Don Stroud Movies
The son of entertainer Clarence Stroud, Don Stroud made his first film appearance in the 1967 Diabolique clone Games (1967). Handsome and solidly built, Stroud has prospered in meaty second-lead and character roles. Most frequently cast as a short-fused detective, Stroud was seen on television as Sgt. Mike Varrick on Kate Loves a Mystery (1979), as Captain Pat Chambers on Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (1984-87) and as Captain Lussen on the 1989 syndicated revival of Dragnet. Don Stroud has remained active into the 1990s, frequently in such instant-videocassette fare as Carnosaur 2 (1995). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1975
Lloyd Bridges stars as plainclothes policeman Joe Forrester. When a gang of robber-rapists besiege his old beat, Forrester voluntarily returns to uniform duty. He hopes that his presence will encourage the frightened residents to help bring the gang to justice, but the most immediate results of Joe's return are several attempts on his life. Eddie Egan, the real-life model for The French Connection's Popeye Doyle, appears in a small role. First telecast as a 90-minute installment of Police Story on May 6, 1975, Return of Joe Forrester led to a weekly Joe Forrester series, which ran from September 1975 to August 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Live a Little, Steal a Lot and You Can't Steal Love were both alternate titles for the fact-based crime caper Murph the Surph. In the early 1960s, a "celebrity beach bum" named Jack Murphy--aka Murph the Surph--helped mastermind the stealing of the Star of India sapphire from the American Museum of Natural History. The film concentrates on the sociopathic pre-theft activities of Murphy (played by Don Stroud) and his partner in crime Allan Kuhn (excellently impersonated by Robert Conrad). The hollowness of Murph and Kuhn's Miami Beach lifestyle is offset with their never-ending search for "kicks"--the last of which earned them both stiff prison terms. Live a Little, Steal a Lot successfully plays its material for laughs throughout, but in the end both erstwhile criminals seem more pathetic than amusing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Conrad, Don Stroud, (more)
- 1974
Someone in the SFPD must go undercover with a group of Vietnam war resisters to ferret out a murderer. Given a choice between middle-aged Mike Stone (Karl Malden) and youthful, shaggy-haired Steve Keller (Michael Douglas), the authorities opt for Keller. Posing as an anti-war activist, Keller tries to find out who killed a rather notorious Marine deserter...and why. Featured in the cast are two actors who'd essayed villainous Streets of San Francisco roles in the past, Don Stroud and Michael Burns. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
An all-star "disaster" flick set in an elevator: is there no limit? This made-for-TVer top-bills James Farentino as a bank robber suffering from claustrophobia. Fleeing from his latest crime, the criminal is forced to take an elevator, populated with the likes of Roddy McDowall, Craig Stevens, Teresa Wright, Myrna Loy and Carol Lynley. Naturally, the elevator stalls between floors, high above ground level. The Elevator debuted as an ABC Movie of the Week on February 9, 1974. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
With only fragmentary evidence at their disposal, Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) search for the person who raped and murdered a young waitress. Meanwhile, the killer (Don Stroud) and his reluctant accomplice (Charles Martin Smith) are holed up in the home of two innocent bystanders (Ida Lupino, Patricia McCormack). Seen briefly as the murder victim is starlet Cheryl Stopplemoor, soon to achieve stardom as one of Charlie's Angels using her married name, Cheryl Ladd. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
- PG
Two Miami beach bums become notorious cat-burglars in this lively crime drama that is based on a true story. After successfully committing a series of burglaries of some of Miami's wealthiest, the two get bored and decide to steal the Star of India sapphire from the American Museum of Natural History, New York. One of the actual thieves, Allan Kuhn, served as the technical advisor. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
A former Green Beret who set out to settle a score with the mob finds they don't give up easy in this action-packed blaxploitation drama. After killing the mobster who killed his parents in Mexico, Slaughter plans to return to a quiet life in Los Angeles, but police detective Reynolds (Brock Peters) warns him that his life is in danger -- it seems crime boss Duncan (Ed McMahon), an associate of the man Slaughter killed, isn't about to allow his killing to pass without retaliation. After an ambitious assassination attempt involving a World War I biplane fails dramatically, Duncan recruits a vicious new hit man, Kirk (Don Stroud), and one of Kirk's first assignments is to take care of Slaughter once and for all. Duncan also has ties to the L.A.P.D., and rather than put Slaughter in protective custody at Reynolds' suggestion, the war hero is put back on the street. However, as Slaughter tracks down the men who murdered his family and threatened the life of his girlfriend Marcia (Gloria Hendry), it looks as if the crooks may need protection from Slaughter more than he needs to be protected from them. A sequel of the successful Jim Brown vehicle Slaughter, Slaughter's Big Rip-Off included an original score by James Brown and his long-time musical partner Fred Wesley. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1973
No Stone Unturned was the second-season opener of the Banacek TV series. George Peppard plays insurance investigator Banacek, whom the police call in whenever they're stumped. Banacek is assigned to find a 3 ton, 10 foot sculpture, that has apparently walked away by itself. Scott Brady, Gary Lockwood and Candace Clark are among those who might have helped the valuable sculpture in its flight. No Stone Unturned was first aired October 3, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Louise Sorel plays a mild-mannered young woman saddled with a cruel and overbearing husband (John Vernon). Her slow, methodical solution to the problem is anything but mild. In hopes of permanently eliminating her domestic irritation, the harried Ms. Sorel creates far deeper problems for herself than she'd ever imagined. Don Stroud and a pre-MASH Mike Farrell costar in this taped suspenser. Nightmare Step was originally telecast on the late-night network anthology ABC Wide World Mystery. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
- G
In this exciting adventure, based on a tale by Robert Louis Stevenson and shot in Yugoslavia, a one-legged pirate must rely on the memory of a boozy, uncooperative parrot if he is to find the location of a tremendous treasure. He is later assisted by two plucky youths who help him battle it out with a mutinous crew, unfriendly natives, and dangerous rapids. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirk Douglas, Mark Lester, (more)
- 1973
The multitalented Jackie Cooper is cast against type as Harlan Slade, the cold-blood patriarch of a criminal family. The action gets under way when Slade's clan breaks him out of Federal Prison. Their next step is a "break-in"--of a bank holding millions of dollars. Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) is hot on Slade's trail, but the canny crook manages to keep at least two steps ahead of the Feds for most of the episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Three armed criminals invade a bank, take everyone inside hostage, and nervously await the arrival of a payroll truck. Among the hostages is Chief Ironside (Raymond Burr), who hopes to take advantage of the robbers' internal squabbling in order to play one against the other--but the thieves may be a bit too smart to fall for that trick. Reportedly based on a true story, this episode features a young actress named Kathleen Gackle, better known in later years as Kathleen Lloyd. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Dennis Weaver plays a tow-truck driver sent to prison on a trumped-up charges of attempted murder. Out after serving four years, Weaver finds himself a reluctant loner. His wife has died, and his two sons have disappeared. In seeking out his boys, Weaver also keeps an eye out for the man responsible for railroading him into jail. Whenever the script or the character threaten to lapse into cliche, The Rolling Man compensates with attractive camerawork taking full advantage of the Southern California landscape. This TV movie had all the earmarks of a pilot for a series, but there's no evidence to back up this suspicion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Art appreciation. A historical series that looks at different styles of art. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1972
Joshua Cabe (Buddy Ebsen) is a trapper in the old west. He hopes to set up his own homestead, but new government laws won't allow him any land unless he has a family. Cabe's own daughters refuse to come west to live with their dad, so Joshua hires three "shady ladies" (Karen Valentine, Lesley Ann Warren and Sandra Dee) to pose as his offspring. A made-for-TV movie, Daughters of Joshua Cabe did well enough in the ratings to encourage producer Aaron Spelling to develop a series based on the property. Unfortunately, neither of the two subsequent pilot films--New Daughters of Joshua Cabe and Daughters of Joshua Cabe Return, each with brand-new casts--aroused network or sponsorial interest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
With his birthday rapidly approaching, Officer Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) sternly informs his partner Jim Reed (Kent McCord)--and anyone else who will listen--that he does not, repeat, DOES NOT, want a surprise birthday party. So guess what happens. Elsewhere, the Rampart division is kept busy with a rash of purse snatchings and other more serious crimes, and a shootout between the cops and a gang of service-station burglars. Featured in the cast as Officer Snyder is William Wellman Jr., son of the famed Hollywood film director (Wings, A Star is Born, The High and the Mighty, etc.) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
En route to Los Angeles to pick up a prisoner, Sgt. Ed Brown (Don Galloway) runs into trouble in a small town. Losing his temper with a pair of hostile local cops, Ed ends up booked on a misdemeanor, thrown into jail, and subjected to some rough treatment at the hands of the local constabulary. Realizing that he himself has been just as brutal with suspects in the past, Ed begins to question his future as a police officer. Ultimately, Ironside (Raymond Burr) shows up and offers to post bail--but Ed refuses, preferring to work out the situation by himself. Directed by star Raymond Burr, this is one of several Ironside episodes featuring an original song by Marty and David Paich, in this case "The Other Side", performed by James Griffin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In John Sturges' Americanized version of Sergio Leone's Man-With-No-Name films, Clint Eastwood is Joe Kidd, a cryptic stranger who arrives in the New Mexican town of Sinola, where Mexican bandito/revolutionary Luis Chama (John Saxon) has organized a peasant revolt against the local landowners, who are throwing the poor off land that rightfully belongs to them. When a posse -- financed by wealthy landowner Frank Harlan (Robert Duvall) -- is formed to capture Luis, Kidd is invited to join but prefers to remain neutral. Harlan keeps badgering Kidd to join up, and Kidd finally relents when he finds that Luis's band has raided his own ranch and one of his ranch hands has been injured. The bloodthirsty posse rounds up five Mexicans hostages and threaten to kill them unless Luis surrenders to them. One of the hostages is the attractive Stella Garcia (Helen Sanchez), and Kidd falls in love with her. Harlan notices this and throws Kidd in jail to prevent him from helping Stella and the Mexicans. Kidd decides the position himself as the voice of reason in this nest of disorder. He escapes and saves the Mexican hostages, determined to capture Luis himself and see that he gets a fair trial. But when Kidd captures Luis and delivers him to Sheriff Mitchell (Gregory Walcott), Harlan is in town waiting for him. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clint Eastwood, Robert Duvall, (more)
- 1971
Where do dreams end and reality begins? That's the question facing research scientist Lloyd Bridges in the made-for-TV Deadly Dream. Each night, Bridges suffers nightmares, in which he is on trial for his life before a mysterious tribunal. The whys and wherefores of Bridges' torment are revealed bit by bit throughout the film's 73 minutes. The Deadly Dream was the September 25, 1971 installment of ABC's Movie of the Week anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Conspiracy to Kill was one of two pilot films for the Jack Webb-produced TV series The D.A. Robert Conrad stars as LA deputy district attorney Paul Ryan. This time around, Ryan reopens a case that he's already won. New evidence indicates that a supposedly victimized drugstore owner (William Conrad) was the brains behind a robbery and murder that occurred at his own establishment. The D.A. series proper ran from September 17, 1971, through January 7, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This film of the wartime exploits of Baron Von Richthoven, who was also known as the "Red Baron," was a relatively lavish Corman-brothers production, and is directed by Roger Corman. The film's airborne dogfight sequences are among its most notable features. Vintage World War I airplanes were used, and accidents during filming resulted in one death and several injuries. The evolution of airborne warfare from being a sporting game between gentlemen to its use as an instrument of total war is integral to the story. Von Richthoven (John Phillip Law), who becomes an air ace and an important German hero, was an early aeronautical rival of Hermann Goering (Barry Primus). So important was he to German morale that he was asked to retire from fighting, so that he could assume a position in the post-war German government. He refused, and was killed by a young Canadian (Don Stroud) in an airborne battle. Spookily enough, even though he died in the air, his plane is reputed to have landed intact. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) spearheads a search for mentally disturbed Walker Oborn (Don Stroud), who has already committed one murder while eluding the Feds. Now Oborn has kidnapped Emily Willis (Darlene Carr), the 18-year-girl he has long worshiped from afar, and has headed into the Sierra Mountains with his terrified captive. The climax of this nailbiting episode was filmed on location along the Montery-Carmel coast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Angel (Don Stroud) is the biker who joins a commune of hippies near a small town out West. When the town rednecks attack them in a dune buggy convoy, Angel calls up some of his bad biker buddies to exact revenge. Tremaine (Luke Askew) is the commune leader targeted extermination by the looney locals. Tyne Daly plays a hippie chick and Aldo Ray is the lazy local sheriff who refuses to calm things down in this cycle drama. Music provided by Randy Sparks and Jim Helms. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Stroud, Luke Askew, (more)
- 1970
When Jimmy Price (Jim Brown) wins an upset victory for sheriff, he becomes the first black man ever to hold the job (or any elective office) in anyone's memory in his rural southern county. He also sets off an ominous rumblings as the entire county seems split apart by his presence -- Mayor Parks (Fredric March) offers him the support of his office, but many whites aren't prepared to accept a black man as sheriff, while most of the whites that can accept him aren't saying so too loudly; a lot of older black residents, remembering decades of Jim Crow laws that only lately disappeared, are more confused than encouraged by Price's victory, while younger, more radical black citizens like George Harvey (Bernie Casey) have little use for Price's straight-arrow personality; they expect him to show them favoritism, and when he doesn't, they suspect him of being an nothing but a white man in black skin. Even Price's own wife (Janet MacLachlan) wonders if the cost of his being sheriff is too high. He finds himself alone, walking a tightrope between all of the forces pulling at him, and then the whole situation threatens to explode when he arrests the good-for-nothing son (Bob Random) of a wealthy man from the next county, who has killed a child while driving drunk. Soon the local klavern of the Ku Klux Klan is planning a meeting, and a lynch mob seems to be gathering across the county line to break the prisoner loose and take care of the sheriff. Price finally gets some unexpected help from his embittered predecessor, John Little (George Kennedy) -- Little would like nothing more than to sulk over losing his longtime job, but with his wife's coaxing he realizes that he can't let Price fail without the risk of destroying everything he worked for years to build. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Brown, George Kennedy, (more)
- 1970
In this drama, the second in the "Ironside" series, the Chief becomes marked for murder after he witnesses the execution of hospital security guard. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
