John Ashley Movies

When insecure rich-type Stevens (John Ashley) decides to impress his fellow students, he does so by establishing a crime empire to take command of his high school. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

This suspenseful air-borne adventure can rightfully lay claim to being the Mother of All subsequent in-flight disaster films of the '70s. The trouble begins when the pilot and crew of a Canadian passenger plane suddenly find themselves doubled over from accidental ptomaine poisoning and unable to continue flying the plane. The only other person on board who can save the terrified crew is a former WW II flying ace who is petrified of flying again. Fortunately, a courageous steel-nerved ground controller is there to offer full-radio support. Later the film became the basis of a TV movie Terror in the Sky and the hilarious parody Airplane (1980). Arthur Hailey, who wrote the teleplay on which this was based, went on to write the novel and the screenplay for 1970's Airport. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Like many American International films of its era, How to Make a Monster was sold to distributors on the basis of its title alone: only after theatrical play dates had been established did anyone get around to writing a script! Robert H. Harris plays Pete Drummond, who according to the script has been chief makeup man at American-International for 25 years, or approximately 20 years before the studio was actually established. When the studio is sold, Pete is brusquely informed that neither he nor his monster creations -- notably the Teenage Werewolf and Teenage Frankenstein -- will be required any longer, inasmuch as American International is going to concentrate on musicals from now on. Angered and humiliated, Pete takes revenge on the callous studio heads by hypnotizing a couple of actors (Gary Clarke and Gary Conway) into believing that they're genuine monsters. Under Pete's control, the two thespians begin committing murders left and right, wreaking havoc throughout the American International lot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This video offers a double dose of war dramas. The first Suicide Battalion chronicles the courage of two GIs who risk everything to cross enemy lines and bring back secret documents from an outpost overrun by the enemy. The second Hell Squad follows the exploits of five Yankee soldiers who must make their way through the vast North African desert and survive constant attacks from the Nazis, desert raiders, and other foes. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this youthful drama, a young nephew is forced to live a highly restricted lifestyle by his two spinster aunts who will only bequeath him their fortune if he behaves like a proper gentleman. His aunts would have apoplexy if they new that their "perfect gentleman" had created a hot-rod club behind their backs. To make matters worse, he bankrolls his hobby by singing (in disguise) in Vincent's rock'n'roll band. He takes the money he earns to enter his car in a national race. Songs include: "Dance in the Street," "Dance to the Bop," "Baby Blue," and "Lovely Loretta." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Professor Bob Cummings is an anthropologist who uses a telescope to study the mating habits of teenagers, namely Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. However, Cummings' secretary Dorothy Malone wishes that his boss would get his mind off bikinis and surfers. Meanwhile trouble brews when Eric Von Zipper (Harvey Lembeck) tries to abduct Annette. Watch for cameo appearances by Vincent Price and Elizabeth Montgomery. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When Jane Hathaway calls in sick, the Clampetts drop in at the Commerce Bank to help out Mr. Drysdale. The thing is -- their visit coincides with Drysdale's efforts to win the Banker of the Year award. You guessed it: The judges mistake Jed for Drysdale, and then -- weeeee-doggies!!!! Cult-film favorite John Ashley appears as Bob Billington. "Elly Becomes a Secretary" made its network broadcast bow on May 22, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Beach Party gang is back in this third episode. This time out, the gang is visited by the handsome British pop star Potato Bug (Frankie Avalon in a dual role) who has come to CA for a little r&r. When Potato Bug sees the perky Dee Dee (Annette Funicello), he falls head over heels. This doesn't set well with her boyfriend, Frankie. Later the kids all join forces to keep aged developer Harvey Huntington Honeywagon from buying their beach and using it to build a senior citizen's resort. Honeywagon is assisted by Brandoesque biker Eric Von Zipper while the kids are helped out by the adolescent supporter Big Drag. Songs include: "Bikini Drag", "Love's a Secret Weapon", and "Because You're You". Special guest artists include Little Stevie Wonder, the Exciters and the Pyramids. Boris Karloff has an un-credited cameo. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, a hapless Army sergeant's plans to marry are temporarily delayed after he accidentally ends up launched into space with a chimpanzee. Upon his return, he is a changed man and is ultimately sent to prison after he threatens to go public with the mix-up. Meanwhile, suave Sgt. Donovan, Deadhead's double, takes his place at the altar. To stop him, Deadhead breaks out of prison and becomes his old self again just as he arrives at the honeymoon suite. Naturally he wins his rightful bride and happiness ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The Eye Creatures don't really attack anybody, but are attacked by a band of hostile teenagers. It all begins when the creatures, acting out of self-preservation, try to pin the blame for an accidental killing on an innocent Earthling. Star John Ashley sagaciously retreated to the Philippines shortly after appearing in this one. The Eye Creatures was one of a group of cheap color remakes of earlier American-International productions; all were made to pad out AIP's TV package, and all were produced and directed by Larry Buchanan. This one was a remake of 1957's Invasion of the Saucer Men, minus the earlier film's clever monster designs by the resourceful Paul Blaisdell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Clampetts are warned that a cat burglar is on the prowl in their Beverly Hills neighborhood. Jumping to the obvious conclusion, Elly May fills the Clampett mansion with every stray feline that she can get her hands on. Beach-movie regular John Ashley is cast as Mike the burglar, with Disney film perennial Norman Grabowski as his dumb accomplice Bernie. "The Cat Burglar" originally aired on January 26, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Dave Draper, Mr. Universe of 1967, appears in this episode. As part of a scheme to lure the Clampett account to his bank, Mr. Cushing (Roy Roberts) arranges a date between Draper and Elly May. The hapless muscleman finds himself at the mercy of "Doctor" Granny, who believes that his bulging biceps are a sign of a new and horrible affliction called "barbell bloat." Also appearing is beach-movie perennial John Ashley as Troy Apollo. "Mr. Universe Muscles In" was originally telecast on October 25, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A mind-bending sci-fi symphony, Stanley Kubrick's landmark 1968 epic pushed the limits of narrative and special effects toward a meditation on technology and humanity. Based on Arthur C. Clarke's story The Sentinel, Kubrick and Clarke's screenplay is structured in four movements. At the "Dawn of Man," a group of hominids encounters a mysterious black monolith alien to their surroundings. To the strains of Strauss's 1896 Also sprach Zarathustra, a hominid invents the first weapon, using a bone to kill prey. As the hominid tosses the bone in the air, Kubrick cuts to a 21st century spacecraft hovering over the Earth, skipping ahead millions of years in technological development. U.S. scientist Dr. Heywood Floyd (William Sylvester) travels to the moon to check out the discovery of a strange object on the moon's surface: a black monolith. As the sun's rays strike the stone, however, it emits a piercing, deafening sound that fills the investigators' headphones and stops them in their path.

Cutting ahead 18 months, impassive astronauts David Bowman (Keir Dullea) and Frank Poole (Gary Lockwood) head toward Jupiter on the spaceship Discovery, their only company three hibernating astronauts and the vocal, man-made HAL 9000 computer running the entire ship. When the all-too-human HAL malfunctions, however, he tries to murder the astronauts to cover his error, forcing Bowman to defend himself the only way he can. Free of HAL, and finally informed of the voyage's purpose by a recording from Floyd, Bowman journeys to "Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite," through the psychedelic slit-scan star-gate to an 18th century room, and the completion of the monolith's evolutionary mission.

With assistance from special-effects expert Douglas Trumbull, Kubrick spent over two years meticulously creating the most "realistic" depictions of outer space ever seen, greatly advancing cinematic technology for a story expressing grave doubts about technology itself. Despite some initial critical reservations that it was too long and too dull, 2001 became one of the most popular films of 1968, underlining the generation gap between young moviegoers who wanted to see something new and challenging and oldsters who "didn't get it." Provocatively billed as "the ultimate trip," 2001 quickly caught on with a counterculture youth audience open to a contemplative (i.e. chemically enhanced) viewing experience of a film suggesting that the way to enlightenment was to free one's mind of the U.S. military-industrial-technological complex. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide