Eli Wallach

Struggling to forge a financial career in white male dominated wall street society, taken for granted Laurel Ayers a black woman decided to change the playing field. Quickly realizing that only white males would ever achieve greatness she invents an elusive,Howard Hugh's like character Robert Cutty. Pretending to be Mr. Robert Cutty, Laural Ayers establishes a wealthy investment firm until events force Mr. Cutty to psychically materialize; as of this point he is never seen. Enlisting the help of her drag queen friend and her associate, Sally Dugan she is able to create a physical prosthetic entity. A chain of events mostly due to Laural Ayers adversaries force her to abandon her fictional character and deal her out once again. Down and out didn't necessary leave her out of the game. Laural Ayers is smart and proves she can have the upper hand. Striking back, she reveals who Robert Cutty really is to a group of her colleagues, proving it isn't who you are on the outside but who you are in the inside Check out my review at: www.dereksheldon.blogpsot.com

Dr. Richard Sturgess and his colleagues cut red tape at a poorly-run hospital for veterans. A group of doctors in a veteran's hospital must contend with their hopeless situation: too many patients and not enough beds. The main cause of their problems is bureaucratic belt-tightening by the hospital administrators. The doctors are determined to give the best service they can, even if that means defying the orders of management and performing unauthorized operations. —Murray Chapman <muzzle@cs.uq.oz.au>

The sequel to Chinatown (1974) finds J.J. "Jake" Gittes investigating adultery and murder, and the money that comes from oil. Private detective Jake Gittes has a new client. Jake Berman believes his wife is cheating on him and wants Gittes and his associates to catch her in the act. Everything appears to be going according to plan until Berman shoots the man dead. It should be an open-and-shut case but now Gittes is drawn into a complex web that involves far more than infidelity. —grantss After the war, L.A. private eye Jake Gittes is hired by realtor Jake Berman. He proves the infidelity of Berman's wife Kitty and sets up a way for her to be caught in the act. At the rendezvous, Berman shoots the co-respondent who turns out to be his business partner. Gittes finds himself in the middle of a complicated web, under pressure from all sides for a wire recording of the fatal encounter. He then realises that the land the partners were developing was once an orange grove connected with a case that he has never quite gotten over. —Jeremy Perkins {J-26}

Ralph "Papa" Thorson (Steve McQueen) is a modern day bounty hunter who hunts down and captures criminals who have skipped on their bail to bring them back for a 20% of the reward to his bailbondsman employer. It is revealed in the opening text that Thorson has has apprehended more than 5,000 criminals and bail jumpers and life is just getting complicated for him. In the opening scene, Thorson arrives in a small, African American town in Texas where despite being a terrible driver of cars (a running joke used throughout the film), he captures fugitive Tommy Price (LaVar Burton) for fleeing on his bail. Next, Thorson drives to another small Texas town where he is to bring in a dangerous punk, named Billie Joe, whose kinfolk include Sheriff Strong, a redneck lawman who warns Thorson not to get involved. Papa ignores him and ends up in a violent fight with the fugitive, who is so huge, even a Taser barely stops him. Thorson drives both Tommy Price and Billie Joe back to Los Angeles where he collect his $1,800 reward for bringing them back. However, Thorson vouches for Price, and thus soon after becomes one of his many acquaintances who hang out at Thorson's house. At home, Thorson is revealed to be an old-fashioned guy who has a love of antiques and classical music, drives a 1950s convertible and keeps an antique gasoline pump in his house. His schoolteacher girlfriend Dotty (Kathryn Harrold) is pregnant and would like "Papa" to be there for her when the baby is born, but his work continually keeps him on the road. Thorson works for elderly and veteran bailbondsman Ritchie Blumenthal (Eli Wallace) who sends him out on dangerous assignments to chase down fugitives in all parts of the USA. However, Throson himself is pursued by a psychotic killer who was one of Thorson's former convicts, Rocco Mason (Tracey Walter) who begins stalking Thorson at his home and begins following Dotty around as well. Thorson's adventures continue when he is sent to rural Nebraska to bring back two fugitives, called the Branch Brothers. He flies out to Nebraska, rents a fancy 1979 Pontiac Trans Am car and drives to the Branch farmhouse where the two psycho brothers steal his car and try to kill him with dynamite. Thorson commandeers a crop cutter machine and chases after the two Branch Brothers through a cornfield which ends when a stick of dynamite dropped by them blows up their car, but they both survives. Thorson arrives back at the local airport to deliver back the destroyed Trans Am and bring the Branch Brothers on the plane back to L.A. Meanwhile, Rocco Mason begins terrorizing Dotty at her workplace which leads Thorson to try to protect her, but she instead tries to make him give up his bounty hunter way of life and to take her to a Lamaze class. Thorson grows tired of it and Dotty threatens to leave him due to his uncertain feelings towards being there for her. When Thorson's police friend Captain Spota (Richard Venture) commits suicide after he is investigated for illegal use of police funds and embezzlement, Thorson goes into a further decline. Blumenthal next sends Thorson to Chicago to pick up fugitive Bernardo (Tom Rosales) a dangerous ex-con which leads to a long chase sequence as Thorson and Bernardo exchange gunfire with each other at an apartment building. Thorson chases Bernardo on foot through the streets and to an elevated train where Thorson is forced to climb on the roof of the train to avoid getting shot at. The chase leads to a high-rise tower where the both steal cars and chase each other to the top level the parking garage, where the psychotic fugitive drives off the edge and plunges several stories into a river to his apparent doom. After returning to Los Angeles that evening, Thorson learns from Price that Dotty has been kidnapped by Rocco Mason and is holding her at the high school where she teaches. Thorson arrives when Mason attempts to kill him with an M-16 assault rifle. Unarmed after being deprived of his weapon, Thorson lures Mason into one classroom where he floods the room with flammable gas where once Mason opens fire, the sparks ignites the gas and blows up the room with Mason in it. Having delt with Mason, Thorson immediately needs to rush Dotty to the hospital when she begins to go into labor. Despite being a terrible driver, he manages to get to the hospital where he collapses exhausted in the lobby area. He comes to in the final scene to walk back outside where Dotty has given birth and he holds his new baby.

A Greek bandit forms an unlikely alliance with two bounty hunters and an acrobat to take his revenge on the people who framed him. After Cacopoulos (Eli Wallach) saves himself from being hanged on a false charge, he robs Cat Stevens (Terrence Hill) and Hutch Bessy (Bud Spencer) and steals their horses. This results in Stevens and Bessy becoming unwilling allies in Cacopoulus' revenge against the people who framed him. —positrak

When carefree bachelor David Sloane tries to persuade his best friend Harry Hunter to drop mistress Carol Corman and return to wife Mary, romantic complications suddenly spring to life. Battle-of-the-sexes comedy about a free-wheeling bachelor who decides to save his friend's marriage by proving that all mistresses are incapable of fidelity. The plot gets complicated when the bachelor offers to set up the wrong girl in a lavish love-nest and she accepts, believing that it's a marriage proposal. —alfiehitchie

Three men are on a mission to find a fortune that is buried in a remote cemetery. In the pursuit of the wealth, the two of them join hands with each other and team against the third only to eventually split-up and go on their own ways.

During the thirteenth century, the shy Mongol boy Temujin becomes the fearless leader Genghis Khan, who unites all Mongol tribes and conquers most of Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Mostly-fictionalized account of the life of Genghis Khan (Omar Sharif), the Mongol warlord whose 13th-century armies conquered much of the known world. Named Temujin (Carlo Cura), he was taken prisoner by rival warlord Jamuga (Stephen Boyd), and as punishment, was forced to wear a large round wooden stock that severely restricted his movements. With help from two supporters, wise man Geen (Sir Michael Hordern) and strong man Sengal (Woody Strode), he manages to escape. He now begins his quest to unify all of the Mongol tribes. He faces great success, but his old nemesis Jamuga keeps appearing at various times in his life, leading to a final battle between the two. —garykmcd

After being discredited as a coward, a 19th century seaman lives for only one purpose: to redeem himself. James Burke, after distinguishing himself as a midshipman in the British merchant marine, rapidly rises to the rank of executive officer, second in command of a ship. A broken foot necessitates that he be put ashore to heal. After his recovery, the very proud Jim - his pride rooted in his competence, which had made him a highly respected and admired naval officer - signs on as the executive officer of the Patna, a rusty tub manned by a third-rate crew overseen by a barbarous captain, that is transporting a group of Muslim pilgrims to Mecca. During a severe storm that causes the unseaworthy ship to founder, Jim abandons ship with the rest of the white crew without even lowering the other lifeboat for the passengers. The fleeing crew are prepared to swear they saw the Patna sink with all its passengers; however, in what Jim believes is a cosmic joke upon himself, it is revealed when they get into port on their lifeboat that the Patma did not sink but had been salvaged by a French vessel. In the ensuing inquiry that he himself sought to do penance for his sins (the ultimate sin for a naval officer being to abandon ship particularly when passengers or crew are still on-board), Jim is admonished after confessing his cowardice, chastised for bringing shame upon those to whom he belongs, the British merchant marine. His chief judge asks him why he did not "bury himself 20 feet deep" rather than seek the inquiry and humiliate himself and all professional British sailors. Jim does succeed in "burying himself 20 feet deep" by becoming a drifter and common laborer in various southeast Asian ports, though he never can completely escape into anonymity. The burden of his sin follows him everywhere. Racked by guilt over abandoning his ship, the proud Jim seeks atonement, a second chance, which comes in the guise of running arms and gunpowder to a tribe of indigenous peoples oppressed by a ruthless and brutal warlord. The warlord knows that the difference between a hero and a coward is not as thick as a piece of paper. What will this mean for Jim, now committed to a heroic path for a people whom he does not even know? The man the natives soon call "Lord Jim" is about to face his destiny, which is relentless and inescapable. —Jon C. Hopwood

In Reno, Nevada, Roslyn Tabor (Marilyn Monroe), 30-year-old beautiful woman files for a quickie six-week residency divorce from her inattentive husband, Raymond (Kevin McCarthy). Roslyn says that is she is going to be alone; she wants to be by herself. Raymond had gifted a car to Roslyn as part of the divorce settlement, which she tries to sell with the help of her landlady Isabelle. The car was broken down and a tow truck service was called to repair it and give an estimate on the price. The person who arrived was Guido, who was smitten with Roslyn. Afterward, Isabelle takes her to a cocktail lounge at Harrah's for drinks. Roslyn loves animals and is always kind to them. She is a very sensitive woman, emotionally. Rosyln meets aging cowboy Gay Langland (Clark Gable). Guido (Eli Wallach) and Gay invite Roslyn and her friend Isabelle Steers (Thelma Ritter) to Guido's place in the country to help her forget about the divorce. Guido is a tow truck driver and Gay's best friend. The friendly Guido tells Roslyn and Isabelle about his unfinished house in the country. Roslyn and Isabelle follow Gay and Guido in Roslyn's car out to countryside. Isabelle tells Roslyn not to believe anything that a cowboy says as she is too believing. They arrive at the half-finished house Guido built for his wife, who had died during childbirth. They drink and dance. Roslyn has too much to drink, so Gay drives her home. Eventually, the two move into Guido's half-finished house and start to work on it. One day after breakfast, Gay tells Roslyn how he wishes he were more of a father to his own children, whom he has not seen for some years. Later that afternoon, Roslyn and Gay have a fight when he decides to kill a rabbit that is eating from the vegetable garden they have planted. When Guido and Isabelle show up, Gay suggests rounding up wild mustangs to sell. They go to a local rodeo in Dayton, NV to hire a third man for the job. Along the way, they meet Perce Howland (Montgomery Clift), a friend of Gay's who is on his way to the rodeo to compete. Gay offers to pay for the broke Perce's $10.00 entry fee if he helps them with the mustangs afterward. In a bar Roslyn wins $145 on hitting a Paddle ball continually, she later gives some of the money to the church Lady. Guido, Perce, Roslyn and Gaylord go to a bar and nearly get into a fistfight when a drunk spanks Roslyn's bottom. Outside the bar, Isabelle sees her ex-husband Charles (Philip Mitchell) and his wife of 19 years Clara, she decides to invite them to her home instead of going in a mustang with Roslyn and the others. At the rodeo, Roslyn becomes upset when Guido tells her how the horses are made to buck with an irritating flank strap. She declares that all rodeos should be banned. Later, after Perce is thrown by a horse, Roslyn begs him to go to a hospital, but he insists on riding a bull. He gets thrown again, resulting in a head injury. Later, after Roslyn dances with Perce, he passes out in a back alley. When he regains consciousness, he sees her crying over him. He says that he never had anyone cry for him before and that he wished he had a friend to talk to. He tells her how his mother changed after his father died. She gave his stepfather the ranch his father wanted to leave to Perce. A drunken Gay then fetches Roslyn, telling her that he wants her to meet his kids, whom he unexpectedly ran into. But Gay causes a public scene when he discovers his children have not waited around. Later on, during the drive home, a drunken Guido asks if Roslyn has left Gay and offers to take his place. Back at Guido's house, Perce comes to and nearly tears his bandages off, forgetting about his recent injury. Roslyn puts him to bed. She then sits down with Gay. He asks her if a woman like her would ever want to have a child with him. She avoids the issue, and Gay goes to bed. The next day, Gay, Guido and Perce prepare to go after the mustangs. Roslyn reluctantly tags along. After they catch a stallion and four mares, she screams that she hates the men when she learns that the mustangs will be sold for dog food. She then tells Gay she did not know she was falling in love with a killer. He tells her that he did things for her that he never did for any other woman, such as making the house a home and planting the garden. She begs Gay to release the horses. He considers doing it, but when she offers to pay $200, it angers him. Guido tells Roslyn that he would let them go if she would leave Gay for him. She rebuffs him coldly. Perce also asks her if she wants him to set the horses free, but she declines because she thinks it would only start a fight. He frees the stallion anyway. After Gay chases down and subdues the horse all by himself, he lets it go and says he just did not want anybody making up his mind for him. They get into Gay's truck. As they're driving Roslyn tells Gay: "I'll leave tomorrow, OK". The truck stops to pick up Gay's dog. Roslyn gets out and Gay, his heart melting watches as Roslyn joyfully removes the tether from the dog. Roslyn gets into the truck and Gay says: "I bless you girl" He and Roslyn drive off under the starry night sky.

An experienced gunslinger forms a team with six other men in order to save a Mexican village from a group of bandits led by Calvera. However, each of the seven men have their own plan. Based on the classic Japanese film - Seven Samurai , directed by Akira Kurosawa.

Archie Lee Meighan (Karl Malden), a middle aged cotton gin owner, lives with his teen bride, Baby Doll (Carroll Baker) and her eccentric Aunt Rose Comfort (Mildred Dunnock) in a dilapidated plantation house in Tiger's Tail County, Mississippi. Archie Lee and Baby Doll have yet to consummate their marriage; they have separate bed rooms, with Baby Doll sleeping in an oversized crib in hers. Archie Lee desperately wants to but Baby Doll keeps him at arm's length. But on her 20th birthday -- one day away -- Baby Doll has promised to give her virginity to Archie Lee. She and Archie Lee fight a lot, and she threatens to leave him and live in a hotel in town if he doesn't provide for her. The situation boils over when the furniture company repossesses their furniture. Archie Lee's business is in terrible straits. All of the cotton fields are now working with the Syndicate Gin run by a Sicilian, Silva Vaccaro (Eli Wallach). Vaccaro has put many local business owners out of work with his large operation. One night, during a party in honor of the Syndicate Gin, Archie Lee burns the gin house to the ground. When the local authorities refuse to pursue an investigation because Vaccaro is an outsider, Vaccaro vows to take matters into his own hands. He realizes that Archie Lee was the only person not at the party and determines to prove his guilt. The next day Vaccaro takes his cotton to Archie Lee to have it ginned. While Archie Lee tries to get his antiquated machinery working, Vaccaro flirts with Baby Doll. She lets slip that, contrary to what he had told Vaccaro a few minutes earlier, Archie Lee was not at home at the time of the fire. Becoming suspicious of Vaccaro's intentions, Baby Doll goes to Archie Lee for protection. But he is upset because his gin has broken down. Vaccaro demands that Archie Lee go wherever he has to to find a replacement part. Archie Lee agrees and immediately leaves. Vaccaro sends an associate to get the replacement out of Vaccaro's own storehouse then continues to pursue Baby Doll. Baby Doll believes the plantation house is haunted. Vaccaro playfully uses this to "scare" Baby Doll and eventually get her to lower her guard. They play hide and seek, and Baby Doll hides in the attic. The floorboards are dangerously loose. Vaccaro, now forceful and angry, tells Baby Doll that she can't come out of the attic until she agrees to sign his handwritten "affidavit" that Archie Lee burned down the gin house. Baby Doll signs it. Vaccaro lets her out and prepares to leave. But Baby Doll persuades him to stay and take a nap with her in the crib, one of the few pieces of furniture left in the house. Archie Lee returns with the part and is angered and embarrassed to discover that Vaccaro has begun to take over his business. These emotions are only amplified when he discovers Baby Doll lounging around the house with Vaccaro, he still curled up in that oversized crib, she clad only in her slip. Baby Doll suggests that Vaccaro is interested in becoming partners with Archie Lee and suggests they discuss it over dinner. When Archie Lee sneaks away to make a phone call to friends in hopes they will come over to he house and help him deal with Vaccaro, Baby Doll kisses Vaccaro. Over dinner, she and Vaccaro taunt Archie Lee about his poor luck and flirt openly. When Archie Lee tries to take his anger out on Aunt Rose by threatening to evict her from the house, Vaccaro offers to hire her as his cook. Humiliated, Archie Lee loads his shotgun to kill Vaccaro. While Baby Doll calls the police, Vaccaro hides in a tree. Drunk, Archie Lee wanders the house and front yard looking for Vaccaro but can't find him. When the police arrive, they disarm Archie Lee; when Vaccaro shows them the affidavit signed by Baby Doll, they arrest Archie Lee as well. Baby Doll hopes Vaccaro will stay with her but he is more interested in ensuring his cotton is processed and goes home. Resigned, Baby Doll leads Aunt Rose back into the plantation house, telling her they will have to see what tomorrow brings.