Paul Birch Movies

Long before he scored with the epic Ragtime, novelist E.L. Doctorow wrote a minor novel upon which this stark 1967 film is based. It was adapted for the screen by veteran western director Burt Kennedy. In a forlorn town called Hard Times in the Old West, a cowardly mayor, Will Blue (Henry Fonda), does little to protect the citizens from the rampages of a ruthless criminal known as The Man from Bodie (Aldo Ray). The cold-blooded killer gets away with murder -- and then he burns down the town as he leaves. The citizens rebuild, and a newcomer named Zar (Keenan Wynn) injects some life into the desolate place by opening a saloon that attracts a bevy of interesting women, including Molly Riordan (Janice Rule) and Adah (Janice Paige). However, things again look bleak when The Man from Bodie returns to town. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi

Though written by Sam Peckinpah (he adapted the film from a novel by Hoffman Birney), the direction of The Glory Guys was entrusted to the competent but perfunctory Arnold Laven. Cavalry captain Demas Harrod (Tom Tryon) and his faithful scout Sol Rogers (Harve Presnell) are placed under the command of xenophobic general Frederick McCabe (Andrew Duggan), who hates Indians almost as much as his own men hate him. When not preparing to decimate every Native American in their path, Harrod and Rogers carry on a rivalry over the hand of pretty Lou (Senta Berger; another authentic Wild West type). The novelty of the film is that the Indians, rather than the cavalry, win the final battle. Despite a few bursts of cinematic creativity from Laven in the climactic scenes, it still would have been more interesting to see how Sam Peckinpah would have handled The Glory Guys. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Suzanne Pleshette guest stars as Ellie Burnett, the daughter of the now-deceased lawyer who had unsuccessfully defended Richard Kimble (David Janssen) during his murder trial. Claiming to have new information about the One-Armed Man whom Kimble insists is the real murderer, Ellie manages to contact the fugitive, who is now posing as a "Mr. May." Problem is, Ellie is twisting the truth in an effort to persuade Kimble (for whom she has always carried a torch) to run off with her to South America--and even worse, Kimble's relentless pursuer Lt. Gerard (Barry Morse) is a regular dinner guest at the Burnett household. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Having followed the trail of the One-Armed Man to Northern Wisconsin, Kimble (David Janssen) runs afoul of a mean-spirited sheriff named Deebold (John Doucette). In his efforts to elude the vindictive lawman, Kimble steals a car--which by a cruel twist of fate belongs to his perennial pursuer Lt. Gerard (Barry Morse. Worse still, Kimble has inadvertently kidnapped Gerard's son Phil Jr. (played by a young Kurt Russell), who is every bit as determined to bring the Fugitive to "justice" as his father. Featured in the cast are Slim Pickens as colorful mountain man Corbin, and guest star Kurt Russell's real-life father Bing Russell as Davis. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this western, an ex-officer for the confederate Army becomes a Texas cattle rancher. He and his fellow ranchers are dismayed when they learn that the coming railroad intends on bypassing their ranches. The rancher then leaves his land to begin fighting the railroad. Meanwhile the railroad executives have hired Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Calamity Jane to defend their decision against the rancher and his guerrilla gang. When the marauders are finally surrounded by the Army and it looks as if they will die, the three western legends suddenly ride in to save them. They then all band together to convince the railroad that the Texas ranchers desperately need their services. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Posing as "Johnny Sherman", Richard Kimble (David Janssen) befriends his fellow worker Gus Priamos (Gilbert Roland), who manages to learn Kimble's true identity as a fugitive from justice. Upon finding out that he has but a short time to live, Gus volunteers to pose as Kimble to throw Lt. Girard (Barry Morse) off the trail. This Gus does not out of friendship, but to make an impression on his much-younger girlfriend Sophie (Madlyn Rhue)--who up till now has proven mighty difficult to impress. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

