John Larkin Movies
Television and movie actor John Larkin -- not to be confused with the identically named African-American actor who worked in movies during the 1930s, or with the similarly named screenwriter/producer-director of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s -- was an extremely busy radio actor at the start of his career. Born in Oakland, CA, in 1912, he rose to stardom in 1947 when he became the fourth (and last and longest-serving) actor to portray the role of Perry Mason in the radio series of that name. He played the part until the end of the series' run in 1955. At that point, he was cast in the role of District Attorney Mike Karr in The Edge of Night, a daytime television drama that was originally conceived as a Perry Mason spin-off. During this same period, he had already been very active on television; Larkin's strong delivery and vocal demeanor made him a natural as a narrator, and it was in that capacity that he came to the small screen at the start of the 1950s on Farewell to Yesterday. With the decline of radio, he primarily worked in television from the second half of the 1950s through the mid-1960s, including such series as The Detectives, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, The Untouchables, and The Fugitive, as well as Perry Mason. His casting in episodes of the latter created a situation that fans of the radio show appreciated for its ironic resonances. In at least one installment of Perry Mason, he was the defendant represented by television's Perry Mason, Raymond Burr. He was also the co-star of the Quinn Martin-produced series Twelve O'Clock High, as Major General Crowe, the direct superior officer to series protagonist Brigadier General Frank Savage (Robert Lansing), during the show's first season. Larkin didn't make his first feature film appearance until 1964, when John Frankenheimer cast him in Seven Days In May as Colonel Broderick, the antagonistic right-wing signal corps officer at the center of a conspiracy against the President of the United States. Although he was uncredited in the role, he had two memorable scenes with stars Kirk Douglas and Edmond O'Brien. He only ever got to work in two other movies, the Disney production of Those Calloways and John Sturges' The Satan Bug (both 1965); in the latter, he had one key scene. Larkin, who was known best for playing hard-nosed, authoritative types, died of a heart attack in early 1965 at the age of 52. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
Originally trade-previewed as Those Crazy Calloways, Disney's Those Calloways is a lengthy, anecdotal film about a highly individualistic New England family. Patriarch Cam Calloway (Brian Keith) is regarded as a crank by the local villagers because of his dream to build a bird sanctuary that will protect migratory geese from hunters. Cam uses all his savings to buy a lake, where he intends to establish his sanctuary. When a wealthy sportsman offers to turn the town into a booming resort community in exchange for hunting rights, Cam opposes the plan, which briefly puts him on the outs with everyone else. Only when Cam is accidentally shot by the sportsman do the locals rally around the "crazy" Calloways so that Cam's sanctuary can come to fruition. The plot of Those Calloways can best be described as picaresque; the film is most successful in establishing mood and atmosphere, and in offering a vast array of distinctive characterizations from such pros as Brian Keith, Vera Miles, Brandon de Wilde, Walter Brennan, Ed Wynn, John Larkin, Parley Baer, John Qualen, and Paul Hartman. Look for young Linda Evans as the girl friend of the oldest Calloway boy (DeWilde) and for future Picket Fences star Tom Skerritt as the town bully. Those Calloways was based on Swiftwater, a novel by Paul Annixter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Keith, Vera Miles, (more)
- 1965
Adapted from an Alistair MacLean novel, The Satan Bug is one of the best efforts in the "deadly virus at large" genre. Insane scientist Dr. Hoffman (Richard Basehart) steals several vials containing a lethal germ culture from a government lab. Hoffman has been unhinged by the notion of the government playing God and now it's his turn to do the same. Hot on his trail are Lee Barrett, a scientific investigator (George Maharis) and Ann, a general's daughter (Anne Francis). The climax, which seems to have been borrowed from the 1939 Bela Lugosi serial The Phantom Creeps, finds Maharis wrestling with the controls of a runaway helicopter, wherein the deadly vials are being jostled about. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Maharis, Richard Basehart, (more)
- 1964
Middle-aged Nellie Dubois (Jeanette Nolan) became a widow when her husband died during their vacation in Europe. Upon her return to the States, Nellie's family is shocked to find her in the company of a new spouse--a much younger Frenchman named Pierre (Michael Forrest). Convinced that Pierre is only after Nellie's money, the family hires sexy French maid Marie Claudel (Anne Farge) to seduce Pierre and prove to Nellie that he is unfaithful. By an astonishing coincidence, Marie happens to be Pierre's jilted first wife--and when he turns up dead, she is charged with murder. Can Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) solve this one without causing any further domestic strife? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
In the closing months of World War II, phony spiritualist Adelaide Winters (Kim Hunter) has come up with a cruel but successful new racket. Preying upon the grieving parents of deceased servicemen, Adelaide claims to have the power to communicate with the spirits of the dead soldiers. Adelaide's elaborate forays into the next world so impresses one of her clients, wealthy Edward Porter (John Larkin), that he proposes marriage to her. Adelaide accepts, greedily anticipating a life of luxury and ease -- blissfully unaware that Mr. Porter has a morbid "crossover" plan all his own. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kim Hunter, John Larkin, (more)
Adapted by Rod Serling from the best-selling novel by Fletcher Knebel and Charles Waldo Bailey II, Seven Days in May was allegedly inspired by the far-right ramblings of one General Edwin Walker. Burt Lancaster plays General James M. Scott, who, convinced that liberal President Jordan Lyman (Fredric March) is soft on America's enemies, plots a military takeover of the United States. Every effort made by President Lyman to find concrete evidence of General Scott's scheme is scuttled by political protocol, human error and accidental death. Ultimately, Lyman must rely upon the man who first uncovered the plot: Colonel "Jiggs" Casey (Kirk Douglas). John Frankenheimer's terse direction and Ellsworth Fredericks' stark black and white photography enhance the "docudrama" feel of Seven Days in May. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, (more)
- 1963
Gene Barry stars as journalist John Chambers, who under the nom de plume "Uncle George" writes a daily newspaper advice column. One of John's readers is Mrs. Weatherley (Charity Grace), who sends a letter to "Uncle George" telling him that her next-door neighbor is cheating on her husband. Realizing that it is his own wife, Louise (Patricia Donahue), who is the "cheater," John devises a clever scheme to murder Louise and pin the blame on her lover (a young Dabney Coleman). Unfortunately for "Uncle George," portly police detective Lt. Wolfson (Lou Jacobi) doesn't accept the clues at face value. Written by Richard Levinson and William Link, this episode bears a strong resemblance to the team's later TV series Columbo, the pilot episode of which also features Gene Barry as a murderer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Barry, John Larkin, (more)
- 1963
"The Colonel" is habitual liar Frank Medford, an old friend of Ben Cartwright. Now a poverty-stricken travelling salesman, Frank is determined to convince everyone that he is as successful as Ben. Thus, Frank tells one of his celebrated whoppers, claming to be a millionaire. It takes the love of a good woman-to be exact, Emily Colfax (Hellena Westcott)-to cure Frank of his chronic prevarications. Featured in the cast are such noteworthy character actors as Warren Kemmerling, Edward C. Platt, Mary Wickes and Raymond Bailey. Originally seen on January 6, 1963, "The Colonel" was written by Preston Wood. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
- 1963
Middle-aged sculptor John Kenyon (John Larkin) falls hopelessly in love with his young model Theba (Marianna Hill), demonstrating his ardor by making a "goddess" statue of her. Unfortunately, Theba's Medusa-like mother Cleo (Faith Domergue) would rather than she marry someone her own age--and more specifically, someone with more money. Inevitably, Cleo is murdered, and Kenyon is spotted apparently disposing of the body. Among those scrutinized by Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) in his efforts to save Kenyon from the gas chamber is one George Spangler, played by future Oscar winner George Kennedy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Having previously costarred in the third-season episode "The Contract", John Larkin, former star of the daytime drama The Edge of Night, and Frank Sutton, future "Sgt. Carter" on Gomer Pyle USMC, are reunited in this Season Four entry. Larkin is cast as "Lieutenant" Phillip Hedden, a former WW1 hero now running a protection racket preying on neighborhood butchers. Sutton plays Hedden's former sergeant and current partner-in-crime, Davey McCain. Though convinced of McCain's loyalty, Hedden doesn't realize that the battle-scarred Davey despises him. Ultimately, this unholy alliance is destroyed not so much by Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) as by Davey's grim determination to "win" both a pretty girl (Francine York) and a long-denied War decoration. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) takes the case of self-made millionaire Otto Olney (John Larkin), who wants to sue art critic Colin Durant (John Larkin) for allegedly spreading rumors that the rare Gauguin painting recently purchased by Olney is a forgery. But Durant insists that he had never cast aspersions on Olney--and he offers to produce a witness, Maxine Lindsay (Erin O'Donnell), to prove his assertion. In his efforts to track down the elusive Maxine, Perry ends up in her bathroom--where Colin Durant, dead as a doornail, is taking his last shower! This episode is based on a 1962 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Now posing as "Larry Talman", fugitive Richard Kimble (David Janssen) heads to Ketchikan on the freighter "Alaskan Star". En route, one of the passengers is murdered--and the victim turns out to have been an undercover government agent, who had boarded the freighter to arrest another passenger on an embezzlement charge. Like everyone else, Kimble falls under suspicion, forcing him to ferret out the real killer before the authorities figure out his true identity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
After he is seen literally throwing his money away, eccentric businessman Gus Dalgran (Otto Kruger) is locked up in a mental instution. Dalgran's far from loyal employees decide to use his absence as an opportunty to double-cross him, whereupon he escapes--and then things really get out of hand! Can it be that Dalgran was merely feigning insanity to cover up the murder of his duplicitous nephew Kenneth (Don Dubbins)? And what clues will Perry Mason find while visiting the military base which also figures into the story? Featured in the cast is a young Burt Reynolds, as well as soap-opera veteran John Larkin, who had previously starred in the radio version of Perry Mason. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Knowing that syndicate errand boy Smiley Barris (Frank Sutton) has enough information to send him to the chair, Joe Kulak (Oscar Beregi) orders his hired torpedoes to bump Smiley off. When his plans are thwarted by Elliot Ness (Robert Stack), Kulak brings in an out-of-town assassin named John Quist (John Larkin). Now on the lam from both Ness and Quist, Smiley seeks protection from high-rolling gambler Johnny Templar (a "Bugsy Siegel" clone played by Harry Guardino). Both Johnny and his girlfriend Jeanne (Gloria Talbott) take a liking to Smiley and do everything they can to help him--which turns out to be a fatal miscalculation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1950
Those who fail to learn from history, the saying goes, are destined to repeat it. This is the lesson propounded by the 60-minute documentary Farewell to Yesterday. Producer Edmund Reek and screenwriter Joseph Kenas, both members of the Fox Movietone Newsreel team, demonstrate through a series of well-chosen filmclips the tragic errors of judgment, diplomacy and omission that brought about World War II. Much of the material is drawn from the Movietone vaults, though certain scenes were contributed by foreign film services. Farewell to Yesterday benefits from the insightful voiceover narration by Sidney Blackmer, John Larkin, Kermit Murdock and William Post Jr. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
