Phil Silvers
- 2000
- AddHidden Hollywood, Vol. 2: More Treasures From the 20th Century Fox Vaultsto QueueAddHidden Hollywood, Vol. 2: More Treasures From the 20th Century Fox Vaultsto top of Queue
20th Century Fox was one of the world's biggest movie studios in the '30s and '40s, with an impressive roster including some of the greatest stars of Hollywood's Golden Age. 20th Century Fox had so much talent on hand and produced so many memorable films that more than a few great moments managed to slip through the cracks and Hidden Hollywood, Vol. 2: More Treasure From the 20th Century Fox Vaults features musical numbers and comedy routines which either clipped from Fox productions for release, or were edited for shortened re-releases and long believed to be lost. Highlights include a deleted sequence from Tales of Manhattan starring W.C. Fields and Phil Silvers; rehearsal footage of Buster Keaton working out a gag for Hollywood Cavalcade; the Ritz Brothers making merry in a scene cut from On the Avenue; and much more. Joan Collins plays hostess for this look down a side of memory lane you haven't seen before. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1980
- R
The notorious madam Xaviera Hollander travels to Tinseltown to film her illustrious autobiography in this comedy. The trouble begins when she encounters a few crooked producers looking to exploit her. Look for a variety of second-string and cult stars including Martine Beswick, Dick Miller, and Adam West. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martine Beswicke, Adam West, (more)
- 1980
This animated anthology is comprised of a few television cartoons from Nelvana Studios and includes "The Jack Rabbit Story." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Retrograde even at the time of its 1980 release, this filmed version of the mid-'70s play by the same title stars Tom Smothers as Timothy Westerby, the bumbling father of the bride, and his imaginary dance partner, Polly (Twiggy). Events of the chaotic wedding day are told in flashback as Westerby is shown sweating over an advertising assignment from a bra company and hoping that a photo of Polly from the bygone '20s will inspire him. Instead, Westerby bangs into a door and Polly comes fuzzily to life, but only he can see her, causing all sorts of havoc at the wedding and among the guests. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Smothers, Twiggy, (more)
- 1979
All but forgotten in recent years, the made-for-TV Goldie and the Boxer enjoyed a new lease on life when it was resyndicated to TV in the mid-1990s to capitalize on the notoriety of its star, O. J. Simpson. An old-fashioned tearjerker from the Champ school, the film stars Simpson as unknown boxer Joe Gallegher. Spurred by his friendship with Goldie Kellog (Melissa Michaelsen), the 10-year-old daughter of deceased boxing champ Paul Kellog (John Roselius), Joe goes the distance to the Title. Phil Silvers does an "Ed Wynn" as Joe's heart-of-gold trainer. First telecast December 20, 1979, Goldie and the Boxer performed well enough to encourage a 1981 sequel, Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- O.J. Simpson, Melissa Michaelsen, (more)
- 1979
- R
Bert Convy is the lead fellow here who appears as a tennis pro who uses his fondness for matched points to his advantage as he plays stud-man to his wealthy female clients in order to gather funds enough for his own tennis club. This lame effort includes a cameo by tennis great Bjorn Borg and a lengthier appearance by the irrepressible Bobby Riggs. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1978
Narrated by Milton Berle, Hey Abbott! is a videotape compilation of highlights from Abbott & Costello's numerous television programs. The tape includes routines like "Who's on First," "The Birthday Party," "Floogle Street" and "Oyster Stew." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
Spoofing the entire 1940s detective genre, and his own performances as a bumbling private detective, Peter Falk plays Lou Pekinpaugh, a San Francisco private detective accused of murdering his partner at the instigation of his mistress, the partner's wife, Georgia Merkle (Marsha Mason). Police Lieutenant DiMaggio (Vic Tayback) has his eye on Lou and blunders around in a way which complicates Lou's efforts to clear his name. Lou gets a new client when Mrs. Montenegro (Madeline Kahn) and her cronies (John Housman, Paul Williams and Dom DeLuise) hire him to search out a dozen diamond eggs. Marlene DuChard (Louise Fletcher) also comes to him for help of a complicated nature. In this madcap comedy written by Neil Simon, obstacles and complications appear every few minutes, and a great many famous actors show up in hilarious cameos. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Falk, Ann-Margret, (more)
- 1977
- R
Set in the 1960s, the film concerns a high-school senior (Steve Guttenberg, in his first film role) who works at a restaurant while trying to capture the attention of an attractive girl (Lisa Reeves). ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Phil Silvers, Ed Lauter, (more)
- 1977
In this drama, five beauty aspiring beauty queens are abducted in a hijacked airplane. Also upon the plane is a strain of deadly virus. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1977
The New Love Boat was the third pilot film for the long-running TV series. After several casting missteps in the two earlier films, the series' regular characters are herein solidified: Gavin McLeod as Capt. Stubing, Bernie Kopell as Doc, Fred Grandy as Gopher, Ted Lange as Isaac and Lauren Tewes as Julie. Guest stars include Georgia Engel as a stowaway, Gary Frank and Melanie Mayron as a pair of tremulous honeymooners, Stella Stevens and Pat Harrington as an eternally bickering married couple, and Audra Lindley and Phil Silvers as, respectively, an outspoken middle-aged lady and a woebegone widower. The New Love Boat was originally telecast May 5, 1977, while the Love Boat series ran from 1977 to 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gavin MacLeod
- 1976
- PG
- AddWon Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywoodto QueueAddWon Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywoodto top of Queue
This spoof makes fun of a certain famous German shepherd movie star from the 1920s. The mayhem begins when the head honcho of a financially struggling studio turns a lost dog into a legend. The story features a number of old stars making cameo appearances. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Dern, Madeline Kahn, (more)
Kurt Russell returns as Dexter Riley, the dedicated student of Medfield College who just can't stay out of trouble, in this follow-up to The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and Now You See Him, Now You Don't. In this story, Dexter is trying to devise a formula for a chemistry project that will increase human strength . By accident, he discovers that, when he mixes his concoction with another student's recipe for vitamin-fortified cereal, it gives people super-human strength, but only for a few minutes. Ignoring these drawbacks, Dean Higgins (Joe Flynn) makes a deal to sell the miracle cereal to a leading breakfast-food concern, unaware that it's Dexter's secret ingredient that makes the cereal work. Meanwhile, when word gets out about the new strength-boosting cereal, several competing companies decide that they need to wipe the new product off the market. Cesar Romero returns from the first film as A.J. Arno, with Phil Silvers, Eve Arden, and Richard Bakalyan highlighting the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kurt Russell, Joe Flynn, (more)
- 1975
All Trails Lead to Las Vegas is an ersatz feature film comprised of two episodes from the TV series Get Christie Love. Teresa Graves stars as Christie, a policewoman on the staff of the LAPD special investigations unit. The episodes represented herein find Christie going undercover to solve a drug-theft case, and babysitting for the 12-year-old brother of a blackmailer. Only in the second installment does the trail lead to Vegas. The first network TV series to feature an African American policewoman as the leading character, Get Christie Love was telecast September 11, 1974 to July 18, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
In the conclusion of a two-part story arc, con man Shifty Shafer (Phil Silver) has inveigled Jed Clampett into yet another risky investment. This time, Shafer has convinced Jed to bankroll a drilling project, designed to siphon the smog from Los Angeles! In the course of events, both Shifty and his wife Flo (Kathleen Freeman) are compelled to impersonate Mexicans -- musical comedy accents and all. "Honesty Is the Best Policy" originally aired on March 18, 1970, as the final episode of The Beverly Hillbillies' eighth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
In the conclusion of a three-part story arc, the Clampetts are still in Washington, DC, still determined to hand over their entire fortune to the president as a means of ending America's pollution crisis. Con man Shifty Shafer (Phil Silvers) hopes to get a piece of the Clampetts' financial pie by selling Jed a choice piece of D.C. real estate -- the Capitol building! Not content with the $2 million in his pocket, Shafer overplays his hand by "selling" Jed the rest of Washington's famous monuments. Kathleen Freeman is cast as Shifty's wife Flo. Filmed on location, "Jed Buys the Capitol" first aired on September 29, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
In the second episode of a three-part story arc, the Clampetts arrive in Washington, DC, where they plan to donate their entire fortune to the cause of ending air pollution in America. Though they intend to pay a visit to President Nixon, they are sidetracked by their old acquaintance Honest John -- actually, con artist Shifty Shafer (Phil Silvers). Claiming to be deeply touched by the Clampetts' ecological sentiments, Shafer schemes to deeply touch the Clampetts to the tune of several million bucks. Kathleen Freeman appears as Shifty Shafer's equally crooked wife Flo. Largely filmed on location, "The Clampetts in Washington" originally aired on September 22, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Hollywood Blue is a compilation of scenes taken from cinematic pornography over the years. Mickey Rooney and June Wilkerson are interviewed and give their thoughts about the late Jane Mansfield. Supposedly, Marilyn Monroe is the subject of one film where the female writhes on the floor in her underpants. Another film is a homosexual meeting in a park between a sailor and a marine. One of the performers went on to a successful career as a rugged western film hero. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mickey Rooney, June Wilkerson, (more)
- 1970
Phil Silvers returns as Shifty Shafer, con man extraordinaire. Still passing himself off as the benevolent "Honest John," Shifty again tries his darnedest to fleece the Clampett family. This time around, Shifty elicits Jed's aid in a fraudulent scheme to rid Los Angeles of its smog problem. Kathleen Freeman appears as Shifty Shafer's equally shifty spouse Flo. The first episode in a two-part story arc, "Honest John Returns" first aired on March 11, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The inept Ensign Garland (Robert Morse) battles a trio of jewel thieves in this Walt Disney comedy. Garland starts by spilling paint on the lovely Kate Fairchild (Stephanie Powers). Harry (Phil Silvers), Max (Norman Fell) and Charlie (Mickey Shaughnessy) try to recover the jewels accidentally dumped by Garland into a picnic basket. Garland's superior is Commander Taylor (Don Ameche), who hounds the harried ensign for being a constant bumbler. Jason Bennett (Wally Cox) is the playboy who has replaced his yacht engine with a wine cellar. Character actors Joe E. Ross and Al Lewis witness the sight gags and react to the seafaring shenanigans. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Morse, Stefanie Powers, (more)
- 1969
In the second of three episodes filmed in New York City, Phil Silvers guest stars as glib con artist Shifty Shafer. Posing as one "Honest John," Shifty has already sold Central Park to the impressionable Clampetts. Now for good measure, he throws in the Staten Island Ferry ("picked up last month from my friend Alexander Staten") and, inevitably, the Brooklyn Bridge ("picked up at auction last week from the estate of Oscar Brooklyn"). "The Clampetts in New York" first aired on November 5, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
With Elly May's Ozark wedding called off, the Clampett family begins casting about for another potential husband. Figuring that he'll have better luck in a new location, Jed draws up plans to visit New York. Unfortunately, he falls into the clutches of a chap named "Honest John" -- actually con artist Shifty Shafer (Phil Silvers) -- who arranges for Jed to "buy" Central Park. The first episode in a three-part story arc filmed on location in New York City, "Jed Buys Central Park" originally aired on October 29, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Gina Lollobrigida delivers a bright comic turn in Melvin Frank's farce concerning Carla, an Italian woman who, during World War II, had affairs with three American soldiers who served in the U.S. Army Air Force -- Phil Newman (Phil Silvers), Justin Young (Peter Lawford), and Walter Braddock (Telly Savalas). Finding that she is pregnant after the squadron is transferred, she convinces each of the three soldiers that he is the father of her child. Phil, Justin, and Walter react to Carla's pregnancy by sending her child-support checks -- checks that Carla has been receiving every month from each of them for the past 20 years. Meanwhile, in order to save face in her village, Carla concocted the story that the father was the fictitious Captain Eddie Campbell, who was killed in action. But Carla's deceptions are about to be exposed when she finds out that all three soldiers are returning to her village with their wives and children for a reunion of the squadron. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gina Lollobrigida, Shelley Winters, (more)
Ed Stander (Robert Morse), with the help of an all-star cast, teaches Paul Manning (Walter Matthau) the fine art of philandering in A Guide for the Married Man. Paul, happily married to sexy Ruth (Inger Stevens), has no burning desire to cheat, but Ed makes the prospect sound very attractive. Finally taking the "big step" with a glamorous brunette after months of careful preparation, Paul finds that he loves his wife way too much to betray her -- while the ever-careful Ed ends up in divorce court. Among the myriad of "advisors" peppered throughout Guide for the Married Man are Art Carney, Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Jayne Mansfield, Terry-Thomas, and Carl Reiner. The best guest-star vignette features Joey Bishop as a man caught in bed with another woman by his wife -- whereupon he calmly puts on his clothes, straightens up the room, and quietly responds to his wife's outrage by saying "What bed? What girl?" Adapted by Frank Tarloff from his book of the same name, Guide for the Married Man was directed by Gene Kelly, who makes a cameo "appearance" of his own as a voice on a TV set. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Walter Matthau, Robert Morse, (more)
- 1967
Though not advertised as such, Follow That Camel was an entry in Britain's long-running "Carry On" series. Phil Silvers stars as Sgt. Nocker, a self-styled hero of the Foreign Legion. Nocker's feet of clay are readily apparent to young recruit Bertram Oliphant West (Jim Dale), but "orders is orders." When the Arabs attack, however, Nocker saves the day with some clever conniving. The "Carry On" team seems to be working at half-throttle here, perhaps in deference to the indefatigable Phil Silvers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Phil Silvers, Jim Dale, (more)
