Buck Young Movies
- 1989
If you liked the 1941 Johnny Weissmuller opus Tarzan's New York Adventure, you'll go ape (sorry!) over the made-for-TV Tarzan in Manhattan. The Jungle Lord uncovers an insidious plot by a covetous scientist to enhance the natural IQ of African monkeys. To prevent his beloved Cheetah from falling into the hands of vivisectionists, Tarz heads for New York, where he meets his Jane (Kim Crosby) -- a wisecracking cabbie. Tony Curtis plays Jane's father, barely justifying his "special guest star" credit. Tarzan in Manhattan was the pilot for a TV series that just plain didn't swing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
George Lollar (Charles Grodin) overrides his wife's judgment and takes his family for a vacation on a sunny Caribbean island that just happens to be on the verge of a revolution. Their hotel is not the usual Hilton on the beach but a pick-up joint for singles where the main activities are sex, sex, and sex. In that order. As the horrified father watches almost helplessly, his wife becomes liberated, his daughter falls for a Frenchman who is actually a guerrilla, one of his sons loses his virginity to a buxom, worldly-wise woman, and his other son burns down the mini-camp he was forced to attend. But that's hardly the worst of it -- there is that small matter of a political overthrow about to explode on the scene. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Grodin, Robin Pearson Rose, (more)
- 1984
- PG
This largely autobiographical story written and directed by Michael Landon stars Timothy Patrick Murphy as Gene Orowitz (Landon's real name was Eugene Orowitz), a frail teenager with a talent for throwing the javelin and a close relationship to his father Sam (Eli Wallach), the manager of a movie theater. Sam's real love in life is writing fiction, and he pounds the keys of his typewriter well into the night as he tries to finish a major opus. One day when Gene sees Samson and Delilah (1949) at the theater where his father works, he becomes certain that whatever strength he has is due to his long hair and he refuses to cut his hair, even though long hair turns the school principal apoplectic and has to be disguised when Gene is at a sports meet. Gene's life is not a bed of roses, yet when he is dumped by his girlfriend Bonnie for Robert (Alan Hayes), an arrogant football player who has bullied him whenever the chance arose, his good friend Cathy (Hallie Todd) stays by his side. Later, he has his own revenge with Robert by connecting with a right to the jaw, shocking everyone, perhaps even himself. Gene has been working out to get ready for a big school meet and is a bit stronger in his javelin-tossing arm. As the day of the big meet approaches, life changes dramatically for him -- and the movie's climax, though it appears contrived, actually happened to Landon in real life. Landon also plays a small role in the film as a movie star visiting his hometown -- and in some ways, he was "Sam's son" because he himself took to writing -- including the script for this movie, in fact. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eli Wallach, Anne Jackson, (more)
- 1982
When several people are killed in a hotel blaze, the authorities pin the blame on a known pyromaniac. But after a careful forensic examination, Quincy (Jack Klugman) is convinced that the wrong man is behind bars. To help prove this theory, Quincy persuades his old pal, insurance investigator Jake Carter (Gerald O'Loughlin, to come out of retirement. The opening fire sequence in this episode was excerpted from 1978's Inferno, a two-hour TV movie spinoff of the popular Jack Webb series Emergency! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Richard Levinson and William Link serve up another Thinking Man's murder mystery with the made-for-television Rehearsal for Murder. Playwright Robert Preston is on the verge of marrying glamorous film star Lynn Redgrave. But a scant few hours after her Broadway debut, Redgrave is found dead, an apparent suicide. Convinced that Redgrave was murdered, Preston contacts the most likely suspects and assembles them in an empty theatre, ostensibly to read through his latest play. But Preston locks the doors and uses his play as a means to, in the words of Hamlet, "catch the conscience" of the killer. Filmed under the working title Cold Reading, Rehearsal for Murder was the winner of the Edgar Award, a prize bestowed annually by the Mystery Writers of America. It was first broadcast on May 26, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Paul Kersey's (Charles Bronson) self-appointed one-man vigilante squad goes bi-coastal in Michael Winner's sequel to his Death Wish. Kersey has taken up residence in Los Angeles, but lunatic violence follows him across the country like toilet paper sticking to his shoe. Kersey's Spanish cook is immediately gang-banged and killed, while his daughter, still suffering from a catatonic stupor after her brutal rape in the first film, finds herself raped yet again. Vincent Gardenia as New York detective Frank Ochoa, reprises his role from the first film here -- traveling to Los Angeles to locate Kersey but finding death waiting for him off a LA freeway ramp. After all this mayhem, Kersey cannot cringe in hiding for long, and once again he loads up his tube socks with rolls of quarters and goes hoodlum hunting. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, (more)
- 1981
Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke) transforms Stonewall Jackson Day into a huge, elaborate celebration for Hazzard County. Of course, Boss is not motivated by any sort of Confederate patriotism; he has merely figured out a method to steal General Jackson's famous sword, sell it to the highest bidder, and then frame the Dukes for the theft. Saving the day for the good guys is a hitherto unknown and unseen cousin, Jeb Stuart Duke (Christopher Hensel) (who, if we are to believe contemporary accounts, was originally intended to be a recurring character). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
Adapted from the Judith Krantz novel of the same name, the CBS miniseries Scruples zeroes in on a trendy, upscale Beverly Hills boutique. The guiding force behind the Scruples shop is beautiful Billy Ikelhorn (Lindsay Wagner), who, though born into grinding poverty, had risen to the uppermost rungs of L.A. society by virtue of her marriage to millionaire Ellis Ikelhorn (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.). When her husband dies after a long illness, Billy compensates for her grief by becoming a Boadicea of the fashion industry. Her personal and professional life is entangled with those of her closest associates, fashion photographer Spider Elliott (Barry Bostwick) and designer Valentine O'Neill (Marie-France Pisier). Originally telecast in six two-hour episodes on February 25, 26, and 28, 1980, Scruples proved popular enough to warrant a 1981 TV-movie sequel, starring Shelley Smith as Billy, Dirk Benedict as Spider and Olga Karlatos as Valentine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lindsay Wagner, Barry Bostwick, (more)
Loni Anderson plays the 1950s sexpot Jayne Mansfield, who starred in films like The Girl Can't Help It and who married bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay (Arnold Schwarzenegger) before a car accident ended her life. A.K.A. Jayne Mansfield: A Symbol of the '50s. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1980
In Fun and Games, a professional career woman is harassed by her boss, who then rejects her for promotion. The woman then sues her boss for sexual harassment ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1980
The sixth season of Quincy M.E. begins as pugnacious, compassionate medical examiner Quincy (Jack Klugman) shows up in a small mill town to lend a helping hand to his colleague Charles Volmer (William Daniels. No sooner has he arrived than Quincy finds himself waist-deep in a brace of ethical challenges. For starters, the father (Phillip Abbott) of a boy who has OD'ed on drugs is pressuring Volmer to alter the results of the autopsy so that the boy's mother will believe that her son has accidentally drowned. And in another part of town, a powerful industrialist (Warren Stevens) is arranging a coverup of his own to hide the fact that the safety standards in his textile mill aren't up to code--with tragic results. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
- R
Escaping from her childhood life of poverty and abuse on the farm, in the 1930s, Polly Franklin (Pamela Sue Martin) sets her sights on Hollywood as the promised land and leaves home. However, she doesn't get that far - she lands in Chicago instead. Taking the low-paying jobs which are available to her, she quickly finds herself in a situation which is as oppressive as anything she knew at home. Despite her best efforts to keep her head above water, she soon winds up in prison. The best situation in her life comes afterwards, when she becomes a prostitute in a whorehouse run by Anna Sage (Louise Fletcher). However, even this doesn't last, as the police close down the house during a "decency crusade." Back on the streets once again, she meets a wonderful man (Robert Conrad) who claims to be working for the Board of Trade. She tells Anna (who is still her friend) about this new love in her life, and Anna realizes that he must be America's Most Wanted Man, the bank robber John Dillinger. Anna, in danger of being deported, arranges for the police to corner Dillinger and kill him while in Anna and Polly's company. In the ensuing publicity, everyone makes it look as though Polly was Dillinger's betrayer, and her life becomes even more miserable than it was before. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pamela Sue Martin, Robert Conrad, (more)
- 1978
Jim heads to Rosemont College to investigate the disappearance of student Paul Douglas, the son of an old friend. At the same time, two middle-eastern types draw a bead on Jim and begin questioning him about the whereabouts of an Iranian prince. The key to the mystery lies somewhere within the confines of the Chi Rho Zeta frat house, which is for reasons unknown being zealously guarded by flinty-eyed campus security chief Max Gilmore (Kenneth Tobey). Also playing a major role in the intrigue is journalism teacher Leslie Callahan (Frances Lee McCain), who pays the price for loving neither wisely nor well. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Larry Peerce directed this tired disaster movie about a mad sniper loose in a football stadium. At the beginning, the sniper picks off a cyclist for practice and then takes roost in the top tower of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Sent in to stop the terror is Captain Peter Holly (Charlton Heston), who wants to get his hands on the sniper without endangering the lives of the people in the stadium. Unfortunately, there is a second group of law enforcement officers, a tactical commando group, who want to go into the stadium and rush the sniper -- regardless of the danger such an action would cause to the crowd watching the game. The sniper plans to start blasting at the two-minute warning signal of the football game. Holly has to find the sniper before the two-minute warning is given -- not merely to prevent the killings threatened by the sniper but to head off the tactical force before any other unnecessary deaths are incurred by the force's bulldog techniques. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlton Heston, John Cassavetes, (more)
- 1976
Former Brady Bunch costar Maureen McCormick appears in the radically different guise in this episode as 16-year-old call girl Cindy Lawson. Stone (Karl Malden) and Robbins (Richard Hatch) are called in when several of Cindy's "johns" are methodically murdered. Only the audience knows that the murderer is Cindy's pathetically deranged father Vic Lawson (James Olson). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
- R
A tough-guy cop (Joe Don Baker) pursues two drug runners (Martin Balsam, John Saxon) across the city to bust a large syndicate. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Don Baker, Martin Balsam, (more)
- 1975
Crossfire stars James Franciscus as police officer Rossi, who is thrown off the force for possession of narcotics. Disgraced in the eyes of everyone, including his own partner, Rossi descends into a life of crime. But--and this will come as a shock to anyone who's never seen a Humphrey Bogart picture--the drug bust was fabricated to allow Rossi to function as an undercover operative. His job: Locate and arrest the syndicate Big Boy. Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that Rossi's late brother was a mob functionary. Crossfire was yet another TV pilot film for yet another unsold James Franciscus weekly. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
Col. Potter (Harry Morgan) writes home to his wife Mildred on the occasion of their 27th wedding anniversary. Hoping to curry favor with their new commander, Frank (Larry Linville) and Hot Lips (Loretta Swit) secretly commission a special wood carving. But it is Radar (Gary Burghoff) who wins the Colonel's heart by rescuing an old Cavalry horse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
Travelling from New York to the small Nevada town of Cory, Kojak (Telly Savalas) and Crocker (Kevin Dobson) set about the task of extraditing mob witness Arnold B. Saxler (Vincent Baggetta). Unfortunately, several hired thugs are already in the vicinity, with loaded guns at the ready. The remainder of the episode is devoted to a grueling gantlet, with Kojak never entirely sure who the good guys and bad guys really are. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
A tense turf battle between rival street gangs becomes full-fledged warfare after one teen is knifed in a reprisal raid. Caught in the middle is dedicated youth-center worker Eddie Griffin, played by former Mission: Impossible regular Greg Morris. Efforts by Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) to avoid further bloodshed are complicated by Griffin's insistence upon trying to defuse the situation himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Policewoman Fran Belding (Elizabeth Baur) has a new man in her life: Jim Marshall (Gary Lockwood), a police detective who is long on charm but dangerously short on temper. Marshall's well-known propensity for violence catches up with him when he is suspected of two murders. Ironside (Raymond Burr) wants to know if Marshall's current dilemma is linked to a case he once pursued with his former partner--a private detective who is no saint himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
In the conclusion of a two-part story, youthful lawbreaker Greg Whitney (Lee H. Montgomery) is sent to a summer camp for troubled youths, where Officer Pete Malloy (Martin Milner)is one of the counselors. Although Pete does everything he can to help Greg, the boy seems incapable of getting along with anyone--and unless someone can get past his wall of hostility, Greg is doomed to a miserable adulthood. Back at the Rampart Division, Pete's partner Jim Reed (Kent McCord) investigates reports of a rampaging snake and an alleged sexual molestation. Olympic pole vaulter Bob Seagren appears as himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this Counterculture vs. Establishment romance, Frank Harmon (William Holden) is a middle-aged businessman, recently divorced and a bit bitter about the state of his life and the world in general. One morning, he discovers a pretty, hippie-esque girl who calls herself Breezy (Kay Lenz) asleep on his front porch. Frank asks her to leave and she politely follows suit; she forgets her guitar, however, and returns the next day to retrieve it. Breezy also asks Frank if he would be so kind as to let her take a bath; he agrees, and even lets her sleep at his house that night. A few days later, Breezy turns up at again at Frank's doorstep, with a cop in tow -- after being arrested for vagrancy, she told the police that she lived here with her uncle Frank. Frank plays along and, against his better judgment, agrees to let her stay with him. After spending some time together, Frank and Breezy begin opening up to each other, discussing their feelings on a variety of issues. A friendship grows between them that, in time, becomes a love affair, but Frank's friends find fault in his new romance, and he breaks it off -- a decision he comes to regret. This was the first film Clint Eastwood directed in which he did not star, something he would not do again until Bird in 1988. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Holden, Kay Lenz, (more)
- 1972
In this landmark episode, Hawkeye (Alan Alda) writes his first letter home to his father, telling all about Christmas at the 4077th. The episodes recounted in the letter run the gamut from hilarity (a monthly sex lecture delivered by Henry Blake [McLean Stevenson], Hawkeye and Trapper [Wayne Rogers] sabotaging the tent occupied by Hot Lips [Loretta Swit]), to resourcefulness (Radar [Gary Burghoff] ships a jeep to the States piecemeal) to pathos (one birth, too many deaths). Things come to a poignantly amusing climax when Hawkeye plays Santa Claus -- right on the firing line! "Dear Dad" first aired on December 17, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
