Weekend/Late Night Movies
Back in days of yore (the 1970s) we didn't have dvds, video tapes, and most of us didn't have cable television or satellite. Instead, you depended on the networks and your local tv station for older movies. Back in those days, the local stations generally bought syndicated packages, including movie packages. They were generally shown on the weekends, during non-network programming periods or late at night, after the news and network talk shows. Some stations had afternoon movies, with syndicated packages like "Dialing for Dollars, where they had chances to win money during the movie break. Tuning in to these programs was often like taking a turn at the roulette wheel; you never new if you would find a winner or a really awful film. I discovered many great films via this method and this list reflects those movies that I saw this way. Many went on to become favorites, others just passed the time. This will be a work in progress as I try to remember all of those films. Any ommission is not a slight against the film; I just didn't see it via this method or just don't remember (senility, don't you know...)
List activity
1.9K views
• 2 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
71 titles
- DirectorBlake EdwardsStarsTony CurtisNatalie WoodJack LemmonIn the early 20th century, heroic Leslie Gallant and his despicable rival Professor Fate engage in an epic automobile race from New York to Paris while enthusiastic suffragette Maggie Dubois enters the race to report on every step of it.I caught this one on a Saturday afternoon and was hooked from the moment I laid eyes on Jack Lemon. The movie is tons of fun, with Lemon hamming it up as Prof. Fate, a melodrama villain, aided by henchman Max (Peter Falk). Tony Curtis is the hero, The Great Leslie; but, I was rooting for Prof. Fate. The film is filled with wonderful slapstick and absurd situations, a great send-up of The Prisoner of Zenda, and filmdom's greatest pie fight If you have never seen it, do so. It's a tad longer than it needs to be, but it is thoroughly entertaining.
- DirectorBasil DeardenStarsOliver ReedDiana RiggTelly SavalasA woman causes a group of assassins to face their greatest challenge.I saw this one when I was rather young, but had vague memories of it for years. I caught it again, late one night, after I was an adult. The film loosely adapts a Jack London novel, about a group that commits political murder, for a price. Oliver Reed is the young head of the group and Diana Rigg is a journalist (ala Nellie Blye) who challenges him to face his own men. The film has some wonderful character actors and some nice action pieces. A very charming little film.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsJack LemmonShirley MacLaineLou JacobiWhen a policeman falls in love with a prostitute, he doesn't want her to see other men, so he creates an alter-ego who will be her only customer.I was also pretty young when I saw this and didn't understand what Shirley McLaine's profession was, but I had a fun time watching the combination of music, slapstick and character work. Lemon and McLaine made a great team and the bartender steals the film, but that's another story.
- DirectorStuart RosenbergStarsPaul NewmanGeorge KennedyStrother MartinA laid-back Southern man is sentenced to two years in a rural prison, but refuses to conform.I was fascinated by this film and Paul Newman's performance. The opening scenes had me puzzled, as Newman uses a pipe cutter to remove the meters from city parking spots, while drunk. From there he ends up on a chain gang, somewhere in the South. I didn't quite understand why he was there, but I watched intently as his story unfolded. It was only in later years that I came to understand that Luke was rebelling against authority, especially that which justifies its existence with pointless rules. Luke exemplifies the idea that a man's body may be caged but his spirit can never be, if he won't let it.
- DirectorPhil KarlsonStarsJohn DerekAnthony QuinnJody LawranceDuring the European revolutionary fervor of 1848, Italian Captain Renato Dimorna tries to avenge his father's death, goes against the corrupt local military governor Larocca and prevents an Austrian military invasion.I saw this one late at night, on a trip out to see relatives in Kansas (and boy is that an exciting trip...). The film revolves around a masked man who fights an opressor, with the sword of the Count of Monte Cristo. This confused me for several years, as I thought that Zorro was the Count of Monte Cristo and that the Dumas story was about a masked avenger. I was straightened out a few years later, when I saw the tv movie version of The Mark of Zorro, with Frank Langella.
- DirectorFrançois TruffautStarsOskar WernerJulie ChristieCyril CusackIn an oppressive future, a fireman whose duty is to destroy all books begins to question his task.This was another I saw late at night, on a vacation trip. My brother and I watched as fireman sped off on a call, only to see them collect books and burn them. I was totally lost, but watched the rest. My family has always had a great love of books and the Bradbury story has always struck a chord. Truffault is a little confusing with the material,especially with Julie Christie in dual roles, but it's a masterpiece.
- DirectorBrian G. HuttonStarsRichard BurtonClint EastwoodMary UreAllied agents stage a daring raid on a castle where the Nazis are holding American brigadier general George Carnaby prisoner, but that's not all that's really going on.I don't remember when I first saw this, and for some years I had it confused with the guns of Navarone. I distinctly remembered the fight on the cable car. Suffice to say, this is one great action-adventure film. Okay, so Burton and Eastwood seem to kill half the German army, without a scratch, but that is what made it fun. Also, it had the typical twists and turns of Alistair Maclane. This more of what I hoped Tarantino was going for, with Inglorius Basterds.
- DirectorJ. Lee ThompsonStarsDavid NivenGregory PeckAnthony QuinnA team of Allied saboteurs is assigned an impossible mission: infiltrate an impregnable Nazi-held Greek island and destroy the two enormous long-range field guns that prevent the rescue of 2,000 trapped British soldiers.You may notice a lot of war films on this list. I was a sucker for them, as a kid. This is one of the best, in terms of action and suspense (as is befitting of the author). A small team of commandos has to sail to a German held Greek island, scale a cliff, link up with partisans, infiltrate a German bunker/gun emplacement complex, and blow up the guns. No sweat! Along the way we have close calls, injuries, turncoats and every other conceivable monkeywrench thrown into the works. Great, great filmmaking!
- DirectorJohn SturgesStarsSteve McQueenJames GarnerRichard AttenboroughAllied prisoners of war plan for several hundred of their men to escape from a German camp during World War II.This was a no-brainer. I was a big fan of Hogan's Heroes and here we had a group of Allied prisoners digging tunnels to get a huge chunk of the camp out. Even better, it was based on a real event (though somewhat embellished). What really elevates it is the great cast. It's got everything you could ask for, except romance; and, you will be whistling the theme tune for days!
- DirectorDon SharpStarsBurl IvesJimmy ClitheroeTerry-ThomasIn Victorian England, an American showman uses a wealthy Frenchman's finances to build a German explosives expert's giant cannon designed to fire a people-filled projectile to the Moon, but spies and saboteurs endanger the project.This was a definite lazy afternoon film. The acting is a bit shaky in segments but the idea is a lot of fun and the scenes with Lionell Jeffries and Terry Thomas are a hoot, especially when they trouble a family to hook up to their gas jets to fuel Thomas' car. I loved the Victorian design of the capsule and the whole development of the explosive (with gert frobe at his comedic best). Loads of fun, derived from Jules Verne.
- DirectorRay KelloggJohn WayneMervyn LeRoyStarsJohn WayneDavid JanssenJim HuttonCol. Mike Kirby picks two teams of crack Green Berets for a mission in South Vietnam. First off is to build and control a camp that is trying to be taken by the enemy. The second mission is to kidnap a North Vietnamese General.Caught this one on a weekend movie. It's straight out of every WW2 movie cliche, transplanted to Vietnam. If you watch it as an adventure yarn, it's pretty darn good. As propaganda, it's on less firm ground. It's about as one-sided a view of Vietnam as you will get, but, there's some good stuff here, if you can separate from the politics. My personal favorites were Jim Hutton as the scrounger and Luke Askew as Provo. I could take or leave The Duke. Mike Henry's death scene is beyond unbelievable (as he takes half of the Viet Cong with him). Don't forget to watch the sun set in the East.
- DirectorNathan JuranStarsKerwin MathewsKathryn GrantRichard EyerWhen a princess is shrunken by an evil wizard, Sinbad must undertake a quest to an island of monsters to cure her and prevent a war.I first saw this on a weekday afternoon movie, on Dialing for Dollars, on a local station. i was pretty young and when Sinbad is fighting the skeleton, I was scared to death. That thing was creepy! I didn't stick around for the other monsters. I saw it again as an adult and loved the whole thing (though the kid genie was kind of bland). Great adventure that is sorely missing from today's movie screens.
- DirectorDelbert MannStarsDick Van DykeBarbara FeldonJohn McGiverA butler and the staff of an eccentric aged philanthropist whose family wealth is exhausted engage in larceny and crimes to maintain her lifestyle and provide funds for her charitable activities.This was an early caper film for me. Fitzwilly and the rest of Miss Vicky's servants are running cons and thefts to keep the old gal living the life to which she is accustomed. A fly enters the ointment when Miss Vicky hires a secretary, from outside the safe confines of the servant/thief circle. We watch as the try to circumvent the interloper, run a con for a peripheral colleague and keep the wheels turning. A charming romance ensues and a tale of immense kindness from this wealthy woman that gets us to forgive the trespasses of the staff. It culminates in a hit on Gimbles, at Christmas. Loads of fun, from a great collection of character actors and one of the reasons I had a huge crush on Barbara Feldon.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsAudrey HepburnPeter O'TooleEli WallachThe daughter of an art forger teams up with a burglar to steal one of her father's forgeries and protect his secret.Another charming caper film. As a kid, I didn't exactly understand why they were trying to steal a statue from a museum (I missed the opening) but I loved the pairing of Peter O'Toole and Audrey Hepburn and the ingenuity of the caper. As an adult, I appreciate the romance that unfolds, and the character work from the supporting cast.
- DirectorArnold LavenStarsBurt ReynoldsAngie DickinsonClint WalkerA widow hires an ex-gambler to retrieve gold bars from a sunken river boat in Colorado and discreetly return them to the Federal Mint, from where they had been stolen by her dead husband.This was an interesting little caper, set in the Old West. Angie Dickinson hires Burt Reynolds to help her put gold back into a US Mint! The process is not without its hitches, as you would expect. Reynolds is ably aided by Ossie Davis and a fun time ensues.
- DirectorHoward MorrisStarsJim HuttonDorothy ProvineMilton BerleA mint worker accidentally destroys some money and decides to break in and reprint it, but finds he has some unwanted partners.Another great reverse caper, where Jim Hutton has to replace destroyed money at the US Engraving Office, before an audit. he assembles the world's most unlikely criminal crew (mostly against his own will) and proceeds to break into the facility to print new money. the film is filled with great comedic actors, including Milton Berle, Victor Buono, Joey Bishop, Walter Brennan, Bob Denver, Jack Gallagher, and several more.
- DirectorNick NostroStarsDan VadisHelga LinéGiovanni Di BenedettoSpartacus And The 10 GladiatorsI spent many years trying to figure out the title to this gem, to get it on dvd. The Ten Gladiators appeared in 3 films and were a kind of beefcake Justice league, who fall in with Spartacus. These guys aren't the brightest, but they get the job done. One of the more entertaining of the "sword & sandal" genre.
- DirectorVal GuestStarsTelly SavalasPeter FondaHugh O'BrianA five-man team of professionals undertake a daring robbery at a diamond mine.Saw this one on a late movie. Peter Fonda is a security office at a South African diamond mine complex. His boss wants him to root out a smuggling operation, but things go haywire and he finds himself an unwitting accomplice in a heist. The film has several twists and turns and has a decent cast, including Maud Adams, Christopher Lee, Telly Savalas, and OJ Simpson! Rather cynical but fun.
- DirectorPhil KarlsonStarsDean MartinStella StevensDaliah LaviRetired agent Matt Helm is re-activated in order to stop an evil organization from exploding an atom bomb over the USA and starting WWIII.This was a great spy film when I was a kid; and, a pretty good spy satire, when I was old enough to get the jokes. Dean Martin is the world's most unlikely spy, with the silliest gadgets; but, he gets the job done. I loved his place, with all of the ridiculous gadgets, especially the bed that dumps the person into a pool. How cool is that? His station wagon was hardly an Aston Martin, but it came with fold down bed and bar. Meanwhile, Stella Stevens was sexy even before I hit puberty!
- DirectorHenry LevinStarsDean MartinAnn-MargretKarl MaldenHandsome top-secret American agent Matt Helm must recover a laser-weapons inventor who has been kidnapped by arch-villain Julian Wall.The second Matt Helm film was almost as good; and, it had a hovercraft! The gadgets get even sillier, but it was still lots of fun.
- DirectorHenry LevinStarsDean MartinSenta BergerJanice RuleSecret agent Matt Helm must battle foreign spies and a rogue nation's exiled ruler in order to recover a hijacked U.S. government experimental flying saucer.I liked this one better as a kid; but, even then, it was kind of low. The saucer was pretty cool then. As an adult, it's my least favorite of the series.
- DirectorPhil KarlsonStarsDean MartinElke SommerSharon TateGold bullion worth USD 1 billion has been stolen from a hijacked train in Denmark. The main suspect is Count Massimo Contini. The US government sends Matt Helm, one of its top agents, to investigate and recover the gold.This was a return to form and revolved around a big gold heist (wonder where that idea came from?). All in all, a pretty good action film.
- DirectorPhil KarlsonStarsJoe Don BakerElizabeth HartmanLeif GarrettBased on the life of Tennessee sheriff Buford Pusser, who almost single-handedly cleaned up his small town of crime and corruption, but at a personal cost of his family life and nearly his own life.By far the best of the series, which goes out of its way to turn Buford Pusser into superhero. The reality is a bit more mundane than shown, but the man did not live a quiet life and the tragedy was real. One of the few movies where Joe Don Baker was actually good.
- DirectorJoseph SargentStarsBurt ReynoldsJennifer BillingsleyNed BeattyAn ex con teams up with federal agents to help them with breaking up a moonshine ring.Can't remember if I saw the whole movie, but I remember seeing a good deal, as a kid. This was back when Burt Reynolds was doing exciting films and before the car chases outweighed the plot.
- DirectorJohn G. AvildsenStarsBurt ReynoldsArt CarneyConny Van DykeW. Bright (Burt Reynolds) is a robber with a heart of gold who travels the South knocking off banks and gas stations owned by a corrupt businessman. When he hijacks a car, he meets an aspiring country band, the Dixie Dancekings, led by Dixie (Conny Van Dyke). The two sides eventually take a liking to one another, especially after the Dancekings realize the size of Bright's thefts. Trailed by religious zealot cop Deacon Gore (Art Carney), Bright helps the band make it big while on the run.Caught this late one night and then didn't see it for years. Pleasant little film, with Burt Reynolds as an a robber who ends up hooked up with a singer and her band. Reynolds falls for the girl and actually tries to help her career, while getting revenge on an oil company. Pleasant, if not spectacular.