Robert Stevenson Movies
One of England's best and most successful action directors of the '30s, Robert Stevenson became a filmmaker whose work was seen by tens of millions of filmgoers well into the late '60s His name was seldom noticed, however, as the director of such Walt Disney hits as Mary Poppins, Son of Flubber, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Old Yeller, The Absent-Minded Professor, and The Love Bug. The son of a businessman, Stevenson was a science student at Cambridge, and was led to film through his graduate work in psychology. He began directing movies in 1932, and soon proved himself equally adept in all genres and subject material, capable of deriving bracing tension and excitement from material as diverse as historical drama, African adventure epics, and contemporary thrillers -- among his most notable movies in those categories, respectively, are Tudor Rose, King Solomon's Mines (the 1937 version with Paul Robeson), and Non-Stop New York. Like Alfred Hitchcock, he was signed by David O. Selznick in 1939 and brought to America, but unlike Hitchcock, Stevenson never made a movie for Selznick during the 10 years he was under contract to him. He joined the Disney organization in 1957, and became their top filmmaking hand in live-action films, directing at least a half-dozen Disney classics and another half-dozen confirmed hits over the next 20 years. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide- 1977
Just before purchasing a Christmas present for her foster mother, Willona (Ja'net DuBois), Penny (Janet Jackson) is robbed of her wallet. Desperate to get Willona a gift, Penny resorts to shoplifting -- and ends up in police custody. Will this unpleasant episode lead to Willona losing her opportunity to legally adopt Penny? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
In this comical Disney espionage adventure, a herd of nannies team up with Scotland Yard and set off to find important microfilm that was concealed, by a wicked Chinese spy, within the skeleton of a dinosaur that now sits in the British Natural History Museum ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Ustinov, Helen Hayes, (more)
An air-traffic reporter discovers that his partner--a St. Bernard dog--has accidentally swiped a priceless necklace from a jewel-smuggling gang. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
Those who worried that the Disney studio would collapse without the presence of the late Uncle Walt were put at ease when the profits starting rolling in for The Love Bug. The "star" is Herbie, a lovable little Volkswagen with a personality all its own. Abused by a bad guy race-car driver (David Tomlinson), Herbie is rescued by a good guy racer (Dean Jones). Out of gratitude, Herbie enables the luckless good guy to win one race after another. The real fun begins when the ruthless hot-rodder connives to get Herbie back through fair means or foul. Based on a story by Gordon Buford, The Love Bug inspired two equally lucrative sequels, Herbie Rides Again and Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Jones, Michele Lee, (more)
Blackbeard's Ghost was one of the first Disney productions released after Walt's death. Peter Ustinov stars as the eponymous wraith, who returns to Earth to come to aid of his descendant, elderly Elsa Lanchester. The villains want to kick Lanchester and her friends out of their group home so that they can build a crooked casino. Good guy Dean Jones evokes the spirit of Blackbeard to thwart the bad guys. The supporting cast ranges from Richard Deacon to Gil Lamb, while Peter Ellenshaw performs the visual effects with mattes, miniatures, and process screens. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones, (more)
- 1965
The sequel to 1963's Misadventures of Merlin Jones finds young Mr. Jones (Tommy Kirk) still in college and still going out with Jennifer (Annette Funicello). In this movie, he must help football players pass their tests and invent a flying machine win a contest for the school. Funicello and the Beach Boys sing the title song. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tommy Kirk, Leon Ames, (more)
- 1964
Investment broker Eric Pollard (Lloyd Bochner) seems to have gone off his trolley when he begins suffering from dizzy spells; to begin with, he publicly charges his wife Sybil (Marian Moses) with every crime under the sun--and as a capper, he hires a taxi to rob a bank! Though he is thrown in jail, Eric receives a suspended sentence thanks to Sybil's probation-officer friend Roy Galen (Jason Evers). Far from grateful, Eric accuses Roy and Sybil of being lovers--and when Sybil is murdered, it is Roy who is arrested. In order to save an innocent man from the gas chamber, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) must first find the real reasons behind Eric's nutty behavior. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Though irrefutably guilty of murder, Carl Soddenberg (Crahan Denton) escaped the hangman's noose when he was declared insane. Now "cured", Soddenberg is release from a mental institution in the custody of Dr. Weiser (Richard Shannon). Paladin (Richard Boone) is hired to escort patient and doctor to Soddenberg's home town, but the vengeful relatives of one of Carl's victims don't intend to let that happen. Originally filmed for the series' fifth season and scheduled to air on May 26, 1962, this episode was withheld from view until March 9, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Riding into a wild-and-wooly frontier town on Christmas Eve, Paladin (Richard Boone) befriends a young cowboy and pregnant woman who need his help. It seems that the couple cannot find anyone willing or able to provide them lodging for the night; in fact, the only available space is a squalid storeroom behind the saloon. Sound familiar? The "Joseph" of this story is played by guitarist Duane Eddy, who had recently scored a big hit with his recording of "The Ballad of Paladin". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Corning Company employee Susan Fisher (Kathie Browne) begins to suspect there's skullduggery afoot involving one of the company's holdings, the supposedly played-out Mojave Monarch Mine. Things get curiouser and curiouser when a woman claiming to be company owner Amelia Corning shows up, grabs two huge satchels of money, and then disappears--only to be followed by another woman, who insists that SHE is Amelia Corning. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) is brought into the case when Paul Drake (William Hopper) is arrested while investigating the highly suspicious goings-on. Ultimately, the Mojave Mine's foreman Ken Lowry (Michael Harvey) is murdered, and Perry must defend the primary suspect--which brings us full-circle to Susan Fisher again! This episode is based on a novel by Perry Mason creator Erle Stanley Gardner) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
In this curiously Brechtian drama, a government official (Lewis Martin) secretly hires Paladin to bring murder suspect Billy Joe (Martin West) to trial. The reason for the secrecy is that Billy Joe is the son of Paladin's client. Upon capturing Billy Joe, Paladin is unable to turn over boy to the authorities thanks to the interference of a wandering band of saloon bums (male and female). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
The statue of St. Francis, standing in the courtyard of California's San Luis Rey mission, has been stolen. Father Clare (David Garner) prevails upon Paladin (Richard Boone) to retrieve the statue with the least possible amount of gunplay--a task that proves easier said than done, thanks to the omnipresence of a band of hostile Indians. Evidentally the only thing that can defuse this situation is a miracle--and a miracle is just what happens! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
Bound by a debt of honor dating back to the Civil War, Paladin (Richard Boone) offers his gun in service to ruthless land baron Costigan (Warren Stevens). A family of squatters led by a hothead named Clemenceau (Robert Stevenson) has settled on Costigan's land, and refuses to be moved--backing up their refusal with buckshot. Though legally Costigan is in the right, Paladin becomes disgusted by the land baron's violent methods, and by episode's end a change of heart seems to be on the menu. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
Riding into a dusty Arkansas town, Paladin is greeted with the spectacle of a man chained in the street. The hapless prisoner turns out to be Dr. Simeon Loving (Donald Randolph), accused of murder by self-appointed "hanging judge" Elroy Greenleaf (Harold J. Stone). At the risk of his own neck, Paladin offers to act as Dr. Loving's defense counsel to save the man from the gallows--even though the wily Judge Greenleaf has pretty much stacked the deck against the prisoner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
In this children's movie, an adorable newsboy, his dog, and his friend the hobo accidently stumble across a briefcase containing $100,000. It belongs to a desperate thief who definitely wants it back. The honest child, not knowing the loot is stolen, looks for its owner. Fortunately the police save the day. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wanda Hendrix, Roger Mobley, (more)
- 1961
The first half of this 1961 Walt Disney Presents episode shows the work that went behind the delightful animated opening titles of the upcoming Disney theatrical feature The Parent Trap. Famed studio artists Bill Justice, X. Attencio, and T. Hee are seen bringing the titles to life, from storyboard to final print; as a bonus, excerpts from The Parent Trap are previewed, and Tommy Sands and Annette Funicello are shown recording the film's hit title song The rest of the episode consists of Disney's Oscar-winning "True-Life Adventure" short subject Nature's Half Acre, originally released theatrically in 1952. Narrated by Winston Hibler, the film follows the four seasons of nature, from the viewpoint of several species of birds, insects, and plants. "Title Makers and Disney's Half Acre was Walt Disney's final TV-anthology episode for the ABC network, and the last one telecast in black-and-white. Beginning in the fall of 1961, the producer's series would air on NBC under the title Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tommy Sands, Annette Funicello, (more)
- 1960
Anne Francis and Christopher Dark guest star as armored-car bandits Doreen Maney and Sheik Humphries in this thinly disguised retelling of the "Bonnie and Clyde" legend. Designed by the newspapers as "The Lovebirds", Doreen and Sheik have masterminded four major heists, the last of which netted the gate receipts from Yankee Stadium. This time, however, blood has been spilled, and Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) is determined to avenge the deaths of the four armored guards mowed down by the Lovebirds' gang. Managing to capture Doreen, Ness hopes that she will reveal Sheik's whereabouts while being extradited to New York, but Doreen says nothing, confident that her boyfriend will help her escape--little imagining that she is being double-crossed not only by Sheik, but also by her own kid sister Maybelle (played by a pre-Mister Ed Connie Hines). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
Released from prison after eight years, Aaron Bell (Barry Cahill) heads to the town where his brother was lynched during the Civil War. Fearing that Bell craves revenge, the nervous townsfolk hire Paladin (Richard Boone) for protection. As it turns out, however, Paladin must protect Bell from the townsfolk! This is the first Have Gun--Will Travel episode directed by series star Richard Boone. directed by Richard Boone. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
In the fifth episode of Walt Disney's ten-part miniseries Elfego Baca, gunslinger-turned-lawyer Baca (Robert Loggia) tackles his first big court case. Elfego must defend his old pal, reformed outlaw Fernando Bernal (Edward Colmans), who has been accused of robbing the Santa Fe bank. Former Mouseketeer Annette Funicello appears as Fernando's teenaged daughter. Originally telecast on the Walt Disney Presents anthology, "Attorney at Law" and the sixth Elfego Baca episode "The Griswold Murder" were edited together in 1962 and released as a theatrical feature, Six-Gun Law. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
In its promotional material for the 1959 theatrical feature Darby O'Gill and the Little People, the Disney studio went into whimsical overdrive, hoping to convince the younger viewers that the leprechauns appearing in the film were not merely normal-sized actors made small via special effects, but instead the genuine article. As part of this delightful deception, the weekly Walt Disney Presents TV anthology offered an episode in which Walt Disney explained how he personally persuaded the King of the Leprechauns to appear in his film. It all begins when actor Pat O'Brien, returning from a trip to Ireland, regales Walt Disney with stories of the "little people" of the Emerald Isle. Banking on the fact that he is himself half-Irish, Walt travels to Old Erin to see for himself. After conferring with a local "shanachie," or storyteller (played by Darby O'Gill's titular star Albert Sharpe), Disney is granted an audience with his majesty himself, King Brian (Jimmy O'Dea) -- who has quite a healthy ego for one so tiny. This episode expertly blends new footage with previews from the upcoming film, which among other actors features a young Sean Connery (who was so obscure a performer at the time that he isn't even billed in the TV Guide listings!) While the actual Darby O'Gill scenes were directed by Robert Stevenson, the new transitional scenes were helmed by Harry Keller -- who after handling retakes of Orson Welles' Touch of Evil had no trouble seamlessly matching Stevenson's distinctive style. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Walt Disney, Pat O'Brien, (more)
- 1959
- Add Darby O'Gill and the Little People to QueueAdd Darby O'Gill and the Little People to top of Queue
Baby boomers who may not remember the plot particulars of Walt Disney's Darby O'Gill and the Little People nonetheless retain fond memories of Disney's publicity campaign, which included an episode of the producer's weekly TV series, wherein the actor playing leprechaun king Brian (Jimmy O'Dea) was passed off as a genuine little person. One look at Darby O'Gill itself and one is willing to believe Disney's subterfuge. The story, based on the writings of H.T. Kavanagh, involves one Darby O'Gill (Albert Sharpe) an Irish tall-tale spinner who works as a caretaker. On the night that he is replaced by a younger man (Sean Connery), Darby heads home to tell his daughter Katie (Janet Munro) that he has lost his job. En route, he stumbles into the underground leprechaun kingdom, thanks to the intervention of King Brian, who wants to save Darby the shame of telling his daughter about his job. Advised that he will never be able to leave the land of the leprechauns, Darby escapes, and Brian follows. Because he stays above ground until dawn, Brian loses his powers and becomes the property of Darby, who won't let the leprechaun go until he grants three wishes. Brian tricks Darby out of the first two wishes, but is honor-bound to grant the third: that Darby's daughter Katie be wed to the handsome new caretaker. Before this can happen, Katie is seriously injured. As she lies comatose, the Death Coach descends from the sky to gather her to the heavens. Darby rapidly alters his third wish and begs that he be taken in Katie's place. Brian saves Darby's life by tricking him into making a fourth wish, which immediately cancels the first three. The young caretaker wins Katie on his own merits, and Darby has a whole new slew of stories with which to regale the villagers. The principal drawing card of Darby O'Gill and the Little People is its special effects, the most famous of which finds a life-sized Darby O'Gill fiddling away as hundreds of tiny leprechauns dance about him. Even in this era of computerized "F/X," few films have been able to duplicate the sublimely convincing visual magic -- and the effortless charm -- of this 1959 Disney effort. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, (more)
- 1957
This 1957 Disneyland episode is essentially a promotional film for the upcoming Disney theatrical release Johnny Tremain. An early segment, chronicling man's struggle for liberty as manifested in the Magna Carta and the exploits of Robin Hood, leads smoothly into a lengthy excerpt of the new film, wherein young Johnny Tremain (Hal Stalmaster) joins the 18th century underground group, the Sons of Liberty. The remainder of the episode consists of the 1953 cartoon featurette Ben and Me, based on the book by Robert Lawson and told from the viewpoint of Amos the Mouse (voiced by Sterling Holloway, friend and confidant of none other than Benjamin Franklin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Luana Patten, Jeff York, (more)
This Walt Disney filmization of Esther Forbes' Revolutionary-War novel Johnny Tremain was appropriately released on July 4, 1957. New Disney discovery Hal Stalmaster plays the title character, an apprentice silversmith in 1773 Boston. An on-the-job injury prevents Johnny from finding a job, but he is welcomed with open arms at the headquarters of the Revolution. After standing trial on a trumped-up robbery charge brought about by British sympathizer Jonathan Lyte (Sebastian Cabot), Johnny is set free, whereupon he joins the Sons of Liberty during their execution of the Boston Tea Party. Later on, General Gage (Ralph Clanton), the officer in charge of the colonies, does his best to stem the activities of the Sons of the Liberty without resorting to violence but this becomes a moot point after the battle of Lexington Green. If the storyline of Johnny Tremain seems to be divided into two even halves, it is because the film was originally intended as a two-part installment of the Disneyland TV anthology. As it turned out, the film did receive TV exposure on Walt Disney Presents, divided (as planned) into two segments: "The Boston Tea Party" (first telecast November 21, 1958) and "The Shot That Was Heard Around the World" (December 5, 1958). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hal Stalmaster, Luana Patten, (more)
- 1957
Paladin (Richard Boone) is hired by Colonel Lathrop (Robert F. Simon), a wealthy and aristocratic ex-military man who claims to be writing a history of the West. Lathrop wants Paladin to find out what became of a legendary saloon queen who once presided over a now-deserted Nevada mining town. The job turns out to be a lot more dangerous than it first appears: no one previously hired by the Colonel to find the missing lady has ever returned alive. Supporting players Denver Pyle (Clay Sommers) and Peggy Rea (Lulu) were later reteamed on another popular TV series, The Dukes of Hazzard. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1957
The first half of this live-action Disneyland episode is an entertaining promo for the upcoming Disney theatrical feature Old Yeller. Narrated by Dorothy McGuire, one of the film's stars, this segment features behind-the-scenes footage pertaining to the training of the dogs used in the film, as well as random vignettes of Man's Best Friend eagerly performing a variety of tasks (Swiss rescue dogs, seeing-eye dogs, bloodhounds, etc.). The episode concludes with a telecast of Arizona Sheepdog, a 1955 entry in the Disney theatrical short-subject series "People and Places." When "The Best Doggoned Dog in the World was rebroadcast in February of 1961, the Old Yeller segment was replaced with a newly filmed promo for Disney's animated feature 101 Dalmations. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dorothy McGuire, Rex Allen, (more)
