John Fiedler Movies

Honky chronicles the public outcry that greets an interracial relationship between a white teen (John Nielson) and an affluent black woman (Brenda Sykes). Also titled Sheila. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

Samantha gives Darrin a magic amulet, which, when worn, forces Endora to be nice to him. When Endora discovers the source of her uncharacteristic good nature, she spitefully turns the tables on Sam and Darrin. Naturally, this fit of pique occurs just when Darrin is trying to curry favor with his latest client, greeting-card manufacturer Augustus Sunhsine (John Fiedler). Originally telecast on April 9, 1970, "Turn on the Old Charm" was written by Richard Baer. ~ 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

In the conclusion of a two-part story, an enchanted pocket watch has endowed Darrin with the powers of a warlock. Alas, Darrin's newfound magical skills have gone to his head, delighting Endora and Maurice, while devastating Samantha. Clearly, Sam's parents will have to be convinced that Darrin would be better off as a mortal. As it turns out, however, Darrin is not quite as intoxicated by his powers as it seems. Written by Rick Mittleman and Ed Jurist, "Darrin the Warlock" was originally telecast on November 27, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In fine Hollywood tradition, John Wayne had to play a "one-eyed fat man" before the Motion Picture Academy considered him worthy of an Oscar. In True Grit, Wayne plays grumpy, pot-bellied U.S. marshal "Rooster" Cogburn, hired by 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) to find Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey), who killed her father. The headstrong Mattie could have had her pick of lawmen, but selects the aging Cogburn because she believes he has "true grit" (she talks this way all through the picture, so be prepared). Also heading into Indian territory in search of Chaney is Texas Ranger La Boeuf (Glen Campbell), who wants to collect the reward placed on the fugitive's head for his earlier crimes. Complicating matters are Chaney's scurrilous cronies Ned Pepper (Robert Duvall), Quincy (Jeremy Slate), and Moon (Dennis Hopper), who have no qualms about killing a troublesome teenaged girl like Mattie. While the plot of True Grit, adapted (and streamlined) by Marguerite Roberts from the novel by Charles Portis, maintains audience interest throughout, the glue that truly holds this Western together is John Wayne, delivering one of his finest performances (though some believe he was better in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon). Wayne's casual charisma is infinitely more effective than the mannered method acting of Kim Darby and the floundering non-acting of poor Glen Campbell. And who could not love the climatic face-off between Duvall and company and John Wayne, whose "Fill your hand, you son of a bitch!" is not only a classic bit of dialogue, but the apotheosis of the Wayne mystique. In 1975, Wayne repeated his True Grit characterization opposite Katharine Hepburn in Rooster Cogburn, but the film failed to match its predecessor and the overall effect was blunted. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Winnie The Pooh & the Blustery Day was the second Disney animated featurette based on characters created by A. A. Milne. It was released December 20, 1968, two years and ten months after the first Disney "Pooh Corner" tales, Winnie the Pooh & the Honey Tree. As in the earlier film, Sterling Holloway delightfully supplies the voice of Pooh bear, while Sebastian Cabot serves as narrator. The light-as-a-feather storyline concerns the efforts by Pooh and his pals-Christopher Robin, Eeyore, Owl, Piglet et. al.-to contend with a windstorm. Of Disney's four "Pooh Corner" cartoon shorts, only Winnie the Pooh & the Blustery Day received an Oscar. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Compulsive neatnik Felix Unger (Jack Lemmon) is thrown out of his house by his divorce-bound wife. He wanders aimlessly through the streets of New York, toying with the idea of suicide, before gravitating to the apartment of his best friend, incorrigibly sloppy sportswriter Oscar Madison (Walter Matthau). Worried that Felix will try something desperate, Oscar, himself in the process of being divorced by his wife, invites Felix to move in with him. Within a few days, this mismatched pair is on the verge of mutual murder: Felix cannot abide Oscar's slovenliness, while Oscar is driven insane by Felix's obsession with cleanliness. A potentially passionate evening with Oscar's neighbors, the "coo-coo" Pigeon sisters (Monica Evans and Carole Shelley) is ruined when Felix, ruminating over his wife and children, reduces the two ladies to remorseful tears. Pushed to the brink, Oscar stalks around the apartment making as big a mess as possible. Comes the next week's poker game, and the previously vengeful Oscar is worried that Felix might have attempted to do away with himself again. Instead, a surprisingly self-confident Felix shows up to collect his belongings, then announces that he's temporarily moving upstairs with the toothsome Pigeon sisters! There's a laugh a second in this faithful movie adaptation of Neil Simon's hit Broadway play. A foolproof comic situation (allegedly based on a chapter in the life of Simon's brother Danny) is kept alive and healthy by some of the funniest dialogue ever written. The Odd Couple was later adapted into a long-running TV sitcom starring Tony Randall and Jack Klugman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When an aging philanthropist falls on hard times, her butler starts to rob the rich so that she can keep on giving to the poor in this comedy. Claude Fitzwilliam (Dick Van Dyke), known to his friends as "Fitzwilly," works as a butler for Victoria Woodworth (Edith Evans), who -- ever since the death of her husband -- has been using her inheritance to benefit her favorite charitable causes. However, no one has the heart to tell Mrs. Woodworth that she doesn't have much money left, and to compensate for the shortfall brought on by her philanthropy, Fitzwilly and his fellow domestics have been pulling a series of robberies at department stores. When Mrs. Woodworth gets the idea of compiling "A Dictionary for Dopes," which indexes phonetic spellings of commonly misspelled words, she hires Juliet Nowell (Barbara Feldon) to help on the project as a secretary. Juliet senses that there's something fishy about Fitzwilly, especially when she finds out that he has a college education but earns a meager salary as a butler, and she imagines the worst when she finds out about his criminal activities. Watch for Sam Waterston in a small role; this was his first film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Sean Connery attempted to make a clean break from his "James Bond" image in the boisterous comedy A Fine Madness. Connery plays Samson Shillitoe, a Brendan Behan-like poet with a mile-wide misogynistic streak. Try as he might to complete his latest masterpiece, Shillitoe is constantly interrupted by the women in his life. Driven to a nervous breakdown, he seeks help from the medical establishment -- and ends up a babbling shell of his former self. The film takes scattered potshots at a repressive society that forces the truly creative among us into near-madness; at times, it is sidesplittingly funny, though never quite as potent as the Elliot Baker novel upon which it is based. Sean Connery is brilliant, but the public wanted James Bond to behave himself, thus the film didn't do as well at the box office as it should have. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Guns of Diablo was cobbled together from two episodes of the TV series The Travels of Jamie McPheeters. 14-year-old Kurt Russell plays Jamie, an orphaned boy heading westward with a wagon train. Charles Bronson tops the cast as wagon scout Linc Murdock, who runs into difficulties when he meets old flame Maria (Susan Oliver), who is now married to corrupt lawman Rance Macklin (Jan Merlin). The jealous Macklin has Murdock arrested, but Maria frees him, permitting Murdock and Jamie to embark on a new adventure involving a "lost" gold mine. Curiously, Dan O'Herlihy, Kurt Russell's costar on Travels of Jamie McPheeters, does not appear in this ersatz feature. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Catholic League of Decency gave Billy Wilder's Kiss Me, Stupid! a "condemned" rating. The Moral Majority charged the picture with debauchery and movie theaters across the nation discontinued its run. The bed-trick comedy had America's panties tied in a knot; one could not imagine a story so distasteful. Dean Martin is Dino, a Las Vegas crooner, alcoholic, and celebrity playboy. Dino requires women like oxygen -- a companionless night leaves him with a headache. Ray Walston is Orville, a provincial piano teacher, aspiring songwriter, and jealous husband. Orville violently obsesses over his wife Zelda's (Felicia Farr) fidelity -- any man she encounters becomes his sworn enemy. When a chance detour brings Dino to Orville's hometown of Climax, NV, it is the perfect opportunity for the piano teacher and his songwriting partner, Barney (Cliff Osmond), to pitch their tunes. Yet, Orville predictably fears the possible combination of Dino's libido with Zelda's childhood crush on the singer. Before the two can meet, Orville deceitfully bullies Zelda out of their house and Barney hires local roadhouse prostitute Polly the Pistol (Kim Novak) to pose as Orville's wife. Zelda turns to drink for solace, ending up at the exact bar where Polly plies her trade and, eventually, in the call girl's empty trailer. By the next morning, Orville is with Polly and Dino (looking for a prostitute) finds his way to Zelda -- and husband, wife, hooker, and Barney will all reap the benefits of infidelity. This tale may be tasteless, but Kiss Me, Stupid! is now a cable favorite. Its modern rating? PG. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, All Movie Guide

After another of Marilyn's boyfriends runs away in horror upon seeing the monstrous Munsters, Grandpa Munster (Al Lewis) concludes that Marilyn (Beverly Owen) will never land a beau without his help. Dutifully, Grandpa repairs to his laboratory to cook up a love potion, which Lily (Yvonne DeCarlo) mixes with some oatmeal. As a result, everyone in the family finds himself or herself irresistable to the opposite sex--everyone, that is, except poor Marilyn! This episode of The Munsters is a black-and-white remake of the series' original color pilot, which featured actors other than series regulars Yvonne DeCarlo, Beverly Owen and Butch Patrick (Eddie Munster). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Recognizing the man in a picture snapped by a sidewalk photographer as Richard Kimble (David Janssen), Lt. Gerard (Barry Morse) rushes to Chicago in hopes of finally capturing the fugitive. Seeking a hideout, Kimble takes refuge in the home of two crotchety middle-agers named Jake (John McGiver) and Sam (John Fiedler), who by a strange coincidence are in the middle of a lengthy debate over Kimble's innocence. Legendary sportscaster Chick Hearn appears as a TV newscaster in this semi-comic episode, which brings the first season of The Fugitive to a close. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide