Walter Mirisch

Season two of the TV western The Magnificent Seven: The Series begins as the previously wide-open town of Four Corners is (ostensibly) provided with official law-and-order with the arrival of federal marshal Walter Bryce (Peter Firth). Reluctantly, Judge Travis (Robert Vaughn) orders the seven honest mercenaries who have been keeping the peace to disband. The group's leader, reformed gunslinger Chris Larrabee (Michael Biehn) reluctantly goes along with Travis--but secretly continues to convene with his six companions in order to be at the ready in case their services are required (which of course they are, week after week after week). In other developments, the youngest of the Seven, callow Easterner J.D. (Andrew Kavovit), begins a romance with the hoydenish Casey (Dana Barron)--the series' second such coupling, the first being the unspoken but obvious attraction between Chris and lovely widowed newspaper editor Mary (Laurie Holden). Also, smooth-talking con artist Ezra (Anthony Starke) purchases a saloon, only to find himself in direct confrontation with his own mother, the redoubtable Maude (Michelle Phillips); unabashed womanizer Buck (Dale Midkiff) finds himself facing the prospect of fatherhood when his Mexican sweetheart Inez (Fabiana Udenio) turns up pregnant; the taciturn Vin (Eric Close) enters into a potentially dangerous liason with the long-suffering wife (Kathryn Morris) of a brutish wagonmaster; ex-slave Nathan (Rick Worthy) tries to clear his father of a murder charge in the death of their former master; and defrocked priest Josiah (Ron Perlman) continues delivering dark prognostications of events to come. In the series finale, Chris finally learns the whole truth behind the slaughter of his family when a former flame (Kay Lenz) rides into Four Corners. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season One of the TV western The Magnificent Seven: The Series begins with a 2-hour opener, set in the early 1870s, which details how seven "fast guns" were united under the guidance of reformed gunslinger Chris Larrabee (Michael Biehn) to protect a peaceful Seminole Indian tribe from being slaughtered by an insane ex-Confederate officer and his band of brigands. Reportedly, one of the Seven was to have been killed in the pilot and replaced by actor Francis Riley as Irish expatriate Darragh O'Malley, but the producers were so impressed by the chemistry among the leading actors that it was decided to keep the original cast intact. Once their job is done, Chris and his companions--tactiturn ex-bounty hunter Vin (Eric Close), ladies' man Buck (Dale Midkiff), defrocked priest and "mad prophet" Josiah (Ron Perlman), cynical Southern con-man Ezra (Anthony Starke), former slave Nathan (Rick Worhty) and Eastern-born naïf J.D. (Andrew Kavovit)--are invided by Judge Orin Travis (Robert Vaughn) in remain a team in order to safeguard the town of Four Corners from any and all outlaws, killers and other miscreants. Travis is willing to tolerate the the Seven's unorthodox (and sometimes downright) unethical methods, so long as they get results. Likewise grateful for the Seven's presence is Travis' widowed daughter Mary (Laurie Holden, editor of "The Daily Clarion", as well as local cowgal Casey (Dana Barron). In the course of the season's 10 episodes, our heroes rescue a group of "working girls" from their brutal overseer, redeem of professional safecracker, help Mary's son (Justin Travis) overcome a traumatic experience, and contend with the arrival of Ezra's equally larcenous mother (Michelle Phillips). Also, Chris is given an important lead to the man he holds responsible for the murder of his wife and child; an evil land developer (Tim Thomerson) shows up to gyp the locals out of their property; and in the season's final episode, the Seven square off against a corrupt sheriff (Cliff DeYoung) who is running an illicit prison camp and exploiting the convict labor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This family-oriented holiday drama takes place in Alabama in 1957 and centers upon the heartwarming relationship between a lonely white boy and his black nanny. When she returns South to be with her family for Christmas, her young charge follows her, creating all kinds of complications. Singer Natalie Cole makes her feature-film debut as the nanny. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Though tenuously based on fact, High Midnight is the sort of TV movie that could only have been made in the fuzzy-headed 70s. David Birney is a blue-collar type whose wife and daughter are killed in a no-knock drug bust. Nasty narcotics officer Michael Connors refuses to admit that he's made a mistake. Connors tries to cover up his own ineptitude, and eventually targets Birney for elimination. With the help of sympathetic cop Christine Belford, Birney avenges his family's murder. It's not likely that a TV movie in which a narcotics cop is the villain will get much play in the 1990s, but High Midnight is a nonetheless fascinating time capsule. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The beloved novel by Anthony Hope is shown here in its sixth film adaptation. In this story, Peter Sellers is Rudolf IV, the reigning monarch of the tiny nation of Ruritania. One day, while flying in a hot air balloon, a champagne cork sends him plummeting to his death. The rightful heir, who is to be crowned Rudolf V (also Peter Sellers), is kidnapped by Duke Michael (Jeremy Kemp), who is next in line for the throne. Luckily, the good guys find Syd (Peter Sellers once again), a London taxi-driver who closely resembles the kidnapped heir. While impersonating the monarch-to-be, Syd falls in love with the prince's fiancee Princess Flavia (Lynne Frederick). Neither a box-office nor a critical success, this amiable 1979 swashbuckler nonetheless features fine performances by Peter Sellers, who died in 1980. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

When the nuclear submarine he captains is rammed by a freighter while surfacing in Atlantic waters just off the coast of Rhode Island, Navy Captain Paul Blanchard (Charlton Heston) is able to radio for help. However, his sub's condition calls for urgent attention. Downed in extremely deep water near an even deeper ocean trench, the sub is perched precariously in waters too deep for conventional rescue efforts and is in danger of plummeting into the ocean trench. When the sub's escape hatch is blocked by debris from an undersea earthquake, the situation becomes even grimmer. Despite assurances that all will be fine, Captain Bennet (Stacy Keach), who is coordinating the official Navy rescue effort, has already warned Blanchard's wife to expect the worst. However, another Navy captain (David Carradine), who is working on an experimental deep-sea exploratory vessel for the Navy, hears of the incident and volunteers his help. This story is based on the novel Event 1000 by David Lavalle. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Elmore Leonard's script for Mr. Majestyk was, like his novel, supposed to have concentrated on the plight of Chicano migrant workers; but what emerged on screen was extensively reshaped into a standard Charles Bronson vehicle. Battle-weary Vietnam veteran Vince Majestyk (Bronson) settles down in rural Colorado, hoping to make a living as a watermelon farmer. Despite his new-found pacifism, Majestyk can't seem to stay out of trouble, and he lands in jail, where he foils a breakout engineered by Mob boss Frank Renda (Al Lettieri). Offering to bring in Renda in exchange for his own freedom, Majestyk finds himself the main target of the Mob, who is also extorting vast sums of money from Vince's fellow farmers. It is bad enough when the crooks begin roughing up Majestyk's field hands; but when they ruthlessly machine-gun his entire melon crop, they've gone to far. Teaming up with Chicano labor activist Nancy Chavez (Linda Cristal) (any relation to Cesar?), Majestyk decides to track down the mobsters one by one and mete out retribution. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This spy thriller from future Death Wish (1974) director Michael Winner stars Burt Lancaster as the enigmatic Cross, a CIA agent who has hired a government assassin, Jean Laurier (Alain Delon), to kill an Arab terrorist. Once they return home, Laurier is arrested by his superior, McLeod (John Colicos), who wants to know why Cross is still alive, as Laurier was ordered to kill him as well. Laurier doesn't think that Cross is guilty of the crime, but he relents and agrees to carry out the contract for a higher price. Cross, suspected of selling secrets to the Soviets, learns that his life is in danger and flees to Vienna, where he is aided by a former comrade-in-arms from WWII, the sympathetic KGB agent Sergei Zharkov (Paul Scofield). When Cross learns that his wife (Joanne Linville) has been murdered by McLeod, he returns to the U.S. and kills him, leading to a bloody final confrontation with a reluctant Laurier, who is shocked to discover that his lover (Gayle Hunnicutt) is in league with Cross. Scorpio (1973) was the writing debut of David W. Rintels, who went on to author several critically respected made-for-TV films. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

The Hawaiians is the sequel to 1969's Hawaii; both films were adapted from the same sprawling novel by James A. Michener. Charlton Heston is top-billed as a sailor who returns to his Hawaiian homestead, only to learn that his grandfather's fortune has been bestowed upon his hated cousin Alec McCowan. As a reprisal, Heston sets up his own pineapple plantation in competition with his cousin. Heston's son John Phillip Law falls in love with the daughter (Virginia Ann Lee) of a Chinese farmer (Mako). The issue of miscegenation rears its ugly head, but by the end of this very long film Heston's family is united by marriage to the Chinese clan. The British title of The Hawaiians was Master of the Islands. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

White students are bussed into an all black school in this powerful drama. Quincy Davis (Calvin Lockhart) is the dedicated black English teacher who leaves an all white school to teach in the inner city. Lloyd Wilkerson (John McLiam) is the disciplinary principal who manages the institution like a prison. He tells Quincy point blank that his main job is to keep the peace in a potentially explosive situation. Sherry (Patricia Stich) is stripped in the locker room while Douglas (Jeff Bridges) is repeatedly beaten up but refuses to give up or give in to the mob. The white minorities are constantly harassed by the mob lead by the militant J.T. Watson (James A. Watson Jr.). Lerone (Dewayne Jesse) is helped with his reading by Lloyd, and improves his skills by reading Lady Chatterly's Lover. The after-school reading program soon becomes popular to the students, who find new appreciation for literary pursuits. Watch for an early appearance from Rob Reiner, later to achieve sitcom stardom as Meathead on All in the Family and become one of Hollywood's best directors. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

In this satirical comedy, Fred Amidon (Dick Van Dyke) is a Fifth Avenue bank teller waiting for his divorce to be finalized to end his marriage to Rachel (Angie Dickinson). He and fellow employee Pamela (Rosemary Forsyth) plan to marry once the ink dries on the decree. A Central Park picnic with Pamela finds Fred suffering a bee string on his chin, which he covers with a bandage, but Fred's bandaged chin causes concern for the bank vice president, who expresses his dissatisfaction. Fred then goes on a three-week vacation, and during that time he grows a beard because the bee sting makes it difficult to shave. He returns to work, and when he refuses to shave, he is branded a rebel and a symbolic hero in the worker struggle against management. The unhappy Pamela recruits her two brothers to capture Fred and shave his beard, leading to a slapstick chase with Fred clad only in his underwear. He is arrested and locked up in the local psychiatric unit. When Rachel hears of his plight, she is moved to resolve their marital differences, and the two reconcile with only minutes to spare before their divorce becomes final. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

When an aging philanthropist falls on hard times, her butler starts to rob the rich so that she can keep on giving to the poor in this comedy. Claude Fitzwilliam (Dick Van Dyke), known to his friends as "Fitzwilly," works as a butler for Victoria Woodworth (Edith Evans), who -- ever since the death of her husband -- has been using her inheritance to benefit her favorite charitable causes. However, no one has the heart to tell Mrs. Woodworth that she doesn't have much money left, and to compensate for the shortfall brought on by her philanthropy, Fitzwilly and his fellow domestics have been pulling a series of robberies at department stores. When Mrs. Woodworth gets the idea of compiling "A Dictionary for Dopes," which indexes phonetic spellings of commonly misspelled words, she hires Juliet Nowell (Barbara Feldon) to help on the project as a secretary. Juliet senses that there's something fishy about Fitzwilly, especially when she finds out that he has a college education but earns a meager salary as a butler, and she imagines the worst when she finds out about his criminal activities. Watch for Sam Waterston in a small role; this was his first film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide