Thordis Brandt Movies
- 1970
- R
Brazen, determined CEO of the Mother Knows Best Toy Company, Julie Newmar, goes to extremes to convince introverted, sexually repressed company salesman Wally Cox to market the wooden dolls he designs as a hobby. He refuses though. So she persuades her son to hire a prostitute to convince him. Later she finds out the salesman is secretly in love with her, not because she is drop-dead gorgeous, but because she reminds him of his domineering mother. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1969
Filmed in 1966 (when screenwriter Richard Breen was still around), this made-for-TV feature marked the return of Jack Webb's classic 1950s cop series Dragnet after a seven-year absence. Ordered to cut his vacation short, Sgt. Joe Friday (played by Jack Webb) is assigned to investigate the mysterious disappeances of two beautiful models and a pretty young war widow. In concert with partner Bill Gannon (Harry Morgan), Friday does his best to follow the trail of evidence, only to be continually stymied by contradictory or reluctant eyewitnesses. Before arriving at the disturbing conclusion that the missing girls have been the victims of a voyeuristic serial killer, Joe and Bill manage to solve another, unrelated murder involving a visiting Frenchman. Several members of Jack Webb's radio and TV Dragnet stock company are cast in colorful supporting roles, including Virginia Gregg, Victor Perrin, and Herb Ellis, while L.A. Dodgers catcher John Roseboro is seen as a fellow cop. A powerful opening sequence and an thrilling action climax more than compensate for the unevenness of the script (the last such by veteran Webb collaborator Richard Breen) and the occasional pokiness of the direction. Although this 97-minute Dragnet was good enough to convince NBC to revive the vintage Jack Webb series on a weekly, half-hour basis (it ran successfully for three seasons), the film itself was shelved for several years, not making its network TV debut until January 27, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Dr. Ralph Hayes (Alvy Moore) is a professor of paranormal studies who leads a group into the Louisiana swamp to investigate a string of murders. His student Tasha (Thordis Brandt) is the psychic whose powers have been inherited from her witch ancestors. Hayes believes that witchcraft is the reason behind the murders of the young women, and reporter Victor Gordon (Anthony Eisley) is out to cover the story. The trail eventually leads to Luther the Berserk (John Lodge) a sorcerer of incredible powers who, after drinking the blood of his victims, has the ability to raise the dead as his unholy army of the night. The efforts of the human researchers collide with the supernatural forces of evil in this terrifying feature. Veteran character actor Burt Mustin, who played Gus the fireman on the hit television show "Leave It To Beaver," plays the boatman. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Lodge, Alvy Moore, (more)
Singing stars from two very different generations appear in Live A Little, Love A Little. Elvis Presley plays Greg, a photographer who divides his time working for a skin magazine and a conservative newspaper. Rudy Valle plays Penlow, the veteran newspaper publisher. Lansdown (Don Porter) is the publisher of a girly magazine as Greg tries to work for both without the other finding out. Greg falls in love with a fashion model (Michele Carey) in this situation comedy that even die-hard Elvis fans have a hard time swallowing. By this time, Elvis planned to fulfil his remaining movie obligations and return to the stage, as his 1960s film career had failed to take on the dramatic seriousness he desperately sought. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elvis Presley, Michele Carey, (more)
- 1968
- R
A pair of crooks conspire to rob the ticket booth at the Los Angeles Coliseum during a Rams game. Before they can perform the heist, the two must find precisely the right henchmen to join them. Each potential gang member must undergo a rigorous test of skill. Thanks to care and precise planning, the caper comes off smoothly and afterward the gang leader (Jim Brown) hides the money in the apartment of his ex-wife (Diahann Carroll). She only agrees to keep the money on the provision that he reform so they can get back together. Unfortunately, the wife's lust-crazed landlord (James Whitmore) busts into her house the next day and tries to rape her. During the struggle he kills her and then takes the loot. Later a crooked cop (Gene Hackman) investigates. Meanwhile, when the gang members learn that the loot is missing, they suspect a double-cross and engage in a huge battle. The cop finds the money and at first keeps it for himself. The head crook eventually figures out that the cop has it and so goes to him to make a little deal. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jim Brown, Diahann Carroll, (more)
Derek Flint (James Coburn) is back in this James Bond-styled spy spoof sequel to Our Man Flint. Flint's boss Cramden (Lee J. Cobb) assigns him to stop a group of felonious females on the Virgin Islands who hope to take over the world; the bad femmes are kidnapping astronauts and replacing them with doubles to gain access to the world's missile sites. Andrew Duggan plays the U.S. President and his nefarious double. The feature was typical of the spoofs that followed in the wake of the successful James Bond spy films of the 1960s. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Coburn, Lee J. Cobb, (more)
- 1967
Kimble (David Janssen) uses the alias "Bill March" when he signs up as a deckhand on the Mexico-bound yacht skippered by Ralph Schuyler (Charles Bronson). The yacht's only passenger is Felice Greer (Anne Francis), who is heading toward a rendezvous with her embezzler husband Oliver (Charles Drake). What neither Kimble nor Felice realize is that Schuyler is an undercover cop, determined to put them both behind bars. But an engine-room fire radically alters the situation, placing Kimble on the horns of yet another "damned if he does, damned if he doesn't" dilemma. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1965
Klink bugs the POWs' quarters, making it impossible for Hogan to relay vital information to London. As a means of getting the info to the Allies, Hogan convinces Klink that he has been won over to the German side. In exchange for what he knows about the Underground, Hogan requests a rest-and-relaxation visit to a local village -- while Klink is kept preoccupied with the phony information dispensed by the rest of Hogan's heroes. Sigrid Valdis, who later took over the role of Klink's secretary Hilda, is here seen as Gretchen. Written by Laurence Marks, "Top Hat, White Tie and Bomb Sight" first aired on November 19, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, (more)
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