Lisa Hartman Movies
The daughter of a lounge singer, Lisa Hartman grew up watching in fascination as audiences responded to her dad's nightclub act. Despite a peripatetic childhood, Hartman was determined to pursue a showbiz career as soon as she was old enough. She fronted a Houston rock band at 16, and headed to LA three years later, where she recorded her first album. It went directly to the one-dollar bin, but Hartman was only slightly fazed by this early failure; if the musical world didn't want her just yet, there were always modelling jobs and TV commercials. Her first TV series was 1977's Tabitha, a foredoomed attempt to bring the Bewitched baby into the adult world of giggles and jiggles. After several ups and down, Hartman was cast as saloon songstress Ciji on the nighttime serial Knot's Landing (1982). Ciji was eventually killed off, but Hartman was back on the series within months as a Ciji look-alike, waitress Cathy Geary. Though this series would firmly establish Hartman as one of TV's best "bad girls," she was able to take a few sabbaticals from villainy, notably as host of the syndicated magazine series Cover Story. Lisa Hartman has remained in the public eye into the 1990s, chiefly as the wife (and frequent singing partner) of country-western star Clint Black. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1996
In this gripping drama, a mother desperately searches the country for her asthmatic son and the ex-husband who kidnapped him. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lisa Hartman, William Russ, (more)
Based on a popular novel by Judith Krantz, this sudsy romantic drama features a prominent photographer who heads to Gay Paree, unaware that greedy family members are plotting to bilk her father out of his valuable ranch land. Love blossoms in the City of Light when she encounters a fellow picture taker. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lisa Hartman, Cliff Robertson, (more)
- 1994
In this made-for-television drama a woman bears a son in a hospital and is confident that the babe in arms she returns home with is her own. Later, she learns she was mistaken and launches a custody battle not only for the child she raised, but also for the one she should have. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lisa Hartman, Bruce Davison, (more)
- 1994
In this chilling thriller, a woman living in Seattle finds herself plagued with visions of a murder that occurred in the 1920s and realizes that the victim was her in an earlier lifetime. She becomes desperate to learns all the details of that death when it becomes apparent that history seems determined to repeat itself. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lisa Hartman, Ken Wahl, (more)
- 1991
The whole story is in the title of this made-for-TV heartstopper. Based on a true 1988 incident, the film details the breakout of a fire in a Los Angeles high-rise. The LA fire department does what it can, but their ladder equipment falls short of the 37-story requirement. Lee Majors, Lisa Hartman and Peter Scolari comprise the all-TV star cast of this Towering Inferno clone (which improves upon its role model): Majors is the LAFD supervisor, while Hartman and Scolari are the unlucky entrapped office workers. The focal point of Fire! Trapped on the 37th Floor is not the conflagration itself but the resourcefulness of the professional firefighters and the improvisational skill with which they utilize their equipment. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lee Majors, Lisa Hartman, (more)
- 1991
Nearly three decades after the cancellation of the original Untouchables TV series, Robert Stack reprises his role as gangbuster Eliot Ness, who returns from retirement to hunt for the killer of a former colleague and finds himself caught in a war between rival mob kingpins in 1947 Chicago. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
- 1991
A yuppie couple find themselves marooned on a desert isle with only the company of two others--a native girl and her American boyfriend. Stripped of their accustomed world of gadgetry as well as most of their clothes, they find the situation prompts them toward a more introspective mode, and they examine the nuts and bolts of their relationship. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Gregory Harrison, Mark Linn-Baker, (more)
- 1991
Uh oh. An alien blob has oozed from the sky and is attempting to suck all the electricity from the earth in this sci-fi film. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
This exercise in patriotic, high-tech action centers on a select group of Navy commandos and their battles against a Middle East terrorist group. This particular squadron is led by a pair of rivals: cocky, fiery Hawkins (Charlie Sheen) and stoic, unflappable Curran (Michael Biehn). When an anti-terrorist mission goes awry, allowing an enemy leader to escape with a supply of stolen American missiles, both men are certain that, given another chance, they can redeem themselves and the squad. Their rivalry plays out against a background of high-powered amphibious battles, allowing the film to revel in dangerous stunts and advanced weaponry. Joanne Whalley-Kilmer provides brief romantic relief as a journalist with important information, but the focus remains on the macho interplay between Hawkins and Curran. Co-written by former Navy Seal Chuck Pfarrer (with Gary Goldman), the film presents authentic details about the elite unit, but the bulk of Navy Seals tends to rely on familiar combat film conventions. Viewers seeking rapidly paced action sequences will not be disappointed, though other viewers may be less likely to overlook the predictable storyline and routine characters. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charlie Sheen, Michael Biehn, (more)
- 1990
In Miami, Ray Sharkey plays a recovering alcoholic-ex-cop/ex-con and possibly a soon-to-be-ex-husband. Upon release from the pen, he tries to go straight, but is confronted once again by the very thing that landed him inside: a Cuban drug cartel. This thriller was made for cable. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi
- 1990
In this made-for-TV movie, Lisa Hartman plays a woman who was given a hysterectomy she is not convinced was necessary. She files a $7 million lawsuit against the surgeon, who has problems of his own to deal with -- namely a contentious divorce from his wife, who also happens to be partners with him in the medical clinic where the surgery was performed. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 1989
- Add Full Exposure: The Sex Tape Scandal to Queue Add Full Exposure: The Sex Tape Scandal to top of Queue
Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal was advertised as being inspired by "today's headlines", though most of those headlines were generated by TV tabloid shows. In her first TV movie, dethroned Miss America Vanessa Williams plays a hooker who specializes in S & M. She videotapes her kinky sexual liaisons, then blackmails the participants. When a mystery killer begins bumping off some of Williams' female compatriots, assistant D.A. Lisa Hartman (we missed that election) is called in on the case. Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal was mercifully buried in the ratings by its powerhouse competition: the premiere telecast of Lonesome Dove. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1988
Though up on murder charges, a stalwart British diplomat refuses to invoke immunity and instead allows Matlock to defend him. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kene Holliday, Lisa Hartman, (more)
- 1987
In this drama, the daughter of an Appalachian miner is determined to get revenge against the cruel mine owner who destroyed her family with his greed. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1987
In this comedy, two high school seniors pretend to be foreign exchange students and suddenly find themselves among the popular kids. They soon find that such popularity is a double-edged sword. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1985
Not long after he lost that "chicken run" to James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), actor Corey Allen switched professional gears to become a prolific film and TV director. Allen was responsible for putting television perennials James Brolin and Lisa Hartman through their paces in Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues. Brolin plays a Beverly Hills cop who teams up with a luscious female private eye from Texas (Hartman, of course). While Brolin prefers peace and quiet, Hartman insists upon rooting out the murderer of a debutante-turned-hooker. Since both stars were gainfully employed on other TV series when Beverly Hills Cowgirl Blues first aired on October 5, 1985, we hesitate to suggest that this film was the pilot for a potential series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1985
The "Black Market Baby" story arc which dominated most of Knots Landing's sixth season is resolved in the first few episodes of Season Seven, as Val Ewing (Joan Van Ark) is tearfully reunited with her twin babies, who had been stolen and auctioned off on the illegal-adoption circuit. This settled, the series can now devote itself to the intrigues involving the rest of its ever-growing cast of regulars. Newly divorced from Karen (Michele Lee), owner of Knots' Landing Motors, crime commissioner Mack MacKenzie (Kevin Dobson) begins an affair with Jill Bennett (Teri Austin), little suspecting that Jill is a few bricks shy of a full load. Val's half-brother Joshua (Alec Baldwin), a former preacher, scores a big hit as a TV personality, but develops a dangerous case of jealousy when his wife and co-star Cathy (Lisa Hartman) gets more fan mail than he does. Subsequently, Joshua dies, an apparent suicide--but when all the facts come out, thanks to an investigation inaugurated by undercover reporter Sonny Harkins. This season, Hunt Block joins the cast as ruthless politician Peter Hollister, the self-proclaimed brother of crooked politico Greg Sumner (William Devane) and potential rival (in more ways than one) of series protagonist Gary Ewing (Ted Shackelford). Also, Ruth Roman is introduced in the role of Sylvia Lean, ex-mistress of Greg Sumner's dad and (supposedly) Peter Hollister's mother. Elsewhere, Gary accidentally causes an arsenic leak that will imperil his Empire Valley estate, not to mention the rest of Knot's Landing; Val enters into a marriage with reporter Ben (Michael Sheehan), which is shattered by Ben's affair with Cathy; after finding out that her mother Abby (Donna Mills) knew all along that Val's babies had been kidnapped, the disillusioned Olivia (Tonya Crowe) turns to drugs; and in the season's penultimate episode, Nicollette Sheridan makes her first appearances as Paige Matheson, illegitimate daughter of Mack MacKenzie and his former lover Anna Matheson (Michelle Phillips). The season's cliffhanger ending revolves around another kidnapping, this time with Karen as the victim and an as-yet-unidentified stranger as the predator. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ted Shackelford, Joan Van Ark, (more)
This WW II drama is set in a Czech village and centers on a strong 30-year-old Jewish woman who must marry a man she dislikes to avoid being sent to a work camp. Eventually the stress of the marriage, the racism, and the war itself builds up and begins to slowly erode the woman's will and mind. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lisa Hartman, Rosemary Leach, (more)
- 1984
- R
This melodrama chronicles a couple's attempt to deal with a failing marriage in the '80s. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi
- 1984
- R
In this mindless movie aping the 1960 hit about teens out for sun, surf, and sex, the "boys" are at the beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida -- the destination of thousands of U.S. university students on their spring break and the destination of the four female protagonists here. After arriving, Jennie (Lisa Hartman) has to decide whether she really cares for Camden (Daniel McDonald), a nerdy musician, or the jock Scott (Russel Todd); Carole (Lorna Luft) has been unexpectedly followed to Lauderdale by a boyfriend; Sandra (Wendy Schaal) falls in love with a cop when she is arrested; and Laurie (Lynn-Holly Johnson) is simply out for a good time with anyone, or everyone. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lisa Hartman, Russell Todd, (more)
- 1984
Season Six of Knots Landing begins with the conniving Abby Cunningham (Donna Mills) finding herself the victim rather than the predator for a change when she is kidnapped by the sinister Mark St. Claire (Joseph Chapman). Meanwhile, Karen Fairgate MacKenzie (Michele Lee), having been wounded by a gunshot meant for her business partner Gary Ewing (Ted Shackelford), clings desperately to life. Ultimately, Abby is rescued by the timely intervention of Senator Greg Sumner (William Devane)--which does not in any way diminish the fact that Sumner is a crook, whose mob-connected machinations will have a negative impact on practically everyone else in the cast, including Greg's future bride Laura (Constance McCashlin), the former wife of attorney Richard Avery. And although it is nip and tuck for a while, Karen survives the shooting. Several new characters are introduced this season, not least of which is Greg Sumner's stepmother Ruth Sumner Galveston, played by Ava Gardner in her TV series debut. Howard Duff is seen as Greg's father Paul Galveston, an unscrupulous tycoon whom Karen's crime-commissioner husband Mack (Kevin Dobson) intends to bring to justice. Also, Alec Baldwin makes his first appearance as TV evangelist Joshua Rush, ostensibly the nephew of Lilimae Clement (Julie Harris) but actually her son, meaning he is also the half brother of the long-suffering Val Ewing (Joan Van Ark)--of whom, much more later! To her everlasting regret, local waitress Cathy Geary (Lisa Hartman) will become the wife of Joshua Rush before the season is over. Finally, Teri Austin is introduced as Jill Bennett, a woman who is destined to very nearly bring about the demise of both Val Ewing and her ex-husband Gary. Above all else, Season Five is the year of the "Black Market Babies", as Val gives birth to twins, only to have them stolen from her by an unscrupulous doctor and auctioned off on the illegal adoption market. Although everyone in Knots Landing has been convinced that Val's babies were stillborn--everyone, that is, but Abby, who gloms onto the truth but cruelly keeps her mouth shut--Val stubbornly refuses to accept this and leaves town, determined to prove that her children are still alive. In the process, she becomes unhinged and assumes a new identity, "Verna Ellers." Resurfacing in a small Tennessee community, "Verna"--completely unaware of her previous existence--falls in love with a local dry cleaner and accepts his marriage proposal! In the season's cliffhanger finale, Val is on the verge of reclaiming her babies from their adoptive parents, Harry and Sheila Fisher (Joe Regalbuto, Robin Ginsburg)...and then... ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ted Shackelford, Joan Van Ark, (more)
- 1983
The fourth-season murder of singer Cijji Dunne still looms large over the main characters of Knots Landing as the series launches its fifth year on the air. After briefly suspecting Cijji's erstwhile lover Gary Ewing (Ted Shackelford) and Gary's wife Val (Joan Van Ark), Federal prosecutor Mack McKenzie (Kevin Dobson) concludes that the guilty party is Chip Robert (Michael Sabatino), the unscrupulous literary agent who'd been representing Val's efforts to promote her novel. Though Chip manages to skip town, he is brought to justice--temporarily, at least--when he is "accidentally" struck down by the car driven by Val's mercurial mother Lilimae (Julie Harris). In a plot development of more wide-ranging significance, Gary Ewing moves out of his cul-de-sac home in Knots Landing and into their new ranch, using money left to Gary by his late oil-magnate father Jock Ewing. Sharing the ranch is Gary's new wife, the conniving Abby Cunningham (Donna Mills), who hopes that by ensnaring Gary she can expand her own base of power. As for Gary's ex-spouse Val, she will inaugurate a brand new story arc near season's end by announcing that she is pregnant--without revealing the identity of the father. Elsewhere, Gary's business partner Karen (Joan Van Ark), still not completely recovered from such past traumas as the murder of her husband, begins to rely heavily upon drugs. New to the cast this season is William Devane as Mack's old friend, Senator Gregory Sumner, who has risen to the highest political circles via his close connections with the Mob. Believing that every man has his price, Sumner will be quite taken aback to discover that Mack is completely incorruptible--whereupon the "good senator" will do everything in his power to destroy Mack. Meanwhile, Greg's daughter Mary Frances (Danielle Brisbois) will enjoy a romance with Karen's son Eric (Steve Shaw). As for Eric's sister Diana (Claudia Lonow), she will befriend the redoubtable Abby and move in with her on the Ewing spread--a plot contrivance that will seal the doom of fugitive murderer Chip Roberts when Diana causes his accidental demise. Another cast addition is Lisa Hartman as waitress Cathy, whose first appearance proves quite a shock to the other regulars, inasmuch as she is a dead ringer for the murdered Cijji Dunne. Also making their first appearances are Douglas Sheehan as reporter Ben Gibson, who comes to Val's aid when she is briefly suspected of murder and falls for her in the process; and Danny Ponce, taking over from Matthew Newmark in the role of Jason Avery. The season's traditional "cliffhanger" finale--which, incidentally, also marks the 100th episode of Knots' Landing--finds Karen being felled by a gunshot meant for Gary, and Abby in the clutches of kidnapper Mark St. Claire (Joseph Chapman). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ted Shackelford, Joan Van Ark, (more)
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