Warren Stevens Movies
In films from 1951, handsome actor Warren Stevens' better-known roles include the Howard Hughes-ish Kirk Edwards in The Barefoot Contessa (1954) and the authoritative Lieutenant "Doc" Ostrow in Forbidden Planet (1956). A tireless TV performer, Stevens was starred as Lt. William Storm in the 1956 adventure series Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers; was among the eleven "repertory actors" appearing in the 1963 anthology The Richard Boone Show; and was heard but not seen as movie mogul John Bracken on the 1969 prime-timer Bracken's World (ironically, when Bracken did appear, he was played by Stevens' old Forbidden Planet co-star Leslie Nielsen). In 1972, Warren Stevens was cast as Elliot Carson in the daytime soap opera Return to Peyton Place; nine years later, he played Merritt Madison in Behind the Screen, a short-lived series which took place on the set of a fictional soap opera. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
An epic-Western in the grand tradition, the made-for-cable The Trail to Hope Rose stars Lou Diamond Phillips as Keenan Deerfield, a half-Indian outlaw just released from prison. Determined to start life anew, Keenan takes a grueling rock-mining job in a town controlled by the odious Driggers family, headed by flint-eyed patriarch Samuel Drigger (Warren Stevens), with the coldblooded Gerald Rutledge (Richard Tyson) as the family's chief henchman. Keenan's fellow workers are treated like slaves and forced to live in squalor, but none dare complain lest they meet with one of the many convient "accidents" that have befallen anyone who dares stand up to the Driggers. With stoic fortitude, Keenan waits for the right moment to strike a blow for justice, benefiting from the moral support of the town's honest but ineffectual Marshal Toll (Lee Majors) and good-natured farmer Eugene Lawson (Ernest Borgnine). The plot thickens when Keenan falls in love with Gerald's "woman," the pregnant Christine Beckford (Marina Black), and when one of Keenan's past associates, A.J. Foster (David Shackelford), rides into town intent upon stealing the Drigger mine's payroll. The rather endearing old-fashioned quality of the film is enhanced by the location-shooting at the Paramount Ranch, a reconstructed western town in Agoura, CA. The Trail to Hope Rose first aired July 4, 2004, on the Hallmark channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ernest Borgnine, Lou Diamond Phillips, (more)
A ruthless drug lord must be stopped, pronto. Three able-bodied cops go undercover to bring the drug dealer to justice -- or, preferably, to kill him. Once in a while, the bad guys call a halt to the film's bloodshed to allow a sex scene to play itself out. Otherwise, this is essentially cable-TV stuff, blown up (sometimes literally) for the Big Screen. A good cast, headed by Michael Nouri and John Saxon, is the film's most tangible asset. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
- R
Policeman-turned-trucker Travis Blackstone (Lorenzo Lamas) is forced to use almost all of his exceptional martial arts skills after his screw-up brother Franklin (Hank Cheyne) begs him to return a fortune in embezzled money from the ruthless Mr. Chang's (Joe Son) money-laundering bank. The hard-driving, ham-fisted action begins when Travis learns that while Franklin claims he only swiped a few hundred thousand bucks, in reality his brother siphoned off five million and invested it in a bogus real estate operation. The decoy money is stashed in a trash can, but before Travis can get it, his own girlfriend sells out to Chang who immediately sets off for bloody revenge. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorenzo Lamas, Frankie Thorn, (more)
- 1992
- R
In this futuristic film, the controlling corporations of the world gain and lose power by competing with one another in one-on-one death matches. However when fighter Falchion (Paul Coufos) refuses to compete, he must run from the wrath of the big businessmen and his spurned opponent. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Not so much a sequel to the John Sayles-scripted Alligator as a shoddy remake, this sophomoric low-budget effort plays like a bad TV movie about a swamp-dwelling alligator mutated to monstrous size by toxic waste, munching on the screaming residents of a lakefront community. The naughty polluter who caused this mutation is the property developer himself (Steve Railsback, playing such a cookie-cutter villain that he might as well have a "BAD GUY" sign around his neck). An embarrassed Joseph Bologna plays the cop investigating the mutilation murders; an equally-ashamed Dee Wallace Stone plays the scientist assisting him, who is conveniently married to him as well. In an attempt to remedy the situation, a big-game hunter (Richard Lynch) is called in to bag the beast. When his efforts fail, it's left to Bologna to pick up the pieces -- literally -- and take charge of the situation when the big reptile decides to take in the grand opening of the local amusement park. From a nonsensical script to cheesy special effects that make the beast look like a pool toy, this film shows none of the cynical charm and sly wit that made Alligator so enjoyable. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joseph Bologna, Woody Brown, (more)
In this futuristic actioner set in the year 2020, guns have become so illegal that even cops cannot use them to stop criminals. But officer James Tucker is a maverick and carries with him an enormous homemade revolver, which he uses to blow away bad-guys and psychotic criminals. His newest assignment is to find the evil Steelmore, who uses drugs to turn his followers into nearly invincible and super-intelligent supermen. He obtains the drug through the pharmaceutical company he blackmails by regularly killing the lovers, wives and associates of high-ranking company executives. The trouble for Tucker really begins when higher-ups take away his gun. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Heavener, Erik Estrada, (more)
"Fat Man" and "Little Boy" were the nicknames given the atomic bombs that were dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the waning days of World War II. This elaborately assembled film is the story of the events leading up to the dawn of the atomic age. Paul Newman plays General Leslie Groves, a hard-nosed career soldier who in 1942 finds himself the reluctant "nursemaid" to a group of idealistic scientists in Los Alamos, New Mexico. As the military head of the top-secret Manhattan Project, Groves intends to have the operation run by the book--and failing that, to have things his way at all costs. The film's storyline narrows down to a battle of egos between Groves and atomic scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Dwight Schultz), in his own way as contentious and childishly single-purposed as the general. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Newman, Dwight Schultz, (more)
The action and stunts in this fourth racing vehicle for Burt Reynolds could be accurately foreseen by most youngsters. Stroker Ace (Reynolds) is a race car driver who gets the short end of a contract with a fried-chicken entrepreneur (Ned Beatty) but can be expected to end up with the woman (Pembrook) in compensation -- and actually did (Pembrook is played by Loni Anderson in her first movie with Reynolds). By this time, the formula of racing cars, wild stunts, blond co-stars (Goldie Hawn, Farrah Fawcett, and Dolly Parton were the most recent) was wearing thin and Reynolds starred in only one more "Cannonball" film, ending his car-chase series there. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, (more)
- 1980
The sixth season of Quincy M.E. begins as pugnacious, compassionate medical examiner Quincy (Jack Klugman) shows up in a small mill town to lend a helping hand to his colleague Charles Volmer (William Daniels. No sooner has he arrived than Quincy finds himself waist-deep in a brace of ethical challenges. For starters, the father (Phillip Abbott) of a boy who has OD'ed on drugs is pressuring Volmer to alter the results of the autopsy so that the boy's mother will believe that her son has accidentally drowned. And in another part of town, a powerful industrialist (Warren Stevens) is arranging a coverup of his own to hide the fact that the safety standards in his textile mill aren't up to code--with tragic results. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
High Ice is a made-for-television adventure thriller about an Army helicopter rescue team who has to race against time and the elements to save three mountain climbers who are stranded on a small, icy mountain ledge in Washington. Along the way, a lieutenant colonel and a forest ranger engage in a battle of wills, which only makes the rescue more difficult. High Ice has also been shown with the title Challenge of the High Ice. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1978
We'll confess not to having seen The Amazing Captain Nemo, principally because we can't find it anywhere. It's our loss, because it certainly sounds fascinating. Jose Ferrer stars as Nemo, the demented but essentially well-meaning technological genius created by Jules Verne in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. In what seems to have been a one-time-only occasion, Ferrer costars with his namesake Mel Ferrer. Also in the star-heavy cast is Burgess Meredith as an eccentric professor and Lynda Day George as the all-around heroine. The film was largely photographed by Lamar Boren, the undersea expert responsible for the soggy cinematography of Creature from the Black Lagoon and Flipper. Given the cast and the director (Alex March), we suspect that The Amazing Captain Nemo was filmed for television, then deflected to theaters to make back its cost. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
- R
In this low-budget exploitation outing, a trio of curvy young woman, fresh out of reform school, go to college to participate in an experiment and end up having loads of erotic fun. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1975
A woman named Laura (Whitney Blake) accidentally kills her secret lover during a clandestine meeting in a San Francisco park. Though she wants to turn herself over to the police, Laura remains silent on the advice of an unscrupulous attorney--even when a homeless man is arrested for the crime. In his efforts to see that justice is properly served, Ironside (Raymond Burr) must reveal the victim's sordid secret life to his widow Susan (Penny Fuller), who had once been the chief's girlfriend. Though intended as the finale of Ironside's eighth and last season, this episode was shelved when the series was abruptly cancelled by NBC in January of 1975, and would not be aired until the show went into syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
With this episode, M*A*S*H relinquished its fourth-season Friday night timeslot and returned to its familiar Tuesday-evening berth. A wounded colonel (Warren Stevens) arrives at the 4077th with his prized possession, a rare old Colt. 45. Covetous Frank (Larry Linville) filches the weapon and allows Radar (Gary Burghoff) to take the rap. B.J. (Mike Farrell) and Hawkeye (Alan Alda) join forces to give Frank his comeuppance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
The IMF's mission: To retrieve a list of crooked public officials from fleeing vice lord Emil Gadsen (George Voskovec), and to utterly destroy both Gadsen and his boss Thor Coffin (Warren Stevens). The strategy: To convince Gadsen that he has a long-lost twin brother named Bruno. Future Hill Street Blues star Daniel J. Travanti, here billed as "Dan Travanty", plays a minor hood named Tony. Written by Sam Roeca and James L. Henderson, "Image" was first networkcast on January 15, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Greg Morris, (more)
- 1971
Shot during a jewelry-store holdup, Sgt. Ed Brown (Don Galloway) owes his life to a man (Michael Callan) who rushed to his aid--and then disappeared into the crowd. It soon develops that the good samaritan is actually an AWOL Vietnam veteran who may or may not have killed a comrade in arms. Convinced that the soldier is blameless, Ed puts his life on the line--again--to clear the man's name. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
The titular "dinosaur" is veteran police officer Art McCall, played by prolific movie bad guy Warren Stevens. Sidelined by an injury, McCall returns to the LAPD after an eight-year absence. Unfortunately, he is unable to adjust to the changes made in law enforcement during those eight years, and it is up to Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) to curb McCall's gonzo methods...notably his fondness for beating up suspected criminals. This episode was directed by TV- sitcom legend Ozzie Nelson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Aranda (Rodolfo Acosta, the Mexican-born sheriff of Prince River, regularly betrays his own people by participating in a land grab perpetrated by ruthless miner Owen Driscoll (Warren Stevens). The Cartwrights become involved when Aranda frames Mexican farmer Ramon Cardenas (Jaime Sanchez) for murder, the first step in Driscoll's scheme to buy out the other farmers for ridiculously low prices. A shocker ending caps this Bonanza episode, which was written by Ken Pettus and Dick McDonough. "El Jefe" first aired on November 15, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1968
The crew of the Enterprise is transformed into inanimate objects when aliens from the Andromeda galaxy commandeer the ship for a 300-year voyage to their home planet. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1968
Miami-based gambling kingpin Frank Layton (Warren Stevens) has agreed to finance the return of a deposed Latin American dictator General Neyron (Albert Paulsen). In exchange, Layton will receive all gambling rights in Neyron's home country. The IMF agents hope to derail this bargain, and destroy Layton and Neyron, by preying upon the paranoia of both men. First aired on December 15, 1968, "The Bargain" was written by Robert E. Thompson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, (more)
- 1968
On California's Malibu Beach in the late 1960s, young people are enjoying a life with few responsibilities and plenty of romantic opportunities. Denny McGuire (Michael Sarrazin) is a beach bum without ambition. His roommate Collie Ransom (Tony Franciosa) is a professional tennis player who soaks up the admiration of other beach dwellers. Denny is attracted to Vickie Cartwright (Jacqueline Bisset), a mostly-out-of-work actress, and would like to settle down with her, but she is more enamored with a series of meaningless sexual encounters with men she meets on the beach or during acting jobs. The film turns more serious with the brutal beating death of Vickie. Denny pulls himself together and decides to become a more responsible adult by taking a job at a hardware store. Also working there is Choo-Choo Burns (Bob Denver), an off-the-wall jazz pianist. Choo-Choo joins Denny and Collie as another roommate. Pop music is provided by the San Francisco psychedelic band Moby Grape and the British balladeer Dusty Springfield. The script by Tom Mankiewicz was based on a novel by William Murray. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Franciosa, Michael Sarrazin, (more)
- 1968
Anne Baxter guest stars as Ironside's attorney friend Carolyn White, whom the authorities have tagged as the "most obvious" suspect in the murder of her cheating spouse. Convinced that Carolyn is being framed, Ironside (Raymond Burr) dedicates himself to proving his thesis, while his colleagues accuse him of allowing his heart to rule his head. Meanwhile, the search goes on for the murder victim's missing body--a search that yields startling results. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Ben and Hoss Cartwright, together with ranchhand Candy, join a posse to capture Cully Maco (Bruce Dern), an ex-convict wanted for robbery and murder. Trouble is, the other members of the posse are determined to kill their prisoner without a trial. And as if that wasn't enough intrigue, Cully is innocent-the real culprit is posse member Sam Bragan (Warren Stevens. Also in the cast are Christopher Shea, the original voice of Charlie Brown in the "Peanuts" cartoon specials, and future father of Doogie Howser, Hill St. Blues regular James B. Sikking. Written by Louis Bercovitch and Frederick Louis Fox, "The Trackers" was first broadcast on January 7, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
It's a seemingly peaceful spring morning in New York City -- graduation day at the Police Academy -- and Police Commissioner Anthony X. Russell (Henry Fonda) is looking forward to giving a speech to the new officers. But all isn't well: Russell's been given apparently incontrovertible evidence that his oldest friend, Chief Inspector Charles Kane (James Whitmore), is shaking down a bar owner, and a black minister (Raymond St. Jacques) is claiming that his son was brutalized when he was picked up for questioning in a rape/assault case. Then Russell gets a call informing him that two first-grade detectives, Daniel Madigan (Richard Widmark) and Rocco Bonaro (Harry Guardino), allowed small-time hood Barney Benesch (Steve Ihnat) to get the drop on them, steal their guns, and escape while they were trying to pick him up for questioning at the request of Brooklyn detectives -- and Benesch is now a suspect in that earlier murder in Brooklyn. Madigan has other problems, including the fact that the commissioner -- his ex-captain -- doesn't trust him, always believing him to be a loose cannon who has taken advantage of the badge in accepting favors and cutting corners where peoples' rights were concerned. Madigan also has a beautiful, upwardly mobile wife (Inger Stevens) who loves him but can't abide all the time his job takes him away from her or crimps her socializing; and he has never fully gotten over Jonesy (Sheree North), a saloon singer he knew before he was married. Madigan and Bonaro are given 72 hours to bring in Benesch and begin beating the bushes for leads. They get help from "Midget" Castiglione (Michael Dunn), a bookmaker and an old enemy of Benesch's, and a nervous, long-haired punk named Hughie (Don Stroud). While the clock ticks away on Madigan's and Bonaro's careers, the commissioner must decide how to deal with Kane, whose father -- also a police officer -- was like his own, and he must also fathom how a four-star chief could be involved with anything as tawdry as pressuring a tavern owner. Russell genuinely believes that there must be "one standard, one rule" for any member of the department, but in the course of this one weekend, he finds this notion shattered by what he discovers about Madigan, King, and himself. Meanwhile, Benesch is still on the loose, acting like a complete psycho and a threat to anyone who crosses his path. Russell's and Madigan's paths finally cross personally, as the detective proves -- and the commissioner discovers -- just how good a cop he is. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, (more)
