Eddie Ryder Movies
- 1986
Bob Hope makes his first starring film appearance in 14 years in this made-for-TV movie. Hope stars as a seedy private eye, hoping to get one last good case before calling it quits. Don Ameche, a retired art thief reduced to working as a chauffeur, teams with his old friend Hope to solve the mystery of a missing painting. The unknown criminal has a murderous streak, resulting in a few close calls for the octogenarian heroes. Masterpiece of Murder is murder, all right, but definitely no masterpiece. Bob Hope appears to be sleepwalking, while Don Ameche does his utmost to breathe life in the tiresome proceedings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
Having accidentally broken an expensive mirror owned by Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke), Uncle Jesse (Denver Pyle) is in danger of losing his farm. Luke (Tom Wopat) tries to settle the debt by agreeing to a prizefight opposite the formidable Catfish Lee (played by real-life Golden Gloves champ Sonny Shields). It soon develops that Catfish--who like Luke is a Marine veteran--has reluctantly formed an alliance with a gang of crooks who have no qualms about playing dirty in order to "fix" the fight in their favor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
Made for TV, The Man in the Santa Claus Suit jumped the gun a bit by premiering December 23, 1979. The title "character" is threefold: John Byner, Gary Burghoff and Bert Convy all don Santa suits for various reasons. Byner is a fugitive tramp, Burghoff a lonely schoolteacher, and Convy a divorced father estranged from his young son. Unifying their three stories is top-billed Fred Astaire, who pops up in eight different roles (or seven different roles, if you don't count his "surprise identity") and sings the title song. The moral, as ever, is that Christmas is what you make of it: if you're merry, then you'll have a merry Christmas. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
The redoubtable Angel (Stuart Margolin) is prepared to take full advantage of the fact that his brother-in-law Aaron Kiel (Milt Kogan) becomes the new police commissioner. Assigned to provide security for Kiel's welcoming party, Lt. Chapman (James Luisi) is none too thrilled that he may have to kowtow to Angel, who in addition to being a notorious lowlife is also a friend of Chapman's eternal nemesis Jim Rockford (James Garner). But when art thieves invade the party, steal $2,000,000 worth of paintings and force all the male revellers to remove their trousers, Chapman is forced to swallow his pride and "make nice" with Jim so that the thieves will be tracked down and captured with a minimum of embarrassment for the Police Force. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
- PG
This is Mel Brooks' spoof of over ten Alfred Hitchcock classics, including Psycho, Vertigo, and The Birds (Brooks actually used the bird trainer from that classic suspense movie in making his film). Brooks plays Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke, a renowned Harvard psychiatrist with a concealed fear of heights, or High Anxiety. Thorndyke takes over as the newest director of the PsychoNeurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous after the last director dies under suspicious circumstances. He soon finds himself to be in the company of some very strange colleagues, including longtime Brooks collaborators Cloris Leachman and Harvey Korman, with Madeline Kahn as Victoria Brisbane, the eccentric daughter of a patient at the institute and Thorndyke's love interest. Korman takes on the role of Dr. Charles Montague, a psychiatrist with a closeted habit of his own. Leachman plays Charlotte Diesel, a charge nurse with a dark sneer and tendency towards domination. As Thorndyke heads to a psychiatry conference, he is faced with saving the Institute, his reputation, and his own sanity. Although the film was not well-received by critics, it picked up a 1978 Golden Globe nomination for best picture (musical or comedy) and landed Brooks a nomination for best actor. The movie has a number of cameos, from a young Barry Levinson's spot as an unstable bellboy to a small part by Hitchcock's right-hand special effects man, Albert J. Whitlock, who plays Kahn's father. ~ Rachel Koetje, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, (more)
- 1977
In one of his first acting roles, Arnold Schwarzenegger is typecast as professional bodybuilder Josef Schmidt. Anticipating Arnold's earliest, villainous film appearances, Schmidt is dangerously sensitive to criticism of his chosen profession--a sensitivity that leads inexorably to murder. Who'd have thought back in 1977 that Schwarzenegger would one day forsake the Streets of San Francisco to take up residence in the gubernatorial mansion in Sacramento? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
- PG
Silent Movie is just that: a totally nonverbal comedy, save for one single line. Director Mel Brooks stars as a once-famous comedy director, who with his faithful assistants Dom DeLuise and Marty Feldman return to Hollywood with plans for a comeback. Brooks wants to return to the good old days by producing a silent movie (he explains this via subtitle). Producer Sid Caesar is agreeable, provided Brooks can line up top stars. In a series of vignettes better seen than described, Brooks persuades Burt Reynolds, Liza Minelli, Paul Newman, James Caan and Anne Bancroft (Brooks' real-life wife) to star in his project. The only holdout is mime Marcel Marceau, who after a few moments of walking against the wind shouts the film's solitary line: "No!" Meanwhile, the crooked executives of the Engulf and Devour conglomerate want to take over Caesar's studio and are worried that Brooks' film might be so huge a hit that Caesar won't be interested in selling. To prevent this, the conglomerate dispatches sexy Bernadette Peters to lure Brooks into drink and ruination. The film's climax is lifted from the 1943 Olsen and Johnson film Crazy House). Featured in brief comic cameos are Harry Ritz as the man with half a suit, Charlie Callas as the blind man, Dom DeLuise's wife, Carol Arthur, as the incredibly pregnant woman, Fritz Feld as the headwaiter (whose trademarked "Pop" is conveyed on a subtitle) and Henny Youngman as the diner with a fly in his soup. Co-writers Ron Clark, Rudy DeLuca and Barry Levinson also show up on screen as three of the Engulf & Devour minions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Brooks, Marty Feldman, (more)
- 1976
Through a series of misunderstandings and misapprehensions, Jim-Bob (David W. Harper) arrives at the conclusion that he isn't a "real" Walton at all--and that he is instead an adopted foundling. Fueling the boy's suspicion is the fact that no one in family seems willing to discuss the "mysterious" circumstances surrounding his birth. Only at episode's end is Jim-Bob given the real reason why so many secrets have been kept from him for so many years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
The enterprising Mr. Carlin gets Bob and Jerry involved in a shady real-estate scheme, wherein an old tenement will be razed to make room for a new development. Oh, the money is good, but the end result will be the eviction of an old man named Arbogast (Malcolm Atterbury). Will conscience once again make a coward out of Bob? Written by Michael Zinberg, "No Sale" made its first network appearance on January 3, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1973
When one of the key witnesses in a mob trial is murdered, Stone intensifies his protection of sole remaining witness Roy Chaffee (Sandy Kenyon). Stone and Keller install Chaffee in a nondescript house across the street from the apartment of shy, spinsterish English teacher Mary Rae Dortmunder (Shirley Knight). At the same time, Mary Rae is being ardently courted by a kind, soft-spoken gentleman (Steve Forrest)--actually a contract killer who hopes to use the woman's living room as a stakeout, the better to murder the hapless Chaffee! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
- R
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, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Once again, the IMF agents must break the bank of a popular casino to bring down a master criminal. In this case, the villain is Syndicate chieftan Orin Kerr (Orin Kerr), who controls not only the casino but the entire resort town where it is located. The IMF's mission is twofold: Hit both the casino's gaming tables and its vault simultaneously. Originally broadcast on February 19, 1972, "Casino" was written by Walter Brough and Howard Berk. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Greg Morris, (more)
- 1970
Forrest Tucker guest stars as veteran police officer Milt Stein (Forrest Tucker), who takes the law into his own hands to nab the drug peddler who has sold marijuana to his daughter Barbara (Kathy Lloyd). Locating the criminal, Stein frames the man in order to insure a swift conviction. Stein's actions result in a major ethical dilemma for Chief Ironside (Raymond Burr): If he blows the whistle on the frame, an otherwise good cop will be ruined and a dangerous dope dealer will walk! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
Sheriff Austin (Pat Hingle) of Stillwater jails Candy on the basis of highly suspicious eyewitness testimony. Not only does Austin refuse to tell Candy that he's suspected of robbery and murder, but he also refuses to inform the Cartwrights of their top hand's whereabouts. Why is the Sheriff behaving in this fashion, and how long will it be before the situation devolves into tragedy? Strother Martin appears as Lonnie, while Jackie Gleason Show semi-regular Frank Marth is seen as Barnum. Written by Preston Wood, "The Silence at Stillwater" originally aired on September 28, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1968
Taking a well-deserved vacation, Phelps finds himself in a small town populated almost exlclusively by political assassins. Captured, Phelps is drugged and left in a paralytic state. Despite his helplessness, he manages to blink a message to Rollin, who rallies the rest of the IMF to prevent the murder of a Russian defector. Future Waltons costar Will Geer delivers a nicely nasty performance as a duplicitious doctor. First shown on February 18, 1968, "The Town" was written by Sy Salkowitz. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, (more)
- 1967
Jerry Lewis is aptly cast as The Big Mouth in this production (he also served as producer, director and cowriter). As bad luck would have it, Lewis is the exact double of a notorious gangster. The bad guys who think they've disposed of the gangster are taken aback when they see Jerry strolling about, while several other disreputable characters chase after Lewis in the mistaken assumption that our hero knows the whereabouts of a cache of stolen diamonds. Charlie Callas provides some good moments as a hit man who is so unnerved by Jerry's "resurrection" that he turns into a babbling idiot (so what else is new?) There's also a cute bit involving a Kabuki dance troupe. Overall, however, The Big Mouth suffers from the Curse of Jerry: too much repetition, too many pointless gags (will someone explain why Colonel Sanders makes a guest appearance?) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerry Lewis, Harold J. Stone, (more)
- 1967
Joe Cartwright is kidnaped by a band of impoverished Mexicans, who hope to save their rundown village by collecting a $25,000 ransom from Joe's father Ben. Meanwhile, a pair of thieves named Anderson (John Kellogg) and Perkins (Eddie Ryder) prepare to steal the ransom before it can be delivered, and to that end they join a rescue party, ostensibly to "save" the hapless Joe. John Saxon heads the guest cast in the role of Blas. Written by Walter Black, "The Conquistadores" first aired October 1, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1966
In the words of Hamlet, there's a plentiful lack of wit in Not with My Wife, You Don't! Korean war vet Tony Curtis is living in London, blissfully married (so he thinks) to Virna Lisi. In strolls old air force buddy George C. Scott, who has a history of stealing Curtis' ladies away from him. Unable to woo Lisi by fair means, Scott resorts to foul; he exercises his prerogative as Curtis' superior officer, shipping him out to a faraway post. George C. Scott may have been right to refuse his Oscar for Patton; he doesn't look like much of an award-winner in Not With My Wife, You Don't! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Curtis, Virna Lisi, (more)
- 1966
Called up for two weeks' service as a Naval reserve Lieutenant Commander, Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) is reluctantly committed to be first officer on the submarine manned by Commander Moore (Robert Carson)--and it's all because of Lucy's well-meaning interference. But wait--there's more! Obliged to deliver an important message to Mooney, Lucy (Lucille Ball) is forced to disguise herself as a male sailor. A literally explosive climax caps this waterlogged misadventure, in which future Lucy Show semi-regular Roy Roberts (Mr. Cheever) appears as an admiral. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Roberts, Robert Carson, (more)
- 1966
A heartless actor scrambles to the top of show business' sleazy summit in this drama. Frank Fane (Stephen Boyd) is a Hollywood leading man who is desperate to boost his career by winning an Academy Award, and he doesn't care who he has to betray to achieve his goals -- including his former best friend and PR man, Hymie Kelly (Tony Bennett), lonely acting coach Sophie Cantaro (Eleanor Parker), slimy agent Kappy Kapstetter (Milton Berle), and long-suffering girlfriend Kay Bergdahl (Elke Sommer). However, as Frank waits for his name to be called, certain that victory is in his grasp, fate has a little secret in store for him. The Oscar marked Tony Bennett's onscreen acting debut. The screenplay, based on the novel by Richard Sale, was written in part by award-winning author Harlan Ellison, who is known to often take comical potshots at the film, which he considers a low point in his career. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Boyd, Elke Sommer, (more)
- 1965
Eddie (Butch Patrick) volunteers Herman (Fred Gwynne) to do an act at his school's talent show. With no discernable talents, Herman turns to Grandpa (Al Lewis) for help--and emerges as a ballet dancer of questionable prowess. When it turns out that Eddie wants Herman to perform a magic act, Grandpa is upset that he wasn't asked to do so, setting up an episode climax that is suprisngly touching for a series of this nature! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
A curious item on his tax return leads Rob (Dick Van Dyke) to recall back when he and Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) were house-hunting in New Rochelle. The flashback reveals that both the Petries and the Helpers were competing to purchase the same house, which seriously jeopardized Rob and Laura's friendship with Jerry (Jerry Paris) and Millie (Ann Morgan Guilbert). As it turns out, the resolution of the crisis revolves "around and around a rugged rock." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerry Paris, Ann Morgan Guilbert, (more)
- 1964
A full year before the debut of Warner Bros.' TV series The FBI, a pilot of sorts was filmed under the title FBI Code 98. Jack Kelly heads the cast of this Dragnet-style docudrama, wherein the action is underlined by William Woodson's stentorian off-camera narration. The main plot concerns a disgruntled mad bomber, who uses his heightened knowledge of electronics to stay one step ahead of detection. The all-Warner-contractee cast includes Maverick's Kelly, Ray Danton, Andrew Duggan, Philip Carey, William Reynolds (later a regular on The FBI), Peggy McCay and Merry Anders. Originally intended as a TV special, FBI Code 98 was released theatrically instead. The film was produced by Stanley Niss, the author of the book on which the screenplay was based. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Kelly, Ray Danton, (more)
Toward the end of Jerry Lewis's Paramount studio period, Lewis slapped together this bitter comedy about Hollywood phoniness and fame that has to be the most rancid portrait of the Hollywood star system in the Rat Pack era this side of Clifford Odets. When a famous entertainer suddenly is killed in an airplane crash, his team of flunkies -- producer Caryl Fergusson (Everett Sloane), writer Chic Wymore (Phil Harris), press agent Harry Silver (Keenan Wynn), director Morgan Heywood (Peter Lorre in his final film role), valet Bruce Alden (John Carradine), and secretary Ellen Betz (Ina Balin) -- decide to continue their life style by finding a complete unknown and manufacturing him into a Hollywood star. That unknown turns out to be the nervous and inept bellboy Stanley Belt (Jerry Lewis). They train Stanley to become an over-night singing sensation, and despite a disastrous recording session and a failed nightclub performance, the public relations blitz makes Stanley's recording of "I Lost My Heart in a Drive-In Movie" a smash single. So much so that Stanley is given a shot at appearing on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Expecting the worst, Stanley's management team abandons him right before his performance. But Stanley musters up enough confidence to go on the live program alone and manages to surprise his pessimistic ex-staff. A collection of Hollywood celebrities circa 1964 --George Raft, Ed Wynn, Ed Sullivan, Mel Torme, Rhonda Fleming and Hedda Hopper -- make cameo appearances. High spots include an apocalyptic music lesson with voice teacher Dr. Mule-rrr (Hans Conried), Ed Sullivan performing a bizarre impersonation of himself, and an ending that would make even Jean-Luc Godard blush. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerry Lewis, Ina Balin, (more)
