Kill, kill, kill... The poster for Johnny Cool says it all. When a Sicilian rebel leader (Henry Silva) is ambushed by the police, he's presumed dead. He's really been smuggled to Rome where he's given a new identity by exiled American gangster, Johnny Colini. He becomes Johnny Cool, the epitome of the iron fist in the kid glove. Sent to America to exact revenge on the men who deposed his benefactor, Johnny Cool is merciless. Along the way, he meets, and becomes the obsession of divorced socialite Darien Guiness (Montgomery). She becomes entangled in his plot of revenge and murder and soon regrets it. Will Johnny Cool complete his homicidal plans and emerge alive or will he lose the game?
This Rat Pack production has the distinction of being produced by Peter Lawford and features many familiar faces from that illustrious group of stars, including Sammy Davis Jr. as a craps shooter called Educated, and Joey Bishop as a used car dealer. It was directed by William Asher, who cast his wife as Darien (oddly close to Darren, isn't it?) and she gives a performance which will be a revelation to fans who only know her as Samantha Stevens. Look for Jim Backus and cerebral comedian Mort Saul in a pivotal role.
Johnny Cool has been out on DVD less than a year. It's part of the MGM Limited Edition Collection, which is similar to the Warner Archive in that it's printed on demand. It has something of a cult following and clips can be found on YouTube. Above is the trailer, uploaded to YouTube by Soapbxprod.
This TV film (also known as The Victim) has a very atmospheric quality to it. "It was a dark and stormy night..." Kate Wainwright is concerned about her sister Susan (Jess Walton) who is about to initiate divorce proceedings against her husband Ben (George Maharis). After speaking with her briefly on the phone she decides to drive down the coast and spend the evening with her. On her way down, a storm blows in. When she arrives at the house, her sister is nowhere to be found, but the truculent housekeeper Mrs. Hawkes (Eileen Heckart) is preparing dinner. Susan has met with foul play, and we see her body concealed in the cellar though, as Kate goes down to see about getting the furnace running she doesn't find her. Throughout the film we see that someone is watching Kate and we begin to fear for her survival as the phone line is cut and the lights go out. Will she escape the fate of her sister or will she succumb to the mysterious intruder prowling the house on that dark and stormy night?
This film has a rather dramatic, if abrupt, ending. Look for a great turn by Sue Anne Langdon as a concerned friend of Susan's. It's not available on DVD, though it's up on YouTube in full, thanks to TVTERRORLAND.
Obscurity factor: 9 (hard to find, largely forgotten, available on YouTube, not on DVD)
When we think of Elizabeth Montgomery we naturally think of Bewitched. She had quite a range as an actress that you rarely get to see. Three years after Bewitched ceased production she did this TV film of the story of Lizzie Borden. It's notable in both its accuracy and its supposition - the court scenes are practically reenactments of the trial transcripts, however, there are a series of flashbacks that portray the theory of the crime that supposes that Lizzie committed the murders in the nude. Ms. Montgomery acquits herself admirably in the production, playing Lizzie as a demure, but troubled girl, nude murder scenes not withstanding. Also in the cast are Katherine Helmond, two years before playing Jessica Tate in the series Soap and Fritz Weaver as Lizzie's father. An odd tidbit about the production was brought to light by genealogist Rhonda McClure in her book Finding your Famous and Infamous Ancesters (Betterway Books, 2003). Apparently Ms. Montgomery and Miss. Borden were 6th cousins!
The entire film has been uploaded to YouTube by SuperBewitchedFan. The first installment of it is above. This is rarely shown on TV and isn't available on DVD. You can find it on iOffer.com, however.
Obscurity factor: 7 (rarely screened on TV, no DVD available, available on YouTube and iOffer.com)
