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. 

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It's Raining Devils

 

 (imdb)

THE DEVIL'S RAIN-1975-After credits are shown over paintings by Bosch, Mark Preston (William Shatner) goes up against "Satan's minister on Earth" Korvus (Ernest Borgnine) and his eyeless worshipers for possession of a book. Meanwhile Sam Richards (Eddie Albert) and Tom Preston (Tom Skerrit) demonstrate a type of telepathy using Preston's wife Julie (Joan Prather). Preston returns home to find his mom (Ida Lupino) and brother Mark missing. The sheriff (Keenan Wynn) blames a flood. While Mark is tortured, Preston & Julie go to a ghost town where caretaker Charlie told them Mark was headed. While snooping they are attacked by an eyeless guy. Julie seems to have a psychic connection to the coven and sees a flashback to colonial times. 

It turns out the wife of Preston's ancestor Martin Fife (also Shatner) betrayed the satanists who are burned at the stake. Preston infiltrates the gathering where Mark is to be sacrificed and Korvus transforms into a goat man. Unfortunately Preston is found out but escapes. Somehow Richards gets the book and tells Preston what's going on. When Korvus captures Julie and plans to convert her, Richards and Preston go back and find some kind of orb that holds all the souls Korvus has taken. After they are attacked by the possessed sheriff, the duo break up the party. It's a TV show star battle with McHale vs. Capt. Kirk vs. Mr. Douglas in the finale where the rain makes the group melt. Korvus seems to melt too but evil wins out!

Director Robert Fuest (THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES) made this high profile horror movie that later exploited then unknown cast member John Travolta (the less said about him the better). It's a good little horror movie with a nice cast and surprise ending. Charlatan Anton LeFay (also credited as a technical adviser) has a cameo as a satanic priest.

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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).

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