Tony Leader Movies
- 1970
Charley (Dan Blocker) is the kindly but simple-minded blacksmith who sends a year's earnings back East for a mail-order bride. When he and the town turn out for the woman's arrival at the train station, he is embarrassed when she never appears. The saddened giant plans to leave town. The townspeople recruit the new saloon-girl Sadie (Nanette Fabray) to pose as the bride-to-be so the residents will retain the services of the blacksmith. Jim Backus is the sheriff who runs for mayor. Wally Cox plays Mr. Bester, the henpecked husband of his harridan wife (Marge Champion). Mickey Rooney, Stubby Kaye, Iron Eyes Cody and Jack Cassidy also appear in this western comedy. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dan Blocker, Nanette Fabray, (more)
- 1968
Dr. McCoy considers leaving the Enterprise behind in favor of life on a strange planet in this episode from the third season of the popular science fiction series. McCoy's actions are in part motivated by the discovery that he has contracted a rare illness and will soon die. This diagnosis comes immediately before he is called upon to explore, along with Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock, a planet called Yonada. Yonada is in fact not a planet, but a hollowed-out asteroid ruled by the Oracle, a computer who the Yonada residents consider a deity. During their exploration, McCoy strikes up a romantic rapport with one of the civilization's priestesses, who asks the doctor to stay. In light of his impending death, McCoy believes this may be the best way to go, while Spock and Kirk attempt to convince him otherwise. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- 1966
As social arbiters of the Island, Mr. and Mrs. Howell (Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer) plan a fancy formal party for their fellow Castaways. Thanks to a miscommunication, however, the Skipper (Alan Hale Jr.) jumps to the conclusion that he is the only one who hasn't been invited. Out of loyalty, the other Castaways refuse to attend the big soiree--leaving the Howells scratching their heads in disillusioned bewilderment! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1966
Future movie executive Tony Bill guest-stars as Gary Shaw, an American jet fuel scientist. In concert with agents Kelly and Scotty, Gary pretends to be a traitor, the better to fall into enemy hands and to impart phony information. The plan is bollixed up by Gary's father (Austin Willis, a rabidly patriotic Army general who believes that his son is a genuine turncoat. Largely filmed on location in Italy, "Father Abraham" was written by Stephen Kandel; the episode was originally telecast on December 21, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1966
Gilligan (Bob Denver) awakens one morning to discover that his hair has turned completely white overnight. The Professor (Russell Johnson) is worried that Gilligan is suffering from "follicular albinism", which brings about premature ageing. Helpful Mrs. Howell (Natalie Schafer) provides Gilligan with her own special hair dye--which renders him totally bald, forcing the other Castaways to spare Gilligan's feelings by pretending not to notice his, er, condition. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1965
Attempting to rescue a drowning Mary Ann (Dawn Wells), Gilligan (Bob Denver) is humiliated when he himself has to be rescued by the Skipper (Alan Hale Jr.). Now Gilligan is convinced that he is a coward, prompting Mrs. Howell (Natalie Schafer) to come up with several schemes to make it seem as though Gilligan is really a hero. When all else fails, the castaways stage an elaborate ruse whereby they will pretend to be captured by headhunters, then allow Gilligan to come to the rescue. Alas, the scheme falls apart when a real headhunter shows up, placing everyone in a bind--literally! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Russ Grieve
- 1965
While it is true that Lost in Space officially debuted on September 15, 1965, every true fan of the series knows that it actually begins on October 16, 1997, the date that the Robinson family, along with pilot Don West (Mark Goddard), are to be launched in the space vessel Jupiter 2 on a colonization mission to Alpha Centauri. Shortly before lift-off, the Robinsons are given words of encouragement by their trusted associate Dr. Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris)--who, once he is alone, reveals himself to be an enemy agent, intent upon sabotaging the Jupiter 1 before it reaches its destination. For this purpose, Smith has planted a booby-trapped robot in the space vessel, programmed to destroy both the vessel and its occupants. Unfortunately for Smith, he himself is trapped on board the Jupiter a few seconds before the final countdown! Much of the expository footage in this episode is lifted from the original pilot film for Lost in Space, in which neither Dr. Smith nor the robot appeared. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1965
Denny Miller guest stars as Duke Williams, a musclebound surfer who has washed ashore on the island after riding a huge tsunami all the way from Hawaii. Naturally, the castaways are certain that Duke will be able to rise another big wave back to civilization and arrange a rescue. Unfortunately, now that he has had a good look at the toothsome Ginger (Tina Louise) and Mary Ann (Dawn Wells), Duke is no hurry to return home! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Denny Miller
- 1965
Upset at being out of the social mainstream for so long, Mrs. Howell (Natalie Schafer) decides the time is ripe to arrange a society wedding. Accordingly, she sets about playing matchmaker between Gilligan (Bob Denver) and Mary Ann (Dawn Wells). When romance fails to blossom, Mrs. Howell has a bitter falling out with her husband Mr. Howell (Jim Backus)--and it is up to Ginger (Tina Louise) to bring the bickering couple back together again. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1965
Thrown wildly off course, the Jupiter 2 reaches the gravitation field of an uncharted planet. Exploring this strange new world in search of life signs, John Robinson (Guy Williams) vanishes shortly after his "parajet" runs out of fuel. Under the guidance of John's wife Maureen (June Lockhart), the rest of the space travelers disembark on the planet's surface and begin a search mission in their all-purpose "space chariot." Meanwhile, evil Dr. Smith (Jonathan Harris) persists in his efforts to sabotage the mission with the aid of his killer robot. Much of the footage in this episode is lifted from the original Lost in Space pilot film, in which neither Smith nor the robot appeared. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1965
Gilligan (Bob Denver) save the life of Mrs. Howell (Natalie Schafer, whereupon he is adopted by the grateful Mr. Howell (Jim Backus). The millionaires then set about to transform Gilligan into a high-society gentleman (hence the episode's title). Alas, Gilligan is too much the Man of the People to fit in with the Howells' crowd, a point emphatically driven home in a wild dream sequence wherein our hero imagines himself to a be a royal prince. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Forstor
- 1963
This sequel to the 1960 Village of The Damned falls short of the original well-made Sci-Fi shocker. The pretentious attempt to give the film a moral message severely weakens the plot and serves to confuse the fans of the previous film. Beautiful, strange children with genius IQ's, destructive dispositions, and ray-gun eyes, who were invaders bent on overtaking the earth in the former tale, are now a sample of mankind's future sent to the earth for the purpose of being destroyed in order to teach the present-day warlike man a lesson of some sort. Plagued with a tedious and unimaginative plot. ~ Lucinda Ramsey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ian Hendry, Alan Badel, (more)
