Patricia Neal Movies

The Face: Jesus in Art provides a thorough lesson in art history, exploring the diverse and numerous artistic representations of Jesus Christ rendered over the last 2,000 years. The film discusses the influence these depictions of Christ have had on the world's aesthetic, and also analyzes the varying stylistic interpretations of the man millions call the son of God. Viewers feast their eyes on Michelangelo's revered work, the catacombs of Rome, the contents of Chartres Cathedral, and much more. ~ Betsy Boyd, Rovi

According to this made-for-cable documentary, stage and film star John Garfield set the standard for naturalistic acting that blazed the trail for such future "method" types as Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro. Lovingly narrated by Garfield's actress daughter, Julie Garfield, the film details the early childhood of Julius Garfinkel in the mean streets of New York, his fascination with acting, his absorption into the influential Group Theatre, and his ultimate journey to Hollywood, where as John Garfield, he earned an Oscar nomination for his first starring feature film, Four Daughters. From there, Garfield's star continued to ascend, unaffected by his internal battles with the studio bosses and his many marital infidelities. Yet for all his fame and fortune on the silver screen, Garfield was frustrated at being typecast as a "tough guy," yearning for more substantial, three-dimensional roles. With rare exceptions, such roles would elude him in Hollywood, compelling him to return to New York at the height of his movie popularity to star in Clifford Odets' Broadway hit The Big Knife -- ironically the story of a movie idol who had "sold out." Though extremely liberal in his politics, Garfield was never a Communist, but this didn't stop him from being persecuted by the HUAC in the late '40s, which led to his being blacklisted in Hollywood. Hounded and tormented by the anti-Red witch hunt of the era, Garfield's health suffered mightily, and by age 39 he was dead. In addition to an abundance of precious film clips (including rare footage of the actor's only TV appearance), The John Garfield Story features interviews from Garfield's co-worker's, friends, family members, and modern-day fans. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Michael Chekhov and George Shdanoff were Russian expatriates who came to Hollywood and became two of the best known and most influential acting coaches in the film industry; Chekhov was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in Spellbound, and as a teacher he and his associate Shdanoff helped guide the careers of Leslie Caron, Patricia Neal, Gregory Peck, Rex Harrison, Marilyn Monroe and Clint Eastwood. From Russia to Hollywood provides a glimpse into their lives and careers as Chekhov flees Russia for Germany after the Communist government expresses its displeasure with his productions for the Moscow Art Theater (Stanislavsky considered Chekhov a genius, but the government considered him ideologically unsound). When the Nazis began to rise to power, Chekhov relocated to the United States, where he taught acting when not busy with his own career on the stage and screen. Here, several of Chekhov and Shdanoff's better known students discuss their work and how their teachings effected a generation of Hollywood actors. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

When a mother will not tell where her child is because she maintains that her ex-husband abused the girl, the mother is imprisoned in this true story. ~ Rovi

This is one of several seventh-season Murder She Wrote episodes introduced by Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) but starring Dennis Stanton (Keith Michell), a jewel thief turned insurance investigator. Stanton's latest assignment is to investigate the suspicious events surrounding a fire that destroyed the hands of famous concert pianist Vaclav Maryska (Ricardo Montalban). The intrigue reaches a crescendo when Maryska's wife Milena (Patricia Neal) is murdered, with a veritable orchestra of suspects at Stanton's disposal. As usual, Stanton is more or less assisted by ditzy Rhoda Markowitz (Hallie Todd) and by flustered Lt. Catalano (Ken Swofford). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This made-for-Disney drama is the fact-based account of Morris Frank (Timothy Bottoms), who, during the 1930s, trained America's first seeing-eye dog. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

This 1981 John Irvin picture constitutes an adaptation of Peter Straub's colossal, bestselling novel. The central plot -- shared by both book and film -- revolves around the four elderly members of the Chowder Society (Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and John Houseman), who gather in each other's drawing rooms each winter to sip cognac and spin elaborate ghost stories. The four men also share a dark secret far more unsettling than fiction -- a secret which has literally come back to haunt them, as well as their own adult offspring. Each man is visited by a hideous specter bearing the likeness of a young woman (Alice Krige) they accidentally killed 50 years ago when spurning her mischievous sexual advances. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Years after directing the classic Marty (1955), Delbert Mann became a creator of prestige TV movie projects, none more daunting than his adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front (1979). Richard Thomas stars as Paul Baumer, a teen who, at the urging of zealously patriotic teacher Kantorek (Donald Pleasence) enthusiastically enlists to fight for Germany in WWI, accompanied by several school chums. After training at the hands of the sadistic Corporal Himmelstoss (Ian Holm), Paul and his friends head for the front. There, they discover that war is a bloody, deadly business, although they are heartened by the presence of their commander, wily veteran Stanislaus Katczinsky (Ernest Borgnine). When a French soldier jumps into the bomb crater where Paul has taken refuge one night, he is forced to stab the enemy, then must watch the man die in agony. This incident and the violent deaths of his friends convince Paul that war is a senseless exercise. One of the most respected anti-war novels ever written, the book resulted in the German citizenship of author Erich Maria Remarque being revoked by the Nazi Party. Though a 1930 film adaptation by Lewis Milestone was widely beloved by fans of cinema and the source material, Mann's TV movie was well received, earning a Golden Globe and Emmys for Borgnine and Patricia Neal, who played Paul's mother. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

In this film, the arrival of some unwanted visitors interrupts the peaceful Cuban home life of sisters Dolores (Valentine Cortese), Carmen (Jadwiga Branska), and Elvira (Yvonne Mitchell) when their presence stirs up unwelcome memories. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi

In the first episode of a two-part story, Patricia Neal guest stars as Julie Sanderson, a terminally ill widow. On the threshold of death, Julia asks Charles (Michael Landon) to find good homes for her three children. In his efforts to honor Julia's wishes, Charles is faced with the depressing likelihood that the Sanderson kids will have to be split up. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In a better than average TV melodrama, Patricia Neal is the mother of a Wisconsin farm family who has just discovered that she has leukemia and it is terminal. Her goal for the remainder of her life becomes keeping those around her as happy as possible, making them realize what they have to live for. Neal is excellent, with a good supporting cast. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi

When actor Lionel Jeffries turned to directing in the 1970s, he exhibited a preference for whimsy, as witness The Railway Children. Jeffries' Baxter is a notable exception to this rule, though, as with his other directorial efforts, he shows a keen sensitivity for the travails of troubled youngsters. Scott Jacoby plays Baxter, a boy with a marked speech impediment. His affliction worsens as his parents' marriage disintegrates. Patricia Neal plays a dedicated speech therapist who realizes that Baxter's problems go deeper than his inability to speak normally. Baxter was scripted by "Golden Age" TV veteran Reginald Rose. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This made-for-TV drama, based on the book by Earl Hamner Jr., was the basis for the popular long-running television series The Waltons. In this opening installment, the Waltons, led by matriarch Olivia Walton (Patricia Neal), spend an anxious 1933 Christmas Eve together as they await the arrival of their father during a snowstorm. The film won the Golden Globe Award for "Best TV-Movie" that year, and Neal won the "Best Actress" award for her performance. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi