Richard O'Brien Movies
Character actor Richard O'Brien was born in Fargo, ND, in 1917, far away from the bright lights of Hollywood. He didn't begin acting until the age of 46, when he began making appearances on numerous TV shows, from Family Affair to The Fugitive, often coming back to make subsequent appearances on the same show, but playing different characters. O'Brien's ability to take on a new persona so convincingly would keep him in steady work for decades to come, until his death in 1983 at the age of 66. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide- 1980
The 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid provides the setting for this drama that centers on a man's mid-life crisis. While there, he gets involved with love, sex and other diversions. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1979
Because the producers couldn't get clearance to film on the real Golden Gate bridge, The Golden Gate Murders is enacted upon a distressingly unconvincing studio mock-up. The film itself is far better than its backdrop: David Janssen stars as a detective investigating the supposed suicide of a priest. Susannah York portrays a nun who is anxious to save the priest's immortal soul by proving that his fatal plunge into San Francisco Bay was murder, not suicide. A curious, chaste romance develops between cop and nun, which turns out to be more interesting at times than the case at hand. Golden Gate Murders was released theatrically as Specter on the Bridge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Quincy (Jack Klugman) investigates when the mother and sister of apparent murder victim Peter Nielsen (Bruce Wright)--whom he has already officially declared dead--come forth to declare that the "dead" man is not only still alive, but has been in contact with them since the "killing." The investigation leads to a downtown messenger service, which turns out to be a front for an illegal drug ring. Appearing as the alleged victim's mother is Priscilla Pointer, in real life the mother of actress Amy Irving. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Opting for light entertainment after the critical satire of Shampoo (1975), producer-director-writer-star Warren Beatty remade the 1941 comic fantasy Here Comes Mr. Jordan. Dimly amiable L.A. Rams quarterback Joe Pendleton (Beatty) is prematurely called to Heaven by an over-eager escort (Buck Henry, who co-directed) after a traffic accident. When archangel Mr. Jordan (James Mason) discovers the error, he offers to return Joe to his body, only to find that it has been cremated. On the verge of playing in the Super Bowl, Joe demands a fit body rather than the old about-to-be-murdered industrialist Farnsworth he has been offered, but he reconsiders when he sees environmentalist Betty Logan (Julie Christie) in Farnsworth's house. Assuming Farnsworth's body while keeping his sweet self, Joe hires his beloved coach Max Corkle (Jack Warden) to get him in shape (after convincing Max who he really is), sets Farnsworth's business on an eco-friendly path, and romances Betty. Farnsworth's homicidal wife (Dyan Cannon) and secretary (Charles Grodin), however, are still determined to succeed in their plan to kill him. When Mr. Jordan finally finds the Super Bowl body Joe wanted, Joe has to trade his old self for the new life -- but will he remember his love for Betty? Heaven Can Wait offered contemporary yet old-fashioned escapism and tapped into the late-1970s vogue for nostalgic fun, becoming one of 1978's most popular summer movies after Grease. Updating the original while following its blueprint, Beatty and co-writer Elaine May switched Joe's sport and turned Joe into a man of his '70s moment, adoring Betty for her convictions and favoring "green" policies over corporate greed. Gently breathing life into a classic form, Heaven Can Wait found romantic innocence in a jaded time, and it went on to receive nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, (more)
- 1978
This 1978 TV movie was the first of two pilots for a cop series titled--yes--Two-Five The title refers to a woebegone Big City precinct where all the malcontents and misfits on the force are transferred. The latest arrivals at Two-Five are undercover cops Don Johnson ("introduced" in the ad copy as a "bright new comedy star") and Joe Bennett, who have recently capped their many mistakes by arresting the mayor's mother during a gambling raid. The boys try to toe the line, but those pesky criminals just won't go away, most notably a drug kingpin whom Johnson and Bennett have been trying to nail for years. The Two-Five was followed in 1979 by another 90-minute pilot with the same title and the same cast, but with a different director (Jules Irving). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The longest (26-1/2 hours), most expensive ($25 million) and most complicated (four directors, five producers, five cinematographers, almost 100 speaking parts, several hundred extras) project made for television up to that time, Centennial was shown in two- and three-hour installments over a period of four months. An adaptation of James Michener's best-selling novel, it told the story of the settling of the American West by looking at the founding of the fictional town of Centennial, Colorado, from the settling of the area in the late 18th century to the present. Emmy-nominated for film editing and art direction, it boasts of sterling performances from Richard Chamberlain as frontiersman Alexander McKeag, Robert Conrad as the French-Canadian trapper Pasquinel, and a surprisingly powerful performance from former football star Alex Karras as compassionate but iron-willed immigrant farmer Hans Brumbaugh. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Four small-town businessmen hire Jim (James Garner) to help them purchase a fire engine--or at least that's their story. Sizing up the detective and jumping to the conclusion that he will do anything for $20,000, the men instruct Jim to murder a young actress (Priscilla Barnes) who threatens to reveal that they've been defrauding the IRS. Of course, they're wrong--but Jim is equally wrong when he assumes that the police will believe him when he tries to inform on the foursome. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
- PG
Director Robert Clouse, maker of the martial-arts masterpiece Enter the Dragon returns with The Pack, a well-directed, interesting little horror film about a pack of pugnacious puppies who run amok on an island resort. Veteran action star (Joe Don Baker) plays the marine biologist forced to deal with the dilemma when the dogs begin to exhibit their killer instincts by hunting down and killing resort patrons, a result of neglect by their human owners. Although the prospect of dying in the jaws of a West Highland Terrier may seem improbable, Clouse imbues the film with genuine suspense and provides a few legitimate shocks, a testament to his skill at the helm. Released around the same time as Jaws amidst a slew of killer animal rip-offs, The Pack was undeservedly dismissed by critics. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Don Baker, Hope Alexander-Willis, (more)
- 1977
The townsfolk of Walnut Grove are in an uproar when a local Indian chief, Spotted Wolf (Guillermo San Juan), jumps his reservation to lead his people out of town. When Spotted Wolf suffers a stroke, his son Little Crow (Nick Ramus) seeks out help from the white townspeople -- but to no avail. It falls to Charles Ingalls (Michael Landon) to come to the aid of Spotted Wolf, and to make his neighbors realize the error of their blind bigotry. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, (more)
Robert Stevenson, Walt Disney Productions' house director, cobbled together his 19th family film for the organization with this slapstick sequel to the Disney comedy The Shaggy Dog (produced 17 years after the fact). Dean Jones plays Wilby Daniels, a lawyer running against the villainous John Slade (Keenan Wynn) for district attorney. His campaign is cast into doubt when he comes upon an ancient ring that transforms him into a fat sheepdog. But the campaign progresses on a level playing field when the unscrupulous Slade finds himself also turned into a canine -- a disgruntled bulldog. Another sequel, The Return of the Shaggy Dog, followed. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Jones, Tim Conway, (more)
In this Disney comedy, a pair of spoiled kids, bored by their filthy rich grandfather, decide they'd rather be with their mom who is in Hong Kong. In order to get her attention, they engineer their own kidnapping. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Niven, Darren McGavin, (more)
- 1975
Eugene Roche is cast as alcoholic police detective Lyle "Sandy" Beech, whose drinking and dereliction of duty has gotten him demoted to patrolman on his old beat. Determined to win back his badge, Sandy embarks upon a personal mission to capture the murderer of his friend and colleague. But in so doing, the ex-detective threatens to sabotage the official murder investigation conducted by Lt. Kojak (Telly Savalas). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
Returning Home attempts to do in 72 minutes what the Oscar-winning 1946 film The Best Years of Our Lives did in 172. This TV movie is a potted remake of that classic film, tracing the lives of three returning World War II servicemen. Dabney Coleman plays the Fredric March role as a married banker with two grown children. Tom Selleck fills Dana Andrews' shoes as a decorated ex-pilot who is grounded in peacetime by a dead end job and an unhappy marriage. And James Miller is a sailor who has lost both arms in the war, a fact that his family and fiancee struggle to come to grips with. Just as in the case of Best Years of Our Lives' Harold Russell, James Miller is a genuine amputee who'd been wounded in Vietnam. Why did Returning Home try to pack so much plot and so many characters into so short a running time? Because it was the pilot for an unsold TV series...titled The Best Years of Our Lives. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
A tense turf battle between rival street gangs becomes full-fledged warfare after one teen is knifed in a reprisal raid. Caught in the middle is dedicated youth-center worker Eddie Griffin, played by former Mission: Impossible regular Greg Morris. Efforts by Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) to avoid further bloodshed are complicated by Griffin's insistence upon trying to defuse the situation himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
John-Boy (Richard Thomas) catches his friend Yancy Tucker (Robert Donner) stealing chickens, but decides not to tell their sheriff. This may prove to be the wrong decision when chicken farmer Charlie Potter (Richard O'Brien) is shot--and Yancy is the only likely suspect. And speaking of thievery, Ben (Eric Scott) gets himself in hot water when he "borrows" one of John-Boy's old poems, "A Winter Mountain", to win a literary competition. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
- PG
Bud Yorkin directed this middling comedy, written by Walter Hill from a novel by Terrence Lore Smith. Ryan O'Neal plays a computer expert named Webster, who alleviates on-the-job doldrums by moonlighting as a successful jewel thief. Webster invites himself to upscale soirees, where he cases out the location and proceeds with his heists. During his adventures, he meets up with Laura (Jacqueline Bisset), a high society woman who teams up with Webster to assist on his heists. Gradually the two fall in love. However, it's not all easy going, since an insurance detective (Warren Oates) suspects that Webster is the jewel thief but he has no proof ... yet. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ryan O'Neal, Jacqueline Bisset, (more)
- 1973
A meek, downtrodden man named Staley (Mario Roccuzzo) hopes to get even for a lifetime of being browbeaten and humiliated. His plan involves planting a time bomb in a high-rise office building, then tipping off the FBI. The problem facing Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) is the fact that Staley has neglected to reveal the name of the city where the building is standing! Prominently featured in the cast is Victor French, soon to be a fixture of such Michael Landon-produced efforts as Little House on the Prairie and Highway to Heaven. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
- PG
Originally released as Nightmare Honeymoon, this lurid thriller stars Dack Rambo and Rebecca Diana Smith. Rambo plays a Vietnam vet (he's certainly got the right name for it), while Rebecca is cast as his new bride, an heiress. While on their honeymoon, the newlyweds witness a murder and Rebecca is raped. Rambo's killer instinct quickly rises to the surface. Based on a novel by Lawrence Block, Deadly Honeymoon was to have been directed by Nicolas Roeg, but he ankled the project after less than a week and was replaced by Elliot Silverstein. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
- R
Three teens--a half Navajo (Dean Stockwell), a rebellious girl (Pat Stich) and a retarded boy (Todd Susman)--hit the road after they're accused of killing a policeman. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1972
- PG
The exciting world of rodeo provides the framework for this western saga that centers around a temperamental bronc rider who tries prove himself worthy of his wife, son, and his best friend's respect. He also wants to keep his freedom. Songs include: "Easy Made for Lovin," "My Special Day," "I'm a Rodeo Cowboy." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Coburn, Lois Nettleton, (more)
- 1972
James Stacy is cast as Peter Forrest, an AWOL Vietnam veteran determined to connect with the son that he's never seen. Resorting to kidnapping the boy, the increasingly unbalanced Forrest leads detectives Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) on a frenzied chase. Also swept up in the melodrama is Forrest's ex-wife Joan (Linda Marsh), and Barney and Martha Reardon (Richard O'Brien, Nancy Wickwire), the kidnapped child's adoptive parents--and the only mother and father he has ever known. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Young singer John Davidson is cast, appropriately enough, as young singer Tory Hughes. When his contract is taken over by a Mob loan shark, Tory discovers to his chagrin that his whole life is being taken over as well. Indeed, Tory is expected to lure other unwitting victims into the shark's jaws--unless the FBI can put an end to the whole sordid mess. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
In a plot reminiscent of such "perfect crime" films as The Asphalt Jungle and The Killing, three strangers are brought together to commit a $900,000 bank robbery. Much of the preliminary footage is devoted to establishing the personalities and motives of the three crooks. Playboy Eliot Fielding (Peter Haskell) has turned criminal in hopes of wooing and winning his wealthy girlfriend; George Whelan (Richard O'Brien wants to use his cut to open a hardware store; and lifelong loser Roy Mills (Albert Salmi) desires to fulfill his pathetically childish dreams of luxury. As expected, the best-laid plans go horribly awry when the three thieves end up as reluctant kidnappers (appearing as the father of the kidnap victim is former movie Tarzan Lex Barker). This is the final episode of The F.B.I.'s sixth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Peter Falk revived his Lieutenant Columbo characterization, first seen in 1967's Prescription: Murder, for the made-for-TV Ransom for a Dead Man. Lee Grant plays a wily lawyer who murders her husband, then arranges to make it appear that he's been kidnapped. The plan is to allow the body to be found by the cops during the ransom pickup, leaving Grant in the clear. But Columbo has "just one more question," and slowly but surely wears down Grant's alibi. Written and produced by Richard Levinson and William O. Link, Ransom for a Dead Man was the official pilot for the subsequent Columbo TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Photographer Christopher George is mistaken for an assassination target by paid killers. Since the actual victim-to-be is now safe, George cannot count on the protection of the authorities, so he takes it on the lam. He is sheltered by former girlfriend Judy Carne, who is kidnapped and threatened with death for her troubles. George decides to take matters in his own hands when it becomes impossible for him to separate the good guys from the bad. Made for television, Dead Men Tell No Tales would dearly love to be a Hitchcock film; it falls short of this goal, but is diverting fun all the same. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