After rescuing several children from a burning school bus, a seriously injured Kimble (David Janssen)--alias "George Porter"--is brought into the home of Al Springer (Frank Overton), sheriff of Northoak. Unaware of Kimble's true identity, Al and his wife Wilma (Nancy Wickmire) take a strong liking to the recuperating stranger, as does everyone else in town. Will this surfeit of goodwill save Kimble from being taken into custody by Lt. Gerard (Barry Morse), or will Al place duty above friendship and turn the fugitive in? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Using the alias "Joseph Walker", fugitive Richard Kimble (David Janssen) hires on as a fruitpicker in a farming community. His coworkers, many of whom are illegal immigrants, are highly suspicious of "Walker", ironically believing that he is a police officer. Ultimately, Kimble wins the other workers' trust by saving the lives of a pregnant woman and her unborn child, and helping to fight a forest fire--an act of selfless bravery which unfortunately may result in the fugitive's capture, thanks to roving reporter Johnny Peters (Peter Helm). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the first episode of a two-part story, Richard Kimble (David Janssen), alias Jeff Cooper, arrives in Santa Barbara. Here the fugitive gives serious consideration to giving up his flight from the law--and his search for the one-armed man who murdered his wife--when he falls in love with Karen Christian (Susan Oliver), the niece of Norwegian sailmaker Lars Christian (Will Kuluva). This arouses the jealousy of Karen's neurotic half-brother Eric (a young Robert Duvall), who begins plotting Kimble's demise. Meanwhile, Lt. Gerard, still in relentless pursuit of Kimble, has shown up in nearby Los Angeles. (Trivia note: Gerard's wife, played by Rachel Ames, is identified as "Ann"; in later episode, she will be played by Barbara Rush, byt which time her name will have inexplicably changed to "Marie"). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Like Pontius Pilate, director John Ford asks "What is truth?" in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance--but unlike Pilate, Ford waits for an answer. The film opens in 1910, with distinguished and influential U.S. senator Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) and his wife Hallie (Vera Miles) returning to the dusty little frontier town where they met and married twenty-five years earlier. They have come back to attend the funeral of impoverished "nobody" Tom Doniphon (John Wayne). When a reporter asks why, Stoddard relates a film-long flashback. He recalls how, as a greenhorn lawyer, he had run afoul of notorious gunman Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin), who worked for a powerful cartel which had the territory in its clutches. Time and again, "pilgrim" Stoddard had his hide saved by the much-feared but essentially decent Doniphon. It wasn't that Doniphon was particularly fond of Stoddard; it was simply that Hallie was in love with Stoddard, and Doniphon was in love with Hallie and would do anything to assure her happiness, even if it meant giving her up to a greenhorn. When Liberty Valance challenged Stoddard to a showdown, everyone in town was certain that the greenhorn didn't stand a chance. Still, when the smoke cleared, Stoddard was still standing, and Liberty Valance lay dead. On the strength of his reputation as the man who shot Valance, Stoddard was railroaded into a political career, in the hope that he'd rid the territory of corruption. Stoddard balked at the notion of winning an election simply because he killed a man-until Doniphon, in strictest confidence, told Stoddard the truth: It was Doniphon, not Stoddard, who shot down Valance. Stoddard was about to reveal this to the world, but Doniphon told him not to. It was far more important in Doniphon's eyes that a decent, honest man like Stoddard become a major political figure; Stoddard represented the "new" civilized west, while Doniphon knew that he and the West he represented were already anachronisms. Thus Stoddard went on to a spectacular political career, bringing extensive reforms to the state, while Doniphon faded into the woodwork. His story finished, the aged Stoddard asks the reporter if he plans to print the truth. The reporter responds by tearing up his notes. "This is the West, sir, " the reporter explains quietly. "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." Dismissed as just another cowboy opus at the time of its release, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance has since taken its proper place as one of the great Western classics. It questions the role of myth in forging the legends of the West, while setting this theme in the elegiac atmosphere of the West itself, set off by the aging Stewart and Wayne. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Victor Buono, who skyrocketed to stardom by virtue of his work in the title role of the earlier Untouchables episode "Mr. Moon", returns to the series in a different characterization. This time Buono is cast as Parnise Surigao, whose booming bootlegging operation is cutting into the profits of Frank Nitti's operation. To put it mildly, Nitti (Frank Nitti) is displeased, and orders an all-out war against Surigeo--who proves nearly impossible to bump off. After an innocent bystander is killed in the crossfire, Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) vows to end the war and put both sides out of business, using a "straw man" subterfuge to accomplish his goal. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

En route to Denver, Bart (Jack Kelly) finds himself sharing a stagecoach with a curious assortment of passengers, including a woman (Suzanne Lloyd) searching for her fiancee, a taciturn gunman (Hampton Fancher) and an overly friendly undertaker (Maurice Manson). Stopping at a way station, the passengers unwittingly fall into the clutches of homicidal outlaw Nero Lyme (Buddy Ebsen) and his equally murderous family. Realizing that everyone is in danger, Bart tries to tip off one of the passengers that the Lymes intend to kill them all; unfortunately, that passenger promptly betrays Bart to Nero Lyme. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

One of director John Ford's least characteristic films, it derives from the latter part of his career, when the director's belief in the myth of the West had faded, and he was beset by failing health and personal problems. In the cynicism of its humor, the director seems be to taking a page from the work of his friend Howard Hawks. James Stewart stars as Guthrie McCabe, the marshal of a Texas town who spends most of his time in front of the local saloon, where he gets 10 percent of the action, in addition to favors from its owner, Belle Aragon Anelle Hayes. Based on his knowledge of the Commanche tribe, his friend, cavalry officer Jim Gary (Richard Widmark), asks him to help the army to recover long-missing white captives. Despite his initial reluctance, the ability of the opportunistic McCabe to neogotiate a lucrative per capita deal for his recovery of the captives, in addition to his desire to evade the marital intentions of Belle, seal the deal. Even after interviewing the captives' desperate relatives, the hardened McCabe is unmoved, although he believes their chance of ever seeing their relatives again as they once knew them is remote. However, as events unfold, the all-knowing marshal find he has a few things to learn. ~ Michael Costello, Rovi