William Lava Movies

A slapdash epic of bad filmmaking geared strictly toward drive-in audiences, Dracula vs. Frankenstein has gone on to achieve cult status thanks to its sheer ineptness and impressive cast. At an oceanside amusement park, Dr. Frankenstein (J. Carrol Naish) runs a house of horrors that serves as a cover for his more devious scientific experimentation -- work that requires the murderous deeds of his mute assistant Groton (Lon Chaney Jr.). After stealing the corpse of Frankenstein's monster, Dracula visits the doctor and makes him an offer he can't refuse: resurrect the monster so that Dracula can use the beast to carry out his plan to take over the world. At the same time, lounge singer Judith (Regina Carrol) arrives at the park against the advice of detective Martin (Jim Davis) to search for her missing sister. She is drugged in a bar and winds up in the care of kindly stud Mike (Anthony Eisley), who takes up the investigation with her. Meanwhile, Dr. Frankenstein and Dracula resurrect the monster and immediately send it to kill the doctor's old enemy (Forrest J. Ackerman). Judith and Mike encounter the monster and, after a narrow escape, they confront Dr. Frankenstein who is beheaded in the ensuing melee. Sgt. Martin arrives in time to kill Groton before he attacks Judith, but not before Dracula kills Mike and takes Judith captive. He ties her up in the lab and prepares to bite her, but the monster goes mad, leading to a ferocious battle. ~ Patrick Legare, All Movie Guide

Insurance investigator Richard Cutting (Patrick O'Neal) is summoned to look into the sinking of some ships owned by wealthy shipping-magnate Curt Valayan (John Gielgud). Traveling to Switzerland, he interviews the owner and finds that his henchmen Matt (Herbert Lom) and the Big Man (Leon Greene) may be on Curt's payroll but are definitely looking out for their own interests. One agent has already been killed, and the local police inspector Ruff (Oscar Homolka) briefs Richard on the situation. Dominique (Joan Hackett) is on her way to provide some valuable information before being violently murdered. Richard tries to keep himself alive in a foreign country as he tries to solve the crimes in this dramatic mystery. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Occasionally listed as In Enemy Hands (evidently a working title), In Enemy Country is a war film with "A" ambitions and a TV-movie budget. Wartime secret agents Col. Charles Waslow-Carton (Tony Franciosa) and Lt. Col. Philip Braden (Guy Stockwell) infiltrate enemy lines, posing as POWs. Their mission is to destroy a deadly new type of torpedo, hidden in a Nazi stronghold in France. Their contact is Denise Marchois (Anjanette Comer), whom Waslow-Carton had coerced into marrying a German baron (Paul Hubschmid) before the outbreak of war, thus allowing her to continue her spying activities unimpeded. Upon the completion of their mission, Marchois chooses to remain behind with her husband, whom she has grown to love. Too many peripheral characters, way too many plot twists, and a "French" village obviously constructed on the Universal back lot: for these and other reasons, In Enemy Country is a must to avoid. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This WW II adventure chronicles the real-life courage of President John F. Kennedy when he was a Navy lieutenant in charge of the illustrious PT 109. Among the adventures they had was the courageous rescue of Marines stranded upon the isle of Choiseul. As they flee, their little boat is split in half by a Japanese destroyer. The survivors then make a long, dangerous swim to an island. One of them is too badly injured to do it, so Kennedy helps him. Later, the future leader braves many dangers to get to another island to radio for help. This video also contains a newsreel chronicling the President's assassination and a cartoon short featuring Foghorn Leghorn. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

By the time Cheyenne entered its eighth and final season in the fall of 1962, only one other western series, Gunsmoke, had been on the air as long. However, in terms of episode count, Gunsmoke was the clear winner: throughout most of its run, Cheyenne had been seen in weekly rotation with such other Warner Bros. series as Conflict, Sugarfoot and Bronco, and thus had only turned out 95 episodes in its eight years' existence. And although Cheyenne would be telecast each and every week during its final season (a first for the show!), only 13 new shows were seen, bringing the count up to 108. A tall in the saddle and broad-shouldered as ever, steely-eyed Clint Walker is in fine fettle during the terminal episodes of the series that made him a star. The season opener "The Durango Brothers" features an early appearance by actress Sally Kellerman. A few weeks later, a pre-Dukes of Hazzard James Best and Denver Pyle both appear in "Sweet Sam." Lee Van Cleef, several years removed from his spaghetti-western stardom, is among the villains in "Man Alone." And Richard Webb, the stalwart "Captain Midnight" of an earlier TV generation, is seen in "Wanted for the Murder of Cheyenne Bodie". The final first-run episode, "Showdown at Oxbend", originally aired December 17, 1962. Cheyenne would briefly return to ABC from April to September of 1963, but all the episodes shown during this period were reruns. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Twilight Zone's only foray into old-time slapstick comedy, this episode stars the great Buster Keaton as Woodrow Mulligan, a 19th century janitor fed up with the hustle, bustle, and noise of "modern life." While working in the laboratory of scientists Gilbert and Fenwick (Milton Parsons and George E. Stone), Woodrow stumbles upon a newly-invented time helmet. Reasoning that he will enjoy more peace and quiet in the future, Woodrow activates the helmet and ends up in 1962 -- where, not surprisingly, he doesn't find things to his liking! The first half of this episode is delightfully staged in the manner of a silent movie, replete with flickery photography, gag subtitles, and a rinky-tink piano score (written by William Lava, performed by Ray Turner). The 1962 sequences are done in full sound, and they aren't quite as satisfying, though there's a terrific recreation of a key gag from the 1918 Fatty Arbuckle/Buster Keaton two-reeler The Garage, with Stanley Adams standing in for Arbuckle. Most of the episode was directed by silent-movie veteran Norman Z. McLeod, with the exception of an intrusive sequence set in a repair shop, which was helmed by Les Goodwins. Written by Rod Serling, "Once Upon a Time" was first telecast on December 15, 1961. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Seven Ways from Sundown is a well-wrought western by director Harry Keller, starring Audie Murphy in the title role (his character's "first" name is the same as the title). Young "Seven" is a talented but novice Texas Ranger who is in the process of learning the tricks of the trade from veteran Ranger Sergeant Hennessey (John McIntire). The two are currently hunting down the flamboyant outlaw Jim Flood (Barry Sullivan), crafty enough not only to elude them, but to take a surprise offensive against them as well. In the end, it will take all of "Seven's" abilities to capture the wanted criminal. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In the third episode of Walt Disney's eight-part miniseries The Swamp Fox, Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion (Leslie Nielsen) must pretend to despise his sweetheart, Mary Videaux (Barbara Eiler), lest anyone suspects Mary is one of Francis' most valuable allies against the Redcoats. Despite this charade, Redcoat leader Col. Tarleton (John Sutton) smells a rat. Meanwhile, Marion's nephew, Gabe (Tim Considine), hopes to impress his girlfriend, Melanie (Sherry Jackson), and dons his new Continental Army uniform and rides off to visit her -- whereupon he is captured by British officer Col. Townes (Henry Daniell). "Tory Vengeance" originally aired as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the concluding episode of Walt Disney's two-part miniseries Moochie of Pop Warner Football, the Peewees football team is set to play in a big title game held at (where else?) Disneyland. Naturally, our hero Moochie Morgan (Kevin Corcoran) has his heart set on accompanying his teammates to Anaheim. Only one problem: If Moochie continues to get lousy grades in his American History class, he'll lose his eligibility. "From Ticonderoga to Disneyland" originally aired as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology and was later serialized on the syndicated version of The Mickey Mouse Club. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the first episode of a two-part Zorro adventure, dashing Mexican bandit leader El Cuchillo (Gilbert Roland) and his gang are diverted from robbing a stagecoach by alluring señorita Chulita (Rita Moreno). Changing his plans, El Cuchillo decides to hide out in the pueblo of Los Angeles to steal a valuable cache of silver from the local warehouse. But that dauntless masked do-gooder Zorro (Guy Williams) (aka Don Diego de la Vega), is not about to let that happen. Originally telecast as part of the Walt Disney Presents anthology, "El Bandido" was a one-hour spin-off of Disney's popular weekly series Zorro, which ran from 1957 to 1959. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The sixth season of the ABC western series Cheyenne yielded 13 new hour-long episodes starring Clint Walker as tall, laconic "frontiersman of all trades" Cheyenne Bodie. Inamuch as at least 32 episodes were generally needed to fill out a typical TV season in 1960, Cheyenne continued to appear in rotation with two other Warner Bros.-produced oaters, Sugarfoot (9 episodes) and Broncho(10 episodes), just as it had all throughout Season Four (The three series were seen under the blanket title The Cheyenne Show). As a bonus, one of the new Cheyenne installments, "Duel at Judas Basin", features guest appearances by Sugarfoot star Will Hutchins and Bronco leading man Ty Hardin. The season opener "The Long Rope" affords fans a rare glmpse of the mysterious past of Cheyenne, with Dick Bellis playing a much-younger version of the protagonist. Later Cheyenne offerings this season include guest appearances by Alan Hale Jr. (in "Road to Three Graves"), Ray Danton ("Savage Breed"), Jack Elam ("Massacre at Gunsight Pass") and onetime "Mrs. Errol Flynn" Patrice Wymore ("The Beholden"). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hell Bent for Leather is a standard western that features Audie Murphy in the role of Clay, a cowboy hunted by a posse out for blood. Clay deals and trade in horses in an honest way, and he does not suspect that a crooked U.S. Marshal (Stephen McNally) interested in furthering his career, is determined to nab him as a killer though he knows full well Clay is innocent. When first attacked, Clay grabs a hostage (Felicia Farr) who eventually sides with him and helps him in the long chase that follows. Clay's challenge is not only to get away from the Marshal and his posse but to somehow prove his innocence as well. Murphy, the most decorated soldier in World War II was still riding the popularity of his own real-life story in 1955's To Hell and Back when this western was released. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide