Harry Townes Movies

While teaching a college investigation class, Magnum (Tom Selleck) tries to stem the alarming dropout rate by agreeing to take a case from one of his students on a pro-bono basis. At first, it appears that all Magnum has to do is locate the student's missing fiancee--but as the plot thickens, our hero becomes enmeshed in an entirely different mystery(or is it?) Guest star Tom Shadyac is better known for his latter-day accomplishments as a writer, director and producer on such Jim Carrey projects as Ace Ventura, Pet Detective, Liar Liar and Bruce Almighty. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After several deaths have occurred during routine surgical procedures, Quincy (Jack Klugman) begins an investigation of eminent surgeon Dr. Stanley Royce (Jose Ferrer), who had allegedly performed the fatal operations. It isn't that Royce has lost his touch--it's simply that he is signing off on surgeries in which he had no part. Confirming that Royce has been using less qualified resident surgeons as "ghosts" for operations which he was scheduled to perform himself, Quincy mounts a campaign to charge Royce with medical manslaughter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Condominium is a two-part, four-hour TV adaptation of the novel by John D. McDonald. The setting is a hastily constructed Florida high-rise, assembled at the least possible cost by its greedy owners. An oncoming hurricane threatens to topple the structure and its residents into the ocean. Various degrees of greed, lust, terror and concern are displayed by stars Steve Forrest, Dan Haggerty, Ralph Bellamy, Barbara Eden, Stuart Whitman, Jack Jones and Pamela Hensley. Produced for the syndicated "Operation Prime Time" series, Condominium was first made available to local stations on November 20, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A drug-dealing lawyer is murdered by mobsters, who go to great lengths to make his death look like an accident. When this fails, the killers blackmail the son of Dr. Gilbert Moore (Harry Townes) in order to force Moore to "rig" the autopsy of the dead man. Needless to say, the beleagured doctor is an old and trusted colleague of medical examiner Quincy (Jack Klugman), who ends up putting in a lot of overtime to save Moore from disgracing himself and to bring the murderers to justice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on the best-selling memoirs of Lillian Rogers Parks, the NBC miniseries Backstairs at the White House traces over five decades of American political history as witnessed from the vantage point of the servants' quarters. Played by Tania Johnson as a teenager and by Leslie Uggams as an adult, Lillian Rogers Parks served for 52 years as a maidservant at the White House. Though crippled early on with polio, Lillian diligently and loyally stuck to her duties -- and her own rock-solid set of principles and ideals -- through eight highly different Presidential administrations, often (and occasionally reluctantly) acting as friend and confidante to the First Lady of the moment. The large and stellar cast included a number of top-rank film and TV actors, obviously having the time of their lives impersonating such presidents as William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, and their respective wives. Also in the cast were several African-American veterans from the landmark TV miniseries Roots. Earning 11 Emmy Award nominations, the nine-hour Backstairs at the White House was seen in five installments from January 29 to February 19, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Quincy (Jack Klugman) investigates when the mother and sister of apparent murder victim Peter Nielsen (Bruce Wright)--whom he has already officially declared dead--come forth to declare that the "dead" man is not only still alive, but has been in contact with them since the "killing." The investigation leads to a downtown messenger service, which turns out to be a front for an illegal drug ring. Appearing as the alleged victim's mother is Priscilla Pointer, in real life the mother of actress Amy Irving. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When a patient (Harry Townes) accuses them of stealing his money, Roy (Kevin Tighe) and John (Randolph Mantooth) play detective to trap the real thief. Other more pressing emergencies involve a daring rescue from a plane about to explode, and a car crash that results both in blindness and a premature birth. Former Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In regular Jo Ann Worley) has a riotous cameo role as a neurotic woman who believes in "scream therapy". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Dean Stockwell guest-stars as Mathew, a former Northern war hero and Congressional Medal of Honor Winner, now living a pauper's existence in Nevada. Ben Cartwright comes to Mathew's aid when the man is victimized by Seth Nagel (Harry Townes), a Southerner determined to avenge the loss of his home and family at the hands of the Yankees. The plot goes off on a rivetting tangent when Seth's daughter Lori (Susan Howard) befriends the beleagured Mathew. Written by Frank Chase, "The Medal" was originally broadcast on October 26, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Occasionally listed as In Enemy Hands (evidently a working title), In Enemy Country is a war film with "A" ambitions and a TV-movie budget. Wartime secret agents Col. Charles Waslow-Carton (Tony Franciosa) and Lt. Col. Philip Braden (Guy Stockwell) infiltrate enemy lines, posing as POWs. Their mission is to destroy a deadly new type of torpedo, hidden in a Nazi stronghold in France. Their contact is Denise Marchois (Anjanette Comer), whom Waslow-Carton had coerced into marrying a German baron (Paul Hubschmid) before the outbreak of war, thus allowing her to continue her spying activities unimpeded. Upon the completion of their mission, Marchois chooses to remain behind with her husband, whom she has grown to love. Too many peripheral characters, way too many plot twists, and a "French" village obviously constructed on the Universal back lot: for these and other reasons, In Enemy Country is a must to avoid. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When an aging philanthropist falls on hard times, her butler starts to rob the rich so that she can keep on giving to the poor in this comedy. Claude Fitzwilliam (Dick Van Dyke), known to his friends as "Fitzwilly," works as a butler for Victoria Woodworth (Edith Evans), who -- ever since the death of her husband -- has been using her inheritance to benefit her favorite charitable causes. However, no one has the heart to tell Mrs. Woodworth that she doesn't have much money left, and to compensate for the shortfall brought on by her philanthropy, Fitzwilly and his fellow domestics have been pulling a series of robberies at department stores. When Mrs. Woodworth gets the idea of compiling "A Dictionary for Dopes," which indexes phonetic spellings of commonly misspelled words, she hires Juliet Nowell (Barbara Feldon) to help on the project as a secretary. Juliet senses that there's something fishy about Fitzwilly, especially when she finds out that he has a college education but earns a meager salary as a butler, and she imagines the worst when she finds out about his criminal activities. Watch for Sam Waterston in a small role; this was his first film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Newly arrived in Utah under the alias "Jim Corman", Kimble (David Janssen) meets unwed mother Ruth Simmons (Kim Darby), whose baby is seriously ill. In his efforts to treat the infant, Kimble meets strong opposition in the form of Ruth's father Joshua (Harry Townes), a religious zealot who objects to any sort of medical treatment. Adding to Kimble's burden of woe is an ambitious deputy named Pete (Tom Skerritt) who is using a team of bloodhounds to track down the fugitive. This episode was originally slated to air on October 11, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Coasting on the reputation of his golf-champion wife Alma (Phyllis Hill), Chick Farley has landed a job as resident pro at an exclusive golf club. To supplement his income, Chick begins blackmailing club official Erwin Brandt (Harry Townes), and also embezzles money from the club's pro shop. Intending to place the blame for a $3000 deficit on his assistant Jim Harrell (Alan Hale Jr.), Chick makes a phone call to club member Hamilton Burger--only to be bludgeoned to death with a sand wedge as Burger listens in! Naturally, Harrell is charged with the murder, and just as naturally, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) defends the poor sap. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The photographer is Arthur Mannix (Jack Cassidy); the undertaker is Hiram Price (Harry Townes). Both men supplement their incomes by moonlighting as professional hitmen -- and both work for the same gangster boss. The "fun" begins when Arthur is ordered to bump off Hiram, and vice versa...leading to a bizarre set of circumstances that neither one of our "heroes" could ever have anticipated. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide