Dave Willock Movies

The scene is a high-rise hotel in midtown San Francisco. Confronted by mobsters who are angry because he refused to throw a fight, an aging boxer manages to beat up two of his assailants and throw the third out the window to his death! Arriving on the scene to investigate the killer, Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) conduct a room-by-room search for the fugitive boxer, who is now on the run from cops and crooks alike--and is presently hiding in the same room with a pair of adulterous lovers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this gritty and violent period drama set in the depths of the Great Depression, Lee Marvin stars as "A No. 1", the acknowledged King of the Hoboes. A No. 1 is famous among his fellow tramps for his ability to catch a ride on any train, no matter how risky the hop or dangerous the guards. He acts as a sort of mentor for Cigaret (Keith Carradine), a young hobo who brags that some day he'll surpass A No. 1 in his accomplishments. But neither has had the courage to ride a train guarded by Shack (Ernest Borgnine), an unusually sadistic railroad cop who will brutally beat or even murder any man who tries to catch a ride on his train. A No. 1 is determined that no one, not even Cigaret, is going to deny him his title, so taking his life in his hands, he and Cigaret hop a ride on Shack's train, and they are soon bearing the full brunt of his violent nature. Emperor of the North features superb location photography by Joseph F. Biroc and a fine supporting cast, including Charles Tyner, Simon Oakland, Elisha Cook Jr., and Sid Haig. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The Grissom Gang is a remake of the notorious 1949 British melodrama No Orchids for Miss Blandish. Kim Darby plays a 1920s-era debutante who is kidnapped and held for ransom. Her captors are the Grissoms, a family comprised of sadists and morons, and headed by Ma Barker clone Irene Dailey. One of the Grissoms, played by Scott Wilson, takes a liking to his prisoner, which results in a bloody breakdown of the family unit. Both The Grissom Gang and the original No Orchids for Miss Blandish were inspired by the best-seller by James Hadley Chase, though neither film retains Chase's original ending. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Chasing down an erratic motorist, Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) end up issuing a citation to a driver who is blind drunk--and stark naked. Elsewhere, the two cops try to determine the source of $12,000 found by a youngster. And finally, Jim and Pete clean up the latest in a long line of auto-theft rings. Appearing in the role of J. Simmons is Sidney Miller, a multitalented performer who for several years was primary director of the original Mickey Mouse Club. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Disguised as a German soldier for an underground mission, Sgt. Carter is caught by an enemy Panzer division. At the behest of Hogan, Carter continues his masquerade in order to recover a cache of confiscated dynamite before the real Germans can find the explosives. Dave Willock appears as an American captain, while Hogan's Heroes general-purpose actor Dave Morick is cast as a sergeant. Written by Laurence Marks, "One Army at a Time" originally aired on February 13, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the first episode of a two-part story, Kimball (Alvy Moore), Eb (Tom Lester), and Arnold the pig prepare to fly to Washington. To save money, the trio has chosen an extremely low-cost airline, complete with an over-the-hill pilot and a septuagenarian flight attendant. But the real fun begins when Oliver (Eddie Albert) and Lisa (Eva Gabor) show up at the Pixley airport to bid their friends goodbye -- only to end up on the plane themselves! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Oliver (Eddie Albert) is upset that his cow Eleanor refuses to give milk. Agriculture agent Mr. Kimball suggests that Eleanor is lonely, and needs an appropriate mate. Thus, Oliver (Eddie Albert) goes out and buys an eligible bull named Dudley -- all of which angers Lisa (Eva Gabor), who rightly perceives that Eleanor can't stand Dudley, and that every girl (even a girl cow) should be allowed to make up her own mind in affairs of the heart! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Film star Lylah Clare is dead, but her legend lives on. Movie-producer Barney Sheean (Ernest Borgnine) hires Elsa Brinkmann (Kim Novak), the living image of the late Lylah, to star in a film based on Ms. Clare's life. Barney hires director Lewis Zarkan (Peter Finch), Lylah's former husband, to transform the talentless Elsa into a facsimile of the deceased screen queen. Elsa not only learns to imitate Lylah but, at crucial junctures, becomes the dead woman. While restaging the accident that killed Lylah, the obsessed Zarkan deliberately drives Elsa to her doom -- and in so doing reveals his complicity in the death of his wife. The film ends with Lylah's onetime housekeeper (Rosella Falk), gun in hand, lying in wait for Zarkan to return home while her TV blasts forth a grotesque (and possibly symbolic) dog-food commercial. A trash masterpiece, Legend of Lylah Claire works so hard at vilifying the Old Hollywood (there's even a vicious Hedda Hopper caricature) that it's a wonder the actors could keep a straight face. The film was based on a 1962 Dupont Show of the Week TV drama co-written by Wild in the Streets creator Robert Thom. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Remember the great New York City power blackout of November 9, 1965? Ever wonder what caused all the lights to go out? Well, according to this episode of Green Acres, the source of the power fizzle can be traced back to Hooterville, where, after months and months of waiting for his farm to be wired for electricity, Oliver Douglas (Eddie Albert) tries to do the job himself. The title of this episode refers to a sound effect that appears onscreen, Batman-style! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This rambunctious Disney comedy was based on the novel By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman. Roddy McDowall plays Griffin, the very proper butler of Bostonian Bryan Russell. When Russell runs off to California during the 1849 gold rush, Griffin dutifully tags along. Master and butler team up with Shakespearean actor Richard Haydn, who owns a treasure map. Crooked judge Karl Malden (a master of many disguises), pilfers the map once Our Heroes reach San Francisco. While endeavoring to retrieve the valuable parchment, Griffin has any number of adventures, ranging from a bout of fisticuffs with ox-like Mike Mazurki to a romance with Russell's sister Suzanne Pleshette, a former debutante turned saloon singer. If Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin resembles an animated cartoon at times, credit should go to veteran Disney animator Ward Kimball, who provided the spirited cartoon transitions between scenes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When Marilyn (Pat Priest) fails to catch the bridal bouquet at a wedding party, the Munsters are more convinced than ever that their "homely" niece will never get a beau. Hoping to remedy this situation, Grandpa (Al Lewis) attempts to turn a frog into a handsome prince. The effort fails, but Grandpa is unaware of this when a good-looking stranger appears outside the Munster Mansion. . .and we need not elaborate any further! Appearing in a supporting role is Jackie Coogan Jr., whose namesake father was concurrently starring on the "other" supernatural sitcom of the 1965-66 season, The Addams Family. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An unusually long pre-credits sequence establishes the roots of faded Southern belle Charlotte's (Bette Davis) insanity; she'd been witness to the dismemberment murder of her fiance (Bruce Dern) and the suicide of the murderer, her own father (Victor Buono). Years later, Charlotte remains a recluse in her decaying southern mansion, zealously guarding the secret of her father's guilt; she is cared for by her slatternly housekeeper (Agnes Moorehead). When her house is targeted for demolition, Charlotte fears that this will uncover her lover's body parts and thus confirm that her father was a murderer. She desperately summons her seemingly sweet-tempered cousin Miriam (Olivia De Havilland) to help her fight off the house's destruction. Miriam brings along the family doctor (Joseph Cotten) to calm Charlotte's frayed nerves. When Charlotte begins to be plagued by horrific visions of the homicide/suicide of so long ago, it appears that she has gone completely insane. But soon we learn who is behind these delusions...and why. Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte was intended by director Robert Aldrich as a follow-up to the successful Joan Crawford/Bette Davis horror piece Whatever Happened to Baby Jane (1962). Ms. Crawford was originally slated to play Miriam, but became seriously ill shortly before filming started. Davis, who disliked Crawford intensely, suggested that the role of Miriam be filled by her best friend, De Havilland. On the first day of shooting, Davis and DeHavilland pulled a "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" routine by toasting one another with Coca-Cola--a catty observation of the fact that Joan Crawford's husband was an executive with the Pepsi Cola company! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mrs. Drysdale tries to interest Granny in astrology. but Granny declines, expressing terror over the notion of practicing "black magic." This plot situation is played to the hilt when Granny becomes convinced that Mrs. Drysdale has turned herself into a crow! Among the dependable character actors in the supporting cast are Tris Coffin as the psychiatrist and John Gallaudet as the veterinarian. "That Old Black Magic" first aired on September 22, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide