Other shows/movies with James Franciscus - Longstreet (1971) Discussion

[–] brux (14724) 3 years ago

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002082/
Youngblood Hawk
Marooned
Beneath The Planet Of The Apes
The Man Inside

Franciscus was not in that much stuff. I remember him from Longstreet, but I am surprised anyone else does enough to mention him.

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[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

Thanks for your list! I'm somewhat familiar with your first three (and may have seen Apes when it was in the theaters), but The Man Inside is a new one on me. Could you tell us something about it?

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[–] brux (14724) 3 years ago

It was a TV movie is really all I know. I cannot find a trailer anywhere. I don't think I ever saw it.

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[–] TrentnQuarantino (9187) 3 years ago

Kind of sad.
Wikipedia says:
... Franciscus's 1991 death from emphysema in North Hollywood, California, at 57.[4]

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[–] brux (14724) 3 years ago

That's pretty young.

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[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

Sad indeed. He was a heavy smoker, alas.

I don't recall ever seeing Mike Longstreet smoke, though, so I like to think that he and Nikki are still investigating insurance scams, kind of semi-retired by now.

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[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

It was a TV movie is really all I know. I cannot find a trailer anywhere. I don't think I ever saw it.

I see. I'll try to find out more.

Added: The Man Inside is a Canadian TV movie from 1976. According to IMDb:

An undercover cop [Franciscus] infiltrates a major heroin ring. He soon finds himself in a position to take $2 million without anyone knowing about it, a situation made all the more tempting because of his girlfriend's griping about their constant struggles to make ends meet....

They rate it at 6.7 out of 10, but that's based on only a few votes. Sounds interesting, though. (Note that the title has also been used for a number of other, unrelated productions.)

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[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

So far my second-favorite James Franciscus credit is the 1976 TV movie One of My Wives Is Missing. It's currently available on YouTube as well as on Amazon. Despite the quirky title, it's not a comedy, but rather a very suspenseful mystery, with Franciscus as the bewildered husband, Jack Klugman as the cop, and Elizabeth Ashley as -- well, her identity is part of the mystery.

It's very suspenseful (but somehow avoids being nerve-wracking), with lots of twists and turns and an ending that was a total surprise to me, but which wrapped the whole thing up very neatly. My only complaint is that it could -- perhaps -- have benefitted from a little tightening (understandable when there's a time slot to fill). It was nominated for an Edgar (the mystery community's equivalent to the Emmy/Oscar).

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[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

I originally watched One of My Wives Is Missing on my computer via YouTube, where the video quality is only fair. So then I figured it'd be worth paying Amazon Prime three bucks for a download. This time we watched it on our big TV, but the video quality was not noticeably better. So I finally decided to buy what seems to be the only other available option, namely a double-sided DVD with Charade (the Cary Grant / Audrey Hepburn mystery) on one side and Wives on the other. Guess what? The video quality still didn't seem any better.

I'm glad I bought it, though, because I prefer having physical media. Now it doesn't matter if it disappears from YouTube, or if Amazon Prime changes their rules. I could even take it to a friend's house, whatever I want to do.

If you're interested in seeing this movie, I'd advise you to watch it on YouTube first (assuming it's still there -- and if it's not, I believe you can buy a single viewing from Amazon Prime for about a dollar). Once you've seen it, if you'd like to own a physical copy, then the Charade / Wives DVD is your best (and only) bet.

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[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

I've seen several of the other Franciscus items from YouTube, including a 1959 episode of Death Valley Days called "Lady of the Press." He plays a newspaper editor in an Old West town where the other paper is run by a woman (played by Mary Webster) who is, of course, on the other side of the political fence. Here's a picture from IMDb:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0556651/mediaviewer/rm2108499200/

Like a number of other early TV dramas, Death Valley Days ran only half an hour (25 minutes not counting commercials), so the plots had to move right along. Nevertheless, they generally managed to have some depth, as with this episode, which includes an interesting twist as well as some humor.

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[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

I also enjoyed a 1978 Australian TV movie called Puzzle (available on YouTube; Amazon has it on VHS cassette). Franciscus plays a former US Olympic tennis player who has suffered a career-ending knee injury, so is now a not-very-successful tennis instructor. His former wife's second husband dies. The police call it suicide but she thinks it's murder and is so frightened that she seeks help from the only person she trusts, her ex-husband. The two become involved in international intrigue and a stolen treasure, and I'll say no more except that I consider it an engaging movie with a satisfactory ending.

I was looking to see if Amazon UK had it. They don't, but the first item that came up in response to my search for Franciscus Puzzle was an item with that very name -- a jigsaw puzzle of Pope Francis!

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[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

Darn, it appears that Puzzle is no longer available on YouTube. Amazon.com has it on VHS (apparently of good quality), and some other sites may have DVDs (possibly of poor quality) at present. Try searching the internet for Puzzle "James Franciscus" and see what comes up. Or check YouTube to see if it's back.

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[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

And now for something a bit different: The 500 Pound Jerk, a 1973 TV movie, is kind of a comedy, with a good bit of character-driven goofiness, though it's also a drama with a lot of heart.

The term "jerk" may be a pun, overtly referring to a type of weight-lifting move, but perhaps also a sly reference to Alex Karras's character, a large, muscular fellow (weighing perhaps half of the title weight) from an isolated rural community, who is naive as regards the ways of the wider world, but far too decent to be termed a jerk in my opinion.

Franciscus plays a city dude whose car breaks down near Karras's repair shop, and the muscular guy inspects the underside by picking up the front end and lifting it way off the ground (because his mechanical hoist is broken). So the city dude gets the idea to train the naive guy for the Olympics weight-lifting competition, with himself as manager and an eye toward lucrative endorsement deals.

Then of course there's romance and there's international intrigue. And of course there's a happy ending -- it's that kind of movie. I won't say it's one of my favorites, but it definitely has its merits. I watched it on YouTube; haven't found a DVD, but it does seem to be available now and then on cable and streaming channels.

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[–] liscarkat (18460) 3 years ago

"The Valley of Gwangi", about cowboys and dinosaurs, is an entertaining Franciscus movie.

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[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

Came here to mention this. Man, I loved this movie when I was a kid. I went to see it twice at the theatre. Watched it probably twice more since then.

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[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

Hey, liscarkat and kabukiarmadi110 -- thanks for sharing! There are photos from this movie all over the internet, and the critters were created by the legendary Ray Harryhausen, so that speaks well for the visual quality -- but I don't have much of a feel for what the film itself is like, and alas it doesn't seem to be on YouTube for a quick peek. Wal-mart does offer it in both DVD and Blu-ray, though. ADDED: I'd have found it on YouTube and Amazon if I'd spelled "Gwangi" correctly! (But it isn't free on YouTube.)

Anything else you can tell the rest of us that might help us decide if it's worth springing for?

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[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

A favourite actor of mine during my childhood. I remember being upset when he was unceremoniously killed at the end of Beneath the Planet of the Apes. (Such a bleak movie...).

He played the villain in Good Guys Wear Black opposite Chuck Norris. For me, it was jarring because I had only ever seen him as the good guy in movies. There's a scene where he coldly arranges for a passenger airliner to be blown up which shocked me.

Night Slaves was a made-for-tv movie which I found creepy (but again, I was a 12-year-old kid). A man (Franciscus) and his wife are passing through a small town, and discover that the townsfolk awaken each night and start shuffling around silently to do... something (no spoilers here)... but with no memory of it during the day.

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[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

I remember being upset when he was unceremoniously killed at the end of Beneath the Planet of the Apes. (Such a bleak movie...).

If it makes you feel any better, Franciscus felt the same way (as quoted in the book Planet of the Apes Revisited):

I thought the ending was awful. A picture without hope...I think Ted (Post, director) and I PLEADED for someone to survive this mess, be it Chuck (Heston)'s character or the girl or Brent's character - SOMEBODY far enough away from the explosion for whatever reason so that mankind is still left.

He played the villain in Good Guys Wear Black opposite Chuck Norris. For me, it was jarring...

I know what you mean, having seen him play a heartless bad guy once myself. But on the other hand, he did it so well! (Dunno how I would have reacted to that as a kid, of course.)

Night Slaves was a made-for-tv movie which I found creepy (but again, I was a 12-year-old kid). A man (Franciscus) and his wife are passing through a small town, and discover that the townsfolk awaken each night and start shuffling around silently to do... something (no spoilers here)... but with no memory of it during the day.

Thanks for the non-spoiler! I'm intrigued by what little info I've seen online about this. Aha! It's available on YouTube. Will have to check it out.

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[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

"If it makes you feel any better, Franciscus felt the same way (as quoted in the book Planet of the Apes Revisited):

I thought the ending was awful. A picture without hope...I think Ted (Post, director) and I PLEADED for someone to survive this mess, be it Chuck (Heston)'s character or the girl or Brent's character - SOMEBODY far enough away from the explosion for whatever reason so that mankind is still left."

I think that's why the impact of the movie stayed with me long after the movie ended.

In its own way, it was just as shocking as the original and, ultimately, I think it was better for it. One of the complaints of the movie is that it spends half its time re-hashing the first movie. Had it stuck with Franciscus' idea, it truly would have been just a re-working of the first movie and would probably have been forgotten pretty quickly.

I think it was a reflection of its time. The Cold War was underway, America was being torn apart by social unrest, it was caught up in an unpopular war. Beneath was the start of a wave of sci-fi movies ... Soylent Green, Silent Running, A Clockwork Orange... with bleak visions of the future of mankind

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[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

"a reflection of its time" -- yes, I see your point for sure. Nevertheless, I think I'm in Franciscus's corner on this one, because I've never been a fan of those "bleak future" movies. I guess they're supposed to be "artistic" or "realistic" or something, but to me they're just depressing -- and if I ever want to watch something depressing, I don't need to buy a ticket, just turn on the news.

If I ever saw this movie, it was in the theater, and I've forgotten most of it. But my husband recently bought the whole series on DVD. I'll be watching the second one soon, and then can get back to you on the rest of your comments.

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[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

I hope you like it. Some of the plot elements are very 60s, but don't let that colour your opinion.

I didn't know how it was going to end, but about 3/4 way through the movie, events were building up in such a way that I intuited that it wasn't going to have a happy ending.

The original series was probably the first true franchise series where all the movies worked together in a cohesive way. Previous movies had sequels, but they were stand alone stories that featured the same cast.

The director of the last two movies in the series -- J. Lee Thompson -- retired here in Canada where I live. In an interview for our local newspaper he expressed some pride in Conquest and it was generally well received. However, for the last one (Battle), the studio severely cut his budget and it shows on screen. He was bitter that the series ended on that note.

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[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

Watched Beneath today, and was not generally impressed. Franciscus was excellent, as usual, but didn't have enough to work with. There was a lot of satire, which I usually like, but it was ham-fisted rather than being the least bit subtle. Sorry, but I was hoping for better.

As for the ending, I am bewildered. The Doomsday Bomb is going to make the entire planet uninhabitable, right? But just in case that's not adequate, the script has them shoot Nova, then shoot Taylor, and then finally shoot Brent -- apparently wanting to make absolutely sure that each of these individuals is good and dead (and, perhaps more importantly, that we notice each of these deaths). Then they destroy all life on the planet.

The lines identifying the Doomsday Bomb as such must have been added at the last minute, because the Franciscus quote (four posts back) implies that it was a more typical nuclear bomb, one that it would actually be possible to get "far enough away from."

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[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

" the script has them shoot Nova, then shoot Taylor, and then finally shoot Brent"

For 12 year old me, that was why this movie was as much a gut punch as the first movie, and why it lingered in my memory. It took the nihilism of the first movie to the ultimate level.

"Then they destroy all life on the planet"

See my comment above. They just dog piled on the shocks at the end.

Apparently it was Heston who called for that ending. He wanted to make sure that there wouldn't be any more sequels. The producers managed to cleverly outthink him though.

"Franciscus quote (four posts back) implies that it was a more typical nuclear bomb, one that it would actually be possible to get "far enough away from."

I can't remember the exact sequence of events now. When he and Taylor meet up in the cell, he describes the bomb, thinking that it is just a normal nuclear weapon. It's then that Heston reveals the true nature of the bomb. Did Brent make his comment about fleeing after that? I thought they agreed on a plan to go to the Cathedral to hopefully disarm it.

There was probably some disbelief on Brent's part that such a weapon actually existed. He might have assumed Taylor was a bit incoherent from his experience. I read that Franciscus took the initiative to re-writes on the script trying to make it more palatable so that might account for some discrepancies.

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[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

I can't remember the exact sequence of events now. When he and Taylor meet up in the cell, he describes the bomb, thinking that it is just a normal nuclear weapon. It's then that Heston reveals the true nature of the bomb. Did Brent make his comment about fleeing after that?

Sorry, didn't make it clear that I was talking about comments by Franciscus as himself, not Brent's dialog. His comments on the bleakness of the ending mentioned that he had "pleaded" for at least one of the three to be "far enough away" from the bomb to survive -- which sounds like the script must have had it as a standard nuke at that point in the filming. But then, apparently later on, they filmed that bit about it being The Doomsday Bomb (which I recall as just a few lines that could have been filmed separately and inserted into the cut). I can imagine how he must have felt when saying those words!

I read that Franciscus took the initiative to re-writes on the script trying to make it more palatable

Yes, I've read several places that he liked to take an active part in tweaking scripts, especially as regards keeping his character "in character." It appears that some of the directors, writers, and/or producers appreciated his input (e.g., Sterling Siliphant on Longstreet) -- but in this case they apparently did not (at least not as regards the ending) -- possibly being more interested in keeping Heston happy.

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[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

OK, just finished watching Night Slaves and thought it was good, well thought out (and definitely NOT the porn flick that the title may suggest). Like some other TV movies, it might have been improved by a little tightening, but then it wouldn't have fit the time slot. It felt like an episode of Twilight Zone, which was a favorite show of mine. Loved the ending, though I'd be curious to know what happens right after that.

As I mentioned before, it's on YouTube. I watched the one posted by Marijuana VHS TV -- as advertised, it had no commercials.

Note: Don't watch the 1:55 minute video unless you want to know the explanation -- it's not a trailer, it's a clip from later on in the movie. There's apparently a trailer too, but i haven't watched that. ADDED: Just watched the trailer, and it also gives away a major plot point. My advice is, if you're interested, just watch the movie.

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[–] Owlwise (1535) 3 years ago

You might like the first season of Mr. Novak, in which he plays a young English teacher in a Californian high school. Strong, intelligent stories; quite a few soon-to-be-well-known actors in early roles; and an overall feeling of thoughtful quality that several early 1960s TV series had.

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[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

Thanks, Owlwise. Did you specify "first season" simply because that's all that's currently available on DVD? I've been thinking about getting it, but (since the DVD set is apparently no longer being produced) the price is pretty steep (especially for just the one season instead of both).

I'd like to see a few episodes first, so I'll know how much I want the DVD set, but all I've found so far is one few-minutes clip on YouTube. Do you know of anywhere I could see a bit more?

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[–] Owlwise (1535) 3 years ago

From what I've read online, the second season has been in limbo due to music licensing issues for a few episodes. I'm hoping it will be released eventually, but I'm not sure. But the first season is quite good, dealing with real issues & not always tying them up with neat & tidy conclusions. Some stories are tied to major issues of the time, but even in those, the timeless human element plays an important part.

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[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

Oh, darn, I hate those musical-licensing issues! Back in the day, no one ever considered home-video rights (because there was no home video yet). I had been wondering if perhaps they didn't release Season 2 because Season 1 hadn't sold well enough -- glad to hear it was something else, and hopeful that it will be resolved fairly soon.

Blatant digression: I bought "the complete series" of one sitcom because I like the whole thing, but especially for one hilarious scene that was basically a music video. Maybe there was a footnote on the Amazon page that I didn't notice (though I don't see one now either), and definitely I should have read all the reviews before buying -- but that particular scene was omitted due to licensing issues. What I don't understand is why they didn't simply omit the sound track -- perhaps suggesting that people sync it with a recording of the song involved.

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[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

P.S.: While checking the price on Amazon, I got a three-for-the-price-of-two offer (basically, the cheapest item is free) and ordered Novak as one of my items.

Will let you know what I think of it!

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[–] Owlwise (1535) 3 years ago

I hope you'll enjoy it, as I'd hate to find that I'd steered you wrong. :)

James Franciscus is very good as the dedicated teacher, idealistic but not naive, making occasional mistakes but always genuinely concerned about his students. Some of the stories are more about his relationships with other teachers & the parents than with the students, in fact.

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[–] CarolTheDabbler (575) 3 years ago

Sounds like it could be my kinda show. Fingers crossed!

Have you seen the episode of Judd for the Defense where JF plays a priest who teaches high school? (It's on YouTube.) That fellow was sincere and well-meaning, but incredibly naive -- with disastrous results (thus his need for Judd). One of those shows where I was yelling "You idiot!!!" at the screen. It was well acted, and I'm not saying it was a bad show, just not my cuppa. I suspect I'll like Novak a whole lot better!

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