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Reviews
Murder in Music City (1979)
The Supporting Cast Elevates This One!
I'll give Sonny credit for a much better job in this than any of his other acting roles. And Lee Purcell has pretty good chemistry with him. BUT the heart and soul of this movie is not the leads. It's the supporting cast. Claude Akins routinely elevates whatever he is a part of, and this is no exception. Romantically paired with the lovely and talented Belinda Montgomery, he shines as the retiring country music star who has found the love of his life. Belinda plays the genuinely loving wife who is poised to win country music's highest award for a new artist. Until...but hey, I'm not telling. That would spoil the whole thing. The lovers are backed up by some of country music's most enduring stars: Ray Stevens, Larry Gatlin, Mel Tillis, Ronnie Milsap and Charlie Daniels. And I believe Claude does his own singing in this one. Veteran actress Lucille Benson makes the most of a small role here. It's not Citizen Kane, but it's not supposed to be. It's a movie of the week. And a darn good one. Grab some popcorn and a soft drink and give this one a try.
Yesterday's Child (1977)
Great cast elevates this made for TV gem
I had never seen this one until quite recently and it truly rises above the usual 1970s movie of the week. It's a good story, with a twist. But what truly distinguishes it from the competition is the excellent cast, all playing somewhat against type. And I'm going to try for no spoilers here. I'm going to say right up front that the most surprisingly nuanced performance comes from Claude Akins. It's a far cry from Sheriff Lobo, but he's not the sneering villain he often plays, either. He's a complicated man here and Akins nails it. His on screen chemistry with Jones finds the two of them vying for scene stealer in every frame they share, and It might just be a tie. She's no Mother Partridge this outing. Geraldine Fitzgerald is always spot on with her performances, and the Oscar winner makes no exception here, as the grieving but determined grandmother. And Ross Martin is fine as the greedy second son eager to grab the old lady's fortune for himself and his son. Stephanie Zimbalist was so good as the lost daughter that she got another role as a lost daughter in the 70s movie, Caroline. It's great fun, like a Daniel Steele novel come to life. I'll add this one to my favorite comfort food movie lineup.
Police Story: The Long Ball (1976)
Extremely well done
Hard to find enough superlatives to describe Claude Akins' tour de force as the good cop with a bad problem. He's aided by a fine script that ages well (I had not seen it until today, in 2022). He's aided by a good supporting cast that includes Herb Edelman, another criminally underrated actor in a small role as Akins' former police partner.
Gunsmoke: The Way It Is (1962)
Claude Akins and Amanda Blake didn't need Matt and Chester for this one
The two leads, this time Claude Akins and Amanda Blake, turn in excellent performances in this one. It was good to see Akins get a chance to shine as the charismatic handsome stranger. And Miss Kitty gets a chance to be the star of the show instead of as she puts it, one of the boys. I hadn't seen this one before and it was well worth the effort to find it.
Falling from Grace (1992)
Diamond in the rough
A fine supporting cast gives Mellencamp's directorial debut a boost here. Claude Akins shows us one more time how to turn 15 minutes of on screen time into a memorable performance. Kay Lenz and Mariel Hemingway turned in creditable performances, too. "Grandma" was my favorite newcomer. All in all, the kind of small indie movie that grows on you. I'll probably watch it a few more times.