Arthur Hiller Movies
After wartime service with the Royal Canadian Air Force, Edmontonian Arthur Hiller began his show business career in Canadian radio and television. In the mid-1950s, Hiller left the CBC for American television, directing such live anthologies as Playhouse 90 and such filmed weeklies as Alcoa/Goodyear Theatre, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Naked City. He directed his first theatrical film in 1957, moving on to such 1960s big-budgeters as The Americanization of Emily (1964), where he proved himself a superb technician with only a trace of personal style. In 1970, Hiller was fortunate enough to be in the director's chair for that year's biggest hit, Love Story, which earned him an Oscar nomination. Extremely successful for the past four decades, Arthur Hiller has continued to turn out such slick, efficient products as Silver Streak (1974), The In-Laws (1976), The Lonely Guy (1984) and The Babe (1992), works that were always as good as (but seldom better than) their scripts. One of Hiller's most admirable professional accomplishments was establishing a strong rapport with notoriously argumentative actor George C. Scott, whom Hiller directed in The Hospital (1971) and Plaza Suite (1971), and about whom Hiller wrote an article for the 1977 compendium Closeups: The Movie Star Book. In 1993, Hiller was appointed president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1960
It has been ten years since the wife of Munro Dean (George Mitchell) was murdered, and during this period Munro has hired 39 detectives in a futile effort to track down and destroy his wife's killer, an elusive gent named Otto (Jack Weston). The 40th detective turns out to be a young man named William Tyre (James Franciscus), who in his own way is as embittered and frustrated as Dean. The question is whether Tyre will accept the assignment, which will also oblige him to kill Otto once he has found him? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
When a man collapses and apparently dies on the street, the wallet he is carrying is stolen by impoverished Joe Helmer (Jeremy Slate). Examining the wallet's contents, Joe finds a card indicating that the wallet's owner is suffering from a disease that causes a deathlike state. Consumed by guilt over his failure to check if the man was truly dead, Joe makes a full confession to the police -- little knowing that he is in for the surprise of his life! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
Bob Lansing (Jeremy Slate), lookalike son of a notorious bank robber, arrives in a small town to receive information about his father from J.J. Flaherty (Robert Emhardt), the local bigwig who has been making huge contributions to the orphanage where Bob grew up. Instead of information, Bob is the recipient of a great deal of hostility from the townsfolk--including his so-called benefactor. Ultimately, murder rears its ugly head, and in order to defend accused killer Bob in court, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) must somehow solve a crime that occurred way back in 1939. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
Swimsuit manufacturer Wally Dunbar (John Lupton) is none too happy when his new summer line of bikinis is pirated after the design sketches are stolen. It gets worse when Dunbar's girlfriend Kitty Wynne (Terry Huntingdon) is charged with the murder of Dunbar's top designer Rick Stassi (Stephan Bekassy), with Lt. Tragg (Ray Collins) offering as motive the fact that Stassi was systematically blackmailing Kitty. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) agrees to defend Kitty in court--never imagining that DA Burger (William Talman) intends to put Perry's detective friend Paul Drake (William Hopper) on the witness stand. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
Done up to look much older than his tender years, Buddy Hackett guest stars in this unusually violent segment of The Rifleman. Hackett plays uncouth Daniel Malakie, arriving in town to bail out his three hell-raising sons. When he learns that one of the sons, Ben (Christopher Dark), mistakenly shot and killed brother Stump (John Durren), Malakie goes after the man he believes responsible. This fine episode of the superior series was helmed by future ace director Arthur Hiller. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Buddy Hackett
- 1959
Businessman Mort Bonner (Allyn Joslyn) is awakened one evening by a middle-aged burglar (Eddie Foy Jr.). Surprisingly, the bespectacled crook offers to split the insurance money that Mort will collect for the items that will be stolen. Impressed by the burglar's business acumen, Mort comes up with a better offer: for "the right price" the burglar will murder Mort's quarrelsome wife, Jocelyn (Jane Dulo). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
This 1959 episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents could well be described as a precursor to Hitchcock's upcoming theatrical feature Psycho. Helen Brewster (Barbara Bel Geddes) wants to wed her much-younger boyfriend, Philip Pryor (Don Dubbins), but he keeps putting off the wedding, explaining that his mother is ill. After numerous delays, Philip and Helen finally become man and wife, whereupon Helen demands to meet her troublesome mother-in-law. But Philip is reluctant to arrange such a meeting -- and not without good reason. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Falsely accused of embezzling $300,000, Martin Ellis (William Phipps) is released after several years' imprisonment thanks to Perry Mason, who is in possession of new evidence. The real embezzler is Charles Brewster (Ralph Clanton), who unfortunately is let out on bail. Shortly thereafter, Brewster is murdered--and guess who gets charged with the crime? This is one of several Perry Mason episodes directed by Arthur Hiller, whose subsequent film credits included The Out-of-Towners and Love Story. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Claiming to be suffering from amnesia, an 18-year-old girl (Gigi Perreau) asks Perry (Raymond Burr) to find out who she is and help restore her memory. As it turns out, the girl has plenty to forget: Her name is Doris Bannister, and she is the daughter of Lisa Bannister (Osa Massen)--who herself is the daughter of the East German Communist party leader, and is living incognito in the U.S. When Stefan Riker (a pre-Hogan's Heroes Werner Klemperer) arrived in America threatening to expose Lisa, Doris pretended to fall in love with him to throw him off the track. Thus, when Riker turns up murdered, Doris is accused of the crime--and Perry really has his work cut out for him! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Lawyer John Benson (Edmon Ryan) comes to a Christmas party held by siblings Charlie (Carmen Mathews) and Celia (Carmen Mathews). But it's not exactly a social call: Benson is hoping against hope to patch up the long-running family feud between brother and sister. This, however, may prove more difficult than Benson imagined -- especially since Charlie is convinced that Celia murdered his wife, and is determined to exact a deadly revenge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Fired for his sympathetic coverage of an Arab leader who has been executed for murder, disgraced reporter Ted Franklin (Gary Merrill) boards a flight from Tangier to Cairo. His traveling companion is the beautiful Barbara Denham (Patricia Cutts), who expresses fascination over his unorthodox treatment of the murder trial. Gradually, Franklin reveals just why he believed the Arab was innocent -- and in so doing puts a noose around his own neck. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Tennis player Walter Richmond (Robert Horton) finds a perfect doubles partner in the shapely form of attractive young widow Laura Gild (Betsy Von Furstenberg). As the two get to know each other better, the insatiably curious Walter begins asking questions about Laura's dear, departed husband. It would have been far better, however, if Walter had kept his curiosity to himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
After the death of her first husband, Judy (Joanna Moore) marries Steve (Steve Forrest), the man who sold her the insurance policy on her late hubby's life. When Judy and Steve quickly run out of money, Judy pins her hopes on a sweepstakes ticket that husband number one purchased just before his death. Unfortunately, the ticket stub is in the pocket of her dead husband's jacket -- the jacket that he was buried in. Based on a story by frequent Hitchcock collaborator Cornell Woolrich, "Post Mortem" had been previously been dramatized on the radio anthology Suspense. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Practical joker Bradley (Albert Salmi) chooses as his next victim Pop Henderson (Roscoe Ames), the nearsighted, hearing-impaired attendant at the local morgue. Sneaking onto a slab, Bradley pretends to be a corpse -- and when he "comes to life," the terrified Henderson nearly jumps out of his skin, and almost loses his job. But there's a comeuppance in store for Bradley when one of his previous victims knocks him unconscious, leaving him in a state of complete paralysis.... ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Mrs. Herman (Doro Merande) is the landlady of actress Mrs. Fenimore (Mary Astor). Both ladies are in dire need of quick money -- and thus, when Mrs. Herman hatches a scheme to murder her wealthy uncle Bill (Russell Collins), Mrs. Fenimore agrees to help her for a share of the inheritance. As things turn out, however, one of the two ladies is a bit quicker on the uptake than the other...and she's the one who ends up with all the cash. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Tom (William Demarest) and Ben (Roscoe Ates) are a pair of old coots living in the Nevada desert. The local sheriff (Ben Johnson) shows up at their place with an eviction notice, but he agrees to let them stay on their property if they can get a dead rosebush to bloom within the next 30 days. Not long afterward, Tom and Ben are confronted by a fugitive from justice (Mike Kellin), leading to a fight and a killing -- and thereby hangs the conclusion of the story. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
Former child actor Dean Stockwell makes his first grown-up appearance in The Careless Years. Stockwell plays a mixed-up high schooler who wishes to marry Natalie Trundy, but the girl's parents (played by John Stephenson and Barbara "June Cleaver" Billingsley) feel the couple should complete school first. Dean and Natalie impulsively run off to elope, while Natalie's anguished parents inaugurate a nationwide search for the wayward kids. Though it is fairly clear that Dean and Natalie have gotten to know each other intimately during their flight, they meekly return home and agree to "wait" until school is out. Careless Years served to introduce promising young actress Natalie Trundy, whose starring career was cut short by an auto accident that kept her off-screen until the late 1960s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Stockwell, Natalie Trundy, (more)
- 1957
Another of the handful of Playhouse 90 dramas that were filmed rather than telecast "live", "Homeward Borne" is based on a novel by actress Ruth Chatterton. Upon returning from war duty, fighter pilot Bob Lyttleton (Richard Kiley) is surprised to discover that his has a new son. Actually, the boy is a European war orphan, adopted by Bob's wife Meg (Linda Darnell). Though Meg loves the boy unconditionally, Bob resents the child's presence, since it conjures up painful memories of his years in combat. Richard Eyer, a child actor best known for his roles in such theatrical features as The Desperate Hours and Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, is cast as Tommy Lyttleton. In 1958, Homeward Borne was released in syndication as part of a Screen Gems feature-film package, thereby obscuring its TV roots. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Linda Darnell, Richard Kiley, (more)
