Norman Alden Movies

A young wife and her insurance-salesman husband arrive at a suburban party thrown by the man's boss. The poolside party quickly turns into a wife swapping free-for-all, but the woman is reluctant. Her husband urges her to join in, saying it will be good for business and his career advancement. The once-reluctant wife joins in to become the life of the party as the revelers do the horizontal bop and other erotic dances. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Ace Jones (Nick Adams) is a ex-stockcar racer who finds himself in need of repairs on his truck. The garage is owned by a young widow Sandy (Jeannine Riley), whose husband was killed in a racing accident at the local track. He gets a job as a mechanic helping the veteran wrench-man Toad (Vaughn Taylor) and eventually takes over the racetrack. Two of his friends are the victims of sabotage and lose their lives in a fiery crash. Ace decides to leave the life in the fast lane behind and settle down with Sandy. This was the last film for the late Nick Adams, whose once-promising career made him the talk of Hollywood akin to his buddy James Dean. Adams was best known as Johnny Yuma on the television series "The Rebel." Plagued by personal excesses, he will be remembered just as much for what he could have done in cinema as what he left behind. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Three friends from a small North Carolina town face bleak economic futures in the years following World War II. Johnny (Robert Walker) takes to running moonshine after his discharge from military service. He tries to think of a way for a better life for wife Carol (Diane Varsi) and their young son. Johnny and Carol hook up with Roger (Dick Clark), an ex-army demolitions expert. They plan to blow up the safe of a bootlegger, steal $200,000 and head off for a new life in sunny California. Their plans are thwarted when Roger uses too many explosives and the noise draws the attention of a Federal agent. Johnny kills the agent in this backwoods crime drama. Merle Haggard has a bit part and sings a few songs with the help of his band The Strangers. Clark was the producer who, with Michael Fisher, is responsible for the story. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Pop singers Sonny and Cher are featured in this fluffy film that chronicles the popular duo's ideas for the film in which they are to make their cinematic debut. Much of the story centers around Sonny's movie fantasies as he tries to convince the studio head to use a more interesting script than the one he wants to present. Songs include: "I Got You Babe," "It's The Little Things," "Good Times," "Trust Me," "Don't Talk To Strangers," "I'm Gonna Love You" and "Just A Name." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this WW II drama, a tough-as-steel Medal of Honor-winning Marine finds himself training recruits on a stateside base and waiting for his wife to bear their first child. Unfortunately, he feels bad about being home when so many other soldiers are dying in the Pacific Theater and so asks to be sent there. He becomes an officer and is assigned to command a regiment on the front line. Unfortunately, once there, he finds himself nearly paralyzed by fear and indecision until a much tougher sergeant reminds him what he is really made of. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Feeling trapped by his new parental responsibilities, Bill (Brian Keith) takes the advice of his old pal Dave (Norman Alden) and leaves New York to accept a project in faraway Mexico. In Bill's absence, Mr. French (Sebastian Cabot) is suddenly taken ill, and the kids insist upon waiting on the poor fellow hand and foot. This crisis, coupled with Bill's inability to establish telephone contact between Mexico and his Manhattan apartment, leads him to regret his temporary "escape". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Entering an essay contest, Opie chooses to write a piece on the legendary Battle of Mayberry, wherein the town's earliest settlers ostensibly wrested control of the community from "savage" Indians. Before long, everyone in town is providing Opie with anecdotes, each person claiming to be descended from one of the battle's participants. But when he begins checking the facts, Opie learns several sad truths about the actual size and scope of the so-called battle. Written by John L. Greene and Paul David, "The Battle of Mayberry" first aired on April 4, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Under the influence of Martin's "benevolence light", brash, sarcastic Detective Brennan (Alan Hewitt) suddenly becomes warm and lovable. Unfortunately, the "nicer" Brennan proves to be a most ineffectual law enforcement officer. Martin (Ray Walston) scrambles to restore Brennan to his usual nasty self lest the detective allow a desperate bank robber to slip through his fingers. This episode was written by frequent Star Trek contributor Gene L. Coon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This sensitive and realistic drama follows the daily dramas faced by a middle-aged retarded man living in the slums of New York City. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Toward the end of Jerry Lewis's Paramount studio period, Lewis slapped together this bitter comedy about Hollywood phoniness and fame that has to be the most rancid portrait of the Hollywood star system in the Rat Pack era this side of Clifford Odets. When a famous entertainer suddenly is killed in an airplane crash, his team of flunkies -- producer Caryl Fergusson (Everett Sloane), writer Chic Wymore (Phil Harris), press agent Harry Silver (Keenan Wynn), director Morgan Heywood (Peter Lorre in his final film role), valet Bruce Alden (John Carradine), and secretary Ellen Betz (Ina Balin) -- decide to continue their life style by finding a complete unknown and manufacturing him into a Hollywood star. That unknown turns out to be the nervous and inept bellboy Stanley Belt (Jerry Lewis). They train Stanley to become an over-night singing sensation, and despite a disastrous recording session and a failed nightclub performance, the public relations blitz makes Stanley's recording of "I Lost My Heart in a Drive-In Movie" a smash single. So much so that Stanley is given a shot at appearing on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Expecting the worst, Stanley's management team abandons him right before his performance. But Stanley musters up enough confidence to go on the live program alone and manages to surprise his pessimistic ex-staff. A collection of Hollywood celebrities circa 1964 --George Raft, Ed Wynn, Ed Sullivan, Mel Torme, Rhonda Fleming and Hedda Hopper -- make cameo appearances. High spots include an apocalyptic music lesson with voice teacher Dr. Mule-rrr (Hans Conried), Ed Sullivan performing a bizarre impersonation of himself, and an ending that would make even Jean-Luc Godard blush. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Roger Willoughby (Rock Hudson) is a super salesman of sporting goods who sells fishing equipment but knows nothing about the sport. Roger's boss Cadwalader (John McGiver) gets an idea from publicity director Abigail (Paula Prentiss) to enter him in a fishing contest, and the inept angler has a series of comic consequences before he wins the contest with some help from a bear. When Roger admits that his winning the event was merely luck, he turns in the prize and loses his job. Roger eventually wins Abigail's heart and gets his job back. Howard Hawks directs this slapstick comedy with his typical flair -- witty dialogue and effective sight gags included. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Sgt. Saunders (Vic Morrow) is obliged to help two fellow Americans, Cpl. Kanger (James Coburn) and Lt. Comstock (Dan Stafford), as they deliver a captured German officer to the authorities for questioning. What Saunders doesn't know (but the audience does!) is that both Kanger and Comstock are German spies posing as Americans, determined to halt the Allied advance or die trying. This episode marks the TV dramatic debut of boxing champ Rocky Marciano, in the small role of a friendly GI. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide