Arthur H. Nadel Movies

This sword-and-sorcery animated feature basically stars two "toys" -- She-Ra (voice of Melanie Britt) and He-Man (voice of John Erwin). Princess Adora has a special destiny -- to manifest as She-Ra and save Etheria from the really nasty Horde -- but she is not aware of her power-to-be. When Prince Adam (who is really He-Man) goes to Etheria to find the future She-Ra, his job is cut out for him -- or at least drawn out in standard animation but with added visual tricks that entertain the eye. He and She-Ra wreak havoc on the nasties, so violence is not absent -- just concentrated on the enemies. This feature was quickly followed by She-Ra: Princess of Power in 1986. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Season One of the daily, half-hour animated series (and extended toy commercial!) He-Man and the Masters of the Universe jumps in and starts swimming when, wasting no time, the evil Skeletor steals a cosmic comet in order to break into Castle Grayskull and accumulated the wisdom and power of the Council of Elders that will enable him to take control of the planet Eternia. Fortunately, the planet's half-human regent Prince Adam prevents this coup by transforming himself into the muscular superhero He-Man. Within a few minutes, virtually all the important characters, and the central situation, are set up without the necessity of a windy backstory. 65 episodes are featured this season, virtual each one a self-contained story, each adhering to a basic formula: Skeletor wants power; He-Man won't let him have it; Skeletor relies upon allies and inventions which prove unreliable; He-Man can always depend on his loyal comrades Orko, Man-at-Arms et. al. Along the way, we find out that Adam/He-Man has an obnoxious, snooty cousin, who of course learns the error of his ways; but we still haven't learned (and indeed won't learn for the next two years) of He-Man's more significant relative: his twin sister Adora, aka She-Ra, ruler of the "parallel" planet Etheria. Highlights include an "origins" episode, in which Adam explains how he converted the morphing robot Man-E-Faces from evil to good; and the two-parter "The House of Shokoti", in which He-Man is dispatched to the Sands of Time by the mysterious Sorceress to solve the mystery of a pyramid that has suddenly materialized, and just as suddenly vanished (shades of 2001: A Space Odyssey, perhaps?) Jump in and start swimming with Skeletor stealing a cosmic comet in order to break into castle Grayskull. All the characters quickly set up without the necessity of a backstory. Each episode self-contained. Skeletor tends to rely on allies and inventions which invariably backfire.Along the way, we find out that Adam has an obnoxious cousin, the snooty Prince Jeremy, but he learns his lesson along with the rest of the audience. Haven't yet met She-Ra. One of the few "origin" episodes, Adam tells how he converted Man-E-Faces from evil to good. In the last episode of the season, "The Heart of a Giant", the spotlight is on He-Man's comical sidekick Orko, who has been forced to perform his rather seedy magic tricks in a sinister travelling circus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While Stone (Karl Malden) is on disability leave, Keller (Michael Douglas) is partnered with Inspector Jim Martin (played by future Starsky and Hutch costar David Soul), a man notorious for his short temper and strongarm tactics. Conducting a manhunt in the Barrio, Keller is taken aback by the intensity of Martin's conviction that the Latino murder suspect they are searching for is guilty beyond all doubt--and all redemption. Though sidelined by injury, Stone does some investigating on his own to determine the source of Martin's personal demons. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Native American actor Chief Dan George, who had catapulted to stardom in the 1971 theatrical feature Little Big Man, appears in this Bonanza episode as Red Cloud, a dying Indian chieftan. Before being gathered to his fathers, Red Cloud wants to reclaim a precious warbonnet lost in battle, which now hangs on the wall of the saloon owned by former Indian fighter Frank Ryan (Forrest Tucker). Joe Cartwright, grateful to Red Cloud for saving his life, wants to help the old man fulfill his dying wish-but how can he do this without jeopardizing his long-standing friendship with Ryan? Also appearing are Linda Cristal as Teresa, M. Emmet Walsh as Mattheson, and Patrick Adiarte as Swift Eagle. Originally telecast on December 26, 1971, "Warbonnet" was written by Arthur Heinemann, Charles Goldwad, and actor Robert Biheller (using the alias "Robert Blood"). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Strategy of Terror began life as "In Darkness Waiting," a two-part 1964 installment of TV's Kraft Suspense Theatre. Newswoman Barbara Rush discovers that a right-wing extremist plans to kill four UN employees. No one believes her at first, but when she herself is attacked, a police officer Hugh O'Brian comes to the rescue. Of interest in this ersatz feature film are two members of the supporting cast. Frederick O'Neal, a leading light of African American theatre, is superb as a loquacious African UN delegate. And Neil Hamilton, onetime silent screen star and future Commissioner Gordon on TV's Batman, is surprisingly sinister as a pompous right-wing fanatic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A decidedly pre-All in the Family Carroll O'Connor stars as freight line owner Tom Slayden. Using underhanded and monopolistic tactics, Slayden has managed to crown himself the unofficial boss of Virginia City. The Cartwrights become mixed up with the ruthlessly ambitious Slayden when one of his henchmen shoots Joe Cartwright in the back for "trespassing." Also in the cast are Judee Morton as Karen Slayden, Denver Pyle as the Sheriff, Phil Ober as Oliver, Chris Alcaide as Gus, William Tannen as Duran, and Roy Engel as the Doctor. Co-scripted by actor (and occasional Bonanza supporting player) Leo Gordon, with Paul Leslie Piel, "The Boss" originally aired on May 19, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Largely filmed in Canada, The Littlest Hobo was the result of a brainstorming session between Dorrell and Stuart McGowan, the same sibling production team responsible for TV's Death Valley Days. Hobo is a homeless German shepherd, whose adventures begin when he hops off a freight train in a strange town. Naturally drawn to down-and-outers, Hobo rescues a lamb that is slated for the slaughterhouse. The rest of the film concerns the dog and lamb's many trials and tribulations as they elude the authorities. Ideal for kiddie-matinee showings, Littlest Hobo also has much to offer for adult moviegoers. The film spawned a 1963 TV series, also assembled by the McGowan brothers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Filmed in the Philippines, No Place to Hide effectively juxtaposes the innocence of children with the horror of a potential plague. The kids (Hugh Corcoran, Ika Jariega Jr.) find themselves in the possession of a handful of pretty colored pellets. They take off on a hike through the city and countryside, intending somewhere along the way to open their pellets and see what treasures lie therein. Meanwhile, the authorities, aware that those pellets contain disease-carrying chemicals, frantically conduct a search for the missing kids. This 1955 film bears no relation to the 1991 No Place to Hide, a cop miller starring Kris Kristofferson and Drew Barrymore. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Filmed in Cinecolor, Sabre Jet concentrates as much on a group of jet pilots' wives as on the pilots themselves. As their husbands fly combat missions over Korea, the wives remain behind in Tokyo, waiting, hoping and dreading. The most prominent of the female contingent is Jane Carter (Coleen Gray), the journalist wife of flyboy Gil Manton (Robert Stack). At first resenting her husband's life-threatening work, Jane comes to realize the importance of dedication and sacrifice during wartime. Julie Bishop delivers a strong performance as the wife of downed pilot (Richard Arlen). Sabre Jet is something of a precursor to the 1961 film X-15. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Basically a low-budget reworking of Ninotchka, this romantic comedy drama contains a strong anti-communist message as it tells the story of a Czechoslovakian secretary and the government official she works for. Both are loyal party members, particularly the secretary. One day, her boss, having just returned from a visit to the US is assigned to test his secretary to insure that she is immune to the lure of capitalism and materialism. At first, when her boss begins to shower her with such decadent gifts as make-up and a beautiful evening gown, she is shocked and afraid that he has become a traitor. Still he continues to give her such luxuries as bubble bath and even nylon stockings. Much to her chagrin, the woman begins to like these things and sure enough her party values crumble. By this time, her boss has fallen in love with her and rather than turn her in for treachery, he decides to defect to Austria with her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Alcoholic Bill Cannon's (Dan Duryea) past sins catch up with him in Chicago Calling. Cannon's daughter Nancy (Melinda Plowman) is seriously injured in an accident while out of town, and his wife Mary (Mary Anderson) has promised to call him back as soon as she learns the result of Nancy's operation. Unfortunately, Cannon's phone service is cut off for nonpayment, forcing him to go begging for the $50 necessary to square his phone bill. Only through the kindness of waitress Peggy (Marsha Jones) and telephone engineer Jim (Ross Elliot) is Cannon able to make the crucial call to his wife. Alas, the operation has proved unsuccessful. Will the impact of this tragedy push Cannon over the brink, or will it inspire him to seek out a new lease on life? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

"I want to report a murder...mine." So begins D.O.A. Told in flashback, the story tells of how vacationing CPA Frank Bigelow (Edmond O'Brien) becomes the recipient of a deadly poison known as iridium. Told by a doctor that he hasn't long to live, Bigelow desperately retraces his movements of the previous 24 hours, trying to locate his murderer. Through the aid of his secretary Paula Gibson (Pamela Britton) (who doesn't know of her employer's imminent demise), Bigelow traces a shipment of iridium to a gang of criminals who've used the poison in the commission of a crime. But for much of the film, it remains unclear why Bigelow himself was targeted. Though we know from the outset that Bigelow isn't long for this world, the film builds up an incredible amount of suspense towards the end, when Bigelow is taken "for a ride" by a psychopath (Neville Brand). with a penchant for pummeling his victims in the belly. DOA was remade in 1988 with Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Produced by comedy specialist Harry M. Popkin and his brother Leo Popkin, My Dear Secretary stars Kirk Douglas as Owen Waterbury, a best-selling novelist with an eye for the ladies. When aspiring writer Stephanie Gaylord (Laraine Day) signs on as his secretary, Waterbury assumes that he's lined up another sexual conquest. But Stephanie is not so easily won over, and the rest of the film finds Waterbury striving to come up to her standards. Whenever the film's pace lags, one can count on the farcical expertise of Keenan Wynn, borrowed from MGM to play Douglas' sardonic confidante, to save the day. Along with Strange Love of Martha Ivers, My Dear Secretary is one of the most accessible of Kirk Douglas' early films thanks to its public-domain status. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide