Ed Nelson Movies
Muscular leading man Ed Nelson started out as a member of quickie-filmmaker Roger Corman's stock company, appearing in such drive-in fodder as Hot Rod Girl (1956), Invasion of the Saucer Men (1957) and Cry Baby Killer. In these and other low-budgeters of the late 1950s, Nelson not only starred, but doubled on the technical crew: he was one of several production assistants portraying the title crustacean in The Attack of the Crab Monsters (1956), and designed and operated the parasite props in 1958's The Brain Eaters, which he also produced. Eventually outgrowing such things, Nelson rose to TV stardom as Dr. Michael Rossi on the prime time soap opera Peyton Place, which ran from 1964 through 1969. He later starred as Ward Fuller on The Silent Force (1970) and as Dr. Michael Wise in Doctor's Private Lives (1979). In 1969, Nelson hosted a daily, syndicated talk show, which he was ultimately forced to give up when he decided to enter politics ("conflict of interests" and "equal time" were still considerations back then). Ed Nelson has continued accepting supporting film and TV roles to the present time; he recently harked back to his short career in public service when he played President Truman in the 1992 Brooke Shields flick Brenda Starr. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Jackie Chan wrote, directed and stars in this English-language action-comedy tale of about a commando group that travels to South Africa to kidnap scientists working on new energy sources. However, a Washington-based cover-up requires a downed plane after completion of the mission, and Jackie is the only survivor of the plane crash. When the crash trauma leaves him with amnesia, his question, "Who am I?" becomes his name -- Whoami. Recognized by CIA agent Morgan (Ron Smerczak), Whoami learns covert operatives have sent assassins to eliminate him, and the martial arts footwork gets fancy with Whoami heading to Rotterdam in hopes of recovering his memory. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Michelle Ferre, (more)
- 1995
A doctor returns to her home island off the Mississippi coast in the wake of 1969's Hurricane Camille and ends up trying to solve the mystery of a traumatized, teenage foundling in this brooding character study. Dr. Dorie Walsh has returned to take over the island clinic, which, like many of the island's buildings, has been destroyed by the storm. Her reunion with her cold, distant mother is not joyful. The mystery begins when someone brings her an unconscious 15-year-old girl. If any one in the biologically close-knit Southern community knows her identity, the aren't telling. Dr. Walsh begins running various tests on the girl, whom she names after the hurricane, but after very little results she begins suspecting the girl is a wild child who has had little or no human contact. Her continued search into the mystery of Camille leads Walsh down many puzzling paths and into encounters with some fairly sinister local characters. In finding out the painful, surprising truth about Camille, Dr. Walsh is forced to come to terms with the traumas from her own past. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Megan Follows leaves her Anne of Green Gables TV persona behind to portray Lila Nolan, a young Boston-based nurse who is suspected of mercy killing. Two of Lila's elderly patients have died under mysterious circumstances, and now she has arrived in Cabot Cove to provide home care for ailing Maggie Saunders (Audra Lindley)--who happens to be the best friend of Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury). Be assured that murder will soon rear its ugly head, and that Jessica will find herself in the position of defending Lila against a false charge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
- NR
After a terrible hurricane ravages a tropical island, a young doctor discovers an autistic child wandering about. This touching drama follows the doctor's attempts to help her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kathleen York, Karen Black, (more)
- 1992
The community players of Cabot Cove have chosen to stage a play about a 17th century witch who had placed a curse on the town just before her execution. Cast in the lead role is Mariah Osborne (Mary Crosby), a newcomer to the town. Before long, strange things begin happening, convincing the townsfolk that Mariah is not merely acting, but is in truth the reincarnation of the notorious witch. Assisting Jessica (Angela Lansbury) in her investigation of the inevitable murder is the town's new deputy Dave Anderson, played by Louis Herthum--who in his previous series appearance was known as "Deputy Andy Bloom." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
- R
This overlooked but entertaining direct-to-video oddity plunges into the nightmarish experiences of a portly, depressed psychic medium (Deborah Rose), whose involvement in a grisly child-murder case leads her and her detective partner (Ed Nelson) to an imposing, fortress-like mortuary. Chen (Robert Yun Ju Ahn), the owner of the funeral home and prime suspect in the case, claims the three mummified corpses in question are not children but ancient demons known as "kyoshi." It seems the little monsters have been around for centuries as a result of an age-old curse and can only be placated with offerings of human flesh -- with which the mortician has been supplying them his entire life. When Chen is jailed on murder charges, the under-fed ghouls awaken in search of dinner, trapping the staff inside the mortuary walls and munching down on them. The survivors, including Rose and Nelson, use every means at their disposal to combat the demons -- which have managed to possess the bodies of morgue attendant Mrs. Poopenplatz (Phyllis Diller) and her poodle, mutating them into hideous hell-beasts (not much of a stretch, really). Despite the presence of Diller and some rather outrageous set-pieces, director James Cummins plays the material remarkably straight. Standouts include a good performance by Rose and some truly creepy demon-attacks, marred only slightly by a clunky script and uneven pacing. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Keith Michell dominates this episode in the role of Dennis Stanton, ex-jewel thief turned insurance investigator. While probing into a theft and double murder, Dennis decides to use his own criminal knowhow to trap the culprit. At the center of the intrigue is a rare silver dollar, an icy dowager, and a few random suspicious-looking gentlemen with accents. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
- PG13
An impoverished adolescent outcast becomes a deadly, vengeful killer against his tormentors after he finds a super-secret anti-matter gun lying in an Arizona stream bed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rodney Eastman, Kim Walker, (more)
- 1987
A terminally ill nun apparently commits suicide--which of course is a mortal sin in the eyes of the Catholic church. In order to prove that the nun did not die by her own hand, the dead woman's Mother Superior (Jane Powell) prevails upon her old friend Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) to follow the trail of clues--one of which reveals some disturbingly sordid details. This episode is distinguished a particularly stellar cast of veteran actors, including Audrey Totter in her last role before retirement. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this drama, two young attorneys jeopardize their careers by defending a hated accused murderer whom they believe is innocent. Unfortunately, his confidential confession to them indicates otherwise. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1986
- PG
Brook Shields plays the comic-strip journalist, Brenda Starr, who travels to a South American jungle on an assignment. It is there that she covers the story about a mad scientist who plans to blow up the planet with his newly developed rocket fuel. Also appearing are Timothy Dalton and Charles Durning, among others, who don Bob Mackie-designed costumes. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brooke Shields, Timothy Dalton, (more)
- 1986
- PG
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In this third installment of the slapstick comedy series about novice police officers with less than dubious abilities, two police academies have to compete with each other in order to stay in business. The state's skinflint governor claims he has less money to spread around, so one of the police training academies is going to be axed. Commandant Lassard (George Gaynes) calls back some of his former recruits to train the new batch of students, hoping to get the edge on the rival academy. Among the newcomers are brassy Cadet Zed (Bobcat Goldthwait), who is a former gang leader, and his roommate Cadet Sweetchuck (Tim Kazurinsky). Sweetchuck is a wimpy noodle whose Clint Eastwood impersonation is one of the film's most honestly funny moments. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Guttenberg, Bubba Smith, (more)
- 1985
The setting is New Orleans, where a prominent jazz musician is killed onstage in full view of a nightclub audience. It turns out that the victim was done in by a rare South American poison. So what does all this have to do with Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury? Well, it seems that a similar murder with the same weapon occurred in one of Jessica's mystery novels--a most embarrassing turn of events, especially since Jessica was in the audience at the time of the real murder! B-picture icons Robert Clarke and Jackie Joseph show up in supporting roles in this episode, which also boasts an unusually strong (for 1985!) cast of prominent African American actors. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
In this drama, set twenty years after the original saga, a woman comes to the tumultuous New England village to investigate the mysterious disappearance of her mother and discovers that the town's most respected citizens have been keeping a series of dark, disturbing secrets. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1982
A career woman is so desperate to conceive a child that when her boyfriend the sportswriter comes up short, she goes looking for a fertile stranger in this made-for-TV comic outing. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Suzanne Pleshette, Gil Gerard, (more)
- 1981
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Quincy (Jack Klugman) races against time to locate and neutralize the mysterious neurological disease that has already claimed three lives on a luxury liner. Though some of the pasengers have managed to escape to shore, the ship is now quarantined and prohibited from docking at any port. Thus Quincy must not only stem the epidemic, but also track down those on dry land who may still be spreading it--and worse yet, his own girlfriend Janet (Diana Muldaur) is now gravely ill. Originally telecast over a two-week period, Slow Boat to Madness has since been syndicated as a single two-hour "TV movie." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
In the first episode of a two-part story, Quincy (Jack Klugman) and his lady friend Janet (Diana Muldaur) are enjoying a luxury cruise to Tahiti, when tragedy strikes. One man suddenly jumps overboard and drown, while another is murdered--and the murderer subsequently dies himself. It turns out that a mysterious but deadly illness is rapidly spreading throughout the cruiser...and unless Quincy is able to isolate the source of the disease, no one will ever set foot on shore again. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
A compassionate social worker puts her own life in jeopardy when she begins investigating a powerful businessman suspected of selling babies on the black market. Kate Carlin (Lynda Carter) has dedicated her entire life to helping children. When Kate discovers that a local businessman has been taking advantage of troubled teens by purchasing their unwanted babies and selling them for a sizable profit, she makes it her personal mission to gather evidence against him and ensure that justice is served. But this is one businessman whose connections go all the way to the top, and when he discovers that Kate is about to bust the case wide open he makes it clear that he'll do everything in his power to silence her forever. Harold Gould and Dean Stockwell co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynda Carter, Dean Stockwell, (more)
- 1980
As made obvious by its title, this TV movie was an attempt to revive the once-popular private eye series Cannon, which ran from 1971 to 1976. Emerging from self-imposed retirement, corpulent gumshoe Frank Cannon (William Conrad) investigates the death of an old friend who formely worked for the CIA. Officially, the death has been ruled a suicide, but Cannon, as usual, has his doubts. Also mixed up in the intrigue is Cannon's former sweetheart and a Hughes-like millionaire. First telecast November 1, 1980 on CBS, The Return of Frank Cannon did not result in a weekly series, but William Conrad was able to find solace in his starring role on the subsequent weekly Nero Wolfe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
John D. MacDonald's offbeat semifantasy novel The Girl, the Gold Watch and Everything was enjoyably hoked up for television in this "Operation Prime Time" presentation. Robert Hays stars as Kirby Winter, an unprepossessing chap who inherits a gold watch from his late uncle. Kirby soon discovers that the watch has the power to stop time. It also provides a clue to a hidden fortune, meaning that there's trouble aplenty in store for Kirby and his air-headed girlfriend Bonnie Lee Beaumont (Pam Dawber). First syndicated to local stations on October 13, 1980, The Girl, the Gold Watch and Everything was offered in two versions: as a standard 2-hour movie, and as cliff-hanging series of five half-hour programs. So successful was this non-network effort that it spawned a 1981 sequel, The Girl, the Gold Watch and Dynamite. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
This made-for-TV historical drama chronicles the personal and professional lives of Colonel Tibbets and the airmen who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The story is based on a book by Gordon Thomas and Max Gordon Witts and also looks at the ways in which the aftermath of the bombing affected their lives. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1979
In the conclusion of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single "TV movie"), glamorous socialite Kendall Warren (Lauren Bacall) insists upon helping Jim (James Garner) track down the mysterious assailant who has been trying to kill her--and to find out why she has been thus targetted. This case hits a snag when the most likely suspect, gangster Tommy Minnette (Carmine Caridi), ends up murdered himself. And what has become of Princess Irene (Dana Wynter), the woman who hired Jim to protect Kendall in the first place? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
This two-part episode (originally telecast as a single two-hour "TV movie") was a byproduct of Robert Altman's theatrical feature H.E.A.L.T.H, in which costars James Garner and Lauren Bacall hit it off so well that Bacall asked to play a guest role on Garner's TV series. The screen legend is cast as Kendall Warren, jet-setting best friend of Princess Irene Rachevsky (Dana Wynter). When it becomes obvious that someone is trying to kill Kendall, the Princess asks Jim (James Garner) to investigate. The trail of clues leads to a lethal costume party, capped by the inevitable arrival of Jim's perennial "bete noire" Lt. Chapman (James Luisi). And keep an eye out for that celebrated socialite "Lord Evelyn Martin"--who looks an awful lot like our old friend Angel (Stuart Margolin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
The made-for-TV Anatomy of a Seduction was originally telecast May 8, 1979. Susan Flannery plays a divorcee who assuages her loneliness by starting an affair with 20-year-old Jameson Parker. It so happens that Parker is the son of Flannery's best friend Rita Moreno, who doesn't take it well when she finds out what's going on. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
At the height of his Three's Company popularity, John Ritter accepted an intensely dramatic role in the made-for-TV Leave Yesterday Behind. The carefree life of college athlete and veterinary student Paul Stallings (John Ritter) is grotesquely altered when he is paralyzed in an accident during a polo match. Attractive horse trainer Marny Clarkson (Carrie Fisher) tries her best to lift Paul out of his funk after his tragic mishap, and in so doing falls in love with him, leaving her fiance (Robert Urich) in the lurch. Some much-needed laughs are provided by Carmen Zapata as Paul's Mexican housekeeper, while Buddy Ebsen as the hero's country-doctor grandfather dispense his usual crusty sagacity. Leave Yesterday Behind was first offered by ABC on May 14, 1978. ~TV Guide/Marrill/Internet/Expert ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
