Celeste Yarnall Movies
The only child of a Navy Commander, American actress Celeste Yarnell was given her first name because (as the actress told TV Guide in 1968) her mother thought she was "celestial." Cashing in early on her cool-blonde beauty, Yarnell was the last winner of the Miss Rheingold crown (the contest was sponsored by a New York-based brewery), a fashion model, and a bit actress in the years before she met her future husband, Sheldon Silverstein, at a Hollywood party. Silverstein became her manager and schemed to turn his new client into the next Raquel Welch by squiring her around at the Cannes Film Festival. The result was a slew of magazine cover appearances and the starring role in a British-Spanish "nudie" jungle movie titled Eve (1968), which showed Yarnell's physical attributes, if not her acting skills, to good advantage. She later appeared in Live a Little, Love a Little (1968) opposite Elvis Presley, but the bulk of Yarnell's work in the late '60s was on TV shows like It Takes a Thief, Land of the Giants, and Star Trek. Yarnell never truly got past the "This Year's Blonde" stage, and by the '70s was being featured in blood-spattered horror pictures and Philippine-made adventure quickies. Like many former starlets, Celeste Yarnell left the business for the more financially rewarding -- and less exploitative -- world of real estate. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Lou Diamond Phillips stars in this contrived but entertaining thriller (which he also wrote) as Mitchell Osgood, an aspiring writer who runs a Los Angeles bookstore. When a heartfelt book about his father Haing S. Ngor fails to win him a publishing deal, Osgood decides to write something more eye-catching -- a book about recently-released serial killer Albert Merrick Clancy Brown. The media beats him to it, so the ruthlessly ambitious Osgood decides to spur Merrick to commit more crimes, hiring him to work at the bookstore and playing cruel mind games in hopes of setting Merrick off. He does, but the results are quite different from what Osgood had anticipated. Phillips' performance is weak, and the screenplay is predictably bland, but the film remains worthwhile thanks to a terrific job by Brown as the killer. Brown has turned in a number of fine psycho performances, but he has rarely been better than he is here, building from understated diffidence to full-blown psychosis in expert fashion. Grace Zabriskie and Willard E. Pugh co-star with Cecilia Peck. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clancy Brown, Cecilia Peck, (more)
- 1991
In this drama a Florida newspaper owner's daughter gets involved with her daddy's biggest competitor who uses her to help destroy her father's business. Trouble ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Peter Falk revived his Lieutenant Columbo characterization, first seen in 1967's Prescription: Murder, for the made-for-TV Ransom for a Dead Man. Lee Grant plays a wily lawyer who murders her husband, then arranges to make it appear that he's been kidnapped. The plan is to allow the body to be found by the cops during the ransom pickup, leaving Grant in the clear. But Columbo has "just one more question," and slowly but surely wears down Grant's alibi. Written and produced by Richard Levinson and William O. Link, Ransom for a Dead Man was the official pilot for the subsequent Columbo TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Another fun-filled voyage to Blood Island, courtesy of writer-producer-director (and otherwise-hyphenated) Filipino horror guru Eddie Romero, and John Ashley, the frequent "star" of these South Seas monster epics -- meaning the camera is usually pointed in his general direction amid the usual parade of splashy gore and topless native girls. This sequel to Mad Doctor of Blood Island finds medical maniac Dr. Lorca (Eddie Garcia) trying to inject life into a headless corpse... which is rather suggestive of this film as a whole. This is a more "authentic" sequel than Al Adamson's Brain of Blood (also "starring" Ashley), which is more of a dressed-up remake of the first film. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1968
The murder of a rocket manufacturer tips the FBI to an insidious scheme to blackmail executives into giving up classified missile secrets to the Enemy. The villains have already set up their next patsy, a lonely rocket-firm functionary named Ken Haney (Norman Fell). Serving as bait to lure Haney into betraying his country is sexy young blonde Julie (Celeste Yarnell)--as potent a "secret weapon" as has ever been conceived! This is the final episode of The F.B.I's third season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Singing stars from two very different generations appear in Live A Little, Love A Little. Elvis Presley plays Greg, a photographer who divides his time working for a skin magazine and a conservative newspaper. Rudy Valle plays Penlow, the veteran newspaper publisher. Lansdown (Don Porter) is the publisher of a girly magazine as Greg tries to work for both without the other finding out. Greg falls in love with a fashion model (Michele Carey) in this situation comedy that even die-hard Elvis fans have a hard time swallowing. By this time, Elvis planned to fulfil his remaining movie obligations and return to the stage, as his 1960s film career had failed to take on the dramatic seriousness he desperately sought. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elvis Presley, Michele Carey, (more)
- 1968
Joe Cartwright, Candy and Kate Kelly (Celeste Yarnell) form a partnership to establish an ore-stamping mill. Though Joe and Candy know next to nothing about running the mill, they have no trouble courting Kate, with both partners showing up at the lady's doorstep on alternate evenings. But it isn't all fun and games: The boys must also contend with rival mine owner Miles Renfro (Paul Lambert), who doesn't cotton to the competition and has the guns to back up his objections. Dabney Coleman appears in the supporting role of Ivar Peterson. Originally shown on December 1, 1968, "Queen High" was written by Michael Fessier. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1968
The Allies would like to locate the new Luftwaffe headquarters of famed WWI German flying ace General Von Richter (Henry Corden), aka "the Blue Baron." To realize this goal, Hogan persuades Klink to throw a gala party in Von Richter's honor. Cynthia Lynn, who played Klink's secretary Hilda during the series' first season, is here cast as a Mata Hari-like exotic dancer, while frequent Hogan's Heroes supporting player Celeste Yarnall plays a nanny. Written by Arthur Julian, "Will the Blue Baron Strike Again?" originally aired on December 14, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, (more)
- 1968
In this jungle adventure, a downed Yankee flier must make his way alone through the dense Amazon jungle. At one point, he finds himself surrounded by unfriendly natives. He is just about to lose his life when a beautiful white woman, who is revered by the natives as a goddess, swoops down from the trees and saves his neck. The word of the jungle girl's existence gets around and the girl suffers dire consequences when she suddenly finds herself pursued by a wicked carney, a scientist, and the enraged natives, who believe she has betrayed them by rescuing the pilot. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Assigned to an underground courier mission, LeBeau returns to camp with stories of his cranky, "old lady" contact. It turns out that the contact is really a beautiful young Dutch woman named Willhelmina (Celeste Yarnell), but LeBeau doesn't want the other POWs to find out lest they insist upon taking his assignment away from him. Falling in love with Willhelmina, LeBeau risks his life to save her from the Gestapo. Written by Arthur Julian, "LeBeau and the Little Old Lady" first aired on February 24, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, (more)
- 1967
Capt. Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise discover a planet that seems like an absolute paradise, but proves to be something more sinister, in this episode of the original Star Trek television series. A primitive but happy civilization flourishes on the planet, free from worries about survival or work. However, the planet's inhabitants survive only because they are ruled and supported by a gigantic supercomputer known as Vaal, left over from the civilization's glory days. Having regressed to a pre-technological state, the civilization now worships the computer as a deity. Unfortunately, Vaal is far from a benign god, and, detecting the Enterprise in its orbit, begins to drain the starship's power for its own purposes. Kirk must grapple with the subsequent moral dilemma, as it becomes increasingly clear that he must destroy the computer in order to free his ship. Yet he is reluctant to do so, because this course of action could have potentially devastating effects on the planet's inhabitants, who are entirely dependent on Vaal and seem unable to function or survive without the computer's guidance. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- 1966
The situation: Gidget (Sally Field) wants to buy her dad Russ (Don Porter) a surprise birthday present. The problem: Gidget has no money, and certainly can't borrow the necessary funds from her dad. The solution: Gidget takes a temporary job at a fancy restaurant. The results: Can't you guess? Popular 1960s starlet Celeste Yarnell makes a fleeting appearance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
First telecast January 13, 1966, "And Then There Were Three" is the historic Bewitched episode wherein Samantha and Darrin Stephens' daughter, Tabitha, is born. Darrin's joy at becoming a father is dampened by Endora's intention to transform the baby into a 25-year-old, just to see what the child will look like upon reaching adulthood. This is also the episode in which Samantha's mischievous lookalike cousin, Serena, makes her first appearance. As a bonus, Eve Arden appears as a flinty-eyed but golden-hearted admitting nurse. "And Then There Were Three" was written by Bernard Slade. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, (more)
- 1965
Ivan Tors Productions, the firm responsible for such aquatic TV delights as Sea Hunt and Flipper, was the prime mover behind MGM's Around the World Under the Sea. The official stars include Lloyd Bridges, Shirley Eaton, Brian Kelly, David McCallum, Keenan Wynn, Marshall Thompson, and Gary Merrill. The real stars are underwater photographer Lamar Bowen, diving-sequence director Ricou Browning, and the folks in Tors' special effects department. The plot concerns a series of underwater volcanic eruptions. Sub commander Bridges (who else?) heads into the depths to find out the cause of the disturbances. Before the THE END sign presents itself, Bridges and his crew are nearly devoured by a sea monster and sucked into a vortex. Though the film's technology-both on-screen and behind the camera--is dated, Around the World Under the Sea is still credible, not to mention thoroughly enjoyable. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lloyd Bridges, Shirley Eaton, (more)
Professor Julius F. Kelp (Jerry Lewis) is an addle-brained, absent-minded chemistry instructor always incurring the wrath of the university administration by continually blowing up the classroom laboratory. The shy guy has his eyes on the student body of Stella (Stella Stevens). When a football-playing bully humiliates him, Kelp tries to concoct a chemical to help him gain physical strength and stature. The potion turns him into the handsome, hard-edged nightclub singer named Buddy Love. The mild-mannered professor's alter ego becomes a self-absorbed campus favorite at the Purple Pit, a hangout for hip cats and kittens. Stella falls for the enigmatic entertainer who wows the crowd with his jazzy, breezy delivery and cool demeanor. Buddy mixes it up with the bartender (Buddy Lester), who is instructed on how to mix the latest drinks by the professor-turned-party animal. The drawback of the potion is that it wears off at the most embarrassing an inopportune times for Buddy, turning him back into the helpless Kelp. Buddy performs at the annual student dance, and while on the dais, the elixir starts to wear off. The students and staff watch in amazement as he changes back into the professor. He gives an impassioned plea that people must learn to like themselves before others can like them in return. Stella still wants to be the teacher's pet, and the two make future plans together. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerry Lewis, Stella Stevens, (more)
A showbiz party devolves into a Freudian nightmare when the bartender reveals himself to be an aspiring therapist who won't leave until he helps his wealthy hosts root-out the source of their relationship problems. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Linden Ashby, Eddie Daniels, (more)
Tinged with morbid eroticism and drenched in gore, this low-budget vampire thriller stars Michelle Owens as Carris Blass, a sex-crimes detective who offers herself as bait to ensnare a savage sex killer stalking the streets and alleys of Los Angeles -- and discovers too late that the suspect (Gregory A. Geer) is actually a powerful vampire who sexually molests his victims. Once bitten, Blass undergoes a dramatic transformation into femme fatale, along with the usual vampire traits, such as an extreme aversion to sunlight. Despite the doubts of her cynical husband (Michael McMillen), she is determined to bring down her undead foe before her transformation becomes complete. Despite the unconventional twist of depicting the vampire as more of a deranged, rape-happy psychopath than an instinctive predator, there is little to distinguish this blood-soaked outing from the usual horror-exploitation fare. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
Rita Rizzoli (Whoopi Goldberg) is a crusading narcotics cop assigned to track down the source of some killer crack cocaine in this pretentious and preachy anti-drug crime drama. Rita poses as a prostitute and is soon hot after two small-time hoods (Brad Dourif and Mike Jolly) who murder their way up the drug-dealing ladder in hopes of becoming kingpins. Cheech Marin and Catherine Blore provide interesting cameos in this feature that co-stars Ruben Blades and Sam Elliott. Contains stereotypical characters and gratuitous violence. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whoopi Goldberg, Sam Elliott, (more)
Diane (Celeste Yarnall), glamorous and wealthy denizen of nightclubs, lusted after by men and women, is a vampire. With the aid of dark glasses and wide-brimmed hats, she can venture out even in the daytime. She drains a horde of victims, including a biker, a mechanic and the mechanic's girlfriend, before she lures Lee (Michael Blodgett) and his wife Susan (Sherry Miles) to her mansion in the desert. Lee, who at first succumbs to her charms, panics when he finds the servant drained of blood, and tries to persuade Susan to leave with him. She is under the vampire's spell at the time, though, and refuses to leave. When Susan finds her husband's dry corpse, however, she does try to escape. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
"Consider the possibilities," read the ads for Paul Mazursky's 1969 satirical comedy about what happens when the sexual revolution hits affluent bourgeois life. After a weekend of "beautiful" emotional honesty at an Esalen-type retreat, married wannabe hipsters Bob (Robert Culp) and Carol (Natalie Wood) return to their well-heeled Los Angeles life determined to apply the principles of free love and complete openness to their marriage. To the respective curiosity and repulsion of their married best friends, Ted (Elliott Gould) and Alice (Dyan Cannon), Bob and Carol have affairs that they happily reveal to everyone. Inspired by all that openness during the quartet's trip to Vegas, Ted admits an affair of his own, provoking the outraged Alice to demand that this new ethos be taken to its obvious conclusion: a mate-sharing foursome. Once they're bedded down and ready to go, however, they start to have second thoughts. Without sacrificing authenticity for comedy, first-time director Mazursky and co-writer/producer Larry Tucker delve into the confusion of the Eisenhower generation when faced with the temptations of the counterculture. Too old to be hippies and too young to be fogies, the would-be California swingers sincerely attempt to try on the lifestyle, but it never looks quite right. A then-controversial example of the New Permissiveness both onscreen and off, Bob & Carol debuted at the New York Film Festival to great praise, particularly for Gould and Cannon. Whether they wanted to laugh at their elders' faux looseness or see what their peers might be doing, audiences turned Bob & Carol into a substantial hit, and its observations about marriage and sex remain humorously sharp even if the encounter group jargon is past its vogue. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Natalie Wood, Robert Culp, (more)
The once-in-a-lifetime collaboration between star Gene Wilder and director Leonard Nimoy resulted in the charmingly haphazard and anachronistic Funny About Love. Wilder plays political cartoonist Duffy Bergman, who falls in love with much-younger Meg (Christine Lahti) during a book-signing session. Once married, the old "clash of careers" bugaboo arises: Meg wants to continue working as a chef in a fancy New York restaurant, while Duffy would prefer that she think about starting a family. When it seems as though Meg may be incapable of bearing children, the self-involved Duffy impregnates earthy college coed Daphne (Mary Stuart Masterson). How a happy ending can grow from this complication is a puzzlement. Funny About Love was based--extremely loosely--on a speech once delivered by Chicago Tribune columnist Bob Greene. The laughs tend to be sporadic, though Stephen Toblowsky scores high marks as a jocular fertility doctor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Wilder, Christine Lahti, (more)
This 1993 remake of the 1950 film Born Yesterday (based on the 1946 Garson Kanin stage play) was retooled as a star vehicle for then-marrieds Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson. Roughneck self-made millionaire Harry Brock (John Goodman) wants to become a powerful Washington lobbyist. Brock's efforts to hobnob with DC uppercrust are compromised by his brash, embarrassingly vulgar mistress Billie Dawn (Melanie Griffith). He'd like to unload the ex-chorus girl, but he thinks he's in love: besides, she knows too much about his crooked dealings to be running around loose. Thus, Brock hires bookish Paul Verrall (Don Johnson) to educate Billie. Verrall does his job amazingly well, awakening Billie to her responsibilities as a loyal, honest American: along the way, the two fall in love. Featured in the cast are Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee and his star reporter (and wife) Sally Quinn, cast as DC power brokers. Also appearing in a small role is 1960s starlet Celeste Yarnell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melanie Griffith, John Goodman, (more)
- 1991
- PG
It probably takes an intimate acquaintance with East Germany's famously awful car, a smoky, noisy two-cylinder lawnmower on wheels, the Trabant 601, to fully appreciate the jokes in this extremely popular, celebrity-filled comedy. In the story, Gunther (German television star Thomas Gotttschalk) is an East German inventor who has journeyed with his homely car to an inventor's convention in Hollywood: he has figured out a way to get his Trabbi to run on turnip juice and zoom like a sports car. When his odd car is stolen, he tries to get it back, but L.A. and it's culture are alien to him and he is very much a fish out of water, despite the friendly advice he receives from Billy Dee Williams as a knowledgeable parking-lot attendant. Look for cameos by Milton Berle and Dom DeLuise, among others. This Trabbi film is a sequel to the enormously popular comedy Go, Trabi, Go. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thomas Gottschalk, Billy Dee Williams, (more)
This spy thriller from future Death Wish (1974) director Michael Winner stars Burt Lancaster as the enigmatic Cross, a CIA agent who has hired a government assassin, Jean Laurier (Alain Delon), to kill an Arab terrorist. Once they return home, Laurier is arrested by his superior, McLeod (John Colicos), who wants to know why Cross is still alive, as Laurier was ordered to kill him as well. Laurier doesn't think that Cross is guilty of the crime, but he relents and agrees to carry out the contract for a higher price. Cross, suspected of selling secrets to the Soviets, learns that his life is in danger and flees to Vienna, where he is aided by a former comrade-in-arms from WWII, the sympathetic KGB agent Sergei Zharkov (Paul Scofield). When Cross learns that his wife (Joanne Linville) has been murdered by McLeod, he returns to the U.S. and kills him, leading to a bloody final confrontation with a reluctant Laurier, who is shocked to discover that his lover (Gayle Hunnicutt) is in league with Cross. Scorpio (1973) was the writing debut of David W. Rintels, who went on to author several critically respected made-for-TV films. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon, (more)
