Linda Watkins Movies

One of Mark Twain's best-loved stories becomes a screen musical in this family-friendly adaptation. Mischievous Huckleberry Finn (Jeff East) is a 15-year-old boy who has long had a difficult relationship with his often violent father. When Dad tried to kidnap him, Huck decides to run away from home, and heads out of town on a raft. Huck is soon joined by Jim (Paul Winfield), a runaway slave who is no more eager to see his master than Huck is to see his father. As the two friends make their way down the Mississippi, they're faced with a variety of challenges and adventures, including a run-in with a pair of shabby but dignified actors, The King (Harvey Korman) and The Duke (David Wayne). Produced in association with Reader's Digest magazine, which in 1973, scored a box-office hit with a musical version of Twain's Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn featured original songs by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, who also wrote the songs for a handful of Disney hits, including Mary Poppins. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The second season of The Waltons begins as the family's eldest son John-Boy (Richard Thomas) is torn between his own youthful desires and the more pressing needs of an elderly person. Octogenarian Maggie MacKenzie (Linda Watkins) is resolved to the fact that she isn't long for this world, but she refuses to give up the ghost until she is able to see the Atlantic Ocean one last time--the same Atlantic Ocean that had carried herself and her late husband from Scotland to America so many years ago. Pressed into service to transport Maggie to the seacoast is John-Boy, but he isn't happy about the assignment: Maggie's odyssey may well prevent him from attending a big dance with his erstwhile girlfriend Marsha (Tammi Bula). Series creator Earl Hamner Jr. briefly appears as Maggie's husband in a flashback sequence. This episode earned the Directors' Guild of America award for Harry Harris. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The harpy of the title is Elizabeth Ashley, the greedy, demanding ex-wife of architect Hugh O'Brian. As a means of escaping his former spouse's tirades, O'Brian quietly trains his pet eagle to be a hunter. A confrontation between eagle and "ex" is inevitable, but masterfully handled. Tom Nardini, playing a loyal Native-American friend of O'Brian's, is the principal instigator of the film's screeching denouement. Made for television, Harpy was first shown March 12, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jo Van Fleet guest-stars as Amy Wilder, one of those peppery old eccentrics who loves animals but despises people. Coveting Amy's property, land developer Barton Roberts (John Crawford) hauls her into court to prove that she is mentally incompetent. Ben Cartwright invites Amy's long-estranged sister Margaret (Linda Watkins) to testify in the old woman's behalf-but Ben is for more than a few surprises. Written by Jack Miller and John Hawkins, "The Trouble with Amy" was originally telecast on January 25, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Disgusted by the smarminess of his 1963 vehicle Under the Yum Yum Tree, Jack Lemmon vowed that his next effort would be a wholesome family picture. Good Neighbor Sam is suitable for all ages, to be sure, but that doesn't stop producer-writer-director David Swift from injecting plenty of double-entendre dialogue and harmlessly risque situations. Lemmon plays ad executive Sam Bissell, happily married to all-American blonde Minerva (Dorothy Provine). Anxious to land the Nurdlinger's milk account, Sam is carefully scrutinized by the prudish Simon Nurdlinger (Edward G. Robinson), a staunch advocate of old-fashioned family values.

Meanwhile, Minerva welcomes her old school friend, sexy Janet Langerlof (Romy Schneider) into her home. Janet is in line to inherit a fortune, but only if she's married. Unfortunately, Janet is currently separated from her insanely jealous spouse Howard Ebbets (Michael Connors), so big-hearted Minerva volunteers Sam to pose as Janet's husband. The ensuing comic complications come to a head when Nurdlinger elects Sam and Janet as the nation's ideal "married" couple, and posts their pictures on billboards all over town! Some of the smaller pleasures in this film are provided by Louis Nye as a high-tech private eye, Barbara Nichols as a squeaky-voiced call girl, Robert Q. Lewis as Sam's lascivious neighbor, and an uncredited Gil Lamb as a genial wino. An amusing running gag involved the Hertz "man in the driver's seat" commercials of the 1960s has sometimes been cut from TV prints of Good Neighbor Sam. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This Untouchables episode is the second pilot film for an unsold spinoff series titled White Knights. Dane Clark and John Gabriel repeat their roles from the earlier episode "Bird in the Hand" as Doctors Garr and Gifford of the U.S. Public Health Service. Investigating an outbreak of paralysis in the Midwest, Garr and Gifford determine that the source of the epidemic is a huge supply of bad bootleg whiskey. Worried that a hijacked shipment of alcohol-based hair tonic will be used to manufacture even more of the lethal booze, Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) releases the hijacker from prison, hoping he will lead the Feds to the bootleggers' secret headquarters. Featured in the role of Mary Kay Spencer is Sondra Kerr, later billed as Sondra Blake. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Untouchables launches its second season with one of the series' most celebrated episodes. Elizabeth Montgomery earned an Emmy nomination for her bravura performance as Rusty Heller, a scheming chorus girl who has a personal vendetta against the mobsters who've done her dirt all her life. Using every feminine wile at her disposal, Rusty hopes to use an upcoming gang war between two bootlegging operations to her own advantage by cozying up to the leaders of both operations. Meanwhile, Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) hopes to appeal to Rusty's last vestige of decency to enlist her aid in bringing the criminals to justice. Paul Picerni joins the regular cast in the role of "Untouchable" Lee Hobson. Fans of Bewitched will particularly enjoy the now-famous scene in which Elizabeth Montgomery makes passionate love to David White, long before the two actors were cast respectively as Samantha Stevens and Larry Tate. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this routine business-story-cum-romantic-comedy, James Garner is Cash McCall, a wheeling and dealing tycoon, and Natalie Wood is Lory Austen, the daughter of failing businessman Grant (Dean Jagger). McCall's expertise lies in acquiring businesses about to go belly up, attaching them to successful enterprises and then taking a large tax deduction on the resultant equation. Those deals are enhanced when the once-failing business is then sold at a profit. This is a savvy gambit for late '50s movie fare, but its proponent begins to have second thoughts when he comes up against the attractive Lory -- who is not afraid of baring all for a good cause. The well-known co-stars and others like Nina Foch and E.G. Marshall do their best with a limited script. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

A beautiful and young-looking educator begins working in a small desert town. She arrives early to set up, and just before school starts she meets a handsome young local. He falls for her and they begin a nice affair. Unfortunately, as school begins, she realizes that he is a student. The drama comes in when she tries to do the right thing and he refuses to end the relationship. Fortunately, the clever teacher is able to engineer a reconciliation between the lad and his old girl friend and propriety is restored. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Ten North Frederick is a generally satisfying adaptation of one of John O'Hara's weaker novels. Gary Cooper plays wealthy businessman Joe Chapin, whose politically ambitious wife Edith (Geraldine Fitzgerald) hopes to ramrod into the White House. To this end, Edith donates tons of money to the party of her choice and forces Joe into a maelstrom of power meetings and high-profile social engagements. Threatening to upset Edith's plans is her daughter Ann (Diane Varsi), who insists upon conducting a romance with an "undesirable" musician. Joe buys off Ann's boyfriend, thereby alienating his daughter. Soon Joe's chickens come home to roost when a rival politician makes public Ann's indiscretions. Adding insult to injury, Edith lets her husband know about her many extramarital affairs. In hoping to win back his daughter's affections, Joe falls in love with Ann's roomate Kate Drummond (Suzy Parker). Finding true happiness and contentment for the first time in his life, Joe is denied even this balm when he becomes mortally ill. Gary Cooper makes a valiant effort at playing a more complex individual than he was accustomed to, succeeding about 75 percent of the time. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mousy clerk Ronald Grimes (E.G. Marshall) begins receiving written predictions from a mail-order prophet named Christiani. Impulsively acting upon these predictions, Grimes discovers to his amazement that they all become true, and he ends up accumulating a great deal of wealth. Alas, the price that Grimes must pay for this streak of luck proves to be a daunting one indeed. This episode marks a reunion of sorts for E.G. Marshall and Jack Klugman, both of whom had previously co-starred in the 1957 film Twelve Angry Men. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this western, an eastern football star inherits the cattle ranch that paid his way through college. Unfortunately, he discovers that much of the fortune has been squandered by an avaricious cattle baron attempting to build an empire of his own. He is stopped by the masked outlaw, El Coyote, who is actually Don Bob in disguise. He and the footballer join forces to defeat the greedy cattle baron. More trouble ensues after the football player falls in love with the villain's daughter. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This crime drama chronicles the relationship between a jewel thief who has gone straight and his estranged son who is determined to be a criminal. The story is set aboard a ship. The ex-thief is hunting for $375,000 worth of stolen pearls. He also tries vainly to prevent his son from becoming a thief. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide