Laslo Benedek Movies
A cameraman at Germany's UFA studios in the early 1930s, Benedek also worked as an editor in France and a writer in England before coming to the States in 1937. After having been associate producer on several of producer Joe Pasternak's musicals, he helmed his first feature in 1948, Frank Sinatra's notorious flop, the musical western The Kissing Bandit. In the early 1950s he directed two memorable films for producer Stanley Kramer: the Arthur Miller adaptation Death Of A Salesman with Fredric March, and the motorcycle-gang drama The Wild One with Marlon Brando. Benedek worked frequently in television during the 1950s and '60s. His notable later films include the crime tale Moment Of Danger (aka Malaga) and the thriller The Night Visitor. ~ All Movie Guide- 1985
In an amusing spoof on the world of film aficionados and scholars, novice director Heiner Stadler has come up with a clever story of film intrigue and deception, all in the name of saving face. The chain of events begins with an ambitious film critic sitting in on a screening of a 1920s movie during the 1984 Berlin Film Festival. This sparks his interest, so when a film projectionist tells him about the long-lost director Bobo Wawerka who actually made the 1920s film but mysteriously disappeared from view after leaving for Hollywood -- the budding film critic decides he has to investigate the fate of the unrecognized Bobo. Armed with the knowledge given him by the projectionist that Bobo's last-known work was making the fist of King Kong in that famous movie, the aspiring researcher takes off on funding cajoled from the editor of a film journal. The credibility of this story is enforced by some chicanery on the part of the projectionist, and the young reporter next wings his way to Hollywood -- where he finds out the truth: there never was any Bobo Wawerka, period. But now what can he do to save his reputation? Interspersed with cameos by film professionals such as Wim Wenders, a well-known Hamburg film exhibitor, and producer Bernd Eichinger, this parody has a little added punch.
~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leonard Lansink
- 1975
Laslo Benedek's adaptation of the Alan Caillou suspense novel never received a Greek theatrical release, despite its being shot entirely in Greece and co-produced (with the British Nine Network) by its Greek star, Nico Minardos. The film tells the tale of a World War II guerrilla leader named Agathon (Yiorgos Moussou), long believed to be dead, who has resurfaced to plot a revolution in the Balkans. Minardos plays Cabot Cain, an Interpol agent who travels to Greece in order to discover Agathon's lair and prevent the uprising. The film employed a demented set of casting decisions which put everyone from Nina Van Pallandt and John Woodvine to Marianne Faithfull and Kostas Baladimas into the fray, and resembles such international misfires as Jungle Warriors (which also featured Van Pallandt) more than the big-budget mainstream actioner which it was obviously intended to be. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nico Minardos, Nina Van Pallandt, (more)
- 1970
- PG
In this suspense thriller, Max von Sydow is Selem, who inconveniences his sister Esther (Liv Ullman) and her husband, Dr. Anton Jenks (Per Oscarsson) by being accused of murder. They rid themselves of the inconvenience by having him committed to a mental hospital. This situation drives him into genuine insanity, and he seeks revenge by escaping to commit horrific crimes in such a way that they will be blamed on Dr. Jenks. Having done this, his plan is to return to the mental hospital without being detected. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Vic Powers (Lloyd Bridges) leads a specialized rescue unit known as the Flying Fish. When an American economics professor is kidnapped by a malevolent Latin American dictator, the call goes out to recover the victim. The unit is equally adept in or out of the water. Ricardo (Nico Minardos) is the resident beachcomber recruited to provide the team with valuable information vital to recovering the missing professor. The specialized unit travels by air, land and sea to meet their objective and races against time to avoid an international incident that could tip the balance of power in favor of the dictator. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lloyd Bridges, Nico Minardos, (more)
Based on a true story and suitable for the whole family, Namu, the Killer Whale was a film that debunked many myths about orca whales--animals that have traditionally been considered voracious, merciless killers. Set in Puget Sound on one of the San Juan islands, the tale centers on the relationship between a marine biologist and an orca who is wounded by angry fishermen and left to die in a shallow cove. The biologist helps to save the whale and while it recovers, he studies it. He soon realizes that the whale is not a single-minded killer but a sensitive and highly intelligent creature. Unfortunately, when local fishermen get wind of Namu's presence, they begin to get restless and decide that they must kill him once and for all. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Lansing, John Anderson, (more)
- 1965
Weighed down by a life of failure and disillusionment, Robert Manners (Steven Hill) finds that he cannot even commit suicide successfully. Thus it is that Robert checks into the ultra-exclusive Thantos Palace Hotel, where the clientele consists entirely of would-be suicides who have contractually agreed to kill one another -- and as a "bonus," the victim never knows when his or her number is up. Although at first Robert honors the rules and conditions of the Thantos, he changes his mind upon falling in love with another guest, the hauntingly beautiful Ariane Shaw (Angie Dickinson). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Angie Dickinson, Steven Hill, (more)
- 1965
The Seaview and her crew are taken by a group of modern day pirates. Their leader is a mad art collector who plans on using the submarine's speed and weaponry to steal Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, being transported to the World's Fair aboard an armed French vessel. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- 1964
In Volume 13 of a collection culled from the 1963-1965 science fiction anthology television series, a prehistoric creature found encased in ice is thawed out to lead an army of cavemen. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1964
In Volume 24 of a collection culled from the 1963-1965 science fiction anthology television series, the researchers on a military base on the Moon find a living organism. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1964
In the closing months of World War II, phony spiritualist Adelaide Winters (Kim Hunter) has come up with a cruel but successful new racket. Preying upon the grieving parents of deceased servicemen, Adelaide claims to have the power to communicate with the spirits of the dead soldiers. Adelaide's elaborate forays into the next world so impresses one of her clients, wealthy Edward Porter (John Larkin), that he proposes marriage to her. Adelaide accepts, greedily anticipating a life of luxury and ease -- blissfully unaware that Mr. Porter has a morbid "crossover" plan all his own. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kim Hunter, John Larkin, (more)
- 1964
In Volume 40 of a collection culled from the 1963-1965 science fiction anthology television series, the speedy evolution of an alien culture is observed through a professor's telescope. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1964
When the king of a small nation is assassinated, the Seaview gets the mission of conducting the young Crown Prince home. The mission, and the need to protect the boy, is made all the more difficult by his unhappiness, and Nelson and Crane's inability to communicate with him. When the sub picks up a mysterious old man (Carroll O'Connor) at sea, he provides the boy with the companionship he needs, as well as some unexpected guidance. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- 1963
In an ironic turn of events, fugitive Richard Kimble (David Janssen) is sworn in as a deputy when Phil Bellows (Robert Doyle) is arrested for murder. Ordered to drive the prisoner and the witnesses to the county seat, Kimble is persuaded that Bellows is actually an innocent victim of circumstance--just like himself. Only after saving Bellows from a lynch mob does Kimble realize that he's being played for a sucker by a very clever psychopath. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Engineer Alan Maxwell (Cliff Robertson) is using his commercial radio station's antenna to probe into deep space in experiments of his own, in the course of which he makes contact with a being (William O. Douglas, Jr.) from the great nebula in the constellation Andromeda. Through an accident, the alien is transported to Earth, where its radioactive emanations prove lethal to all who come in contact with it. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- 1963
The fourth volume in a collection culled from the 1963-1965 science fiction anthology television series recounts the story of a mousy scientist whose latest creation--a harness for cosmic energy controlled by his mind--wreaks havoc because of his repressed emotions. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Federal agent Elliot Ness ($Robert Stack) and gangster boss Vince Majeski (Claude Akins) are both very interested when fugitive hoodlum Johnny Meizo (Rip Torn) returns from Brazil. It seems that just before leaving the States, Meizo had stolen $200,000 of Majeski's money. On the lam from both the Feds and the Mob, Meizo hides out with his sister-in-law Doris (Virginia Christine) and her nephew Arnie (Tim Considine, taking time off from his regular TV duties on My Three Sons). Upon realizing that Arnie is becoming as cold-blooded as he is, Vince suddenly has an epiphany and tries to save the boy from a life of crime. A young Joyce Van Patten appears briefly as an ill-fated nightclub dancer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
In an uncharacteristic moment of distraction ("explained" by the episode's title), Saunders (Vic Morrow) is captured by the Germans. Subsequently rescued by the French Underground, Saunders is hidden in the posh apartment of Annette Touzet (Micheline Presle). Though worried that she'll be killed by the Nazis if Saunders is discovered, Annette also knows that if she refuses to hide him, she'll be executed by the Partisans because of her romantic involvement with a German officer. The climax takes place on an old barge, with the titular "record" once again brought into play--literally. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
Hired to inventory the Bowden estate, Ralph Duncan (Vaughn Taylor), a none-too-bright civil servant, decides to impress his wife Helen by bringing home $153,000 in old greenbacks that he has found on the Bowden property. Of course, Duncan intends to return the money the next morning; unfortunately, the cash is stolen by his no-good cousin Charley (Robert Casper). Not only is poor Duncan accused of theft, but he's also charged with the murder of one Lloyd Farrell (Liam Sullivan)--and it is at this point that Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) enters the story. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
Future film superstar James Coburn appears as slimy entrepreneur Donald Fletcher, who purchases a highly respected publishing house and converts its output to slezy tabloids and nudie magazines. Unable to legally prevent Fletcher from inflicting further damage, editor Edmond Aitken (Philip Abbott), whose family once owned the publishing firm, may be driven to desperation. Ultimately, Fletcher is murdered--but it is Aitken's wife Alyce (Sara Shane), rather than her husband, who is charged with the crime because she was being blackmailed by Fletcher with nude photos taken during her modelling career. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) prepares to clear Alyce and ferret out the genuine culprit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
Summoned to a small California mountain community by his client Iris McKay (Enid James), detective Paul Drake (William Hopper) is prompty arrested for the crime of being clean-shaven; it seems that it is "Pioneer Week", and every male in town is required to wear a false beard! Once this matter is cleared up, Paul gets down to business, attempting to locate nearly $34,000 that had been embezzled from the local bank by its former president Fred Swan (Russ Conway), who has returned to town after being released from prison. Paul ultimately finds the money--and also Swan's dead body. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) arrives on the scene to defend poor Iris on a murder charge. Watch for a pre-Batman Adam West in the supporting cast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
It looks like suicide when hasbeen concert pianist David Carpenter (Gregory Morton) plunges off a cliff. Then the suspicion arises that Carpenter was actually murdered so that his wife Anita (Virginia Field) could collect his life insurance. But Anita is not the client of Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) in the subsequent preliminary hearing: instead, Carpenter's sexy protegee Donna Ross (Kathie Browne) has been charged with the murder. (Trivia note: the original TV Guide listings identify the suspect as "Donna Loring", a name presumably changed at the last minute for legal reasons). Robert Karnes makes his first appearance as Deputy DA Chamberlin, one of several temporary replacements for absentee regular William Talman (DA Hamilton Burger). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
As upset as she is over the impending divorce of her parents, Ann Farwell (Elen Willard) is even more upset that her rancher father Burt (John Archer) is keeping company with sexy young Rita Conover (Shirley Ballard). When Rita is murdered, Ann thinks that her mom Jill (Linda Leighton) is the killer, and vice versa. The two ladies spend so much time covering for each other that Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) hardly has time to defend the accused murderer, ranch hand Joe Dixon (Frank Maxwell). This is one of several episodes directed by Laslo Benedek, whose movie credits include the definitive motorcycle-gang epic The Wild One. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
This routine crime drama with a dash of romance begins with a tense opening, a jewel theft is carried out almost without a word of dialogue. One of the thieves, John Bain (Trevor Howard) an expert locksmith plagued by a stint in prison, has been coerced into helping the master thief Peter Curran (Edmund Purdom) pull off the heist. Now that success is at hand, Peter double-crosses John and dumps his lover Gianna (Dorothy Dandridge) and takes off for Spain with the loot. Embittered and anxious for revenge, Gianna hooks up with John and the two of them head for Spain with an eye to getting even. As their quest brings them together, the two develop a special feeling for each other. Between their mutual libidinal interest and the intrusion of the search for Peter, the story itself becomes spread a little too thin. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Trevor Howard, Dorothy Dandridge, (more)
- 1960
The main drawback to this well-wrought tale of a man on the run is the weight it places on dialogue and concepts over actions and feelings. Otherwise, the fast-paced, sad story moves along unremittingly after Mario (Raf Vallone) has an unexpected encounter with a friend he has not seen for many, many years. Mario had been living with his mistress Germain (Emmanuelle Riva) under an assumed name -- he deserted from the army fifteen years ago and hid his identity for obvious reasons. But now that his old friend has come back into the picture and effectively spilled the beans, Mario runs away from his home and his life because he cannot face Germain with the truth. She refuses to see him when she does find out and that only sends him running faster from pillar to post, seeking asylum from the police who are now on his trail. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Raf Vallone, Emmanuelle Riva, (more)
- 1958
Accused of murdering her Uncle Martin (Alexander Price), Nadine Marshall (Christine White) makes a detailed confession of the crime while under drugged hypnosis. The doctor handling the case informs Perry Mason (Raymond Burr), who despite this damning evidence is convinced that Nadine is innocent. The key to the solution would seem to be Nadine's engagement to one John Locke (Sherwood Price)--which under normal circumstances would be a happy occasion, but which for reasons unknown prompted Nadine to attempt suicide! This episode is based on a 1954 novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
