Mala Powers

Jessica (Angela Lansbury) agrees to finish a book that was inaugurated by recently deceased Pulitzer-winning journalist Daniel Hannigan (Van Johnson). The book was intended to reopen a 16-year-old murder case, and to prove that the man convicted of murdering one Lydia Thurlow was really innocent. Following the trail of clues left behind by Hannigan, Jessica comes across a full complement of suspects, among them Lydia's brother and sister-in-law (Raphael Sbrage, Cynthia Harris), and the police commissioner (Bradford Dillman) originally assigned to the case. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Destiny of a Woman is comprised of vignettes from the Man and the City TV series, which ran for 13 weeks in the fall of 1971. Anthony Quinn plays Thomas Jefferson Alcala, the Mexican-American mayor of a large southwestern city (possibly Albuquerque). The bulk of Destiny of a Woman concerns a disturbed woman (Lois Nettelton) who kidnaps a baby. When an extortionist complicates the rescue, Alcala steps in. This "TV movie" made the network and syndication rounds long after Man and the City bit the desert dust. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This episode marks a rare joint appearance by actor James Daly and his daughter Tyne Daly. The elder Daly is cast as Judge McIntire, who is presently touring college campuses giving lectures about a controversial death sentence he'd levied eight years earlier. During a classroom re-enactment of the trial, McIntire is himself marked to death by an unknown party. Law student Mark (Don Mitchell) must rely upon his boss Ironside (Raymond Burr) to save the judge's life and ferreting out the would-be "executioner". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Feeling that Darrin has been rude to her, Endora retaliates with a magic spell that transforms Darrin into a perfect gentleman. Unfortunately, his excessive gallantry arouses suspicion rather than admiration from his friends and associates. Mala Powers, the actress who played Darrin's old girlfriend, Mary Jane, in the fourth-season episode "No Zip in My Zap," is here cast as Adrienne. Scripted by John L. Greene from a story by Arthur Alsberg, "Instant Courtesy" first aired on December 26, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This sci-fi drama is set aboard a nearly derelict spaceship about to fail. With little remaining supplies and little oxygen, only a few of the crew will survive to make it back to Earth, leaving them to decide which of them must die. The film is also known as The Doomsday Machine. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Mala Powers guest stars as Darrin's new client, M.J. Nilesmuster, who turns out to be his former girlfriend, Mary Jane. Certain that the woman harbors ill feelings towards him, Darrin is amazed that Mary Jane agrees to give him her account, but then accuses Samantha of using her witchcraft to cinch the deal. What he doesn't know is that Sam has temporarily lost her powers, and must rely upon the mercurial Dr. Bombay to restore her sorcery skills. Written by Barbara Avedon, "No Zip in My Zap" first aired on October 12, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hudson Bradshaw (Bartlett Robinson) is willing to use any means, fair or foul, to claim the rights to a revolutionary new antibiotic developed by ex-employee Randolph James (Lee Farr). When all else fails, Bradshaw persuades James' wife Natalie (Marian Collier]) to sell her controlling interest in her husband's chemical company--which would seem to be ample motive for murder when Natalie turns up dead. The only way that Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) will be able to free James is to prove that his client was on a fishing trip at the time of the murder...but alas, the witnesses to this trip are either missing or highly unreliable! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Woolner Brothers, ever on the cutting edge of cinema with rank imitations of popular hits, strike again with Flight of the Lost Balloon. In response to the upcoming release of Mysterious Island in 1961, the Woolners put together this cheapjack tale which, like Island, is partially set in a flying balloon. Doctor Faraday (Marshall Thompson) is an American adventurer living in Africa, who is sent to locate a scientist, missing since his plane went down in the wilderness. Since the area is inaccessible by motor flight, Faraday mans his balloon and takes off. Unfortunately, the film never does. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the concluding episode of Walt Disney's four-part miniseries based on the life of frontiersman Daniel Boone, several members of Boone's wagon train are angered when Daniel (Dewey Martin) orders them to lighten their loads so they can negotiate the mountains and have turned back to North Carolina. Only a tiny band of faithful followers remain with Daniel and his family as they begin the last leg of the arduous journey to Kentucky. Alas, once again the wagoneers are attacked by vengeance-seeking Indian chief Crowfeather (Dean Fredericks), who has a personal score to settle with Daniel. "The Promised Land" originally aired as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A young woman on a business trip travels by train from L.A. to San Francisco and finds herself implicated in a murder in this crime drama. The trouble begins as she retires to her sleeping compartment and is knocked unconscious. The next day she wakes up beside the dead body of the woman she had been sharing it with. A police detective arrests her and escorts her off the train. She escapes and is picked up by a passing motorist. He takes her to her home where she discovers another corpse, a friend of hers who was an alcoholic writer. She was letting him stay at her apartment while she was gone. The distraught woman tells the motorist all she knows. She then admits that she is a former mental patient. The motorist becomes suspicious and takes the woman back to her boss, who denies that he sent her on the business trip. Trouble ensues until they learn that the boss was behind it all. The first corpse was his wife. He put the body beside the girl so that so she would be suspected of being a homicidal maniac. The boss kidnaps his hapless employee and takes her to the mountains where he plans to kill her and make it look like a suicide. Fortunately, the motorist trails them and saves the day. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In the first episode of Walt Disney's four-part miniseries based on the life of frontiersman Daniel Boone, a fast-talking salesman convinces Daniel (Dewey Martin), a North Carolina farmer, to pull up stakes and move to the "promised land" of Kentucky. Daniel, his wife Rebecca (Mala Powers), and their friends are assured that if they travel along the "Warrior's Path", a secret Indian trail, their journey will be a safe one. Unfortunately, the Indians they encounter along the way aren't of the friendly variety. "The Warrior's Path" originally aired as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Engineer Philip Diedshiemer (John Beal) arrives in Virginia City, where, in partnership with Adam Cartwright, he creates a timbering system called "square set," which is designed to make the Deep Silver Mines safe from cave-ins. Trouble ensues when the mine owners refuse to pay Diedshiemer for his efforts. Also in the cast are Mala Powers as Helene, R.G. Armstrong as Andrew Holloway, Charles Cooper as Gil Fenton, Paul Birch as Tregallis, Robert Osterloh as Casey, Howard Negley as Dr. Wesley, and silent-film veteran Mae Marsh as a townswoman. Written by Thomas Thompson, "The Philip Diedshiemer Story" was first broadcast on October 31, 1959. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide