Stephen Wootton Movies
- 1960
Tired of his oafish nickname, Lumpy Rutherford (Frank Bank) gets even by saddling Beaver (Jerry Mathers) with a derisive nickname of his own: "Freckles." Not surprisingly, Beaver becomes quite self-conscious about this designation, to the point that he wants to remove his freckles by any means possible -- including obscuring them with his mom's makeup, and even applying sandpaper. Fortunately, our hero is mollified by the example of one Clyde Appleby (Stephen Wootton). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frank Bank, Rusty Stevens, (more)
- 1960
At Ward's suggestion, Beaver (Jerry Mathers) spends the weekend reading Ivanhoe. The thrilling tome inspires Beaver to uphold the rule of knighthood and chivalry, and before long he is dashing about the neighborhood, searching for "damsels in distress." Ultimately Beav's enthusiasm gets him into trouble, but not before he has charged all his pals a hefty fee to become fellow knights. This episode introduces the recurring character of Penny Woods, played by Karen Sue Trent. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sue Randall, Jeri Weil, (more)
- 1958
After a jade chess set owned by the uncle of hotel bellhop Hey Boy (Kam Tong) is stolen, Paladin (Richard Boone) agrees to track down the thieves and reclaim the loot. Riding to a lonely Montana town in hopes of intercepting the outlaws, Paladin spends the night in a rundown boarding house owned by Ma Warren (Jeanette Nolan). Before long, the original mission is all but forgotten as Paladin becomes enmeshed in a star-crossed romance between Ma's daughter Nancy (Lisa Gaye) and her would-be husband Chuck Anderson (Corey Allen, previously seen as James Dean's "chickie run" rival in Rebel Without a Cause). Future Bonanza costar Dan Blocker shows up in a minor role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
That zany video genius Ernie Kovacs plays it (sort of) straight in this Playhouse 90 adaptation of Marcel Pagnol's satirical stage play Topaze. A man constitutionally incapable of being dishonest, Monsieur Topaze (Kovacs) loses his teaching position at a small provincial French private school when he refuses to give a passing grade to an undeserving pupil. On the advice of Suzy (Sheree North), the attractive aunt of another pupil, Topaze accepts a new job with Castel-Bernac (Stephen Wooton), a crooked politician who happens to be Suzy's "protector." Castel-Bernac takes Topaze on in the secure belief that someone so indomitably honest would never suspect that anything unscrupulous was going on within Castel-Bernac's political machine. But things happen which not only profoundly alter Topaze, but also everyone around him. Carl Reiner costars in this production, which originally aired live. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ernie Kovacs, Carl Reiner, (more)
- 1956
Action specialist William Witney was the director of the leisurely, sensitive western Stranger at My Door. MacDonald Carey plays a frontier minister, who much against the wishes of his wife and child invites a fugitive outlaw (Skip Homeier) into his home. At first the outlaw takes advantage of Carey's largesse, but gradually feels the effect of the minister's kindness and altruism. This film has frequently been excerpted into TV documentaries on the basis of one single sequence: a beautifully staged confrontation with a wild, rampaging horse. The split-second editing and the undetectable combination of fact and artifice results in a superb setpiece which arguably represents William Witney's finest work. Stranger at My Door was scripted by Barry Shipman, the son of pioneering female producer/director Nell Shipman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- MacDonald Carey, Patricia Medina, (more)
Glynis Johns and Cameron Mitchell are top-billed in All Mine to Give, but they're out of the picture halfway through. Johns and Mitchell play a Scottish couple, Mamie and Robert, living in the American wilderness of the mid-19th century. Robert dies, whereupon Mamie takes on the responsibility of raising their six children. And when she succumbs to illness, it is the oldest child, Robbie (Rex Thompson, who'd previously played Louis Leonowens in The King And I), who takes on the challenge of finding homes for his siblings on Christmas Day. Based on a true story, All Mine to Give has heart-tugging potential, but the script isn't up to the performances. One year before its American release, the film was distributed in Great Britain under the title The Day They Gave Babies Away. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glynis Johns, Cameron Mitchell, (more)
- 1955
One of the best of the High Noon derivations, At Gunpoint is the story of reluctant hero Fred MacMurray. When a band of gunmen invade a small frontier town, storekeeper MacMurray fires off a lucky shot and kills the leader. Hailed as a hero, MacMurray realizes deep down that he's a coward. When the surviving gunmen return to town, thirsting for revenge, the townsfolk expect MacMurray to singlehandedly stand up to the villains. When he asks for help, his neighbors turn their backs on him, ordering him to get out of town to avoid further trouble. Only doctor Walter Brennan and MacMurray's wife Dorothy Malone remain loyal. Facing certain death,MacMurray discovers that he's not as yellow as he thought he was-a revelation that brings about a change in the rest of the town. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred MacMurray, Dorothy Malone, (more)
- 1954
Veteran showman Charles Winninger appears in this episode as Barney Kurtz, the former vaudeville partner of Fred Mertz (William Frawley). When Barney comes to visit full of grandiose tales of performing before "the crowned heads of Europe," Fred tries to impress his ex-partner by pretending to be rolling in dough, and Lucy (Lucille Ball) goes along with the gag by posing as the Mertzes' maid. It soon develops that Barney is in far worse shape financially than Fred -- and worse, he has been forced to quit showbiz to work as a fry cook. To make sure that Barney will remain a hero in the eyes of his impressionable grandson Barney Jr. (Stephen Wootton), Lucy, Fred, Ricky (Desi Arnaz), and Ethel (Vivian Vance) help the old trouper stage his comeback as part of an elaborate vaudeville show at the Tropicana. Highlights include Desi Arnaz' deathless rendition of the old standard "They Go Wild, Simply Wild Over Me." ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Winninger, Stephen Wootton, (more)
- 1952
Based on the autobiography by George and Anna Rose, Room for One More is a warm-hearted vehicle for husband-and-wife actors Cary Grant and Betsy Drake. Though she already has three children of her own, New Jersey housewife Anna Rose (Drake) adopts several kids born into less fortunate circumstances. Both Anna and her husband "Poppy" (Grant) must contend with the emotional baggage brought to their home by these "unwanted" kids, and both bear up quite well. The film's dramatic core concerns the Roses' efforts to reach a desperately unhappy 13-year-old girl (Iris Mann) and a physically handicapped boy with a penchant for getting into serious trouble (Clifford Tatum Jr). Despite occasional moments of anguish and pathos, Room for One More for the most part opts for a light-hearted approach to its subject matter. In 1962, a TV sitcom version of Room for One More, starring Andrew Duggan and Peggy McCay, debuted as a mid-season replacement over the ABC network; at that time, the original film was re-titled The Easy Way. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cary Grant, Betsy Drake, (more)
