barneyo Reviews

The Rockford Files: The Man Who Saw the Alligators (1979) Season 5, Episode 16

Question About the Trivia Note

[29 October 2007]

Maybe I'm reading it wrong. The trivia tidbit left about this "Rockford" episode says that rains were preventing the completion of its filming, as well as that of the first episode of "B.J. and the Bear" which was to air the same night, and that NBC decided to expand both to 90 minutes each. How do you catch up on delayed shooting schedules by increasing the shows' lengths?

I do see an announcement today at TVShowsonDVD.com that it is the 90-minute version of this episode that is being released on the fifth-season DVD.

Trekkies may recognize guest star Sharon Acker from the "Star Trek" episode "The Mark of Gideon," which had the memorably eerie scene of her and Kirk witnessing a bunch of faces looking at them through a window of a seemingly otherwise deserted Enterprise from outside the ship.

Comedy Break (1985–1986)

"Plan Nine" Comedy Sketches?

[9 July 2007]

I believe I recall that on this syndicated ensemble comedy sketch show, there were recurring skits involving the characters of "Plan Nine From Outer Space," including Criswell and the aliens Eros and Tanna. I could be confusing this show with a similar one that I recall also had "Comedy" in the title at around the same time. Can anyone refresh my memory on that?

I do recall Jan Hooks being in this show, I think after she had already been a regular on "Saturday Night Live," because my boss at the time mentioned how he thought she was so funny on this show, and when he said that, I recognized her name mainly from "SNL." Or it could be that he was talking about seeing her on "SNL" and that reminded him of Jan's earlier (?) work on "Comedy Break." I can't quite remember which is the case.

September Dawn (2007)

Tragic Date in History

[11 May 2007]

One of the tragic coincidences of history: Since the Mountain Meadows Massacre happened on 9/11 in 1857, I could just imagine a last line of the movie:

"The date September 11th will live in infamy."

But it would probably be laughed off the screen.

Pardon my finding humor about such a horrible thing.

Even funnier than that is that the site won't accept my comment because there weren't enough lines.

Even mentioning that didn't enable the comment.

But I wonder if that will do it.

Nightmare in Chicago (1964 TV Movie)

The Movie and the Director

[21 December 2006]

I had read a positive review of "Nightmare in Chicago" in Steven Scheuer's Movies on TV Guide in the mid-1970s and became interested in seeing it, finally doing so in the early '80s although it was even then in chopped-up form on commercial television. I still liked it a lot. I hadn't seen it again and in fact could not find it anywhere on video for about two decades. Then just a few years ago I found one guy in Canada who had taped the movie years before from one of those edited broadcasts, but he missed taping the opening titles. I ordered it anyway because I was curious as to whether the quality would hold up over time, and perhaps the best indicator of a good film, it did live up to my positive memory of it. That very week, I discovered that the office next to mine was going to be occupied by director Robert Altman's production company Sandcastle. Through casual interaction with people working for him and a few elevator rides with Mr. Altman himself, I brought up this film of his that I had been looking for for a long time, learning that he also did not have a copy of the film. So that week I was able to supply him with one, although minus the opening. It seemed I was meant to do that for him.

The F.B.I.: The Conspirators (1967) Season 2, Episode 20

Hilarious Goof

[21 June 2006]

Something that is quite funny at the beginning of this episode:

Bad guy Michael Rennie visits two of his operatives who are now married and not wanting to jeopardize their American lifestyle. He is welcomed by the wife who takes Michael's coat and puts it on a coat rack. They slowly move into the next room, continuing to talk and not noticing something still in view of the camera: In the background, the coat falls off the coat rack to the floor with no reaction from anybody.

The husband is played by Arthur Franz, who just passed away a few days ago. I had thought he died in 1983, but now I learn that was Eduard Franz whose obit I heard on "Entertainment Tonight" at that time. The wife is played by Julie Sommars.

Tai-Pan (1986)

A long time in the making?

[17 October 2005]

Last night on Turner Classic Movies, I saw a trailer from the sixties called "Lion Power" about all the big projects audiences could expect from MGM in the months and years ahead. Included among them were clips from "Far From the Madding Crowd" and "Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?", plus mention of "Where Eagles Dare" with Richard Burton (not mentioning Clint Eastwood, as perhaps he wasn't signed yet), "Ice Station Zebra", and "2001: A Space Odyssey" with very early-form artwork of its making. Among the many films mentioned in passing near the end of the trailer was "James Clavell's 'Tai-Pan'", yet no earlier version of the film was ever made. Just how long was this thing in the making, and what casts were potentially involved at different times? It would be interesting to see the planned history of such a movie that took so long to finally get made, bad as it reportedly is.

The Wide World of Mystery (1973–1976)

Wide World of Mystery

[12 September 2005]

I remember certain episodes of this late-night ABC show, including the one where Clifton Davis owes gangster Moses Gunn money, but sets up a plan to electrocute him instead. I also recall seeing an old TV Guide listing an episode that had Mark Hamill in the cast, although he's not listed here. I also recall the John Astin and Patty Duke episode, made when they were married, which was more of a downer than regular episodes which dealt with crime stories. This one was a more serious drama about an ailing child, with the Astins as social workers.

I also remember a comedy musical version of "Superman", called "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman" (which I mistakenly remembered as "Up, Up and Away", that aired in this show's time slot, although it may have been considered a separate special from the series. I recall the cast included Malachi Throne and Al Molinaro (whom I confused at the time with Vic Tayback), with Lesley Ann Warren as Lois Lane and also with Loretta Swit, plus Geoffrey Horne from "River Kwai".

The New Show (1984)

Dave Thomas' Evil Twin

[18 August 2005]

I recall they had one episode where Dave Thomas' evil twin brother tried to take over as host, then pulled a gun on the audience demanding everyone's wallet. Dozens of wallets are thrown onto the stage, when the villain turns his gun toward one audience member in particular: "Hey, you didn't throw your wallet!"

I seem to remember in the ailing Andropov skit that Carrie Fisher comes in as a bikini-clad waitress trying to tell the premier something but she gets conked on the head, knocked out. I saw a similar sketch at a later time without this happening, wondering if this was a running gag in different episodes. I believe Carrie at least appeared in two episodes with then husband Paul Simon, who was musical guest. He also had a music video on one show I believe featuring his then wife.

Curse of Bigfoot (1975 TV Movie)

Thanks, Larry!

[26 July 2005]

My brother and I also enjoyed making fun of how bad this film was back when channel 9 showed it every two months or so in the mid to late seventies. Remember the incredible delivery of the girl talking to her dog, reminiscent of that "What? Sandwiches again?" commercial about learning to drive a tractor-trailer? I mainly recall the moment when they pull the plate covering the ancient tomb off and gas spurts out, with the leader of the expedition a full thirty seconds later surmising that the gas might be coming from a hole. I wonder if that scene was in any way an inspiration for Steven Spielberg in the equivalent scene in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" when ... never mind.