William Schallert Movies
The son of the Los Angeles Times' drama editor, William Schallert was, along with Sydney Chaplin, one of the co-founders of Hollywood's highly regarded Circle Theatre troupe. Sent to Great Britain on a Fulbright Fellowship to study British repertory theatre, Schallert guest-lectured at Oxford on several occasion before heading home. A character actor of almost intimidating versatility, Schallert began his long film and TV career in 1951. While he has appeared in films of every variety, Schallert is most closely associated with the many doctors (mad or otherwise), lab technicians and scientific experts that he's played in such science fiction endeavors as The Man From Planet X (1951), Gog (1954), Them! (1954) The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) and The Monolith Monsters (1959). Director Joe Dante paid homage to Schallert's prolific horror-flick work by casting the actor in his Matinee, where he played yet another dabbler in Things Man Is Not Meant to Know in the film-within-a-film "Mant." Schallert's hundreds television credits could fill a book in themselves; the Nickelodeon cable network once tried to put together a montage of the actor's guest star appearances, touching only the tip of the iceberg. He has been a regular on such series as Dobie Gillis (as literature teacher Mr. Pomfrit, who always dismissed his class as though announcing the beginning of the Indy 500), Get Smart (as a senile 97-year-old Navy admiral), The Nancy Drew Mysteries (as Nancy's attorney father) The New Gidget (as Gidget's professor father) The Nancy Walker Show, Little Women and Santa Barbara. His most famous TV role was as Patty Lane's ever-patient newspaper-editor dad on The Patty Duke Show, which ran from 1963 through 1966; over twenty years later, Mr. Schallert and Ms. Duke were touchingly reunited--again as father and daughter--on an episode of The Torkelsons (1991-92). William Schallert once served as president of the Screen Actors' Guild, a position later held...by Patty Duke. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The creators of Superman: Doomsday, Batman: Gotham Knight, and Wonder Woman re-team to tell the origins of the Green Lantern in this animated DC Comics feature. When Hal Jordan (voice of Christopher Meloni) is recruited to join the Green Lantern corps, he is placed under the direct supervision of senior Lantern Sinestro. But the Green Lantern corps has come under attack by a powerful foe. When Hal discovers that Sinestro is actually part of a vast conspiracy that aims to dismantle the entire organization, he must use his newfound powers to restore order and combat the treason that threatens to tarnish the Green Lantern legacy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Meloni, Victor Garber, (more)
- 2004
Edgar G. Ulmer was one of the most fascinating figures of Hollywood's Golden Age. While Ulmer directed the occasional big-budget major studio film (most notably The Black Cat starring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi and The Strange Woman with Hedy Lamarr), Ulmer was a maverick who valued his creative freedom and he most often worked for"Poverty Row studios, most notably PRC, where he was allowed to make films as he pleased as long as they were done fast and cheap. Ulmer made a handful of small masterpieces for the minor league studios, most notably Detour, The Naked Dawn, Bluebeard, and Ruthless, and he also directed several important Yiddish-language films as well as an early all African-American cast musical. However, Ulmer's own version of his life was often dotted with creative embellishment and stories that no one could verify (particularly pertaining to his early career in Germany), and despite his very real degree of ability and influence, much of Ulmer's story remains shrouded in uncertainty. Documentary filmmaker Michael Palm explores both the art and the illusion of this singular artist in Edgar G. Ulmer: The Man Off-Screen, which features interviews with some of Ulmer's more noted admirers (Peter Bogdanovich, Wim Wenders, Joe Dante), actors who worked with him (John Saxon, Ann Savage), and members of his family (Arianné Ulmer Cipes). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Thirty-three years after the demise of The Patty Duke Show, you'll be glad to know that Patty Lane is still seeing the sights a girl can see from Brooklyn Heights, and that her identical cousin Cathy still prefers the minuet and crepe suzette, judging from the evidence presented in this made-for-TV movie. Patty Duke once again plays both Patty and Cathy; these days, Patty is a drama teacher at her old high school, and while she's still sees her old boyfriend Richard (Eddie Applegate), they got married after high school and have since divorced; they have a grown son and a granddaughter. Cathy, on the other hand, is a widow with a teenage son, currently living in Scotland. When the two cousins meet again at a family reunion, they join forces to do battle with Patty's arch-enemy Sue Ellen (Cindy Williams), who plans to buy Brooklyn Heights High School, tear it down and put in a strip mall. Also reprising their roles from the original TV series are William Schallert and Jean Byron as Patty's parents. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patty Duke, William Schallert, (more)
- 1996
Halloween apparently brings out the worst in Benton (Eriq La Salle), who has a heated confrontation with Gant (Omar Epps). Elsewhere in the ER, the staff treats an eight-year-old trick or treater and her father, both of whom had been mowed down by a hit-and-run driver; and Greene (Anthony Edwards) pines for the vacationing Lewis (Sherry Stringfield). And on the street, Ross (George Clooney) and Carol (Julianna Margulies) are in for quite a few shocks and surprises as they ride along on the roving Health Mobile, which provides emergency treatment to the homeless. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
First telecast November 4, 1996, this Deep Space Nine episode was a harkback to the classic 1967 Star Trek installment "The Trouble with Tribbles." Charlie Brill, a holdover from the original episode, reprises his role as renegade Klingon agent Arne Darvin, who sets the plot in motion by hurtling the Defiant and its crew some 105 years into the past. Upon getting their bearings, the crew finds themselves on board the original Enterprise, where they come face to face with James T. Kirk, not to mention thousands and thousands of those pesky and prolific Tribbles, one of which has been booby-trapped. "Trials and Tribble-ations" was scripted by Ronald D. Moore and Rene Echevarria from a story by Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
A group of destitute aliens led by Haneek (Deborah May), arrive at DS9. The group insists that it is en route to its fabled "promised land," which turns out to be the planet Bajor. Persuaded that the aliens are indeed the chosen people of Bajor, Kira is once more torn between loyalty to her homeland and duty to her colleagues. Originally broadcast November 27, 1993, "Sanctuary" was scripted by Frederick Rappaport, from a story by Gabe Essoe and Kelly Miles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- PG
John Goodman's full-throttle performance as a William Castle-inspired schlockmeister propels Joe Dante's delightful and charming comedy Matinee. The film takes place during the fall 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, a time when America's innocence began to crumble. Goodman plays film producer Lawrence Woolsey, who is in Key West to premiere his latest horror epic, "Mant," the story of a man who turns into a giant insect ("Half Man! ... Half Ant! ... All Terror!"). He's busy rigging the local movie theater with all manner of gimmicks, such as Atomo-Vision and Rumble-Rama, and stationing a buxom nurse -- played by Woolsey's girlfriend and leading lady Ruth (Cathy Moriarty) -- in the lobby to assist potential heart attack victims. Amidst all the hubbub, a quartet of local teenagers gear up for the big premiere: Gene (Simon Fenton), a Navy brat whose father is on alert for the duration of the crisis; Stan (Omri Katz), Gene's friend who has a furious crush on Sherry (Kellie Martin); and Sandra (Lisa Jakub), the daughter of two beatnik free-thinkers. As the premiere of "Mant" gets closer and Soviet-U.S. tensions increase, the four teenagers' problems and desires also mount to the boiling point. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Goodman, Cathy Moriarty, (more)
A foster home-bound 9-year-old and his aging grandmother run from the authorities in this drama. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1991
Marlo Thomas stars as Lucille "Sis" Levin, whose husband Jerry (David Dukes) is an American TV journalist assigned to Beirut in 1984. Jerry is kidnapped by Muslim fundamentalists, a fact kept off the front pages by the State Department, ostensibly because the publicity could cost Jerry his life. Sis doesn't accept this (she suspects that our government doesn't want to offend the Lebanese government), and arranges on her own to communicate with her husband's captors. Israel stands in for Lebanon for the on-location scenes in Held Hostage: The Sis and Jerry Levin Story. This fact-based TV movie is wholly credible in every aspect save Marlo Thomas' uncertain Southern accent. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Robin Harris, Christopher Reid's foul-mouthed and irascible father from the original House Party film, died in the interim, but he has a university named after him in this follow-the-dots sequel. Kid (Christopher Reid) has finally made it to college in House Party 2, but not without problems. Sent to Harris University on a scholarship check given to him by his local church congregation, he finds himself broke before he can even buy the books for his college courses. He can thank his old pal Play (Christopher Martin) for his financial straits, since Play borrowed the money to pay a phony music producer named Shelia (Iman), who has headed off to parts unknown. Kid tries to pay for tuition by working in the college cafeteria but is thrown out because he is not considered a student. Problems compound when his girlfriend Sidney (Tisha Campbell) spends more time studying than with him. He also receives lectures on political correctness from her strident roommate Zora (Queen Latifah). Still, Kid's main concern is finding the money for college. Finally Kid agrees to go along with Play's scheme -- to hold a surreptitious late-night pajama party in the faculty hall to raise funds to pay for Kid's education. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher "Kid" Reid, Christopher "Play" Martin, (more)
- 1990
Contrary to expectations, the journalism school mentioned in the title of this episode is NOT the creation of our gal Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen). Instead, she has given permission for her name to be used for a school created by her journalistic mentor, retired high school teacher Ken Hamilton (William Schallert). At first flattered by the honor, Murphy changes her mind when the "Murphy Brown School of Broadcasting" morphs into the office joke, and she herself is nominated for (to quote TV Guide) "Most Likely to Be Embarrassed." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Joseph Sargent's made-for-TV drama, set during World War II, stars Walter Matthau as an attorney coerced into defending a German POW who is accused of murdering the town physician (Barnard Hughes), Matthau's best friend. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1988
The second of two TV-movie attempts to revive the Dobie Gillis sitcom series of the 1950s and 1960s, Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis rounds up as many cast members of the old show as humanly possible. Dwayne Hickman took a break from his busy career as a CBS daytime-drama executive to recreate the role of Dobie Gillis, while Bob Denver was back as his beatnik "good buddy" Maynard G. Krebs. Also making return appearances are Sheila James as Zelda Gilroy (now Mrs. Dobie Gillis), Steve Franken as ridiculously wealthy Chatsworth Osborne Jr., and William Schallert as Dobie's college teacher Mr. Pomfritt. The plot concerns the attempts by Dobie's former high school sweetheart, the ever-mercenary Thalia Menninger, to wrest Dobie away from wife Zelda and claim him for her own. Tuesday Weld, the original Thalia, wasn't interested in reprising the character (nor was Dwayne Hickman interested in working with the troublesome Ms. Weld again), so the role was assumed by another 1950s TV icon, Connie Stevens. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Denver, Dwayne Hickman, (more)
- 1987
When people begin to be murdered around them, two disparate voyeurs in apartment high-rises begin to suspect they are the objects of interest for yet another peeping tom. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
Director Joe Dante infuses this science fiction comedy with the visual razzle-dazzle and manic, goofball performances typical of his cartoon-inspired sensibilities. Navy test pilot Lt. Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) has volunteered for a highly dangerous medical experiment. A submersible craft, with Tuck at the controls, is to be shrunk down to molecular size and inserted into the body of a living rabbit. If successful, the test could result in radical breakthroughs in surgical techniques, but some high-tech thieves attempt to steal Tuck and his ship while both are in miniature form. Enter Jack Putter (Martin Short), a mild-mannered, hypochondriac retail store clerk, a nerd who suddenly finds himself injected with Tuck and his tiny ship. Now poor Jack's got to rise above his mundane existence to help an American hero get back to safety, while also trying to reunite Tuck with his beautiful estranged girlfriend Lydia (Meg Ryan). Innerspace (1987) won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Quaid, Martin Short, (more)
- 1986
Under the Influence is a TV movie about an alcoholic, scripted by recovered alcoholic Joyce Rebeta-Burdett. Andy Griffith plays the head of an outwardly respectable New England family. Griffith drinks heavily, but the rest of the family sweeps his addiction under the rug. When Griffith lands in the hospital, he must come to grips with his illness--and the rest of the family must stop lying to each other and to themselves. Under the Influence is remarkable not only for the intelligent, unsensational handling of its subject, must also for Andy Griffith's convincing portrayal of a New Englander. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
This made-for-TV fantasy was directed by former Starsky and Hutch star Paul Michael Glaser. In one of her earliest roles, Madeleine Stowe plays Dr. Sharon Fields, who stumbles upon a secret plot by a covert organization of women to take over the world and execute all the men. The veteran cast of this silly timekiller includes cult favorites Stella Stevens, Tamara Dobson, and William Schallert, as well as more mainstream performers such as Peter Scolari, Nicholas Pryor, and Jennifer Warren. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
Arthur Hiller directed this satiric look at contemporary urban high schools, examining disillusioned teachers who try to regain their idealism. Nick Nolte stars as Alex, a teacher at John Fitzgerald Kennedy High School, who was once an idealistic teacher but whose main concern now is sobering up before the next class session. The high school is headed by ineffective principal Mr. Horn (William Schallert) and an imperious vice-principal named Roger (Judd Hirsch). When a recent graduate of the high school sues the school because it graduated him illiterate, Alex finds himself in conflict with the hard-nosed school superintendent Dr. Burke (Lee Grant). The high school heats up even more when Alex falls in love with Lisa (JoBeth Williams), the attractive lawyer who was once one of Alex's honor students. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nick Nolte, JoBeth Williams, (more)
- 1983
Grace Kelly, the high-society beauty who became an Oscar-winning actress and then a European princess, is the subject of this TV biopic. Cheryl Ladd has the looks and poise of the original Grace, though she isn't quite as charismatic. The early portion of the film retraces the stormy relationship between Grace and her gruff Philadelphia millionaire dad, Jack Kelly. The script suggests that Grace went through life looking for a strong father figure, finally finding one in Prince Rainier of Monaco (Ian McShane), whom she weds. Several "celebrity look-alikes" parade through the film, pretending to be the film personalities with whom Ms. Kelly worked during her brief Hollywood career. Grace Kelly tones down the darker aspects of its subject, and the film is infinitely more tasteful than most other TV biographies of the same period, even when dealing with Princess Grace's untimely death. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
Magnum (Tom Selleck) and T.C. (Roger E. Mosley) sign on to coach a junior basketball team, whose star player is a 13-year-old orphan girl named Willie (Dana Hill). A likeable kid with an ingratiating personality, Willie soon charms her way into the confidence of her two coaches, and ends up being invited to stay at Robin's Nest. Little do Magnum and T.C. realize that they have been duped into participating in a slick bunco job masterminded by Willie's crooked foster parents Bob (William Schallert) and Vera (Jo Pruden). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Based on the popular television series created by Rod Serling, this film of horror and the supernatural tells four separate stories--each by a different director: John Landis, Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante and George Miller. In one, a bigot is taught a lesson when he is transported to experience the lives of three different victims of prejudice and intolerance. Another takes a trip to an old-age home where the arrival of a special man turns some of the residents into youthful people once again. In the third, a woman befriends a timid young child who turns out to be a maniacal brat with bizarre powers. The final segment shows how a man with an aversion to flying has a rough time when he panics and then sees a strange creature on the wing outside his window seat. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dan Aykroyd, Jeff Bannister, (more)
- 1981
Rose Burton's erstwhile beau Stanley Perkins (William Schallert) returns to Walton's mountain, still determined to marry Rose (Peggy Rea) and still filling her head with grandiose tales of his fabulous success in the business world. But things quickly go sour when Rose finds out that Stanley has recently been in a mental hospital, the result of a breakdown after being summarily fired from his job. Meanwhile, Jason (Jon Walmsley) hires country singer Johnny Calico (Curtis Credel) to perform at the Dew Drop Inn--and winds up vying with Johnny for the affections of Toni Hazelton (Lisa Harrison). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
Having returned to Boatwright University as an instructor, John-Boy (Robert Wightman) is given the assignment of creating a new department for the study of that postwar phenomenon known as television. As a result, the Waltons become the first family in Virginia to own a TV set, courtesy of Jim-Bob's electronic expertise; trouble is, there's nothing to watch. Elsewhere, Aunt Rose (Peggy Rea) goes on a diet in hopes of preventing Stanley (William Schallert) from succumbing to the charms of her rival Zuleika (Pearl Shear). The closing dialogue in this episode is priceless! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
