What did you watch this week in classic TV on DVD(or Blu)? (11 Viewers)

[tsodcollector]

i've been watching the red green show on tsod,i got that one last year at library book sale,it was one of my all time favorites.

 

[JohnHopper]

IRONSIDE SEASON 4

Episode #15
“The Quincunx”
written by Max Hodge
directed by Don Weis
guests: David Carradine, Michael Blodgett, Mabel Albertson, Carla Borelli, Than Wyenn, Paul Bryar, Bob Hastings, David Moody, Ed Deemer

It’s a good and inspired folkloric murder/mystery case related to a trio of hippie singers. The prologue at the Red Frog club is priceless in terms of intercut editing: the two male singers (actors David Carradine and Michael Blodgett) perform their slow gentle peace loving tune with a guitar while both brothers remember the brutal murder of a woman punctuated by a frenetic rock music. The audience of the club doesn’t clap their hands but snaps their fingers instead and are totally “hipnotized” or hypnotized and the cameraman shoots the audience with a wide angle lens that terribly distorts the field of vision. Eve Whitfield pretends to have an affair with the drug addict brother played by David Carradine who offers her a death present: a painted pin. This is the last season produced by Douglas Benton and with Barbara Anderson. The main theme music by Quincy Jones is modified by the addition of a snare drum.

Rod Serling’s Night Gallery notes: both David Carradine (“The Phantom Farmhouse”) and Michael Blodgett (“The Dead Man”) guest in that horror anthology.


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The prologue at the Red Frog club is priceless in terms of intercut editing: the two male singers (actors David Carradine and Michael Blodgett) perform their slow gentle peace loving tune with a guitar while both brothers remember the brutal murder of a woman punctuated by a frenetic rock music.

Find the contrasted scene.

 

[Purple Wig]

Court of Last Resort - The John Smith Case. A drifter has been behind bars for 20 years for a crime he may not have committed due to the ineptitude of his lawyer and a crooked cop.

The F.B.I. - S1E12 “An Elephant Is Like A Rope”. Beau Bridges stumbles into FBI headquarters with half a million dollars and collapses. He can’t remember where he got the money or even who he is. Nefarious Ted Knight is on his tail.

Mr. District Attorney - S1E1 “Fire Insurance”. A lawmaker is being blackmailed.

Gunsmoke - S10E08 “Hung High”. Matt Dillon is framed for murder. Ed Asner dogs his trail as Matt pursues the real killers, Robert Culp among them, who are hiding out at a saloon table hassling Elisha Cook Jr. Taut, fantastic episode directed by the great Mark Rydell.

 

[JohnHopper]

Gunsmoke - S10E08 “Hung High”. Matt Dillon is framed for murder. Ed Asner dogs his trail as Matt pursues the real killers, Robert Culp among them, who are hiding out at a saloon table hassling Elisha Cook Jr. Taut, fantastic episode directed by the great Mark Rydell.

One of the best season 10 all the way! The cast is fabulous! Nuff said!

 

[tsodcollector]

Roswell season 2,rare tsod,without most of the original music,it's not the same television show you watch.
scorpion season 3,great show,with it's complete full of geniuses,this television series has changed the way you look at genius.great show.
The Wonder Year's season 2,it's one of my all time favorites.
the defenders season one,truly a benchmark for all legal tv dramas.
perfect strangers season 6 ,it's one of my all time favorites.

 

[The 1960's]

Roswell season 2,rare tsod,without most of the original music,it's not the same television show you watch.
scorpion season 3,great show,with it's complete full of geniuses,this television series has changed the way you look at genius.great show.
The Wonder Year's season 2,it's one of my all time favorites.
the defenders season one,truly a benchmark for all legal tv dramas.
perfect strangers season 6 ,it's one of my all time favorites.

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[The 1960's]

The Mermaids of Sea Hunt (Series No. 2)

Susan Morrow (1931-1985)
Susan Morrow was an American actress, who was primarily active during the 1950s. She was the older sister of Judith Exner (1934-1999), a woman who claimed to have served as the mistress of politician John F. Kennedy, gang leader Sam Giancana (boss of the Chicago Outfit from 1957 to 1966), and gangster John Roselli (a Chicago Outfit member who helped the organization in its control over Hollywood).

Morrow was born under the name "Jacqueline Ann Teresa Bernadette Immoor", daughter to Frederick W. Immoor and his wife Katherine Shea. Morrow made her film debut with the comic strip adaptation "Gasoline Alley" (1951), based on the long-running comic strip by Frank King (1883-1969). She was 20-years-old at the time of her film debut. See full bio »

S01E06 Female of the Species (Feb.15.1958)
Stars Lloyd Bridges Susan Morrow Larry Thor Robert Shield Susan Dorn Phil Arnold​

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Although Kay Dalton is terrified of the sea, she is determined to dive for a cache of stolen diamonds.​

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[JohnHopper]

IRONSIDE SEASON 4

Episode #2
“No Game for Amateurs”
written by Sy Salkowitz
directed by John Florea
music by Oliver Nelson
guests: Martin Sheen, Pamela McMyler, Johnny Seven, Michael Greer, Carl Reindel, Michael Christian, Tony Brande, Lew Brown, Ken Drake, Barbara Smith, Casey MacDonald

It’s a good hitman entry that relies on the presence of actor Martin Sheen. Anyway, the script is clever and cynical because the main guest uses a pregnant widower peace protester to cover his criminal activities and exploits her network to go to Canada with young men trying to evade the military draft. Ironside’s team wants hard to catch that henchman to dismantle San Francisco’s organized crime. As usual, the score by the late Oliver Nelson is good and catchy and one cue will be reworked in the third season episode “Clark Templeton O’Flaherty” of The Six Million Dollar Man.

 

[Jeff Flugel]

Maverick
1.26 “Burial Ground of the Gods”
2.23 “Passage to Fort Doom”
A couple of good Brother Bart episodes, both co-starring the lovely Nancy Gates. I watched “Passage to Fort Doom” first, in which Bart joins a wagon train (led by Allan Caillou) as a scout, and encounters numerous dangers along the way, from outlaws, Indians and scheming females (including Ms. Gates, Bourbon Street Beat’s Arlene Howell and Surfside 6's Diane McBain). A lively episode, if a tad busy and disjointed.

"Burial Ground of the Gods" is even better, and features a great assist from good ol' Claude Akins, as affable (if untrustworthy) rogue Paisley Briggs, who cold-cocks Bart in an alley and steals $1,200 from him. A determined Maverick tracks Briggs down as he’s leading a woman (Gates) and her fiancée (Robert Lowery) into a sacred Indian burial ground in the Dakota Badlands, where her missing/presumed dead husband might be hiding out. In one of her earliest roles, smokin’ hot WB contract player Saundra Edwards pops up in a couple of scenes as Gates’ maid, who Bart wines and dines to get some intel. At this stage, I’ve probably seen more Jack Kelly episodes than James Garner ones. While I am a big fan of Garner and think he’s great in the show, I have grown to really appreciate what Kelly brings to the table, and the more serious tone that usually characterizes his episodes.

Science Fiction Theatre – 1.11 “Marked ‘Danger’”
Nancy Gates guest stars as Lois Strand, the sun-hating wife of mineralogist Fred Strand (Arthur Franz, of Monster on the Campus fame), whose curiosity gets the better of her when her hubby brings home an experimental capsule containing two mice which had passed through a radioactive cloud in space before returning to Earth. The mice are soon reduced to green goo, their bodies overwhelmed with photosynthesizing blood cells – a fate which could also befall Mrs. Strand, unless Dr. Werner Engstrom (Otto Kruger) can save her by inducing a diabetic coma. That is, if they can stop her from running out and basking in the sunlight. Talky yet high-concept ‘50s sci-fi with a scientifically ludicrous but fun plot. I’m rather kicking myself for not picking the Timeless DVD set of this show back when it was still in print and reasonably priced…but luckily, many episodes (including this one) are available on YouTube.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents – 1.7 “Salvage”
Ex-con gangster Dan Varrell (Gene Barry) gets out of prison planning to kill the woman (Gates) who informed the police on his fugitive younger brother, leading to the brother’s death. But when Varrell finds her resigned to her fate, he abruptly changes his mind, instead setting her up in a clothing design business in what seems an attempt to go legit. But it’s all part of Varrell’s ice-cold revenge plot. Barry is good as the dead-eyed Varrell, and Ms. Gates skillfully vascillates between terrified, despondent and radiant while looking fabulous throughout. Typically amusing bookending scenes with Hitch seemingly targeted for an accident on set by his supposedly-adoring crew.

Here are a couple of glamor shots of Ms. Gates, who enjoyed a solid Hollywood movie career before finding herself in various television roles:

Fantasy Island – 1.1 “Pilot”
This two-hour TV movie pilot is considerably less cheesy and more serious than what quickly became the norm for this late ‘70s/early ‘80s Aaron Spelling Saturday night potboiler, with a faintly sinister, more overtly supernatural vibe to the mysterious Mr. Roarke (Ricardo Montalban), who whips up full-blown fantasies for his big-spender guests, several of whom should remember the adage "Be careful what you wish for."

Chosen for the inaugural three fantasies are: a big game hunter (Hugh O’Brien) who wants to be hunted and quite possibly killed…but why?; a hard-charging business magnate (Eleanor Parker) who asks Roarke to fake her death so she can ascertain which of her close circle are loyal and which wish her ill; and last of all, a former WWII war correspondent (Bill Bixby) who wants to relive a doomed wartime London romance. A relaxed pace and extended runtime are enlivened by some unexpected twists and turns here, plus a solid guest cast, including Peter Lawford, Sandra Dee, Carole Lynley and Dick Sargeant...and best of all, a young an extremely foxy Victoria Principal (born in Fukuoka, Japan!), no great thespian to be sure but looking fantastic.

I also skimmed through the second TV movie, "Return to Fantasy Island," which for some reason was not remastered, unlike all the other episodes on the S1 DVD set. This one is lighter in tone than its predecessor, but has an even more impressive cast: Andrienne Barbeau (like the equally statuesque Ms. Principal, filling out a tight-fitting pantsuit very nicely indeed), Georges Chakiris and Maharis, Joseph Cotton, Pat Crowley, Joseph Campanella, Horst Buchholz, Karen Valentine, Laraine Day, Cameron Mitchell, and France Nuyen (whew!) Needless to say, the first hour-long episode proper is a bit of a comedown, with the guest roster reduced to the likes of Bert Convy, Robert Clary and Georgia Engel.

The Donna Reed Show – 5.25 “Where the Stones Are”
When daughter Mary (19-year-old Shelley Fabares, looking adorable in her ‘60s-era shorts) and her college girlfriends want to spend spring break at a beach resort, Donna and Alex (Carl Betz) decide to keep a parental eye on their boy-crazy progeny by vacationing nearby on a boat belonging to one of Alex’s friends. They, along with son Jeff (Paul Peterson), try to stay incognito, but the jig is up when Mary notices her mom trying to reel in a huge fish. Gently amusing ‘60s sitcom fare, helped along by the appealing personality of its leads…plus the fact that Donna Reed herself is just so damn pretty.

Barnaby Jones – 4.22 “Wipeout”
Barnaby investigates a string of murders at a beach community, and ties the crimes to a disturbed young man (Jeff Conaway, believably freaky) with violent tendencies resulting from conflicted sexual desires for his loving but domineering older sister (Joanna Miles). It’s fun to see sly ol’ silver fox Barnaby mingling with the bikini-clad surf set, dressed in his usual suit and tie and chowing down on hotdogs. Also with Fred Bier, Richard Bull and Cassie Yates as the sexually frank first murder victim.

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
3.22 “The Pajama Game”
Dressed only in pajamas, Ozzie and Thorny embark on a bizarre adventure.

4.21 “A Day in Bed”
Ozzie is determined to stay in bed all day, but he soon finds out that it's not going to be as easy as he had first imagined.

Having recently received MPI’s S3 and S4 DVD sets, I took a break from working my way chronologically through the first season in order to sample a couple of episodes from these new releases. Both were very funny, especially “The Pajama Game,” which begins with Ozzie and Thorny getting locked out of their houses in the middle of the night, clad only in pajamas, then winding up stranded downtown, and eventually hitchhiking back from the lake where they had originally planned to go fishing. Just one outlandish (and very funny) scenario after the other. More sight gags, extras and locations than usual add to the specialness of this episode.

“A Day in Bed” is great, too, and features some good guest star turns by Diane Jergens as a bubbly, well-meaning neighbor, and Marvin Miller as a lugubrious member of the Masonic Lodge “Cheer up” committee, who spectacularly fails to raise Ozzie's spirits. Watching these, it’s obvious that the series was by this point really hitting its stride. Can’t wait to get seasons 5 and 6 (due late September).

Gunsmoke – 15.7 “Charlie Noon”
Another solo Matt Dillon episode, a rugged survival yarn filmed entirely on location in the Mojave Desert. Matt is escorting racist outlaw and killer Charlie Noon (James Best) back to Dodge when they come upon a Comanche woman (Miriam Colon) and her stepson (Ronny Howard) hiding in the cellar of a burnt cabin. Seems Comanche chief Lone Wolf (Edmund Hashim) has been on the woman’s trail for two years, enraged by her leaving him to marry a white man. A deadly game of desert cat-and-mouse ensues. No real surprises here, plotwise - just solid adventure storytelling, tautly directed and expertly performed, with yet another strong script by Jim Byrnes and an effective score by John Parker.

The Master – 1.7 “Juggernaut”
‘80s ninja action show is super cheesy but a hell of a lot of fun, its short-lived run curtailed by the similarly-themed but vastly more successful The A-Team. Aging ninja master John Peter McCallister (Lee Van Cleef) and his hotheaded but big-hearted protégé Max (Timothy Van Patten) come to the aid of embattled mother-and-daughter farmers (Diana Muldaur and Tara Buckman, respectively) who are being squeezed out by a power-mad trucking magnate (Stuart Whitman) and his vicious crew of henchmen, led by veteran he-man heavies William Smith and Robert Tessier. Cue plenty of martial arts mayhem, courtesy of action star Sho Kosugi in a bald cap, doubling for 59-year-old Van Cleef. High art it ain’t, but it serves up the simple, kick butt 80s action pleasures with a modicum of style. Ms. Muldaur goes beyond the call of duty, delivering a surprisingly serious and emotional performance amidst the karate-kicking Velveeta. Sexy Tara Buckman (Adrienne Barbeau’s bosomy partner in The Cannonball Run) hitches a ride with the boys in the epilogue, carrying over into the following week’s adventure.

Room for One More – 1.6 “Angel in the Attic”
WB’s television remake of the 1952 Cary Grant-Betsy Drake film ran for an abbreviated single season of 26 episodes a decade later. Andrew Duggan stars as George Rose, who, along with his perky wife, Anna (Peggy McKay), have adopted two more children on top of their own son and daughter. They almost almost gain a fifth kid in this enjoyable episode, which revolves around a series of misunderstandings that result from George not being informed that yet another young foster child named Sam has come to stay at the Rose’s home. Frank Jenks plays a termite inspector who seems destined to wind up with the adorable tyke. I was surprised to discover a young Ahna Capri playing the Rose’s sweet-natured older daughter, Mary. She’s cute as can be and so is the show. I've always found Andrew Duggan a consistently reliable performer and he does fine, relaxed comedic work here. Pity that only this one episode, which is in pretty rough shape, is available to view on YouTube. Yet another gem languishing away in Warner’s vault.

Gomer Pyle, USMC – 3.15 “Love’s Sweet Old Song”
The first of 15 appearances by Elizabeth MacRae as sexy blonde lounge singer Lou-Ann Poovey, who looks terrific but can’t carry a tune. Sgt. Carter (Frank Sutton) and Gomer’s pal, Duke (Ronnie Schell), go gaga for the gal and give her the full court press, but she ends up instead falling for gentle Gomer’s down-home charms, bonding with him over their shared N. Carolina roots. Nabors sings “500 Miles from Home” to Lou-Ann, causing her to break down in tears, remember her fiancée (the son of a feed store owner, natch) back home. It’s always a bit jarring to see Nabors shift from “Gollll-eee” aw shucks Gomer speak to beautiful pure singing voice, but his vocal skills are undeniably impressive. The vivacious Ms. MacRea apparently had to re-learn her Southern belle accent for the part, which here seems to have been intended as a one-off. Her chemistry with Nabors was such that she was called back several more times, eventually becoming Gomer’s recurring (and doubtlessly platonic) girlfriend.

 

[The 1960's]

Maverick
1.26 “Burial Ground of the Gods”
2.23 “Passage to Fort Doom”
A couple of good Brother Bart episodes, both co-starring the lovely Nancy Gates. I watched “Passage to Fort Doom” first, in which Bart joins a wagon train (led by Allan Caillou) as a scout, and encounters numerous dangers along the way, from outlaws, Indians and scheming females (including Ms. Gates, Bourbon Street Beat’s Arlene Howell and Surfside 6's Diane McBain). A lively episode, if a tad busy and disjointed.

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"Burial Ground of the Gods" is even better, and features a great assist from good ol' Claude Akins, as lovable (if untrustworthy) rogue Paisley Briggs, who cold-cocks Bart in an alley and steals $1,200 from him. A determined Maverick tracks Briggs down as he’s leading a woman (Gates) and her fiancée (Robert Lowery) into a sacred Indian burial ground in the Dakota Badlands, where her missing/presumed dead husband might be hiding out. In one of her earliest roles, smokin’ hot WB contract player Saundra Edwards pops up in a couple of scenes as Gates’ maid, who Bart wines and dines to get some intel. At this stage, I’ve probably seen more Jack Kelly episodes than James Garner ones. While I am a big fan of Garner and think he’s great in the show, I have grown to really appreciate what Kelly brings to the table, and the more serious tone that usually characterizes his episodes.

Science Fiction Theatre – 1.11 “Marked ‘Danger’”
Nancy Gates guest stars as Lois Strand, the sun-hating wife of mineralogist Fred Strand (Arthur Franz, of Monster on Campus fame), whose curiosity gets the better of her when her hubby brings home an experimental capsule containing two mice which had passed through a radioactive cloud in space before returning to Earth. The mice are soon reduced to green goo, their bodies overwhelmed with photosynthesizing blood cells – a fate which could also befall Mrs. Strand, unless Dr. Werner Engstrom (Otto Kruger) can save her by inducing a diabetic coma. That is, if they can stop her from running out and basking in the sunlight. Talky yet high-concept ‘50s sci-fi with a scientifically ludicrous but fun plot. I’m rather kicking myself for not picking the Timeless DVD set of this show back when it was still in print and reasonably priced…but luckily, many episodes (including this one) are available on YouTube.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents – 1.7 “Salvage”
Ex-con gangster Dan Varrell (Gene Barry) gets out of prison planning to kill the woman (Gates) who informed the police on his fugitive younger brother, leading to the brother’s death. But when Varrell finds her resigned to her fate, he abruptly changes his mind, instead setting her up in a clothing design business in what seems an attempt to go legit. But it’s all part of Varrell’s ice-cold revenge plot. Barry is good as the dead-eyed Varrell, and Ms. Gates skillfully vascillates between terrified, despondent and radiant while looking fabulous throughout. Typically amusing bookending scenes with Hitch seemingly targeted for an accident on set by his supposedly-adoring crew.

Here are a couple of glamor shots of Ms. Gates, who enjoyed a solid Hollywood movie career before finding herself in various television roles:

Fantasy Island – 1.1 “Pilot”
This two-hour TV movie pilot is considerably less cheesy and more serious than what quickly became the norm for this late ‘70s/early ‘80s Aaron Spelling Saturday night potboiler, with a faintly sinister, more overtly supernatural vibe to the mysterious Mr. Roarke (Ricardo Montalban), who whips up full-blown fantasies for his big-spender guests, several of whom should remember the adage "Be careful what you wish for."

Chosen for the inaugural three fantasies are: a big game hunter (Hugh O’Brien) who wants to be hunted and quite possibly killed…but why?; a hard-charging business magnate (Eleanor Parker) who asks Roarke to fake her death so she can ascertain which of her close circle are loyal and which wish her ill; and last of all, a former WWII war correspondent (Bill Bixby) who wants to relive a doomed wartime London romance. A relaxed pace and extended runtime are enlivened by some unexpected twists and turns here, plus a solid guest cast, including Peter Lawford, Sandra Dee, Carole Lynley and Dick Sargeant...and best of all, a young an extremely foxy Victoria Principal (born in Fukuoka, Japan!), no great thespian to be sure but looking fantastic.

I also skimmed through the second TV movie, "Return to Fantasy Island," which for some reason was not remastered, unlike all the other episodes on the S1 DVD set. This one is more warm and fuzzy than its predecessor but has an even more impressive cast: Andrienne Barbeau (like the equally statuesque Ms. Principal, filling out a tight-fitting pantsuit very nicely indeed), Georges Chakiris and Maharis, Joseph Cotton, Pat Crowley, Joseph Campanella, Horst Buchholz, Karen Valentine, Laraine Day, Cameron Mitchell, and France Nuyen (whew!) Needless to say, the first hour-long episode proper is a bit of a comedown, with the guest roster reduced to the likes of Bert Convy, Robert Clary and Georgia Engel.

The Donna Reed Show – 5.25 “Where the Stones Are”
When daughter Mary (19-year-old Shelley Fabares, looking adorable in her ‘60s-era shorts) and her college girlfriends want to spend spring break at a beach resort, Donna and Alex (Carl Betz) decide to keep an parental eye on their boy-crazy progeny by vacationing nearby on a boat belonging to one of Alex’s friends. They, along with son Jeff (Paul Peterson), try to stay incognito, but the jig is up when Mary notices her mom trying to reel in a huge fish. Gently amusing ‘60s sitcom fare, helped along by the appealing personality of its leads…plus the fact that Donna Reed herself is just so damn pretty.

Barnaby Jones – 4.22 “Wipeout”
Barnaby investigates a string of murders at a beach community, and ties the crimes to a disturbed young man (Jeff Conaway, believably freaky) with violent tendencies resulting from conflicted sexual desires for his loving but domineering older sister (Joanna Miles). It’s fun to see sly ol’ silver fox Barnaby mingling with the bikini-clad surf set, dressed in his usual suit and tie and chowing down on hotdogs. Also with Fred Bier, Richard Bull and Cassie Yates as the sexually frank first murder victim.


3.22 “The Pajama Game”
Dressed only in pajamas, Ozzie and Thorny embark on a bizarre adventure.

4.21 “A Day in Bed”
Ozzie is determined to stay in bed all day, but he soon finds out that it's not going to be as easy as he had first imagined.

Having recently received MPI’s S3 and S4 DVD sets, I took a break from working my way chronologically through the first season in order to sample a couple of episodes from these new releases. Both were very funny, especially “The Pajama Game,” which begins with Ozzie and Thorny getting locked out of their houses in the middle of the night, clad only in pajamas, then wind up stranded downtown, and eventually hitchhiking back from the lake where they had originally planned to go fishing. Just one outlandish (and very funny) scenario after the other. More sight gags, extras and locations than usual add to the specialness of this episode.

“A Day in Bed” is great, too, and features some good guest star turns by Diane Jergens as a bubbly, well-meaning neighbor, and Marvin Miller as a lugubrious member of the Masonic Lodge “Cheer up” committee, who spectacularly fails to raise Ozzie's spirits. Watching these, it’s obvious that the series was by this point really hitting its stride. Can’t wait to get seasons 5 and 6 (due late September).

Gunsmoke – 15.7 “Charlie Noon”
Another solo Matt Dillon episode, a rugged survival yarn filmed entirely on location in the Mojave Desert. Matt is escorting racist outlaw and killer Charie Noon (James Best) back to Dodge when they come upon a Comanche woman (Miriam Colon) and her stepson (Ronny Howard) hiding in the cellar of a burnt cabin. Seems Comanche chief Lone Wolf (Edmund Hashim) has been on the woman’s trail for two years, enraged by her leaving him to marry a white man. A deadly game of desert cat-and-mouse ensues. No real surprises here, plotwise - just solid adventure storytelling, tautly directed and expertly performed, with yet another strong script by Jim Byrnes and an effective score by John Parker.

The Master – 1.7 “Juggernaut”
‘80s ninja action show is super cheesy but a hell of a lot of fun, its short-lived run curtailed by the similarly-themed but vastly more successful The A-Team. Aging ninja master John Peter McCallister (Lee Van Cleef) and his hotheaded but big-hearted protégé Max (Timothy Van Patten) come to the aid of embattled mother-and-daughter farmers (Diana Muldaur and Tara Buckman, respectively) who are being squeezed out by a power-mad trucking magnate (Stuart Whitman) and his vicious crew of henchmen, led by veteran he-man heavies William Smith and Robert Tessier. Cue plenty of martial arts mayhem, courtesy of action star Sho Kosugi in a bald cap, doubling for 59-year-old Van Cleef. High art it ain’t, but it serves up the simple, kick butt 80s action pleasures with a modicum of style. Ms. Muldaur goes beyond the call of duty, delivering a surprisingly serious and emotional performance amidst the karate-kicking Velveeta. Sexy Tara Buckman (Adrienne Barbeau’s bosomy partner in The Cannonball Run) hitches a ride with the boys in the epilogue, carrying over into the following week’s adventure.

Room for One More – 1.6 “Angel in the Attic”
WB’s television remake of the 1952 Cary Grant-Betsy Drake film ran for an abbreviated single season of 26 episodes a decade later. Andrew Duggan stars as George Rose, who, along with his perky wife, Anna (Peggy McKay), have adopted two more children on top of their own son and daughter. They almost almost gain a fifth kid in this enjoyable episode, which revolves around a series of misunderstandings that result from George not being informed that yet another young foster child named Sam has come to stay at the Rose’s home. Frank Jenks plays a termite inspector who seems destined to wind up with the adorable tyke. I was surprised to discover a young Ahna Capri playing the Rose’s sweet-natured older daughter, Mary. She’s cute as can be and so is the show. I've always found Andrew Duggan a consistently reliable performer and he does fine, relaxed comedic work here. Pity that only this one episode, which is in pretty rough shape, is available to view on YouTube. Yet another gem languishing away in Warner’s vault.

Gomer Pyle, USMC – 3.15 “Love’s Sweet Old Song”
The first of 15 appearances by Elizabeth MacRae as sexy blonde lounge singer Lou-Ann Poovey, who looks terrific but can’t carry a tune. Sgt. Carter (Frank Sutton) and Gomer’s pal, Duke (Ronnie Schell), go gaga for the gal and give her the full court press, but she ends up instead falling for gentle Gomer’s down-home charms, bonding with him over their shared N. Carolina roots. Nabors sings “500 Miles from Home” to Lou-Ann, causing her to break down in tears, remember her fiancée (the son of a feed store owner, natch) back home. It’s always a bit jarring to see Nabors shift from “Gollll-eee” aw shucks Gomer speak to beautiful pure singing voice, but his vocal skills are undeniably impressive. The vivacious Ms. MacRea apparently had to re-learn her Southern belle accent for the part, which here seems to have been intended as a one-off. Her chemistry with Nabors was such that she was called back several more times, eventually becoming Gomer’s recurring (and doubtlessly platonic) girlfriend.

Ok well I'm not going to give this the Hopper treatment, but I've never been able to really warm up to Maverick. I love all the Science Fiction Theatre episodes. Such a wonderfully outdated series. Alfred Hitchcock Presents has grown on me since I purchased a region-free BluRay player and bought Season Seven. Fantasy Island? When I start watching that I'll know I'm in trouble! Same goes for Gomer Pyle. Don't get me wrong, IMO the peak of The Andy Griffith Show were the comedic interactions between Andy, Barney and Gomer, but when they pulled Gomer out of Mayberry it was one of the darkest days in my tv viewing history. Oh and Frank Sutton, an absolutely superlative actor deserved much better. Love The Donna Reed Show and of course The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and Gunsmoke! Lukewarm regarding The Master, but haven't finished it yet. I'll take a pass on Barney Jones, I mean Barnaby Jones .

As always a superb photo-commentary!

 

[tsodcollector]

The secret world of alex mack complete series,i've been a fan of that show,since i was only 10 years old,when it went off the air back in 98,i've been a fan ever since,I have the hugest crush on larisa oleynik when i was only 10 years old,looking at her was like man.she is beautiful.

 

[ScottRE]

The Master is a LOT more fun than I expected. I bought this on Blu on a whim and it's such a trip as Van Cleef, who steals every scene he's in, steps out and is replaced by an overly agile stunt guy in a skull cap doing all the flips and kicks. There's an amazing scene when they return to Van Patton's hometown and visit a gravesite. They're chased out and Macallister doesn't just run off screen with the others. He's gotta flip off screen! With the obvious stuntman going to town. If I can get a video rip of this, I'll post it, it loses something in translation.

It's 80's action cheese at its finest. I loved it.

 

[Purple Wig]

Maverick
1.26 “Burial Ground of the Gods”
2.23 “Passage to Fort Doom”
A couple of good Brother Bart episodes, both co-starring the lovely Nancy Gates. I watched “Passage to Fort Doom” first, in which Bart joins a wagon train (led by Allan Caillou) as a scout, and encounters numerous dangers along the way, from outlaws, Indians and scheming females (including Ms. Gates, Bourbon Street Beat’s Arlene Howell and Surfside 6's Diane McBain). A lively episode, if a tad busy and disjointed.

View attachment 148796 View attachment 148797
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"Burial Ground of the Gods" is even better, and features a great assist from good ol' Claude Akins, as lovable (if untrustworthy) rogue Paisley Briggs, who cold-cocks Bart in an alley and steals $1,200 from him. A determined Maverick tracks Briggs down as he’s leading a woman (Gates) and her fiancée (Robert Lowery) into a sacred Indian burial ground in the Dakota Badlands, where her missing/presumed dead husband might be hiding out. In one of her earliest roles, smokin’ hot WB contract player Saundra Edwards pops up in a couple of scenes as Gates’ maid, who Bart wines and dines to get some intel. At this stage, I’ve probably seen more Jack Kelly episodes than James Garner ones. While I am a big fan of Garner and think he’s great in the show, I have grown to really appreciate what Kelly brings to the table, and the more serious tone that usually characterizes his episodes.

Science Fiction Theatre – 1.11 “Marked ‘Danger’”
Nancy Gates guest stars as Lois Strand, the sun-hating wife of mineralogist Fred Strand (Arthur Franz, of Monster on the Campus fame), whose curiosity gets the better of her when her hubby brings home an experimental capsule containing two mice which had passed through a radioactive cloud in space before returning to Earth. The mice are soon reduced to green goo, their bodies overwhelmed with photosynthesizing blood cells – a fate which could also befall Mrs. Strand, unless Dr. Werner Engstrom (Otto Kruger) can save her by inducing a diabetic coma. That is, if they can stop her from running out and basking in the sunlight. Talky yet high-concept ‘50s sci-fi with a scientifically ludicrous but fun plot. I’m rather kicking myself for not picking the Timeless DVD set of this show back when it was still in print and reasonably priced…but luckily, many episodes (including this one) are available on YouTube.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents – 1.7 “Salvage”
Ex-con gangster Dan Varrell (Gene Barry) gets out of prison planning to kill the woman (Gates) who informed the police on his fugitive younger brother, leading to the brother’s death. But when Varrell finds her resigned to her fate, he abruptly changes his mind, instead setting her up in a clothing design business in what seems an attempt to go legit. But it’s all part of Varrell’s ice-cold revenge plot. Barry is good as the dead-eyed Varrell, and Ms. Gates skillfully vascillates between terrified, despondent and radiant while looking fabulous throughout. Typically amusing bookending scenes with Hitch seemingly targeted for an accident on set by his supposedly-adoring crew.

Here are a couple of glamor shots of Ms. Gates, who enjoyed a solid Hollywood movie career before finding herself in various television roles:

Fantasy Island – 1.1 “Pilot”
This two-hour TV movie pilot is considerably less cheesy and more serious than what quickly became the norm for this late ‘70s/early ‘80s Aaron Spelling Saturday night potboiler, with a faintly sinister, more overtly supernatural vibe to the mysterious Mr. Roarke (Ricardo Montalban), who whips up full-blown fantasies for his big-spender guests, several of whom should remember the adage "Be careful what you wish for."

Chosen for the inaugural three fantasies are: a big game hunter (Hugh O’Brien) who wants to be hunted and quite possibly killed…but why?; a hard-charging business magnate (Eleanor Parker) who asks Roarke to fake her death so she can ascertain which of her close circle are loyal and which wish her ill; and last of all, a former WWII war correspondent (Bill Bixby) who wants to relive a doomed wartime London romance. A relaxed pace and extended runtime are enlivened by some unexpected twists and turns here, plus a solid guest cast, including Peter Lawford, Sandra Dee, Carole Lynley and Dick Sargeant...and best of all, a young an extremely foxy Victoria Principal (born in Fukuoka, Japan!), no great thespian to be sure but looking fantastic.

