fbm72751 Reviews

Perry Mason: The Case of the Prodigal Parent (1958) Season 1, Episode 36

How times have changed,

[10/10 · 12 July 2022]

I like this episode a lot. Some is about compassion from one person to another but I won't say who they are. A common happening today but in some circles back then, an out of wedlock birth would be very scandalous. An earlier episode also deals with this subject.

Virginia Field and Andra Martin are perfectly cast as mother and daughter as there really IS a resemblance. Andra Martin passed away May 3, 2022. She hadn't been in film or TV since 1962 so the media likely never picked up on it.

Terror Squad (1987)

Not for my DVD collection

[2/10 · 10 March 2021]

Action has always been a plus point for me and some violence has never bothered me--after all it's just play acting. But when it got down to randomly killing innocent people in town and add a few school children to the body count after that, I drew the line and found no entertainment value in this. In the car chase the passenger terrorist does a poor job with his machine gun often aiming it at--nothing. The film was likely an anti-Libya propaganda effort as at the time the country was one of our biggest enemies, climaxing at year's end with the bombing of the Pan Am flight in the Lockerbie incident. Seeing Kokomo, Indiana was interesting as I moved to the general area 15 years later for a spell. It was a typical Rust Belt town that later on like many such towns would suffer heavily with plant closures and the effects of de-industrialization. I hadn't seen many films with Chuck Connors late in his life such as this one (he died four years after this release) At 66, he was getting up there in the years but at least did his part fairly well.

Hawaii Five-O: Wednesday, Ladies Free (1971) Season 4, Episode 3

Ok but often dull and boring

[4/10 · 6 February 2021]

The premise is fine but for one too much screen time for Monte Markham and not enough of the Five-O team--after all that's why I primarily watched the show. The scenes of the killer doing the make up on the victims are too long and drawn out. I have no qualms about the psycho being pumped full of lead later on. It does have an interesting twist at the end & that being our guest star isn't what he made himself out to be.

Hawaii Five-O: Cloth of Gold (1972) Season 4, Episode 20

Revenge with a vengeance

[8/10 · 6 February 2021]

Season 4 had a number of good episodes and this was one of them. In a not so usual event, all the bad guys get eliminated but not for the reasons in that they are crooked snakes that swindle people (at the time my home state also had a land fraud problem that resulted in several murders) To my delight it is Kono that really helps solve this case and it's sad that this would be his last season on the show. I can certainly see the outrage on the father's part as when he shows a brief clip of his deceased daughter there's a one second shot of the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen in a young girl.

Hawaii Five-O: Didn't We Meet at a Murder? (1972) Season 4, Episode 22

Quite entertaining.

[8/10 · 6 February 2021]

Season 4 (1971-72) had an abundant number of good episodes and this one is too. However there was an early surprise and that being that Simon Oakland who was a very prominent actor in the 1970s was bumped off very early which never happens to someone that well known or with such status as normally a lesser known would be cast who's part ends at the end of act 1. This show touched on matters that were still taboo on television back then and one of the killers being gay which was a big source for blackmail. All & all a good story but they could have left out the scene with Clem Brown & his wife talking in bed as I'd rather have seen more focus on the investigation instead.

Hawaii Five-O: Diary of a Gun (1975) Season 7, Episode 23

Not the greatest but not the worst episode.

[5/10 · 5 February 2021]

Obviously this was written by someone who was pro-gun control. At the time there was a campaign against small .22 or .25 caliber hand guns known as "Saturday Night Specials". A few months after this episode aired, the ever popular rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd hit the US top 40 charts with their song of the same title. The episode is actually quite realistic in showing that a gun in the wrong hands or someone with an unstable temper can be deadly. The postal carrier's marriage was a loveless one with her simply wanting more finer things in life and probably a man closer to her age (contrary to what's stated, postal carriers did make a decent salary and benefits) I didn't buy the scene of the beach shooter getting all scared and apologetic in McGarrett's office as he certainly wasn't that way when he committed the act. I used to belong to a now defunct Five-O fan club and this one was rated very poorly among the membership. But all & all there were worse episodes of Five-O than this one by far. This was the first season without Leonard Freeman as executive producer as he had passed away before the new season's filming had started in 1974. Although there were some good episodes in 1974-75 the quality was slowly diminishing by this time.

Hawaii Five-O: A Death in the Family (1978) Season 10, Episode 24

A BLACK EYE to Five-O fans

[1/10 · 5 February 2021]

This episode should NEVER have been made. I know it's just a television show but nearly 43 years later I still get quite worked up about it. I saw the telecast when it originally aired and haven't seen it since & never will again. Chin Ho was part of my television life for ten years from when I was a teenager to young adult. He was one who spiced up Hawaii Five-O and made it what it was and still is. While watching that original airing I nearly shut the TV off four times but my inner sides said to go ahead and finish watching to see Steve get him. Unfortunately the culprit lived to be booked rather than get cut down by a hail of bullets. Rene Santoni gives a good performance but the face of Jimmy Rego still makes me seethe. And him rubbing McGarrett's nose into it after the killing makes one hate this guy more. Why could they have it that Chin was maybe badly beaten to the point of a coma and come out alive in the end to retire instead? I love a number of episodes of this show but some were just too kill crazy.

Gunsmoke: Chief Joseph (1965) Season 10, Episode 19

A real historic figure here.

[8/10 · 25 December 2020]

I really liked this episode. As a kid I learned a lot about the Indian chiefs and had much respect for them and especially Chief Joseph, leader of the Nez Perce tribe (who ascended to that after the death of his father in 1871) who wanted peace more than war. However there is one flaw in this and that being 62 year old Victor Jory was way too old to play the chief. Chief Joseph (1841-1904) would have only been in his 30s at this time (he went to Washington D.C. in 1879) A near riot caused by a few standout troublemakers almost erupts, not to mention there is someone that is personally gunning for the chief as he has a grudge to settle. Fortunately the people later come to their senses and move on. One reason I liked Gunsmoke is Matt Dillon's respect and relationship with the Indians and they know he is their friend as well.

November Christmas (2010 TV Movie)

Heartwarming to the max

[10/10 · 17 December 2020]

If this film doesn't bring out the "onions" and leave a few wet tissues from your eyes then nothing will. This is a story of love, compassion and people helping each other. And very soft spoken. No disagreements that can't easily be ironed out. And even in real life, why can't they be? Cancer survivor tells about her ordeal via flashback 15 years earlier at the age of 8. The focus is entirely on Vanessa and not any romantic triangles like most Hallmark Christmas films and no troublemakers, only Vanessa's cancer which the outcome seems dicey at best. Only a small number of these films contain a big American star. Sam Elliott, then 66, plays the ever helping, soft spoken and compassionate nearby neighbor, never taking a dime for anything and making a 200 mile drive to New Jersey to pick up a load of pumpkins (which would suggest this takes place in northern Massachussetts, or southern Vermont or New Hampshire) and asking nothing in return. His part knows tragedy in the loss of a child some years earlier and a friendship that went sour but is mended here. And as the film moves along it only gets better as the whole town puts up it's decorations early and a great November Christmas for Vanessa. I get tired of Hallmark and other films of this nature being called cheesy and other things along the line. What's wrong with good things happening? Or what's wrong with characters who are always cheerful and smiling and above all, giving acts of kindness? The answer is nothing's wrong and it's more common than people think. You Tube is full of short videos with acts of kindness and other wonderful endings. It's very real.

It's Christmas, Carol! (2012 TV Movie)

A seeming impossible transformation--but it happened.

[8/10 · 15 December 2020]

The first 15 minutes can be hard to stomach--Carol is an absolute tyrant with the corporate bottom line mentality to the max. She even looks the part (Emmanuel Vaugier is perfect for the part) And yet in the last 15 minutes when she's a transformed woman to a compassionate and caring lady, she looks like that as well. I don't know if it's just me or if it were studio miracles but I could fall in love with that. Carrie Fisher, sadly only four years away from leaving us is perfect for her part as Carol's late boss. At 56, Fisher looks older due to the ravages of her personal life and bears no resemblance to her young Princess Leia days, yet delivers a great performance. Starting with going back to 1985 was a good one (Vaugier was 9 in 1985 so that made it a proper year for the back in time part) The film doesn't stay in the past for too long and it even briefly ventures into the future but the part of Carol having three kids by then was probably not likely as she was in her mid 30s at the present, plus even a great corporate boss will likely still be married to their job more than anything. All & all after the initial start I enjoyed this film and I hope anyone who has such a Scrooge personality in real life has watched this and maybe learned a lesson or two about people.

The Christmas Ornament (2013 TV Movie)

Outstanding

[9/10 · 15 December 2020]

Standard Hallmark Christmas fare but well done. Widow has her own business which is on the brink of financial failure but thinks positive and refuses to give it up for both personal and sentimental reasons. And like other films of this nature she has family and friends pushing her to have a special someone (a subject that I have mixed feelings about but that's besides the point) In comes the eligible bachelor, himself badly burned in a previous relationship and the chemistry between Tim and Kathy is there. The old cliche of her having two kids having to suffer thru hardship is missing here which shows it isn't needed to make a good film. There is no pushing or arm twisting here. They both realize that each other needs their space. Kathy has a special talent that will eventually turn the tide for her. The only negative here is the old cliche of the ex-girlfriend of the leading man showing up and the predictable but fortunately a brief misunderstanding that almost breaks up Tim & Kathy. Fortunately Kathy is a very smart woman and realizes her mistakes quickly and all will end well. What I like about this film is the lead couple aren't the usual type just a few years out of college but of middle age who's lived life and has weathered it's ups and downs. Kathy is played by then-38 year old Kellie Martin. Same goes for the leading man, Tim here. I can relate quite well to these Hallmark films as the actors are mostly unknown to US audiences and thus it's like seeing just ordinary people. I would like to see more films in which the couples in focus are of this age group or older.

The F.B.I.: Slow March Up a Steep Hill (1965) Season 1, Episode 4

Typical first season episode but good

[9/10 · 25 November 2020]

When this show premiered in September, 1965 I missed the first three episodes so I've always considered this one as the first one for me. Here Erskine's age is indirectly revealed to be about 37-38 during a heated talk with his 19 year old daughter (Lynn Loring) While some feel that too much is delved into his personal life here, it's not really that much time & I don't have that problem when it involves the main characters but when it concerns guest stars and it goes way out of anything to do with the story then I'll often fast forward thru those parts. At 46, Efrem Zimbalist Jr easily does pass for a 38 year old (he looked remarkably younger even in his 80s) Zimbalist's father lived to be 95. This show would have never lasted as long as it did without him. This won't be the first time that he has to show his boss Arthur Ward (Phillip Abbott) that solving cases often relies on instinct as Erskine probably has some of the best in any human being. We also find that Erskine is a workaholic staying up at all hours to figure a case. Excellent dialogue with Harold Gould and Dabney Coleman (as fellow FBI agents) and the rest of the cast in this simple bank robbery episode. Pete Duel's only dialogue is behind a mask. I only wish the dvd sets had the original Ford commercials but since they are still an active corporation they likely wouldn't have allowed it.

The F.B.I.: All the Streets Are Silent (1965) Season 1, Episode 11

Good episode but.......

[7/10 · 25 November 2020]

Burt Reynolds didn't play many murderous thugs in his career but this one he did to a tee along with well known supporting actor Joe Moross as his equally evil brother. Hijacking a military weapons carrier with intentions of selling the arms to the syndicate but their plans are derailed by the FBI as a 1930's era gun battle erupts resulting in some of the gang killed and the Murtaugh brothers ending up in jail. Unfortunately there is one huge flaw in this episode. The writers forgot about the gun battle which meant the attempted murder of at least a half a dozen federal agents (not to mention possession of the stolen weapons) Duh!!! No way would the brothers have even made bail (under six figures) on such charges. The only other thing that makes me not give this a higher rating is that like so much television, there's too much time wasted on the private life of the informant and his pregnant wife which detracts from the story itself and i just fast forward thru those parts. Still it is well acted and I give this time capsule a 7 out of 10.

Mannix: Another Final Exit (1968) Season 1, Episode 20

Like a war zone.

[6/10 · 17 October 2020]

Contrary to some opinions, Mannix wasn't any more violent than other television shows of the late 60s and throughout the 70s such as Hawaii Five-O or Kojak which were known for that. This episode is an exception and should have been titled "The Body Count" as much of the supporting characters are killed including one of the hoods who was shot dead while being mistaken for Mannix and an innocent woman at the hands of the police. How Joe made it out alive is a miracle. Still like many Mannix episodes, there are interesting twists here which the writers were very good at which keeps the mystery alive up til the last few minutes & some to the point of finding out that Intertect had a guilty or bad client (which was not the case here) And just what was in the box? Stay tuned and see. By this time, Desilu Productions was no longer the producer and was sold to Paramount.

The F.B.I.: Anatomy of a Prison Break (1966) Season 2, Episode 10

Good story, plot and cast

[6/10 · 13 October 2020]

Fritz Moline (Joseph Campanella) & several other convicts have been plotting for five years to escape from a federal prison and Lewis Erskine goes inside the walls to infiltrate the gang and stop it. I must admit their method of smuggling guns into the prison is crude and something I would have never thought of. Fritzie has a lot of help on the outside to put the plan into action. However like so many other television shows, the episode was plagued with the old cliches of too much screen time showing the personal lives of two characters, Frank Porter (James Broderick) & his wife (Carol Rossen) These bickering scenes have little to do with the story itself and for the matter quite boring (& thus get fast forwarded in my dvd player) Other than that it's very watchable & suits me.

The Fugitive: Approach with Care (1966) Season 4, Episode 9

This episode should never have been made.

[2/10 · 8 October 2020]

Mental illness is something that is indeed a subject that should be touched on. No problems with that as many thought back then that these patients are just crazy and need to be permanently locked up which we now know is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It's the ending that angers me. The cops gunned this poor guy down which no doubt fuels the notion that cops shoot first and ask questions later. Why couldn't they have just have him give up and go back to an institution instead? How blood thirsty was this writer? It just made me sick just thinking about it. It's a no brainer that ABC and others involved likely received some angry mail over this, especially from those who work in the mental health field. I have not seen this episode in over 35 years. The quality of the show dipped during it's final season which was now filmed in color. It was best that it ended when it did on August 29, 1967.

Christmas Under Wraps (2014 TV Movie)

Nice family film with one major flaw.

[8/10 · 5 July 2019]

The story, the actors and plot are all fine and like other Hallmark films, the big question is will the small town life win over someone who is from the big city? Stay tuned. The one major problem is they chose the wrong location for this to take place for one simple reason. Any location that is situated 300 miles north of Anchorage (in which the latitude would be just a bit south of Fairbanks) would have less than four hours of daylight (or from about 11 AM until about 2:40 PM) during Christmas week. Yet when the good doctor wakes up at 6:30 AM & later walks to work, it's always a bright and sunshiny morning when it should still be dark. Not that they get much snow up there (they don't) which in the film is almost non-existent. The location that the writers should have chosen should have been a more southern latitude unless they wanted to film more scenes at night to make it more authentic Alaska. Other than that , a nice little family film and someone who makes the right choices by following her heart more than anything else.

Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232 (1992 TV Movie)

One of the worst films about an actual event.

[2/10 · 3 July 2019]

The circumstances of the plight of Flight 232 are well documented. With it's stellar cast I felt this would be a can't-miss. How totally wrong was I. Instead of focusing on the drama in the cockpit, we're seeing so little of that but rather the happenings in the personal life of Richard Thomas's character, which are probably all fiction . We don't even see the cockpit until off duty pilot Denny Fitch comes into it. In the real life event, they had been struggling to keep the plane flying for awhile before Fitch came into the picture & offered to help. The mock up of the DC-10 cockpit is as phony as a $3 bill in which nothing at all resembles the real thing. The only thing real was when they used the actual footage of the plane coming in and crash landing. This was clearly a showcase for Richard Thomas and not for the actual event. This DVD got tossed in the trash.

The Christmas Secret (2014 TV Movie)

Great film for the family--& a big surprise later.

[8/10 · 3 July 2019]

Single mom moves to Wilsonville on scant knowledge that family that she never knew was from here. Circumstances happen that bolsters belief that faith can and does change things for the better which it does and later a 10 million-to-one conclusion. The villain here is her ex-husband and the children's father, although he acts concerned for them, he in truth has had a string of girlfriends since their split and the issues are more out of a personal vendetta than anything. John Reardon is the main man of interest here and at 39, he still looks like someone who's still in college & bears a lot of that youth. His dialogue really does it for me in this film. His grandfather and step-grandmother played by real life husband and wife Michael & Susan Hogan run the department store (the license plates here reveal it's in Vermont which is largely devoid of box and chain stores outside of it's few sizable cities such as Burlington or Rutland) Here we have a case of a bad thing being the best thing that can happen in that Christine is fired by her first boss who appears to lack any form of human decency. From that moment on, Christine and her children's life turn for the better. Good karma soon comes to her and the big secret here will be revealed in the end. Such endings though very rare are not far fetched as only recently did a woman in Wisconsin find out her neighbor was in fact her sister.

The town of Wilsonville, it's store and Betty the baker would reprise their roles a year later in "The Christmas Note". Jason Wilson also appears though reduced to a minor role and with a different actor. The soundtrack music is also striking similar, just different by a few notes here & there. I would have given this a rating of 10 but the idea of Christine's ex husband not being either jailed or not having his wages garnished for repeatedly not paying child support is somewhat unrealistic as he apparently lives in a town nearby. All & all a wonderful family film with much love and compassion between the main characters.

Christmas in Evergreen (2017 TV Movie)

Wonderful family film.

[8/10 · 3 July 2019]

Three events largely play in the outcome of this film--a little girls's wish, the weather and the temperament of an otherwise beautifully restored 1953 Ford F100 with it's stock flathead V8 engine, though who on earth would drive such a gem on snow covered salted roads??? Certainly not me. Unlike some of the other Hallmark Christmas films, there really is no villain or someone's checkered past to throw a wrench in the works to spoil it and with family films such as this, it isn't always necessary. A point well stressed here is that change and different scenery are not always what it's built up to be when it's already there at home and with the people that the individual loves and is close to. Child actress Jaeda Lily Miller in her 6th Hallmark film is great once again. She really doesn't have to act all that much as she is doing what she really is and that's being a kid and nothing more. The reason I didn't give this a 9 or 10 rating is that the snow storm that closed the airport is somewhat contradicted here as when they leave, they are traveling along at a normal speed and little or nothing is falling.

American Hot Wax (1978)

rather disappointing

[4/10 · 10 July 2017]

The two things I like about this film is the music and the 1950's re-creations, plus seeing a young Jay Leno who really grew up during the next 14 years before replacing Johnny Carson. But from there it's all downhill. The chronology is positively awful and those who lived in the 1950s as well as fans of such will spot it instantly. The movie begins around the late Buddy Holly's birthday (referenced twice) so that would make it September 7, 1959. That part would pass as Freed was still on the air until November. But then we hear supposedly new songs being rehearsed which wasn't so at all. Songs like Tweedlee Dee, Come Go With Me and I Wonder Why were from 1955,'57 & '58 respectively. Then later we hear "Stay" being played which of course didn't not come out until the fall of 1960 which by then, Freed was long gone. Frankie Ford is showed recording Sea Cruise which in reality hit the charts in February. To really mess things up, it shows that school being out for the summer, so are we going back to May or fast forwarding to 1960? The part of Jerry Lee Lewis performing at the festival in front of a cheering crowd could be authentic as Freed was the one DJ who still played his records but highly unlikely as most were not ready to forgive Jerry just yet. The advertisement in that this was the beginning of that era was in fact totally the opposite as by latter 1959, the 1950s rock & roll party was about over. Lewis was pretty much done in latter 1958. The deaths of Buddy Holly and two others was a blow that proved difficult to recover from. Chuck Berry went to jail towards the end of the year and with the payola scandal knocking Freed out of the picture, the party was indeed over and the music would mellow out for the next four years into the so-called "innocent years".

Perry Mason: The Case of the 12th Wildcat (1965) Season 9, Episode 8

Relatively good episode

[9/10 · 15 May 2017]

For Los Angeles Rams football fans, this episode has some minor historical significance as there are several cameos by the 1965 Rams. The team would have a poor season in '65 but that would change the following year and the nucleus of this team would go on to a 7 year competitive streak. One close up shot is of signal caller Roman Gabriel who would lead the team during those years.

The irony of this episode is several aspects of it would actually come true a little less that 14 years later when the real LA Rams owner Carroll Rosenbloom died in a supposed drowning and the team would get a lady owner, being his widow Georgia Frontiere. That year they would go on to the Super Bowl.

There have been some theories over the years that Rosenbloom's death was not accidental but 38 years later nothing has ever been proved otherwise.

Beautiful Mona Freeman was excellently cast as both the widow and suspect and she really does look like a football team owner!

Dragnet 1967: The Big High (1967) Season 2, Episode 8

We literally screamed at the end when first showed

[9/10 · 1 February 2016]

I can no longer watch this episode. It was hard enough to swallow when it was new and later in reruns. Then about 5 years ago I finally met the love of my life after years of trying. Like the little girl in the episode, her name is also Robin.

Maybe they didn't know back then the true story and effects of marijuana and that it is now overblown but the same thing would have likely happened if the parents simply got very drunk. More of a likely scenario if hard drugs were involved.

I wonder who the little girl who played Robin was? She was only on camera for less than a minute but a lovely child. Perhaps a child of one of the crew? She'd be about 50 now or close to it. Jack Webb could sure pick the right ones, for sure.

Perry Mason: The Case of the Nebulous Nephew (1963) Season 7, Episode 1

My Favorite Mason episode

[7 August 2013]

I won't go into a synopsis of it as the 3 previous reviews do so and nicely. Rather I'll reflect on it from a personal viewpoint. This one does not have the usual storyline of PM episodes as it is a combo of both humor & drama. This was one of a number of 1963 to 1966 episodes that were withheld from syndication for a number of years until 1987 when WTBS started showing them, albeit heavily edited. After watching it a second time, I can tell that Brooks is a bit emotional when he sees the photo of little Caleb and his mother. Later when he points out other things that Ernest Stone didn't previously tell him, that said more than meets the eye (if one has a photographic memory, it is not uncommon to remember things at age 5) The scene at the Catholic school really brought it home to me as at the time I was in one and we dressed the same as the kids in the scene(uniform pants & white shirt/blouse) Sister Theresa (Irene Tedrow) was a dead ringer for one of the nuns there at the time. Highly unusual for 1963 is the revealing of a long standing, rock solid friendship between a white and a black man. This was the height of the civil rights era. As usual, Mason's battering cross examination revealed the real culprit. At the end, both Caleb & the two elderly ladies summed it up correctly, the former mentioning love and the latter having faith. Virtually forgotten today is Kate Manx (who plays Mrs. Ernest Stone) She only had a few film & TV credits and died about a year later at age 34. Very little is written about her.

Speedtrap (1977)

I'm just partial to B movies !

[8/10 · 8 January 2011]

I lived in Phoenix at the time when this was filmed and recognize some things that are now long gone, so watching this movie holds a lot of sentimental nostalgia for me. Some of the scenes were filmed right in the parking lot of the downtown Phoenix police station (built in 1974) The garage where Richard Jaeckel's character works (located at 9th Avenue & Jefferson) was a real auto repair facility called Paul's. Some of the street scenes look like they were filmed in Tucson as well. The antique auto show scenes are right near City Hall. I watch this at least 4 to 5 times a year. Not bad for something I paid $3 for at a truck stop!

The race track scenes were filmed at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix which was an icon for local racers starting in the 1950s. Sadly it closed in 2014 another victim of overzealous redevelopment that has been going on for decades now. I long since moved away from there.