Peter Brocco Movies

The author of the famous late 1930's antiwar book Johnny Got His Gun wrote and directed this film adaptation. It concerns a nameless young soldier (Timothy Bottoms) in a veteran's hospital in the World War I period. The young man has had his face blown off, he is without the use of any of his senses save touch, and also has no arms or legs. He is in a coma at the beginning of the film, and his doctors doubt that he will regain consciousness. This is also what they hope. A nurse, while changing his dressings, discovers that he is awake and responsive. The unrelieved awfulness of his situation is apparent to many. However, in order to keep the "good order" of the military, the regular Army general commanding the hospital will not allow the boy to be seen or his family notified, nor will he permit anyone to perform a mercy killing. Interspersed with this horror are flashbacks of the youth's life before the war. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

First telecast September 14, 1971, "The Priest Killer" was originally identified as the two-hour opening episode of Ironside's fifth season. In truth, it is the second pilot film for the TV cop series Sarge, starring George Kennedy as cop-turned-priest Father Samuel "Sarge" Kavanaugh. Though based in San Diego, Sarge teams with wheelchair-bound San Francisco detective Robert Ironside (Raymond Burr) to track down an unknown serial killer who has murdered two priests. Though the motive for the murders is at first unknown, given the presence of Anthony Zerbe in the supporting cast it isn't difficult to ascertain the identity of the killer. The weekly, hour-long series version of Sarge would premiere one week after "The Priest Killer", on September 21, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

First telecast January 5, 1971, Alias Smith and Jones was the pilot for the popular TV series of the same name. This genial rip-off of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid stars Pete Duel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Kid Curry, two notorious Western bandits who have become folk heroes because of their refusal to kill anyone. Heyes and Curry would like to go straight; the governor offers them that opportunity, provided they can stay out of trouble for one year. Assuming the aliases of Joshua Smith and Thaddeus Jones, Heyes and Curry begin their "retribution" process as tellers in a very tempting, very unguarded bank. Perennial guest star Susan Saint James provides the feminine angle in this tongue-and-cheek effort. Alias Smith and Jones ran until January 1973, by which time Roger Davis had replaced Pete Duel, who committed suicide on the last day of 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season Four of Mission: Impossible came to a thrilling conclusion with the series' March 29, 1970 episode "The Martyr." This time, the IMF must discredit the repressive regime of Communist leader Anton Rojek (John Larch). To solidify his base of power, Rojek intends to destroy a youthful cult built around the hero worship of a martyred resistance leader. Paris poses as the long-lost son of the deceased hero, while fellow IMF agents Barney and Roxy (Lynn Kellogg pretend to be teenaged students (convincing everyone except the viewer). Soap-opera doyenne Anna Lee makes a guest appearance as Maria Malik, widow of the hero in question. "The Martyr" was written by Ken Pettus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hoping to match her cousin Samantha's happiness by marrying a mortal, Serena subscribes to The Human Equation, a computer-dating service run by Mr. Beams (John Fiedler). Constitutionally incapable of telling the truth on her application form, Serena is paired up with sophisticated Franklyn Blodgett (Lloyd Bochner). Though at first things look rosy for Serena, it turns out that her new match has not been made in heaven. Written by Michael Morris, "Marriage, Witch's Style" was originally broadcast on February 20, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ben Hecht's reminiscences from his youth as a cub reporter in 1910 Chicago makes an uneasy transition to the screen in this Norman Jewison production. During the Galena, Illinois, Independence Day celebration of 1910, Ben Young (Beau Bridges) determines that it is time to seek his fortune and sets out by train to Chicago. Once in Chicago, Ben has his money stolen, and he faints from hunger. To his rescue comes Queen Lil (Melina Mecouri), a local madam, who takes him to her brothel, where he is allowed to stay on the top floor of the house. Queen Lil gets Ben a job on the Chicago Journal and he meets the gruff, but kind, editor Francis X. Sullivan (Brian Keith). Sullivan takes Ben on a drinking tour of the Tenderloin, where Ben's naiveté is given a good working-over as Ben experiences the political realities of the city. Ben decides to devote his life to reforming the shady politics of Chicago. Meanwhile, reform leader Axel P. Johanson (George Kennedy) is trying to obtain a ledger of civic corruption compiled by Honest Tim Grogan (Hume Cronyn). During a party for Grogan at Queen Lil's, Ben inspires friendly prostitute Adeline (Margot Kidder) to change her evil ways. Her first act as a reformer is to steal Grogan's ledger and join the Salvation Army mission. But everyone thinks that Ben has stolen the ledger, and soon Sullivan, Queen Lil, Grogan and Johanson are all after him to get the ledger back. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

The murder of a rocket manufacturer tips the FBI to an insidious scheme to blackmail executives into giving up classified missile secrets to the Enemy. The villains have already set up their next patsy, a lonely rocket-firm functionary named Ken Haney (Norman Fell). Serving as bait to lure Haney into betraying his country is sexy young blonde Julie (Celeste Yarnell)--as potent a "secret weapon" as has ever been conceived! This is the final episode of The F.B.I's third season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Enterprise is called to respond to an unprovoked attack by the enemy Klingons on the neutral planet of Organia in this episode of the original Star Trek television series. Thanks to the strategic significance of the planet's location, the attack threatens to initiate total war between the Federation and the Klingons. In an attempt to stem the tide of the Klingon invasion, Kirk and Spock visit the planet's surface, discovering a civilization that remains surprisingly sedate, despite the increasing presence of Klingon soldiers. Kirk and Spock attempt to disguise themselves as natives to explore the situation further, but they are discovered by the rival Klingon commander. When violent conflict seems inevitable, however, the Organians prove to be more aware and more powerful than they might seem, unexpectedly stepping forward to intervene. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

In this psychological thriller, Paul (James Caan) and Jennifer (Katherine Ross) are a pair of wealthy but blasé socialites with a sadistic streak. Lisa (Simone Signoret), an older woman from France, arrives at their door one day selling cosmetics; the couple invite her in, and when the conversation reveals that Lisa is believed to have psychic abilities, Paul and Jennifer ask her to arrange some "games" for their amusement. Lisa proceeds to set up several situations of simulated domestic discord that the couple can react to. The arrival of Norman (Don Stroud), a delivery boy, is Jennifer's cue to seduce him, just in time for Paul to arrive and shoot him in a fit of jealousy. Norman is then coated with plaster and placed in the corner, disguised as a work of art; however, Paul soon leaves on a business trip, and Jennifer discovers that Norman isn't dead after all. She panics and shoots Norman dead, only to discover that the previous murder was merely a "game" staged by Lisa. Jennifer, however, is having a very real nervous breakdown, which seems to be what Paul had in mind all along. But once Jennifer is committed to a mental hospital, Paul discovers that Lisa is not necessarily his ally in this increasingly dangerous game. Games was directed by Curtis Harrington, a one-time experimental filmmaker who previously helmed such horror cult movies as Queen of Blood and Night Tide. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Just because The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming was vastly overrated by contemporary critics does not make it any less amusing. The story gets under way when a Soviet submarine accidently gets lodged in a sandbar on the coast of a New England town. In his feature film debut, Alan Arkin plays the sub's second-in-command, who is ordered by commander Theodore Bikel to free up the sub and skeedaddle before an international incident erupts. Hoping to secure a power boat to tug the sub out to sea, Arkin and his men call upon vacationing TV writer Carl Reiner, passing themselves off as Norwegians. When this ruse fails, Arkin is reluctantly compelled to force Reiner at gunpoint to fetch his motorboat, while gentle-natured Russian sailor John Philip Law is left behind to guard Reiner's wife Eva Marie Saint and pretty neighbor girl Andrea Dromm (yes, love blooms). The plot thickens when the locals, notably bullnecked sheriff Brian Keith and superpatriot Paul Ford, spread the word that the Russians have "invaded" their little community. Several slapstick complications later, the Russians and the locals face each other down in the center of the village, weapons at the ready. Fortunately, World War 3 is averted when the Russians and the villagers band together to rescue young Johnny Whittaker from falling to his doom. Enormously popular upon its first release, The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming still works on a slick sitcom level. The film was based on a novel by Nathaniel Benchley, the son of humorist Robert Benchley and the father of Jaws author Peter Benchley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In desperate need of money for his daughter's operation, research chemist Edward Lennan (Arthur Hill) agrees to sell some stolen vials to foreign spy Jago (Michael Strong). Lennan is convinced that the vials contain only a newly developed cosmetic base. In truth, they are contaminated with a deadly bacteria--and unless FBI Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) acts quickly, millions of lives will be lost on both sides of the Iron Curtain. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Never a good aviator in the best of times, Lt. Hanley (Rick Jason) doesn't look forward to going on an aerial reconnaissance mission. Things don't get much better for Hanley when he climbs into the rickety, jerry-built monoplane piloted by flamboyant flyboy Tim Brannigan (Keenan Wynn). Making no secret of his contempt for mere "foot soldiers", Brannigan is less than thrilled when his plane is grounded in enemy territory with no radio, forcing him to put his life in Hanley's hands--and feet. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Preparing to embark on a three-week trip to Rome, Tony (Larry Hagman) orders Jeannie (Barbara Eden) to remain home. Certain that Tony will succumb to the charms of some fair senorina or other, Jeannie resorts to every trick in the book to force Tony to stay in Cocoa Beach. Finally, Tony gives up and tells her she can go along--but only if she can obtain a passport legally, something that her "genie" will not permit her to do. Meanwhile, Roger (Bill Daily) eagerly awaits the opportunity to have Jeannie all to himself...as if! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide