Robert Quarry Movies
Though his official film debut was 1955's House of Bamboo, American actor Robert Quarry had been playing bit parts since at least 1943. In his mid-forties, Quarry finally attained stardom as the leading character in Count Yorga, Vampire (1970) and Return of Count Yorga(1971). Touted as the "new Vincent Price" (with whom he co-starred in 1973's Dr. Phibes Rises Again), Quarry went on to play such juicy roles as the mad guru in Deathmaster (1975, which he also produced) before inexplicably fading from films in the late 1970s. Except for a one-shot as Michael Anthony in a 1978 TV-movie revival of the old series The Millionaire, Quarry virtually disappeared, returning in the mid-1980s in a smattering of low-budget "regional" thrillers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie GuideIn this supernatural horror/comedy, a young woman buys an old house and moves in. Unfortunately for her, the house is infested with evil spirits, and she becomes possessed. Among the characters she comes across while being possessed are a goofball pizza delivery boy (Eddie Deezen), a transvestite, a priest, zombies, and a horned demon. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brinke Stevens, Eddie Deezen, (more)
This low-budget independent movie is a spoof of low-budget independent filmmaking. The story centers on "Faraday International Productions" and the shooting of the laughably awful sub-B horror movie, "I Rip Your Flesh (With Pliers)." Among the film's highlights are semi-nude shots of several attractive actresses. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Quarry, Linnea Quigley, (more)
There's not much doubt this film's a direct descendant of Schwarzenegger's Terminator classic, though it's certainly a distant descendant. Here a fugitive from a far-away planet escapes execution in a hijacked spaceship and crashes on the planet Earth where he's befriended by some young campers and the local constable. However this Terminator take also has a chasing enforcer (the Alienator) who shows up before long, sent to capture the escapee. The earthlings come to the defense of their new friend and fight it out with the indestructible Alienator. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan-Michael Vincent, John Phillip Law, (more)
"B"-sleaze auteur Fred Olen Ray pounded out this vampire parody, which stars career nerd Eddie Deezen as an affable dork and wannabe Hollywood hot-shot who discovers that a high-market bordello -- overseen by slinky Madam Cassandra (Britt Ekland) -- is actually a den of lascivious vampire bimbos from hell. Though his companions are easily lured by the ladies' deadly charms, Deezen takes a definite liking to his self-proclaimed title of Vampire Hunter, even going as far as to sew a crucifix into his skivvies. Laughing yet? This is actually one of Ray's more witty efforts -- with a manic pace, some clever in-jokes, copious amounts of skin, and a throwaway attitude that makes the relentless silliness a bit more palatable... although Deezen's hyperkinetic mugging may be more than some viewers can endure. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Deezen, Britt Ekland, (more)
The hospital where Quincy (Jack Klugman) works is in full security-lockdown mode when President Sarejo (Rudy Solari), a Latin American dictator, is rushed to the emergency room for a serious operation. It soon becomes apparent that a group of radicals has also arrived in Los Angeles, possibly planning to assassinate the ailing leader. But before this can happen, two members of the President's cabinet die of apparent heart failure--whereupon Quincy swings into action to determine if the deaths were mere happenstance, or the result of a vast and insidious conspiracy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
An episode of the television series, where Buck leads a squad of pilots, including a friend of Wilma's father, into a fight with interplanetary gunrunners. ~ All Movie Guide
Rocky (Noah Beery Jr.) is delighted at the prospect of his son Jim (James Garner) being reunited with interior decorator Valerie Pointer (Patrick Crowley), who'd been Jim's girlfriend back in the late 1950s'. But Val has a habit of stirring up trouble wherever she goes--and on this occasion, she is being stalked by a would-be murderer. Likely suspects include Val's son-in-law Eric (Ted Shackelford) and her rather formidable new client Zarakarian (Robert Quarry)--and what about Jean Ludwig ($Elizabeth Brooks), who offers a job to Jim for the express purpose of getting him out of town and far away from the luckless Val? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Rollercoaster was a by-product of the brief "Sensurround" craze of the 1970s. Nutsoid Timothy Bottoms sabotages an amusement-park roller coaster, killing several innocent revelers. After several other acts of terrorism, Bottoms (whose character is credited as Young Man) presents his demands to the authorities via audio tape: one million dollars, or he'll stage five roller-coaster disasters simultaneously in five different parks. Because detective Harry Calder George Segal evinces a grudging respect for the elusive extortionist, Bottoms declares that only Detective Calder will be permitted to deliver the money. Thus the stage is set for an explosive climax, which during the film's original run was accompanied by the Sensurround effect, a gimmick that electronically caused the filmgoer's chairs to begin shaking and vibrating during the "thrill scenes." As with most disaster flicks of the era, Rollercoaster is top-heavy with "guest stars," including Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Harry Guardino, and Susan Strasberg. Watch for 13-year-old Helen Hunt as Detective Calder's spunky daughter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Segal, Richard Widmark, (more)
This episode is something of an amalgam of the Martin-and-Lewis legend and the much-later TV series The Sopranos). Jim (James Garner) is hired to protect over-the-hill comedian Kenny Bell (Chuck McCann) from his mean-spirited former partner Lee Russo (Robert Quarry), only to find himself implicated in Russo's murder. At the same time, Kenny must ransom his "funny box", a catalogue of jokes that has been stolen. These two plot strands are connected by a sex scandal within a Mob family, which certain parties are determined to keep secret at any cost! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Escaped convict Frankie Geller (Michael Tolan) wants to make up for the many years that he neglected his daughter Valerie (Suzanne Arnold). Geller hopes to win back the girl's affections by raising some quick money in the only way he knows how--by selling Mob information to the highest bidder. As a result, Geller finds himself on the lam not only from the FBI but also from his vengeful former associates. Featured in a supporting role is Robert Quarry of Count Yorga, Vampire fame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Myrna Loy guest stars as Andrea Wollcott, a pioneering feminist author. Over the years, Andrea has made many enemies--one of whom apparently hates her enough to fire a few gunshots at her. Assigned by Ironside (Raymond Burr) to protect Andrea, Fran (Elizabeth Baur) is thrilled at meeting one of her idols...at least at first. Meanwhile, Ed (Don Galloway) falls in love with the Great Lady's granddaughter April Morris (Jacqueline Scott), leading to unanticipated complications. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This spy-thriller pokes fun at James Bond movies as it tells the story of a master American spy who must protect a scientist from Russian agents who want his formula for stopping alien spores that turn human flesh into fungus. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Unsuccessful football coach Burt Payne (Bill Williams) wants to sell his share of the Wildcats pro football team to a cartel of investors, but his wealthy wife Ellen (Mona Freeman) vetoes the deal. Even so, Ellen arranges a meeting with one of the investors--just before Burt is killed in a mysterious explosion. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) is on hand when Burt's remains are delivered to Los Angeles by train. . .and also happens to be in the vicinity when another murder occurs and the wrong person is accused. Several real-life members of the Los Angeles Rams appear as themselves in this episode, which ends with a frenetic chase sequence filmed on location at LA Memorial Colisseum, site of the 1932 and 1984 Olympics. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Quitting the police force when his father dies of a heart attack, detective Danny Talbert (Robert Quarry of Count Yorga, Vampire fame) holds his shiftless brother Carl (Chris Robinson) responsible for their dad's demise. Up to his ears in debt, Carl has begged his father to get him off the hook with mobster Steve Radom (Gregory Morton)--and it was the stress of this situation which, Danny believes, brought about the fatal coronary. Later on, Radom is murdered with Danny's gun, prompting Perry Mason (Perry Mason) to plunge into this unpleasant situation and ferret out the facts. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Posing as "Harry Carson", Kimble (David Janssen) witnesses an accidental homicide committed by wealthy Martin Rowland (Leslie Nielsen). When a drifter named Arthur Tibbets (Jay Adler) is arrested for the killing, Kimble worries that if he comes forward to exonerate Tibbets, he is almost certain to be exposed as a fugitive from justice. Then there's the matter of Martin Rowland, whose entire life could be irrevocably destroyed because of a tragic mishap. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Kathy Ferguson (Barbara Stanwyck) is a cynical newspaper columnist in San Francisco, handling women's advice -- by chance one day, the paper's city editor assigns her to cover the woman's angle on the arrival of a pair of L.A. police detectives, Capt. Manny Alidos (Royal Dano) and Lt. Bill Doyle (Sterling Hayden), on the hunt for a murder suspect known to be hiding somewhere in the city. They're both pretty button-down types and seem like fish-out-of-water in the more easy-going Frisco, and Kathy quickly clashes with them both, especially when her column appealing to the missing suspect as a woman yields serious dual results -- not only does Kathy boost her profile and readership, but the missing suspect makes contact and is ultimately brought in; in the process, Kathy goes from journalistic back-bencher to media star. That would be the end of the issue, except that Kathy and Bill have become attracted to each other amid their clashes, parries, and thrusts, and decide to get married -- she spurns the offer of a job in New York to move to Los Angeles and settle down to the life of a wife and homemaker. But that proves impossible -- Kathy quickly chafes at what she regards as the empty vacuous chatter of her fellow detective wives' lives and social interactions, and also her place in their pecking order as determined by their husbands' ranks and assignments (and Bill just doesn't rate high enough). Her own life suddenly cut off from career and ambition, and an ability to act on either, she becomes fixated on Bill's career and advancing it and him as a substitute. She contrives to cross paths socially with Alice Pope (Fay Wray), the wife of Inspector Tony Pope (Raymond Burr), who is both the head of an elite detective unit and the top man in her husband's division, and is soon not only getting Bill invited to parties with Pope and the police commissioner, but also cutting her husband's boss Manny Alidos and his wife Sara (Virginia Grey), to whom she's taken a special dislike, out of those same events.
