John Quade Movies

A female art dealer who had planned to sell some rare Native American masks is found stabbed to death with a ceremonial Indian dagger. Investigating, Hunter (Fred Dryer) and McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) head to a Zuni reservation, where several self-appointed witnesses--foremost among them a Native American artist--are quick to accuse the victim's husband of committing the crime. But as they delve deeper into the case, the two detectives discover that there is far more "bad blood" flowing on the reservation than they could ever have imagined. This is the final episode of Hunter's fifth season. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A tracking gunman is joined by his collegian son in an effort to catch a homicidal religious freak in this made-for-cable western. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi

Lou Diamond Phillips plays legendary 1950s rocker Ritchie Valens (born Ricardo Valenzuela), in this musical biography. Before scoring radio and concert success with hits like "La Bamba", "C'mon Let's Go", and "Donna", Valens was a 15-year-old migrant worker who worked with his mother Connie (Rosana De Soto). Valens' half-brother Bob Morales (Esai Morales) is a vitriolic ex-con who roars into the migrant camp on his Harley after his release from jail. Valens' musical talents are encouraged by his family -- though later various members of his family react to his fame with varying degrees of pride and envy -- and he soon earns an audition with legendary record producer and former Artie Shaw clarinet player Bob Keane (Joe Pantoliano). Valens soon appears in an Alan Freed rock n' roll teen exploitation film, lip-synching his blistering recorded version of "Ooh, My Head". When a romance with Donna Ludwig (Danielle von Zerneck) is forbidden by her conservative father, Valens pens the famous ballad that bears her name. Tours follow his chart success until the fatal plane crash that claimed the lives of Valens, The Big Bopper (aka J.P. Richardson), and Buddy Holly on February 3rd, 1959. The supporting cast is excellent with power-pop icon Marshall Crenshaw playing Buddy Holly singing "Crying, Waiting, Hoping". Brian Setzer accurately portrays rocker Eddie Cochran, and Howard Hunstberry plays Jackie Wilson and sings "Lonely Teardrops". Additional music is provided by Los Lobos, a band who traces their musical roots directly to Valens and other Mexican influences. Also making cameo appearances are the real-life Mrs. Connie Valenzuela and Bob Morales. Although not 100% historically accurate, La Bamba is much more accurate than 1978s The Buddy Holly Story. The feature turned a new generation on to the influential Tex-Mex rock that was an inspiration to such later rockers as The Bobby Fuller Four as well as Los Lobos. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

The acronymic B.R.A.T. Patrol originally aired as a 2-hour entry on The Disney Sunday Movie. The appropriately named title characters are the children of a group of Marine non-coms. Running roughshod around a UMC base, the "patrol's" reputation is so bad that no one believes the kids' story about overhearing a plot to steal valuable government equipment. In true Disney fashion, the kids take on the baddies themselves. Sean Astin is cast as the head BRAT, while Brian Keith (the ostensible "star," though he's billed fifth) does his usually over-loud overacting as the General. The B.R.A.T. Patrol first assembled for inspection on October 26, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Gil Gerard, star of TV's Buck Rogers, plays the title role in Fury to Freedom: The Life Story of Paul Ries. The product of an abusive home, Paul Ries (Gerard) takes out his frustration on the whole world when he reaches adulthood. He drinks, breaks hearts and spends his waking hours seeking out fistfights. Only when he comes up against a crisis that he can't punch his way out of does Ries begin his journey down the road to reformation. Based on a true story, this inspirational drama is surprisingly cloaked in obscurity; it was originally released to theaters on a four-wall basis by various religious groups. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Hiding out in the small Lobster Bay hospital where B.A. (Mr. T) is recovering from a leg injury, the A-Team befriends Shana Mayer (Tracy Scoggins), whose father Cal (Len Wayland) is among the local fishermen being victimized by a nasty extortionist named Garber (John Quade). Naturally, the Team agrees to help Shana and her friends and family wrest themselves free from Garber's villainous grasp. And just as naturally, this operation requires a variety of clever disguises--the best of which finds Face (Dirk Benedict) posing as a magician doing a daring underwater-escape act! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A pair of murders occur within a few days of each other, but there seems to be no relation between the two deaths. At least, that's what the authorities believe until Quincy (Jack Klugman) finds a common factor: both victims were killed by the same handgun, which had been stolen from its original owner nearly five years before. Embarking upon another in a long line of crusades, Quincy endeavors to change the current firearm laws which allow unlicensed gun sales to proceed without any legal checking system. The episode's shattering climax was obviously inspired by the equally powerful finale of the classic 1974 TV movie The Gun. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This offbeat and atmospheric western is set in 1893, as a gang led by longtime outlaws Bill Doolin (Burt Lancaster) and Bill Dalton (Scott Glenn) is on the verge of falling apart due to time and fatigue. A pair of teenage girls who long to be part of the outlaw mythos of the west meet up with Dalton and Doolin: Jenny (Diane Lane) and Annie (Amanda Plummer). The girls brings an unexpected second wind to the gang, as they help them plot a new series of robberies and escapes, but this burst of new activity also attracts the attention of law officer Tilghman (Rod Steiger), who is determined to put them behind bars. While Cattle Annie and Little Britches was a box office flop thanks to poor handling by the distribution company that released it, it's developed a strong reputation among film buffs and western fans; it also featured Plummer's first screen appearance. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In this made-for-TV "roman a clef", Joe Don Baker stars as Tommy Vanda, a Hoffa-esque labor leader. Told in flashback, the film recounts Vanda's humble beginnings on the Chicago docks, where he gains fame and notoreity amongst his coworkers and his bosses by spearheading a wildcat strike. Rising to top dog of the Cartage Union, Tommy doesn't care whon he has to crush on the way up the ladder. Inevitably, Tommy's peccadilloes catch up with him, resulting in federal charges, an arrest, and (remember who he's supposed to be) a mysterious disappearance in the night. Written by Ernest Tidyman of The French Connection fame, Power was telecast in two two-hour installments by NBC on January 14 and 15, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Bo (John Schneider) and Luke (Tom Wopat) have no sooner delivered a car to demolition-derby Augie Detweiller (John Quade) than they are accused of operating a smuggling ring. Deducing that Detweiller is the real brains behind the smuggles, the boys sign up to race in the derby for investigate purposes--and thus target themselves for demolition of the permanent kind! Deputy Enos (Sonny Shroyer) delivers a terrific "death speech" in this episode, which features future Simon and Simon and Major Dad star Gerald McRaney in a supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Clint Eastwood's first comedy feature proved to be one of his most profitable vehicles. Eastwood plays Philo Beddoe, a bare-knuckle boxer who travels from fight to fight in a beat-up truck, accompanied by his "pal" Clyde, a orangutan with a mean right hook, and his human buddy Orville (Geoffrey Lewis). During a stopover, Philo meets and falls in love with would-be country & western singer Lynn Halsey-Taylor (Sondra Locke). After a while, she wants to break off the relationship, but he doesn't -- a shaky plot peg upon which to hang several reels' worth of zany car chases and confrontations with such opponents as a gang of bikers and a battalion of hostile lawmen. Adding to the fun is Ruth Gordon as Eastwood's don't-mess-with-me octogenarian mother, and Beverly D'Angelo as an ace sharpshooter. The enormous box-office success of Every Which Way But Loose yielded an equally wacky -- and equally lucrative -- sequel, Any Which Way You Can. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A Southern big shot (Mitch Ryan) runs his local community like a personal fiefdom. His despotism extends to his abusive marriage to Maggie (Jaclyn Smith). Denied her basic rights as a woman and a human being, Maggie tries to file for divorce, only to run up against a corrupt, good-ole-boy legal system. Her only recourse is to escape from Bogen County without attracting the attention of the paid-off police force. The film's feminist trappings do not entirely compensate for the exploitational nature of the script. Made for TV, Escape from Bogen County first aired October 7, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi