John Zaremba Movies

Adam (Linwood Boomer) and Mary (Melissa Sue Anderson) return to Walnut Grove, where Adam wants to set up his law practice. His first client turns out to be the most hated man in town: Edgar Mills (Jeff Corey), who is accused of swindling the townsfolk in a wide-ranging scam. At first believing in Mills' innocence, Adam soon learns the painful truth -- but also discovers that Mills' motives were not as sinister as they seem. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Albert (Matthew Laborteaux), the Ingalls' foster son, is frustrated by his efforts to trace his family tree as part of a school project. Equally frustrated is Charles Ingalls (Michael Landon), who, in attempting to legally adopt Albert, is stymied by the sudden arrival of the boy's natural father (Michael Pataki). In the climactic scene, Albert pulls off a cruel but necessary deception to rid himself of the father who had long before deserted him. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based loosely on the real-life relationship between political activist Angela Davis and convict-turned-author George Jackson, Brothers stars Bernie Casey as David Thomas, who begins corresponding with college professor and outspoken black activist Paula Jones (Vonetta McGee) after he's convicted of a crime he didn't commit. David's relationship with Paula gives him strength and insight as he tries to survive in the brutally violent and racist environment of prison. A great deal more serious and politically minded than most of the other "blaxploitation" films of its era, Brothers was directed by Arthur Barron, in a severe departure from his previous film, the sweet teenage love story Jeremy. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

With this episode, Richard Hatch "officially" becomes a series regular in the role of Dan Robbins, the brash new partner of veteran SFPD homicide detective Mike Stone (Karl Malden). The case at hand involves Larry Dobbs (Howard Duff), the wealthy father of a girl who has been raped and murdered. Placing no faith in the authorities, Dobbs posts a million-dollar reward for the capture of suspected rapist Don Wilton (Maxwell Gail), dead or alive. This action transforms virtually the entire Bay Area population into a mob of greedy vigilantes--and it is up to Stone and Keller to stop the resulting wave of violence, which gets even worse when the desperate Wilton begins striking back at his pursuers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

"Lizzie Borden took an axe/And gave her mother forty whacks/When she saw what she had done/She gave her father forty-one". New England spinster Lizzie Borden was acquitted of the charge of murdering her father and stepmother in 1892, but this made-for-TV movie, like most recreations of the murders and subsequent trial, adheres to the popular consensus that Borden was guilty. Elizabeth Montgomery takes a break from playing victims to portray the enigmatic Borden. The trial scenes are lifted directly from the original court records; scripter William Bast's speculation as to what really happened the night the elder Bordens were hacked to death is pure (but credible) conjecture. Accompanied by a "parental guidance suggested" tag, The Legend of Lizzie Borden was first broadcast February 10, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In an acting tour de force that earned him critical acclaim back in 1974, John Davidson guest stars as professional female impersonator Ken Scott. The highlight of Scott's nightclub act is his dead-on imitation of legendary 1930s movie star Carol Marlowe. Unfortunately, the entertainer's schizophrenia overwhelms him, and soon he is carrying over his "Carol Marlowe" persona into real life--and murdering any man who is unlucky enough to be attracted to "Carol." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jamie is a member of a boy's club which delights in forcing new members to undergo a grueling initiation process. Unfortunately, one of these hazings results in the death of a hapless teenager. Though the townsfolk blame Ted Hoag (Ronny Howard), a homeless youth, for the boy's death, Jamie and the other members demonstrate their inherent maturity by shouldering the responsibility themselves. Written by Douglas Day Stewart, "The Initiation" first aired on September 26, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Loosely based on the life and work of cartoonist and essayist James Thurber, The War Between Men and Women stars Jack Lemmon as cartoonist Peter Wilson, who, while visiting an eye doctor for his failing vision, quite literally stumbles upon Terry Kozlenko (Barbara Harris), an attractive but somewhat volatile divorcee with three children. Peter has a well-documented antipathy for women, children, and dogs, so everyone he knows is rather surprised when he finds himself falling in love with Terry -- and she falls in love with him. Peter and Terry get married, but her affection for him is not shared by her kids, who still idolize their father Stephen (Jason Robards, a successful photojournalist; Terry's dog doesn't care for Peter, either. When Peter's eye condition worsens, leaving him nearly blind, he suggests to Terry that she should go back to Stephen for the sake of her children, only to learn that Stephen has been killed while on assignment. Peter is now the only father the children have, and he's forced to find a way to reach out to them. The War Between Men and Women's interpolation of Thurber's life and work, using both live-action and animation, was inspired by a respected but short-lived television series, My World and Welcome to It, in which William Windom starred as Thurber. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Chief Ironside (Raymond Burr) wants to find out why a terminally ill convict named Walter Butler (Ray Walston) has been denied parole. The trail of clues leads to Madame Jabez (Barbara Rush), a woman who claims to have supernatural powers. Many strange and inexplicable occurences follow as Ironside matches wits with the cagey Mme. Jabez, who is somehow linked with a missing $50,000 and a troubled parole board member. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sheriff Austin (Pat Hingle) of Stillwater jails Candy on the basis of highly suspicious eyewitness testimony. Not only does Austin refuse to tell Candy that he's suspected of robbery and murder, but he also refuses to inform the Cartwrights of their top hand's whereabouts. Why is the Sheriff behaving in this fashion, and how long will it be before the situation devolves into tragedy? Strother Martin appears as Lonnie, while Jackie Gleason Show semi-regular Frank Marth is seen as Barnum. Written by Preston Wood, "The Silence at Stillwater" originally aired on September 28, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ironside (Raymond Burr) investigates when a local college campus is besieged with phony bomb threats. It happens that there is another potentially explosive situation involving the bitterness between college newspaper editor Neal Morgan (Philip Chapin) and a pair of Army bomb-disposal squad members (played by stars-in-the-making Ed Asner and Gerald S. O'Loughlin). Things reach the crisis stage when a "fake" bombing turns real and one of the Army men is killed. This is the final episode of Ironside's second season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Having stolen $10 million, Albert Jenkins (Donnelly Rhodes) allows himself to be arrested for another offense under an assumed name, secure in the belief that, by the time his 14-year sentence has been served, the statute of limitations will have expired and he will be able to recover his stolen loot. It is up to the IMF to persuade Jenkins to reveal the whereabouts of the money. This assignment requires a phony medical diagnosis, which will convince Jenkins to allow himself to be cryogenically frozen: The next step is to convince him that he has awakened in the year 1983. Written by Paul Playdon, "The Heir" was originally broadcast on December 22, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide