Geraldine Brooks Movies
Born Geraldine Stroock, she first appeared onstage (in a musical) at age 17, then worked in summer stock and toured with the Theater Guild in a repertory of Shakespeare productions; she later studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. An intense, pretty, petite brunette, she went to Hollywood in 1947 after being signed by Warner Brothers; there she was proclaimed as a "new Hepburn" with an electrifying screen presence. Her career, however, never lived up to its promise. The quality of her pictures was low (in most of them she played ingenues), so she accepted an offer by director William Dieterle to appear in an Italian film, Volcano (1950); the film performed badly at the box office, but Brooks remained in Europe to make a few more movies. After returning to the U.S., she largely abandoned her film career in favor of TV and the stage; she received a Tony nomination for her performance in the play Brightower (1970) and several Emmy nominations for her work on TV. Later she became a skilled nature photographer; in 1975 she published Swan Watch, a book of her bird photographs with accompanying text written by her second husband, novelist-screenwriter Budd Schulberg. She died of cancer at age 51 in 1977. ~ All Movie GuideGeraldine Brooks guest stars as Judge Anna Gavin, who years ago straightened out the life of an aimless teenage punk named Tony Baretta. Now all grown up, Baretta (Robert Blake) is an undercover cop, eternally grateful to the dedicated female jurist who directed him toward the straight and narrow. Alas, all is not well with Judge Gavin, who is being blackmailed by the slimy loan shark over whose trial she is currently presiding. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Blake, Edward Grover, (more)
Dean Martin had his final leading role in this obscure drama about a San Francisco lawyer defending a black militant (Thalmus Rasulala) on trial for murder. The familiar supporting cast includes Cindy Williams, Philip Michael Thomas, and Room 222's Denise Nicholas. Filmmaker Paul Bogart, who directed many of the best episodes of the ground-breaking series All in the Family, went on to make Torch Song Trilogy. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Martin, Eugene Roche, (more)
In the conclusion of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single two-hour episode), Ironside (Raymond Burr) works in concert with attorney Ken Klaven (Cameron Mitchell) to secure the release of Walter Booth (William Campbell), whom the Chief had sent to prison on a manslaughter charge seven years before. Though now convinced of Booth's innocence, Ironside encounters a great deal of trouble persuading the DA's office. The Chief's only hope is to force a young woman to come forward with testimony she'd withheld during the original trial--but there are mysterious forces who are determined to silence both Ironside and his witness for keeps! Prominent in the supporting cast is Geraldine Brooks, who had played the sniper responsible for the Chief's confinement to a wheelchair in the original 1967 Ironside pilot film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In the first half of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single two-hour episode), Ironside (Raymond Burr) begins to question his judgment in a manslaughter case which occurred seven years ago. At the time, the Chief rammed through the conviction of chief suspect Walter Booth (William Campbell). Now armed with new evidence, Ironside works hand and glove with Booth's attorney Ken Klaven (Cameron Mitchell) to secure the man's release--despite the formidable opposition of the DA's office, which is determined to keep Booth behind bars. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Carl Betz) guest stars as Jeff Williams, a respected college professor who is being shaken down by a seedy blackmailer. During the payoff, tempers flare and the blackmailer shoots Williams in the shoulder. Terrified that an investigation will cause him to lose a much-needed promotion--to say nothing of his job--Williams not only refuses to cooperate with the police, but puts his own life in peril by concealing his bullet wound. Geraldine Brooks costars as Williams' beleagured wife Alice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Spies are exchanged when a magazine editor is arrested in East Germany in this espionage drama. ~ All Movie Guide
On an Indiana college campus, Professor Fritz Simpson is conducting a psychological experiment to determine the significance of dreams. Recognizing the man who has volunteered for this experiment as Fred Johnson (Bill Raisch), aka "The One-Armed Man", Simpson contacts his old friend, fugitive Richard Kimble (David Janssen). At the risk of his own freedom, Kimble rushes to Simpson's college lab, hoping that Johnson will at long last confess to the murder of Mrs. Kimble. Unfortunately, Simpson's neurotic wife Caroline (Geraldine Brooks) alerts Lt. Gerard as to Kimble's whereabouts. Featured in the small role of a coed is Jill Janssen, the sister of series star David Janssen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this 2-hour "NBC World Premiere" pilot film for the TV series Ironside, we learn how San Francisco chief-of-detectives Robert Ironside (Raymond Burr) came to be confined to a wheelchair. Felled by a sniper's bullet, Ironside is retained by the force as a special officer for the Frisco police force. With the help of Sgt. Ed Brown (Don Galloway) and officer Eve Whitfield (Barbara Anderson), the irascible Ironside is assigned to find out who his assailant was. Appearing in cameo roles are Wally Cox, Lilla Skala, and an unbilled, pre-Laugh In Tiny Tim.The Ironside pilot premiered on March 28, 1967; the series itself ran from 1967 through 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
George Dean (Robert Taylor) and his three children relocate when he takes a teaching position at a Seminole Indian reservation in Florida. He is overwhelmed by the poverty of the tribe and their ability to interact in society without giving up their treasured tribal customs. Sam (Ford Rainey) is the old Seminole chief who resents the white man and wants his grandson Johnny (Chad Everett) to renounce the white man's ways and assume leadership of the tribe. Johnny and George's daughter Barbara (Brenda Scott) fall in love, which leads to problems in both families. George falls for the pretty female physician (Geraldine Brooks), who is dedicated to healing the poverty-stricken people. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Taylor, Geraldine Brooks, (more)
Geraldine Brooks, who played Ben Cartwright's first wife in the 1961 Bonanza episode "Elizabeth, My Love," was cast as Hoss Cartwright's love interest in the October 16, 1966 episode "To Bloom for Thee." Beaten down by life, Carol Attley (Brooks) has become cold, aloof and distrustful. Nonetheless, she agrees to marry Hoss-only to violently change her mind when Ben asks her a few innocent questions about her past. Don Haggerty also appears as Demers. "To Bloom for Thee" was written by June Randolph. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
In his second Fugitive guest appearance, Jack Klugman is cast as Gus Hendrick, owner of a trucking firm where Kimble (David Janssen)--alias "Bill Douglas"--is currently employed. Though heavily in debt, Gus continues to support his late partner's family, feeling guilty for the man's death. Unable to further provide funds for his partner's lazy, avaricious widow Lucia (Geraldine Brooks), Gus is receptive to a fraud scheme concocted by his false friend Ernie (Michael Constantine)--and as usual, Kimble is caught in the middle of all the intrigue. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In Volume 34 of a collection culled from the 1963-1965 science fiction anthology television series, an astronaut returns from Venus to find he can no longer stay warm in Earth's climate. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
The inhabitants of the planet Zanti establish contact with Earth, and prevail upon its inhabitants to accept custody of their criminals, whom they are incapable of executing. The Zantis demand total seclusion for the prison ship, which the humans grant out of fear that they will use their superior weaponry to destroy them. General Hart (Robert F. Simon) is put in charge of securing the Zanti ship a peaceful, unmolested landing in a desolate section of the California desert; he has also granted permission for one civilian observer, a historian (Michael Tolan), to witness this first contact with an alien race. The security of the Zanti ship is violated, however, when a wanted criminal (Bruce Dern) and his girlfriend (Olive Deering) break into the sealed area. This leads to the death of the man and an attack on the woman, and a breakout by the alien criminals. The insect-shaped occupants of the hive-like spaceship attack the military outpost monitoring their landing, leading to an all-out bloodbath between the aliens and the human defenders. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
Sustaining a leg wound, Saunders (Vic Morrow) is picked up by an American ambulance, full of injured soldiers under the care of veteran Army physician Captain August (Gary Merrill). En route to the field hospital, Saunders sees August abruptly abandon a wounded soldier in order to save himself. Convinced that the doctor is suffering from combat fatigue and needs to be replaced, Saunders is stopped short by August's loyal nurse Ann Hunter (Geraldine Brooks), who insists that August is still a man of great courage--an assertion that will soon be tested to the utmost. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The third volume in a collection culled from the 1963-1965 science fiction anthology television series details the work of a group of scientists who attempt to better global relations by creating a fake space monster in order to frighten the people of Earth into aligning to battle a common enemy. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
Now posing as "Larry Talman", fugitive Richard Kimble (David Janssen) heads to Ketchikan on the freighter "Alaskan Star". En route, one of the passengers is murdered--and the victim turns out to have been an undercover government agent, who had boarded the freighter to arrest another passenger on an embezzlement charge. Like everyone else, Kimble falls under suspicion, forcing him to ferret out the real killer before the authorities figure out his true identity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Advertised on the sleeve of its home-video release as a "Charles Bronson western", Bull of the West is actually comprised of two episodes from the American TV western series The Virginian, edited together for theatrical release overseas. The segment in which Bronson appears was originally telecast as "The Nobility of Kings" on November 10, 1965. Two recurring characters on The Virginian, Trampas (Doug McClure and Randy (Randy Boone), helpfully inform newly arrived rancher Ben Justin (Bronson) that he has inadvertently violated the rules of the Stockman's Association. Conditioned by life's hard knocks to neither trust or listen to anyone but himself, the hard-drinking Ben tells Trampas and Randy to mind their own business. Another rancher, Suchette (George Kennedy), is so incensed by this attitude that makes certain Ben's cattle will not be allowed access to the railroads. Caught in the middle of this range feud is Ben's tenderfoot son Will (Bob Random), who has been forbidden to help his dad around the ranch, and has not even been allowed to ride a horse. Working in secret with Trampas and Randy at the Shiloh Ranch, Ben's wife Mary (Lois Nettleton) sees to it that Will is given riding lessons--while Ben simmers and stews at home, convinced that Mary is having an affair with The Virginian (James Drury). "The Nobility of Kings" was spliced together with the Virginian episode of January 2, 1963, "Duel at Shiloh". While having nothing to do with the Bronson episode beyond the same setting and a few of the same characters, this episode is thematically similar in that it deals with a stubbornly rugged individualist--in this instance, a grizzled ranch hand named Johnny Wade (Brian Keith)--and a potentially deadly feud, unwittingly fomented by the men of the Shiloh ranch. Specifically, Johnny finds himself on opposite sides of the fence with his tenderfoot pal Steve Hill when the latter takes a job with the Shiloh's owner Judge Garth (Lee J. Cobb), while Johnny remains loyal to rival ranch owner Geraldine Brooks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Lee J. Cobb, (more)
Druggist Herbert Simms (Linden Chiles) hopes to change careers and become a TV writer. To this end, he submits his first script to unscrupulous producer Charlie Cory (John Lasell)--who proceeds to steal Simms' story idea and pass it off as his own. The outraged Simms consults his family's attorney, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr), who tells him that nothing can be done because no contract had been signed. Not long afterward, Cory is bludgeoned to death--and Simms is spotted fleeing the murder scene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
While Ben Cartwright nurses his son Adam through a high fever, his thoughts drift back to Adam's late mother, Ben's first wife Elizabeth (Geraldine Brooks. Ben also recalls his seafaring days under the command of Captain Abel Morgan Stoddard (Torin Thatcher), Elizabeth's father. Also in the cast are Berry Kroeger as Mandible, Richard Collier as Otto, Alex Sharpe as Blackmer, and future Mary Tyler Moore Show regular Ted Knight. First seen on May 27, 1961, this classic Bonanza episode was written by Anthony Lawrence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
Wealthy Mrs. Tamsen Sommers (Geraldine Brooks) puts an advertisement in the papers, claiming to be a widow in search of another husband. This proves to be a puzzlement for one man in particular: Mrs. Sommers' husband Haskel (Lawrence Dobkin), still very much alive. Mr. Sommers hires Paladin (Richard Boone) to help figure out his wife's behavior--and to protect him from Mrs. Sommers' homicidal would-be suitors. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This action-filled police drama chronicles the difficult first year of a rookie cop. The trouble begins on his very first day on the beat when he has a conflict with the criminally connected owner of the local tavern. Against the more moderate advice of his experienced partner, the rookie insists on strictly enforcing every law on the books. His unbending toughness creates hard feelings with the neighborhood toughs and soon he becomes their target. He becomes quite upset when a drunken woman leaps from his window to her death. He is then suspended. Later he redeems himself by solving a murder and bringing the corrupt tavern owner to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Geraldine Brooks, Nehemiah Persoff, (more)
When German sympathizer Count Paul Rona (George MacReady) pilfers a valuable jeweled glove from a French church during World War II, it is up to American Michael Blake (Glenn Ford) to outwit his enemies and recover the artifact. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Geraldine Brooks, (more)
Released in Italy in 1950, Volcano didn't receive widespread American distribution until it was picked up by United Artists in 1953. The film is a standard "smoldering passions" yarn, with the ubiquitous Anna Magnani in the lead. In accordance with postwar Italian law, prostitute Maddelena Natoli (Magnani) is sentenced to spend the rest of her life in disgrace in her hometown. Returning to the island of Vulcano, Maddelena tries to connect with her younger sister (Geraldine Brooks) and brother (Enzo Stajola), who greet her with hostility. Her only solace is the love of deep-sea diver Donato (Rosanno Brazzi), whose own past is as checkered as Maddelena's. The story is resolved by Mother Nature herself, during a spectacular volcanic eruption. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anna Magnani, Rossano Brazzi, (more)
Ho Sognato il Paradiso is adapted from a play by Guido Cantini. Geraldine Brooks, an American actress who was living and working in Italy in 1950, stars as a "fallen woman" who'd like to get back up again. Her one opportunity to escape her tawdry lifestyle arrives in the form of a handsome young attorney, played by Vittorio Gassman. Hiding her past from the attorney, the girl enjoys a few blissful months. But when he discovers that she's been a purveyor of the World's Oldest Profession, the results are calamitous. Despite the name value of Geraldine Brooks, Ho Sognato il Paradiso ran into serious censorship problems when it was distributed in the U.S. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Geraldine Brooks, Vittorio Gassman, (more)













