Trapped (1974)

This review is murky because the last time I saw it was when it aired in the 70's. James Brolin in a department store facing man-eating security dogs. The movie scared me more than if the store had mannequins that came to life. I will not give away the ending or key parts. There are plenty of suspenseful moments. Remember this was in the days predating cellphones and electronic security systems. Brolin's character was s.o.l. The things Brolin does to ward off the dogs rivals that of MacGuyver. ABC needs to package this and other movies-of-the-week as a DVD compilation. As an adult, I'm still afraid of scary dogs.

Back in the 1970's it seemed haunted houses, evil marauding cars, or in this case, Doberman pincher's were always trying to take a bite out of the frequently cast James Brolin. As previous comments have already stated, Brolin is "Trapped" after hours in a Macey's-type department store and must evade attack dogs left to guard the premises. What makes this such a great setting is the way he cleverly employs items among the wares inside to try and get himself out of trouble. For example, a fishing rod from the sporting goods section becomes (if memory serves) a means of reaching a set of keys dangling between him and the snarling animals. What doesn't work all that well however is a subplot in which Brolin's ex-wife (Susan Clark) and daughter are set to leave his life with Clark's new husband (Earl Holliman), a real third wheel of a character who simply complicates the dynamic of the tale. It should have just been concerned with Brolin's attempts to survive so he can return to his worried family. Despite that plot intrusion it's still a very entertaining suspense melodrama, energetically directed by 70's best selling author, Frank De Felitta, ("Audrey Rose") who shows a real flare for this material. While he did undertake a few additional directing assignments, (most notably "Dark Night Of The Scarecrow" in 1981), De Felitta worked very infrequently in the director's chair. A shame really as he shows such promise here he might well have become as famous a movie director as he is an author.

I saw this movie many years ago and have always wanted to see it again. It was very suspenseful, wish I could find it to buy. Great idea for a movie plot, man gets attacked in a men,s room of a department store, the guard doesn't realize someone is still in the store so the poor guy is stuck in a store with attack dogs... I would die. I love a good movie and years ago they had better "made for TV movies". I would recommend this movie, that is if you could find it any where to rent or buy, I haven't seen it on TV since the year it first viewed. Funny how some movies stay with you. If you liked Trapped you would like: "Night Terror" with Valiere Harper full of suspense. I love movies that make me jump, both of these did...

Forget "Marcus Welby"! When I think of James Brolin, I instantly recall a host of movies he made consecutively between 1972-1973: "Skyjacked", "Westworld", the TV-film "Short Walk To Daylight", and this compact thriller, another movie-of-the-week. After being mugged and knocked unconscious by teenagers in a department store men's room, Brolin wakes to find he's locked in alone after closing time. This might sound like a shop-a-holic's dream come true, but Brolin has to fight off vicious guard dogs all night, sometimes in clever ways. James Brolin was the perfect TV substitute for Charlton Heston: stalwart and determined, with a firm jaw and a survivor's instinct. The film doesn't amount to much--the viewer and Brolin are in much the same spot, biding time until the store reopens--but the general scenario is a good one.