Walter Sande Movies

Moving to a new Wednesday-night slot for its fourth season, Adam-12 wastes no time getting down to business. This time, Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) are working the waterfront beat, where a nasty gang of extortionists specializes in targeting elderly Jewish businessmen. George O'Hanlon, better known to baby boomers as the voice of cartoon character George Jetson, appears as a vengeful drunk who makes some very bizarre threats against the two cops. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

John Astin and Emmaline Henry, who back in 1962 played husband and wife in the short-lived sitcom I'm Dickens-He's Fenster, were reunited in the December 21, 1969 Bonanza episode "Abner Willoughby's Return." Astin is cast as ex-miner Abner, who after 17 years at sea comes back to Virginia City to dig up the gold he buried before his departure. Thing of it is, the hiding place is now on the property owned by Widow Sprague (Emmaline Henry) and her son Charlie (Russell Schulman). When Abner tries to persuade the widow to move, he-and most of the Ponderosa men-are forced to remain on the property due to a quarantine. Written by Jack B. Sowards and Leslie McFarland, "Abner Willoughby's Return" was one of several Bonanza episodes which, for a variety of reasons, were withdrawn from the series' original syndication package; it has since been exhumed for cable-TV play. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Elizabeth Montgomery appears in the dual role of Samantha Stephens and Sam's lookalike cousin, Serena. When the footloose and fancy-free Serena is arrested at a hippie love-in, her picture is splashed all over the front page, and everyone assumes that it was Sam who ended up in the slammer. Intending to apologize, Serena is miffed by Darrin's attitude and vows to make things worse by causing a ruckus at Darrin's office. Star Montgomery sings a swinging version of "Rock-a-Bye Baby" and a newly minted song, "Iffn." Written by Michael Morris, "Hippie, Hippie, Hooray" was first telecast on February 1, 1968, an occasion that somehow warranted a cover story in TV Guide. Curiously, the syndicated version of this episode contains no laugh track, leaving long and sometimes uncomfortable "reaction" pauses in the dialogue. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Acting magistrate Ben Cartwright is dismayed when Sundown (Tom Tully), an old reprobate whom he'd helped parole, is suspected of robbing the Virginia City bank. Magnanimously, Sundown offers to tell Ben where the stolen money is in exchange for his freedom. Ben refuses this offer, whereupon the whole town turns against him. Also in the cast are Anthony Call (Billy), Elizabeth Perry (Ruth) and Walter Sande (Hamilton). Written by John and Ward Hawkins, "The Dilemma" first aired September 19, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This exploitation crime drama offers a fictionalized account of John Dillinger just before he became known as one of the most ruthless mobsters of the 1930s. The tale begins as Dillinger and his girlfriend try to rob her daddy's safe and get caught red-handed. Dillinger takes the fall and goes to the joint where he encounters some of America's most infamous gangsters including Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson. Dillinger helps them all escape and together they become some of the most fearsome criminals ever. Because he is considered Public Enemy No. 1, Dillinger decides to undergo a total face transformation. Following the operation, he kills the surgeon, who was trying to force himself on Dillinger's moll. Later, he wrongs her and this ultimately leads to tragedy for him and for her. Keep an eye out for background people dressed in 1960s clothing, quite an anomaly for a film set in the '30s. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The Seaview is assigned for tests of a new super-computer, with Crane (David Hedison) as an observer, alone aboard the ship. But once underway, he discovers that he's not alone on the submarine, and that something is terribly wrong with the computer and the test. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

