Terry Becker Movies
Actor, director, producer, and writer Terry Becker has been a familiar figure on television since the 1950s, on series such as The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Becker was born in New York City in 1930, and he discovered as early as elementary school that acting in plays helped keep him out of trouble. He later attended Morris High School in the Bronx (where his classmates included future actor Ross Martin, a close friend); it was there that he tried directing and discovered that he enjoyed it as well. Becker turned to drama after he graduated, studying at the American Theater Wing. His teachers included Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg, and he also made the acquaintance of playwright Paddy Chayefsky, who was to become a giant in the world of television in the 1950s. As an aspiring young actor in post-World War II New York, he crossed paths with such up-and-coming players as Marlon Brando, Ben Gazzara, and Tony Franciosa. Becker made his television debut on the same installment of Philco Playhouse that saw the debut of Ernest Borgnine. Becker went on to appear in parts of varying sizes, from bits to starring roles, in dozens of early live-television dramas. He never made the jump to series work, though, preferring instead his one-off performances on the small screen, interspersed with occasional film work and stage productions. Becker wanted to direct for television as well as the stage, but in those years he was getting far more offers as an actor. One of the few directing jobs that he did procure backfired: He went out to Hollywood to direct a pilot that was never made and was forced to turn back to acting in order to survive in the movie capital. Becker often played highly motivated characters, such as earnest villains, dedicated, selfless heroes, or victims; in the Twilight Zone episode "I Am the Night -- Color Me Black," he portrayed a man due to be hanged in a matter of hours for what even the sheriff conceded was a justifiable homicide. He also appeared in two feature films, Teacher's Pet (as Mr. Appino) and Compulsion (as Benson), during the late '50s. In 1965, Becker joined the cast of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea as Chief Francis Sharkey, the top noncommissioned officer aboard the submarine Seaview. Producer Irwin Allen gave Becker very little to do (and very little money) during his first season on the show, preferring that the actor find his own niche or leave the cast. Ironically, once Becker had established a rapport with the series' star, Richard Basehart, and turned his role into something more substantial, Allen tried to renege on his promise of more money. Becker vowed to leave the show, insisting that a death scene be written for his character, but Allen was unable to find a replacement actor and finally resigned Becker for more money. Becker brought an authentic working-class New York element to the role and his work with Basehart over the next two seasons was one of the highlights of the program; the two always made sure they had at least one good, interesting dialogue scene together on each show. Although he never directed any episodes of Voyage, Becker moved out of acting and into producing, writing, and directing following the series' cancellation in 1968. In collaboration with Gene Reynolds and James L. Brooks, Becker developed and later directed several episodes of the series Room 222, which won him an Emmy Award for directing during the 1969-1970 season; he subsequently helmed episodes of Mission: Impossible, M*A*S*H (which was co-produced by Reynolds) and The Courtship of Eddie's Father. Becker also went into partnership with Carroll O'Connor, an old friend from his days acting in New York, to form a production company. He wrote and directed the horror movie The Thirsty Dead (1975), but spent most of his time in the '70s shepherding various series into production, including Bronk (with Jack Palance). Becker continues to write, direct, and produce, and he makes occasional appearances at conventions devoted to '60s television and science fiction. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
The tree-lined streets of a picturesque suburban neighborhood cast a dark shadow over a deadly secret in this morbid tale of unhinged madness and vile self-mutilation. When Bob and Wendi Peterson purchased their dream home on Wormwood Drive, they thought they were taking the first step towards a wonderful new life. Their new neighbor, Adrien Trumbull, came by to welcome them with a friendly smile and a box of chocolates, and it seemed as if the couple was now as far away from the crime-ridden streets of the big city as possible. But the madness doesn't stop at the city limits, it has a strange way of corrupting even the most serine of surroundings as well. Now, as Bob and Wendi begin to uncover the terrifying truth about their outwardly smiling neighbor Adrien, they quickly discover how useless the Neighborhood Watch program is when the one you fear most lives just next door. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Huston, Pell James, (more)
- 1985
Terry Lester stars as Joe Blade in this unclaimed TV pilot film. An American, Blade works in Hong Kong, the home of his adoptive father Keye Luke. When Luke is killed and a wealthy man is kidnapped, Blade springs into action (Maybe he's a switch-Blade. Forget we said that.) Ellen Regan, Leslie Nielsen, Anthony Newley and a pre-infomercial Nancy Kwan co-star in this location-filmed actioner. Blade in Hong Kong was foisted on the public on May 15, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Terry Lester, Keye Luke, (more)
- 1977
1977's Last Hurrah is a TV-movie remake of the 1958 John Ford film of the same name. Both versions are based on the Edwin O'Connor novel about the last days of flamboyant, larcenous Mayor Frank Skeffington--based upon the equally colorful, equally underhanded Boston mayor James Curley. Carroll O'Connor plays Skeffington in the 1977 version (it was Spencer Tracy back in 1958). O'Connor spends the bulk of the film trying in manners both subtle and strongarm to win re-election--and to race the clock against his own failing health. While the 1958 Last Hurrah is superior, the 1977 Hurrah has the saving grace of Carroll O'Connor's exuberant performance; O'Connor also wrote the script for this remake. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
- PG
In order to maintain their youth, vampiric jungle freaks kidnap and sacrifice pretty young things in this horror/thriller. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Frequent Mission:Impossible villain John Vernon makes a return appearance in "Movie," this time as mob-connected Hollywood mogul Norman Shields. In order to wrest the Syndicate's financial records from Shields, Phelps poses as Theo Dane, the courier brother of mob financier Benjamin Dane (David Brian). But the more fascinating masquerade is pulled off by IMF agents Barney and Mimi Davis (Barbara Anderson), who respectively impersonate a director and an actress while purportedly filming a recreation of a murder committed by Shields (shades of "The Murder of Gonzago" in Shakespeare's Hamlet!) Scripted by Anthony Bowers, Arthur Weiss, and Stephen Kandel, from a story by Bowers, "Movie" first aired on November 4, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Greg Morris, (more)
- 1972
In order to take care of a wounded North Korean soldier without alerting the authorities, Hawkeye (Alan Alda) and Trapper (Wayne Rogers) sneak a pint of blood from the sleeping Frank (Larry Linville). Unfortunately, it turns out that Frank may have hepatitis. The problem: how to test Frank and isolate him from the rest of the camp without arousing his suspicions. "Germ Warfare" made its first network TV appearance on December 10, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
During the IMF's attempt to rescue black freedom fighter Dr. Frederick Kolda from the sadistic minions of an Apartheid African nation, Barney is wounded and left stranded in the jungle. He takes refuge in the hut of Gabby (Ta-Tanisha), a beautiful deafmute. Falling in love with Barney, Gabby is fiercely determined to protect him from his white pursuers--unaware that she is endangering the IMF's efforts to rescue their fellow agent. Written by Helen Holblock Thompson, "Hunted" was first seen on November 21, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Leonard Nimoy, (more)
- 1966
Voyage To The Bottom of the Sea had two highly successful and entertaining seasons behind it in 1966, as it entered its third season. It had made the jump to a new timeslot and color shooting the previous year, and the cast remained the same, led by Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson and David Hedison as Commander Lee Crane, with Bob Dowdell, Terry Becker, Del Monroe, and Paul Trinka returning in their supporting roles as members of the crew of the submarine Seaview. Only Alan Hunt, who had played crewman Stu Riley, was gone, Hunt having been drafted. Unlike the transition from the first two second seasons, there were no changes depicted in the design of the ship, or the major pieces of hardware used in the plots. Terry Becker as Chief Petty Officer Francis Sharkey played a somewhat bigger role in the action in this season, as he had been absent, except for appearances in stock footage shots, for most of the second half of the previous season -- his character was given more background and development, and he had a lot more to do, especially in his interactions with Basehart.
Now ensconced in an early Sunday night timeslot, one would have hoped that that the series could maintain the quality of those first two seasons. But instead, Voyage took a strange and bizarre turn, away from the careful mix of espionage stories, science fiction, and adventure tales that had characterized those first two seasons, and into monster-on-the-loose stories for its third season, and even introduced werewolves and showed regular confrontations with aliens from outer space and all manner of creatures from inside the Earth. The series, in effect, became much more like producer Irwin Allen's other successful series, Lost In Space, with several monstrous creatures crossing over between the two shows, both of which were produced at adjoining facilities on the 20th Century-Fox lot. This was the season in which adults began to get embarrassed by many of the shows, which became decidedly more juvenile, and even older teenagers started to treat Voyage as a "guilty pleasure."
Yet the series survived and thrived, mostly because the pacing of the episodes was notched up considerably. The stories may have been silly at times, and the array of monsters faced by the Seaview's crew ridiculous, but the shows delivered non-stop action at a breakneck pace, and became engrossing on that level, especially for the relative handful of good scripts that were produced -- and those were very good. "The Death Watch" was a stark psychological drama involving just Basehart, Hedison, and Becker aboard an otherwise deserted Seaview, while "Day of Evil" and "Thing From Inner Space" gave supporting actor Paul Trinka two great scripts in which to star; and "Deadly Waters" offered an acting tour-de-force fromb series regular Del Monroe as well as a highly suspenseful story of a disaster at sea. And "The Day The World Ended" presented a fascinating story about mass hypnosis of the crew, which included some fine special effects footage.
Despite such highlights, however, the series also started to rely too heavily on stock footage, which longtime fans had seen more than once in the run of the series, and which marred the effectiveness of some of the shows. "The Terrible Toys", for example, was a ridiculous if highly entertaining thriller about an encounter with an alien spaceship, which offered lively pacing and some suspenseful moments, but fell down when extensive footage from a prior season show turned up at a critical moment in the story. The series' problems may well have been a result of the attention of producer Irwin Allen being stretched too thin -- in addition to overseeing Voyage and Lost In Space, he had Time Tunnel in production at the time, and was about to go into pre-production on what would become his most expensive series ever, Land Of The Giants. On the positive side, the actors picked up some of the slack in the scripts. "Day of Evil" and "The Haunted Submarine" gave Hedison and, even more so, Basehart, the opportunity to play dual roles that were immensely fun to watch. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Basehart, David Hedison, (more)
- 1965
The second season of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea brought numerous changes to the series, most notably the addition of color photography -- and the addition of color photography seemed to herald a greater emphasis on science fiction scripts; however, unlike Lost in Space, producer Irwin Allen's other science fiction series of this period, which became distinctly more juvenile when it switched to color, the overall approach to Voyage didn't change radically. Indeed, it seemed as though Allen was willing to lavish an even bigger budget on the show and keep its reasonably adult orientation. The other major addition to the series was a new device associated with the submarine Seaview, in the form of the Flying Sub. The Seaview had always carried mini-subs, small lightly powered two-man underwater vehicles, which were a carry-over from the 1961 movie Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, but the Flying Sub, known officially as FS-1, was a snub-winged vehicle resembling a manta ray that could emerge from its berth below the larger sub's observation deck and not only move just as quickly through the water as the mother ship but also, using its jets, streak into the air and fly at supersonic speeds. This helped to move scripts along at a much faster pace, as key characters could now span the globe when necessary, and it allowed for action to be divided between two or more locales. Although writers quickly fell into the routine plot device of having the Flying Sub become trapped or otherwise disabled with one of the principal characters aboard, when they avoided this plot element its presence worked wonders in speeding the pace of the action along.
The core cast of characters and actors remained the same during the second season, led by Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson, designer of the submarine Seaview, and David Hedison as the Seaview's captain, Commander Lee Crane, with two additions. Terry Becker joined the cast as Chief Francis Sharkey, the tough, streetwise, New York-accented top non-commissioned officer on the boat; and Alan Hunt joined as crewman Stu Riley, taking his place alongside Del Monroe's Kowalski and Paul Trinka's Patterson among the recurring members of the crew. Riley was originally supposed to add some youth appeal to the series, depicted as a surfer who joins the Seaview's crew, but the episode that introduced him in this way was never shot.
The series retained its adult orientation for the second season, not yet falling into the trap that Lost in Space subsequently did of aiming its appeal at preteens. Indeed, aside from the occasional "monster of the week" adventures, there were scripts dealing with surprisingly sophisticated stories, of attempts by the military to take control of the government, and espionage tales that borrowed freely from the work of Alfred Hitchcock in some details -- and one story involving an assassin with a particularly nasty needle-weapon. The episode that generated the most press, however, was the season opener, "Jonah and the Whale," in which a diving bell carrying Admiral Nelson and a Russian scientist is swallowed by a gigantic sperm whale, and Crane must mount a rescue mission. The sets and special effects were impressive enough to generate magazine articles, and it also benefited from the presence of a new opening and closing theme, as well as a full score composed by Jerry Goldsmith. The new title theme was apparently intended for permanent use on the series but was only used on this one episode -- Allen apparently regarded it as too dark and mysterious for the show, apart from this one episode. There was also one episode, "The Sky's on Fire," that was essentially a rewrite of the plot from the 1961 feature film, about the Van Allen Radiation Belt bursting into flame; and "The Death Ship" was a retelling of Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians with the Seaview as the setting for a string of murders. A few of the episodes were throwaways -- almost generic thrillers, such as "Terror on Dinosaur Island" -- but most were of distinctly superior quality to the seasons that followed. And at least one, "The Cyborg," seemed to overlap in some ways with the plot of the Star Trek episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of?," involving a plot to replace Admiral Nelson -- and through him the world's leaders -- with cyborg replicas. One odd note concerning this season of the show is that it featured the one extended absence of any of the stars -- due to an illness, Basehart was essentially absent from a handful of late-season shows, including "The Monster's Web" and "The Menfish," and in the latter was basically replaced by veteran movie star Gary Merrill, portraying another scientist/admiral. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
The core cast of characters and actors remained the same during the second season, led by Richard Basehart as Admiral Harriman Nelson, designer of the submarine Seaview, and David Hedison as the Seaview's captain, Commander Lee Crane, with two additions. Terry Becker joined the cast as Chief Francis Sharkey, the tough, streetwise, New York-accented top non-commissioned officer on the boat; and Alan Hunt joined as crewman Stu Riley, taking his place alongside Del Monroe's Kowalski and Paul Trinka's Patterson among the recurring members of the crew. Riley was originally supposed to add some youth appeal to the series, depicted as a surfer who joins the Seaview's crew, but the episode that introduced him in this way was never shot.
The series retained its adult orientation for the second season, not yet falling into the trap that Lost in Space subsequently did of aiming its appeal at preteens. Indeed, aside from the occasional "monster of the week" adventures, there were scripts dealing with surprisingly sophisticated stories, of attempts by the military to take control of the government, and espionage tales that borrowed freely from the work of Alfred Hitchcock in some details -- and one story involving an assassin with a particularly nasty needle-weapon. The episode that generated the most press, however, was the season opener, "Jonah and the Whale," in which a diving bell carrying Admiral Nelson and a Russian scientist is swallowed by a gigantic sperm whale, and Crane must mount a rescue mission. The sets and special effects were impressive enough to generate magazine articles, and it also benefited from the presence of a new opening and closing theme, as well as a full score composed by Jerry Goldsmith. The new title theme was apparently intended for permanent use on the series but was only used on this one episode -- Allen apparently regarded it as too dark and mysterious for the show, apart from this one episode. There was also one episode, "The Sky's on Fire," that was essentially a rewrite of the plot from the 1961 feature film, about the Van Allen Radiation Belt bursting into flame; and "The Death Ship" was a retelling of Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians with the Seaview as the setting for a string of murders. A few of the episodes were throwaways -- almost generic thrillers, such as "Terror on Dinosaur Island" -- but most were of distinctly superior quality to the seasons that followed. And at least one, "The Cyborg," seemed to overlap in some ways with the plot of the Star Trek episode "What Are Little Girls Made Of?," involving a plot to replace Admiral Nelson -- and through him the world's leaders -- with cyborg replicas. One odd note concerning this season of the show is that it featured the one extended absence of any of the stars -- due to an illness, Basehart was essentially absent from a handful of late-season shows, including "The Monster's Web" and "The Menfish," and in the latter was basically replaced by veteran movie star Gary Merrill, portraying another scientist/admiral. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Basehart, David Hedison, (more)
- 1964
Hate hangs heavy in the air in the small midwestern town where accused murderer Jagger (Terry Becker) is sentenced to hang at sunrise. But there's a slight hitch in these plans -- though it is already mid-afternoon, the sun has failed to rise. Written by Rod Serling, this heavy-handed Twilight Zone episode may be the first filmed TV drama to make reference to the recent Kennedy assassination. Michael Constantine, Ivan Dixon, and George Lindsey ("Goober" on The Andy Griffith Show) are among the participants in "I Am the Night - Color Me Black," which made its network debut on March 27, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Constantine, Paul Fix, (more)
- 1963
The men of King Company are anxious to leave the small French village where they've been billetted. One look at the local female population, however, and the guys immediately change their minds. In particular, squad members Kirby (Jack Hogan), Caje (Pierre Jalbert) and Nelson (Tom Lowell) want to cozy up to a trio of gorgeous mademoiselles, and to that end they promise to throw the girls a party--regulations or no regulations! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
On behalf of his father Ben Cartwright, Hoss delivers a large sum of money to the town of Dutchman Flats. Upon his arrival, however, Hoss is arrested by Sheriff Stedman (Denver Pyle) on a charge of bank robbery. Stedman knows that Hoss is innocent, but he's anxious to prove his worth to the townspeople. Stedman's plan goes horribly awry when the angry citizens form a lynch mob. Also in the cast are Olive Sturgess as Mary Ann, Roy Roberts as Fillmore, Terry Becker as Shukie, Kelly Thordsen as Larson, John Harmon as McCray, Rayford Barnes as Austin, and Lane Bradford as Tibbs. Written by Preston Wood and Elliot Arnold, "A Hot Day for a Hanging" first aired on October 14, 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
- 1960
While vacationing in the mountain community of Fawnskin, Perry (Raymond Burr) becomes intrigued by the plight of recently paroled Phil Beecher (Ray Hemphill), who is despised by the townfolk because he was responsible for the death of Aggie Norris--who happened to be the daughter of Perry's good friend, Sheriff Eugene Norris (Barton MacLane). Apparently no one hates Phil more than Aggie's sister Charlotte (Ina Victor), who hopes to send the man back to jail by framing him for robbery. When Charlotte turns up murdered, Phil may end up the guest of honor at a lynching party unless Perry can prove his innocence. (Curiously, in the original TV Guide synopsis for this episode, the murder victim is identified as Aggie Norris' brother!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
In this crime drama, the FBI seeks a novelist, and former gangster, living in Mexico. They need him to testify in front of a Senate committee. He is also hunted by hit men, sent out by gangsters angered by the name-dropping the author does in his books. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Compulsion is a compelling, stylish thriller, loosely based on the famous 1924 murder trial of thrill-killers Loeb and Leopold, two homosexual students who murdered a young boy to demonstrate their intellectual superiority. Artie Straus (Bradford Dillman) is a sadistic, mother-dominated bully. Judd Steiner (Dean Stockwell) is a submissive, introverted sissy. Having been raised by wealthy, arrogant families, both Artie and Judd consider themselves above conventional morality. Unfeeling and conceited, the boys, after the killing, take delight in offering to aid in finding the culprits. It is this arrogance which leads to their capture and prosecution for the murders. Jonathan Wilk (Orson Welles), playing a Clarence Darrow-like criminal defense attorney, takes on the case, and puts on a defense, without the cooperation of his clients, who will offer no explanation for what they have done. Bradford Dillman gives an outstanding performance, as does Dean Stockwell as the utterly unsympathetic murderers. Orson Welles is flamboyantly imposing as Wilk, who must use all his wits to try to save the boys from execution. Compulsion is a suspenseful courtroom drama, even though most viewers will know the outcome. Tautly directed by Richard Fleischer, the film is an outstanding, believable courtroom drama. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Orson Welles, Dean Stockwell, (more)
Hard-boiled, self-educated newspaper editor Clark Gable turns down an opportunity to lecture before a night-school journalism class, publicly ridiculing the notion that the art of news writing can be taught. Gable's publisher, sensing a good story, orders the recalcitrant editor to appear at the lecture. Upon entering the classroom, Gable overhears journalism teacher Doris Day, the daughter of a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, condemn Gable's attitude towards higher education. Intrigued by the lovely Day, Gable enrolls in her class under an assumed name. He quickly goes to the head of the class (after all, he's had more experience than all the other students combined), then begins a campaign to romance Day. But there's a fly in the ointment: Day's fiance Gig Young, who gives an Oscar-calibre performance as a smug know-all. Likewise stealing every scene she's in is Mamie Van Doren, playing an exotic dancer who's set her sights on Gable. Fay and Michael Kanin's sprightly screenplay for Teacher's Pet manages to steer clear of any and all potential cliches. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clark Gable, Doris Day, (more)
- 1958
Philip Larkin (Terry Becker) is murdered, and his stepfather Joseph Harrison (John Hoyt) is charged with the crime. A key piece of evidence for the prosecution is a home movie showing Larkin and Harrison quarrelling; could their argument have been about sexy Lorraine Stevens (Andra Martin), whom Philip had earlier tried to seduce? Fay Wray of King Kong fame makes the first of three Perry Mason appearances as Harrison's former wife Ethel, who hires Perry (Raymond Burr) to defend her ex-husband in court. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1956
The menfolk of Dodge City are impressed and intimidated by amazonian Lena Wave (Dee J. Thompson), who defies the gender rules of the era by talking, fighting and cussing like a man--and treating her diminutive boyfriend Emmett Fitzgood (Terry Becker) like a dog. The only male not terrified by Big Lena--other than Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness), of course--is Nate Bannister (Joel Ashley), who is determined to get even with Lena for killing his pal. Even allowing for the unorthodox nature of the plotline, the ultimate outcome is completely unexpected. This episode is based on the Gunsmoke radio broadcast of February 6, 1954. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
