Nellie Burt Movies
- 1972
Donna Mills was still in her "imperiled heroine" career stage when she starred in the made-for-TV The Bait. Mills is a policewoman who goes incognito to solves a baffling series of rape-murders. Almost as deadly as the rapist is the sexism Mills must suffer from her superior officer (Michael Constantine)--which at times is played for laughs. Based on a novel by former policewoman Dorothy Uhnak, who must have been appalled at the liberties taken with her work by this film, The Bait was the pilot for an unlaunched weekly TV series. Sidenote (courtesy of TV-movie historian Lee Goldberg): Noam Pitlik, a guest star in The Bait, would later direct several episodes of the police sitcom Barney Miller. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
- PG
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The oft-told story of the rise and fall of the James Younger gang is given the Dragnet treatment in The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid. With meticulous attention to detail, the film recreates the outlaw gang's most infamous escapade: the September 7, 1876, robbery of "the biggest bank west of the Mississippi" in Northfield, MN. Cliff Robertson plays Cole Younger, and Robert Duvall appears as Jesse James, herein depicted as a pair of vengeance-driven sociopaths, but no worse than the greedy railroad magnates who've driven them into a life of crime. Younger is also quite the manipulator, convincing the immigrant farmers of Northfield that the bank is completely impervious to robbery, thereby increasing the deposits that he intends to steal. Duvall's Jesse James is a cold-blooded murderer, but, like Younger, not without his own personal charm. The climactic raid is filmed cinéma vérité style, looking more like a haphazard CNN news event than a well-oiled machine (this film is not, thankfully, the standard "slick" Hollywood product). Though it drags in spots, The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid is a superb, iconoclastic reproduction of an era long past. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cliff Robertson, Robert Duvall, (more)
- 1971
Two men kidnap Wendy Rankin (Belinda J. Montgomery), the daughter of a thief (Ray Rankin) who absconded with $400,000 ten years earlier. As the FBI endeavors to locate the kidnappers, Wendy is forced to relive a horrifying experience that occurred at the same time as the robbery. Interestingly, the part of Wendy's mother is played by Leave It to Beaver's Barbara Billingsley--whose character name is "June". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
At the insistence of her social-climbing mother-in-law (Mabel Albertson), Samantha hires a maid named Amelia (Nellie Burt). Intending to fire Amelia before she can be a witness to witchcraft, Sam finds it impossible to do so: Amelia is too nice and too dedicated to her work, to warrant dismissal, nor will she allow herself to be fired. The story's unexpected solution is provided by hoity-toity dowager Mrs. Otis (Virginia Gregg). Written by Peggy Chantler Dick and Douglas M. Dick, "Samantha's Super Maid" first aired on January 2, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, (more)
- 1969
Escaping from federal prison, David Starret makes a beeline to Albany, New York, where he kidnaps his son Cliff (Michael Kearney) from the boy's foster parents. Upon discovering that Cliff is suffering from leukemia, Starret dedicates himself to acquiring the necessary medical attention for his son--even if he has to commit murder to do it. Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) tracks Starret all the way to Texas for a tension-packed showdown. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
With the help of a ouija board, Samantha and her daughter, Tabitha, accidentally come in contact with the ghost of self-made businessman Willie Baker (Harry Harvey Sr.). This leads to yet another dilemma when Willie begs Sam to stop his backward-looking nephew (J. Edward McKinley) from ruining the family business. Sam's efforts to grant Willie's wishes almost costs Darrin his job (again). Written by Robert Riley Crutcher, "Tabitha's Cranky Spell" (sometimes listed as "Tabatha's Cranky Spell") first aired on March 28, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, (more)
- 1966
Using the alias Stephen Fitzgerald, con artist Andrew Cook (James Daly) has married the widow of a bank owner, embezzled the bank funds, and murdered his wife--a pattern he has followed for years in several other cities. Now the homicidal Cook has targeted wealthy Amy Hunter (Margaret Leighton) as his next victim, with both Amy's life and a million-dollar "prize" at stake. Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) must figure out the reason behind Fitzgerald's modus operandi in order to stop him before he can steal--and kill--again. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Though he is using the alias "Joe Warren", Richard Kimble (David Janssen) is recognized by Sal Mitchell (Larry Blyden), a seedy nightclub performer who has a mind-reading act. Hoping to drum up publicity, Mitchell plans to arrange for Kimble's capture, thereby make it appear as if his "powers" are genuine. Crucial to the success of the scheme is a subtle accomplice, who likewise using an alias is posing as Kimble's current travelling companion. Appearing as Mitchell's wife Joan is Joanna Moore, onetime wife of actor Ryan O'Neal and the mother of child star Tatum O'Neal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
When a TV fan recognizes a picture of Richard Kimble (David Janssen) on a quiz show, the fugitive takes refuge in a home for the blind. Posing as "Phil Meade", Kimble quickly acquaints himself several of the residents, including the attractive Claire Whittaker (Diana Van Der Vlis) and embittered ex-cop Dan Brady (Ed Begley), who harbors a dream of capturing Kimble so that he can reclaim his job. And then there is Bob Sterne (Peter Haskell), who is only pretending to be blind...but why? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1964
In Volume 26 of a collection culled from the 1963-1965 science fiction anthology television series, a drifter stumbles across a mansion controlled by aliens. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1963
This is the last of four consecutive episodes in which Perry Mason appears only briefly, while a "guest" lawyer handles the case at hand (Raymond Burr was at the time recovering from minor surgery). Walter Pigeon stars as corporation lawyer Sherman Hatfield, who in Perry's absence tackles his first murder case. Hatfield's client is scatterbrained Hollis Wilburn (Joyce Bulifant), charged with the murder of her uncle John Wilburn (Carl Benton Reid), a high-profile industrialist who was being blackmailed by someone who knew of his illegal Swiss bank account. Excluded from the original Perry Mason syndicated rerun package in 1966, this episode would not be seen again until it was shown on cable TV in the mid-1990s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Perry (Raymond Burr) and Della (Barbara Hale) return to their office to find that someone has left a four-month-old baby on Perry's desk. Soon thereafter, Ginny Talbot (Kaye Elhardt), claiming to be the child's mother, shows up--and not long after that, Perry receives evidence that the infant may be heir to the celebrated Kerrick fortune. The key to the child's true identity is the St. Christopher medal around its neck, but before this matter can be cleared up, Perry must defend Ginny on a charge of murdering one Lester Menke (Corey Allen). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1921
Gail Kane, one of the icons of World War I melodramas, made her long awaited screen comeback in this underworld drama produced in 1920 but not released until June of the following year. When stage-struck Marjorie Travers (Nellie Burt) vanishes in Chinatown, her older sister Gloria (Kane) appeals to Mayor Henry Livingston (Thurston Hall) for help. Unfortunately, the mayor assigns Commissioner Deering (William Bechtel) to investigate the disappearance, unaware that Deering is the head of the underworld. At one point Gloria and her sister become prisoners of Deering's drug-addicted son (Paul Lane), but both girls are rescued in the nick of time by Mayor Livingston, who has suddenly seen the light. A sordid melodrama, Idle Hands became something of a cause célèbre when Kane sued the producers, Park-Whiteside, for breach of contract. She was awarded $2,719 in damages but her screen career was all but ruined by the suit. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
