William Reynolds Movies

In a fast-paced teen comedy by Pen Densham, Ben Vereen stars as a former boxer who graduates into a failure as a nightclub owner. The club is called the "Zoo" and a group of homeless waifs want to rent it to start their own profitable business. The trouble is that this group of teens is opposed by a local gang, out to shut down their enterprise. The ex-fighter, known as Old Leather Face, agrees to the teens' deal and then gets further involved by the minute. The final showdown with the gang carries some heavy artillery: thumb tacks and staples. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Efrem Zimbalist Jr. continues to bring Federal offenders to heel in the role of Inspector Lew Erskine in Season Seven of ABC's longest-running adventure series The F.B.I.. Also back for more action are Phillip Abbott and William Reynolds, respectively cast as FBI agents Arthur Ward and Tom Colby. As in previous years, the seventh season of The F.B.I. offers an abundance of familiar names in the guest-star rosters. Former Leave It to Beaver regular Barbara Billingsley and onetime movie "Mike Hammer" Ralph Meeker are seen in "Recurring Nightmare"; real-life husband and wife John McIntire and Jeanette Nolan costar in "The Last Job"; Ed Begley Jr. makes one of his first TV appearances in "The Deadly Gift";Deanna Martin, daughter of Rat Packer Dean Martin, shows up in the two-part "The Mastermind"; future M*A*S*H star Wayne Rogers is cast along with future McGyver regular Dana Elcar in "Superstition Rock"; onetime "Doctor No" Joseph Wiseman and veteran movie tough guy Cameron Mitchell appear in "Bitter Harbor"; the ubiquitous Stefanie Powers is cast in "The Buyer"; Donna Mills of Knots Landing fame has a good role in "The Break-up"; John Davidson plays a mob-dominated singer in "Judas Goat"; and Lindsey Wagner, still several years removed from her Bionic Woman stardom, is featured in "Dark Journey". Having achieved a ratings peak as America's 10th most popular series during its sixth season, The F.B.I dropped down to 17th place in Season Seven, though it still outperformed such venerable programs as Bonanza and Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Inspector Lew Erskine continues to hunt down and ensnare the most dangerous and elusive of Federal criminals in Season Five of The Fugitive. Likewise returning for more derring-do are Erskine's stalwart coworkers, Agents Ward (Philip Abbott) and Colby (William Reynolds. Although the season's opening episode, "Target of Interest", is surprisingly light on "big" names in the guest star cast, the rest of Season Five is festooned with familiar faces. Among these are Robert Duvall in "Nightmare Road", Vera Miles in "The Swindler", Carl Betz and Jeff Bridges in "Boomerang", Cicely Tyson in "Silent Partners", Laraine Day in "Gamble with Death", Dabney Coleman and Larry Linville in "Flight", Billy Dee Williams and Lola Falana in "The Sanctuary", Harrison Ford in "Scapegoat", Josephine Hutchinson in "The Doll Courier", Barry Nelson in "Tug-of-War", David Cassidy in "Fatal Impostor", Nina Foch in "The Dealer", Anne Francis in "Deadfall", and the husband-wife team of Christopher George and Lynda Day George in "Return to Power". The F.B.I. capped its fifth season as the 24th most-watched program in the U.S., easily outrating its Sunday-night competition The Ed Sullivan Show. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season Three of The F.B.I. finds hard-working Inspector Lew Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and his main sidekick, Agent Arthur Ward (Philip Abbott), continuing to hunt down and capture Federal criminals, using the latest in crimefighting technology--and a healthy supply of common sense and intuition. Gone from the series this year is Erskine's young assistant Agent Jim Rhodes; in his place is Agent Tom Colby, played by William Reynolds. The season begins with "The Gold Card", featuring in its supporting cast such familiar faces as western actor L.Q. Jones, movie leading lady Joanna Moore (the mother of Tatum O'Neal), and radio perennial Vic Perrin. As the season progresses, the viewer is treated to guest appearances by the likes of Viveca Lindfors in "The Sleeper Wakes", Martha Scott in "Overload", Victor French and Carol Lynley in "False Witness", Martin Sheen and Edward Asner (cast as brothers!) in "The Dynasty", Burt Reynolds in "Act of Violence", Richard Kiley in "The Homecoming", Anne Baxter in "Region of Peril", and future teen idol Bobby Sherman in "The Mechanized Accomplice." An intriguing bit of casting occurs in the episode "The Legend of John Rim", in which one of the stars of the movie version of M*A*S*H, Tom Skerritt, appears with one of the stars of the M*A*S*H TV series, Wayne Rogers. Still comfortably installed in its familiar Sunday-evening timeslot, The F.B.I. climbed from 29th to 22nd place in the overall ratings during its third season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

