Paul Wendkos

Directing

Paul Wendkos

Born September 20, 1925 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Died November 12, 2009 · aged 84

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Paul Wendkos (September 20, 1922; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – November 12, 2009; Malibu, California) was an American television and film director. Following wartime service in the US Navy and attending Columbia University on the GI Bill Wendkos made his first feature, a documentary on a school for the blind called Dark Interlude in 1953. Wendkos's first f…

Known For

GidgetGidget · 1959
Gidget
6.01959
MovieComedyRomance
Due to an accident while swimming in the sea, Francis meets the surfer Moondoggie. She's fascinated with his sport and starts to hang out with his clique. Although they make fun of her at first, they teach her to surf and soon she's accepted and given the nickname "Gidget". But it's hard work to become more than a friend to Moondoggie.
A Tattered WebA Tattered Web · 1971
A Tattered Web
5.61971
MovieCrimeDrama
A detective discovers his son-in-law is cheating on his wife. He confronts the other woman and accidentally kills her, then tries to pin the crime on a local derelict.
Hell BoatsHell Boats · 1970
Hell Boats
8.11970
MovieWarDrama
A war drama of motor torpedo boats which did much unsung work in WW2, but the naval battles merely provide an exciting story in which an even more special romantic drama is wrapped up.
Tarawa BeachheadTarawa Beachhead · 1958
Tarawa Beachhead
6.61958
MovieWarDrama
A soldier is expected to never question the actions of his commanding officer, but when a Marine sees his CO breaking the law, he finds himself facing a difficult dilemma in this provocative war drama.
BetrayalBetrayal · 1978
Betrayal
7.01978
MovieDramaTV Movie
Dramatization of the 1971 case involving a young woman who sued her psychiatrist for luring her into a sexual relationship with him under the guise of therapy.
RecoilRecoil · 1963
Recoil
1963
MovieThrillerDrama
Recoil is a feature film edited from two episodes of "The Detective" and released in Europe as a theatrical motion picture. A detective attempts to nail an underworld figure for the numbers game he is running, after he is acquitted of killing his brother.
Good Cops, Bad CopsGood Cops, Bad Cops · 1990
Good Cops, Bad Cops
4.21990
MovieDramaCrime
Made-for-TV drama about one of the largest crimes in history—the 1980 robbery of the Boston Depositors Trust by a group of policemen. Capt. Gerry Clemente is the leader of a gang of rotten cops who take their piece of Boston's criminal offerings. The crimes are petty at first, but soon, Clemente sets his sights on a bank that promises a big score. Can the gang pull it off before a case is built against them?
Face of a FugitiveFace of a Fugitive · 1959
Face of a Fugitive
5.71959
MovieDramaWestern
A man who was falsly accused for murder escapes the sheriffs and starts a new life in a town at the border of the States to Mexico. But he cannot settle in peace as his chasers are trying to find him.

Movies

GidgetGidget · 1959
Gidget
6.01959
MovieComedyRomance
Due to an accident while swimming in the sea, Francis meets the surfer Moondoggie. She's fascinated with his sport and starts to hang out with his clique. Although they make fun of her at first, they teach her to surf and soon she's accepted and given the nickname "Gidget". But it's hard work to become more than a friend to Moondoggie.
A Tattered WebA Tattered Web · 1971
A Tattered Web
5.61971
MovieCrimeDrama
A detective discovers his son-in-law is cheating on his wife. He confronts the other woman and accidentally kills her, then tries to pin the crime on a local derelict.
Hell BoatsHell Boats · 1970
Hell Boats
8.11970
MovieWarDrama
A war drama of motor torpedo boats which did much unsung work in WW2, but the naval battles merely provide an exciting story in which an even more special romantic drama is wrapped up.
Tarawa BeachheadTarawa Beachhead · 1958
Tarawa Beachhead
6.61958
MovieWarDrama
A soldier is expected to never question the actions of his commanding officer, but when a Marine sees his CO breaking the law, he finds himself facing a difficult dilemma in this provocative war drama.
BetrayalBetrayal · 1978
Betrayal
7.01978
MovieDramaTV Movie
Dramatization of the 1971 case involving a young woman who sued her psychiatrist for luring her into a sexual relationship with him under the guise of therapy.
RecoilRecoil · 1963
Recoil
1963
MovieThrillerDrama
Recoil is a feature film edited from two episodes of "The Detective" and released in Europe as a theatrical motion picture. A detective attempts to nail an underworld figure for the numbers game he is running, after he is acquitted of killing his brother.
Good Cops, Bad CopsGood Cops, Bad Cops · 1990
Good Cops, Bad Cops
4.21990
MovieDramaCrime
Made-for-TV drama about one of the largest crimes in history—the 1980 robbery of the Boston Depositors Trust by a group of policemen. Capt. Gerry Clemente is the leader of a gang of rotten cops who take their piece of Boston's criminal offerings. The crimes are petty at first, but soon, Clemente sets his sights on a bank that promises a big score. Can the gang pull it off before a case is built against them?
Face of a FugitiveFace of a Fugitive · 1959
Face of a Fugitive
5.71959
MovieDramaWestern
A man who was falsly accused for murder escapes the sheriffs and starts a new life in a town at the border of the States to Mexico. But he cannot settle in peace as his chasers are trying to find him.
The Delphi Bureau: The Merchant of Death AssignmentThe Delphi Bureau: The Merchant of Death Assignment · 1972
The Delphi Bureau: The Merchant of Death Assignment
9.01972
MovieActionThriller
The Delphi Bureau is a top-secret spy cadre answerable only to the U.S. president. The organization may have just one field operative, a supposed researcher named Glenn Garth Gregory. He gets his orders from an in-the-know Washington, D.C. socialite, and he relies on a resource that makes him a one-of-a-kind asset: his photographic memory. This adventure-packed, tongue-in-cheek pilot sets the pace and style for the 1972-73 series it launched. In it, Gregory sets out to find who's behind the disappearance of jets, tanks and other surplus weaponry. He'll be variously hunted by an assassin, tossed in jail for murder, half-buried inside a grain elevator and forced to cling to the undercarriage of a tractor while the driver tries to shred him under its tilling blades. One breathless escape after another invariably seems to land our hero in another jam.
Guns of the Magnificent SevenGuns of the Magnificent Seven · 1969
Guns of the Magnificent Seven
5.41969
MovieWestern
When Mexican revolutionary leader Quintero is left to rot in jail by the forces of President Diaz, it's up to his subordinate, Max, to bust him out. With $600 in hand, he crosses the border into America and hires Chris Adams, a mercenary of considerable skill, who uses the rest of the cash on more hired guns. After the team is rounded out by experts on close-combat fighting, explosives, and knife-throwing, they set off to free Quintero.
SecretsSecrets · 1977
Secrets
7.01977
MovieTV MovieDrama
A young woman trapped in an unhappy marriage goes from affair to affair in her search for the "secret" to happiness.
Attack on the Iron CoastAttack on the Iron Coast · 1968
Attack on the Iron Coast
5.41968
MovieWar
The film depicts an account of Allied Combined Operations Headquarters commandos executing a daring raid on the German-occupied French coast during the Second World War. The story is based on the commando raid on the French port of St. Nazaire.
Intimate AgonyIntimate Agony · 1983
Intimate Agony
5.01983
MovieDramaTV Movie
Anthony Geary (General Hospital) stars as a compassionate doctor who must treat an STD outbreak at an upscale vacation resort. Judith Light (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) co-stars as an afflicted resident whose heart is broken by this personal tragedy. A despicable real estate tycoon played by Robert Vaughn (The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) is determined to keep the scandal from the press, thus protecting his investment.
DifferentDifferent · 1999
Different
10.01999
MovieDramaTV Movie
A young woman was left mentally disabled after a car crash twenty years previously, a condition which her mother has never come to accept. Thus she favors her other "normal" daughter and basically tolerates the other daughter's existence. It also doesn't help that her husband also has some mental disabilities. As the family slowly divides, the older daughter's unconditional love rises.
The Bad SeedThe Bad Seed · 1985
The Bad Seed
6.11985
MovieDramaThriller
Rachel is a 9-year-old girl who is perfection itself - unless she's crossed or challenged. Several disturbing recent incidents have led Rachel's mother Christine to suspect that her child is a latent murderess. Upon discovering that she herself is the daughter of a convicted killer, Christine becomes convinced that sweet little Rachel is a "bad seed" - an inherent killer who feels no remorse because she doesn't know any better.
Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia WifeBlood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife · 1987
Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife
8.01987
MovieDrama
A fashion designer marries a lawyer only to discover that his father is an imfamous mafia don.
The Mephisto WaltzThe Mephisto Waltz · 1971
The Mephisto Waltz
6.01971
MovieHorror
A frustrated pianist himself, music journalist Myles Clarkson is thrilled to interview virtuoso Duncan Ely. Duncan, however, is terminally ill and not much interested in Myles until noticing that Myles' hands are ideally suited for piano. Suddenly, he can't get enough of his new friend, and Myles' wife, Paula, becomes suspicious of Duncan's intentions. Her suspicions grow when Duncan dies and Myles mysteriously becomes a virtuoso overnight.
The Family RicoThe Family Rico · 1972
The Family Rico
9.51972
MovieCrimeDrama
A Mafia chief is torn between his brother, who has defected from the family, and his loyalty to the organization.
Gidget Goes to RomeGidget Goes to Rome · 1963
Gidget Goes to Rome
5.01963
MovieComedyRomance
Francis, now 17, is still in love with Moondoggy. She can persuade her parents to allow them a journey to Rome, together with two of her and two of his friends. However they have to take an adult with them, so they choose Peter's eccentric aunt. In Rome they get the beautiful guide Daniela, who's fascinating the guys and making especially Gidget jealous. She starts looking elsewhere herself.
The ExecutionThe Execution · 1985
The Execution
7.31985
MovieDramaTV Movie
The members of a San Diego Wednesday night womens' mah jongg club are five survivors of a Nazi concentration camp. They recognize the owner of a local restaurant, Walter Grossman, as a doctor from the camp who performed experiments on them as young girls. To their horror they learn that he has already been tried as a war criminal and has served but a few years for his crimes. They decide that they will "execute" him, drawing lots to determine which one will perform the act, without letting the others know who it is.
Gidget Goes HawaiianGidget Goes Hawaiian · 1961
Gidget Goes Hawaiian
5.01961
MovieComedyMusic
Francis is desperate: her parents want to force her to come with them on vacation to Hawaii - just during the two weeks when her beloved "Moondoggy" is home from College. When he suggests her to go for it, she's even more in panic - doesn't he care to be with her? So she sets out for Hawaii in the worst mood. On the plane she meets the sociable Abby, who gives her the advice to forget about Jeff - and regrets it shortly after, when Francis follows the advice and steals her boyfriend Eddie, a famous dancer. But then Jeff discovers he's missing Francis...
Good Against EvilGood Against Evil · 1977
Good Against Evil
4.81977
MovieTV MovieHorror
Dack Rambo and Elyssa Davalos star as sweethearts Andy Stuart and Jessica Gordon. The course of true love is messed up when Satan claims Jessica as his own personal property. Desperately, Andy turns to a pair of priests, Fathers Kemschler and Wheatley, for spiritual guidance, not to mention a bit of brute force in purging poor Jessica of her demons.
Special DeliverySpecial Delivery · 1976
Special Delivery
5.51976
MovieActionComedy
A gang of thieves plan a daring bank robbery, making their escape across the rooftops of Los Angeles. The police are quickly called in, however, and only one of the robbers, Murdock, makes a clean getaway. Unfortunately, in order to do so, he is forced to dump the stolen cash into a mailbox, which he then finds is locked until midnight, forcing him to wait until the mailman makes his late night pickup. As he waits, he discovers that his hiding place has been observed by several other people, all of whom want a share of the loot.
Bloodlines: Murder in the FamilyBloodlines: Murder in the Family · 1993
Bloodlines: Murder in the Family
5.01993
MovieDramaCrime
Stewart and Neil Woodman plot to have their parents murdered.

TV Shows

Hawaii Five-OHawaii Five-O · 1968
Hawaii Five-O
7.21968
SeriesDrama
Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for 12 seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. Jack Lord portrayed Detective Lieutenant Steve McGarrett, the head of a special state police task force which was based on an actual unit that existed under martial law in the 1940s. The theme music composed by Morton Stevens became especially popular. Many episodes would end with McGarrett instructing his subordinate to "Book 'em, Danno!", sometimes specifying a charge such as "murder one".
The InvadersThe Invaders · 1967
The Invaders
6.91967
SeriesSci-Fi & Fantasy
The Invaders, alien beings from a dying planet. Their destination: the Earth. Their purpose: to make it their world. David Vincent has seen them, for him it began one lost night on a lonely country road, looking for a shortcut that he never found. It began with a closed deserted diner, and a man too long without sleep to continue his journey. It began with the landing of a craft from another galaxy. Now, David Vincent knows that the Invaders are here, that they have taken human form. Somehow he must convince a disbelieving world that the nightmare has already begun.
The F.B.I.The F.B.I. · 1965
The F.B.I.
5.61965
SeriesCrimeDrama
The F.B.I. is an American television series that was broadcast on ABC from 1965 to 1974. It was sponsored by the Ford Motor Company, and the characters almost always drove Ford vehicles in the series. Alcoa was co-sponsor of Season One only.
Honey WestHoney West · 1965
Honey West
7.21965
SeriesDrama
After her father's death, Honey West takes over his high-tech private-detective firm, assisted by rugged Sam Bolt--and her pet ocelot Bruce.
Law of the PlainsmanLaw of the Plainsman · 1959
Law of the Plainsman
7.31959
SeriesWestern
Law of the Plainsman is a Western television series starring Michael Ansara that aired on the NBC television network from October 1, 1959, until May 5, 1960. The character of Native American U.S. Marshal Sam Buckhart was introduced in two episodes of the popular ABC Western television series The Rifleman starring Chuck Connors as Lucas McCain. Law of the Plainsman is distinctive and unique in that it was one of the few television programs that featured a Native American as the lead character, a bold move for U.S.network television at that time. Ansara had earlier appeared in the series Broken Arrow, having portrayed the Apache chief, Cochise. Ansara, however, was not Native American but of Syrian descent. Ansara played Sam Buckhart, an Apache Indian who saved the life of a U.S. Cavalry officer after an Indian ambush. When the officer died, he left Sam money that was used for an education at private schools and Harvard University. After school, he returned to New Mexico where he became a Deputy Marshal working for Marshal Andy Morrison. He lived in a boarding house run by Martha Commager. The only other continuing character was 8-year old Tess Logan, an orphan who had been rescued by Buckhart. Robert Harland, later of Target: The Corruptors! starred in seven episodes as Deputy Billy Lordan. Wayne Rogers, who went on to star in another Four Star western, Stagecoach West, and later, M*A*S*H, also played deputy Lordan in several episodes.
The Eleventh HourThe Eleventh Hour · 1962
The Eleventh Hour
6.71962
SeriesDrama
The Eleventh Hour is an American medical drama about psychiatry starring Wendell Corey, Jack Ging, and Ralph Bellamy, which aired sixty-two new episodes plus selected rebroadcasts on NBC from October 3, 1962, to September 9, 1964.
Behind Closed DoorsBehind Closed Doors · 1958
Behind Closed Doors
8.01958
SeriesDrama
Behind Closed Doors is an American drama series set during the Cold War hosted by and occasionally starring Bruce Gordon in the role of Commander Matson. The series, which aired on NBC from October 2, 1958, to April 9, 1959, focuses, among other themes, on how the former Soviet Union stole American missile secrets and proposes steps to prevent further espionage. Behind Closed Doors is based on the files and experiences of Rear Admiral Ellis M. Zacharias, who offers comments at the end of each segment. Behind Closed Doors, a Screen Gems production, replaced Jackie Cooper's sitcom The People's Choice, followed the NBC quiz show, Twenty-One, and preceded the The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show. Its competition was The Pat Boone Chevy Show on ABC and Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater western anthology series on CBS.
HawkinsHawkins · 1973
Hawkins
7.81973
SeriesMystery
The cases of slow-talking but high-powered West Virginia attorney Billy Jim Hawkins.
A Woman Called MosesA Woman Called Moses · 1978
A Woman Called Moses
7.01978
SeriesDrama
A television miniseries based on the life of Harriet Tubman, the escaped African American slave who helped to organize the Underground Railroad, and who led dozens of African Americans from enslavement in the Southern United States to freedom in the Northern states and Canada.
79 Park Avenue79 Park Avenue · 1977
79 Park Avenue
5.21977
SeriesDrama
A poor New York teenager of the mid-1930 is forced into prostitution despite sincere efforts to make a living and ultimately becomes the city's most famous madam.
CelebrityCelebrity · 1984
Celebrity
6.71984
SeriesDrama
Three high school buddies – Kleber, Mack and T.J. – are involved in a night of horrific violence. While only one is the perpetrator, the others do nothing. The victim dies, and the trio hide the body and promise to never speak of it again. 25 years later, Kleber is a world-famous journalist, Mack is a movie star, and T.J. is a demagogic evangelist who runs a controversial church. They meet once more in the place where the fateful night took place, and it ends in tragedy.
The Great Escape II: The Untold StoryThe Great Escape II: The Untold Story · 1988
The Great Escape II: The Untold Story
5.71988
SeriesDrama
A former POW leads a special task force to hunt down the culprits responsible for carrying out the orders to murder 50 of the 76 escapees from Stalag Luft III.
Blind FaithBlind Faith · 1990
Blind Faith
6.41990
SeriesDramaCrime
Successful insurance salesman Rob Marshall, his bright and devoted wife Maria, and their three sons are the perfect American family. Then the nightmare begins. One night, Rob is attacked and Maria is shot dead. At first, Rob seems the a grieving widower. But, as incriminating secrets come out, he must prove his innocence before the judicial system-- and the horrified suspicions of his sons.
Cross of FireCross of Fire · 1989
Cross of Fire
6.61989
SeriesDramaCrime
Cross of Fire is a 1989 American television mini-series based on the horrific rape and murder of Madge Oberholtzer by D.C. Stephenson, a highly successful leader of the Indiana branch of the Ku Klux Klan. It was originally shown in two parts. In syndication, it is shown as a television movie.