Seriously injured in a fall, Hoss Cartwright is in desperate need of medical attention. Alas, the only available doctor is a man named Jones (DeForest Kelley), who has been sentenced to hang for murder. Ben Cartwright's pleas to Judge Grant (John Hoyt) to temporarily release Dr. Jones so that he can tend to Hoss' injuries fall upon deaf ears; after all, it was Grant's wife who was murdered by the condemned man. Rounding out the supporting cast are Lisabeth Hush as Karen Jones and Walter Sande as the Sheriff. Written by Frank Chase and Norman Jacobs, "The Decision" first aired on December 16, 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Jim Davis was light-years away from his role as Larry Hagman's dad on Dallas when he starred in Noose for a Gunman. In this 1960 B oater, Davis is a gunslinger who is appointed town marshal to clean out the criminal element. It isn't long before Davis is kicked out of town on a trumped-up murder rap. The real villain is cattle baron Barton MacLane, who exercises his usual prerogative of shouting all his lines. Noose for a Gunman was a Premium Production (an inaptly-named firm), released through United Artists. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Judson Curtis (Walter Sande) hopes to gain full control of the circus he co-owns with Jerry Franklin (Robert Clarke) by threatening to reveal that Franklin's wife Lisa (Chana Eden) is still legally married to circus clown Felix Heidemann (Douglas Henderson). Unfortunately for Curtis, he is shot to death during a clown act in full view of a huge audience. This is even more unfortunate for Heidemann, who is identified as the killer--and among the eyewitnesses is Lt. Tragg (Ray Collins), perennial nemesis of attorney Perry Mason (Raymond Burr). In the absence of series regular William Talman (DA Hamilton Burger), Kenneth Tobey appears as Deputy DA Alvin. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Predictable and a little slow and labyrinthian, this western features Bill Williams as Temple Houston, a gun-toting D.A. whose heart lies with the cause of justice but whose actions toward that end can be controversial. Bigelow (Grant Richards) is a railroad agent who frames a Cherokee chief (as usual, played by a very non-Cherokee Ted de Corsia) for the murder of the Indian Commissioner. The crafty Bigelow wants the Cherokee nation to declare war, which would make their lands automatically available for use by the railroad according to an 1867 treaty. Temple Houston has to prosecute the Chief, a long-time friend, and although he wins his case the story is not over yet. As he soon discovers, the Chief is most decidedly innocent. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Just outside the small town of Pauley, a Native American woman is attacked by two riders on horseback, raped, and killed. Her husband, Matt Morgan (Kirk Douglas), the town marshal, has only two clues to their identity, a fancy saddle with the initials "C.B." that one of the men left behind, and the fact that his wife cut one of the two men deep across the cheek with a buggy whip. Morgan traces the saddle to Craig Belden (Anthony Quinn), an old friend and now a wealthy rancher in the town of Gun Hill, but he knows Belden well enough to know that he couldn't have had anything to do with attacking his wife. Morgan's arrival with Belden's saddle sets off ugly rumblings in Gun Hill, and when he confronts the rancher, he discovers that it was his son Rick (Earl Holliman) who had his horse and the saddle, and rode out with a cowhand friend of his, Lee (Brian G. Hutton) -- but they claim their horses were stolen. Belden tries to convince Morgan, and wants to believe himself that whoever stole the horses must have killed his wife, but when Morgan mentions the cut that one of the killers will have on his face, they both know the truth. He vows to take Rick and Lee back to Pauley to stand trial, while Belden swears he'll do anything it takes to protect his son. Belden is virtually all the law there is in Gun Hill -- the sheriff (Walter Sande) won't help Morgan serve his arrest warrants on the two men, or even let him use the jail to hold them until the last train that night; there's not a working man, a shopkeeper, or even a prostitute in the whole town that will go against the rancher, and Belden's foreman Beero (Brad Dexter) and his men will strongarm anyone who might start feeling brave. Only Linda (Carolyn Jones), a woman who has been both romanced and abused by Belden, will lift a finger on Morgan's behalf. The marshal is nothing if not resourceful, however, and Rick Belden is also too stupid for his own good, and manages to fall into Morgan's hands in short order. Very quickly, a standoff ensues, with Morgan holding Rick in one of Belden's buildings against virtually the entire town, while the deadline -- the last train out of Gun Hill that night -- approaches. People die and a chunk of Belden's holdings are destroyed, but Morgan is about to get Rick onto the train and off to trial when suddenly, one sudden act of violence destroys father and son in a matter of seconds. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

Frontier peacekeeper Sheriff Galt (Sterling Hayden) faces a crisis of conscience in The Iron Sheriff. In the aftermath of a robbery-murder, Galt follows the trail of evidence directly to his own son, Benjie (Darryl Hickman). Sworn to uphold the law at all costs, Galt is grimly determined to see that Benjie will receive a fair trial without any coercion on his part. But the townsfolk have already decided that the sheriff will try to spring the boy, and a lynch-mob mentality slows festers its way through the community. As the trial proceeds, it becomes obvious that Benjie is going to hang for his alleged crime, but there's still one or two surprises in store. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi