The Secret Word Is Holdout...

THE HOLDOUT-1962-This is an interesting find! I've read about it but never saw it till recently. It's a half an hour drama, part of The General Electric Theater, hosted by Ronald Reagan.

 It's about two college students (Dennis Hooper and Brooke Hayward; married in real life at the time) who want to get married immediately and not wait for  graduation. Her mom (Dorothy Green) is all for it but dad (Groucho Marx in his only really non-comedy role) is opposed to it. Not the marriage but the timing. He believes they should wait, graduate and land jobs so they can live independently of their parents. His father (Fred Clark) disagrees which puts a strain on his friendship with Groucho, who plays it straight but delivers some funny "Groucho" type lines in a non "Groucho" way. 

Director Charles Haas was a busy TV director at the time. It was written by novelist Max Erlich.

Stink-A-Roo

SKIDOO-1968-Otto Preminger directed this all-star stink bomb of a movie that tries to be a satire on the ‘60’s Hippie and drug culture and a comedy. It fails in both departments.

Former hit man Jackie Gleason is recruited by Caesar Romero and Frankie Avalon to assassinate a gangster (Mickey Rooney) turning state’s evidence. While in jail he gets help from Frank Gorshin, Michael Considine and Richard Kiel. He also accidentally ingests LSD and has a weird trip. Groucho Marx (in his last film role) is God, leader of the crime syndicate. George Raft is the captain of the ship he hides out on. Carol Channing is Gleason’s wife who sings. Arnold Stang is his friend who’s killed at the beginning. Also appearing: Peter Lawford, Burgess Meridith, Slim Pickens, Fred Clark, John Phillip Law and Austin Pendelton. Harry Nilsson (who also has a cameo) sings the end credits!

Screenwriter Doran William Cannon later wrote BREWSTER MCCLOUD and a TV adaptation of BRAVE NEW WORLD. Otto made this between BUNNY LAKE IS MISSING and TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME, JULIE MOON when his once great career was in a tailspin. He’d played the villain “Mr. Freeze” on an episode of TV’s BATMAN in 1966. I’ve read Preminger took LSD while making this movie. He must have been on something…

Apparently this has not been released on DVD (or VHS). One day it may escape!

Thanks for reading!