George Grizzard Movies
Born in South Carolina, George Grizzard was raised in Washington DC, then went back to his original corner of the world to study radio broadcasting at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Grizzard hoped to get into the production end of radio upon graduation, but instead landed a frustrating job with an advertising agency. He then switched his interests to acting; he'd already played a few roles in college productions, and thought he might as well get paid for his hobby. After a season's worth of stock, he got his first professional job at the Arena Stage in Washington. He moved to New York, studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse, and in 1954 received his Equity card while appearing in an off-Broadway production of School for Scandal. The same year, he was cast in the Broadway melodrama The Desperate Hours, earning the Variety Critics Poll's "Best Actor" award for his performance. Other long-running Broadway assignments followed, including The Happiest Millionaire and The Disenchanted.Grizzard also made quite a few TV appearances during this period, both "live" and on film; he's the young Romeo who slips his girlfriend an all-too-powerful love potion in the 1960 Twilight Zone episode "The Chaser." In 1960, Grizzard made his first film appearance in From the Terrace; though his subsequent film work was sporadic, it was always high-profile, most notably his portrayal of the Nixonish Senator Van Ackerman in the 1962 Otto Preminger production Advise and Consent (this role launched Grizzard on a cinematic political career, embracing such "offices" as the Mayor in 1980's Seems Like Old Times and the U.S. President in 1982's Wrong Is Right). In 1961, Grizzard helped found the APA repertory in New York. He also spent a season with the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, where he starred in the rarely performed uncut version of Hamlet--his first-ever Shakespearean role. In 1976, Grizzard was Emmy-nominated for his portrayal of John Adams in PBS' The Adams Chronicles, and in 1980 he won the award for his work in the live network-cast The Oldest Living Graduate. In 1989, George Grizzard accepted his first regular TV-series role, playing unctuous morning-show news commentator Douglas Hayward in Studio 5-B.
Grizzard died at age 79 of complications from lung cancer, in October 2007. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Clint Eastwood's adaptation of the non-fiction book Flags of Our Fathers concerns the lives of the men in the famous picture of soldiers raising the American flag over Iwo Jima during that historic WWII battle. Battle scenes are intercut with footage of three of the soldiers - played by Ryan Phillipe, Jesse Bradford, and Adam Beach -- who survived the battle going on a goodwill tour of the United States in order to sell war bonds. Many evening they are forced to reenact their famous pose, something each of them finds more and more difficult to do as they suffer from survivor's guilt. Eastwood frames the story by having one of the men's grown son (Tom McCarthy) interview his father's old comrades in order to find out more about what happened to his father. Eastwood followed this film with Letters from Iwo Jima, a second film about the battle of Iwo Jima, but told from the Japanese perspective. Flags of Our Fathers was produced by Eastwood and Steven Spielberg. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford, (more)
Thirty-one years after Take the Money and Run, Woody Allen returns to a life of crime in this broad comedy. Allen plays Ray Winkler, a low-brow con man who is married to Frenchy (Tracy Ullman), a former stripper. Ray and his buddies concoct a scheme to rob a bank by digging a tunnel from a defunct pizza place next door; as a cover, Frenchy opens a cookie shop in the storefront while Ray and company dig in the back. Ray's burglary is a failure, but Frenchy's cookies are a rousing success, and within a year the store has spawned a nationwide franchise that makes the Winklers rich. However, while Ray wants to move to Miami and bask in the sun, nouveau riche Frenchy now aspires to join high society, with posh art dealer David (Hugh Grant) as her guide. Written and directed by Allen and shot in New York City, Small Time Crooks features one of Allen's trademark strong supporting casts, including Michael Rapaport, Elaine Stritch, Jon Lovitz, and Elaine May. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Woody Allen, Tracey Ullman, (more)
- 2000
The murder of a young violinist is at the center of this episode. The detectives have quite a time choosing a likely suspect, since several of the dead woman's colleagues clearly resented her quick rise to fame. The outcome boils down to a war of wills between D.A. Lewin (Dianne Weist) and an antagonistic judge (Ron McLarty), who seems to have a personal grudge against A.D.A. McCoy (Sam Waterston). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1999
When a taxi driver finds that he has a dead body in the back of his cab, detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) are forced to open up a 60-year-old mystery. At the center of the intrigue is an insurance racket, which may be preying upon survivors of the Holocaust. The D.A.'s office must first tackle the old case before solving the new one. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1998
