Frank Sutton Movies

The made-for-TV Hurricane was based on William C. Anderson's novel Hurricane Hunters, which, in turn, was inspired by events surrounding Hurricane Camille in 1969. The scene is Cassler, MS, where a pair of hurricane chasers, patrol-plane pilot Major Stoddard (Martin Milner) and seafarer Paul Damon (Larry Hagman) do their best to rescue the citizens of the community from a devastating storm. Other key characters include: feminist TV weatherperson Lee Jackson (Michael Learned); old-fashioned (but shrewd) meteorologist Dr. McCutcheon (Will Geer); Damon's imperiled wife, Louise (Jessica Walter); and oblivious Bert Pearson (Frank Sutton in his final movie role). Hurricane originally aired September 10, 1974, as the first installment of a brand-new ABC Movie of the Week season. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This episode served as the pilot for Jim Nabors' starring series Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. When Gomer joins the Marine Corps, Andy tags along to make sure that all goes well during his pal's first day at boot camp. Of course, the situation rapidly deteriorates as the feckless Pyle drives his new topkick, Sergeant Carter (Frank Sutton), crazy. Andy saves the day by leading Carter to believe that Gomer is related to celebrated Marine general Lucius Pyle. Viewers will quickly note that Frank Sutton uses a broad Southern accent as Carter, which he would summarily drop for the Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. series proper. Filmed in the late Summer of 1963, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. was withheld from view until May 18, 1964, when it aired as the final fourth-season episode of The Andy Griffith Show. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When the producers of The Untouchables bowed to the pressure of the Italian-American Anti-Defamation league and began focusing on non-Italian villains, they decided to drop one of the series' most popular characters, gangster Frank "The Enforcer" Nitti (Bruce Gordon). But with the series' ratings in rapid decline, it was decided to bring Nitti back--and here he is, up to his old tricks. On this occasion, Nitti has formed a partnership with mob bookkeeper Leo Stazek (a definitely pre-Kojak Telly Savalas), who has come up with a brilliant plan to increase the profits of "The Enforcer"'s bootlegging racket. Stazek's scheme involves heavy speculation in the stock market, and for a while the grateful Nitti is rolling in dough. What Frank doesn't realize is that Stazek is planning to double-cross him and grab all the profits (and "The Enforcer"'s power) for himself. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Searching for an evacuation hospital behind enemy lines, King Company medic Doc Walton (Steven Rogers) is captured along with Pvt. Braddock (Shecky Greene) and several wounded soldiers. The prisoners are herded into a chateau owned by French aristocrat Count De Gontran (Ben Wright) and his daughter Gabrielle (Joan Hackett), currently under the command of Nazi major Richter (Dan O'Herlihy). Walton hopes that De Gontran will help him and the other Americans escape, but the Count is more concerned with the survival of himself and his home than in the outcome of the war--and to that end, he continues currying favor with Richter, a self-styled art connoisseur who has been "rescuing" the valuable paintings adorning the chateau walls, and isn't about to let the prisoners get in his way. Series stars Vic Morrow and Rick Jason do not appear in this episode, though both are billed in the opening credits. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

No sooner have they been released from prison than the four Stryker brothers pick up where they left off, assuming control of a string of night clubs and all illegal traffic within. In dire need of extra money to keep their operation afloat, the brothers plan to rob a mail shipment--and to this end, they coax a professional arsonist named Jaeger (Nehemiah Persoff in a less villainous role than usual) out of retirement. Only when the Strykers renege on their promise to pay Jaeger the 20 grand they promised him does the scheme unravel, allowing Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) to mete out justice. Frank Sutton, aka Gomer Pyle USMC's Sergeant Carter, makes the first of four Untouchables appearances, here cast as the youngest and most timorous of the Stryker brothers. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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, Rovi

Paddy Chayefsky's Oscar-winning slice-of-life drama originated as a live 1953 broadcast directed by Delbert Mann on The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse starring Rod Steiger and Nancy Marchand. The Hecht-Lancaster movie version, also directed by Mann, replaces the two leads with Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair (as well as featuring several soon-to-be-familiar faces, including Jerry Paris, Frank Sutton, and Karen Steele, plus Joe Mantell, Nehemiah Persoff, and Betsy Palmer from the TV version). But it remains otherwise intact, telling of 24 very important hours in the lives of two lonely people. Marty is a bittersweet, sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, and always realistic comedy-drama about Marty Pilletti (Ernest Borgnine), a 34-year-old Bronx butcher. Approaching middle-age as a burly, somewhat overweight man who has no illusions about himself or his attractiveness to women, Marty looks forward to just one thing in life -- buying his boss's butcher shop and trying to make a success in business -- and he's even uncertain about that. A gentle, good-natured man, he lives with his mother (Esther Minciotti), a kind but emotionally smothering woman, in a too-large house and spends his time with a small circle of dead-end friends (Joe Mantell, Frank Sutton). One Friday night, Marty's mother convinces him to go to the Stardust Ballroom, where he meets a plain-looking schoolteacher named Clara (Betsy Blair), whose life appears to mirror his own -- she lives with her father, and is frightened about the one prospect she has for advancement in her job. Meeting her after witnessing a humiliating rejection by her blind date, Marty acts on his best impulses and asks Clara to dance, and soon they are actually enjoying each other's company. She is as drawn to him as he is to her, but both are so uncertain about putting themselves at risk emotionally, that the evening almost ends badly when he tries to kiss her -- but they agree to talk on the phone and go to a movie the next night. But whatever good feelings he has about Clara are soon threatened by his friends' put-downs of her, and his mother's hostility, driven by her sudden panic that if Marty marries, she'll be left living alone. Marty spends the next day alone and never does call Clara, seemingly having decided that it's best to leave well enough alone. That is, until he takes a good long look at his life, and a listen to his friends -- and he suddenly makes the decision to try for true happiness, wherever it leads. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi