Warren Oates Movies
Lanky, laconic actor Warren Oates made his first stage appearance in a student play at the University of Louisville. Moving to New York in 1954, Oates took a variety of jobs to sustain himself, including a "stunt tester" for the TV audience-participation series Beat the Clock (one of Oates' predecessors in this endeavor was James Dean). He worked in live New York-based TV dramas before moving to Hollywood in 1957, where thanks to such Western TV series as Have Gun Will Travel, he established himself as a brooding villain. One of his rare opportunities to exhibit anything other than menace was his semicomic supporting role on the 1962 Jack Lord TV weekly Stoney Burke. One of director Sam Peckinpah's favorite actors, Oates was well served with meaty roles in such Peckinpah films as Ride the High Country (1962), Major Dundee (1965), and, best of all, The Wild Bunch (1969). With his remarkable performance as an ageing hot rodder in 1971's Two-Lane Blacktop, Oates began a fruitful association with director Monte Hellman, who provided Oates with his best-ever film assignments in Cockfighter (1974) and China 9 Liberty 37 (1982). Shortly after completing work on Blue Thunder (1982), Warren Oates' long-overdue rising stardom came to a tragic halt as a result of a sudden, fatal heart attack. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The 1955 film version of John Steinbeck's East of Eden will always be popular because of the presence in the cast of James Dean. Even so, the film covered only a small portion of the original novel. For those Steinbeck completists who prefer a more thorough treatment, we submit for your approval the TV miniseries adaptation of East of Eden, which first aired February 8, 9 and 11, 1981. This eight-hour dramatization begins in the years following the Civil War. Braggadocio union officer Cyrus Trask (Warren Oates) is the father of gentle, loyal Adam (Timothy Bottoms) and hellraiser Charles (Bruce Boxleitner). Enter the bewitching, mean-spirited Cathy Ames (Jane Seymour), who leads both brothers on and causes an irreparable rift between them. Eventually, Adam marries Cathy, taking her and their twin sons to a 900-acre farm in California's Salinas Valley. Cathy rebels against this cloistered existence and runs off to work in a house of ill repute. In Part Three, we finally meet the "James Dean" character: Cal Trask (played by Timothy Bottoms' brother Sam), who can never hope to come up to the standards of his "good" twin brother Aron (Hart Bochner) in the eyes of his father. Cal's "bad" reputation obscures his good intentions, but by film's end he is compelled to reveal to brother Aron that their mother had not died as father Adam has claimed, but in fact has become a hard-bitten bordello "madam". Adapted for television by Richard Shapiro, East of Eden was part of ABC's informal "Novels for Television" series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Timothy Bottoms, Jane Seymour, (more)
- 1980
The sequel to the popular 1979 TV movie And Baby Makes Six, Baby Comes Home reteams Colleen Dewhurst and Warren Oates as middle-agers who find themselves the parents of a newborn child. The first film dealt with the impact of the 47-year-old mother's unexpected pregnancy on her three grown children, as well as on her own well-ordered lifestyle. The sequel concentrates on the alienating effect that Dewhurst's affection towards her baby has on the rest of her family. Both And Baby Makes Six and Baby Comes Home were intended as pilot films for a weekly series, though one wonders if the ever-busy Colleen Dewhurst would have found the time to star in such a project. The point is a moot one: The series never sold. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1979
Middle-aged Colleen Dewhurst shocks her family-and herself-when she announces she is pregnant. Partly out of concern for her health, and partly out of selfishness, the family argues over whether or not she should go to term. Husband Pat Hingle is indecisive until he witness the baby's development via ultrasound. The film's final scenes are an amalgam of truly touching moments and bedslat comedy. Timothy Hutton makes one of his first major appearances as Dewhurst and Hingle's teenaged son. First telecast October 22, 1979, And Baby Makes Six was intended as the pilot for a weekly series; as it turned out, it yielded only a feature-length sequel, Baby Comes Home (1980) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
My Old Man was adapted from Ernest Hemingway's short story of the same name by Jerome Kass. Hemingway's story told of a down-on-his-luck horse trainer who is given a second chance at making something of his life by his son. This made-for-TV version changed the son to a daughter, played by Kristy McNichol; the "old man" was portrayed by Warren Oates. Eileen Brennan also stars as a waitress who acts as surrogate mother for McNichol--and who'd like to act as wife to Oates. Filmed at Saratoga Springs, New York, My Old Man premiered on December 7, 1979. An earlier, less sentimental theatrical-feature version of the same Hemingway tale was filmed in 1950 as Under My Skin, with John Garfield in the lead. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1978
The locale of Anna Sewell's 1906 novel Black Beauty was changed from England to Maryland in this five-part TV miniseries. Still, the script adheres to the basic chronology of the Sewell original. In Part One the wife of incapacitated farmer Tom Gray sells the frisky colt Black Beauty. In Part Two, first telecast February 1, 1978, Beauty does the "Lassie" bit by rescuing her new master (Cameron Mitchell) from a storm and locating a doctor for her expectant mistress (Diane Ladd). This episode ends with Beauty facing certain death, first from a fire, then from a fever. The remaining three 60-minute episodes of Black Beauty were broadcast on February 2, 3 and 4, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1978
The 1978 series pilot True Grit is based on the 1969 John Wayne film of the same name. Warren Oates brings his own characteristic touches to the old Wayne role of Rooster Cogburn, the "one-eyed fat man" (now a one-eyed thin man with a beard) who agrees to help headstrong orphaned teenage girl Mattie Ross (Lisa Pelikan). Mattie wants to get to her relatives in California, but she and Cogburn get off to a bad start when Rooster loses their train fare in a poker game. He tries to recoup their loss by mining for gold in Wyoming, then by riding shotgun on the gold shipments. Had the pilot sold, it would have detailed the further adventures of Cogburn and Mattie (as indicated by the original network title, True Grit: A Further Adventure). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1978
In this entry from the "Police Story" series of police dramas, bank robbers have taken five hostages in a besieged skyscraper. It is up to the SWAT negotiator to see to their safe release. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1977
Director Roger Donaldson's directorial debut was also a breakthrough film for New Zealand filmmakers, being the first film from New Zealand to open in the United States. Sam Neill stars as a man named Smith who lives in a near future of economic collapse in New Zealand. Smith is a husband who discovers that his wife has been having an affair. Unable to deal with it, he decides to move out and live by himself. But the precarious political chaos in New Zealand has created a right wing backlash, with repressive government forces murdering opponents to the government's policies. Smith finds himself joining a group of freedom fighters that sets out to preserve democracy. Opposing Smith and the freedom fighters are the government thugs and an apolitical soldier of fortune named Willoughby (Warren Oates). ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sam Neill, Bernard Kearns, (more)
- 1977
In 1963, The Dick Powell Theatre aired an hour-long episode titled "Safari", starring James Coburn as a scruffy steamboat captain and Glynis Johns as an English missionary. What this really was was a pilot for a TV series based on the 1951 Humphrey Bogart- Katharine Hepburn film classic The African Queen. That pilot never sold, nor did this 60-minuter from 1977, also titled The African Queen. Warren Oates plays the Bogart role as Charlie Allnut, while Mariette Hartley steps into Hepburn's shoes as Rosie Sayer. Set in Africa during World War 1, The African Queen was filmed in the Florida everglades and was telecast for the first and last time on March 18, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1975
Though set in Key West, Florida, a goodly portion of 92 in the Shade was filmed in England. Peter Fonda plays Tom Skelton, a bum who gets a job as a fishing guide in his old home town. Nobody wants to have anything to do with Skelton, least of all rival guides Nichol Dance and Carter (Warren Oates and Harry Dean Stanton). Faced with financial disaster and widespread hostility, he turns to his wealthy grandfather Goldsboro (Burgess Meredith) for help. Taking time off from his lovemaking sessions with sexy secretary Bella (Sylvia Miles), his grandfather pumps some money into Tom's operation, and our hero makes his peace with Carter. A climactic fight with Nichol puts an end to that problem, while Tom's romantic relationship with Miranda (Margot Kidder) helps him sort out his priorities. Director/writer Thomas McGuane adapted the script from his own novel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Fonda, Warren Oates, (more)
- 1971
A famous gunfight is chronicled in this lively western. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1971
Warren Oates guest stars as Richie Billings, a professional thief who ends up the only survivor of a bloody armored car robbery. As he escapes to Canada with $50,000 in stolen money, Billings undergoes a radical personality change--and it may not be for the better. It is up to the FBI's Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist to prevent the "new" Billings from wreaking any more havoc. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1971
In this war drama, things are looking quite hopeless for a besieged regiment under enemy attack. It is their commanders knowledge of history that ultimately saves them. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1970
Lee Van Cleef plays a fiercely independent river ferryman in the Old West. Bandit Warren Oates, fresh from decimating a local town, rides up with his gang and demands that Van Cleef transport the crooks and their booty across the river. He refuses, and is taken prisoner. Biding his time, Van Cleef is able to turn the tables on the vicious gang. Heavily influenced by the ultraviolent "spaghetti western" school, Barquero attempts to add a contemporary note to the proceedings by having Warren Oates take an hallucinatory "trip" after smoking an unidentified weed. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lee Van Cleef, Forrest Tucker, (more)
- 1970
Nostalgia is selling angle of this made-for-TV suspenser. Someone is going around breaking into movie vaults and setting precious tins of rare film ablaze. An insurance investigator and a detective investigate this seemingly pointless crime. As it turns out, the "movie murderer" is an extortionist who was inadvertently filmed while committing a crime, thus he's anxiously burning every possible shred of evidence. It happens that the criminal is also an old-movie buff, which permits Universal Studios, producers of The Movie Murderer, to show off film clips from its MCA backlog--including snippets of W.C. Fields from International House, Gary Cooper from The Virginian, and Warner Oland from The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1969
One of the better Disney features of the late 1960s, Smith relies not upon humanized Volkswagens or singing bears but on the considerable talents of its cast. Glenn Ford stars as Smith, a tenacious modern-day rancher who comes to the aid of a fugitive Native American boy (Frank Ramirez). When a sadistic sheriff (Keenan Wynn), anxious to railroad the boy into jail on a trumped-up murder charge, begins stomping upon the basic civil rights of everyone within his reach, Smith vows to see that justice is done. Acting as the boy's defense counsel, Smith profoundly moves the jury with an impassioned speech about the wrongs done the American Indian in the name of "The Law." As good as Glenn Ford is (and this is one of his finest and subtlest performances), Smith is stolen by its hand-picked supporting cast, including Warren Oates as an Indian turncoat and Jay "Tonto" Silverheels in a minor role. Many of the bit parts are expertly filled by members of the Indian Actors Workshop of Hollywood. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Nancy Olson, (more)
- 1968
The Mystery of Edward Sims is based on one of the many "Gallegher" stories by Richard Harding Davis. Roger Mobley stars as Gallegher, a turn-of-the-century teenaged newspaper reporter. Gallegher tries to use his journalistic knowhow to help a Cornish immigrant accused of murder. Once this is taken care of, Gallegher helps the Cornish man's family, who have been swindled by a con artist posing as a respectable banker. The Mystery of Edward Sims premiered as a two-part Wonderful World of Disney episode, originally airing March 31 and April 7, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1968
Dan Blocker made his first non-Bonanza appearance in nine years in the 1968 TV movie Something for a Lonely Man. Blocker plays a blacksmith, John Killibrew, who leads several Easterners to a boomtown in the High Sierras -- only to discover that the town is slated for extinction because the railroad has decided to bypass the community. Now the laughing stock of his comrades, Killibrew determines to save the town by turning it into an industrial center. To do this, he "borrows" a derailed steam engine from the railroad and drags it into town. When things look the darkest for Killibrew, he takes comfort in the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson -- and the affections of pretty Mary Duren (Susan Clark). Widely regarded in 1968 as one of the best TV movies to date, Something for a Lonely Man retains its low-key appeal a quarter of a century later. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The winner of the 1967 Oscar for Best Picture (as well as four other Oscars), In the Heat of the Night is set in a small Mississippi town where an unusual murder has been committed. Rod Steiger plays sheriff Bill Gillespie, a good lawman despite his racial prejudices. When Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier), a well-dressed northern African-American, comes to town, Gillespie instinctively puts him under arrest as a murder suspect. Tibbs reveals himself to be a Philadelphia police detective; after he and Gillespie come to a grudging understanding of one another, Tibbs offers to help in Gillespie's investigation. As the case progresses, both Gillespie and Tibbs betray a tendency to jump to culture-dictated conclusions. Still, the case is solved thanks to the informal teamwork of the two law officers. Based on the novel by John Ball, In the Heat of the Night inspired two sequels, both starring Poiter as Virgil Tibbs. In 1987, a TV series version of In the Heat of the Night appeared, with Carroll O'Connor as Gillespie and Howard Rollins as Tibbs. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, (more)
- 1967
Long before he scored with the epic Ragtime, novelist E.L. Doctorow wrote a minor novel upon which this stark 1967 film is based. It was adapted for the screen by veteran western director Burt Kennedy. In a forlorn town called Hard Times in the Old West, a cowardly mayor, Will Blue (Henry Fonda), does little to protect the citizens from the rampages of a ruthless criminal known as The Man from Bodie (Aldo Ray). The cold-blooded killer gets away with murder -- and then he burns down the town as he leaves. The citizens rebuild, and a newcomer named Zar (Keenan Wynn) injects some life into the desolate place by opening a saloon that attracts a bevy of interesting women, including Molly Riordan (Janice Rule) and Adah (Janice Paige). However, things again look bleak when The Man from Bodie returns to town. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Fonda, Janice Rule, (more)
- 1966
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The first of two sequels to The Magnificent Seven (1960), this bloody western featured only Yul Brynner from the original picture's all-star cast. Once again, the residents of a pastoral Mexican village become enslaved by a maniacal brute, this time the insane rancher Lorca (Emilio Fernandez), who has corralled a small army of 50 gunmen to intimidate the citizenry into building a church in memory of his son. Chico (now played by Julian Mateos), an original member of the seven gunslingers from the first film, hears of the villagers' plight and sends for Chris Adams (Brynner), who rounds up another lucky seven shootists from various places of ill-repute (including prison). The new bunch, which now includes Warren Oates and Claude Akins, storms the storm, intending to restore order. This film was, in turn, followed by a pair of further sequels, Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969) and The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Yul Brynner, Robert Fuller, (more)
The year is 1863. Wealthy Virginia landowner Charlie Anderson (James Stewart), a man of peace despite his autocratic behavior, steadfastly refuses to take sides in the Civil War. Bit by bit, Anderson's isolationism--and his way of living--is torn apart.
Charlie's daughter, Jannie Anderson (Rosemary Forsyth) falls in love with Confederate soldier Sam (Doug McClure). His youngest son, Boy Anderson (Philip Alford) is captured by the Confederate army and taken prisoner. Meanwhile, another son, James (Patrick Wayne) and his wife, Ann (Katherine Ross), are murdered by looters. And his oldest son, Jacob Glenn Corbett, is accidentally killed. How all of these personal tragedies culminate in a successfully sentimental finale is the peculiar charm of Shenandoah, which proved to be a hit with audiences on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. James Lee Barrett's screenplay was later adapted into a successful Broadway musical, starring Northern Exposure's John Cullum in the Stewart role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Charlie's daughter, Jannie Anderson (Rosemary Forsyth) falls in love with Confederate soldier Sam (Doug McClure). His youngest son, Boy Anderson (Philip Alford) is captured by the Confederate army and taken prisoner. Meanwhile, another son, James (Patrick Wayne) and his wife, Ann (Katherine Ross), are murdered by looters. And his oldest son, Jacob Glenn Corbett, is accidentally killed. How all of these personal tragedies culminate in a successfully sentimental finale is the peculiar charm of Shenandoah, which proved to be a hit with audiences on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. James Lee Barrett's screenplay was later adapted into a successful Broadway musical, starring Northern Exposure's John Cullum in the Stewart role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Stewart, Doug McClure, (more)
- 1965
The first Lost in Space episode comprised entirely of "new" footage, with no stock shots from the original pilot film, is also the first to feature a guest star--in this case Warren Oates, cast as cowboy-turned-astronaut Jim Hapgood. Like the Robinson family, Hapgood has been stranded in space, all because he'd overshot a scheduled landing on Saturn fifteen years earlier. However, Hapgood's space vessel is still functioning, which is more than can be said for the Jupiter 2. Treacherous Dr. Smith (Jonathan Harris) does his "best" to get into Hapgood's good graces, the better to be taken back to Earth--without the Robinsons. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1965
Branded switches from black-and-white to color for its second season, which begins with this taut, tense "Mexican Standoff" yarn. Still roaming the west in hopes of proving that he was not a coward at the battle of Bitter Creek, Jason McCord (Chuck Connors) finds himself sharing a stagecoach ride with Major Tom Rock (Tom Drake), one of the officers who presided over his court-martial. Also on board is a condemned prisoner (Warren Oates) on his way to the gallows. Inevitably, McCord and his two fellow passengers must depend upon one another for their very survival--and making the situation even more complex, the life of Maj. Rock's daughter Laura (Kathleen Crowley) also hangs in the balance. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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