It's an odd assortment of humanity that Monica (Roma Downey), Tess (Della Reese) and Andrew (John Dye) come across in a small Texas border town. The angels' assignment this time out is to bring the townsfolk together in faith, by way of a Christmas miracle from God. Unfortunately, it looks as though the miracle will be wasted on its principle recipient, a, cold-hearted, hard-drinking, racially prejudiced motel owner named Charley (George Grizzard). Fortunately, streewise angel Rafael (Alexis Cruz) shows up just in time (Christmas Time, that is!) to give his colleagues a helping hand. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1997
A certain high-profile "May/December" marriage is brought to mind in this episode. The murder of an elderly millionaire yields a bumper crop of suspects, including (inevitably) the servants. Once the detectives and the lawyers have sifted through the probables, they focus their attention upon the dead man's sexy young wife (Arija Bareikis) and the family's lawyer. Unfortunately, prosecution of the case is fouled up by an all-too-convenient robbery. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1997
Pragmatic businesswoman Gail Metzger (Joanna Kerns) has never seen eye to eye with her eccentric sister Renee (Debrah Farentino), a bad situation made worse when the two women butt heads over a real estate deal. Later on, Renee turns up dead, an apparent suicide. But as more "facts" come to surface, the police change their minds about Renee's demise--and Gail is suspected of murder. In her efforts to find out what really happened, Gail is enveloped in a frightening atmosphere of suspense and mysticism. Adapted fromBarbara L. Parker's novel Suspicion of Innocence, the made-for-TV Sisters and Other Strangers made its initial CBS network appearance on May 6, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joanna Kerns, Debrah Farentino, (more)
- 1994
A threatening phone call leads to censure proceedings against Joel Thayer (David Groh), a prominent New York judge. When the case arrives at the office of D.A. Adam Schiff (Steven Hill), his subordinate Claire Kincaid (Jill Hennessy) surprises him by resigning. It seems that Kincaid once clerked for Judge Thayer -- and there is talk that a romance developed, one that may have been decidedly (and injuriously) one-sided. Future Malcolm in the Middle star Jane Kaczmarek appears as Janet Rudman. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1993
In the final episode of Law & Order's fourth season, a highly independent hearing-impaired woman is found murdered. Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Logan (Chris Noth) turn their sights on the dead woman's two most recent sweethearts -- one of whom was her mentor at the institute where she studied to overcome her handicap. This episode represents the last regular series appearances of Richard Brooks as Assistant D.A. Robinette and Dann Florek as Captain Don Cragen, though both actors would reprise their roles in subsequent guest appearances, while Florek would again play Cragen on the spin-off series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
In 1977, Alex Haley's groundbreaking mini-series Roots became one of the most watched programs in television history, telling the story of seven generations of the author's mother's family, from their capture in Africa and enslavement in the United States to their eventual emancipation more than a century later. With 1992's Queen, Haley, who passed away before completing the source material, presents the story of his father's family, focusing on his paternal grandmother, a mulato. Halle Berry stars as the title character, the daughter of a slave and a plantation owner. Amidst the Civil War and up through the turn of the century, Queen finds herself struggling to find acceptance from blacks as well as whites. With an all-star cast that also features Martin Sheen, Danny Glover, Dennis Haysbert, Ossie Davis, and Ann-Margret, Queen was directed by John Erman and originally aired in February of 1993. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Halle Berry, Tim Daly, (more)
- 1992
It is no coincidence when a woman disappears shortly before the slaying of two ad-agency employees: All three had been witnesses to a mob execution. Assistant D.A. Stone (Michael Moriarty) attempts to prove that the kidnapping and murders had been ordered from within prison walls. But to do this, Stone will have to tilt with his longtime adversary, brilliant defense attorney Arthur Gold (George Grizzard). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1991
A made for cable TV docudrama, former Carter administration aides Hamilton Jordan and Gerald Rafshoon were responsible for the production of this miniseries which recounts the 1979 humiliation of America by a handful of Iranian radicals. Told through the eyes of a U.S. Embassy official married to a Tehran woman, this story did not spare neither the aides nor President Carter in the depiction of the shortsightedness and bungled rescue attempt which led to fifty-two Americans being held hostage for over a year and eventually led to President Carter's defeat in the next election despite an otherwise powerful administrative record. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi
- 1991
Originally shown as a two-part special on TV, this is an effective drama set during the 1979 Iranian revolution and what has come to be known as the Iranian Hostage Crisis. Written by a political scientist, it gives an overview of the political crisis, which quite probably cost Jimmy Carter his presidency. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi
- 1990
This suspenseful drama first aired on television as part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame Theater. It tells the story of a young woman who suddenly appears at the family estate claiming to be the title character and demanding her rightful inheritance. The family doesn't know what to think, because they have spent the last 15 years believing that Caroline died in a plane crash. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1990
Set in a small Maine town in 1883, this made-for-TV production tells the tale of an honest physician's attempt to warn his community about a public hazard that politicians and investors want to hide. The story begins with Thomas Stockman, M.D. (John Glover), who is awaiting results of the university's analysis of a water sample he took from a local spa. The spa promises to bring the town a windfall of tourist dollars, but he suspects that illnesses among the first users of the spa resulted from contaminated water. When the university confirms the presence of "infectious organic matter," Dr. Stockmann proposes to publicize the report and close the spa in order to make improvements that will purify the water. He believes the public will embrace him as a hero for discovering the pollution. But his brother, Mayor Peter Stockmann (George Grizzard), insists that the spa remain open, calling his brother a niggling busybody who would ruin the town with a false report. Besides, it would cost an enormous sum to rectify the problem. At first, a reform-minded newspaper editor, Hovstad, backs the doctor, saying his report will not only disclose the problem at the spa but will also expose corruption among local power brokers who back the spa. But Hovstad withdraws his support after the mayor tells him the loss of tourism would force merchants to curtail their newspaper advertising. Meanwhile, the townspeople turn against the doctor because the mayor claims the spa improvements would force a substantial tax increase. At a town meeting, almost everyone sides against Dr. Stockmann and agrees to boycott his medical practice. That evening and into the following morning, angry citizens stone the doctor's house as the film moves toward its conclusion. ~ Mike Cummings, Rovi
- 1990
- R
The final cinematic abomination from the late John Derek and his legendary non-actress wife Bo Derek turns out to be their worst collaboration ever, beating out even Bolero for sheer incomprehensible awfulness and ranking as one of the silliest monstrosities ever committed to film. Though no recognizable plot exists, the central premise seems to involve Bo's ongoing obsession with finding a suitable replacement body for the soul of her late husband (a sleepwalking Anthony Quinn), who killed himself after learning that a bum ticker would prevent him from having constant sex with her. The most likely candidate seems to be a handsome but oily thief (Leo Damian), but Bo can't seem to bring herself to murder him outright; fortunately, he kicks the bucket on his own. Lacking both the rampant nudity and laugh-out-loud campiness of John & Bo's previous erotic anti-masterpieces, there is literally nothing to recommend this film, even to bad-movie aficionados. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bo Derek, Anthony Quinn, (more)
- 1989
Cosby Show regular Phylicia Rashad stars as a New Orleans assistant DA in the made-for-TV False Witness. Philip Michael Thomas (Miami Vice) plays Rashad's associate--and also her lover. Polarized by sexual stereotyping, Rashad and Thomas clash over the case of the vicious slashing of a talk-show hostess. Thomas' hostile attitude towards the victim leads Rashad to believe that somehow he was involved in the attack--and the trail of evidence seems to confirm her suspicions. Based on a novel by Dorothy Uhnak, False Witness originally aired October 23, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1988
In this above-average made-for-television drama, Bernadette Peters stars as a mother facing the greatest challenge of her life. Based a true story, Matthew Lawrence stars as David Rothenberg, a six year-old who was viciously set on fire by his jealous father. Severely burned and disfigured, David courageously clung to life despite the odds against him. Determined to see her son through the ordeal, the film shows how his mother Marie (Peters) tirelessly worked to help nurse him back to life. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi
- 1988
In the final episode of Murder She Wrote's fourth season, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) volunteers as a speech writer for her old friend Kathleen Lane (Shirley Jones), whose wealthy husband Jackson (Eddie Albert) is bankrolling her political campaign. Not surprisingly, politics and scandal go hand in hand on this occasion, with rumors flying that Kathleen is carrying on a romance with her handsome campaign manager. When the manager is murdered, the tabloids have a field day--and Jessica has a not-so-high old time trying to prove that Kathleen was not the killer. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1987
In the first of the series' "novel" episodes, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) invites the viewers to listen in as she narrates her latest mystery story, involving a group of very intelligent graduate students. One of the protagonists is aspiring composer Michael Prentiss (Paul Clemens), who is outraged when his new composition is plagiarized by his unscrupulous professor. When the prof is murdered, Michael is accused of the crime, and it is up to his best buddy, law student Chad Singer (Paul Clemens), to prove Michael's innocence. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1987
The last of the four Perry Mason movies telecast in 1987, The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel rounds up veterans Raymond Burr (as Mason) and Barbara Hale (as Della Street), with comparative newcomers William Katt (as Paul Drake Jr.) and David Ogden Stiers (as the "Hamilton Burger"-style prosecutor). The accused murderer in this outing is Susan Wilder, a reporter for a sleazy tabloid. The victim is the rag's hateful publisher, Robert Guillaume. Other suspects include Guillaume's ex-lover, and a banker who was ruined by the tabloid's half truths. Unlike most of the Perry Mason TV movies of the 1980s, The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel doesn't play fair with the audience; vital clues and character motivations are withheld from the viewer, robbing us of the pleasure of trying to second-guess the methodical Mr. Mason. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1986
The word for That Secret Sunday would seem to be "irresponsible." Two party girls are horribly murdered, and the police handle the investigation irresponsibly. The reason is that the four investigating cops are guilty of the murder, which stemmed from their own irresponsible behavior. Investigative reporter James Farentino might have been able to nail the cops, but his newspaper behaves with irresponsibility. Made for television, That Secret Sunday was responsible only in prompting viewers to change the channel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1986
Mark Harmon stars as baby-faced serial killer Ted Bundy in this sobering 2-part TV movie. Ostensibly the archetypal All-American boy, Bundy was, from 1974 onward, responsible for the rapes and murders of several young women in the Pacific Northwest. The clues begin to mount when one of Bundy's victims manages to escape; she can only say that her assailant was a fellow named Ted who drives a yellow Volkswagen. Finally arrested after he moves from Seattle to Utah, Bundy is so certain of his superiority over the general run of human beings that he conducts his own defense at his trial; then, when extradited to Colorado, he escapes, triggering a desperate nationwide manhunt. At the time Deliberate Stranger was first telecast on May 5 and 6, 1986, Theodore Bundy was on Death Row, still contesting his sentence and seeking a legal way out. When time came for his execution, Bundy attempted several bizarre last-minute "stays," which would make intriguing subject matter should someone want to make a follow-up film. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1986
Under Siege was first telecast in February 1986, a time when the notion of foreign terrorists in America was still speculative fiction. A militant group sets off explosives at US Army bases, then branches out to such civilian targets as crowded shopping centers. FBI director Peter Strauss discovers that these outrages are possibly being orchestrated by Iranian extremists. Despite pressure to take retaliatory action, US President Hal Holbrook continues to preach moderation, until he can be certain of the true source of the attacks. Under Siege was cowritten by Bob Woodward, of All the President's Men fame. Little Rock, Arkansas substitutes for Washington DC in several scenes, including one startling sequence set in the Capitol Building. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1985
The fact that this made-for-TV movie is derivation of the megahit Airport is obvious by the presence of novelist Arthur Hailey in the credits. Gil Gerard heads the cast as David Montgomery, manager of a huge and extremely busy airport. As David wrestles with personal problems at home and a crisis with a burned-out air traffic controller (Bill Bixby) at the workplace, his burden is increased by the news that a Hawaii-bound jet has taken off with a bomb on board. George Kennedy, who'd appeared in all of the Airport theatrical films, here contributes an extended cameo role. International Airport first aired May 25, 1985, on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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