Fred Freiberger Movies
Propelled by his success as a writer/producer of such legendary small-screen staples as Star Trek and The Wild, Wild West, Fred Freiberger would subsequently embark on a successful film career by producing such cult films as The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) and The Beginning of the End (1957). Born in New York City in February of 1915, Freiberger served in England with the 8th Air Force during the Second World War, earning a Purple Heart after being shot down over Germany and held as a prisoner of war for 22 months. Relocating to the West Coast after the end of the war, it was in Hollywood that Freiberger would find success as a film publicist. Though successful at his job, the fledgling publicist was forced to turn to writing when lack of films -- resulting from a Hollywood strike -- made for rough times as a promoter. He subsequently became one of the most successful scribes of the small screen. Writing seemed to come natural to Freiberger, and he became one of only two writers to be accepted into the Actor's Lab. Work on Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Bonanza, and The Fugitive lead to producing work on Ben Casey in 1959, and with Star Trek and The Wild, Wild West, the writer-turned-producer became ever more associated with the science fiction genre. So successful was Freiberger at science fiction that in 1975 he was brought in to breathe new life into the troubled British series Space: 1999. Continuing to pen such series as Starsky and Hutch and The Beverly Hillbillies in his later years, Freiberger also served a stint at Hanna-Barbera, where he would write for Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? and Superfriends, among others. Making it a point to hire blacklisted writers during the McCarthy Era, the sympathetic scribe also served on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and both the Writers and Producers Guild of America. Married to wife Shirley in 1953, Fred Freiberger remained married until his death in early 2003. He was 88. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide- 1981
Just one day before he is eligible for his pension, longtime bank employee Clarence Stovall (Bill Erwin) is fired by Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke). In a brief fit of pique, Clarence steals $30,000 from the bank--and it is up to the Dukes to return the money without getting either Clarence or themselves thrown in jail. In this episode, Deputy Cletus (Rick Hurst) manages to top his previous blunders by making the same stupid mistake three different times! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
In order to collect the $180 necessary to repair the "General Lee", Bo (John Schneider) and Luke (Tom Wopat) hire themselves out to drive an eighteen-wheeler, which is ostensibly transporting shock absorbers but is actually an illegal "casino on wheels" run by the delectable Helen Hogan (Jo Ann Pflug). When one of Jesse's friends loses $1200 at the casino's rigged roulette wheel, the Dukes concoct a "string" to get the money back, with Jesse (Denver Pyle) and Daisy (Catherine Bach) posing as a couple of wealthy high rollers. But they'd better hurry before Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke) puts the casino out of business--not because he is shocked, SHOCKED, to find that gambling is going on in Hazzard County, but because he wants to get his mitts on the gambling equipment for his own gain! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
When an armored car is stolen, the SWAT team is faced with two disturbing questions: How do the thieves plan to use the all-but-impenetrable vehicle, and how will the team be able to stop them with conventional weapons? The answers are not long in coming: The armored-car robbers swoop down to steal the valuable crown and scepter used in the Miss American Beauty Pageant -- and kidnap Miss New Mexico (none other than Farrah Fawcett-Majors) in the process. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Forrest, Rod Perry, (more)
- 1975
This sci-fi adventure was the pilot for a television series Space: 1999. It is set in the next century just after an enormous blast from an alien ship destroys half the moon and sends the rest hurtling through space. Unfortunately, upon the chunk of speeding rock is the research station Alpha which contains 311 people helmed by cool-headed Commander Koenig. Now the Alpha castaways must not only continue to survive, they must also keep up on their research to discover what happened and why. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Someone in San Francisco has been attacking Vietnam veterans with military-issue hand grenades. Two ex-soldiers have already fallen victim to the mystery assailant, and one of them has been killed. Ironside's aide Mark (Don Mitchell), a friend of the dead man, wants some answers--and thus he sets himself up as bait to lure the killer out in the open. This is one of several early-1970s TV programs centering around the tragic residue of the still-raging Vietnam conflict. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Incensed that Mike has written a stern and critical letter to President Nixon, super-patriotic Archie tries to set things right by penning his own missive to the Chief Executive. "Dear Mr. President...Your Honor...Sir..." -- and Archie even dons a clean shirt and tie for the occasion. Scripted by Paul Harrison, Lennie Weinrib, and Norman Lear from a story by Les Erwin and Fred Freiberger, "Writing the President" originally aired on January 19, 1971. Though withdrawn from CBS' daytime rerun package of All in the Family at the request of producer Lear (who felt that Archie's behavior was ridiculous even for him), the episode has since been restored to the series' syndicated package. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1968
When a young resident of a peaceful Mexican village is brutally raped to death, the evidence points to one of three strangers in town, all of whom are Mexican-hating Anglo-Americans. The father of the dead girl hates all whites and is eager to lynch all three to make sure they get the culprit, but the sheriff, even though he too is not fond of the gringos either, fights to see that real justice prevails. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fernando Lamas, Aldo Ray, (more)
The third and final season of Star Trek is frequently written off as the series' nadir, if only because creator Gene Roddenberryhad relinquished a great deal of his creative control to the NBC executives and to new producer Fred Freiberger). Another reason given for the series' decline was the decision to cut the budgets to the bone, and to depend more on "house" writers than established science- fiction specialists. Also, there was a heavier reliance upon gimmickry and gadgetry than in previous years, upsetting those purists who preferred strong characterizations and story values to the standard sci-fi/fantasy cliches. But while Season Three was overall the weakest, especially in terms of ratings, several of the individual episodes are among the finest that Star Trek has to offer. We get off to a good start with the opener, "Spock's Brain", in which the titular organ is "kidnapped" from its owner Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy). Attorney Melvin Belli makes his acting debut as a sinister, corruptive life force (not a lawyer, but close!) in "And the Children Shall Lead". The crew of the Starship Enterprise is forced to sacrifice themselves during the Gunfight at the OK Corral in "Spectre of the Gun". "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" is an allegorical drama in which the fate of a civilization is determined by a duel to the death between its two last survivors (Frank Gorshin, Lou Antonio), whose faces are half-black and half-white. And in the series finale "Turnabout Intruder", the mind of Captain Kirk (William Shatner) is exchanged with that of his embittered ex-lover (Sandra Smith)--and vice versa. The season's most controversial episode was "Plato's Stepchildren", originally telecast November 22, 1968, in which Kirk and officer Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) share the first interracial kiss ever seen on network television. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, (more)
- 1967
As "Tom Anderson", Kimble (Richard Kimble) finds himself sharing a freight car with a seriously wounded man named Bantam (Edward Asner). Kimble helps Bantam make his way to a remote mountain cabin, only to find out that his companion is the head of a bank-robbery gang, and that the cabin is the gang's hideout. Further complications arise when Bantam's cronies return, threatening dire consequences if their boss refuses to turn over the loot from their last job--which Bantam claims to have lost. Worse still, the gang is holding a widow (Georgann Johnson) and a lawman (James Broderick) hostage, forcing Kimble to give up his own escape plans until he can figure out a way to rescue his fellow captives. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Paladin (Richard Boone) eagerly looks forward to a rendezvous with a former lady friend, a Frenchwoman named Francine (Gail Kobe). En route, Paladin rescues an Indian maiden named Taymanee (Susan Silo) from a pair of scurrilous outlaws. In gratitude, Taymanee declares that she now "belongs" to Paladin--and steadfastly refuses to leave his side, not even during his reunion with Francine! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
In the final episode of Walt Disney's ten-part miniseries Elfego Baca, frontier lawyer Baca (Robert Loggia) embarks upon a mission to bring fugitive gunslinger Gus Tomlin to justice. Upon hearing that Tomlin is dead, Baca is all for giving up the search -- until a citizen of the small town of Granite claims that Tomlin and his family are living on a farm under an assumed name. The father of a man allegedly killed by Tomlin begins forming a lynch mob, but Baca offers to personally bring Tomlin back for a fair trial -- if he lives long enough to do so. "Gus Tomlin Is Dead" was originally telecast as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
B-picture auteur Jacques Tourneur served as director for the October 15, 1960 Bonanza episode "Denver McKee." The title character, played by Franchot Tone, is a former lawman who wants to give his beloved daughter Connie (Natalie Trundy) everything that money can buy. To that end, McKee has secretly aligned himself with an outlaw gang, accepting huge amounts of cash in return for his cooperation. Things come to a head when Connie returns home from a fancy Eastern school, just as McKee is sent out of town to capture the very outlaws with whom he is in cahoots-and to further complicate matters, Joe Cartwright falls in love with Connie. Also in the cast are Ken Mayer (Miles), Stephen Courtleigh (Harley), William Fawcett (Pete), Jack Lester (Johnson), Pete Robinson (Fleming), and Bob Barker (Mort). "Denver McKee" was written by Fred Freiberger and Steve McNeil. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Pernell Roberts, (more)
- 1959
In the eighth episode of Walt Disney's 17-part miniseries Tales of Texas John Slaughter, John (Tom Tryon) and his new friend, Kentucky horse breeder Ashley Carstairs (Darryl Hickman), have managed to survive the ordeal of being stranded in the New Mexico desert. This experience has only strengthened John's resolve to capture the stallion leader of a valuable wild-horse herd -- provided that Ashley does not blunder in releasing the stallion as he did before. Meanwhile, crooked rancher Jason Hemp (John Vivyan) continues his efforts to rid the territory of Slaughter and his friend so that he can control the local horse business himself. The conclusion of a two-part story which began with the previous week's "The Robber Stallion," "Wild Horse Revenge" originally aired as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
In the seventh episode of Walt Disney's 17-part miniseries Tales of Texas John Slaughter, the recently widowed Slaughter (Tom Tryon) arrives in New Mexico to purchase a herd of cattle and bring it back to Tombstone, where hungry silver miners will pay top dollar. Upon his arrival, he is talked into participating in a wild-horse roundup by Easterner Ashley Carstairs (Darryl Hickman), who hopes to breed Thoroughbreds for steeplechase racing in Kentucky. Ultimately, however, John and Ashley are stranded in the desert without horses or water, thanks to machinations of an outlaw and the capriciousness of an unbridled stallion. Originally telecast as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology, "The Robber Stallion" was the first of a two-part story, culminating with the subsequent week's episode, "Wild Horse Revenge." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
Paladin (Richard Boone) agrees to help a young bride named Helen Martin (Olive Sturgess), prove that her bank-clerk husband Paul (Lee Farr) is innocent of robbing the bank and killing a deputy. Unfortunately, a rather nasty posse is already on Paul's trail, and they are disinclined to allow Paladin to reach the fugitive first. This episode was written by future Star Trek contributor Fred Freiberger. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Phyllis Coates, TV's erstwhile Lois Lane, essays one of her largest film roles in Blood Arrow. Coates is cast as a devout Mormon girl whose mission is to transport smallpox vaccine to her friends and neighbors. Unfortunately, this requires her to journey through hostile Indian territory. Appointing themselves as the girl's unofficial protectors are Indian scout Scott Brady, trapper Don Haggerty and (reluctantly) gambler Paul Richards. Any resemblance to Stagecoach and The Outcasts of Poker Flat were probably intentional. Incidentally, Don Haggerty was the father of Dan Haggerty, star of TV's The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Brady, Paul Richards, (more)
- 1958
Before there was Airport and its offspring, there was this aerial disaster film that stars Nancy Davis (later Nancy Reagan) as the devoted wife of an iron-willed sky pilot in charge of the doomed passenger plane. The trouble begins when the pilot realizes he must make an emergency landing in the Atlantic. Each of the diverse passengers has his or her own reaction to the impending disaster and many confessions are heard all around. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on what each person confessed) the water landing goes without a hitch and a US Naval ship is right there to save them. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Merrill, Nancy Davis, (more)
Produced by Bert I. Gordon, The Beginning of the End a menacing onslaught of giant-sized grasshoppers. Department of Agriculture functionary Peter Graves and photojournalist Peggie Castle discover that the huge grasshoppers are the product of a gone-awry experiment in radioactivity. Before the Army can neutralize the green monstrosities, Chicago has been besieged by the ravenous insects. Beginning of the End was one of two horror films produced by American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres; the other was The Unearthly (1957). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Peggie Castle, (more)
- 1957
The Weapon is a loose grouping of elements first seen in the 1951 British melodrama The Yellow Balloon. Jon Whitely plays a young London boy who finds a loaded gun in a blitzed-out building. He fires, accidentally shooting a playmate. Believing he's killed his friend, the boy runs away--leading to a relentlessly suspenseful climax. Though filmed in England, The Weapon was geared from the start for primarily American audiences; its producer was Hollywood's own Hal E. Chester, and its adult stars included Steve Cochran and Lizabeth Scott. The script was written by Fred Freiberger, best known to sci-fi followers as the producer of the original Star Trek's third and final season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Cochran, Lizabeth Scott, (more)
- 1956
After divesting himself of his own studio and distribution firm, producer Robert L. Lippert Jr. put together a group of low-budget films for 20th Century-Fox release. Filmed in Mexico, Lippert's Massacre stars Dane Clark as a mounted police officer, sent out to find a group of gun smugglers. Time is of the essence, since the villains are selling guns to the Yaqui Indian tribe, in preparation for an all-out war against the white settlers. Clark is able to destroy the stolen weapons and capture the smugglers, but the Yaquis manage to surround the officer and his prisoners. The outcome of the film is implicit in its title. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dane Clark, James Craig, (more)
- 1955
Upon his release from prison, gangster Dan Varrel (Gene Barry) vows to kill Lois Williams (Nancy Gates), the woman responsible for his brother's death. Catching up to Lois, Dan is surprised to find a lonely, impoverished, and thoroughly depressed young woman who all but begs him to put her out of her misery. Almost instantly, Dan changes his tune and does everything he can to help Lois pull herself out of her doldrums and gain a new lease on life -- but his motives are not entirely altruistic! "Salvage" had been previously dramatized on the radio anthology Suspense, with Burt Lancaster in the leading role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1955
W. Lee Wilder, the prolific but markedly less talented brother of Billy Wilder, both produced and directed The Big Bluff. Handsome but unscrupulous John Bromfield comes into the life of beautiful and wealthy Martha Vickers. Knowing that she has only a year to live, Bromfield marries her, then settles back to wait for his inheritence. But then she begins showing signs of recovery, forcing the caddish Bromfield to radically alter his plans. The Big Bluff was scripted by Fred Freiberger, who later served as producer of Star Trek. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Bromfield, Martha Vickers, (more)
- 1954
A young police officer tries his best to assuage the fears of his pregnant wife by refusing dangerous new jobs. But despite his caution, he has a job to do and he ends up chasing a dangerous thief all the way to Mexico in a helicopter. This actioner chronicles his death-defying adventures. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1954
1954's The Black Pirates stars Anthony Dexter, who three years earlier hadn't quite set box-office records afire with his portrayal of Rudolph Valentino. Dexter heads a band of pirates who land in a sleepy Mexican village. A buried treasure is rumored to be somewhere in the vicinity, and the pirates want to get their grimy mitts on it. They enslave the villagers and force them to dig for the treasure. Black Pirates was written by Fred Freiberger, the man later responsible for the up-and-down third season of TV's Star Trek. It was filmed on location in Mexico and released stateside by Lippert Films. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1954
Gary Cooper, Richard Widmark and Cameron Mitchell portray three somewhat disreputable 19th-century soldiers of fortune, en route to California to prospect for gold. Stopping over in a tiny Mexican village, the three men are hired by Susan Hayward to rescue her husband, who is trapped in a gold mine in hostile Indian territory. The threesome agree to the expedition, their interest piqued by the possibility of picking up some gold themselves. During the harrowing journey, the party's already frayed nerves are aggravated when the men become attracted to Hayward. The group arrives at the mine's location--the Garden of Evil, so named because the Indians regard it as the domain of evil spirits. During the escape, Hayward's husband (Hugh Marlowe) is killed by the Indians, as is Mitchell. Cooper and Widmark play cards to decide who will take Hayward to safety and who will cover them while they flee. Cooper wins--but later discovers that Widmark had cheated in order to sacrifice himself. Garden of Evil takes too long to get to its climax, but the Cinemascope photography and Bernard Herrmann's rich musical score make the wait worthwhile. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Cooper, Susan Hayward, (more)
