Billy Green Bush Movies
In films from 1971, Billy Green Bush has usually projected a good-ol'-boy image. Though there were the occasional villains in his TV and film manifest, Bush was most often seen as sheriffs and state troopers. His credits extend from such landmark 1970s efforts as Five Easy Pieces (1971) and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) to such 1990s potboilers as Friday the 13th Pt. IX: Jason Goes to Hell (1993). Bush has also twice essayed the role of Vernon Presley, first in the 1988 TV movie Elvis and Me, then in the short-lived weekly series Elvis (1990). Billy "Green" Bush is the father of twin actresses Lindsay Greenbush and Sidney Greenbush. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
- R
- Add Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday to QueueAdd Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday to top of Queue
Chapter nine in the Friday the 13th series finds supernatural psycho Jason Voorhees returning from the dead to possess the body of a medical coroner. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John D. LeMay, Kari Keegan, (more)
This well-wrought made-for-cable television western is faithfully adapted from a Louis L'Amour novel and centers on the budding relationship between brave but lonely widow (Katharine Ross) who runs a remote stagecoach way station and the handsome cowpoke (Sam Elliot) who comes to help her out. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Elliott, Katharine Ross, (more)
- 1988
It was axiomatic back in the 1980s that, if you put the name "Elvis" in the title of your made-for-TV movie, your ratings would go through the roof. Such was the case of the two-part Elvis and Me, which not only cleaned up in the ratings, but also earned a TV Guide cover (the week , before it aired!) Based on the reminiscences of Elvis' wife Priscilla Beaulieu Presley, the film stars Susan Walters as Priscilla and Dale Midkiff as The King. In Part One, 14-year-old army brat Priscilla meets Elvis while he's doing his military duty in Germany. Their courtship is sporadic at best, but when Priscilla visits Presley in Hollywood in 1962, the story really gets going. The first part of Elvis and Me originally aired February 7, 1988 (see separate entry for details on Part Two). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dale Midkiff, Susan Walters, (more)
- 1987
- R
Rampage delves into the subject of legal insanity, so often the default defense in modern-time gruesome crime trials. Alex McArthur plays an outwardly normal guy who goes on incredible killing and mutilating sprees until (and even after, when he escapes for a short time) he's captured. When he comes to trial, the liberal DA (Michael Biehn) is torn between his own leftist leanings and the reality of the heinous crimes for which the accused is being tried. He must argue for the death penalty. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Biehn, Alex McArthur, (more)
Critters, an amusing horror comedy directed byStephen Herek, is the story of a family menaced by eight basketball sized creatures from outer space who arrive at their Kansas farm in search of food. Helen Brown (Dee Wallace Stone) and Brad (Scott Grimes), owners of the farm find themselves held hostage as the creatures roll, jump and bounce around during the night. They are pursued by a pair of inept, intergalactic bounty hunters, Charlie (Don Keith Opper) and Johnny (Terrence Mann) who can shape-shift at will and are packing weapons capable of taking care of any creature they encounter. The special effects of this humorous thriller are extremely good and the creatures themselves have distinct and separate personalities. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dee Wallace, M. Emmet Walsh, (more)
- 1986
Mark Harmon stars as baby-faced serial killer Ted Bundy in this sobering 2-part TV movie. Ostensibly the archetypal All-American boy, Bundy was, from 1974 onward, responsible for the rapes and murders of several young women in the Pacific Northwest. The clues begin to mount when one of Bundy's victims manages to escape; she can only say that her assailant was a fellow named Ted who drives a yellow Volkswagen. Finally arrested after he moves from Seattle to Utah, Bundy is so certain of his superiority over the general run of human beings that he conducts his own defense at his trial; then, when extradited to Colorado, he escapes, triggering a desperate nationwide manhunt. At the time Deliberate Stranger was first telecast on May 5 and 6, 1986, Theodore Bundy was on Death Row, still contesting his sentence and seeking a legal way out. When time came for his execution, Bundy attempted several bizarre last-minute "stays," which would make intriguing subject matter should someone want to make a follow-up film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Pretty boy actor C. Thomas Howell stars in this dark, violent suspense film about the strange psychological bond between a traveling serial killer and one of his intended victims. Driving cross-country from Chicago to San Diego, Jim (Howell) narrowly avoids an accident when he falls asleep at the wheel. He picks up a hitchhiker to help stay awake, but within five