Charles Wagenheim Movies

Just when Archie has accustomed himself to the presence of foster daughter Stephanie, along comes Stephanie's no-good father (and Edith's cousin), Floyd Mills. Aware of the Bunkers' fondness for Stephanie, Floyd cagily offers to let the girl stay with them -- provided they pay him a thousand dollars. Ben Slack takes over from Marty Brill as the unsavory Mr. Mills. Also in the cast are veteran actors Victor Kilian and Charles Wagenheim, who, in a grim coincidence were murdered by the same assailant a few weeks before this episode aired on March 25, 1979. "The Return of Stephanie's Father" was written by Mel Tolkin and Larry Rhine. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

New York City is held in thrall by a serial killer known as Excalibur, who rapes and strangles unmarried women, then tosses them in the river--but not before marking their heads with a design resembling the sword of King Arthur. After several months' activity, Excalibur is back in business, and Kojak (Telly Savalas) is determined to put him away. But is it really Excalibur who has resumed the killing spree, or a demented copycat? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The shadow of the recent Attica uprising looms large over the October 3, 1972 Bonanza episode "Riot!" While on a tour of the Nevada State Prison, Ben Cartwright and several other prominent men are taken hostage by rioting prisoners. Though some of the inmates hope to escape, most of the others simply want to expose the brutal conditions in the prison-conditions that the corrupt wardens are determined will never be made public. The supporting cast includes Gregory Walcott as Will Cooper, Marco St. John as Plank, Aldo Ray as Heiser, Barney Philips as Calhoun, and Denver Pyle as the head warden. Also on hand is Tim Matheson, making the first of several Bonanza appearances as reformed convict Griff King. Riot! was written by Robert Pirosh. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

On this occasion, Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) race against time to stop a rampaging arsonist. The two mobile officers also try to neutralize a domestic squabble between an elderly couple (Dorothy Konrad, Charles Wagenheim). And in a particularly suspenseful moment, Jim and Pete attempt to talk sense to an escaped mental patient (Richard Van Vleet) who is holding his own wife (Betty Ann Rees) hostage with a knife. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Hail, Hero! stars Michael Douglas in his screen debut as long-haired college student Carl Dixon. Reversing the usual procedure in late-1960s films, Dixon decides to quit school and enlist in the Army, even though he's already run afoul of the law as a Vietnam protestor. It is our hero's intention to use love, rather than bullets, to combat the Viet Cong. Needless to say, his idealism is no match for the harsher realities of war, but this doesn't stop him from endlessly spouting the sort of agit-prop rhetoric so beloved of filmmakers of the era. In addition to Michael Douglas, co-star Peter Strauss likewise makes his first film appearance in Hail, Hero! Dated in the extreme, the film is saved by the musical score by Gordon Lightfoot. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This musical spoof of Westerns featured Lee Marvin in dual roles that won him a Best Actor Oscar. Jane Fonda stars as the title character, a prim schoolmarm returning to her hometown of Wolf City, Wyoming, after receiving an Eastern education. On the train ride, Cat meets up with a pair of friendly, charming crooks, Clay Boone (Michael Callan) and his uncle, Jed (Dwayne Hickman), the former becoming hopelessly smitten with the naive but tough Cat. Upon arriving home, Cat discovers that her eccentric father, Frankie (John Marley), is being threatened with bodily harm by a development company that desperately wants his land. When Frankie is murdered by ruthless, noseless killer Tim Strawn (Marvin), Cat straps on a pair of six-shooters and persuades Clay, Jed, and her father's loyal Native American hand Jackson Two-Bears (Tom Nardini) to sign on as her posse. In her quest for revenge, Cat also recruits Kid Shelleen (also played by Marvin), a one-time fearsome gunslinger who's now a hopeless alcoholic. Cat Ballou (1965) is interspersed throughout the narrative with appearances by Stubby Kaye and Nat King Cole as a pair of balladeers who comment on the action musically in Greek chorus style. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

