William Schallert Movies
The son of the Los Angeles Times' drama editor, William Schallert was, along with Sydney Chaplin, one of the co-founders of Hollywood's highly regarded Circle Theatre troupe. Sent to Great Britain on a Fulbright Fellowship to study British repertory theatre, Schallert guest-lectured at Oxford on several occasion before heading home. A character actor of almost intimidating versatility, Schallert began his long film and TV career in 1951. While he has appeared in films of every variety, Schallert is most closely associated with the many doctors (mad or otherwise), lab technicians and scientific experts that he's played in such science fiction endeavors as The Man From Planet X (1951), Gog (1954), Them! (1954) The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) and The Monolith Monsters (1959). Director Joe Dante paid homage to Schallert's prolific horror-flick work by casting the actor in his Matinee, where he played yet another dabbler in Things Man Is Not Meant to Know in the film-within-a-film "Mant." Schallert's hundreds television credits could fill a book in themselves; the Nickelodeon cable network once tried to put together a montage of the actor's guest star appearances, touching only the tip of the iceberg. He has been a regular on such series as Dobie Gillis (as literature teacher Mr. Pomfrit, who always dismissed his class as though announcing the beginning of the Indy 500), Get Smart (as a senile 97-year-old Navy admiral), The Nancy Drew Mysteries (as Nancy's attorney father) The New Gidget (as Gidget's professor father) The Nancy Walker Show, Little Women and Santa Barbara. His most famous TV role was as Patty Lane's ever-patient newspaper-editor dad on The Patty Duke Show, which ran from 1963 through 1966; over twenty years later, Mr. Schallert and Ms. Duke were touchingly reunited--again as father and daughter--on an episode of The Torkelsons (1991-92). William Schallert once served as president of the Screen Actors' Guild, a position later held...by Patty Duke. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
The all-female Danville Volunteer Fire Department organizes a softball team, with Lucy (Lucille Ball) appointing herself captain. Unfortunately, Lucy is so inept a ballplayer that team manager Mr. Cressant (William Schallert) is forced to bench her just before a big game. As often happens, however, a bizarre twist of fate finds Lucy on the field in the ninth inning--but (to quote Charlie Brown), will she be the hero, or the goat? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Schallert, Mary Jane Croft, (more)
From 1963 to 1966, American audiences were treated to the weekly comic hijinks of identical twin cousins, Patty Lane, a normal American teenager living in Brooklyn Heights, New York and Cathy Lane, her Scottish cousin freshly arrived in the United States to finish her secondary schooling. Patty Duke, already an Academy Award-Winner for her role in The Miracle Worker, played the roles of both girls. The Patty Duke Show immediately won over television audiences and ran for three fun-filled seasons, totaling 104 hilarious episodes.
- Starring:
- Patty Duke
- 1963
It's no secret that Lucy (Lucille Ball) and Viv (Vivian Vance) are the loudest and most demonstrative fans of the Little League team in which their respective sons are playing. Unforrtunately, the girls get a bit too loud and demonstrative while razzing the umpire, and are unceremoniously expelled from a ball game. Now Lucy and Viv must device a clever scheme to sneak back into the ballpark unnoticed. William Schallert (you remember him as Patty Duke's sitcom dad) appears as team manager Mr. Cressant. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Schallert, Herb Vigran, (more)
- 1963
Bethel Leslie plays a dual role in this episode, as elderly Chinese dowager Jin Ho and her young grandaughter Kim Sing. Jin Ho asks Paladin (Richard Boone) to protect Kim Sing while the girl waits for a ship to take her back to her homeland. This proves difficult in that the girl has been targeted for death by the hatchet men of a Chinese tong, as retribution for debts incurred by Kim Sing's later father. Curiously, even after several earlier Have Gun, Will Travel episodes in which Asian-American actors were prominently featured, this one offers a supporting cast of Caucasians in Chinese roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
On the strength of testimony provided by a 10-year-old eyewitness, Paladin (Richard Boone) goes after a white man suspected of leading an Indian attack on a wagon train. Unfortunately, the suspect is currently residing in a town run by outlaws, whose citizens deeply resent the presence of outsiders. To bring his quarry to justice--and to save his own skin--Paladin must act as witness in a heavily rigged courtroom trial. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
This episode is dominated by the presence of a pre-stardom Robert Duvall, here ironically cast as an unsuccessful actor named Bart Conway. When he finds out that fellow actor Jerry Lane (Charles Robinson) is his main competition for an upcoming role, he invites Jerry to his apartment to prepare for the audition -- hoping of course, to scare off the younger actor with his "method" histrionics. In the course of the evening, Bart gets carried away and ends up killing Jerry, leaving him with the problem of disposing of the body. The method hit upon by the methodical Mr. Conway is gruesome but efficient -- or it would have been had he not forgotten about a certain ice bucket in his living room. "Bad Actor" was remade for the 1985 revival of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, with Martin Sheen taking over for Robert Duvall. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
In 1907, the brilliant physicist Albert Abraham Michelson won the Nobel Prize for developing the optical precision instruments which made it possible for his fellow scientists to measure light waves. According to Bonanza scriptwriters Robert Fresco and Paul Rink, the German-born Michelson spent his youth in Virginia City, Nevada, where he was a student in the classroom presided over by the stern and merciless Mr. Norton (William Schallert). When young Albert (Douglas Lambert) is designated as a "problem child" and expelled from school, Ben Cartwright tries to find out why. Originally telecast March 18, 1962, "Look to the Stars" also features Joe De Santis and Penny Santon as Albert's hard-working immigrant parents Samuel and Rosalie Michelson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
Although it never quite escapes the pitfalls of pretension, this film was Kirk Douglas's bid for the affections of the art house crowd, and it remains one of his best efforts. The star plays unreconstructed "rugged individual" Jack Burns, who rides throughout the modern west knocking down man-made fences. Visiting his equally rebellious friend Paul Bondi (Michael Kane), Burns deliberately gets himself thrown in jail to be nearer his pal. Frustrated that Bondi doesn't want to join Burns on the road, Burns breaks out of jail, thereby becoming a fugitive. His trail is dogged by Sheriff Johnson (Walter Matthau), a frustrated frontiersman who secretly admires the freewheeling Burns. Meanwhile, a truck driver (Carroll O'Connor) is ominously driving down the highway with a truckload of toilets. If you think there's supposed to be some symbolism in this seemingly peripheral character, you're absolutely right. Bill Raisch, a genuine amputee who played the one-armed man on TV's The Fugitive, is Douglas' surly opponent in the café brawl sequence. Filmed on location in New Mexico, Lonely are the Brave was adapted by Dalton Trumbo from Edward Abbey's novel Brave Cowboy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirk Douglas, Gena Rowlands, (more)
- 1962
Ted Chase (Paul Richards) has long suspected that his second wife Irene (Mari Blanchard) is unfaithful. Now he is also convinced that Irene was responsible for the death of his beloved first wife Ellen--and is currently conspiring with the owner of gun shop to bump off Ted as well. To save himself, Ted contemplates killing Irene, but someone beats him to it. Even so, Ted is charged with the crime, whereupon defense attorney Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) begins to dig deeply into Irene's unbelievably sordid past. Several previous Perry Mason guest stars make noteworthy return appearances in this episode, among them Ann Rutherford and Jesse White. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Ritchie's teacher has instructed the boy to learn a new word a day. Taking the assignment to heart, Ritchie (Larry Mathews) shocks his parents Rob (Dick Van Dyke) and Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) by blurting out a word that, to put it mildly, was not uttered in polite company (or on TV!) back in 1961. Taking it upon himself to counsel Ritchie about his choice of language, Rob only manages to make the situation worse -- and just wait until he meets the parents of the kid who taught Ritchie the forbidden word! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Schallert, Lea Waggner, (more)
- 1961
Deputy Barney grows suspicious of secretive farmer Sam Becker (William Schallert), convincing himself that the truculent Sam is up to no good. Sheriff Andy eventually learns that Becker is simply nervous over the prospect of becoming a father. The episode reaches a rousing climax as Andy is pressed into service to deliver the baby. First shown on May 1, 1961, "Quiet Sam" was written by Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
Stars in the Back Yard is an alternate title for filmmaker Hugo Haas' valedictory feature Paradise Alley. Taking a breather from his usual plot (a dirty old man victimized by a sluttish young wife), Haas casts himself as a washed-up Hollywood director. Hoping to prove that people are basically decent at heart, he pretends to film the comings and goings of the residents of a run-down boarding house. Though he has no film in his camera, his subjects don't know that, and their behavior bears out his thesis. A happy ending is brought about when a major movie studio offers to finance Haas' project-and, incidentally, to give him some film to work with. Among the participants in Haas' faux production are veterans Corinne Griffith, Margaret Hamilton, Billy Gilbert, Chester Conklin and Almira Sessions. Completed in 1958, Paradise Alley didn't attain a release until 1962, when it went directly to television. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
Once again, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) is called upon to defend an old war buddy on a murder charge. This time around, his client is Major Jerry Reynolds (Robert Rockwell), who is also the target of an investigation at Vandenberg Air Force Base concerning the mysterious crashes of several guided missiles. The murder victim was Captain Caldwell (Simon Oakland), who as chief investigator seemed to have a personal vendetta against Maj. Reynolds. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) has arranged for Federal prisoner Al Capone (Neville Brand) to be transferred from his prison cell in Atlanta to a maximum-security lockdown at the newly opened Alcatraz. Meanwhile, several of Capone's loyal lieutenants have set in motion a plan to help their boss escape before he arrives at "The Rock." For this purpose, they take over a small California town and patiently await the arrival of the train carrying Big Al to San Francisco Bay (a plot device reminiscent of the 1954 Frank Sinatra vehicle Suddenly). Watch for Anthony Zerbe and Charles Lane in uncredited roles. Parts One and Two of "The Big Train" were lated combined into a feature film and released theatrically as Alcatraz Express. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
Host John Newland once again beckons us into the "unknown" world of psychic phenomena as One Step Beyond begins its third season. The opening episode is based on actual events, as wheelchair-bound Margaret North (Jean Allison) hears a radio bulletin announcing that a huge tidal wave is rapidly approaching her Hawaiian beach home. Miles from her nearest neighbor, the helpless Margaret is unable to alert anyone of her plight--but she hasn't taken into account the power of "thought transference." The real Margaret North appears at the end of this episode, which was later refilmed as the pilot for the sequel TV series The Next Step Beyond. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
- NR
The "mutual admiration society" consisting of actor James Cagney and actor/director Robert Montgomery culminated in the 1960 film The Gallant Hours. Cagney stars as war hero Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey. On the verge of retirement, Halsey recalls his most fateful wartime experience: his five-week showdown between himself and Japanese Admiral Yamamoto (James T. Goto) in 1942. In command of the American naval forces in the Pacific, Halsey scores a crucial, tide-turning victory at Guadalcanal. In concentrating on the participants rather than the battle itself, The Gallant Hours is a character study of a remarkable American. The a cappella "score" performed by Ken Darby and the King's Men Quartet is a matter of taste. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Cagney, Dennis Weaver, (more)
- 1960
Scriptwriter Rod Serling had intended the June 3, 1960, Twilight Zone episode as the pilot for a TV series starring Burgess Meredith, but when Meredith balked, the title role was recast with Orson Bean. A natural-born eccentric and misfit, James B.W. Bevis somehow or other warrants the special attention of guardian angel J. Hardy Hempstead (Henry Jones). After briefly tasting success for the first time in his life, however, Bevis decides that he was happier when he was a loser. TV-series perennials Charles Lane, William Schallert, Horace McMahon, and Vito Scotti make brief appearances. Though "Mr. Bevis" did not graduate to a weekly series, Serling recycled the premise for his 1962 Twilight Zone episode "Cavender Is Coming" -- and, to a lesser extent, for the second-season installment "Mr. Dingle the Strong." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Orson Bean, Henry Jones, (more)
- 1959
In the eighth episode of Walt Disney's ten-part miniseries Elfego Baca, gunslinger-turned-lawyer Baca (Robert Loggia) has secured the legal rights of the Mustangers, a religious sect that has set up a homestead in the middle of cattle country. But though the Mustangers own their property fair and square, the local cattleman still regard the group with suspicion and contempt, putting pressure on local merchants not to sell to any of the sect's members. When Mustanger leader Shadrack O'Reilly (Brian Keith) is refused service at a feed store, he sparks off a huge brawl and ends up in jail -- which, of course, brings Elfego Baca back into the story. Featuring a young James Coburn in a supporting role, "Mustang Man, Mustang Maid" was originally telecast as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
In the seventh episode of Walt Disney's ten-part miniseries, Elfego Baca, gunslinger-turned-lawyer Baca (Robert Loggia) comes to the defense of the Mustangers, a nomad-like religious sect. Determined to establish a permanent homestead on a land recently opened up by the government, the Mustanger face fierce opposition from the local cattlemen who worry that they will lose their own grazing land. Ever the champion of the underdog, Elfego Baca hopes to prevent the Mustangers from being driven out by violence -- a task made difficult by the sect's hotheaded leader, Shadrack O'Reilly (Brian Keith). A young James Coburn appears in a supporting role. "Move Along, Mustangers" was originally telecast as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
John Carradine and Michael Landon guest star in this early episode of The Rifleman. The only one in town to own a shotgun, young Billy Mathis (Landon) becomes the obvious suspect when Hallager (Robert Bice) is shot in the back. Especially when Sheriff Torrance (Paul Fix) learns that the victim had refused young Billy to court his daughter Lucy (Sue Randall). But both the sheriff and Lucas McCain (Chuck Connors) remain unconvinced and the latter finally agrees to let traveling mind reader James Barrow McBride (Carradine) add his two cents. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Carradine
- 1959
This episode is essentially a showcase for singer Peggy King, who receives a rare "guest star" billing in the opening credits (Ms. King had risen to fame as vocalist on George Gobel's popular comedy-variety series). While searching for a fugitive outlaw, Bret Maverick (James Garner) crosses the path of songbird Jenny Hill (Ms. King), who is making a concert tour of the West. Gradually, Bret falls in love with Jenny, unaware that she is using her tour as an excuse to look for her husband--the same outlaw being sought by Mr. Maverick. Leo Gordon makes his last appearance as Big Mike McComb in this final episode of Maverick's second season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
As his wife Helen (Julie Adams) and son Steve (Charles Herbert) are off exploring an abandoned mine, recovering alcoholic Carl Archer (Charles Aidman) remains in his room, struggling desperately to stay on the wagon. Suddenly, he has a vision of a strange, disheveled woman, who warns him that his wife and son are in grave danger. Can it be that this is merely a drunkard's hallucination--or are Helen and Steve about to meet with tragedy? This episode features several sci-fi/fantasy movie veterans, including Julie Adams (Creature from the Black Lagoon), Charles Herbert (13 Ghost) and William Schallert (The Man from Planet X). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Set in an isolated, snow-covered town in the far West, this story has a renegade army officer named Jack Bruhn (Burl Ives) and his henchmen riding into the town threatening their worst to the men and women there. Blaise Starrett (Robert Ryan) decides to agree to Bruhn's demands for someone knowledgeable to lead them away from the law and the town, to safety. Mortally wounded himself, Bruhn opts to take Starrett up on his offer in one last act of generosity toward the townspeople, sparing them the mayhem threatened by his men. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Ryan, Burl Ives, (more)