TV buffs will undoubtedly relish this episode, in which future M*A*S*H "good guy" Wayne Rogers is cast as a psychotic killer, and future flint-eyed action star Kurt Russell appears as a terrified teenager. When Dan Winslow (Russell), the son of millionaire Marshall Winslow (Lew Ayres), is kidnapped by Logan Dupree (Rogers), the elder Winslow grows impatient with the FBI's handling of the case. Against the specific orders of Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.), Winslow alerts the media of Dan's plight--and in so doing may dig his son's grave. Featured in the cast is Ed Asner as Dupree's nervous henchman, and William Reynolds, later to join the regular F.B.I. cast as Special Agent Tom Colby, as an FBI field operative. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A full year before the debut of Warner Bros.' TV series The FBI, a pilot of sorts was filmed under the title FBI Code 98. Jack Kelly heads the cast of this Dragnet-style docudrama, wherein the action is underlined by William Woodson's stentorian off-camera narration. The main plot concerns a disgruntled mad bomber, who uses his heightened knowledge of electronics to stay one step ahead of detection. The all-Warner-contractee cast includes Maverick's Kelly, Ray Danton, Andrew Duggan, Philip Carey, William Reynolds (later a regular on The FBI), Peggy McCay and Merry Anders. Originally intended as a TV special, FBI Code 98 was released theatrically instead. The film was produced by Stanley Niss, the author of the book on which the screenplay was based. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

William Reynolds stars as Fitzgerald, a WWII army lieutenant with an unusual and most unwelcome gift. Much to his dismay, Lt. Fitzgerald can stare into the faces of his fellow soldiers and determine who among them will die in combat. Begging to be transferred, Fitzgerald finally gets his wish, but that's not the end of the story. The stellar supporting cast includes Dick York as Captain Riker, Barney Phillips as Capt. Gunther, Warren Oates as a jeep driver, and future director Paul Mazursky (in the first of his three Twilight Zone appearances). Written by Rod Serling, with a musical score by old CBS radio hand Lucien Moraweck, "The Purple Testament" originally aired February 12, 1960. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Shipped out on a double bill with Summer Love, Universal's The Big Beat is another of those "rock & roll salads" so popular in the late 1950s. What plot there is concerns the efforts by record executive John Randall (William Reynolds) to sign up several top R&R acts. John also wants to prove his mettle to his old-fashioned exec father Joseph (Bill Goodwin), whose tastes are strictly squaresville. Aiding and abetting Randall is his faithful secretary Nikki (Andrea Martin), who of course worships the shag rug her boss walks on. Comic relief is provided by the one-time-only teaming of Rose Marie and Hans Conried. (This alone is worth the admission price!) The musical highlights in The Big Beat are provided by such luminaries as Gogi Grant, Fats Domino ("I'm Walking"), and the Diamonds. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A young woman plays with a divining rod and ends up finding much more than water in this horror movie. Instead of the desired liquid, the woman finds a 400-year-old human head, and it is still alive. The horrific creature, seeing that the woman is properly innocent, hypnotizes her into looking for the rest of his body. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Bret (James Garner) is summoned for jury duty in the trial of young Bill Gregg (William Reynolds), who is accused of murdering a wealthy rancher. Disturbed that the jury has already decided that Gregg is guilty--and certain that the poor fellow is being railroaded--Bret endeavors to win the other jurors over to his side, using a deck of cards as his "persuader." Directed by Richard L. Bare, this episode features supporting appearances by George O'Hanlon, whom Bare had directed in dozens of "Joe McDoakes" theatrical shorts, and Frank Cady, who later played Sam Drucker in the Bare-directed sitcom Green Acres. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Generous portions of The Secret Land, the 1948 documentary on the Byrd Antarctic Expedition, were worked into the action of The Land Unknown. Jock Mahoney and William Reynolds play Hal and Jack, leaders of an expedition to the South Pole. Along for the ride is girl reporter Maggie (Shawn Smith), over whose affections Hal and Jack constantly battle. Making a forced landing in the Antarctic, our intrepid explorers find that they've descended well below sea level. Before long, they are attacked by prehistoric beasts which have been preserved in this heretofore uncharted region. When not fending off Tyrannosauri and Pterodactyls, Hal, Jack, Maggie and copter pilot Steve (Phil Harvey) try to steer clear of an unwieldly carnivorous plant. Further complicating things is the presence of a long-lost, slightly demented scientist (Henry Brandon) who craves companionship...specifically the female companionship of Maggie. Its reasonably convincing special effects notwithstanding, The Land Unknown is much ado about nothing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on the novel by Kenneth M. Dodson, Away All Boats stars Jeff Chandler as a tough Navy captain who takes charge of a group of raw, undisciplined sailors during World War 2. To keep his men from getting on each other's nerves, Chandler makes himself the target of their excess hatred by assuming the pose of a rigid martinet who cares nothing about his crew's wellbeing. He finds an ally in lieutenant George Nader, who catches on to Chandler's "act" and helps him maintain discipline. The crew survives numerous Japanese air and sea attacks with flying colors. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Six GIs stationed in Asia secretly photograph the arcane rituals of a group of cobra worshippers. At the climax of the ceremony, the cult members turn themselves into snakes. The high priestess catches the soldiers spying and throws a curse upon them. This off-beat horror film follows what happens to the men after that. Soon after they return to the US, the vengeful priestess follows them and people begin to die from snake venom poisoning, adding credence to the strange tale told by a surviving GI to the police, who become less skeptical as more evidence is unearthed. More trouble follows when the serpentine goddess falls for the ex-soldier's roomie. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide