Carol Kane Movies
A professional actress since age 14, Ohio-born Carol Kane is best known for essaying a staggering variety of characterizations in her three-decade career. Most of her early film roles were fleeting but memorable, such as that of the hippie girlfriend of Art Garfunkel in Carnal Knowledge (1971), the "sailor's plaything" in The Last Detail (1973) and the terrified bank teller in Dog Day Afternoon (1973). Kane's first starring appearance was in Hester Street (1975), wherein she was Oscar-nominated for her portrayal of a Jewish newlywed in turn-of-the-century New York. From 1981 through 1983, Kane played Simka, the wife of immigrant mechanic Latka Gavras (Andy Kaufman) on the TV sitcom Taxi. Simka's country of origin was fictitious, but Kane and Kaufman managed between them to "create" a Slavic language peppered with ridiculous, non-sequitur terms of endearment. The actress won an Emmy for her work on Taxi, and might have continued in the role were it not for Kaufman's untimely death at the age of 34. Other regular TV sitcom assignments for Kane have included 1986's All Is Forgiven and 1990's American Dreamer. In her more recent films, Kane has excelled in bizarre character roles, notably the kvetching old peasant wife in The Princess Bride (1986), the abusive "Ghost of Christmas Present" in Scrooged (1988), and the toothless, witchlike Grandmama in the two Addams Family theatrical features. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1988
Paul Reiser was still the star of the TV sitcom My Two Dads when he headlined this 60-minute video. Instead of the standard live-before-an-audience approach, Out on a Whim tells a self-contained story. Reiser, playing himself, is from time to time approached by an ethereal lady who wants to know all about "the real thing." Helping Reiser locate this mystery woman are such guest stars as Elliot Gould, Carrie Fisher, Terri Garr and Carol Kane. Out on a Whim was directed by Carl Gottleib, the actor/writer/director who penned the screenplay of Jaws. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Sean Penn graduated to full stardom with the 1984 drama Racing with the Moon, even though the film itself hardly set new box office records. Set in the early years of World War II, the film stars Penn as a small-town teen-aged hotshot, six weeks away from being shipped out to fight overseas. In the meantime, Penn begins to date Elizabeth McGovern, whom he assumes is from a wealthy family. Penn's pal Nicolas Cage, who's gotten his girlfriend Suzanne Adkinson pregnant, imposes upon Penn to hit up McGovern for the abortion money. That's when Penn discovers that the girl barely has a penny to her name. Convinced that Penn cared for her only when he thought she was rich, McGovern walks out on him, but later teams up with Penn to help the unfortunate Adkinson. The plot is pure James Dean, a fact not lost on fans who regarded Sean Penn as the second coming of Dean. A very slight piece, Racing With the Moon is buoyed by the engaging performances of the stars, and by director Richard Benjamin's meticulous attention to period detail-especially in those peerless bowling-alley and skating-rink sequences. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Penn, Elizabeth McGovern, (more)
- 1988
This HBO TV special features Reagan impersonator Jim Morris playing the well-loved President as cartoonist Garry Trudeau sees him. This is based on an off-Broadway show and contains a number of musical sketches and humorous parodies. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1996
In this episode of the Reading Rainbow series, the featured story, Someplace Else, tells about Mrs. Tilby, a woman who seeks a more exciting place to live than her own little town. She visits many locales before settling on the solution that is perfect for her needs. Host LeVar Burton discusses all the traveling he's done and shares some of his fondest memories and souvenirs with young viewers. The program provides a look at the diverse places that people live, including Hawaii and New York City. Books with a related theme are reviewed by the young critics, including Town Mouse, Country Mouse, Me on the Map, and Somewhere in the World Right Now. ~ Alice Day, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- LeVar Burton
A darkly comic and surreal contemporization of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, this effects-heavy Bill Murray holiday vehicle from 1988 sees the former SNL funnyman assuming the role of television executive Frank Cross, the meanest and most depraved man on earth. Cross will stoop to unheard of levels to increase his network's ratings -- even if it means mounting outrageous programs to retain an audience, such as "Robert Goulet's Cajun Christmas" and Lee Majors in "The Night the Reindeer Died," with an AK-47-toting Santa. Cross plots his foulest move, however, for the Christmas holiday, when he will force his office staff to mount a live production of A Christmas Carol on national television -- and thus work through Christmas Eve. Cross's life is turned upside down with visits from three ghosts: a craggy-faced cabbie known as The Ghost of Christmas Past (David Johansen); the sugar-plum fairy Ghost of Christmas Present (Carol Kane) (who gets her jollies by bonking Frank across the face with a toaster oven); and, eventually, the caped, headless Ghost of Christmas Future, who will send Frank sliding into a crematory oven -- just before he gives the sleazoid one last chance to redeem himself. Along the way, the spirits carry Frank to scenes from his past, present, and future (per Scrooge) and impart a glimpse of how he became so thoroughly rotten. The radiant Karen Allen co-stars as Frank's girlfriend, Claire Phillips, and the film packs in cameos from countless celebrities -- among them, Mary Lou Retton, John Houseman, Jamie Farr, and, in a truly grisly and tasteless bit, John Forsythe. Richard Donner directs, from a script credited to the late Michael O'Donoghue and Mitch Glazer. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Murray, Karen Allen, (more)
- 1985
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This comedy from Shelley Duvall's made-for-cable Tall Tales and Legends is fashioned after the famous baseball poem which features Elliot Gould and Hamilton Camp with narration by Howard Cosell. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1988
- PG
This screwball urban comedy is about two dippy roommates, struggling musicians Lolly (Melanie Mayron) and Hattie (Helen Slater), who are asked by an equally spacey, drug-dealing friend-of-a-friend Diane (Loretta Devine) to baby-sit a bag containing nearly a million dollars while she scoots out of town in order to avoid trouble. Once the money is in their possession, however, temptation proves too much for Lolly and Hattie, who use the ill-gotten cash to pay the rent, buy new instruments, and embark on a shopping spree for earrings, clothes, and shoes. While the girls dig themselves deeper into trouble with every dollar spent, they also encounter a variety of eccentric characters, including a fellow musician (Danitra Vance), their ailing landlady (Eileen Brennan), Lolly's boyfriend (Christopher Guest), and a parking lot attendant (Stephen McHattie). The latter, however, is actually a cop who's keeping surveillance on them from across the street. Mayron co-wrote the script for Sticky Fingers (1988) with actress and first-time director Catlin Adams. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helen Slater, Melanie Mayron, (more)
- 1979
Not to be confused with the 1986 TV miniseries of the same name, Strong Medicine is the bizarre tale of a bizarre young woman, played bizarrely by Kate Manheim. Shunted aside by society in general, she loses all touch with reality. It helps not at all that she comes in contact with several equally "lost" souls. For an avant-garde exercise, Strong Medicine has a remarkably high-profile cast; it also features Raul Julia and My Dinner With Andre's Wallace Shawn. Filmed in 1979, Strong Medicine lay on the shelf unreleased for nearly six years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kate Manheim
A Jewish high school teacher, Phyllis Saroka (Rhea Perlman), steps in to take on the thankless job of coaching the school's inept basketball team, which is filled with ne'er-do-wells from the slums. She takes the job to get extra money to fulfill her dream of opening a restaurant on the Caribbean island of St. Croix. Phyllis has had bad luck with men, is dissatisfied with her teaching job, and is desperate to do something meaningful as she approaches middle age. Meanwhile, the players on the team are ambitious only about scoring drugs and girls and inventing their own rap songs. Butter (James Harris) is the team's only really talented player, but he wastes most of his energy chasing skirts. Busy-Bee (De'Aundre Bonds) is a small but highly energetic goofball. The mind of Spaceman (Terrence Dashon Howard) has been diminished by learning disabilities and drugs. Phyllis's greatest challenge is the brilliant, moody Shorty (Fredro Starr). Shorty teaches Phyllis the game, but he feels betrayed when he learns that she is planning to leave after one season. Perlman's husband, Danny DeVito, served as the film's producer. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rhea Perlman, Fredro Starr, (more)
- 1978
A true classic of the "ensemble sitcom" genre, Taxi ran for five years on two different networks, accumulating dozens of industry awards (including several Emmys) and a comparatively small but intensely vocal corps of loyal and loving viewers along the way. Most of the action took place in the garage of New York City's Sunshine Cab Company, a fiefdom ruled from his "cage" by tyrannical, short-tempered taxi dispatcher Louie DePalma (Danny DeVito, who also directed a handful of episodes). The unofficial spiritual leader and father confessors of the cabbies was Alex Rieger (Judd Hirsch), the only Sunshine driver who worked full-time and was not pursuing an outside career. The others included Elaine Nardo (Marilu Henner), whose great dream in life was to be a wealthy and influential patroness of the arts; Bobby Wheeler (Jeff Conaway, who left the series after season three), an aspiring actor; Tony Banta (Tony Danza), a would-be boxing champ; Ageing hippie "Reverend" Jim Ignatowski (Christopher Lloyd, who joined the series during its Second Season), a burned-out relic of the activist 1960s who ultimately (and amazingly) became the garage's wealthiest employee after inheriting a fortune from his father; and, during Season One only, John Burns (Randall Carver), a feckless college student. Also on the Sunshine staff was Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman), a sweet-tempered immigrant from an indeterminate European country with an indecipherable language. During the series' fourth season, Latka married his countrywoman and sweetheart Simka Dahblitz (Carol Kane), who, beginning in season five, was listed among the regulars. (Another recurring character, assistant dispatcher Jeff was played on a sporadic basis by J. Allen Thomas, aka Jeff Thomas).
Debuting September 12, 1978, on ABC, Taxi opened to solid if not spectacular ratings, but its viewership dwindled as the network arbitrarily shifted its time slot (from Tuesday, to Wednesday, to Thursday) over the next four years. Although ABC intended to pull the plug on the program at the end of season four, popular demand from viewers and the industry alike kept the property alive -- albeit on a different network, NBC. Unfortunately, this move did not significantly improve the overall ratings, and as a result, Taxi ended its 114-episode run on July 27, 1983. (There had been an eleventh-hour attempt to revive the series on the cable service HBO, but this came to naught.) Since that time, the series has enjoyed a successful and profitable afterlife in local syndication and on basic cable. ~ All Movie Guide
Debuting September 12, 1978, on ABC, Taxi opened to solid if not spectacular ratings, but its viewership dwindled as the network arbitrarily shifted its time slot (from Tuesday, to Wednesday, to Thursday) over the next four years. Although ABC intended to pull the plug on the program at the end of season four, popular demand from viewers and the industry alike kept the property alive -- albeit on a different network, NBC. Unfortunately, this move did not significantly improve the overall ratings, and as a result, Taxi ended its 114-episode run on July 27, 1983. (There had been an eleventh-hour attempt to revive the series on the cable service HBO, but this came to naught.) Since that time, the series has enjoyed a successful and profitable afterlife in local syndication and on basic cable. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1980
Carol Kane makes her first series appearance as Simka Dahblitz, a woman from the same unpronounceable foreign country as Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman). The growing affection between Latka and Simka reaches an impasses when he discovers that she is a member of a socially inferior class: that is, she is one of the Mountain Persons. Will true love prevail over class consciousness, or will the shamefaced Latka lose Simka to another man? Listen to the "foreign language" bandied about by Andy Kaufman and Carol Kane; it is a tongue of their own invention, extensively improvised during rehearsals for this episode. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carol Kane, Thomas Castranova, (more)
Although Taxi had earned scores of industry awards and the unflagging loyalty of its fans during its four-year lifespan on ABC, the series had never posted the sort of ratings that would qualify it as a hit. Thus, ABC dropped the show at the end of season four -- but the song wasn't quite over yet. Responding to overwhelming public demand, rival network NBC picked up Taxi for its fifth season, retaining the same Thursday-night time slot the series had occupied the previous year -- or, as the trade ads put it, "Same time, better network." The first NBC episode was "The Shloogel Show," in which all the cabbies embarked upon a "group blind date" that would have long-ranging ramifications. The relationships inaugurated on this episode would be explored and occasionally resolved on three later fifth-season installments, "Louie and the Blind Girl," "Arnie Meets the Kids," and "Tony's Baby." In another development, Carol Kane graduated from recurring to regular status in her Emmy-winning role as Simka, the wife of the Sunshine Cab Company's sweet-tempered immigrant mechanic Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman); the Latka-Simka marriage and its attendant old-world traditions (many of them bizarre in the extreme) would provide fodder for the two-part episode "Scenskees From a Marriage" and the season finale "Simka's Monthlies." Also providing material for several episodes was a huge inheritance bestowed upon "Reverend" Jim Ignatowski (Christopher Lloyd), the cab company's resident burned-out hippie; in fact, the last episode to be filmed, "A Grand Gesture," was entirely motivated by Jim's unexpected financial windfall. Additionally, we continued to learn more about the past lives of the various cabbies, notably the fact that Alex Rieger (Judd Hirsch) suffered from an addiction to gambling, and that the father of Tony Banta (Tony Danza) had run off to sea years earlier. Had the fans of the series and the stars had their way, Taxi would have run indefinitely on NBC. Alas, the ratings were no better than they'd been on ABC (though, ironically, the show managed to pick up three more Emmy Awards!) compelling the network to cancel the series -- permanently this time -- after its 114th episode. Happily, the series has since prospered in rerun syndication not only in local markets but also on basic cable. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1982
Carol Kane won an Emmy Award for her performance in this episode, in which she recreates the role of Simka Dahblitz, countrywoman and erstwhile sweetheart of immigrant mechanic Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman). Returning to New York, Simka hopes to renew her relationship with Latka, whom she recalls as "simple and sweet." True enough, as far as it goes, but Simka doesn't know about Latka's new alter ego, the obnoxiously aggressive self-styled ladies' man Vic Ferrari (a role for which Andy Kaufman demanded a separate contract from the series' producers -- and got it!). Thus, the episode's main crisis finds Latka vying for Simka's affections...with himself. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1982
It is a glorious day for immigrant mechanic Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman) when no less an authority than Dr. Joyce Brothers (as herself) declares him cured of his multiple-personality syndrome. Now, at long last, Latka can tie the matrimonial knot with his lovely countrywoman, Simka Dahblitz (Carol Kane, repeating her Emmy-winning recurring role). But given the bizarre customs of Latka and Simka's homeland -- not to mention the jaundiced critical eye of Latka's mother (Susan Kellerman) -- will the wedding come off without the usual setbacks attending situation-comedy marriage ceremonies? Familiar character actor Vincent Schiavelli (Ghost) appears as Rev. Gorky. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1993
- R
Bud Cort's directorial debut is a dark comedy about a romantic obsession that leads to tragedy, featuring a wide array of cameo performances including James Brolin, Carol Kane, Rhea Perlman, Martin Mull, Andrea Martin, Woody Harrelson, Timothy Leary, and Gena Rowlands. Cort is Ted Whitley, a local poet celebrity in Venice Beach, California, who spends his time drifting along the boardwalk and delivering his beat poetry inspirations at a local dive. As he sits on a pier composing his latest art work, a vision of incredible beauty --Linda Turner (Kim Adams)-- strolls by in a bikini and Ted is immediately smitten. Linda turns out to be the manager of the agency that Ted has used to try to find a new apartment. He flatters her with his attentions and his poetic rambles. For her part, she likes Ted but doesn't consider him romantic material. Ted misinterprets Linda's friendliness for amorousness and when Linda tries to back off from Ted, Ted cannot be stopped. His out-of-control obsession for Linda turns Linda's once-friendly demeanor into one of terror. But Ted continues stalking her until tragedy strikes. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bud Cort, James Brolin, (more)
- 2005
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Fed up with American women and determined to procure a docile Asian wife, an angry L.A. misogynist gets a mail order bride in this romantic re-imagining of Beauty and the Beast starring Patrick Warburton, Marie Matiko, and Jennifer Tilly. Max Bright (Warburton) is fed up with independent, strong-willed women, and now all he wants is a wife who doesn't know the meaning of the word "no." Despite the fact that he's completely ignorant when it comes to the subject of Eastern cultures, Maxwell decides to marry a mail order bride. Later, after Mai Ling (Matiko) arrives in L.A. to discover just what a brute her new American husband truly is, the couple is forced to contend with a devastating development that could bring them closer than ever while profoundly affecting the way that Max perceives the opposite sex. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Warburton, Marie Matiko, (more)
When an ex-con manages to schmooze her way into being a high-priced nanny for a rich family, she promptly tries to control the family's two adorable moppets. Unfortunately for her, the kids are none too keen on starting an early career in a sweat shop, and with Home Alone-like aplomb, they manage to thwart her intentions. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
The inimitable Tim Curry and Carol Kane provide the voices for this distinctly autumn-oriented tale of a duckling who is misfortunate enough to lose his the rest of his flock whilst trying to fly south for the winter. Our hero Sean is taken in by Voley, another bird who teaches him how to support himself as he braces for his first winter. Worse yet, Sean has to learn how to outsmart the foxes which may be after him. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dermot Morgan
- 1981
This complex and puzzling French drama walks the fine wavering line between the fictional and the very real as it tells the tale of a strangely erotic event in the life of a little girl and the musings of a schizophrenic woman. Also involved is an enigmatic spouse who prepares a surprise for a burglar. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1981
In "The Girls in Their Summer Dresses," a married couple (Jeff Bridges and Carol Kane) attempt to have a pleasant Sunday afternoon until the conversation keeps turning to the husband's habit of looking at other women. The film was originally produced for PBS as part of their Great Performances series. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
The Greatest Man in the World is based on a genteelly vitriolic short story by James Thurber. Brad Davis stars as a '30s-era aviator who becomes a national hero when he flies solo nonstop around the world. The problem: Davis is an illiterate boor. It's up to the journalists who've elevated Davis to idol status to exercise the "damage control" that will make the aviator public-friendly. Howard Da Silva and Carol Kane co-star in this February 18, 1980, presentation of PBS' "American Short Story." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
One of Santa's little helpers learns that even spreading Christmas cheer can be quite a chore in this animated holiday adventure featuring the voice and music of Harry Connick, Jr. Few elves display half the Christmas cheer of Eubie, and when the grumpy town of Bluesville refuses to celebrate the holidays, Santa's chipper little toymaker takes it upon himself to brighten the spirits of the Grinch-like citizens. Bringing cheer to this crabby bunch will be a real challenge, but if anyone's up for the job it's certainly Eubie. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harry Connick, Jr.
Two Navy "lifers" and one military innocent briefly attempt to thumb their nose at Authority in Hal Ashby's The Last Detail (1973). "Badass" Buddusky (Jack Nicholson) and "Mule" Mulhall (Otis Young) are assigned to escort young sailor Meadows (Randy Quaid, who beat out John Travolta for the part) from their Virginia base to a New England military prison, where Meadows will serve an eight-year sentence for attempting to swipe the commander's wife's polio donation can. Buddusky thinks that the sentence is a waste of Meadows' formative years, and he convinces a skeptical Mulhall to show the hapless Meadows a good time by partying on their per diem for the rest of the detail's allotted week. As they head north, the comically posturing Buddusky leads Meadows through the masculinizing rituals of getting drunk, getting in a fight, and getting laid; and he teaches Meadows to stand up for himself so well that Meadows tries to escape. Despite his self-proclaimed "badass" rep, however, Buddusky is, as Mulhall tells him, "a lifer like me," and the two ultimately have a job that they were ordered to do. Taking full advantage of the new ratings system, writer Robert Towne adapted the Darryl Ponicsan novel with an ear for how Navy men really talk. Objecting to the wall-to-wall obscenities, Columbia put off releasing the movie, but, after Nicholson won the Best Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival, finally opened it for Oscar consideration in December 1973 before a full release several months later. Even with nominations for Nicholson, Quaid, and Towne, and rave reviews despite the notorious cussing, The Last Detail failed to find an audience. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Nicholson, Otis Young, (more)
- 1990
- PG13
Diane Keaton, Carol Kane and Kathryn Grody are the title "siblings," three unrelated women who perform as a lounge trio and struggle to come up with the money to buy their own club. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diane Keaton, Carol Kane, (more)
In this combination of domestic melodrama and offbeat suspense flick, an astronomer must shoulder the burden of caring for and sleeping with her mentally ill sister after their anthropologist father dies in Africa. Ellen (Lee Grant) and Cissy (Carol Kane) share a possibly incestuous relationship, but that doesn't stop Ellen from longing for a more conventional romance with nice-guy co-worker David (James Olson). And who could blame her for wanting to get away, considering that Cissy's favorite activity is drawing pictures of, then killing, the series of primates she keeps locked in a cage in the sisters' baroquely tribal abode? After sleeping with David and accidentally letting her resentment against Cissy show through, Ellen heads out on a business trip, convinced her sister won't come too unhinged as long as old family friend Zom (Will Geer) looks in on her every day. Unfortunately, David comes knocking, delighted to finally get some insight into Ellen's home life, and soon Cissy has trouble differentiating one kind of primate from another. Based on a French play, The Mafu Cage marked the second effort behind the camera for former actress Karen Arthur, who would go on to become an in-demand TV-movie director. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lee Grant, Carol Kane, (more)
