Bill Dee

 (imdb)

THE TAKE-1974-Terry Sneed (Billy Dee Williams) is a San Franciso police Lieutenant who goes to New Mexico to help a police commissioner (Eddie Albert) but takes money from Manso (Vic Morrow), a local gangster with a heart condition. Police captain Dolek (Albert Salmi) is also crooked. They investigate “small time punk” Danny James (Frankie Avalon). He breaks down and cries but helps them track shipments of “H”. After he pisses off Manso, Sneed is beaten up but he's nursed back to health by his girlfriend Nancy (Tracy Reed). Meanwhile, a real estate developer Oscar (Sorrell Brooke) hangs around. Later, Sneed teams with a young cop Tall Bear (A Martinez) to get back at Manso. Also with John Chandler (MAD DOG COLL (1961) and Kathleen Hughes (IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (1953). Vic Perrin is heard on a radio. 

This is a standard crime drama based on a British novel filmed in the US by English director Robert Hartford-Davis (CORRUPTION (1968) who had made BLACK GUNN in 1972. 

Thanks for reading!

In Your Pants

 

 (imdb)

EMPIRE OF THE ANTS-1977-Con woman Joan Collins tries to interest a boat load of prospective suckers into buying Florida swamp land. 

Unfortunately for the party, giant ants (contaminated by radioactive waste) decided to invade and munch on the cast. The phony insects superimposed on the screen is a riot. They're too big. “Oh my God, they're herding us like cattle!” says one disgruntled character. Robert Lansing holds things together as the grizzled boat captain (with an earring). John David Carson (THE SAVAGE IS LOOSE) helps out. Brooke (daughter of Jack) Palance gets killed. When Albert Salmi (also in THE COMING for the same director) shows up as a sheriff it develops into a conspiracy story involving a sugar factory and slavery lead by the queen ant. 

Bert I. Gordon (who died in 2023 at the age of 100) made this giant bug movie which seems influenced by his earlier projects, FOOD OF THE GODS and VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS. Gordon from Wisconsin made TV commercials before making his first feature KING DINOSAUR in 1955.

Thanks for reading!

Mr. Big's Ants

 

 (themoviedatabase)

EMPIRE OF THE ANTS-1977-After an introduction that says ants are as smart as men, real estate scammer Marilyn (Joan Collins) takes a bunch of prospective suckers on a yacht piloted by Capt. Stokey (Robert Lansing). Unfortunately, her swampland is overrun by ants who have been contaminated by radioactivity. Group includes John David Carson (THE SAVAGE IS LOOSE (1974), familiar TV actress Jacqueline Scott, Pamela Shoop (later in HALLOWEEN 2 (1981)), Robert Pine (who was a regular on the TV show “Chips” at the time), Irene Tedrow (another familiar TV actress), familiar TV actor Harry Holcombe and Brooke Palance (daughter of Jack). The ants grow very big and start killing. After munching and menacing, the survivors meet a weird couple who call the sheriff (Albert Salmi). It turns a nearby town has been enslaved by the ants and hypnotized by their queen. Some flares and a gasoline truck help put an end to the ant party. 

Who else but director Burt I. Gordon would have made a modern-day movie about giant ants and then say it was based on a novel by HG Wells? (he did the same thing earlier with FOOD OF THE GODS in1965) The SFX aren't so good but the strange turn the story takes is kind of surprising. Salmi was in Mr. B.I.G.'s next film BURNED AT THE STAKE in 1982. Gordon died in 2023 at the age of 100!

Thanks for reading!

Jingo!

 

 imdb)

BLACK OAK CONSPIRACY-1977-Tedious hillbilly nonsense inspired by TV's The Dukes of Hazzard with a arrogant trouble making Hollywood stuntman Jingo Johnson (co-scripter Jesse Vint) going back to his hometown to visit his mom in a nursing home and uncovering a land grab conspiracy by weaselly land developer Harrison Hancock (Robert F. Lyons),who's also sleeping with Jingo's ex- girlfriend Lucy (Karen Carlson), and his not so nice father (Douglas Fowley) who he's not sleeping with. Sheriff Otis (Albert Salmi) is in cahoots with them. Lucy's father (Seymour Cassell) helps Jingo out. In the end the sheriff goes crazy and tries to blame some killings on Jingo but in a weird finale in a rock quarry Jingo triumphs and wins back his ex. 

With a quick exploding head, nudity and Phil Every doing the theme song. Filmed in Oklahoma by former actor Bob Kelljan who earlier had made the two Count Yorga movies and SCREAM BLACULA SCREAM.

Thanks for reading!

Billy Dee Williams

 

THE TAKE-1974-Billy Dee Williams is Lt. Terence Sneed a San Francisco cop sent to Polima, New Mexico to investigate organized crime. He's met by Captain Dolek (Albert Salmi) and no sooner are they involved in a bloody shootout. His boss Chief Berrigan (Eddie Albert) seems frustrated. He visits his ex, Nancy (Tracy Reed) and she's not happy to see him. He meets Manso (Vic Morrow), a mobster with a bad heart and accepts his bribe. Dolek is also on his payroll. Manso also has a lawyer (Sorrell Brooke) who helps with his "investments". Sneed and Dolek investigate James (Frankie Avalon) a small time hood who cries because a cop beat him up when he was a kid. Another cop Tallbear (A. Martinez) helps Sneed out. When Sneed disobeys Manso's orders he's beaten up. 

Despite a long chase and shootout this crime action drama isn't very interesting with Sneed's actions not always making sense and a blah ending. John Chandler (MAD DOG COLL) and Kathleen Hughes (IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE) have small roles. Another “all star” action drama from director Robert Hartford-Davies (see last entry).

Thanks for reading!

There Are Several Movies By This Name. Here's One of Them...

SUPERSTITION-1982-This is a very weird low budget movie about a witch condemned to death in the 1700’s who seems to return to the present day to extract revenge on the descendents of the town where it happened. A police inspector (Albert Salmi) and a priest in street clothes (James Houghton) investigate. Many people are killed including a young kid and an older priest (Stacey Keach Sr.). An old woman who may be a witch keeps warning the priest about performing a ritual. In the end the priest must fight a clawed demon with a cross and everyone dies.

Director James W. Roberson was a cinematographer on many films and also made THE LEGEND OF ALFRED PACKER and THE GIANT OF THUNDER MOUNTAIN.
T
hanks for reading!