Gilbert A. Ralston Movies
A young man uses his vermin pals to exact revenge upon the people who've domineered his life in this remake of the 1971 cult classic. Starring Crispin Glover in the role originated by Bruce Davison, Willard concerns the mundane, repressed existence of the twentysomething title character, who lives at home with his nagging mother (Jackie Burroughs) and works at a shipping company for a stern, authoritarian supervisor (R. Lee Ermey). When Willard becomes fascinated with a gaggle of rats living in his decrepit home, they become both his friends and his aggressors, as he sics them upon anyone who crosses his path. But one rat, Ben, isn't so amenable to Willard's orders, and a horrifying test of wills begins. Willard was brought to the screen for the second time by writer/director Glen Morgan and producer James Wong, who previously worked together on episodes of The X-Files as well as the features Final Destination and The One. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Crispin Glover, R. Lee Ermey, (more)
- 1976
- PG
A botched robbery provides the basis of this romantic comedy. The caper was performed by three unemployed Vietnam vets desperate for cash. Unfortunately, two of them are captured during the getaway. The third vet continues to flee and stuffs the loot in a convenient mailbox. A dishonest barkeeper and a crazed artist witness this and try to get the money for themselves. The barman needs it to pay back some Mafiosi. The artists find herself attracted to the veteran and so decides to help him get it back from the bartender. The two succeed and then board an ocean liner, where they bump into the president of the bank the veteran robbed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bo Svenson, Cybill Shepherd, (more)
- 1972
- PG
This sequel to the rampaging-rodent chiller Willard stars Lee H. Montgomery as young Danny Garrison, a neglected kid who finds a new little friend in Ben -- an intelligent rat whose furry minions managed to slaughter most of the cast of the previous film. Proving that one can't teach an old rat new tricks -- just variations on the old ones -- Ben displays his affection for Danny by directing his posse to off anyone who torments him... in the sweetest possible way, of course, since this is a PG-rated endeavor. This film's reputation was secured primarily by the inclusion of Michael Jackson's saccharine title tune, which seems to resonate more profoundly when regarded as a love song for a big greasy rat. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lee Montgomery, Joseph Campanella, (more)
- 1971
- PG
This film is based on the novel Ratman's Notebooks, by Stephen Gilbert. Bruce Davison is Willard Stiles, a 27-year-old mama's boy whose repressions are bottled up inside and come to the fore in his nervous nail-biting. As one character describes Willard, "Willard is basically an extrovert, but it's all inside." Willard and his possessive invalid mother, Henrietta (Elsa Lanchester), live in thrall to Al Martin (Ernest Borgnine), the man who took over a foundry business after the death of Willard's father. Willard inwardly seethes but mostly stays in his run-down mansion with his mother, making friends with the rats that infest the place -- he even names them, Ben and Socrates. However, when Henrietta dies, things change. Al, in a rage, kills one of Willard's pet rats. Not only that, but Al also fires Willard from his job at the foundry. Losing his patience, Willard meets with his rat friends to exact his revenge for a lifetime of humiliation and neurosis. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Davison, Ernest Borgnine, (more)
- 1968
Sam Moran (Richard Boone) is a Honolulu charter-boat captain who leads fishing expeditions in the tropical paradise. When his daughter is found murdered at the party of a wealthy young playboy, he seeks the truth about the murder. Convinced the playboy is guilty, he enlists the help of his friend Kittibelle (Joan Blondell), who runs an alcohol abuse treatment center. Sam runs into a wall of silence obviously built by hush money and islanders fearful of reprisals from the rich and powerful family. The determined dad fights to uncover the information that will land the murderer in jail as he avenges the death of his daughter. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Boone, Vera Miles, (more)
- 1966
Saunders (Vic Morrow) and his men are assigned to capture a farmhouse guarded by a squadron of teenage German soldiers. Though reluctant to kill the youngsters, Saunders may be forced to do so because of the obstreperous behavior of the squadron's idealistic leader (Peter Haskell). The sergeant's only hope to accomplish his mission and avoid unnecessary bloodshed is to persuade the German commander of the futility of his stubbornness. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Agents Kelly and Scott head to Kyoto, Japan, where they are assigned to locate Kelly's old friend Michael Fane (Warren Stevens). The task is deceptively simple: Fane is merely to hand over the plans for a missile guidance system. But when Fane's girlfriend Jean (Marilyn Rhue) announces that he has been murdered, Kelly goes off on an investigation of his own, thereby neatly framing himself for the killing -- if indeed there was a killing. First broadcast on November 3, 1965, "The Time of the Knife" was written by Gilbert Ralston. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Joanne Linville guest stars as Alicia Cavanaugh, an old friend (and former sweetheart) of Agent Kelly. Attending a party in Hong Kong, Kelly is introduced to Alicia's fiancé -- who instantly drops dead at the agent's feet. Investigating, Kelly and his partner Scott follow the trail of evidence to a secret organization called the Blue Dragons. An ironic twist caps Gilbert Ralston's teleplay for "Dragon's Teeth," which was originally telecast on October 13, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
This Untouchables episode is the second pilot film for an unsold spinoff series titled White Knights. Dane Clark and John Gabriel repeat their roles from the earlier episode "Bird in the Hand" as Doctors Garr and Gifford of the U.S. Public Health Service. Investigating an outbreak of paralysis in the Midwest, Garr and Gifford determine that the source of the epidemic is a huge supply of bad bootleg whiskey. Worried that a hijacked shipment of alcohol-based hair tonic will be used to manufacture even more of the lethal booze, Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) releases the hijacker from prison, hoping he will lead the Feds to the bootleggers' secret headquarters. Featured in the role of Mary Kay Spencer is Sondra Kerr, later billed as Sondra Blake. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
No sooner have they been released from prison than the four Stryker brothers pick up where they left off, assuming control of a string of night clubs and all illegal traffic within. In dire need of extra money to keep their operation afloat, the brothers plan to rob a mail shipment--and to this end, they coax a professional arsonist named Jaeger (Nehemiah Persoff in a less villainous role than usual) out of retirement. Only when the Strykers renege on their promise to pay Jaeger the 20 grand they promised him does the scheme unravel, allowing Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) to mete out justice. Frank Sutton, aka Gomer Pyle USMC's Sergeant Carter, makes the first of four Untouchables appearances, here cast as the youngest and most timorous of the Stryker brothers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
