Carl Betz Movies
Carl Betz held a fascination for the theater from the age of ten, when he and six of his friends would stage plays in his grandmother's Philadelphia basement. Earning a four-year scholarship to Duquesne University, Betz left after the first year to work in Summer Stock. He then attended Carnegie Tech's drama department, completing his education after three-years' service in World War II. Following 65 straight weeks in East Coast stock companies, Betz made his Broadway bow in the 1952 flop The Long Watch. This he followed with touring-show appearances opposite such fading Hollywood luminaries as Veronica Lake and Diana Barrymore, then with a one-year 20th Century Fox film contract. With the exception of his leading-man assignment in Dangerous Crossing (1953), most of Betz' Fox films were unremarkable, but they did lead to a lucrative tour with Walter Slezak in My Three Angels. He made his television bow as a regular on the CBS serial Love of Life, then gained prime-time fame as Dr. Alex Stone on the long-running (1958-1966) sitcom The Donna Reed Show. Betz finally received above-the-title billing in the weekly courtroom series Judd for the Defense (1967-1969), for which he won an Emmy. Carl Betz spent most of the rest his career in the "special guest star" pool; he died of lung cancer in 1978 at the age of 58. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1977
Shortly after being involved in a hit-and-run outside of Danny's bar, stewardess Robbie Parker is found murdered. Quincy (Jack Klugman) becomes involved in the situation for two reasons: Danny (Val Bisoglio) may be facing charges for serving Robin too many drinks, and the dead woman was a friend of Quincy's current amour Janet Martin (Renne Jarrett). Conducting an investigation, Quincy figures out that Robbi has had extensive plastic surgery as part of an effort to completely change her identity--and that her past was strange and sordid indeed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
In this crime drama, two dogged FBI agents are on the case to investigate one of the U.S.'s most infamous bank robberies. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Darren McGavin, Leslie Nielsen, (more)
- 1975
The Boy Who Talked to Badgers is portrayed by Christian Juttner. A young Canadian farm boy, Juttner has no use for people; in fact, he seems to communicate better with animals. Befriending a hunted badger, Juttner heads out to locate the animal. Before long, the boy finds himself being carried far from home by a rapid, raging stream. Denver Pyle narrates this Disney production, which was filmed on location in Alberta. The Boy Who Talked to Badgers originated as a two part Wonderful World of Disney TV installment, first telecast September 14 and 21, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
- R
In this drama, a wealthy socialite hosts a dinner party for the rich and powerful. During the course of the dinner, they begin dishing up each other's juiciest secrets. On video the film is called Deadly Encounter. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dina Merrill, Carl Betz, (more)
- 1975
[124828] This TV movie is a sequel to 1972's Daughters of Joshua Cabe (which was also a TV movie). Cabe (Dan Dailey) is an itinerant western trapper hoping to gain extra homesteading land by pretending to have a family. He hires three "fallen women" (Ronne Troup, Brooke Adams and Christina Hart) to pose as his daughters. Unfortunately, the real father of one of the girls kidnaps his daughter, compelling the remaining ladies to track down their missing "sister". Like the earlier movie, Daughters of Joshu Cabe Return was produced by Aaron Spelling, and was the pilot for a potential TV series. It didn't sell, but Spelling was back in 1976 with another "three girls" adventure project, Charlie's Angels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
This inventive and genuinely creepy TV movie is scripted by acclaimed science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon. The plot involves a group of construction workers building an airstrip on a South Pacific island during World War II, who disrupt an ancient native temple and uncover a strange meteorite sealed within its walls. When they attempt to move the massive rock with one of their bulldozers, the noncorporeal entity contained within it enters the machine itself, which later grinds to malevolent life and attacks the team members. Boasting high production values and excellent special effects for a TV production, Killdozer is propelled by a unique premise that no doubt inspired Stephen King's short story Trucks -- which itself spawned two substandard film versions that proved far less interesting. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1972
The seventh and final season of Mission:Impossible commenced on September 16, 1972 with the episode titled "Break!" In his second series appearance, guest star Carl Betz is cast as Syndicate gambling boss Dutch Krebs, who has just finished murdering a federal undercover agent. The IMF must recover the wristwatch camera that the dead agent was carrying, and to do this Jim Phelps poses as a pool hustler, engaging Krebs in a high-stakes game which had been meticulously rigged by fellow IMF agent Barney. Though series regular Lynda Day George receives billing as agent Lisa Casey in this and subsequent episodes, she spent most of the 1972-73 season on maternity leave. Her IMF replacement in "Break!" and elsewhere is paroled convict Mimi Davis, played by former Ironside regular Barbara Anderson. Thus, in this episode the viewer is treated to the ritual of the Impossible Mission Force's recruiting process for the first and only time. "Break!" was written by Sam Roeca and James L. Henderson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Greg Morris, (more)
- 1972
Carl Betz) guest stars as Jeff Williams, a respected college professor who is being shaken down by a seedy blackmailer. During the payoff, tempers flare and the blackmailer shoots Williams in the shoulder. Terrified that an investigation will cause him to lose a much-needed promotion--to say nothing of his job--Williams not only refuses to cooperate with the police, but puts his own life in peril by concealing his bullet wound. Geraldine Brooks costars as Williams' beleagured wife Alice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Where do dreams end and reality begins? That's the question facing research scientist Lloyd Bridges in the made-for-TV Deadly Dream. Each night, Bridges suffers nightmares, in which he is on trial for his life before a mysterious tribunal. The whys and wherefores of Bridges' torment are revealed bit by bit throughout the film's 73 minutes. The Deadly Dream was the September 25, 1971 installment of ABC's Movie of the Week anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Shedding his "good guy" TV image, Carl Betz guests in this episode as veteran jewel fence Martin Ashton. Having long sheltered his daughter Lynne (Anne Archer) from his criminal activities, Ashton is outraged when the girl announces plans to marry his accomplice Mike Keller (Michael Burns). As FBI Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) closes in on the crooks, Ashton prepares to resort to desperate measures to "rescue" his daughter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The producers of In Search of America never declared outright that the made-for-TV film was intended as a series pilot, but there sure are plenty of loose plot ends. Carl Betz and Vera Miles play the parents of shaggy-haired college dropout Jeff Bridges. At the boy's suggestion, Betz and Miles pack their family--including grandma Ruth McDevitt--into a 1928 Greyhound bus and hit the road, in search of you-know-where. The picaresque plotline brings the family in contact with a variety of colorful characters. Written by Lewis John Carlino, a name that would mean a lot more to filmgoers after The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea (1976), In Search of America was first telecast March 23, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vera Miles, Carl Betz, (more)
- 1970
Iron Curtain functionary Kozani (Carl Betz, in an offbeat characterization) has captured guerilla leader Constantine (Eric Mason) and sentenced him to death within 24 hours. Within this extremely limited time-frame, the IMF must rescue Constantine and smuggle him back to his followers. The key to the success of this plan is manifested in the title of this Mission: Impossible episode. First seen on March 8, 1970, "The Crane" was written by Ken Pettus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Leonard Nimoy, (more)
- 1970
Apparently Carl Betz had no immediate offers after wrapping up the TV series Judd for the Defense. Thus it was that Betz scurried off to the Mysterious East to film the modestly budgeted actioner That Lady From Peking. The "maguffin" in this one is a potentially explosive tell-all diary. Betz isn't the only one looking for this item; leading lady Nancy Kwan and a few less attractive, more disreputable types are also on the trail. Featured in the cast are onetime teen singing idol Bobby Rydell and perennial comic foil Sid Melton. That Lady From Peking was directed by Eddie Davis, who cut his teeth on such low-cost 1950s TV series as Highway Patrol and Sea Hunt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Even though Jason Banning (Carl Betz), a hard-drinking Police Pension Fund investment manager, has confessed to the murder of his secretary, all existing evidence proves otherwise. Ironside (Raymond Burr) takes it upon himself to find out if Banning is actually guilty, or if he is simply suffering from a really bad cases of the D.T.s. If the latter is true, then who DID kill the secretary--and why? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
Hoping to squeeze money out of his father Gar Shelton (Carl Betz), embittered teenager Terry Shelton (Jeff Bridges fakes his own kidnapping. Inevitably, Terry's scheme backfires when one of his accomplices decides to play for keeps. Meanwhile, Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) has troubles of his own with the elder Shelton, who stubbornly insists upon handling the ransom drop without the help of the FBI--thereby ending up in the kidnappers' clutches as well. First networkcast on October 5, 1969, this episode originally ended as star Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) explained the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list, and also the described the inner workings of the National Crime Information Center. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
Filmed in 1969 as Set This Town on Fire, the made-for-TV The Profane Comedy didn't make it to the tube until 1973. Chuck Connors has the leading role as a small town hero, recently exonerated of a manslaughter conviction when an old drunkard confesses to the crime. Now Connors is back in his home town and running for mayor. Carl Betz is a local newspaper editor who was instrumental in gaining Connors' freedom; but as subsequent events unfold, Betz begins to wonder if he's been duped. The Profane Comedy takes a while getting started, but moves along rapidly once Carl Betz wises up. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Elvis Presley plays rock singer and racecar driver Mike McCoy in the typical musical romp Spinout, directed by Norman Taurog. His band includes Curly Jack Mullaney, Larry Jimmy Hawkins and the female tomboy drummer Les Deborah Walley. Mike is coveted by a bevy of beauties that include the intellectual journalist Diana St. Clair Diane McBain, Susan Dodie Marshall and the spoiled rich girl Cynthia Foxhugh Shelley Fabares. Cynthia's millionaire father Howard Carl Betz wants Mike to race his newly built auto. All the girls want Mike, but he manages to marry them off to different paramours and in the end falls for his replacement drummer Susan. The 12-song album of the same title contained a musical curiosity, Bob Dylan's Tomorrow Is A Long Time. It was the only Dylan song ever recorded by Presley -- and the longest, at over five minutes in length. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elvis Presley, Shelley Fabares, (more)
