Bill Williams Movies

This video features some highlights from the golden era of American television in the 1950s, with live clips and personal recollections of the stars. In this volume, Betty White and Bill Williams star in Date With the Angels. Ozzie and Harriet Nelson then appear in The New Chairs. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi

This low-budget, much-released horror film first saw the light as Gamma 693 in 1979, was resuscitated as Night of the Wehrmacht Zombies in 1981, and rose again in 1983 as Night of the Zombies. Although the film has titles that spring from a long tradition, its story is about some U.S. and German soldier "zombies" who were wounded in World War II but had their lives extended with the top-secret gas Gamma 693 -- so technically, the soldiers are not zombies at all. There are only two catches to the soldiers' existence: they must dine on human flesh in order to keep on living (making them ghouls), and they are still fighting World War II. Talky and static, but with outrageously silly dialogue and a send-up of films on global intrigue, Night of the Zombies was the last film made by director Joel M. Reed. For the trivia buffs, the word "zombie" comes from the Bantu language of Angola ("n-zumbi," meaning ghost or departed spirit), zombies debuted in 1929 in The Magic Island by William B. Seabrook, and the 1932 classic White Zombie established the genre in film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

The story begins as an astronomer notices that a blazing comet is headed straight for Phoenix Arizona. Unfortunately, no one believes him. They will eventually, but only after most of Phoenix has been reduced to cinders. Emmies went to the special effects (among the best ever seen on TV in those days before computer-generated special fx) and sound recording. The all-star cast includes Richard Crenna, Elizabeth Ashley, David Dukes, Joanna Miles, Lloyd Bochner, Merlin Olsen and Andrew Duggan, all of them superbly cast and none merely doing the usual celebrity walk-through. Originally telecast in a three-hour slot, Fire in the Sky debuted November 26, 1978. This film should not be confused with the 1993 alien-abduction film of the same name. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A young boy tames and befriends a grey wolf and then must struggle to save the life of his friend when the locals mistakenly label the beast as a vicious killer. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi

Bill Rebane's backyard wonder is a hilariously hokey throwback to the giant-monster flicks of the 50s, while taking its only pseudo-scientific conceit from the mid-70s trend of popular "black hole" theories, combining these two elements to create pure bad-movie heaven. A tiny, decrepit town in rural Wisconsin is rocked by a mysterious explosion, after which a drunken farmer (Robert Easton) discovers dozens of crystal geodes strewn across his property. Cracking each one open reveals a diamond-like encrustation (which to the farmer's dismay proves nearly worthless), as well as a hairy but decidedly un-cosmic tarantula. Being permanently soused, he fails to notice the latter (his equally boozy wife accidentally purees one in her daiquiri!) until the rocks begin opening on their own, and the entire farm is overrun with eight-legged invaders. Despite the title, only one of the spiders would qualify for giant status, but it's definitely a keeper: the Big Daddy arachnid is quite clearly a Volkswagen Beetle covered with black fake fur, with legs operated by the car's passengers and taillights doubling for glowing red eyes. Unfortunately, it is merely glimpsed through much of the film, making its triumphant appearance in the final few minutes. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

In this thriller, an enigmatic phantom lives in the dank tunnels running beneath the ramshackle back lot of a former movie lot. When prospective buyers endeavor to purchase the property, the furious phantom goes on the rampage. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Several years ago, journalist Jerry Porter (John Carter) conspired with Greg Davidson (Robert Foxworth) in a blackmail scheme, but Porter managed to avoid arrest while allowing Davidson to take the rap. Adding insult to injury, Porter has been lavishly spending the blackmail money while Davidson has been languishing in prison. Now, however Davidson has escaped--and he's thirsting for revenge. A very young Annette O'Toole plays a key role in this thrill-packed episode. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Richard Egan guest stars as waterfront priest Father Joe Scarne, who hinders a robbery investigation by refusing to reveal the whereabouts of the main suspect to Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas). An essential ingredient to the outcome of the case is a stolen crate of cobra venom which, unbeknownst to the Law, actually contains heroin. Oh, and one more thing: Father Scarne is himself a reformed drug addict. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Old West is just not the same, what with so few cattle being run, and law-abiding folk running around like they own everything. In this family comedy drama, it's too much for John McCanless (Brian Keith). He is a cranky old rancher and former gunslinger who has no intention of selling his beloved acres to some fool who wants to build a dam and flood them all. Going "gently into that good night" is not in the cards at all, and this latter-day Quixote prepares to wage a lonely battle against the namby-pamby modern world. His ranch hand, Paco (Alfonso Arau), an illegal immigrant, and his bemused daughter, Amanda (Michele Carey) do what they can to help. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

John Wayne, in the last of his Civil War characterizations, portrays Cord McNally, a Union Army colonel who loses a gold shipment in a Confederate raid, during which a devoted young officer is also killed. After the end of the war, McNally bears no ill-will toward the leaders of the raid, Pierre Cordona (Jorge Rivero) and Tuscarora Phillips (Christopher Mitchum), who were acting as soldiers, but he still wants the two unknown men on the Union side who they say sold them the information about the gold shipments. A year later, McNally crosses paths with one of the men, now a deputy from Rio Lobo, who is about to take Shasta Delaney (Jennifer O'Neill), a seemingly innocent young woman, out of a neighboring town at gunpoint. A shootout ensues, in which McNally's man and three other Rio Lobo deputies are killed, with help from Cordona -- this makes McNally very interested in what's going on in Rio Lobo, and he decides to go there with Cordona and Shasta. They find a whole community under siege from their own sheriff, a sadistic ex-outlaw named Hendricks (Mike Henry). What follows is a series of confrontations and revelations that are alternately suspenseful, sadistic -- with maimings worthy of a spaghetti western and characters even getting blown to bits -- and even occasionally comical. But the pieces all tie together very neatly, despite a convoluted plot that's sort of Rio Bravo (made 11 years earlier, also starring Wayne and directed by Hawks, and scripted by Leigh Brackett) turned sideways and readjusted to a more cynical era. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

Chaddock (Barry Sullivan) is the straight-shooting marshall of Gloryhole, Montana. Wealthy rancher Rep Marlowe (Wendell Corey) practically owns the town by way of his gambling saloons, shady land deals and hired guns who intimidate the law-abiding citizens. Sheriff Tangley (Lon Chaney Jr.) calls on Chaddock when Marlowe holds the town hostage by damming the river and cutting off the water supply. Barbara Hale plays Sarah Cody, whose young son is killed by gunfire in the ensuing melee. The saloon girl Nora (Joan Caulfield) is a former schoolteacher forced into her tawdry occupation by the menacing Marlowe in this routine western film. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Unsuccessful football coach Burt Payne (Bill Williams) wants to sell his share of the Wildcats pro football team to a cartel of investors, but his wealthy wife Ellen (Mona Freeman) vetoes the deal. Even so, Ellen arranges a meeting with one of the investors--just before Burt is killed in a mysterious explosion. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) is on hand when Burt's remains are delivered to Los Angeles by train. . .and also happens to be in the vicinity when another murder occurs and the wrong person is accused. Several real-life members of the Los Angeles Rams appear as themselves in this episode, which ends with a frenetic chase sequence filmed on location at LA Memorial Colisseum, site of the 1932 and 1984 Olympics. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Starlet Reggie Lansfield (Jean Hale) is hired as a stand-in for Victoria Dawn (Patrice Wymore), a once-popular actress and swimming star who plans to revitalize her career by staging a spectacular publicity stunt. Posing as Victoria, Reggie is to swim the entire length of the Catalina Channel--but the stunt is spoiled when the girl is rescued by boat captain Charlie Shaw (played by Bill Williams, the husband of Perry Mason costar Barbara Hale. Nor is this the end of Reggie's troubles: Victoria turns up murdered, and the hapless "double" is charged with the crime. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) dives into the case to prevent Reggie from going belly-up at San Quentin. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi