV is forbidden, the danger that contact poses to the human race, and why that contact may mean the salvation of the stricken Captain Pike. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Don Siegel directed this intensely pessimistic re-make of Robert Siodmak's 1946 film noir masterpiece The Killers, based upon a story by Ernest Hemingway. As the story opens two professional looking men in business suits -- Charlie (Lee Marvin) and Lee (Clu Gulager) -- push their way into a school for the blind and terrorize a secretary until she reveals the whereabouts of Johnny North (John Cassavetes). When Charlie and Lee trace Johnny to an automobile repair class, Johnny just stands there as the two men gun him down. Afterwards, Charlie wonders why Johnny just stood there, accepting his death. He also starts to wonder about his hefty paycheck for the murder and rumors that Johnny was involved in a million-dollar heist. He decides to pay Johnny's old friend Earl Sylvester (Claude Akins) a visit at his auto shop in Florida. Earl recalls the summer day long ago when former race car driver Johnny caught the eye of the rich and beautiful Sheila Farr (Angie Dickinson). Johnny has been preparing for a race, but Sheila's attentions sidetrack him. The day of the big race, Earl notices that Sheila is visited by a group of rich gangsters, headed by Browning (Ronald Reagan, in a very surprising performance). During the race, Johnny is involved in a terrible crash, effectively ending his racing career. However, it seems Browning is arranging a mail heist and hires Johnny to drive the getaway car. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, (more)
- 1985
- R
Six sorority sisters are desperate for rent money, so, encouraged and trained by their den mother, they enter a mud-wrestling tournament in Las Vegas. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ruth Gordon, Laura Branigan, (more)
A murderous car wreaks havoc on a small Western town in this thriller that has gone on to achieve a small degree of cult status in spite of its own silliness. After a pair of bikers and a horn-playing hitchhiker are viciously mowed down, local police realize they have a motoring maniac on their hands. In a show of boldness, the mysterious black automobile kills the sheriff (John Marley) on the town's main street, leaving the post to officer Wade Parent (James Brolin). A supernatural element enters the picture when the car motors through a parade practice, but refuses to enter the hallowed ground of a cemetery. The cops chase the car through the desert, but it takes out several squad cars and disappears after injuring Wade. Things take a personal turn when the car eliminates Wade's girlfriend Lauren (Kathleen Lloyd) in a shocking sequence. Gathering his remaining officers, Wade concocts a plan to stop the horsepower-laden psychopath. ~ Patrick Legare, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Brolin, Kathleen Lloyd, (more)
- 1976
- R
John Cassavetes takes a contemporary film noir turn (which he would return to in Gloria) after exploring domestic melodrama in A Woman Under the Influence with The Killing of a Chinese Bookie. Ben Gazzara plays Cosmo Vitelli, the owner of a sleazy Los Angeles strip joint, who loses $20,000 at a mob gambling club owned by a small time gangster (Seymour Cassel). Since Cosmo doesn't have the $20,000, he is forced to murder a Chinese bookie in order to clear his debt to the mob. What Cosmo doesn't know is he's part of a set-up. The bookie is actually a West Coast mob boss protected around the clock by bodyguards. The mobsters figure that Cosmo will be killed in an impossible hit and they can take over his nightclub. But Cosmo proves luckier than the mobsters think -- he manages to kill his target, and now the mobsters have to track down Cosmo and kill him. Initially, at 133 minutes, the movie was subsequently re-edited by Cassavetes to 109 minutes. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Gazzara, Timothy Carey, (more)
- 1975
- R
A tough-guy cop (Joe Don Baker) pursues two drug runners (Martin Balsam, John Saxon) across the city to bust a large syndicate. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Don Baker, Martin Balsam, (more)
- 1975
- R
Ben Gazzara stars in this low-level depiction of legendary gangster Al Capone, who rose to command the mob underworld in 1920's Chicago. Born in Brooklyn, Capone joins his first gang at the age of 11. From there, he graduates to the infamous "Five Points Gang" run by Johnny Torrio (Harry Guardino). After moving to Chicago a few years later and wiping out Torrio's crimeboss uncle, Capone becomes Torrio's right hand man. Capone becomes head of the area's prostitution and racketeering business, but, as his mind deteriorates from syphillis, so does his empire. There's not much to recommend here, aside from a surprisingly good appearance by Sylvester Stallone as fellow gangster Frank Nitti. Gazzara is frankly awful in the title role and producer Roger Corman uses stock shootout footage from other gangster films, including footage of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre from his own, earlier movie on the subject. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Gazzara, Susan Blakely, (more)
- 1974
- R
The Gravy Train stars Stacy Keach and Frederic Forrest as a husky but none-too-bright pair of West Virginia brothers. Feeling stifled by their blue-collar jobs, the boys become tentatively involved in crime, only to discover that they enjoy working on the wrong side of the law. The moments of extreme violence in this film erupt naturally, not arbitrarily, but still come as a shock to those viewers who've grown to like the sociopathic protagonists. Terence Malick co-wrote the film's seriocomic script under the "nom de plume" of David Whitney. The Gravy Train is better known by its alternate title, The Dion Brothers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
- R
In this sexploitation film from Roger Corman's New World films, three buxom student teachers use alternative methods to instruct their handsome young students. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
