Danny Arnold Movies
A former actor and stand-up comedian, Danny Arnold was best known for writing and producing such high-quality television sitcoms as Bewitched and That Girl. Over his career, he won two Emmy's, one for My World and Welcome to It and one for the series for which he is most famous, Barney Miller. This latter show also won Arnold a Peabody Award. He was honored with the Paddy Chayefsky Award in 1985 by the Writer's Guild of America to celebrate his lifetime of achievement. A native of New York City, Arnold started out acting in summer stock and doing comedy in vaudeville, but began his career in Hollywood at Columbia Studios as a sound editor in 1944. He appeared in films as an actor opposite the hot young comic duo Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Arnold wrote the screenplay for a third Martin and Lewis vehicle, The Caddy (1953). In 1956, Arnold started writing for such television series as The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show and The Rosemary Clooney Show. He started contributing to television sitcoms in 1963. Though his subsequent work was popular with audiences, Arnold frequently butted heads with TV executives regarding issues of content and fair shooting schedules. While working on Barney Miller, Arnold became so sick of the constant network battles that he founded his own distribution company so he could syndicate shows as he wished, but with the cancellation of his subsequent series Joe Bash and Stat, his plans with Miller never came to fruition. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1981
This TV-movie biography of legendary black ballplayer Leroy "Satchel" Paige unfortunately whitewashes and hokes up his fascinating story. Louis Gossett Jr. stars as Paige, who spends virtually his entire professional career in the Negro leagues because of the "gentlemen's agreement" barring African-Americans from the Majors. Paige's prowess as a pitcher is so famous that he becomes the highest-paid player in the Negro leagues -- but as for joining the mainstream teams, the answer is always the same: "If only you were white." When Jackie Robinson is signed by the Dodgers in 1946, the doors open for other black ballplayers; thus it is that in 1948, Satchel Paige becomes the first black pitcher in the American leagues...at the tender age of 42. Don't Look Back down-pedals Satchel Paige's tempestuous private life (his two marriages are combined into one, for example), and tends to shortchange the viewer in the crucial ball-playing scenes. Its saving grace is the towering performance by star Louis Gossett Jr., who struggles manfully to overcome the script's shortcomings. When the film was first telecast on May 31, 1981, the real Satchel Paige appeared in the prologue; one year later, Paige was dead at the (reported) age of 76. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
- PG
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
- Starring:
- Jack Lemmon, Barbara Harris, (more)
- 1971
- PG
In this comedy a golden-boy tennis player in search of Life's meaning is corrupted by Hollywood, too much praise, and the temptation to sell out. His life therefore, becomes a metaphor for the morals of Hollywood society. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1964
When Larry Tate sees Samantha go into an obstetrician's office, he jumps to the obvious conclusion. Before long, Larry has convinced Darrin that Sam is pregnant. Little does Larry realize that soon he will be hearing that proverbial patter of little feet. Irene Vernon appears as Mrs. Tate, a role later filled by Kasey Rogers. Written by Danny Arnold, "...and Something Makes Three" originally aired on December 3, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, (more)
- 1964
Evidently inspired by such stage and screen comedy-fantasies as I Married a Witch and Bell, Book and Candle, the long-running ABC sitcom Bewitched starred Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens, a pert, perky, suburban housewife who happened to be a genuine witch, with all the usual magical powers. Samantha was married to Darrin Stephens (played during the first five seasons by Dick York, and in the final three seasons by Dick Sargent), a rising young advertising executive who worked at the New York firm of McMahon and Tate. A mere mortal, Darrin insisted that Samantha -- or "Sam," as he called her -- behave like an ordinary human being, and that she keep her witchcraft under wraps at all times. Sam tried her best to oblige, but the situations occurring in the course of the series invariably required her to cast a few spells and chant a few incantations to get her husband or herself out of jams.
Also in the cast on a regular and semi-regular basis were Agnes Moorehead as Samantha's sophisticated witch mother, Endora, who bore an intense dislike for Darrin, forever misidentifying him as "Dagwood," "Darwin," or some such; David White as Darrin's bombastic boss, Larry Tate, who never suspected that Sam was a witch and was thus always at a loss to explain the miraculous ways that things inevitably turned out right at the end of each episode; Irene Vernon and Kasey Rogers as Larry's level-headed wife, Louise; Alice Pearce and Sandra Gould as the Stephens' snoopy next-door neighbor Gladys Kravitz, who always suspected that something was amiss with Sam but was never able to prove it; George Tobias as Gladys' phlegmatic husband, Abner Kravitz; Maurice Evans as Sam's father and Endora's husband, Maurice, an elegant warlock; Paul Lynde as Sam's prankish warlock uncle Arthur; Marion Lorne as Sam's befuddled witch aunt Clara; Alice Ghostley as the equally birdbrained (and equally magical) Esmerelda, the Stephens' housekeeper-witch; and Bernard Fox as Dr. Bombay, warlock physician who popped in and out with zany remedies for various witch maladies.
During the second season, Samantha gave birth to a daughter named Tabitha (generally played by Erin Murphy), who had obviously inherited some of her mom's powers. Likewise "gifted," though on a lesser scale, was Sam and Darrin's son, Adam (a role shared by David Lawrence andGreg Lawrence), who was born during season six. Also, the Stephens household was occasionally visited by Sam's mischievous, hippie-like identical cousin, Serena, who was played by "Pandora Spocks" (actually a pseudonym for Elizabeth Montgomery). Produced by Elizabeth Montgomery's then-husband, William Asher, and debuting September 17, 1964, Bewitched lasted eight seasons and 252 half-hour episodes (180 in color), finally leaving the air on July 1, 1972. Five years later, a spin-off of sorts, Tabitha, was seen on ABC. In 2005, a theatrical film version of Bewitched appeared, starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Also in the cast on a regular and semi-regular basis were Agnes Moorehead as Samantha's sophisticated witch mother, Endora, who bore an intense dislike for Darrin, forever misidentifying him as "Dagwood," "Darwin," or some such; David White as Darrin's bombastic boss, Larry Tate, who never suspected that Sam was a witch and was thus always at a loss to explain the miraculous ways that things inevitably turned out right at the end of each episode; Irene Vernon and Kasey Rogers as Larry's level-headed wife, Louise; Alice Pearce and Sandra Gould as the Stephens' snoopy next-door neighbor Gladys Kravitz, who always suspected that something was amiss with Sam but was never able to prove it; George Tobias as Gladys' phlegmatic husband, Abner Kravitz; Maurice Evans as Sam's father and Endora's husband, Maurice, an elegant warlock; Paul Lynde as Sam's prankish warlock uncle Arthur; Marion Lorne as Sam's befuddled witch aunt Clara; Alice Ghostley as the equally birdbrained (and equally magical) Esmerelda, the Stephens' housekeeper-witch; and Bernard Fox as Dr. Bombay, warlock physician who popped in and out with zany remedies for various witch maladies.
During the second season, Samantha gave birth to a daughter named Tabitha (generally played by Erin Murphy), who had obviously inherited some of her mom's powers. Likewise "gifted," though on a lesser scale, was Sam and Darrin's son, Adam (a role shared by David Lawrence andGreg Lawrence), who was born during season six. Also, the Stephens household was occasionally visited by Sam's mischievous, hippie-like identical cousin, Serena, who was played by "Pandora Spocks" (actually a pseudonym for Elizabeth Montgomery). Produced by Elizabeth Montgomery's then-husband, William Asher, and debuting September 17, 1964, Bewitched lasted eight seasons and 252 half-hour episodes (180 in color), finally leaving the air on July 1, 1972. Five years later, a spin-off of sorts, Tabitha, was seen on ABC. In 2005, a theatrical film version of Bewitched appeared, starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
Darrin braces himself for his first meeting with Samantha's highly judgmental mother, Endora. Unfortunately, Endora's visit coincides with the arrival of the local Welcome Wagon committee. As expected, Endora bristles at the cattiness of the committee members, resulting in a burst of impulsive witchcraft which Sam is forced to undo. Written by Danny Arnold, "Mother, Meet What's His Name" was originally scheduled to air on October 1, 1964, but ran instead on October 8. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, (more)
- 1958
According to Universal-International publicity, The Lady Takes a Flyer is partially based on fact. The "lady" is Maggie Colby (Lana Turner) and the "flyer" is former Air Force colonel Mike Dandridge (Jeff Chandler). The two form a partnership when Mike decides to inaugurate an air-ferry service with Maggie as his chief pilot. Mike's wartime buddy Al Reynolds (Richard Denning) also signs on with the new service, though Al's hopes for a romance with Maggie are dashed when she marries Mike. Trouble arises when Maggie becomes pregnant and Mike insists that she give up her perilous lifestyle and become just another housewife. All conflicts are resolved during an exciting finale, wherein a fogbound Maggie is guided across the Atlantic via the radioed instructions of her loving husband. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lana Turner, Jeff Chandler, (more)
- 1956
Rebel in Town was the third issue from Bel-Air Productions, a firm co-founded by film execs Howard W. Koch and Aubrey Schenck. While the title character is played by John Smith, top billing goes to John Payne as ex-Union officer John Willoughby. When Willoughby's young son (Bobby Clark) snaps his cap pistol at Confederate veteran Wesley Mason (John Smith), Wesley instinctively whirls around and shoots the boy dead. Despite the fact that he and his offspring are fugitive bank robbers, Wesley's father Bedloe Mason (J. Carroll Naish) insists that his son turn himself over to authorities. Instead, Wesley escapes, whereupon he is killed by the grief-stricken Willoughby. Though it hardly seems possible at this point, Willoughby's wife Nora (Ruth Roman) struggles valiantly to bring the crisis to a nonviolent resolution. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Payne, Ruth Roman, (more)
- 1956
In this adventure, a man a man is paroled from prison and made to join the army so he can break up an international counterfeiting operation involving an ex- army buddy. they use him to woo the friend's lover and pump her for information. He finds her to be a dry well, but the importing firm she works for is a different story. In the end, the fellow breaks up the gang, wins the heart of the girl, and get back together with his father, a Treasury agent. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Danton, Leigh Snowden, (more)
- 1955
In this western, a white man kills an Apache Chief and starts a war. This time the Apaches choose an interesting way to exact their revenge: they will dress up as federal soldiers and sneak into the fort. The problem is that they must attack a supply column in order to get the uniforms. They do so and massacre the soldiers. Unfortunately, one escapes and is able to warn the fort of the impending attack. The Apaches soon find themselves gallantly marching right into a deadly massacre. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Joan Vohs, (more)
- 1955
Although the French Foreign Legion became increasingly anachronistic in the 1950s, films like Desert Sands helped to perpetuate the glamorous legend of this mercenary aggregation. Ralph Meeker heads the cast as a bold legionnaire who falls in love with gorgeous Arab girl Marla English. Alas, Marla is the daughter of shiek John Carradine and the sister of vengeful Keith Larsen, both of whom have vowed to kill all Legionnaires within shouting distance. Larsen eventually discovers that his real enemy is not Meeker, but the duplicitous Carradine. Director Lesley Selander staged most of the action scenes in the manner of his western films, with excellent results. One of the scriptwriters of Desert Sands was Danny Arnold, later the prime mover of TV's Barney Miller. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ralph Meeker, Marla English, (more)
- 1954
The British Passing Stranger stars Hollywood actor Lee Patterson as a deserting American GI. He drifts about until he falls in with a gang of gunrunners. He wants to quit, but can't until he makes enough money to support himself and his love Diane Cilento. Just before this is possible, Cilento's ex-boyfriend blows the whistle on the crooks. Just long enough not to wear out its welcome, The Passing Stranger is a passing good little film noir. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1953
Martin and Lewis tee each other off on a PGA tour in The Caddy. Harvey Miller (Jerry Lewis) is an expert with his golf club, except when he tries to play in front of a crowd -- then he completely loses control. With his mind set on getting into the PGA one way or another, he latches onto Joe Anthony (Dean Martin), a stylish gadabout. Harvey teaches Joe everything he knows about the game, and when Joe enters a tournament, Harvey does too -- as his caddy. But while the golf fans still make Harvey go wild, laid-back Joe feeds upon their applause. As Joe's game improves, his ego grows, and he begins to think Harvey is useless and wants to take the tour alone. The Caddy introduced the Dean Martin classic That's Amore to the world of kitsch and features a bevy of real life professional golfers in cameo roles -- including Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, and Julius Boros. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, (more)
- 1952
Although The Stooge had been filmed right after Martin and Lewis' Sailor Beware, the film was temporarily shelved so that the team could continue their winning streak of military comedies with Jumping Jacks. This time, Dean Martin plays Chick Allen, a paratrooper-in-training whose commanding officer intends to do away with all camp variety shows. In desperation, Chick sends for his old nightclub partner Hap Smith (Jerry Lewis) to change the CO's mind. In order to gain entry to the military base, Hap is forced to pose as a GI, and thus the plot proper gets under way. Most of the "awkward squad" gags are straight out of Abbott and Costello, with Lewis messing up at each and every turn while Martin lags behind for damage control. The film concludes with a routine from Abbot and Costello's Keep 'Em Flying, wherein Martin and Lewis bail out from a plane in flight, with one parachute between them. Robert Strauss repeats his Sailor Beware duties as Lewis' irascible topkick, while nominal leading lady Mona Freeman does practically nothing magnificently. Dean's songs include the deathless "Do the Parachute Jump". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, (more)
- 1951
Using elements of two earlier films, The Fleet's In and Lady Be Careful, Paramount came up with the Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis vehicle Sailor Beware. As usual, Jerry Lewis is the helpless goof and Dean Martin the suave ladies' man; this time Lewis is a navy recruit while Martin is his submarine-officer buddy. The film skips from one comic setpiece to another (the best is a parody of radio audience participation shows) until it reaches the slapstick climax: A boxing match pitting Lewis against the navy champion. After a few very funny moments in which Lewis pretends to be a punch drunk pug, the match commences, much to the dismay of Lewis and the delight of his fervent fan following. Martin makes good use of his screen time by romancing an "ice princess" movie star (Corinne Calvert), who of course melts once Dino turns on the charm. Betty Hutton, star of Sailor Beware's precursor The Fleet's In, pops up at the beginning and end of the Martin/Lewis epic as "Hetty Button." And watch for an unbilled James Dean as one of the team's shipmates. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, (more)
- 1950
Filmed with the full cooperation of the U.S. Army, Breakthrough is a lean, no-nonsense war film set during the 1944 invasion of the continent. Led by Captain Hale (David Brian), a small group of infantrymen march through Normandy. The war-weary foot soldiers resent the presence of 90 Day Wonder lieutenant Joe Mallory (John Agar), but before long he proves his value to the platoon. The supporting characters are the usual aggregation of "types," though for the most part the usual cliches are avoided (so far as can be determined, nobody mentions the Brooklyn Dodgers). The only woman in the cast is Suzanne Dalbert, playing a Normandy villager with whom the GIs briefly dally. Near the beginning of Breakthrough, several scenes of actual combat training are deftly inserted into the dramatized sequences. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Brian, Frank Lovejoy, (more)
- 1937
When foreclosure is threatened on Gina Malo's home, she gets help from Sandy Powell, who donates his football pool winnings to her. ~ All Movie Guide
