Pat Buttram Movies
The son of a circuit-riding Methodist minister, American actor Pat Buttram led a hand-to-mouth existence as a child. He managed to get a scholarship to study theology at Birmingham Southern College, where amateur theatricals captured his enthusiasm. Buttram's first professional job was as a morning announcer at a Birmingham station, bringing home a lofty six dollars per week. Heading for Chicago to see the 1933 World's Fair, Buttram began picking up comedy relief work on radio station WLS's National Barn Dance, where he worked with such stars-to-be as Homer & Jethro and teenaged George Gobel (who would later cite Buttram as his principal comic influence). One of the Barn Dance headliners was singing cowboy Gene Autry, and when Autry inaugurated his starring radio series Melody Ranch in the 1940s, Buttram came aboard as comedy relief. Together, Autry and Buttram would make several pictures at both Republic and Columbia studios (Buttram's first was The Strawberry Roan [1948]); the two also co-starred on Autry's TV show, which ran for 91 episodes in the early '50s. Fast friends but not bosom buddies, Autry and Buttram became a little closer in 1950 when Pat was severely injured in an on-set accident and Gene gave him the encouragement to hang in there even when the doctors had given up hope. Autry retired from acting a multimillionaire in 1956; Buttram, while well off, still had to keep working, so after vetoing the notion of hitting the nightclub trail, he became an immensely popular after-dinner speaker at show-business functions. His subsequent TV roles were in a comical vein, but Buttram made an excellent impression in a feverishly dramatic part in "The Jar," one of the eeriest episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. In 1965, Buttram was cast as duplicitous peddler Mr. Haney on Green Acres, and for the next five seasons kept audiences in stitches as he sold "Mis-ter Douglas" (Eddie Albert) one useless item after another, delivering his laconic sales pitch in his inimitable singsong voice. Off-camera, Buttram was a successful rancher and stock market speculator, as well as a Civil War buff; he was happily married for many years to one-time Western leading lady Sheila Ryan, who left Pat a widower in 1975. Semi-retired by the 1980s, Pat Buttram made a few welcome appearances on TV (guesting on a Green Acres retrospective special on cable television, and providing a voice for the cartoon series Garfield and Friends) and movies (Back to the Future III [1989]). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
This animated Disney feature is based on a popular afternoon television show. The story centers on Goofy's teenage son, Max, who is terrified that he will grow up to be as dorky a dog as his daffy daddy. Just as shy Max has screwed up enough courage to ask his dreamgirl, Roxanne, on a date, Goofy stumbles in and announces that they need to spend some quality time together, and then drags Max off on a vacation. Just before they leave, Max tells Roxanne that he will be in the audience at the next Powerline concert, which is to be televised. As Goofy heads for the forest for some huntin' and some fishin', "hyuk," Max schemes to get them to LA where he hopes they will be able to sneak backstage after the concert and fulfill his promise to Roxanne. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bill Farmer, Jason Marsden, (more)
The final installment in the Back to the Future trilogy picks up where the second film left off, but it casts off the dizzying time travel of the first two films for mostly routine comedy set in the Old West. Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) receives a 70-year-old letter from his inventor friend, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), who tells Marty that he has retreated a century in time to live out a relatively quiet life in the Old West. Doc Brown reveals that he hid his DeLorean car/time machine in an abandoned mine outside town, and when Marty does some research and discovers that the Doc died shortly after writing the letter, he decides to find the car, travel back in time, and warn the Doc about his demise. Meanwhile, the Doc, who has fallen in love with a local woman (Mary Steenburgen), realizes he can't hide in the past from the problems he has caused to the time flow in the previous two adventures. He reluctantly decides to return to the present with Marty, but first, they have to find a way to get the DeLorean up to time-travel velocity with a broken fuel line and no gasoline. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, (more)
- 1990
The cast from the popular television cornball comedy series are reunited when Oliver must save Hooterville from developers. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
