Richard Crenna Movies
American actor Richard Crenna started out as a radio performer at age 11, demonstrating an astonishing range for one so young. The momentum of his career was unaffected by an army hitch and time spent earning an English degree at the University of Southern California. But even though he was by then in his twenties, Crenna found himself still playing adolescents, notably squeaky-voiced high schooler Walter Denton on the radio comedy Our Miss Brooks. That he was able to play characters of virtually any age was overlooked by movie and TV casting directors, who could see Crenna only in callow-juvenile roles. After making an excellent impression as ballplayer Daffy Dean in the 1953 film Pride of St. Louis, for example, Crenna wasn't cast in another film until the 1955 movie version of Our Miss Brooks--in which, at 29, he was Walter Denton once more. The following year, Crenna decided "to sorta let Walter Denton die," and took a decidedly mature role in the sleazy exploitation film Over-Exposed (1956). It was a fully grown Crenna who took on the role of Luke McCoy on the Walter Brennan TV series The Real McCoys, which ran from 1957 through 1963 and which gave Crenna his first opportunities as a director. After McCoys, Crenna found himself facing potential career standstill again, since it seemed that now he was typed as the rubeish Luke McCoy. This time, however, the actor had impressed enough producers with his dogged work ethic and the range displayed in guest-star appearances. In 1964, Crenna was cast in a prestigious TV drama For the People as assistant DA David Koster, and though the program lasted only one season, Crenna was firmly established as a compelling dramatic actor. Still, and despite solid Richard Crenna film performances in The Sand Pebbles (1966), Body Heat (1981) and The Flamingo Kid (1985), the actor has never completely escaped the spectre of Walter Denton. Crenna was able to conjure up the old adenoidal Denton voice on talk shows of the 1980s and 1990s, and in the action-film spoof Hot Shots: Part Deux, the actor, with an absolute straight face, portrayed Colonel Denton Walters! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1963
Helen refuses to accompany Andy to the Chamber of Commerce dance unless he finds a date for her cousin Mary Grace Gossage (Mary Grace Canfield). Gomer Pyle is elected to be Mary Grace's escort-only to apparently jilt the girl right in the middle of the dance! Originally scheduled to air on November 25, 1963, "A Date for Gomer" was bumped to December 9 by CBS' ongoing coverage of the JFK assassination. The episode was written by Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Encouraged by an enterprising hobo (Douglas Fowley), Opie and his friends begin playing "Robin Hood." Before long, the boys are blithely stealing from the rich and giving to the poor-namely, their pal the hobo. Richard Keith, formerly "Little Ricky" on I Love Lucy, is here seen as Johnny. First broadcast on December 30, 1963, "Opie and His Merry Men" was one of several fourth-season Andy Griffith Show installments written by John Whedon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Gomer is outraged when Barney, dressed in civilian clothes, gives him a ticket for making a U-turn. Barney imperiously declares that he is within his rights to make a citizen's arrest. When Barney makes the same illegal traffic maneuver, it is Gomer's turn to shout "Citizen's array-est! Citizen's array-est!"-thereby starting the ball rolling for a clash of egos which culminates in Barney's resignation. Written by Jim Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum, "Citizen's Arrest" was originally slated to air on December 9, 1963, but was moved to December 16 to accommodate "A Date for Gomer", which itself had been rescheduled from its original November 25 airdate. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
William Keene is cast as the Rev. Hobart M. Tucker, a New York minister visiting Mayberry. Invited to deliver the Sunday sermon, Tucker advises the local citizens to "slow down" and start enjoying life. Taking heart, the locals prepare for a relaxing band concert-and in the process, end up working twice as hard as before! Written by John Whedon, "Sermon for Today" originally aired on October 21, 1963; though filmed as the 100th episode of The Andy Griffith Show, it was the 99th to be shown. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1956
This forgettable piece of 1950s sleaze stars Cleo Moore as a voluptuous blonde who becomes a successful commercial photographer. Richard Crenna, making a major break from his TV image as Our Miss Brooks' Walter Denton, plays a reporter who takes a special interest in Moore's career. The beauteous picture taker becomes involved in a blackmail plot when she goes to work for a Confidential-type magazine, nearly losing her life to mobsters. It was the opinion of many contemporary reviewers that the title Over-Exposed referred not to the photographs taken by Moore but to the generous amounts of cleavage displayed by the actress' low cut gowns. Though Cleo Moore has become a "cult" favorite thanks to her appearances in the turgid melodramas directed by Hugo Haas, Over-Exposed demonstrates that her minimal acting talent vanished altogether without Haas' guiding hand. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cleo Moore, Richard Crenna, (more)
- 1956
Our Miss Brooks had been a radio and TV sitcom hit thanks to the considerable input of star Eve Arden. The film version of Our Miss Brooks was not quite as successful (why pay for something that you can get at home every week for free?), but it admirably captures the spirit of the original audio and video versions. As ever, high school teacher Connie Brooks (Arden) carries a torch for handsome but clueless biology professor Phillip Boynton (Robert Rockwell, taking over a role created for radio by Jeff Chandler). Connie is finally able to arouse Boynton's attention when she is courted by the father (Don Porter) of a student (Nick Adams) she is tutoring. A subplot involving petty crime can easily be ignored, but there's no avoiding the hilarious fingernails-on-the-blackboard rendition of It's Magic sung by the adenoidal Walter Denton (Richard Crenna). And of course, there's principal Osgood Conklin (Gale Gordon), blowing his top at the slightest provocation. Our Miss Brooks was directed by Al Lewis, who was the chief writer for the radio and TV editions of the property. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eve Arden, Gale Gordon, (more)
- 1952
Richard Widmark plays a firefighter for the US Forestry Service, a brave man who nevertheless does not believe in taking foolish risks. Widmark is branded a coward by a rookie fireman (Jeffrey Hunter) who holds Widmark responsible for the forest-fire death of the rookie's father. All passions are swept aside when a particularly brutal fire strands Widmark and his men in the middle of unprotected forest. Widmark then realizes that he must attempt to lead the others to well-being. Red Skies of Montana represents the film debut (in an unbilled role) of future TV and film star Richard Crenna. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Widmark, Constance Smith, (more)
- 1952
Pride of St. Louis is the story of one of baseball's most colorful characters, Jerome Herman "Dizzy" Dean. While playing amateur ball in 1928, Dizzy (Dan Dailey) is hired by the St. Louis Cardinals. He spends a year or so playing with the Cards' Texas farm team, during which time he woos and wins department-store clerk Pat Nash (Joanne Dru, who ironically was the real-life aunt of pro baseball player Pete LaCock!) Once in the majors as a pitcher, Dean is joined on the Cards lineup by his younger brother Paul (Richard Crenna), whom the press nicknames "Daffy." Through a combination of spectacular ballplaying and zany publicity stunts, Dizzy and Daffy become nationwide favorites. Their popularity really soars after they help the Cardinals win the 1934 World Series. After this triumph, things begin to go downhill for Dizzy, who endures several injuries and finally "loses" his pitching arm. Dean is rescued from a binge of self-pity by his old friend Johnny Kendall (Richard Hylton), whose dad is a brewery executive. Johnny convinces his dad to sponsor a series of St. Louis Browns radio broadcasts, and to hire Dizzy as a play-by-play announcer. Ol' Diz gets in a lot of trouble with local schoolteachers because of his eccentric grammar ("he slud into third base," etc.) but things eventually turn out A-OK. Pride of St. Louis takes any number of liberties with the facts, but the real Dizzy Dean didn't care so long as 20th Century-Fox ponied up a huge sum of money for the rights to his life story: "Jeez," he said at the time, "they're gonna give me 50,000 smackers just fer livin'!" Future NBC news commentator Chet Huntley shows up in one of the closing scenes as sportscaster Tom Weaver. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dan Dailey, Joanne Dru, (more)
- 1952
Irene Dunne made her final film appearance in the frothy fantasy It Grows on Trees. Looking at least two decades younger than her 52 years, Dunne plays Polly Baxter, the ebullient wife of Phil Baxter (Dean Jagger). Miracle of miracles, two of the trees in Polly's backyard garden begin sprouting paper currency! Assuming that it's genuine mazumah, Polly goes on a spending spree, and also pays off the long-standing mortgage on the house. The money-yielding trees soon become a nationwide sensation, drawing thousands of interested parties to the Baxters' tiny backyard. A major setback is inevitable, but the manner in which the dilemma is solved is both clever and logical. When it isn't concentrating on the plot proper, It Grows on Trees offers some amusing jibes at the U.S. Treasury Department, the IRS, and small-town pretentiousness. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Irene Dunne, Dean Jagger, (more)
- 1952
A decidedly pre-Rambo Richard Crenna guests in this episode as Arthur Morton, a squeaky-voiced teenager who is the boyfriend of impressionable high schooler Peggy Dawson (Janet Waldo, later the voice of Judy on The Jetsons). Unfortunately, Peggy has dropped Arthur in favor of her new heartthrob -- none other than Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz)! Lucy (Lucille Ball) takes it upon herself to deflect Peggy and help Arthur win back the girl's love, but the plan backfires. Finally, Lucy and Ricky conspire to scare Peggy back into Arthur's arms by posing as the oldest married couple in the world -- and we mean the oldest. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Janet Waldo, Richard Crenna, (more)