It's not quite enough, however, and Kathy starts socializing on her own with Tony Pope, on Bill's behalf, and the two soon have their own relationship. Bill is still too much of a nice guy, and not careerist enough or assertive enough -- until she feigns distress at receiving poison-pen letters accusing her of having an affair with Pope, and blames Manny and Sara. This drives Bill to confront and assault Alidos, leading to a hearing in Pope's office where the chief of the division -- now very much beholden to Bill for Kathy's sake -- comes down on Bill's side. When the smoke clears, Manny is bounced back into uniform and Bill is made acting captain and put in charge of the homicide unit that Alidos formerly headed. Bill is on his way, and so is Kathy and Pope's relationship. But Pope proves to be a distressingly honorable and loyal man -- when his wife's health takes a turn for the worse, he decides to put in for retirement, and Kathy wants him to recommend Bill as his replacement. He considers it but decides that regardless of what he's done outside of his marriage, the department is too important to compromise the detective division, and that Bill just doesn't have what it takes to head it. Kathy is too deep in her strategy to back off, and also feels betrayed by Pope; now pushed over the edge, she contrives to threaten him with a gun, and is prepared to make good on her threat. Ironically enough, Bill may get his shot yet at heading the division, as he's head of homicide and takes personal charge of the biggest case the department has seen in years -- bringing in Tony Pope's killer. The only question is if and how he can put together the clues and pieces of the puzzle leading back to Kathy. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
It's not quite enough, however, and Kathy starts socializing on her own with Tony Pope, on Bill's behalf, and the two soon have their own relationship. Bill is still too much of a nice guy, and not careerist enough or assertive enough -- until she feigns distress at receiving poison-pen letters accusing her of having an affair with Pope, and blames Manny and Sara. This drives Bill to confront and assault Alidos, leading to a hearing in Pope's office where the chief of the division -- now very much beholden to Bill for Kathy's sake -- comes down on Bill's side. When the smoke clears, Manny is bounced back into uniform and Bill is made acting captain and put in charge of the homicide unit that Alidos formerly headed. Bill is on his way, and so is Kathy and Pope's relationship. But Pope proves to be a distressingly honorable and loyal man -- when his wife's health takes a turn for the worse, he decides to put in for retirement, and Kathy wants him to recommend Bill as his replacement. He considers it but decides that regardless of what he's done outside of his marriage, the department is too important to compromise the detective division, and that Bill just doesn't have what it takes to head it. Kathy is too deep in her strategy to back off, and also feels betrayed by Pope; now pushed over the edge, she contrives to threaten him with a gun, and is prepared to make good on her threat. Ironically enough, Bill may get his shot yet at heading the division, as he's head of homicide and takes personal charge of the biggest case the department has seen in years -- bringing in Tony Pope's killer. The only question is if and how he can put together the clues and pieces of the puzzle leading back to Kathy. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Stanwyck, Sterling Hayden, (more)
Budd Corliss (Robert Wagner) is an ambitious, poor boy from the wrong-side-of-the-tracks who murders his girlfriend Dorothy (Joanne Woodward) -- making the death look like a suicide -- when her pregnancy eliminates his chances of being accepted by her wealthy family. Her sister Ellen (Virginia Leith), refusing to believe that Dorothy has committed suicide, begins to investigate on her own. She meets Budd, and ignorant of his prior relationship with Dorothy begins a relationship with him. When Ellen discovers that Budd knew Dorothy, the stage is set for a final, dramatic showdown as Ellen fights to revenge her sister and save her own life. The script, adapted from the novel of the same name written by Ira Levin is excellent and tension-filled. Joanne Woodward is fine in a touching performance as the vulnerable and trusting Dorothy. A wooden performance by Robert Wagner in the pivotal central role mars the film and destroys some of its credibility, as Wagner, though handsome, lacks the charm and charisma necessary to make the character of Budd believable. Also, despite an excellent performance by Mary Astor as Budd's class-conscious, greedy mother, the film fails to achieve any sympathy for Budd or understanding of the motivations that drove him to do what he did. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Wagner, Jeffrey Hunter, (more)
The first of two Clark Gable films produced by 20th Century-Fox, Soldier of Fortune casts Gable as an American mercenary, running a successful smuggling operation in and out of Hong Kong. Gable is hired by Susan Hayward, who hopes to locate her missing husband, photographer Gene Barry. Upon discovering that Barry is being held by the Communists somewhere on the Chinese mainland, Gable risks his neck to rescue the man. Along the way, he falls in love with Hayward, which may or may not compromise his dedication to saving Barry's neck. Filmed largely on location, Soldier of Fortune deserves to be seen in its original CinemaScope form--or, at the very least, in the "letterboxed" version recently made available to cable television. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clark Gable, Susan Hayward, (more)
Samuel Fuller directed and cowrote this typically hard-boiled drama set in Japan following World War II. Eddie Kenner (Robert Stack) is given a special assignment by the Army to get the inside story on Sandy Dawson (Robert Ryan), a former GI who has formed a gang of fellow servicemen and Japanese locals who use their muscle to take over Tokyo's pachinko racket and commit a series of train robberies, targeting deliveries of military ammunition. Eddie is supposed to gather evidence on the murder of a soldier believed to have fallen in with the gang, and Eddie tries to blend in with the group to find out how they work. Hoping to learn more, Eddie also begins romancing Mariko (Shirley Yamaguchi), a Japanese woman who was married to the slain gangster, and he learns that the ruthless Dawson kills men who are injured during robberies rather than leave them behind to possibly testify against him. After a burglary goes wrong, Dawson becomes convinced that there's an informer in the group; wrongly believing it's Griff (Cameron Mitchell), Dawson kills his loyal soldier and makes Eddie his second in command. Veteran Japanese actor Sessue Hayakawa appears as Inspector Kito, a Japanese police detective working with Eddie to crack the case. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Ryan, Robert Stack, (more)
From the evidence at hand, it seems apparent that the inexpensive Mind Twister was the last cinematic stand for the late Telly Savalas. There's a wacko killer at large, murdering at random. A courageous cop offers himself as bait to stop the murderer. This proves difficult, as who knows where the killer will strike next? Richard Roundtree and Suzanne Slater also show up in this garish Fred Olen Ray concoction. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
An interesting bit of casting enlivens this psycho-thriller set in a California boarding house run by eccentric Karen Black with a rogue's gallery of bizarre tenants and more dark secrets than the Bates Motel. Tenants have a habit of disappearing rather abruptly from this particular residence -- but not without first signing over their Social Security checks to the landlady, netting her a tidy fortune. This leads to the inevitable visit from a federal agent (Arte Johnson), who begins an investigation into Black's shady affairs, and uncovers the true identity of the killer. Despite presenting Black as a blatant red herring from the outset, the filmmakers manage to provide a few interesting twists, though they eventually stray a bit too deeply into Psycho turf. A cast full of familiar faces (including Virginia Mayo, Martine Beswick and Michael Berryman) tends to counterbalance the occasional moments of sleaziness, but there is little originality to distinguish the film from standard slasher fare. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
This horror is set in a scary haunted house where researchers have come to investigate. Ten years before, a number of murders occured there and now it is rife with restless spirits lead by the mummified corpse of a fallen priest who resides in the basement. The only one who can save the imperiled researchers is another fallen priest who must somehow regain his lost faith if he is to succeed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
In this thriller, a bountiful female ex- cop teams up with a bounty hunter to find the psychotic artist and drug dealer who killed her partner and kidnapped an LA mayoral candidate. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sybil Danning, Wings Hauser, (more)
In a future where the planet Earth has been poisoned by radiation, a fearless warrior named Dow (David Carradine) stands as mankind's last hope against a tyrannical ruler known only as The Warlord (Sid Haig) and his murderous band of mutant warriors. Accompanied only by the beautiful but fierce warrior Danny (Dawn Wildsmith) and the unpredictable Ammo, Dow attempts to conquer the desert savages who seek to rule the world. By summoning the courage and resourcefulness that will allow the fearless trio to do battle with an army of relentless killers, they make one last heroic attempt to save the world or die trying. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Carradine, Dawn Wildsmith, (more)
Phantom Empire pokes fun and pays a sly tribute to the sci-fi serials that made Saturday afternoon at the movies such a treat. Featuring plenty of in-jokes, the story centers on the hunt for a lost stash of diamonds that leads the hero into a fabulous subterranean world ruled by a mysterious beauty and scads of scary mutants. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ross Hagen, Jeffrey Combs, (more)






