minutes, the erratic John Ryder (Rutger Hauer) has threatened not only Jim's life, but also his manhood, brandishing a switchblade to the boy's crotch and ordering him to keep driving. Jim manages to escape, but soon Ryder begins a game of cat-and-mouse across the Texas highways, taunting the lad from the windows of passing cars, then leaving the corpses of his victims in their vehicles by the side of the road for Jim to discover. A sympathetic face arrives in the form of Nash (Jennifer Jason Leigh), the waitress at an otherwise deserted truck stop in this bleak, abandoned landscape, but the local police soon arrive, intent on hanging Jim out to dry for the string of grisly murders. The stakes continue to mount in Ryder's little game until Jim finds himself embroiled in a statewide manhunt with Nash at his side. Former cinematographer Robert Harmon made his directorial debut with this popular thriller; screenwriter Eric Red, also making his debut, would go on to write similarly brooding genre fare including Near Dark, Bad Moon, and Alien 3. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell, (more)
- 1986
"Not since Columbo has catching a killer been this clever!" That was the ad come-on for Diary of a Perfect Murder, a 1986 TV movie starring Andy Griffith as a homespun Georgia defense attorney. Griffith takes the case of a TV reporter (Steve Inwood) who has been accused of the murder of his ex-wife. In the tradition of Perry Mason, Matlock plays his cards close to the vest, then reveals the identity of the true murderer right in the courtroom. Sound familiar? It should: Diary of a Perfect Murder was the pilot film for Andy Griffith's still-running Matlock series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This socially conscious family farm drama from director Mark Rydell was his follow up to the Oscar-winning On Golden Pond (1981). Mel Gibson and Sissy Spacek star as Tom and Mae Garvey, struggling Tennessee farmers constantly one step away from foreclosing. Their farm sits next to a river that both nourishes their land and constantly threatens to overflow its banks and destroy their crops. The Garveys sell some of their equipment for obscenely low prices at a foreclosure auction, at which some of their neighbors are forced to give up everything they own. The stoic Tom takes a job as a scab at a mill where the union workers are striking. Meanwhile, Mae has a platonic flirtation with local bank manager Joe (Scott Glenn), who saves her life when she's trapped under a heavy piece of farm equipment. Tom's homecoming is cut short by a flood, but the raging waters allow him to become a hero to his family again. The River was the third in a trio of dramas depicting the plight of the American family farmer released that same year. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Gibson, Sissy Spacek, (more)
- 1983
It's off to Wilson County, Texas for the A-Team, at the behest of young businesswoman Jackie Taylor (Janice Heiden). It seems that Jackie is being forced to marry Calvin Cutter (John Ericson), her late husband's former partner--and the man whom Jackie suspects of murdering her dad. In order to effect the team's traditional last-minute rescue, a flustered Face (Dirk Benedict) is forced to don wig and gown and substitute for the bride (and guess who pops out of the wedding cake)! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Steve McQueen's penultimate film deals with a fascinating western legend, founded on an insightful script by Thomas McGuane and Bud Shrake. Unfortunately, the film was done in by the five directors --Don Siegel, Elliot Silverstein, James Guercio, William Wiard, and McQueen himself-- that were, at one point or another, attached to the project. The film deals with the infamous Texas gunslinger Tom Horn. Horn gained fame for a variety of exploits; he served with Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders and was the Pinkerton detective who captured the notorious outlaw Peg Leg Watson. But as Tom Horn begins, something in Horn (Steve McQueen) has snapped. Tom quits the Pinkertons and hires himself out to rancher John Coble (Richard Farnsworth) to assist him in putting an end to his problems with the local homesteaders and rustlers. But Horn performers his job with a chilling intensity, killing so many people with such bloodthirsty rage that it is even too much for Coble and the ranchers to take. When Horn's violence cannot be stopped, Coble has to take the law into his own hands to put a halt to Horn's bloodbath. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve McQueen, Richard Farnsworth, (more)
- 1979
Sporting narration and a theme song by country legend Waylon Jennings and starring Tom Wopat and John Schneider as Luke Duke and Bo Duke, The Dukes of Hazzard was a hit throughout its six-year run in the late '70s and early '80s. Also featuring Catherine Bach as Daisy Duke, the show showcased the ongoing adventures of the Duke brothers as they attempted to avoid the crooked local law enforcement and the sleazy Boss Hogg. Originally airing on October 19, 1979, Dukes of Hazzard: Road Pirates finds the "good ol' boys" and their pal, Cletus, trying to clear their names after being framed for stealing a truckload of TVs. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 1979
Director Michael Mann co-wrote the teleplay for The Jericho Mile with Patrick J. Nolan. Peter Strauss stars as "Rain" Murphy, serving a life sentence in Folsom Prison for first-degree murder. To break up the boredom of prison life, Murphy begins running laps around the prison recreation track. Prison officials take notice when Murphy runs a mile in less than four minutes. They lobby to enter Murphy into the Olympics, an act of largesse that not only pulls Murphy out of his misanthropy but also helps to unify his racially divided fellow prisoners. Originally telecast March 18, 1979, The Jericho Mile was filmed on location at Folsom Prison, with several inmates playing small roles--and talking the talk of prisoners, never mind the TV censors. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
The cartoon firm of Hanna-Barbera produced the live-action TV movie The Beasts are On the Streets. No, the beasts aren't Yogi Bear, Snagglepuss and Scooby-Doo, but instead a contingent of dangerous jungle animals. A tanker truck has smashed through the fence at a Texas game preserve, releasing the beasts upon a screaming and scrambling populace. Zoologist Carol Lynley tries to predict where the animals are most likely to strike-and strike they do, 'cause they're smarter than the av-er-age beasts. Filmed on location in Grand Prairie, Texas, The Beasts are On The Streets was first telecast May 18, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
In order to bring a vicious motorcycle gang to justice, undercover detective Tony Baretta (Robert Blake) needs the testimony of one of the gang members. Unfortunately, the intractable Assistant District Attorney (Alan Mandell) refuses to plea bargain with the witness. As a result, Baretta is forced to infiltrate the gang to save his inside informant. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Blake, Edward Grover, (more)
- 1976
Unlike the 1935 film version of Jack London's 1897 novel Call of the Wild, which devoted most of its running time to a romance between Clark Gable and Loretta Young, this 1976 TV-movie version wisely remains faithful to the source. The star is a magnificent dog--part St. Bernard, part German shepherd--which is kidnapped from its home in California and spirited away to the Yukon. The dog is sold to two greenhorn prospectors (John Beck and Bernard Fresson) who name the animal "Buck". Though faithful to his new masters, Buck shows inclinations of succumbing to the "call of the wild" and running off into the woods at any moment. James (Deliverance) Dickey adapted the London novel for this TV version, which was filmed in the Sierra Madres and the Grand Tetons. Call of the Wild premiered on May 22, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
In search of a career criminal named Fred Cavanaugh (Billy Green Bush), Stone (Karl Malden) is hampered by the persistence of the fugitive's precocious daughter Chris (Pamelyn Ferdin), who is likewise looking for her errant daddy. The difference is that Stone knows all too well about Fred's underhanded activities, while Chris is blissfully unaware of her father's transgressions--but a bitter disillusionment is not long in coming. Veteran character actor Walter Burke scores in a cameo role as a childlike casino owner. Originally scheduled to air on March 18, 1976, this final episode of Streets of San Francisco's fourth season was ultimately shown on April 29. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The made-for-TV Invasion of Johnson County is based on a dark chapter in the history of Wyoming. As settlers pour in, a cartel of Wyoming cattle barons raise a private army to wipe the "interlopers" off the face of the Earth. Bostonian Bill Bixby teams with good ol' boy Bo Hopkins in warding off the villains. If the story for this TV movie strikes a familiar chord, it is because the same historical incident was used as the basis for Michael Cimino's 1980 megabomb Heaven's Gate. The principal differences: Heaven's Gate lasted three dreary hours, while Invasion of Johnson County zipped along at 100 rousing minutes; and while it didn't set fires in the ratings, at least Johnson County didn't destroy United Artists. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
- PG
After sixteen years of cinematic retirement, Roy Rogers made a surprise return before the cameras in Mackintosh & T. J. Rogers plays Mackintosh, an ageing, tale-spinning ranch hand who befriends T.J., a sullen young boy (Clay O'Brien). The film is low-key, like Rogers himself, and Rogers' faithful fans were gratified to watch him thrash several younger cowpokes who goad him into a fight. Waylon Jennings provides the C&W musical score. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Rogers, Clay O'Brien, (more)
- 1975
Attack on Terror: The FBI Versus the Ku Klux Klan is a fact-based, two-part TV movie. The film is a dramatization of the murders of three civil rights workers in Mississippi in 1964. The FBI, personified herein by southern operative Wayne Rogers, is brought in to investigate the trio's disappearance. Upon the discovery of the bodies on August 2, 1964, the feds follow a trail of (admittedly skimpy) evidence which leads to the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, headed by the virulent Glen Tuttle (Rip Torn). The first part of Attack on Terror was originally telecast February 20, 1975. The film was based on the book by Don Whitehead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ned Beatty, John Beck, (more)
- 1974
Skyway to Death is still another TV-guest-stars-in-jeopardy opus. This time, everyone is packed into an aerial tramway. As the assorted characters hang some 8500 feet in the air, their car breaks down and threatens to plummet earthward. The special guest victims include Ross Martin (sometimes erroniously listed as the film's director), Stefanie Powers, Bobby Sherman, Tige Andrews, Nancy Malone, John Astin and Joseph Campanella. Skyway to Death first dropped onto American's TV screens on January 19, 1974. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
- PG
- Add Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore to QueueAdd Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore to top of Queue
Martin Scorsese's first Hollywood studio production also marked his first (and only) foray into a woman-centered story. Alice Hyatt (Ellen Burstyn), a resigned Southwest housewife, takes advantage of her trucker husband's sudden death to hit the road with her bratty son Tommy (Alfred Lutter) and pursue her childhood dream of a singing career. She finds a job as a lounge singer, but after a horrific encounter with an abusive new beau (Harvey Keitel), she flees and winds up taking a waitress job at Mel's Diner, run by gruff cook Mel (Vic Tayback). With her career on hold, Alice soon finds strength and self-worth through her friendship with the other waitresses, saucy Flo (Diane Ladd) and spacy Vera (Valerie Curtin). When sensitive rancher David (Kris Kristofferson) starts courting her, Alice wonders if she wants to abandon her goals for domesticity again. To contrast Alice's dream life with her reality, Scorsese created a stylized opening sequence of Alice as a child reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz, Duel in the Sun and Gone With the Wind, before shifting into the present-day atmospheric immediacy of location shooting and scenes built out of improvisations. That opening sequence alone cost over twice as much as Scorsese's debut feature, Who's That Knocking At My Door?. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ellen Burstyn, Kris Kristofferson, (more)
- 1973
- PG
Adapted by Jay Presson Allen from the French farce by Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pierre Gredy, Forty Carats is a standard-issue sex comedy elevated by the performances of its stars. Fortyish Realtor Ann Stanley (Liv Ullman) finds herself attracted to Peter Latham (Edward Albert) - a man literally half her age. After a summer fling in Greece, Ann and Peter come to a parting of the ways, and that, Ann supposes, is that. Imagine her surprise when Peter comes to visit her back in New York. Though at first dismissed as a fortune hunter, Peter turns out to a financial whiz with a lot more in the bank than his lady friend. Both Ann's mother (Binnie Barnes, whose husband Mike Frankovich produced the film) and daughter (Deborah Raffin) are delighted at the prospect of Ann's romance with Peter -- the only one unsure is Ann herself. Lending his considerable comic expertise to Forty Carats is Gene Kelly as Liv Ullman's ex-husband-who also takes a liking to the personable Edward Albert and encourages the May-December romance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liv Ullmann, Edward Albert, (more)
A police officer who would rather use his brains than his gun is put into a situation where neither can help him in this police drama. John Wintergreen (Robert Blake) is a sawed-off and street-smart Arizona motorcycle cop who dreams of climbing the ladder and becoming a police detective, but his ambitions are scoffed at by his partner, Zipper (Billy "Green" Bush). Wintergreen's superiors tend not to take him seriously due to his short stature, but when he stumbles upon the site of a murder, he digs up enough relevant evidence to insure his advancement to detective status. However, after a few days on the job, Wintergreen begins to realize just how corrupt his superior Poole (Mitchell Ryan) truly is after Poole attempts to frame a local hippie, Bob Zemko (Peter Cetera), for a crime he didn't commit. Adding fuel to the fire is Poole's discovery that he and Wintergreen have been dating the same woman, dancer-turned-barmaid Jolene (Jeannine Riley). Electra Glide in Blue was the first (and to date only) directorial credit for James William Guercio. Successful in the music industry as a manager and producer, Guercio was best known for his association with the top-selling jazz-rock group Chicago; several members of the band appear in the movie, as does a young Nick Nolte in a bit part. On a note of sad irony, Terry Kath, the longtime Chicago vocalist who died in 1978 from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head, plays a gun-wielding killer in this film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Blake, Billy Green Bush, (more)