In this early '60s version of the oft-filmed fairy tale a prince is turned into a horrible wolf-beast by a wicked sorcerer who wants the throne for himself. At night, his beloved princess watches over him. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This Biblical epic stars Elana Eden as Ruth, who serves in the temple where the High Priestess (Viveca Lindfors) leads the worship of the Pagan idols of the people of Moab. When Ruth falls in love with Mahlon (Tom Tryon), a Hebrew, she must come to terms with his spiritual beliefs, but in time she embraces his faith and converts to Judaism when they marry. Ruth travels with Mahlon and his mother Naomi (Peggy Wood) to their homeland of Bethlehem. Ruth suffers hardship and religious persecution, and when Mahlon dies, Ruth's faith is severely tested. But her belief in God survives this trial by fire, and in time Ruth finds a new love with Boaz (Stuart Whitman). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Robert Morley is cast as Mr. Laffler, a gourmet who is anxious to be admitted into a private dining club called Spirro's. Ever since he was allowed to sample the specialty of the house, an exotic dish called "lamb armistran," Laffler has been prepared to move heaven and earth to join the club. Alas, when the curious Laffler sneaks a forbidden peek into the club's kitchen, he learns all too well the meaning of the term "lifetime member." (Trivia note: the androgynous owner of Spirro's is played by Madame Spivy, a popular nightclub entertainer who is also prominently featured in such films as The Manchurian Candidate and Requiem for a Heavyweight). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Toughest Gun in Tombstone, at least according to this film, as Arizona ranger Matt Sloane (George Montgomery). Working undercover, Sloane infiltrates an all-star outlaw gang consisting of Johnny Ringo (Jim Davis), Ike Clanton (Gerald Milton), Curly Bill Broces (Lane Bradford) and several other sagebrush celebrities. His purpose: to put an end to the smuggling of silver bullion across the Mexican border. Complicating matters is Sloane's concern over his young son Terry (Scott Morrow), who is being pursued across the territory by the man who murdered Sloane's wife. Not exactly an "A" picture, Toughest Gun in Tombstone is too well-mounted to be dismissed as a "B." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Though very tame by contemporary standards, Tunnel of Love was considered the last word in racy comedy back in 1958. Adapted from the Broadway hit by Peter DeVries and Joseph Fields, the film stars Doris Day and Richard Widmark as suburbanites Isolde and Augie Poole. Isolde and Augie desperately want a child, but for diverse reasons have never been able to conceive. They decide to adopt a child, prompting a visit to the Poole home by pretty adoption-agency officer Estelle Novick (Gia Scala). Through a series of misundertandings, Estelle decides that Augie isn't a likely candidate for fatherhood, a notion he tries to dispell by taking her out to dinner. One thing leads to another, and the next morning Augie wakes up in a strange motel room with a monstrous hangover. Months later, Estelle pays a visit to Augie, informing him that she's pregnant and in dire need of a great deal of money. Certain that he's the father, Augie goes to great lengths to hide his "indiscretion" from his wife. But Isolde begins to suspect that something is amiss when the adoption agency shows up with a baby that looks disturbingly like her husband. Nothing is quite what it seems, of course, but neither the characters nor the audience find this out til the very end. As comic contrast to the childless Pooles, Elizabeth Fraser co-stars as the couple's eternally pregant next-door-neighbor Alice Pepper, whose husband Dick (Gig Young) looks appropriately worn out. Tunnel of Love was Gene Kelly's first directorial assignment on a film in which he himself didn't appear. (As a footnote, it's worth noting that during the original Broadway run of Tunnel of Love, Augie Poole was briefly portrayed by Johnny Carson). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Blackjack Ketchum, the real-life gunslinger who'd previously been a peripheral character in several westerns, is herein afforded his own feature-length "vehicle". Howard Duff plays the title role, who at the beginning of the film is doing his best to live down his reputation. This proves impossible when land baron Jared Tetlow (Victor Jory) and his brood muscle into the territory. Hoping to champion the cause of his fellow ranchers, Ketchum once more straps on his guns and prepares to do battle against Tetlow's henchmen. Naturally, Ketchum's sweetheart Nita Riordan (played by Maggie Mahoney, the mother of actress Sally Field) would prefer that Our Hero abstain from gunplay, but.Blackjack Ketchum, Desperado was based on a novel by Louis L'Amour. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

For an actress who seemed more at home in the lavish penthouses and smart supper clubs of New York, Phyllis Kirk appeared in a lot of westerns. Canyon Crossroads is a contemporary sagebrusher, wherein Ms. Kirk is cast as the daughter of geology professor Russell Collins. Father and daughter embark upon a uranium-hunting expedition in Colorado, accompanied by prospector Richard Basehart and Native American Alan Wells. Their trail is dogged by Charles Wagenheim, the sinister henchman of Basehart's bitter enemy Stephen Elliot. Trapped in a cave by the villains, Kirk and her companions spend at least a third of the film trying to figure a way out. Reviewers were impressed by the opening and closing scenes of Canyon Crossroads, but were indifferent to the reels in-between. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi