Foster Brooks Movies

Comedian Foster Brooks curtails his "lovable lush" routine to play Simon Thane, a celebrated artist living in Cabot Cove. For the last several years, Thane has jealously guarded his favorite painting, which he has never allowed to be seen publicly. Jessica (Angela Lansbury) becomes involved in the story when Thane is murdered and his prized painting stolen, leading our heroine to conclude that the mysterious work of art may contain a clue as to the killer's identity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This fast-paced, animated action feature zoomed into theaters with characters developed from a popular TV cartoon series. The GoBots can morph into mechanical contrivances like land rovers or spaceships and are divided between good GoBots and evil ones (called Renegades). As these two factions combat each other, the Rock People have their own problems. They are humans who can become literally petrified if danger approaches. In their boulder form, it's no problem at all to roll down a mountainside and get away from pursuers. But the evil Rock Lords are oppressing the poor Rock People, and it's high time the GoBots rolled in to do something about it. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

(Burt Reynolds) as J.J. McClure takes off across the country again in this rickety sequel to Cannonball Run. A sheik has offered $1,000,000 to the first driver to reach a destination in Connecticut from Redondo Beach, California, inspiring J.J. and others to go for the gold. With cameos from more name performers than any dozen films together, (Frank Sinatra and the rat pack, Telly Savalas, Susan Anton, Shirley MacLaine, Jackie Chan, Sid Caesar, Marilu Henner, Catherine Bach, etc., etc., etc.), the movie becomes a pastiche and is executed as though no rehearsals were required, or ever happened. A disparate group of people racing to get a lot of money was first successfully exploited in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, a much better film, and with just as many cameos, in fact. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Embarking upon their honeymoon, Quincy (Jack Klugman) and Emily (Anita Gillette) accept the invitation of an old friend, Judge Blake, to spend a "private" weekend at a ski lodge. Alas, the weekend proves anything but private when several other guests, all of them in the law-enforcement business, start pouring into the lodge. Making matters worse, an unknown maniac is murdering the assembled guests one by one--and a raging blizzard has cut off all avenues of escape. Yes, it's "Ten Little Indians", Quincy-style, with a dash of the 1932 film classic The Old Dark House thrown in via guest star Henry Gibson's portrayal of an inscrutably mute caretaker. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The presence of Paul Lynde, in a small role, reveals more about the quality and tone of this film than the three top names. A farce with plenty of slapstick, it offers Kirk Douglas as a road agent dealing with a naive hero (a young Arnold Schwarzenegger) who is seemingly out of western serials in the '40s and a beautiful, sexy saloon girl (Ann-Margret). The silly jokes are the point, not the plot, though Needham includes some impressive stunts. Some of the most notable draw blatantly on Warner Brothers roadrunner and Daffy Duck cartoons; notably, the film came from Columbia, not Warner. The film's attempt at satire is too heavy-handed to have bite. ~ Bill Wu, All Movie Guide

Big-game hunter David Farrow (Roy Thinnes) is hired to track down bank robbery suspect Clel Bocock (William Smith), who has escaped into the swamps of Louisiana. Complications arise when Farrow confronts Bocock's backwoods family and falls in love with the fugitive's wife, Mara (Sandra Dee). Originally intended for broadcast in 1968, The Manhunter was, for reasons unknown, consigned to the shelf until it was sold to British television, where it debuted in the spring of 1972. The film finally aired in America courtesy of the NBC network on April 3, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Clampetts are still encamped at Malibu Beach, preparing to fend off the annual grunion invasion -- unaware that their "enemy" consists of fish rather than humans. Meanwhile, the bank secretaries, upset that Mr. Drysdale has forced them to aid the Clampetts' "line of defense" without extra pay, go on strike against the covetous Mr. Drysdale. Things reach the crisis stage when even loyal Jane Hathaway joins the secretaries' picket line. Comedian Foster Brooks is appropriately cast as a drunk. "The Grun Incident" first aired on January 19, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the process of replacing a rotted board on his porch, Oliver (Eddie Albert) places another board on top of the bad one so that no accidents will occur. Unfortunately, agriculture agent Hank Kimball (Alvy Moore) inadvertently removes the "protection" board and promptly plunges through the porch, injuring his foot. Thus the stage is set for a Man Who Came to Dinner situation, with Oliver and Lisa (Eva Gabor) waiting on the recuperating Kimball hand and foot, and Mr. Haney (Pat Buttram) sensing a quick financial turnover by mounting a lawsuit against Oliver. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Making her second Bonanza appearance, Mercedes McCambridge is cast as wealthy widow Matilda Curtis, who helps Ben Cartwright establish a free school for the children of Ponderosa's employees and tenant farmers. When the schoolmaster is murdered, troublesome student Billy Burgess (a pre-Partridge Family David Cassidy) angrily confesses to the crime. To save Billy from being hanged, Matilda insists that he be placed in her custody without the formality of a court trial. But Ben, unconvinced by Billy's confession, demands that the boy get his day in court-even if it may cost him his life. Comedian Foster Brooks, aka "The Lovable Lush", plays the stone-sober role of Judge Rogers. Originally telecast on February 15, 1970, "The Law and Billy Burgess" was written by Stanley Roberts. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ubiquitous, squeaky-voiced character actor Percy Helton does another guest-star turn on Green Acres. This time, Helton is cast as eccentric inventor Luke Needlinger, who has all of Hooterville ga-ga over his latest invention -- a milk-making machine. Of course, Luke could use a little extra money to finance his miracle machine. Thus it is that the Hootervillians once again put the squeeze on poor Oliver Douglas (Eddie Albert)...who is even poorer as the episode comes to an end. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The "Don Quixote" legend was given a 19th century western spin on Bonanza's inaugural eleventh-season entry "Another Windmill to Go." The Cartwrights are dumbstruck when they find Don Q. Hought (Laurence Naismath) rowing a wheeled boat across their grazing land. But Don Q. is not as daffy as he seems: His main purpose in life is to challenge obscure-and very silly-Federal laws. Also seen are Jill Townsend as Abbey, Bart Larue as Walters, Gregg Palmer as Benson and character comedian George Furth (who'd recently co-authored the hit Broadway musical Company) as Horace Keylot. Written by Palmer Thompson, "Another Windmill to Go" first aired on September 14, 1969, and was later selected by NBC for an "encore presentation" in the Summer of 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide