Joan Staley Movies

Answering a public-disturbance call, Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) end up trying to mediate a bitter quarrel between neighbors Sidney Roemer (Dick Sargent) and Miles Wellman (James Callahan) over their joint ownership of a boat. The argument spreads over several days, with Jim and Pete repeatedly being summoned to break up Roemer and Wellman's latest set-to. Finally, the two cops are satisfied that the warring neighbors have seen the error of their ways and patched up their differences...until tragedy strikes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the second half of the two-part Mission: Impossible adventure "The Council", the IMF's plan to topple a gangland syndicate is threatened when one of the mobsters apparently sees through Rollin's impersonation of crooked businessman Frank Wayne (Paul Stevens). Meanwhile, the real Stevens lies unconscious on the operating table of a master plastic surgeon. And in a startling development, Phelps is the victim of a mob "hit"--or is he? Written by William Read Woodfield and Allan Balter, Part Two of "The Council" originally aired on November 26, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Luther Heggs (Don Knotts) is a typesetter at a newspaper who longs for a chance to be a reporter. Editor Beckett (Dick Sargent) gives Luther his big break and assigns him to spend the night in a house generally considered to be haunted. The situation allows a broad canvas for Knotts to react to sight gags with the special brand of eye-popping nervousness that made him a star. Former Playboy Bunny Joan Staley plays the pretty girlfriend of star reporter Ollie Skip Homeier. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Gunpoint stars Audie Murphy as a Colorado sheriff -- and never mind that the film was shot in Utah. Sheriff Lucas (Murphy) sets out to bring bad guy Drago (Morgan Woodward) to justice. If the sheriff doesn't succeed, that will be fine and dandy with deputy Hold (Denver Pyle), who's out to get Murphy's job. Edgar Buchanan took a break from Petticoat Junction to play the sort of comic relief he'd been doing in westerns for years. Gunpoint's well-photographed but economical highlights include a wild horse stampede and a shootout with disgruntled Apaches. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Charlie Rogers (Elvis Presley) is a coffeehouse singer who joins a financially troubled carnival in Roustabout. He is hired by owner Maggie Morgan (Barbara Stanwyck) and soon catches the eye of his pretty female co-worker Cathy Lean (Joan Freeman). Cathy's irate father Joe (Leif Erickson) clashes with Charlie when he tries to romance his daughter, but Charlie's singing helps bring in the much-needed money for the failing carnival and keeps the wolves from the big tent show. A disagreement has Charlie joining another carnival before things are smoothed out. Watch for Raquel Welch and Terry Garr in bit parts. Presley delivers 11 songs, the highlight being the Mike Leiber/Jerry Stoller tune"Little Egypt". ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

A man falls for an exotic "bad girl," unaware he's already met the nice girl lurking beneath the surface, in this romantic comedy. Samantha Blake (Joanne Woodward) works for a large department store in New York City as a sort of industrial spy; while ostensively a buyer, Blake's greatest responsibility is to find out what the hot new fashions are going to be, so her store can have cut-price knockoffs on the racks once they hit the boutiques. Samantha is flying to Paris with her co-workers Leena (Thelma Ritter) and Joe (George Tobias) when she meets Steve Sherman (Paul Newman), a no-nonsense reporter who has been assigned to cover the unveiling of the new designer lines. Samantha and Steve don't exactly hit it off, and after arriving in Paris, a depressed Samantha makes her way to a beauty salon after a few cocktails too many. Decked out in a new wig and dressed to the nines, Samantha bumps into Steve, who is convinced she's one of the city of lights' glamorous high-priced call girls. Samantha plays along, and Steve writes a story about her which proves to be a hit with his readers, but as she finds herself falling for Steve, she isn't sure how to tell him that she's really the mousy woman he met on his flight to Paris. A New Kind Of Love also features cameo appearances from Maurice Chevalier and Frank Sinatra, the latter of whom sings the title song. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

No one would ever suspect meek, mild bookkeeper Clem Sandover (Stuart Erwin) of embezzling $201,000 from his company--which is probably why Sandover has gotten away with just that. Discovering the shortage, Sandover's fellow employee Lita Krail (Kathleen Hughes) threatens to blow the whistle, only to be promptly murdered. Sandover's wife Beth (Virginia Christine) is accused of the crime, whereupon Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) takes over her defense, using existing evidence to argue that the dead woman was killed twice (!) This is one of the rare Perry Mason episodes in which the "most likely" suspect (who, incidentally, is NOT Beth Sandover) actually turns out to be the killer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Con artists Morgan (Wally Brown) and Axe (Dave Willock) flimflam Clementine Hawkins (Beatrice Kay), a former dance-hall girl turned boarding-house keeper, with an elaborate scam involving "The Burma Rarity", a priceless emerald. Inasmuch as Ben Cartwright introduced Clementine to the crooks, he figures it is his responsibility to recover her money. To that end, Ben puts together a "sting" operation-which backfires so spectacularly that Ben may well have to marry Clementine to make amends! Written by N.B. Stone,"The Burma Rarity" originally aired October 22, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on a popular comic strip, this touching children's drama centers on an adorable saucer-eyed Italian war orphan who sneaks into the U.S. by stowing away aboard a returning naval ship. He did this in part to be with the benevolent soldiers who showed him kindness on the Christmas Eve before the war ended. Once they dock in New York, poor Dondi's friends go their separate ways and he ends up lost and having several adventures alone until happiness and peace return in the form of one of the sailors. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Comedian Jerry Lewis began directing movies in 1960, and this often unkind satire on the nature of American womanhood is one of his early efforts in that regard. The rubber-legged, rubber-faced Lewis plays Herbert, a man who is despondent over the break-up of his romance. While looking for a job, he comes across an impressive mansion (built as a set at the cost of $350,000) filled with women of all types -- and lo and behold -- they need a handyman. So Herbert gets to reside with a bevy of women of various types, all under the supervision of Mrs. Wellenmelon (Helen Traubel). In the end, the set itself outtrumps them all. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In an idealized New York City during the early '60s, Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) is a charming socialite with a youthful zest for life who lives alone in a nearly bare apartment. She has such a flippant lifestyle that she won't even give her cat a name, because that would be too much of a commitment to a relationship. Maintaining a childlike innocence yet wearing the most perfect of designer clothes and accessories from Givenchy, she spends her time on expensive dates and at high-class parties. She escorts various wealthy men, yet fails to return their affections after they have given her gifts and money. Holly's carefree independence is changed when she meets her neighbor, aspiring writer Paul (George Peppard), who is suffering from writer's block while being kept by a wealthy woman (Patricia Neal). Just when Holly and Paul are developing their sweet romance, Doc (Buddy Ebsen) appears on the scene and complicates matters, revealing the truth about Holly's past. Breakfast at Tiffany's was nominated for several Academy awards, winning Best Score for Henry Mancini and Best Song for Johnny Mercer's classic tune "Moon River". ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Lloyd Nolan guest-stars as New Orleans police inspector Charles Leduque, a man who harbors a deep and festering grudge against Ben Cartwright. On the eve of Ben's gubernatorial campaign, Leduque shows up in town bearing a warrant for Ben's arrest -- on a charge of murder. Though it appears that the charges will hold up in court, Joe conducts his own investigation to learn the truth behind Leduque's vendetta. Also appearing are Joan Staley as Dixie, Robert Foulk as the sheriff, and Hal Baylor as Tom Cole. Originally broadcast on February 27, 1960, "The Stranger" was written by Leonard Heidieman and Oliver Crawford. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide