Friday, December 14, 2007

ABC's '4:30 Movie'

Anyone remember the 4:30 p.m. movie that used to run every day on ABC?

Some of the ones that were shown that stick out most in my memory:

• “Batman”: The 1960’s version, starring Adam West and Burt Ward. Batman and Robin battle not one, not two, not even three … but, four, yes, count ‘em, FOUR arch villains: Catwoman, Joker, Penguin and Riddler.

• “Planet of the Apes” week: Among them: Here’s a shocker, “Planet of the Apes;” also, “Beneath the Planet of the Apes,” “Escape from the Planet of the Apes,” and “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes” and “Battle for the Planet of the Apes.” (I used to have the “Planet of the Apes” actions figures. Also had the “Star Trek” ship that I bought at a garage sale, but no action figures. So, the apes wound up in space instead. It was one small step for man, one giant step for monkey.

• “Bad Ronald”: A mother hides her son in her house after he accidentally commits a murder. Kim Hunter (“Zira” of “Planet of the Apes” fame, played Ronald’s mom).

Check out the intro to the 4:30 Movie. I always thought the guy with the camera looked like a dog when it zoomed out. (You should see me with ink blots …)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2es-lfRSDOI

For a look at “The Planet of the Apes,” go to:
http://www.theforbidden-zone.com/movies/index.shtml

Here’s a clip I found on YouTube.com from “Bad Ronald”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a80O75TfSvU

3 comments:

Mommy11837 said...

OMG, I remember the 4:30 movie! The one movie I always remember was called Crowhaven Farm. It starred Hope Lange and was about this couple who inherited a farm that had previously been inhabited by witches. The witches used to perform the act of stoning, where they would lay a board on top of you and then pile big rocks on top of it. It still creeps me out to this day!

Brad Wadlow said...

Thanks for reading the blog, and your comment, mommy11837! I appreciate it! Glad I could bring back some memories! Keep reading and posting! And be sure to tell me your favorite TV shows!

wbhist said...

The funny thing is, while WABC-TV's "The 4:30 Movie" is widely and fondly remembered today, the past weekday afternoon movie shows of the other network O&O's in New York - WCBS-TV's "The Early Show" (cancelled in 1968 to make room for Mike Douglas) and WNBC-TV's "Movie 4" (cancelled in 1974 in favor of the first hour of the two-hour "NewsCenter4") are virtually forgotten today - and both those shows began in the 1950's and, in terms of years on the air, actually lasted longer than "The 4:30 Movie" (which was on from 1968 to 1981).