Paul de Rolf Movies

This sequel to the 1984 surprise hit The Karate Kid reunites Ralph Macchio as high-schooler Danny and Noriyuki "Pat" Morita as Danny's martial-arts mentor Miyagi. Picking up where the first film left off, The Karate Kid Part II finds Danny and Miyagi making an emergency trip to Okinawa, where Miyagi's father is dying. Here they revisit Miyagi's childhood sweetheart Nobu McCarthy who, Miyagi believes, had been wheedled into an arranged marriage with loose-cannon karate expert Sato (Danny Kamekona). Little does Miyagi realize that the woman is still single; Sato is still around as well, however, and intent on resuming the fight with his old nemesis. Morita agrees; meanwhile, Danny is challenged by Kamekona's pugnacious nephew Yuji Okumoto. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

It's December of 1941, and the people of California are in varying states of unease, ranging from a sincere desire to defend the country to virtual blind panic in the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Thus begin several story threads that comprise the "plot" of this strange period comedy, a sort of satirical disaster movie, from Steven Spielberg. The stories and story threads involve lusty young men, officers (Tim Matheson) and civilians (Bobby Di Cicco) alike, eager to bed the young ladies of their dreams; Wild Bill Kelso, a nutty fighter pilot (John Belushi) following what he thinks is a squadron of Japanese fighters along the California coast; a well-meaning but clumsy tank crew (including John Candy) led by straight-arrow, by-the-book Sgt. Tree (Dan Aykroyd), who doesn't recognize the thug (Treat Williams) in his command; and homeowner Ward Douglas (Ned Beatty), who is eager to do his part for the nation's defense and, despite the misgivings of his wife (Lorraine Gary), doesn't mind his front yard overlooking the ocean being chosen to house a 40 mm anti-aircraft gun. There is also a pair of grotesquely inept airplane spotters (Murray Hamilton, Eddie Deezen) who are doing their job from atop a ferris wheel at a beachfront amusement park; a paranoid army colonel (Warren Oates) positive that the Japanese are infiltrating from the hills; a big dance being held on behalf of servicemen, being attended by a lusty young woman of size (Wendie Jo Sperber) eager to land a man in uniform; and General Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell (Robert Stack), in charge of the defense of the West Coast, who can't seem to get anyone to listen to him when he says to keep calm. And, oh yes, there's also a real Japanese submarine that has gotten all the way to the California coast under the command of its captain (Toshiro Mifune) and a German officer observer (Christopher Lee), only to find itself without a working compass or usable maps. Its captain won't leave until the sub has attacked a militarily significant, honorable target, and the only one that anyone aboard ship knows of in California is Hollywood. By New Year's Eve, all of these characters are going to cross paths, directly or once-removed, in a comedy of errors and destruction strongly reminiscent of the finale to National Lampoon's Animal House (as well as several disaster movies from the same studio), but on a much larger and more impressive scale. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

Granny has gotten fed up with Elly May's ever-growing menagerie of "critters." The final straw is broken by Elly's pack of dogs, who knock Granny off her feet every time she announces dinner. The old lady delivers an ultimatum -- either the animals go or she goes. When "Dog Days" originally aired on March 13, 1968, there were at least 500 trained animals "on call" for The Beverly Hillbillies, each of them under the tender loving care of critter-wrangler Frank Inn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Bradley girls have once more decided that it is time their widowed mother Kate (Bea Benaderet) find a husband. In pursuit of this goal, the girls set up their own "lonely hearts club"--with jaw-dropping results. Without going into further detail, be it noted that this episode features several weatherbeaten character actors playing such roles as "Mr. Rambo" (no, not THAT Rambo!) and "Mr. Willoughby". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Beatnik artist Sheldon Epps (Alan Reed Jr.) pays another visit to the Clampett mansion. Strapped for cash, Sheldon hopes to borrow some "bread" from Jed -- and it isn't hard to figure out what happens next. Once the anticipated misunderstanding is straightened out, Jed learns that Sheldon and his buddies need to pay the rent on their "hip" coffee house, the Parthenon. The first episode in a two-part story arc, "Big Daddy, Jed" first aired on April 21, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Deciding that Jethro and Elly need a few friends their own age, Jed and Granny decide to throw a "git-together" barn dance. Imagine their surprise when Jethro, placed in charge of arranging the entertainment, hires a rock & roll group called the Enemys (who appear as "themselves"). Want to bet that there'll be a lot of confusion over such "mod" catchphrases as "far out" and "gear"? Hoe Down A-Go-Go originally aired on November 24, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the first episode of a two-part story, Billie Jo (Jeannine Riley) falls heir to a $500 insurance endowment from her late father. Unfortunately, the conditions stipulate that Billie is to study to be a doctor--but she wants to use the money to go to Hollywood and become an actress. A pre-Batman Adam West appears as Dr. Clayton Harris (at the time West was so little-known that he isn't even listed in the TV Guide synopsis!), while another of the supporting players, Paul DeRolf, performs his own composition, "The Hooterville Hop". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Tomboy Betty Jo (Linda Kaye) has finally fallen in love. The object of her affections is Orville Miggs, played by Jimmy Hawkins) in a role quite different from his earlier Petticoat Junction appearance a s would-be bank robber. Unfortunately, Orville would rather spend time tinkering with his old Model T Ford than spooning with Betty Jo, obliging Kate (Bea Benadaret to come up with a plan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Kim Novak is clearly out of her depth as legendary Broadway actress Jeanne Eagels, but one can't fault her for trying very hard. As this filmed biography gets under way, wide-eyed Eagels finds herself stranded in a tank town by a smooth-talking traveling salesman. Carnival operator Sal Satori hires Eagels as a kootch dancer, but her ambition is to become a serious dramatic actress. When she and Sal reach New York, she signs up for acting lessons under the tutelage of a Mme. Neilson (Agnes Moorehead). Before long, Jeanne is understudying on Broadway, and in 1922 she takes audiences and critics by storm with her unforgettable portrayal of Sadie Thompson in Rain, a role she landed by ruthlessly double-crossing the actress originally slated for the part (Virginia Grey). When her rival commits suicide, the chastened Jeanne turns to booze and drugs to assuage her conscience. The real-life Jeanne Eagels died of narcotics addiction in 1929, a fact that the Hollywood version skims over. Eagels' family sued Columbia Pictures over the "distortions" offered in Jeanne Eagels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

With his movie career fading in 1955, Bob Hope was amenable to writer/director Mel Shavelson's suggestion that Hope try something different. The Seven Little Foys was the first of Hope's two "straight" biopics (the second was 1956's Beau James). Though not completely abandoning his patented persona, Hope does an admirable job of impersonating legendary Broadway song-and-dance man Eddie Foy, right down to the soft-shoe shuffle and affected lisp. A successful "single" in vaudeville, Foy meets and marries lovely Italian songstress Madeleine Morando (Milly Vitale). The union results in seven children, moving the Foys' priest to comment "we're running out of Holy water" after the seventh baptism. Hardly an ideal family man, Foy leaves Madeleine and her sister Clara (Angela Clarke) behind in their Connecticut home to raise the kids, while he rises to spectacular career height. Returning home after attending a testimonial for George M. Cohan (James Cagney, who played this unbilled cameo on the proviso that Hope turn over Cagney's salary to charity), Foy discovers that his wife has died of pneumonia. Months pass: Foy sulks in his rambling house, while his seven kids run roughshod. Foy's manager (George Tobias) suggests that the entire family be assembled into a vaudeville troupe called The Seven Little Foys. Though the kids are profoundly bereft of talent, the act gets by on its charm, and before long Foy is a bigger success than ever. But when Foy and the kids are booked into the Palace on Christmas Day, Aunt Clara decides that the kids are being cruelly exploited, and arranges for the authorities to arrest the act on charges of violating a state law barring children from singing and dancing. The authorities decide to drop the charges when the kids rally around their father, declaring their genuine love for him--but the deciding factor is a quick demonstration that the kids can't sing or dance to save their lives! The Seven Little Foys is a standard Hollywood whitewash job, emphasizing Eddie Foy's virtues (including his on-stage heroism during the infamous Iroquois Theatre fire of 1903) and soft-pedaling or ignoring his faults (e.g. his capacity for alcohol). Wisely, the scenes between Bob Hope and the seven children playing the Little Foys (including Father Knows Best's Billy Gray, The Real McCoys' Lydia Reed and Leave It to Beaver's Jerry Mathers) are refreshingly free of cloying sentiment. Also, Hope is a good enough natural actor to convince us that he deeply cares for his children without gooey effusions of emotion. The film's hands-down highlight is the "challenge dance" between Foy (Bob Hope) and Cohan (James Cagney)--a lasting testament of the superb terpsichorean talents of both men. The Seven Little Foys was narrated by Eddie's son Charley Foy, a fine comedian in his own right. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide