Ben Wright Movies
More familiar for his radio work than his film appearances, American actor Ben Wright was active professionally from the early '40s. Dialects were a specialty with Wright, as witness his two-year hitch as Chinese bellhop Hey Boy on the radio version of Have Gun Will Travel. Most of Wright's film roles were supporting or bit appearances in such productions as A Man Called Peter (1955), Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), My Fair Lady (1964), and The Fortune Cookie (1964). On TV, Wright was one of Jack Webb's stock company (including fellow radio veterans Virginia Gregg, Stacy Harris, and Vic Perrin) on the '60s version of Dragnet. Ben Wright's most frequently seen film appearance was as the humorless Nazi functionary Herr Zeller in the 1965 megahit The Sound of Music. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Disney's The Little Mermaid was the first in a series of blockbusters that restored the venerable firm's reputation as the world's premiere animated-feature factory. The title character is a precocious teenager named Ariel, the daughter of Triton, king of the Sea. Against her dad's wishes, Ariel journeys beyond her own world to the surface, where she falls in love with Prince Eric, a handsome human. Foolishly, the little mermaid enters into an agreement with evil sea witch Ursula in order to become human herself. The wistfully melancholy ending of the original Hans Christian Andersen story is dispensed with in favor of a joyously happy ending-but not before a spectacular climactic confrontation between Ursula and Triton. The obligatory Disney comic relief is handled by such freshly minted characters as Sebastian the Crab, who, courtesy of voiceover artist Samuel E. Wright, sings the film's Oscar-winning "Under the Sea." Other voices are provided by Broadway star Jodi Benson (as Ariel) and such Hollywood reliables as Buddy Hackett, Pat Carroll, Kenneth Mars, and Rene Auberjonois. The enormous box-office take of The Little Mermaid made possible such future Disney cartoon ventures as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, (more)
- 1984
Singleton (Ian Holm) is a determined British farmer with a gaggle of holiday geese ready for market. It should be a simple task for Singleton to get his honking cargo to town, but it isn't. For starters, his drivers have gone on strike, so Singleton must take the geese himself. The hundred-mile trek to market is fraught with peril and hilarity, and by the time Singleton is halfway there, he's become a national hero. A fond hark back to the Ealing Studios comedies of yore, Singleton's Pluck is a captivating paean to the unquenchability of the human spirit, expertly realized by Ian Holm. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
In the first half of a two-part story, Jim (James Garner) investigates the mysterious death of his mentor Joe Tooley (Paul Fix) on the Ventura Freeway. Assisting Jim--in a manner of speaking--is greenhorn detective Richie Brockelman (Dennis Dugan), who likewise suspects that Tooley's demise was no accident. The evidence leads to a crooked city councilman and a sinister data-storage firm called the Credit Computer Centre. This episode and its followup served to introduce the character of Richie Brockelman, soon to be spun off into his own eponymously titled TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Fed up with low-quality television programs, John (Randolph Mantooth) stays up all night--for several consecutive nights--to develop his own TV game show. Back on the job, John joins Roy (Kevin Tighe) in treating an ex-jazz singer who may have heart problems. Other emegencies on tonight's docket include a tightrope walker who is trapped between two tall buildings, and a multiple-injury incident caused by a careless driver. This final episode of Emergency!'s sixth season is also the series' last hour-long episode; thereafter, the program would resurface in the form of six movie-length "specials", spread out over the next two years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
In this sequel to the highly popular 1972 TV movie All My Darling Daughters, it has been one year since the four grown daughter of widowed judge Charles Raleigh (Robert Young) were married on the very same day. Now it is the Judge's turn to march down the aisle with his new old sweetheart, Maggie Cartwright (Ruth Hussey, who had previously costarred with Young in the 1942 film H.M. Pulham, Esq.) Unable to pin down his peripatetic daughters (or the husbands) to announce the good news, Raleigh states his intentions toward Maggie in his "happy anniversary" cards to his offspring. Upon learning that their dear daddy is going to take the matrimonial plunge, daughters Susan (Darlene Carr), Robin (Judy Strangis), Jennifer (Sharon Gless) and Charlotte (Lara Parker) are at first delighted, but then begin to fret over the possibility that Maggie won't be quite "good enough" for the jovial Judge. Raymond Massey makes his final film appearance in the role of Matthew Cunningham. My Darling Daughters' Anniversary debuted November 7, 1973, on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
