Michael Pataki Movies

District Attorney Sam Belden (William Shatner) is accused of murdering his wife and lover. Belden claims it was impossible, because he was 150 miles from the murder scene and he can prove it. It is up to prosecutor Bob Mathews (George Grizzard) to blow holes into Belden's alibi -- a difficult and painful assignment, since Mathews is Belden's best friend. Myrna Loy makes a rare TV appearance as the judge in the case. Indict and Convict made its ABC "Movie of the Week" premiere on January 6, 1974. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While moonlighting as a cab driver, Archie is held up and robbed of 50 dollars. At first, he insists upon prosecuting his assailant to the full extent of the law -- in fact, he'd be thrilled if armed robbery was a hanging offense. But an unexpected plot twist involving a prominent politician places an entirely new perspective on the situation. The supporting cast includes future Soap star Robert Mandan as Morrison. First shown on December 8, 1973, "The Taxi Caper" was written by Dennis Klein. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

John Vernon, usually cast as a corrupt prison warden, plays a sympathetic (by default!) role in this episode. Escaping from Federal custody, second-echelon mobster Mike Durgom (Vernon) quickly learns that crime boss Nelson Wayland (Gene Lyons) has ordered him killed to keep him from testifying at Wayland's trial. The rest of the episode finds Durgom on the lam from both Wayland and the FBI--in other words, between the proverbial Rock and Hard Place. This is the final offering of The F.B.I.'s seventh season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Anna Kosovo (Kathleen Widdoes), a friend of Ben Cartwright, has good reason to be terrified of her antagonistic immigrant husband Nick (Michael Pataki). Trapped in her own house by her husband, Anna-and her young son-must rely upon Ben to rescue them. Written by Preston Wood and Karl Tunberg, this episode is climaxed by a prolonged and tension-filled gunfight. "Frenzy" first aired on January 30, 1972-coincidentally just before the release of the otherwise unrelated Alfred Hitchcock theatrical feature Frenzy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A desert location becomes terrifying as a motorcycle gang disturbs a film crew working there. ~ All Movie Guide

In this colorful outing, a band of transvestites hop on their Harleys and head for Los Angeles. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Tossing wristwatches away, two bikers hit the road to find America in Dennis Hopper's anti-establishment classic. After a major cocaine sale to an L.A. connection (Phil Spector), free-wheeling potheads Billy (Hopper) and Wyatt, aka Captain America (Peter Fonda, who also produced), motor eastward to party at Mardi Gras before "retiring" to Florida with the riches concealed in Wyatt's stars-and-stripes gas tank. As they ride through the Southwest, they take a hitchhiker (Luke Askew) to a struggling hippie commune before they get thrown in a small-town jail for "parading without a permit." Their cellmate, drunken ACLU lawyer George Hanson (Jack Nicholson, replacing Rip Torn), does them a "groovy" favor by getting them out of jail and then decides to join them. Babbling about Venusians, George discovers the joys of smoking grass, but an encounter with Southern rednecks soon proves how right he is about the danger posed by Billy's and Wyatt's unfettered life in a country that has lost its ideals. With the straight world closing in, Wyatt and Billy try to revel in New Orleans with some LSD and hookers (Karen Black and Toni Basil), but the acid trip is shot through with morbidity. Once they reach Florida, Billy raves about attaining the American dream; Wyatt, however, knows the truth: "We blew it."

Produced and directed by two Hollywood iconoclasts with under a half-million non-studio dollars, Easy Rider shook up the languishing movie industry when it grossed over 19 million dollars in 1969; it captured the spirit of the times as it woke Hollywood up to the power of young audiences and socially relevant movies, along with such other landmarks of the late '60s as Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, and 2001. Shot on location by Laszlo Kovacs, Easy Rider eschewed old-fashioned Hollywood polish for documentary-style immediacy, and it enhanced its casual feel with improvised dialogue and realistically "stoned" acting. With a soundtrack of contemporary rock songs by Jimi Hendrix, the Band, and Steppenwolf to complete the atmosphere, Easy Rider was hailed for capturing the increasingly violent Vietnam-era split between the counterculture and the repressive Establishment. Experiencing the "shock of recognition," youth audiences embraced Easy Rider's vision of both the attractions and the limits of dropping out, proving that audience's box-office power and turning Nicholson into a movie star. The momentarily hip Academy nominated Nicholson for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, and Fonda, Hopper, and Terry Southern for their screenplay. Though none of its imitators would match its impact, Easy Rider remains one of the seminal works of late '60s Hollywood both for its trailblazing legacy and its sharply perceptive portrait of its chaotic times. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

The title character in this episode of The Flying Nun is a light-fingered monkey. When valuable items turn up missing, Police Captain Fomento suspects the nuns of Convent San Tanco. Unaware of the simian's larcenous streak, the nuns think that Sr. Bertrille is the thief. First telecast on February 20, 1969, "The Kleptomaniac" was written by Sam Locke and Joel M. Rapp, and directed by radio's former "Henry Aldrich", Ezra Stone. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Convinced that the nuns of San Tanco don't like him anymore, Carlos vows to turn over a new leaf. His sudden and baffling change in personality-and wardrobe-not only confuses the sisters, but also perplexes his new girlfriend Regina (Sandra Smith). Sr. Bertrille sets about to restore the "old" Carlos-then finds out the actual reason for his epiphany. Originally shown on December 17, 1969, "The New Carlos" was written by Michael Morris. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ever anxious to pounce upon potential lawbreakers, Police Captain Fomento installs parking meters near Convent San Tanco. When the meters yield an abundance of marked coins previously in his possession, Fomento suspects the nuns of ripping him off. "Slightly Hot Parking Meters" was written by Elroy Schwartz and directed by Claudio Guzman, both veterans of another fanciful Screen Gems sitcom, I Dream of Jeannie. The episode first aired on December 12, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The first season of Mission: Impossible came to a close with the April 22, 1967 episode "The Psychic." Some valuable NATO secrets have been appropriated in a hostile corporate takeover by ruthless industrialist Alex Lowell (Barry Sullivan). The IMF heads to South America, where Lowell has relocated in hopes of selling the documents to the highest bidder. With Cinammon posing as a psychic, the other IMF agents lure Lowell into a cleverly rigged high-stakes poker game. Written by William Read Woodfield and Allan Baltar, "The Psychic" marked Steven Hill's final appearance as IMF head Dan Briggs.
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide