Walter Brooke Movies
It's hard to believe that American actor Walter Brooke, who always looked about 45 years old, actually made his first film in 1942 when he was all of 27. Confined for the most part to B productions after his film debut in Bullet Scars (1942), Brooke's film roles improved as he grew into his familiar businesslike demeanor, as in his plot-motivating character in Conquest of Space (1953). Character actors never seem to be out of work, and Brooke was no exception. A full two decades after his film bow, he was still getting good parts in films like The Graduate (1967) (as Mr. Maguire) and Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970). In between film assignments, Brooke kept busy on television. Among his many guest-starring spots (including the 1963 Twilight Zone episode "A Short Drink from a Certain Fountain"), Walter Brooke played Bill Herbert for two years on the early serial One Man's Family (1950-52); he was a regular two other soap operas, Three Steps to Heaven (1953) and Paradise Bay (1965); and he was seen as District Attorney Scanlon on the adventure series The Green Hornet (1966), costarring with Van Williams and a young Bruce Lee. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1983
In this first episode of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single two-hour "special"), Native American chieftan Daniel Running-Bear (Richard Yniguez) helps the A-Team escape their military pursuers. It turns out that Daniel has a job for the team in Arizona--namely to save his tribe's sacred wild horses from a vicious band of jeep-driving rustlers, led by Bus Carter (Morgan Woodward). The title of this episode steams from the latest obsession of team member Murdock (Dwight Schultz), who imagines himself to be the 1950s TV cowboy hero Range Rider (represented in stock footage by Jock Mahoney). Also, Lance LeGault makes his first appearance as Col. Roderick Decker, the A-Team's relentless pursuer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
The made-for-TV Advice to the Lovelorn stars Cloris Leachman as a "Dear Abby" type newspaper advice columnist. Walter Brooke costars as her editor, who discourages her efforts to follow up her advice in person. But follow she does, trying to untangle the problems of guest stars Melissa Sue Anderson, Lance Kerwin, Desi Arnaz Jr. and Donna Pescow. She even finds time for a romantic episode with special guest star Paul Burke. Intended as the pilot for a weekly series, the 2-hour Advice to the Lovelorn was telecast November 30, 1981. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Maxwell Smart, the infamous Agent 86 from the '60s television sitcom Get Smart makes his feature-film debut in this goofy espionage spoof. This time, Smart and his cohorts must stop enemy spies from detonating a bomb that would destroy all the world's clothing. On television, the film was renamed The Return of Maxwell Smart. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Adams, Sylvia Kristel, (more)
- 1980
Quincy's assistant Sam (Robert Ito) has come up with a revolutionary new process to determine the identity of sex criminals by using dental comparisons. Trouble is, the medical establishment refuses to accept Sam's methods, even after he clears an ex-con of a rape charge. When that same man ends up as the chief suspect in a subsequent rape-murder, it looks as if Sam's theories are worthless--but Quincy (Jack Klugman) has faith in his colleague, and he intends to use his own forensic expertise to prove that Sam was right all along. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
This TV movie, directed by Jerry Paris (a regular on The Dick Van Dyke Show), traces the rise of a young real-estate agent in southern California. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1979
The miracle of plastic surgery is the unifying factor for this made-for-TV movie. Three women, all "of a certain age," are having problems with the men in their life. Rich widow Millie Gorman (Janet Leigh) is convinced that her sex appeal has waned along with her looks and youth; bored housewife Sandy McLaren (Loretta Swit) is none too pleased that her husband regards her more as a pal than a lover; and former model Vanessa Wagner (Lee Meriwether) fears that her much-younger sweetheart will begin seeking out a partner his own age. As the story progresses, Sandy gets a breast implant which has precisely the opposite of the desired effect on her husband; Vanessa gets an eye-lift, only to find out that her lover isn't worth the trouble; and Millie suffers the consequences of one too many face-lifts. Mirror, Mirror first aired October 10, 1979, on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
Beggarman, Thief is the 4-hour sequel to the ratings-busting miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man; both productions were based on the works of novelist Irwin Shaw. For the purposes of the sequel, a new member of the Jordache clan is introduced: filmmaker Gretchen Jordache Burke, played by Jean Simmons. It is Gretchen's task to keep the family together after the murder of her brother Tom (played by Nick Nolte in Rich Man, Poor Man) and the recent disappearance of her other brother Rudy (Peter Strauss, re-creating his RMPM role). Originally presented in two parts, Beggarman, Thief was first telecast November 26 and 27, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Simmons, Glenn Ford, (more)
- 1979
After a woman whose face was horribly disfigured in a bungled cosmetic operation commits suicide, Quincy investigates Emile Green (Garnett Smith), the doctor who performed the surgery. Though Green is not a qualified plastic surgeon, the current medical laws allow him to perform such operations whether he's capable of doing them or not. Outraged, Quincy vows to move heaven and earth to plug up this legal loophole--or at the very least, to bring Dr. Green to justice before he destroys any more lives. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
Performing an autopsy on a teenage prostitute who has committed suicide, Quincy (Jack Klugman)characteristically takes a personal interest in the case. It seems that the victim had been killed after seeing "Uncle Harry" (Alan Manson), the man who led her into prostituation, persuading an even younger girl to appear in a pornographic film. Taking it upon himself to break up an insidious kiddie-porn ring, Quincy simultaneously tries to save a group of runaway kids from falling into the clutches of the "Uncle Harrys" of the world. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
Margaret (Loretta Swit) receives word that her divorce is final. Determined to kick up her heels and revel in her independence, Margaret behaves in a manner too reckless for the tastes of Colonel Potter (Harry Morgan). And in another affair of the heart, Radar (Gary Burghoff) solicits advice from Hawkeye (Alan Alda) on how to woo and win a pretty nurse (Peggy Lee Brennan). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
Struck down by a drunken driver, Jim (James Garner) ends up in the hospital. Under heavy sedation, he sees--or thinks he sees--Dr. Lee Yost (John Considine) harvesting organs from a donor. Trouble is, the donor isn't quite dead yet. After regaining consciousness, Jim is unable to get anyone to believe what he saw, so he makes it his personal mission to dig deeply into the career (and personality) of the aforementioned Dr. Yost. What he discovers not only places Jim's life in jeopardy but also the life of Yost's faithful secretary Sorel Henderson (Jesse Welles)--who, unbeknownst to herself, has been set up as the "good" doctor's next organ donor. This is the final episode of The Rockford Files' fifth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
This episode of the series Greatest Heroes of the Bible recounts the Old Testament story of Joseph, who ascended from slavery to become the pharaoh's minister. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Acting under orders from his supervisor Dr. Astin (John S. Ragin), Quincy (Jack Klugman) fills in for Max Gilliam (Walter Brooke), a vacationing small-town general practitioner. This assignment was supposed to distract Quincy from his incessant crusading and crimesolving. Instead, the exact opposite occurs when our hero gets mixed up in a possible cover-up and conspiracy involving the victim of a car crash. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Just as he is about to accept a writing assignment in war-torn London, John-Boy (Richard Thomas) proposes to his erstwhile girlfriend Daisy (Deirdre Lenihan). It turns out, however, that Daisy has neglected to tell John-Boy a few things about herself--specifically, that she is the mother of a three-year-old girl. Elsewhere, Grandpa (Will Geer) tries to improve sales of Elizabeth's lemonade by adding a few drops of a special--er--recipe. This episode marks the final appearance of Richard Thomas on The Waltons, though he would later return as John-Boy in a "reunion" special. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
In the conclusion of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single two-hour episode), John (Ralph Waite) reacts with anger when he discovers that Erin has taken a second job, caring for the children of a single man. Meanwhile, John-Boy (Richard Thomas) has returned home in hopes of reopening the Guthrie mine and revitalizing the local economy. But fate takes a hand in matters when John-Boy is trapped in a cave-in along with Jim-Bob (David W. Harper) and Ben (Eric Scott). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Richard Thomas briefly returns to the role of John-Boy Walton in this first episode of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single two-hour installment). Upon hearing of the dire financial conditions in Jefferson County, John-Boy comes home with plans of reopening the old Guthrie coal mine. Elsewhere, John Walton (Ralph Waite) weighs the possibility of giving up the family business and going to work at a defense plant; and Erin ($Mary Elizabeth McDonough) hesitates to inform her family that she has taken a second job under "questionable" circumstances. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Telly Savalas wrote and directed this drama about an unconventional psychologist who battles for his own mental health while dealing with the stress of his profession. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Telly Savalas, Laura Johnson, (more)
- 1977
Jim Rockford (James Garner) arranges for his ex-jailbird "pal" Gandy Fitch (Isaac Hayes) to work as a legman for Marcus Hayes (Louis Gossett Jr.), a private eye who'd once been Jim's parole officer. Gandy repays the favor by horning in on "Rockfish"'s current case, involving the search for a missing heir named Finn O'Herlihy (Jack Collins)--who, as it turns out, is on the lam from the Mob. In the course of their investigation, mismatched Gandy and Marcus (aka "Gabby" Hayes) manage to stumble into a neo-Nazi bar, where, as the only two black men on the premises, they are more than a little conspicuous! Things come to a rousing climax at a Polish wedding where the elusive O'Herlihy is employed as a musician. This episode was intended as the pilot for a possible spinoff series starring Isaac Hayes and Lou Gossett Jr., tentatively titled "Gandy and Gabby" (which, as Jim observes at one point, sounds more like a puppet show!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
The protagonists of this ABC Afternoon Special are three parentless children of divergent backgrounds, all of whom share the same foster home. All their lives, Carlie (Kristy McNichol), Harvey (Johnny Doran), and Thomas J. (Sparky Marcus) have been "pinballs," bouncing around from one foster family to another. Now that they have settled into one happy home, will the situation be permanent -- or are they doomed to be "pinballs" for all time? ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristy McNichol, Johnny Doran, (more)
- 1977
Attending a group therapy session, Jim (James Garner) and Angel (Stuart Margolin) make the acquaintance of former mental patient Mary Jo Flynn (Joanne Nail). Insisting that her life is in danger because she has met a government spy who was being held against his will in a psychiatric hospital, Mary Jo has trouble convincing Jim of her plight--until he, too, finds himself up to his neck in peril. It all has something to do with a Chilean military coup, and a crisis of loyalty within a mob family...and this being The Rockford Files, the estimable Angel (Stuart Margolin) is mixed up in the intrigue! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Laura Ingalls (Melissa Gilbert) wants to enter her horse Bunny in an upcoming race, but is short the money to have the horse properly shod. Meanwhile, Laura's nemesis, Nellie (Alison Arngrim), cajoles her snobbish mother, Mrs. Oleson (Katherine MacGregor), into purchasing a thoroughbred so that she, too, can enter the race. So confident is Mrs. Oleson that her daughter's horse will easily defeat Bunny that she donates a valuable family heirloom as the winner's trophy -- but things don't go exactly according to plan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, (more)
The Big Bus is set aboard a nonstop, nuclear-powered luxury bus commandeered by Joseph Bologna. Naturally, Bologna is a tortured hero with a deep dark secret (he keeps insisting he didn't eat all those passengers on his last disastrous drive). Stockard Channing and Harold Gould play the designers of the big bus, and of course they have a few skeletons in their closet. In fact, there isn't a passenger on the all-star manifest that isn't hiding something. The supporting cast features contributions by René Auberjonois (parodying his M*A*S*H role), Ned Beatty, José Ferrer, Ruth Gordon (doing a devastating send-up of Airport's Helen Hayes), Sally Kellerman, Richard Mulligan, and many others; Murphy Dunne contributes a memorable bit as a smarmy cocktail pianist. Unfortunately, The Big Bus was dumped onto the summer 1976 release schedule without fanfare by Paramount, and it sank without a trace. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joseph Bologna, Stockard Channing, (more)
- 1976
Grandpa (Will Geer) and Grandma (Ellen Corby) find themselves on opposite sides of a civic battle when the historic Whitley House is slated for demolition. Believing that the old house can be renovated, Grandma starts up a petition to that effect. Trouble is, Grandpa has already signed a contract to destroy the house in order to bring extra money to the family business. Caught in the middle of this brouhaha is John-Boy (Richard Thomas), who must write a newspaper editorial on the crisis--stating his own opinion! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
When the editor shuts down the newspaper where he works, John-Boy is given the opportunity to start up a periodical of his own. But before he can issue the first edition of the "Blue Ridge Chronicle", he must purchase the old paper's printing press--and thus he takes a full-time job to raise the money. His new responsibility cut into his study time at college, and it seems as though John-Boy's journalism teacher Professor Parks (Paul Jenkins) has no intention of cutting the boy any slack. . .but Parks may not be quite as cold-hearted as he seems. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
En route to testify before a Senate committee, syndicate snitch Vincent Ritchie (Paul Stevens) is seriously wounded in an ambush. Ritchie is rushed to a hospital, where he is kept under constant surveillance by the SWAT team while he undergoes life-saving surgery. Meanwhile, Ritchie's mob "pals" are intent upon invading the operating room to take him out permanently -- and never mind who else gets killed in the process. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Forrest, Rod Perry, (more)
