Thad Mumford Movies
- 1997
Rap artist Daddy Kool (Shaun Baker) is shot, but refuses to cooperate with the police investigation of the shooting. Abby (Paige Turco) tells Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) that she wants him to be the father of her child -- and that's all. Accused of framing Officer Szymasnki (Christopher Stanley) on a drug charge, Lt. Fancy (James McDaniel) launches his own investigation. And the Feds approach Simone (Jimmy Smits), asking his help in nailing mobster Joey Salvo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Aimed at young adults in order to increase their awareness of AIDS and HIV, this video combines informational and educational messages with entertainment. Each segment teaches teenagers something different about the HIV virus or AIDS, such as how anyone can contract AIDS, how and why AIDS is contracted, why everyone at risk should get tested, and that abstinence is the best defense against contracting the virus. Hosted by Arsenio Hall and Magic Johnson, there is also medical advise from AIDS expert Dr. Karen Hall and plenty of celebrities who speak out on the truths of this often misunderstood disease. Magic Johnson talks about his personal experiences with the HIV virus in an in-depth interview. ~ Cecilia Cygnar, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) is visited by his highly opinionated friend Milt (Wren T. Brown), who immediately launches into a devastating criticism of Dwayne's college and his choice of friends--especially Ron (Darryl M. Bell). Elsewhere, Col. Taylor attends a serviceman's reunion, hoping to be reunited with former girlfriend Carol Garrison (Denise Nicholas), with whom he served in Vietnam. But alas, there are some things best left to memory. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
In an effort to keep Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) from pining over her, Whitley (Jasmine Guy) arranges a date for him with gorgeous coed Megan Lewis (Torri Whitehead). But when Dwayne and Megan show signs of hitting it off, Whitley becomes terrifyingly jealous. Elsewhere, Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) and Walter (Sinbad) wager over whether they can teach poker to those clueless "greenhorns" Freddie (Cree Summer) and Kobie (Abner Mariri). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Season Three of A Different World begins as Whitley (Jasmine Guy) flies back to Hillman after summer vacation. Her travelling companinon is her friend and fellow student Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison), who seems to have changed a great deal in the past few months. Upon arrival, Whitley and Dwayne finds out that Gilbert Hall has gone coed--with Walter (Sinbad) and Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) sharing resident-director responsibilities. With this episode, Lou Myers goes from recurring to regular status in the role of Vernon Gaines, owner of that popular campus hangout "The Pit"; also, Reuben Grundy makes his first appearance as incoming student Ernest Bennett. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
In her efforts to maintain good grades while keeping up her work schedule, Kim (Charnele Brown) worries herself into a frazzle. Even worse, she begins to stay awake around the clock--with near-disastrous results. Meanwhile, Velma Gaines (BeBe Drake-Massey) has a nasty argument with hubby Vernon (Lou Myers), whereupon Vernon moves in with Col. Taylor (Glynn Turman) (and we thought that Jack Klugmanand Tony Randall were an "Odd Couple"). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Disapproving of her daughter Denise's plans to go to Greece with Maggie (Marisa Tomei) during summer vacation, Clair Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad, making a "crossover" appearance from The Cosby Show) insists that Denise (Lisa Bonet) get a summer job. Does this mean that Maggie will have to journey to the Mediterranean alone? (Not likely). Meanwhile, Whitley (Jasmine Guy) is down in the dumps when it appears that everyone has forgotten her birthday. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Although original series star Lisa Bonet is nowhere to be seen in the opening episode of A Different World's second season, stalwart costars Jasmine Guy (Whitley Gilbert) and Kadeem Hardison (Dwayne Wayne) do a nice job taking up the slack. As a bonus, former recurring characters Walter Oates (Sinbad) and Ron Johnson (Darryl M. Bell) have been promoted to "regular" status. As the trendy Whitley begins her junior year at Hillman College, she finds herself saddled with new roommate Kim Reese (Charnele Brown), a nerdy, fashion-challenged medical student. Meanwhile, Ron develops a crush on free-spirited freshman Winifred "Freddie" Brooks (Cree Summer), who unfortunately only has eyes for Dwayne--who in turn finds himself facing a new and terrifying academic challenge in the form of much-feared calculus professor Col. Clayton Taylor (Glynn Turman), better known as "Dr. War." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Season two of A Different World finds the overall quality of the series improving immensely, which many insiders attributed to the fact that the multi-talented Debbie Allen had taken over as producer-director. Originally intended as a vehicle for former Cosby Show co-star Lisa Bonet in her familiar role as college student Denise Huxtable, the series would be forced to undergo a major format change when Bonet dropped out of the series due to her real-life pregnancy. Also gone from the cast is Marisa Tomei, who had played Denise's naïve white college roommate Maggie Lawton. With Bonet and Tomei gone, the emphasis shifts to Denise's former dorm-mates at Hillman College's Gilbert Hall: streetwise 27-year-old divorcée Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) and spoiled, haughty Whitley (Jasmine Guy). Likewise carried over from the first season are Gilbert Hall's worldly dorm director Lettie (Mary Alice), self-styled campus Romeo Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison), Dwayne's irresponsible roomie Ron (Darryl M. Bell), and local community-center leader Walter Oakes (Sinbad). New to the series are Whitley's new roommate, the iron-willed, slightly promiscuous pre-med student Kim Reese (Charnele Brown); fashion-challenged but cute and artistically gifted student Freddie Brooks (Cree Summer); and tough-as-nails calculus professor Col. Clayton "Dr. War" Taylor (played by Glynn Turnan, the husband of Aretha Franklin, who this year takes over from Phoebe Snow as the singer of the series' catchy theme tune). Major season two plot developments include the growing attraction between Whitley and Dwayne, although both continue dating others; the budding romance between Walter and Jaleesa; and the many benighted business schemes cooked up by Ron and Dwayne. Also, the characters begin spending more and more of their spare time at a local eatery called The Pit, presided over by philosophical chef Vernon Gaynes (Lou Myers). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jasmine Guy, Sinbad, (more)
- 1988
Mary Alice joins the cast in this episode as Gilbert Hall's new dorm director Lettie Bostic. Having previously dropped out of Hillman to pursue a bohemian lifestyle abroad, Lettie finds that readjusting to campus life won't be so easy--while the girls in the dorm are turned off by her world-weary bluntness. Especially miffed by Lettie's arrival is Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis), who'd assumed that she would get the dorm-director job after filling in for the departed Stevie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Fed up with Dwayne's lame "pickup" lines, graduate student Peggy (Claudette Wells) decides to humilate him in front of everyone by pretending to fall for his charms. Getting wind of Peggy's scheme, Denise (Lisa Bonet) tries to warn Dwayne , but he refuses to listen. For a while, it looks like Dwayne is being set up for a spectacularly painful fall--but Denise teams up with student advisor Walter (Sinbad) for a most unorthodox last-minute rescue. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
To impress her father Cliff (Bill Cosby, crossing over from his own TV series), Denise (Lisa Bonet) goes out for the Hillman College track team. Alas, our heroine can't keep up the pace, and considers giving up the team. . .until the star runner, a good-looking guy named Virgil (Guy Killum), makes a startling confession. Meanwhile, Maggie (Marisa Tomei) is convinced that she'll mess up her Economics term paper unless she is able to track down a specific--and very elusive--textbook. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Conspiring with Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) and Maggie (Marisa Tomei), Denise (Lisa Bonet) decides to participate in the tradtional Hillman homecoming prank of stealing the head from the costume of the rival mascot (a bear). But she has second thoughts upon finding out that her grandfather Russell (Earle Hyman), a distinguished Hillman alumnus, is planning to pay her a visit. The situation takes a bizarre turn when Russell expresses great interest in the celebrated prank--and insists upon absconding with the bear head himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) leaves the comfort and security of her family's home as she begins her sophomore year at Hillman College in this debut episode of the Cosby Show spinoff A Different World. Moving into the all-female Gilbert Hall dorm, Denise almost immediately clashes with her brash roommate, 26-year-old divorcee Jaleesa Vinson (Dawnn Lewis). But things aren't much better for our heroine when she transfers to a different room occupied by the very wealthy and very annoying Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy). Adding to her burden of woe, Denise must somehow keep girl-crazy freshman Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison) at arm's length. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Hoping to pass an exam on Shakespeare's "MacBeth" without going to the trouble of reading the play, Theo and his friend Cockroach (Carl Anthony Payne II, in his first series appearance) rely upon the "Cleland Notes" shortcut version. Although the boys receive passing grades, Clair (Phylicia Rashad) is annoyed that they've taken the easy way out, so she orders them spend the entire weekend cramming for a test which she will administer himself. Unfortunately, Clair hasn't brushed up her own Shakespeare in several years! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
At the suggestion of Charles (David Ogden Stiers), Margaret (Loretta Swit) prepares to bury a time capsule at the 4077th. Hawkeye volunteers to help collect souvenirs for the capsule, but Margaret turns him down, worried that he will turn the whole ceremony into joke. Before Hawk inevitably proves that his intentions are honorable, Klinger (Jamie Farr) develops a fondness for Soon-Li Hahn (Rosalind Chao), a wounded Korean woman suspected of being an enemy sniper. Originally telecast as the next-to-last installment of M*A*S*H (though actually filmed after the series' celebrated feature-length finale), "As Time Goes By" is dedicated to the memory of the series' late technical advisor Dr. Connie Izay. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
The civilian and military press make a media circus out of the 4077th when famous prizefighter Gentleman Joe Cavanaugh (Pat McNamara) suffers a stroke while touring the camp. After saving Cavanaugh's life, Hawkeye (Alan Alda) is lauded as a hero--an appellation he quickly comes to resent. And speaking of heroes, the usually unflappable Father Mulcahy (William Christopher) is distraught over the plight of his longtime idol Gentleman Joe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
Charles (David Ogden Stiers) and Hawkeye (Alan Alda) are out to prove the old adage that one can never go broke underestimating the intelligence of the average person. To that end, the two doctors spread a rumor that Hollywood sex symbol Marilyn Monroe will soon be paying a visit to the 4077th. The only person left unexcited by this "news" is B.J. (Mike Farrell), who is conducting a desperate search for a wounded soldier that he was forced to leave in the battlefield--and who was indirectly responsible for B.J. earning a Purple Heart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
Hawkeye (Alan Alda) receives a letter from Mildred Potter, the wife of the 4077's commanding officer Col. Potter (Harry Morgan). Sworn to secrecy, Hawk refuses to divulge the contents of the letter to Potter, despite intense pressure on the part of the curious Colonel. The next assignment on Hawkeye's agenda is to organize a surprise party for Potter--and we aren't about to tell anyone the reason, either. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
As the 11th season of M*A*S*H* got under way in the fall of 1982, everyone involved with the series knew it would be their last (the program had already lasted eight years longer than the actual Korean War!) Looking back, the cast and crew could take pride in the series' many accomplishments, not least of which was its making palatable and entertaining a number of hot-button issues that had previously been verboten on American network television. The series had also come a long way from its zany, iconoclastic, hit-or-miss "anything for a laugh" origins, maturing into a thoroughly credible blend of comedy, drama and tragedy (its credibility enhanced by the decision to complete eliminate a canned laughtrack), with fully rounded, three-dimensional characterizations. The fact that the series had managed to win eleven Emmy awards further served to enhance the participants' sense of achievement. Viewers were honestly saddened that their favorite series, which had long since transcended the boundaries of standard sitcomery to become a national institution, would cease production at the end of season 11. Perhaps because the faithful fans were determined to savor every final moment of the series' existence, M*A*S*H was propelled from the ninth most popular TV program of 1981-82 to number three in 1982-83, with the now-legendary 2 1/2 hour finale, "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen," being seen by the largest audience ever to watch a single TV episode. Although this landmark episode would bring M*A*S*H to a poignant close, it was not quite the end of the story. Debuting September 26, 1983, the CBS sitcom AfterMASH detailed the further adventure of several M*A*S*H regulars, all hired by a Missouri VA hospital upon the Korean cease-fire. Carryovers from the original M*A*S*H included Harry Morgan as Sherman Potter, Jamie Farr as Max Klinger, William Christopher as Father Mulcahy, and a character that had been introduced in the penultimate M*A*S*H episode "As Time Goes By," Klinger's Korean-born wife Soon-Lee, played by Rosalind Chao. Suffering the ignominous fate of most such spinoffs, AfterMASH failed to live up to the standards of its distinguished predecessor, and was cancelled after only a season and a half on the air. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Alda, Mike Farrell, (more)
Its ninth season shortened to a mere 20 episodes thanks to a Hollywood writers' strike, M*A*S*H returned to a full 24-episode manifest for its tenth season, which began in October of 1981. With the defection of series regular Gary Burghoff two seasons earlier, the starring-cast lineup was now firmly "set" at seven actors--Alan Alda, Mike Farrell, Harry Morgan, Loretta Swit, David Ogden Stiers, Jamie Farr and William Christopher--and would remain so until its 11th and final season one year later. Although there were signs of fatigue and repetition during season 10, for the most part M*A*S*H managed to remain fresh and surprising with the occasional "gimmick" episode. The most noteworthy of these was the program's only foray into the paranormal, "ollies of the Living--Concerns of the Dead", in which the ghost of a dead GI looked on as the surgeons of the 4077th saved the life of his wounded buddy--and also occasionally carried on other-worldy conversations with a feverish Cpl. Klinger (Jamie Farr). M*A*S*H's ratings continued to be impressive during the 1981-82 season, though its drop from fourth to ninth place indicated that viewers might have been taking the decade-old series for granted. The same could not be said of the people responsible for the Emmy awards, who bestowed upon M*A*S*H its tenth and eleventh Emmys, with costars Alan Alda and Loretta Swit as the lucky recipients. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Alda, Mike Farrell, (more)
- 1981
B.J. (Mike Farrell) learns to his dismay that his wife Peg is working as a waitress back home to make ends meet. So profound is Beej's depression that he may adversely affect the outcome of a crucial poker game. Meanwhile, old Cavalry man Col. Potter (Harry Morgan) is obliged to undergo a remedial course in Driver's Ed--with Klinger (Jamie Farr) as the instructor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
A young corporal who swapped his dog tags with a friend is consumed by guilt when that friend dies in battle. As the doctors of the 4077th wrestle with this problem, they must also deal with the crestfallen recipient of a "Dear John" letter. And friendly enemies B.J. (Mike Farrell) and Charles (David Ogden Stiers) joins forces to challenge a wheeler-dealer GI securities salesman who threatens to bankrupt the camp. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
No one at the 4077th can discern a logical medical reason for Hawkeye's (Alan Alda) uncontrollable sneezing fits. Enter funky psychiatrist Sidney Freedman (Allan Arbus), who tries to determine if Hawkeye's plight is more mental than olfactory. The answer is almost as explosive and surprising as our hero's chronic ker-choos. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
500,000 tongue depressors are mistakenly delivered to the 4077th. Outraged at this spectacular blunder--especially since several more necessary supplies are still missing--Hawkeye (Alan Alda) decides to use the wooden stick to erect a "monument to stupidity." This proves to be a hot scoop for Klinger (Jamie Farr), who has just launched his own camp newspaper. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