The Arnold of Arnold, like the Harry of The Trouble With Harry, is stone cold dead from the outset of this film. That doesn't stop Arnold's mistress Stella Stevens from marrying the corpse so as to come into his millions. The trick is to hide the fact that Arnold is indeed stiff as a mackerel. To accomplish this, a series of murders is a necessity. Special guest victims include Stevens' wastrel brother Roddy McDowall, her dotty sister Elsa Lanchester, handyman Jamie Farr, as well as lawyers Farley Granger and Patric Knowles. Also on hand are such dependables as Victor Buono, Shani Wallis, John McGiver and Bernard Fox. The script is by TV-sitcom stalwarts Jameson Brewer and John Fenton Murray. As one-joke films go, Arnold is as good as any. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Robert Young stars as Judge Charles Raleigh in the made-for-television All My Darling Daughters. The Judge happens to have four daughters, played by Darleen Carr, Judy Strangis, Sharon Gless, and Fawne Harriman (what did all the detective shows and sitcoms do for ingenues while these four ladies were tied up in this film?) And, as the fates would have it, all four daughters plan to get married on the same day! Screenwriter John Gay and David Lowell Rich, two of the most prolific TV-movie artisans in Hollywood, managed to maintain audience interest despite the story's inbuilt cliches. Originally telecast November 22, 1972, All My Darling Daughters was followed by a TV-pilot sequel, All My Darling Daughters' Anniversary. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Famous for some rather embarrassing international incidents, Crown Prince Mikhail (Bradford Dillman) arrives in San Francisco on a good-will tour. Assigned to keep the prince out of trouble--and out of danger--are Chief Ironside (Raymond Burr) and his team. When the merry monarch decides to take an unscheduled nocturnal tour of the Bay area, Eve (Barbara Anderson) is forced to tag along as "escort", with Ed (Don Galloway) watching over the couple at a safe distance. As a result, three lives rather than one are placed in dire jeopardy! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Several of Hogan's men are caught in the act of espionage by some Gestapo agents. Even though the Germans inexplicably allow the men to slip through their fingers, Hogan prepares an all-out escape for himself and his crew. And then two of the "Gestapo" officers reveal themselves to be German scientists, hoping to defect to London. John Stephenson and Ben Wright are cast respectively as Professor Bauer and Dr. Reimann (Ben Wright), while ubiquitous Canadian character actor Gordon Pinsent is seen as SS Captain Steinr. Written by Laurence Marks, "The Dropouts" first aired on December 27, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, (more)
- 1969
The IMF must prevent blackmailer Lou Merrick (Donnelly Rhodes) from turning over a file of information on top government officials to the Syndicate. Infiltrating one of the mob's biggest fronts, Phelps and his fellow agents set in motion an intricate mind-transfer experiment to convince Merrick that he is being betrayed by his most trusted associates. In addition to the usual IMF agents, Gerald Hiken guest-stars as Thomas Galvin and Ben Wright appears as Dr. Irving Bergman. Scripted by Jerry Ludwig from a story by Ludwig and Richard Neil Morgan, "Mastermind" first aired on November 30, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Leonard Nimoy, (more)
- 1969
Hoping to smuggle a vital document out of Stalag 13, Hogan plants the papers on Colonel Klink. Unfortunately, the Gestapo finds the papers, arrests Klink for treason, and sentences him to a firing squad. Now Hogan must retrieve both the papers and Klink -- after all, the Kommandant might be replaced by someone who is competent! Written by Arthur Julian, "The Kommandant Dies at Dawn" originally aired on October 31, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, (more)
- 1969
An Allied plane containing top-secret equipment is shot down near Stalag 13. Hogan and his crew must retrieve the equipment without arousing the suspicion of Major Feldkamp (Ben Wright), a German engineering expert who is likewise nosing around the crash site. Somehow or other, the solution to Hogan's dilemma involves setting up a mobile gambling casino. Noam Pitlik rounds out the guest cast as Captain John Mitchell. First telecast on November 21, 1969, "The Big Gamble" was written by Laurence Marks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, (more)
- 1969
Klink trembles in anticipation of a visit from his old flame Marlene Schneider (Norma Eberhardt. Convinced that he is still "irresistible" to Marlene, Klink worries that he will incur the wrath of the lady's new husband, SS officer Count Von Heffernick (Ben Wright). Conversely, Hogan is delighted by the couple's arrival; he hopes to plant a short-wave radio in the Count's Paris-bound honeymoon car. The ending of this episode is a good illustration of actor Werner Klemperer's insistence that his character, Colonel Klink, should never come out on top -- not even when he deserves it. Written by Arthur Julian, "Klink's Old Flame" originally aired on February 8, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, (more)
- 1967
Hogan and his men draw up a plan to blow up a roomful of German generals during a secret banquet meeting. Posing as caterers, our heroes manage to plant several booby-trapped ashtrays in the banquet hall. The problem: London insists that the sabotage scheme be called off, because one of the officers is an Allied plant. Though quite funny, this episode is somewhat sobering in that Hogan has no qualms about killing Klink and Schultz along with the rest of the German brass. Also appearing are Maurice Marsac as Sgt. Jacques Mornay, John Hoyt as General Bruner, and Ben Wright as General Mercer. Also known as "Evening of the Generals," the episode was written by Laurence Marks and first telecast on December 2, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, (more)
- 1967
Ironside (Raymond Burr) stage-manages an elaborate ruse to bring mob kingpin John Trask (a pre-Hawaii 5-0 Jack Lord) to justice. Hiding the fact that a gangster who'd planned to turn state's evidence has been murdered, Ironside leads Trask to believe that the dead witness is still alive and really to spill everything. The rest of the episode is a tense waiting game, with Ironside hoping that Trask's nervousness will lead who to take the proverbial "one false step". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
The IMF is assigned to infiltrate a South American stronghold, where a group of unregenerate Nazis have gathered in hopes of reestablishing the Third Reich. Much to the agents' amazement, the leader of the Nazis is the infamous Martin Bormann! Will the agents be able to convince the old but wily Bormann that Briggs and Rollin are former members of Hitler's inner circle? Written by Mann Rubin, "The Legend" first aired on February 11 1967, during the same week that the cast of Mission: Impossible appeared on the cover of TV Guide. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Hill, Barbara Bain, (more)
- 1966
In Part Two of "Ride the Wind", Curtis Wade (Rod Cameron takes over from the late Charles Ludlow as head of the new Pony Express service. Determined to keep the service running and to finish the route despite attacks by the Paiutes, Wade is driven not so much by duty as by his ego, which has been fuelded by exploitive Eastern journalist Tully (DeForrest Kelley. Wade's delusions of grandeur may prove fatal for Joe Cartwright, who has signed on as a Pony Express rider despite the protests of his father Ben. Tom Lowell appears as Charles Ludlow's son Jabez, who ends up as the story's eleventh-hour problem solver. Written by Paul Schneider, the second half of the two-part "Ride the Wind" was originally broadcast on January 23, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1966
Written by Paul Schneider, "Ride the Wind" was Bonanza's first two-part story. Ben Cartwright is willing to provide Charles Ludlow (Victor Jory) with money to help finance the new Pony Express service, but isn't keen on allowing his son Joe to join Ludlow's riders. Nor is the Paiute Indian tribe amenable to allowing the Pony Express to go across their land. Exacerbating the problem is Ludlow's assistant, Curtis Wade (Rod Cameron), who hopes to make a name for himself as an Indian fighter. The story is sufficiently exciting to make one forget that the real Pony Express had been disbanded some three years before the events depicted in this episode. Part One of "Ride the Wind" first aired on January 16, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
The British title of Billy Wilder's classic comedy was Meet Whiplash Willie -- for, despite Jack Lemmon's star billing, the movie's driving force is Oscar-winning Walter Matthau as gloriously underhanded lawyer "Whiplash" Willie Gingrich. CBS cameraman Harry Hinkle (Lemmon) is injured when he is accidentally bulldozed by football player Luther "Boom Boom" Jackson (Ron Rich) during a Cleveland Browns game. Willie, Harry's brother-in-law, foresees an insurance-settlement bonanza, and he convinces Harry to pretend to be incapacitated by the accident. To insure his client's cooperation, Willie arranges for Harry's covetous ex-wife Sandy (Judi West) to feign a rekindling of their romance. Harry's conscience is plagued by the solicitous behavior of Boom Boom, who is so devastated at causing Harry's injury that he insists on waiting on the "cripple" hand and foot. Meanwhile, dishevelled private eye Purkey (Cliff Osmond) keeps Harry under constant surveillance, hoping to catch him moving around so the insurance company can avoid shelling out a fortune. Wilder and usual co-writer I.A.L. Diamond were at their most jaundiced and cynical here, even if, after a sardonic semiclimax, the last ten minutes succumb to the sentimentality that often marred Wilder's later movies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, (more)
- 1966
In order to please Davy's grandfather (Ben Wright), the other Monkees create the impression that their British compatriot is a rich and successful superstar. Alas, the awful truth comes out, whereupon Grandpa insists that Davy return with him to merry old England. Comedian Charlie Callas has a cameo as an ice-cream man. Songs: "I Wanna Be Free" and "Sweet Young Thing". First telecast on October 17, 1966, "Success Story" was written by Gerry Gardner, Dee Caruso, and Bernie Orenstein. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
At an emergency hospital, a man calling himself Harry Robertson uses his medical skills to save the life of Maggie Tippet (Barbara Baxley)--then disappears. It turns out that "Harry Robertson" is actually fugitive Richard Kimble, and that Maggie Tippet is the girl friend of Bill Johnson, the "one-armed man" who committed the murder for which Kimble was sent to Death Row. Tipped off by Johnson as to Kimble's whereabouts, Lt. Gerard (David Janssen) makes a beeline to the hospital, certain that Kimble will pay a return visit--thereby neatly falling into a police trap. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Steve McQueen received his only Academy Award nomination for his performance in this epic-scale war drama, based on the novel by Richard McKenna. In 1926, as China teeters on the edge of political revolution in the midst of a civil war, the USS San Pablo, is ordered to patrol the Yangtze River to represent and protect American interests. While the San Pablo may be an American ship, much of the labor is actually performed by Chinese locals willing to work for American money, while stern but inexperienced commanding officer Captain Collins (Richard Crenna) frequently drills his charges, unsure what else to do. A machinist's mate with just under a decade of navy service behind him, Jake Holman (Steve McQueen) is assigned to the San Pablo and immediately makes enemies among the crew -- he prefers to do his own work rather than farm it out to others, and the one Chinese man who works by his side, Po Han (Mako), is treated as an apprentice rather than a servant. Holman also falls in love with an idealistic American missionary (Candice Bergen), while his shipmate Frenchy (Richard Attenborough) falls for a Chinese girl and - with marriage plans in mind - kidnaps her to prevent her from being auctioned off. As Holman's methods and attitudes continue to anger his comrades, they find themselves increasingly at odds with the Chinese, especially after Frenchy's girlfriend becomes pregnant and Po Han is captured by revolutionary forces and branded a traitor. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, (more)
- 1966
Herman Munster and his ghoulish clan leave the confines of their 1960s television series The Munsters to try their luck on the big screen in this feature length comedy that chronicles their adventures in merry England where Herman has inherited a large estate. Unfortunately, the Munsters do not realize that their new home is already inhabited by a ring of counterfeiters determined to frighten the family back to the United States. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo, (more)
- 1965
My Blood Runs Cold was a typically lurid horror chiller produced and directed by William Conrad during his 1960s tenure on the Warner Bros. staff. Heiress Joey Heatherton falls prey to the charms of a handsome young man (Troy Donahue) who claims to be the reincarnation of a legendary lothario. Troy further insists that Joey had been his lover in a previous life. Pretty soon Joey nearly has the opportunity to check out the veracity of Troy's story in the Hereafter, for Mr. Donahue is actually a psychopath who hopes to claim Ms. Heatherton's fortune and then bump her off. My Blood Runs Cold is silly enough to have been dreamt up by Bill Conrad while he was narrating Rocky and His Friends. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Troy Donahue, Joey Heatherton, (more)
- 1965
Gavin McLeod makes the first of two appearances as Mrs. Brown's younger brother Alvin, a lifelong moocher with a tendency to stretch the truth to the breaking point. Thanks to Alvin's loose lips, a high ranking general (Don Briggs) becomes convinced that Alvin and Martin (Ray Walston) are working on a top-secret government project (which doesn't exist). Unfortunately, this misinformation also arouses the curiosity of the sinister espionage agency CRUSH, who caused plenty of trouble for Martin and Tim (Bill Bixby) in the previous episode "006-3/4". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