I also skimmed through the second TV movie, "Return to Fantasy Island," which for some reason was not remastered, unlike all the other episodes on the S1 DVD set. This one is more warm and fuzzy than its predecessor but has an even more impressive cast: Andrienne Barbeau (like the equally statuesque Ms. Principal, filling out a tight-fitting pantsuit very nicely indeed), Georges Chakiris and Maharis, Joseph Cotton, Pat Crowley, Joseph Campanella, Horst Buchholz, Karen Valentine, Laraine Day, Cameron Mitchell, and France Nuyen (whew!) Needless to say, the first hour-long episode proper is a bit of a comedown, with the guest roster reduced to the likes of Bert Convy, Robert Clary and Georgia Engel.

The Donna Reed Show – 5.25 “Where the Stones Are”
When daughter Mary (19-year-old Shelley Fabares, looking adorable in her ‘60s-era shorts) and her college girlfriends want to spend spring break at a beach resort, Donna and Alex (Carl Betz) decide to keep an parental eye on their boy-crazy progeny by vacationing nearby on a boat belonging to one of Alex’s friends. They, along with son Jeff (Paul Peterson), try to stay incognito, but the jig is up when Mary notices her mom trying to reel in a huge fish. Gently amusing ‘60s sitcom fare, helped along by the appealing personality of its leads…plus the fact that Donna Reed herself is just so damn pretty.

Barnaby Jones – 4.22 “Wipeout”
Barnaby investigates a string of murders at a beach community, and ties the crimes to a disturbed young man (Jeff Conaway, believably freaky) with violent tendencies resulting from conflicted sexual desires for his loving but domineering older sister (Joanna Miles). It’s fun to see sly ol’ silver fox Barnaby mingling with the bikini-clad surf set, dressed in his usual suit and tie and chowing down on hotdogs. Also with Fred Bier, Richard Bull and Cassie Yates as the sexually frank first murder victim.

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
3.22 “The Pajama Game”
Dressed only in pajamas, Ozzie and Thorny embark on a bizarre adventure.

4.21 “A Day in Bed”
Ozzie is determined to stay in bed all day, but he soon finds out that it's not going to be as easy as he had first imagined.

Having recently received MPI’s S3 and S4 DVD sets, I took a break from working my way chronologically through the first season in order to sample a couple of episodes from these new releases. Both were very funny, especially “The Pajama Game,” which begins with Ozzie and Thorny getting locked out of their houses in the middle of the night, clad only in pajamas, then wind up stranded downtown, and eventually hitchhiking back from the lake where they had originally planned to go fishing. Just one outlandish (and very funny) scenario after the other. More sight gags, extras and locations than usual add to the specialness of this episode.

“A Day in Bed” is great, too, and features some good guest star turns by Diane Jergens as a bubbly, well-meaning neighbor, and Marvin Miller as a lugubrious member of the Masonic Lodge “Cheer up” committee, who spectacularly fails to raise Ozzie's spirits. Watching these, it’s obvious that the series was by this point really hitting its stride. Can’t wait to get seasons 5 and 6 (due late September).

Gunsmoke – 15.7 “Charlie Noon”
Another solo Matt Dillon episode, a rugged survival yarn filmed entirely on location in the Mojave Desert. Matt is escorting racist outlaw and killer Charie Noon (James Best) back to Dodge when they come upon a Comanche woman (Miriam Colon) and her stepson (Ronny Howard) hiding in the cellar of a burnt cabin. Seems Comanche chief Lone Wolf (Edmund Hashim) has been on the woman’s trail for two years, enraged by her leaving him to marry a white man. A deadly game of desert cat-and-mouse ensues. No real surprises here, plotwise - just solid adventure storytelling, tautly directed and expertly performed, with yet another strong script by Jim Byrnes and an effective score by John Parker.

The Master – 1.7 “Juggernaut”
‘80s ninja action show is super cheesy but a hell of a lot of fun, its short-lived run curtailed by the similarly-themed but vastly more successful The A-Team. Aging ninja master John Peter McCallister (Lee Van Cleef) and his hotheaded but big-hearted protégé Max (Timothy Van Patten) come to the aid of embattled mother-and-daughter farmers (Diana Muldaur and Tara Buckman, respectively) who are being squeezed out by a power-mad trucking magnate (Stuart Whitman) and his vicious crew of henchmen, led by veteran he-man heavies William Smith and Robert Tessier. Cue plenty of martial arts mayhem, courtesy of action star Sho Kosugi in a bald cap, doubling for 59-year-old Van Cleef. High art it ain’t, but it serves up the simple, kick butt 80s action pleasures with a modicum of style. Ms. Muldaur goes beyond the call of duty, delivering a surprisingly serious and emotional performance amidst the karate-kicking Velveeta. Sexy Tara Buckman (Adrienne Barbeau’s bosomy partner in The Cannonball Run) hitches a ride with the boys in the epilogue, carrying over into the following week’s adventure.

Room for One More – 1.6 “Angel in the Attic”
WB’s television remake of the 1952 Cary Grant-Betsy Drake film ran for an abbreviated single season of 26 episodes a decade later. Andrew Duggan stars as George Rose, who, along with his perky wife, Anna (Peggy McKay), have adopted two more children on top of their own son and daughter. They almost almost gain a fifth kid in this enjoyable episode, which revolves around a series of misunderstandings that result from George not being informed that yet another young foster child named Sam has come to stay at the Rose’s home. Frank Jenks plays a termite inspector who seems destined to wind up with the adorable tyke. I was surprised to discover a young Ahna Capri playing the Rose’s sweet-natured older daughter, Mary. She’s cute as can be and so is the show. I've always found Andrew Duggan a consistently reliable performer and he does fine, relaxed comedic work here. Pity that only this one episode, which is in pretty rough shape, is available to view on YouTube. Yet another gem languishing away in Warner’s vault.

Gomer Pyle, USMC – 3.15 “Love’s Sweet Old Song”
The first of 15 appearances by Elizabeth MacRae as sexy blonde lounge singer Lou-Ann Poovey, who looks terrific but can’t carry a tune. Sgt. Carter (Frank Sutton) and Gomer’s pal, Duke (Ronnie Schell), go gaga for the gal and give her the full court press, but she ends up instead falling for gentle Gomer’s down-home charms, bonding with him over their shared N. Carolina roots. Nabors sings “500 Miles from Home” to Lou-Ann, causing her to break down in tears, remember her fiancée (the son of a feed store owner, natch) back home. It’s always a bit jarring to see Nabors shift from “Gollll-eee” aw shucks Gomer speak to beautiful pure singing voice, but his vocal skills are undeniably impressive. The vivacious Ms. MacRea apparently had to re-learn her Southern belle accent for the part, which here seems to have been intended as a one-off. Her chemistry with Nabors was such that she was called back several more times, eventually becoming Gomer’s recurring (and doubtlessly platonic) girlfriend.

Another batch of spectacularly written reviews of mostly great TV shows. I don’t see anything in there that I wouldn’t enjoy watching, like Neal I’ve never really gotten too into Maverick but I could see that changing. I’m too young to have seen it the first time around and it was never rerun anywhere I lived until recent years. Unlike Neal I’ll stick up for Gomer Pyle anytime , loved it when I was a kid and still do. Hard to believe Elizabeth MacRae was only in 15 episodes! Certainly left a strong impression as did Barbara Stuart. Great supporting cast, Ronnie Schell was my favorite but Roy Stuart, Forrest Compton, Ted Bessell, William Christopher were all top notch. Every episode creates its own world.

Funny how that second Fantasy Island tv movie has a more exciting cast than 95% of any film or tv show of the past 20 years. Did Joseph Cotton have a romantic scene with Adrienne Barbeau, if so it gives me hope.

Gotta check out The Master too, love Lee Van Cleef and your review makes it sound fun.

 

[The 1960's]

Unlike Neal I’ll stick up for Gomer Pyle anytime , loved it when I was a kid and still do. Hard to believe Elizabeth MacRae was only in 15 episodes! Certainly left a strong impression as did Barbara Stuart. Great supporting cast, Ronnie Schell was my favorite but Roy Stuart, Forrest Compton, Ted Bessell, William Christopher were all top notch. Every episode creates its own world.

Ok I admit there were some great select episodes. But just how much Gomer can one person digest? Wait, what am I saying? I'm talking to someone that suggested I do a photo essay entitled "The Men of Gomer Pyle."

Funny how that second Fantasy Island tv movie has a more exciting cast than 95% of any film or tv show of the past 20 years. Did Joseph Cotton have a romantic scene with Adrienne Barbeau, if so it gives me hope.

Ok I'll come clean. I did binge on Fantasy Island years ago when it ran on COZITV. It did have lots of fine fine cheesecake but Ricardo Montalban just wore me out.

 

[JohnHopper]

IRONSIDE SEASON 4

Episode #2
“No Game for Amateurs”
written by Sy Salkowitz
directed by John Florea
music by Oliver Nelson
guests: Martin Sheen, Pamela McMyler, Johnny Seven, Michael Greer, Carl Reindel, Michael Christian, Tony Brande, Lew Brown, Ken Drake, Barbara Smith, Casey MacDonald

It’s a good hitman entry that relies on the presence of actor Martin Sheen. Anyway, the script is clever and cynical because the main guest uses a pregnant widower peace protester to cover his criminal activities and exploits her network to go to Canada with young men trying to evade the military draft. Ironside’s team wants hard to catch that henchman to dismantle San Francisco’s organized crime. As usual, the score by the late Oliver Nelson is good and catchy and one cue will be reworked in the third season episode “Clark Templeton O’Flaherty” of The Six Million Dollar Man.


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Find the complete hit.

 

[Wiseguy]

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Ida Lupino could do it all...superb actress in the golden age (High Sierra, They Drive By Night, Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Out of the Fog, The Sea Wolf, Road House etc.) producer (founding partner in the great Four Star Productions), and a pioneering woman director with extraordinary sensitivity in pacing and story telling, framing a TV show in an economical 25 or 51 minutes to deliver an involving and authentic story that feels naturally unrushed! In watching A Fist Of Five, I was amazed about just how much effective character development she could establish in a two or three minute scene...there's a lot of brutal violence here with a high body count, but ALL of the major guest actors are sympathetic to some degree...Marvin's embittered cop feeling betrayed and abandoned, his close Irish clan of brothers devoted to him, and the mobster and his wife all seeking a way out of their dead-end depression era lives to escape the grim fate they know must await them. I've had this feeling before in watching any of Ida Lupino's directing credits. She had a sensitivity that as a woman you would expect, but as with all great directors, she respected her audience, and boy, did she know how to frame a shot and tell a believable and thrilling story in the time constraints of series television!

Ida Lupino was the only woman to have directed a Twilight Zone episode and the only person to have directed one episode and starred in another.

 

[ScottRE]

Okay, I found the clip from The Master. From "Failure to Communicate." Watch and enjoy!

YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

Here's the entire episode if you so desire.

 

[The 1960's]

Okay, I found the clip from The Master. From "Failure to Communicate." Watch and enjoy!

YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

Here's the entire episode if you so desire.

Thanks Scott. Now I can see why you refer to it as 1980's action cheese!

 

[The 1960's]

Happy Birthday to Glenn Corbett!

A few of us have prepared a special commemoration which will be coming here very soon.​

 

[smithbrad]

Looking forward to it.