In Robert Zemeckis's trailblazing combination of animation and live-action, Hollywood's 1940s cartoon stars are a subjugated minority, living in the ghettolike "Toontown" where their movements are sharply monitored by the human power establishment. The Toons are permitted to perform in a Cotton Club-style nightspot but are forbidden to patronize the joint. One of Toontown's leading citizens, whacked-out Roger Rabbit, is framed for the murder of human nightclub owner Marvin Acme (Stubby Kaye). Private detective Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins), whose prejudice against Toons stems from the time that his brother was killed by a falling cartoon piano, reluctantly agrees to clear Roger of the accusation. Most of the sociopolitical undertones of the original novel were weeded out out of the 1988 film version, with emphasis shifted to its basic "evil land developer" plotline --and, more enjoyably, to a stream of eye-popping special effects. With the combined facilities of animator Richard Williams, Disney, Warner Bros., Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, and George Lucas's Industrial Light and Magic, the film allows us to believe (at least for 90 minutes) that "toons" exist, and that they are capable of interacting with 3-dimensional human beings. Virtually every major cartoon character of the late 1940s shows up, with the exceptions of Felix the Cat and Popeye the Sailor, whose licensees couldn't come to terms with the producers. Of the film's newly minted Toons, the most memorable is Roger Rabbit's curvaceous bride Jessica (voiced, uncredited, by Kathleen Turner). The human element is well-represented by Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, and Joanna Cassidy; also watch for action-film producer Joel Silver as Roger Rabbit's Tex Avery-style director. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, (more)
The Disney animated feature The Fox and the Hound tells the story of a friendship between traditional enemies. Tod is a fox whose parents have died. His best friend is a hunting dog named Copper. As Copper grows up, he learns that it is his job to hunt foxes. Tod's caretaker Widow Tweed takes Tod to live in a game preserve where he falls madly in love with Vixey. Copper and his owner eventually enter the preserve to hunt Tod, and eventually Copper must decide between duty and friendship. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, (more)
Director Silvio Narizzano totes out a Sunday morning public affairs programming style in this it-could-happen-to-you drama about a popular high-school student who finds that he has what some consider a disability. Paul Carafotes plays a high-school student who loves to play football and music. But when the school doctor determines that he is partially deaf, he is barred from the football team. In order to hide his disappointment, the high schooler changes his outlook to one of disinterest, and he rapidly falls in with a tough gang that is making trouble around the high school. Demi Moore appears in a small supporting role in this film -- her first film role. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paul Carafotes, Victor French, (more)
- 1979
In the opening episode of The Dukes of Hazzard's second season, lifelong antagonists Jesse Duke (Denver Pyle) and Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke) take a trip down Memory Lane while watching a scratchy old newsreel of their bootlegging days. Arguing over which of them was the better "ridge-runner", Boss and Jesse decide to solve their differences with an illegal, no-holds-barred grudge race. This puts both of the Good Ol' Boys in the gunsights of an elderly, embittered sheriff who has waited for years to wreak vengeance. With this episode, Sonny Shroyer becomes a regular in his familiair role of dumb-but-honest deputy Enos; also, the episode marks the moment in which corrupt Sheriff Roscoe Coltrane forevers forsakes his "cynical villain" status to become a live-action equivalent of Wile E. Coyote--literally so in the climactic chase sequence! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1979
It's the ladies to the rescue in the low-budget actioner Angel's Brigade. Wearing form-fitting fatigues, the female stars play a team of highly trained avengers. Their mission: to wipe every drug dealer off the face of the earth. To accomplish this, they drive around in a custom-built van, decked out with the latest in high-tech weaponry. You've never heard of any of the leading ladies in Angel's Brigade, but the supporting cast is overloaded with such pop-culture celebs as Jack Palance, Peter Lawford, Jim Backus, Neville Brand, Pat Buttram, Alan Hale Jr, and Arthur Godfrey. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Two fantasy novels by Margery Sharp were combined for in the Disney animated feature The Rescuers. The title characters are a pair of mice, Bernard and Miss Bianca. A little girl named Penny has been kidnapped by Miss Medusa. When the human law enforcement officials fail to locate the child, Bernard and Miss Bianca take over with the help of several colorful animal companions. In classic Disney tradition, the comedy element is offset by moments of genuine terror. Voices are provided by Bob Newhart (Bernard), Eva Gabor (Miss Bianca), Geraldine Page (Madame Medusa), Jim "Fibber McGee" Jordan, John McIntire, George "Goober" Lindsay, Joe Flynn (who died in 1974, not long into the four-year production), and a host of others. It scored at the box office, more than compensating for the $8 million investment and the half-decade of work it took to complete the film. In fact, The Rescuers remains one of the most popular of the Disney cartoon films produced after the death of Uncle Walt. A heavily-computerized sequel, The Rescuers Down Under, appeared in 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1974
Watch the comedy unfold as Milton Berle trades wisecracks with his hilarious guests on this videotape. Some of the funniest people in show business are featured in this collection hosted by "Mr. Television" himself. Pat Buttran, Dick Martin, Mort Sahl, and Eddie Quillon are interviewed. Footage of Abbott and Costello, Lenny Bruce, Martin and Lewis, Jackie Gleason, and many others is included. ~ Karla Baker, Rovi
- Starring:
- Milton Berle
- 1974
Pat Buttram, aka "Mr. Haney" of Green Acres fame, guest-stars in this episode as an old hermit whom the emergency team must rescue from a cave. Also: a chemist loses consciousness in a burning warehouse laboratory; and Dr. Morton (Ron Pinkard) ministers both medically and emotionally to a one-time popular singer. The title of this episode refers to a new floor-cleaning business, concocted by Roy (Kevin Tighe) and John (Randolph Mantooth). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Robin Hood is one of the first animated films produced by the Walt Disney Company after Walt Disney's death in 1967. For the film, the studio's animators took the Disney tradition of adding human-like animal sidekicks to established tales (Cinderella, Pinnochio) a step further by making Robin Hood's legendary characters creatures themselves. Robin Hood (Brian Bedford) is a wily fox; Maid Marian (Monica Evans) is a beautiful vixen; Little John (Phil Harris) is a burly bear; Friar Tuck (Andy Devine) is a soft-spoken badger; the Sheriff of Nottingham (Pat Buttram) is a greedy wolf; and the scheming Prince John (Peter Ustinov) is a sniveling, groveling, thumb-sucking undersized lion with a serpent sidekick named Sir Hiss (Terry Thomas). The film begins after Prince John and Sir Hiss have tricked the true King into leaving the country on a phony crusade. With the help of the Sheriff of Nottingham, they tax the life out of Nottingham's peasants, leaving them all penniless but with the courageous Robin Hood as their only hope. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brian Bedford, Andy Devine, (more)
- 1973
Things get personal for Rampart Police Sergeant "Mac" MacDonald (William Boyett) when a rebellious young man is arrested for joyriding in a stolen car. The driver turns out to be Mac's own son Bill (Sean Kelly), prompting Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) to lend a helping hand. . .or at least, to try. Elsewhere, the two cops contend with a drunken traffic director, played by none other than Green Acres' "Mr. Haney", Pat Buttram. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
This Western presents a fictionalized account of the ways in which the Gatling gun was created. Also chronicled are its tremendous effects on the great frontier. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
Overlooked when it first aired February 18, 1972, the made-for-TV Evil Roy Slade has gained a loyal and protective cult following in the past 20 years. The film was the second pilot for a never-sold TV western spoof created by Garry Marshall and Jerry Belson, Sheriff Who?. Actually, it was the second and third pilot, since Evil Roy Slade has been cobbled together from two hour-long films. John Astin is terrific in the title role, playing an outlaw so repulsive that, when he was orphaned and left stranded in the desert as a baby, even the wolves didn't want him! As an adult, Evil Roy Slade can't resist "going the extra mile" in his nastiness: while robbing a bank, he stops to pilfer a fountain pen chained to one of the desks, and the next shot shows Slade riding off into the sunset, dragging the desk behind him. Attempting to reform for the sake of pretty schoolmarm Betsy Potter (Pamela Austin), Slade simply cannot curb his crooked tendencies, so it's up to Dick Shawn as singing Sheriff Bing Bell ("Will somebody please answer that door?") to bring the criminal to justice. Shawn previously appeared in the original 1967 Sheriff Who? pilot as the "fastest interior decorator in the West"; in both films, he's almost unbearably funny. The Marshall/Belson script is full of hilarious running gags and throwaway jokes. Our favorite bit concerns railroad magnate Mickey Rooney's legendary stubby index finger: "They still sing about it around campfires at night," claims Rooney--and indeed, they do. The supporting cast includes such never-fail laughgetters as Milton Berle, Henry Gibson, Dom DeLuise and Edie Adams; also, keep a lookout for John Ritter and Penny Marshall in unbilled bits. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Aristocats was the first Disney Studios animated feature to be produced after Walt Disney's death. A wealthy woman leaves her vast fortune to her four cats: the well-bred Duchess and her kittens, Berlioz, Toulouse, and Marie. Jealous butler Edgar, eager to get his mitts on the cats' legacy, abandons the felines in the French countryside. The four lost kitties are aided in their efforts to return home by the raffish country pussycats Thomas O'Malley and Scat Cat. In keeping with a tradition launched by The Jungle Book (1967), The Aristocats is top-heavy with celebrity voices, including Phil Harris, Eva Gabor, Scatman Crothers, Hermione Baddeley, and the ineluctable Sterling Holloway. Assembled by the "nine old men" then in charge of animation, The Aristocats was a commercial success, essentially proving that Disney animated features could succeed without the involvement of the company's founder. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Phil Harris, Eva Gabor, (more)
- 1970
The merriment continues unabated as Green Acres enters its sixth and last season, with city slickers Oliver and Lisa Douglas (Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor) no more successful at managing a rural farm than they'd been in season one. New to the cast is Judy McConnell as Darlene Wheeler, the latest of handyman Ed Dawson's (Tom Lester) girlfriends; and, during the first few episodes of the season, little Victoria Meyerink as the Douglases' youthful house guest Lori Baker. Also, Fran Ryan replaces Barbara Pepper in the role of Doris Ziffel, co-owner of the celebrated Arnold the pig. In other developments, women's lib comes to Hooterville, with typical 1970-era chauvinistic results; Oliver and Lisa run against each other for the office of mayor; the Douglas farm plays host to a war hero who happens to be a duck; and, in the very last episode filmed (though not the last to be shown), the citizenry of Hooterville decide to secede from the state -- and appoint Oliver as their king! The two final sixth-season episodes were intended as spin-offs for a pair of new (and ultimately unsold) series. "Hawaiian Honeymoon" introduces Don Porter as Bob Carter, owner of the Moana Rexford Hotel, and Pamela Franklin as his daughter Pam. And "Ex-Secretary" was designed as a potential vehicle for Elaine Joyce, in the role of Oliver Douglas' former legal secretary Carol Rush. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Eddie Albert, Eva Gabor, (more)
- 1969
After fighting with Steve (Mike Minor) over bathroom privileges, Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan) faces the possibility that Steve and Betty Jo (Linda Kaye Henning) will move out for keeps. To prevent this, Joe offers to install a second bathroom in the Shady Rest. Unfortunately, this requires him to deal with that redoubtable realtor Mr. Haney (Pat Buttram), who is no more honest on Petticoat Junction than he is on Green Acres! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1969
Upset that baby daughter Kathy Jo is taking up so much of Steve's time, Betty Jo (Linda Kaye Henning) insists that Steve (Mike Minor) take her on a second honeymoon. The couple returns to their own cottage, where they must not only put up with a lack of utilities but also the crafty duplicity of local realtor Mr. Haney (Pat Buttram in his familiar Green Acres) role. Worse still, the cottage is invaded by a pair of annoying newlyweds and a couple of bums named--now get this--Stanley and Oliver. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1969
Season five of Green Acres begins as the ramshackle farm of Oliver and Lisa Douglas (Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor) is invaded by Lisa's Hungarian mother (Lilia Skala), a bejeweled countess. As "Mudder" remains on the premises for weeks and weeks, the male citizenry of Hooterville, notably hotelier Uncle Joe Bradley (Edgar Buchanan) and con artist Mr. Haney (Pat Buttram) pay court to the countess, hoping thereby to land a wealthy wife. Elsewhere, Oliver grows a huge beanstalk in his garden, prompting a visit from the "Jolly Green Giant"; a long-undelivered special delivery letter arouses the curiosity of everyone in town; county agent Hank Kimball (Alvy Moore) proposes to carpenter Ralph Monroe (Mary Grace Canfield), whose brother, Alf Monroe (played in previous seasons by Sid Melton), has disappeared without explanation; and Arnold the pig is expelled from school. The season ends with a double birthday party for Oliver...and Arnold. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Eddie Albert, Eva Gabor, (more)
- 1969
It's silliness on the high seas as two sneaky sailors race across the South Pacific in this fast-paced and campy comedy. The fun begins when one bets the other $20,000 that he, with an all girl crew, be the first to Tahiti in a sailboat race. The other, not to be outdone, has a few monkeyshines up his sleeve and actually wins the race. The beaten bettor then makes the claim, that he can beat the victor to the mainland using a crew comprised of baboons. That is too much to resist for the other and the race is on. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1968
Three footloose bachelors find reality encroaching on their carefree lives in this comedy-drama from the Swinging Sixties. Collie Ransom (Anthony Franciosa) is a tennis player who makes his living hustling games at upscale country clubs as he tries to keep one step ahead of middle age. Collie shares a beach house in Malibu with moody surfer Denny McGuire (Michael Sarrazin) and free-spirited jazz pianist Choo Choo Burns (Bob Denver). While Choo Choo has an on-again, off-again relationship with stag movie actress Thumper Stevens (Michele Carey), Collie and Denny spend much of their free time chasing women until Denny happens to meet Vickie Cartwright (Jacqueline Bisset) on the beach, shortly after rough surf has deprived her of the top half of her bikini. Vickie is a talented actress who has just landed the starring role in a television show, and she and Denny quickly fall for one another. But Denny learns he has a serious rival for Vickie's affections who isn't about to share her with anyone and isn't afraid to play rough. Meanwhile, the guys run afoul of a biker gang named the Freaks, Collie finds an easy mark isn't as easy as he imagined, and Choo Choo has to deal with the draft board while looking for a paying gig. The Sweet Ride features a guest appearance by legendary psychedelic rock band Moby Grape, and Dusty Springfield sings the title song. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Anthony Franciosa, Michael Sarrazin, (more)
- 1968
It's hard to believe that the producers of Green Acres could come up with fourth-season episodes that are even crazier than those seen in the previous three seasons, but that's just what happens as city slickers Oliver and Lisa Douglas (Eddie Albert, Eva Gabor) continue to weather the trials and tribulations of farm life for another year. This season begins as the Douglases, along with the entire town of Hooterville, win an all-expense-paid trip to Hawaii, only to end up staging a luau right back where they started. In later episodes, Oliver and Lisa imagine themselves as their own 19th-century ancestors; the Douglases take a two-part journey to Washington, while con artist Mr. Haney (Pat Buttram) transforms their farm into a "tourist inn" during their absence; Uncle Joe Bradley (Edgar Buchanan), a refugee from Green Acres' "sister" series Petticoat Junction, makes a few memorable appearances; and throughout the season, the opening writing and directing credits continue to pop in clever and surrealistic fashions, with Lisa making constant comments about "those little names" on the screen. Season four of Green Acres ends on a characteristically zany note, as Lisa becomes convinced that Eb has died and been reincarnated as a dog (what will Arnold the pig have to say about sharing the animal-star spotlight?). ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Eddie Albert, Eva Gabor, (more)
Season three of Green Acres begins as attorney Oliver Wendell Douglas (Eddie Albert) is nominated for the political post of state senator. Alas, this dream come true is destined to become as much a comic nightmare as city slicker Oliver's efforts to become a successful farmer in the bucolic community of Hooterville. Likewise doomed to failure is Oliver's attempt to improve the local telephone service; by season's end, our hero returns to his usual routine of accepting calls by climbing a nearby telephone pole and tapping into the party line. In another episode, Oliver's glamorous wife, Lisa (Eva Gabor), harks back to World War II, when she and her husband first met. Lisa is also the center of attention in the episode in which one of her Hungarian relatives moves into the farm and makes life even more miserable for poor Oliver. In other season-three developments, handyman Ed (Tom Lester) falls in love and elopes, but soon returns to the Douglas farm a single man. Carpenters -- and twin siblings -- Alf and Ralph Monroe (Sid Melton, Mary Grace Canfield) dissolve their partnership just as they are finally poised to finish building the Douglases' bedroom. Lisa saves herself and her husband from bank robbers by serving up her notorious indigestible hotcakes. And Arnold the pig, the pampered, TV-watching pet of neighboring farmers Fred and Doris Ziffel (Hank Patterson, Barbara Pepper), is whisked off to Hollywood, where in a two-part story he is groomed for film stardom. This particular escapade brings the third season of Green Acres to a close, with the promise of even more rustic zaniness to come in season four. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Eddie Albert, Eva Gabor, (more)
- 1966
It's time for the annual Hooterville County Fair, and everyone in the Bradley family has entered one or more of the fair's contests. Unfortunately, the Bradley girls may well lose their chance at blue ribbons, thanks to the well-intentioned but woefully inept "assistance" of good old Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan). Pat Buttram makes a crossover appearance in his familiar Green Acres role as the crafty Mr. Haney. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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