William Katt Movies

The son of actors Bill Williams and Barbara Hale, curly-haired leading man William Katt is fond of noting that he made his movie "debut" while residing in his mother's womb during filming of Lorna Doone (1951). After attending Orange Coast College, Katt pursued a career as a musician. He then made his formal acting bow in summer stock and small TV roles. Among Katt's film credits are the role of the high-school jock date of telekinetic wallflower Sissy Spacek in Carrie (1977), and one-half of the title role in Butch and Sundance, The Early Days (1979). From 1981 through 1983, Katt played the reluctant-superhero protagonist (originally named Ralph Hinkley, redubbed Ralph Hanley after the '81 assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan) on TV's Greatest American Hero. Beginning in 1987, Katt played the recurring role of detective Paul Drake Jr. in the periodic Perry Mason TV movies, co-starring with his mother Barbara Hale, who resumed her "Della Street" characterization from the original 1961-66 Mason run. Katt also worked on the scripts of several of these latter-day Masons. More recently, William Katt was a regular on the 1991 Farrah Fawcett-Ryan O'Neal TV sitcom Good Sports. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
1985  
 
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Eight years before the dinosaur mania created by Jurassic Park, Bill L. Norton released this more dinosaur-friendly story about a 10-foot baby dinosaur in dire straits in Africa because Dr. Eric Kiviat (Patrick McGoohan), an evil paleontologist, is after it with a vengeance. He is the nemesis of Dr. Susan Matthews-Loomis (Sean Young) -- determined to save the baby from its hunters -- and her husband George Loomis (William Katt), a sportswriter who shares her protective instincts. Kiviat has recruited a revolutionary army to help him capture the baby's mother -- which they manage to do without killing her. The army has already shot down the father dinosaur, and so their own instincts are far from protective. As the husband and wife and baby dinosaur are united at last in their attempts to survive, the next step is to recapture Mom dinosaur and get away from the army and Kiviat, not an easy feat. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
William KattSean Young, (more)
1978  
 
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Jan-Michael Vincent plays a self-destructive beach bum to whom surfing is a Zen experience. We first meet Vincent in the devil-may-care 1960s, in the company of his carefree buddies William Katt and Gary Busey. The boys reunite ten years later, after one has served time in Vietnam. The beach is still there, the waves still break upon the shore, and towards the end of the film, the characters become people that we truly care about. Barbara Hale, the real-life mother of costar William Katt, makes a piquant supporting appearance. Cut from 129 minutes to 104 for its pay-cable release, Big Wednesday is also known as Summer of Innocence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Jan-Michael VincentWilliam Katt, (more)
2007  
PG13  
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When a construction crew removes an ancient artifact from Indian holy ground, they inadvertently unleash an evil spirit known as the "Bone Eater" that grows more powerful with each victim it consumes. As the body count begins to multiply, it's up to a small town sheriff (Bruce Boxleitner), his daughter, and the town doctor (William Katt) to seek the wisdom of a wise Indian girl who could be their only hope of combating a force beyond human comprehension. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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1979  
R  
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This "prequel" to the Newman/Redford vehicle Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was written by TV sitcom veteran Allan Burns and stars Tom Berenger as Butch and William Katt as Sundance. The film, per its title, traces the formative days of Butch and Sundance's careers as soft-hearted western outlaws, and their creation of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. There's no Etta Place this time around; the fictional heroine, named Mary, is played by Jill Eikenberry. Only Jeff Corey, as Sheriff Ray Bledsoe, repeats his role from the original film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
William KattTom Berenger, (more)
1974  
 
This 1974 TV movie was based upon recent news stories about brainwashing techniques practiced by certain religious communes. Ellen (Kathy Cannon) is a confused teenager who falls in with a group of fanatics, who promise that they'll purge the "Devil" from her soul. Her anguished parents (Leslie Nielsen, Louise Fletcher) hire John Saxon to kidnap Ellen from the commune, and to exorcise the fanatics' influence from her psyche. This film was outdated within a year, but would come back in fashion during the height of the "Moonie" activity in the late 1970s. The original title of Can Ellen Be Saved?, understandably rejected by the network, was Children of God. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1976  
R  
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This classic horror movie based on Stephen King's first novel stars Sissy Spacek as Carrie White, a shy, diffident teenager who is the butt of practical jokes at her small-town high school. Her blind panic at her first menstruation, a result of ignorance and religious guilt drummed into her by her fanatical mother, Margaret (Piper Laurie), only causes her classmates' vicious cruelty to escalate, despite the attentions of her overly solicitous gym teacher (Betty Buckley). Finally, when the venomous Chris Hargenson (Nancy Allen) engineers a reprehensible prank at the school prom, Carrie lashes out in a horrifying display of her heretofore minor telekinetic powers. Many films had featured school bullies, but Carrie was one of the first to focus on the special brand of cruelty unique to teenage girls. Carrie's world is presented as a snake pit, where the well-to-do female students all have fangs -- even the reticent Sue Snell (Amy Irving) -- and all the males are blind pawns, sexually twisted around the fingers of Chris and her evil cronies. The talented supporting cast includes John Travolta, P.J. Soles, and William Katt. One of the genre's true classics, the film was followed by a sequel in 1999, as well as by a famously unsuccessful Broadway musical adaptation that starred Betty Buckley, the movie's gym teacher, as Margaret White. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Sissy SpacekPiper Laurie, (more)
2001  
 
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A man hoping to move out of the closet falls into a trap of drug-fueled hedonism in this cautionary drama. John (Jonathan Wade Drahos) is a police officer from a small town who is forced to leave his career behind when it is discovered that he's gay. Hoping to find more tolerant surroundings, John moves to West Hollywood and rents an apartment with Nina (Kiersten Warren), an old friend from his high school days. One night, John attends a party where he meets Hector (Andre Khabazzi), an attractive hustler with whom he quickly strikes up a relationship. Hector is a regular on the L.A. party circuit, and John soon falls in with him, but the endless barrage of music, drugs, and anonymous sex proves more than John can handle, and he soon develops a dangerous dependence on amphetamines. William Katt, Nancy Allen, and Bruce Vilanch also appear in the supporting cast. Circuit had its premiere at the 2001 L.A. Outfest, a festival devoted to gay and lesbian-themed films. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Jonathan Wade DrahosKiersten Warren, (more)
1996  
R  
The message of this direct-to-video thriller may be that it is possible for a daughter to love her father too much, especially when she will cheerfully murder anyone who threatens to come between them. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
William KattMichele Greene, (more)
1998  
 
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A boy who's looking for trouble finds a lot more than he counted on in this action-comedy. Nathan (Ryan DeBoer) is a 12-year-old kid with a smart mouth and a bit too much attitude for his own good. Not happy at home, Nathan runs away and his parents report him missing to the police; when Nathan finds out, he finds himself dodging the cops at every turn. Low on money, Nathan happens upon a large amount of cash and figures his lucky day has arrived. However, it turns out the money he found belongs to gangsters who are bound and determined to get it back, and Nathan is forced to turn himself in to Norm (Tim Matheson), a police detective, in order to stay alive. But Nathan doesn't much care for cops, and Norm is not exactly charmed by Nathan, which makes working together rough sledding. Catch Me If You Can (also released as Deadly Game and Hide and Seek) also features William Katt and Carol Alt. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Ryan De BoerTim Matheson, (more)
1992  
R  
In this psycho thriller, Richard Sullivan is a mild-mannered, trusting ad-man who is tickled when his long lost cousin Harry suddenly shows up at his door. Harry is accompanied by Connie, his fiancee and the innocent Richard welcomes them into his happy home. Unfortunately, whereas Richard, his wife Kate and their son Alex live an idyllic existence, Harry and Connie's relationship is stormy and unstable. Connie constantly whines about wanting the perfect home, and both of them are intensely envious of the Sullivans. Their jealousy takes a darker turn when they try to become the Sullivans. First they begin undermining Richard and Kate's authority over Alex. Then Harry and Connie begin going through the couple's personal effects and files. Eventually, the spooky duo begins impersonating the Sullivans as much as they can. When Kate begins to get suspicious,the story takes a deadly turn for neither she nor Richard realize that they are dealing with cold-blooded, murderous psychopaths. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Mel HarrisDavid Keith, (more)
2001  
 
To escape his enormous gambling debts, the highly unlikable Reese Williams (Marc Singer) decides to fake his own death, with the help of his long-suffering wife, Katie (Michele Greene). Once Reese is safely "deceased," Katie will fall heir to a five-million-dollar insurance policy, which will help the couple square their debts and start a new life elsewhere. But can it be that the scheme has not gone the way it was supposed to -- and that Reese is dead for real? Reese's sister-in-law Ginny (Veronica Hamel) may or may not be able to provide the answers to insurance investigators Logan (William Katt) and Mac (George Dzundza), one of whom has fallen in love with Katie. Though innumerable clues are adroitly planted along the way, the outcome of the story remains a jaw-dropping surprise. Originally intended for theatrical release, Determination of Death was not seen until its premiere on German television in 2002; thereafter, the film was added to the "Monday Night Movie" rotation on the American Lifetime cable channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1996  
 
Aspiring TV journalist Sally McCormick (Suzanne Somers) can't get anyone to hire her--and the reason, she concludes, is that she is simply too chubby for the small screen. Although her boyfriend Andrew Burns (William Katt) tells her that eventually her talent will be judged separate from her weight, Sally would give anything to be thin; in fact, she would even sell her soul. Enter Seymour Kecker (Dabney Coleman), a somewhat diabolical spokesman for a popular weight-loss product. Entering into the standard Faustlike deal with Seymour, portly Sally becomes a sylphlike "Size Six" literally overnight, and before long she is anchoring the news at top-rated WPKV-TV. Of course, there's a price to be paid for this success--and the devilish Seymour intends to be paid in full! Produced for the Lifetime cable network, Devil's Food debuted September 2, 1996, originally shown in tandem with Devil's Diet, a documentary about the famous "full-figured" women of history. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1992  
 
A vacation in Scotland turns into hard work for Michael Cooper, a former Chicago policeman, when he runs into an engaging but nervous Englishman who appears as out of place as the American in a little Scottish fishing village. After the two become friendly, the ex-policeman learns the cause of the other man's nervousness: his daughter has been kidnapped by a criminal gang which is hoping to use her abduction in order to find the old man, who has been on the run from them for some time. Before long, Michael charges in to the rescue. This fairly tame action drama offers old-time fans of comic Norman Wisdom a chance to see him in a "straight" role. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Norman WisdomWilliam Katt, (more)
1972  
 
When John (Randolph Mantooth) predicted that this Wednesday would be a "weird" one for Rampart Hospital, he wasn't kidding. The case log includes a feisty 80-year-old woman (Jeanette Nolan) who sprains her ankle while dancing at her own birthday party, a panicky hooker who hauls her cardiac-victim "John" into the hospital, a near-fatal case of hiccups, a teenager (played by a young, uncredited William Katt) who tries to put himself into a deep-freeze, and a parachutist who ends up in a high tree. And have we mentioned the snakes on the golf course? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1983  
 
This lively, funny Faerie Tale Theatre production of the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale is about a thumb-sized girl (Carrie Fisher) who has to find her way back home after being kidnapped by a toad and a mole. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide

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1977  
R  
It's hardly likely that anyone will confuse 1977's First Love with the 1939 Deanna Durbin musical of the same name. In the earlier film, Durbin received her first screen kiss from Robert Stack. In the 1977 film, no one stops at kissing. College boy Elgin (William Katt) falls for coed Caroline (Susan Dey, light-years removed from The Partridge Family), despite Caroline's deep involvement with an older man. 1950s leading lady Virginia Leith makes a comeback appearance in a minor role. Critics applauded the sensitive direction by Joan Darling, even while carping that the title First Love seemed to be a misnomer: neither Katt nor Dey appear to be inexperienced in sexual matters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
William KattSusan Dey, (more)
2006  
 
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Kelly LeBrock, William Katt, John Heard, and Beverly D'Angelo star in this comedy about four lifelong gamers - and the obsessive intruder - who attempt to make the most of their dreary lives by breaking the world record of gaming by playing "Demons, Nymphs, and Dragons" for over 74,558 hours. Their jobs may make them miserable, and their families may not understand, but perhaps if these fantasy-loving misfits can make the sacrifices needed to accomplish their shared goal, they'll all go down in the history books as the most dedicated dorks ever to slay an army of Orks. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Kevin SherwoodKevin Kirkpatrick, (more)
2002  
 
The Andromeda's latest rescue mission has the unpleasant aftereffect of bringing a dangerous maggot onto the ship. The intergallactic parasite worms its way into one of the vessel's hidden decks, chewing through the hologram of Eddie Aldrich (William Katt), a crew member who died over three centuries ago. Suddenly reactivated, the ghostly, malfunctioning Eddie doesn't understand the present situation and hijacks the ship, determined to have Dylan (Kevin Sorbo) stand trial for treason against the Old Commonwealth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1986  
R  
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A mild box-office hit for New World Pictures, this lightweight attempt at horror parody from Friday the 13th producer Sean S. Cunningham stars former Greatest American Hero William Katt as a best-selling pop-horror novelist (a la Stephen King) who suffers an insurmountable case of writer's block after separation from his soap-star wife (Kay Lenz) and the disappearance of their young son. Hoping to purge his personal demons by writing his Vietnam War memoirs, he moves into the massive mansion once occupied by his deceased aunt (who hanged herself in her bedroom), and finds himself surrounded by demons of a completely different kind. Katt takes the weirdness in stride, attempting to face down marauding monsters, interdimensional trap-doors and other supernatural horrors while concealing his predicament from the neighbors (except for a befuddled George Wendt, who tries gamely to play along with Katt's hare-brained monster-fighting schemes). Despite the filmmakers' admirable efforts to maintain the manic pace with multiple storylines, their attempt to bring all the plot elements together for the climactic payoff results in a jangled mess. Surprisingly entertaining when viewed as a live-action cartoon, but virtually impossible to take seriously as a horror film. Followed by three sequels. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
William KattGeorge Wendt, (more)
1991  
R  
After two unsuccessful attempts to turn the House horror franchise into a collection of unrelated haunted-house stories (even ditching the House moniker prior to distribution of the third film, The Horror Show), the producers opted for a direct sequel (more or less) to the first film in the series. William Katt returns briefly for the role of Roger Cobb, the former beleaguered owner of a nightmarish fixer-upper filled to the brim with obnoxious demons. His part here amounts to little more than a cameo -- early in the film, Roger is killed in a nasty auto accident during a vacation with his new wife Kelly (Kerri Treas) and their 12-year-old daughter Laurel (Melissa Clayton). Kelly and Laurel -- who is now confined to a wheelchair -- try to begin their lives again at the family's summer house. Once there, Kelly is visited by visions of horrific events (including Roger's death) which become more frequent until she is forced to seek the aid of a shaman, who helps her to interpret them. The visions include a replay of the events which led to Roger's death, indicating the crash was no accident -- and revealing the identity of the party responsible. This installment marks a slightly more effective return to the comedy-horror formula that made House a surprise hit. Basically a distaff retread of that film, House IV benefits from its strong female heroine and more emotional involvement for the leads amid the barrage of slimy effects and over-the-top humor. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Terri TreasWilliam Katt, (more)
2006  
 
Rushed to the clinic after collapsing on the street, 15-year-old faith healer Boyd (Thomas Dekker) is diagnosed with a brain abnormality. House (Hugh Laurie) recommends immediate surgery, but Boyd refuses, claiming to be worried that he'll lose his headling powers if he goes under the knife. Of course, Boyd is hiding the real reason why he wants to avoid an operation, but in the meantime he lays hands on terminal cancer patient Grace (Tamara Braun)--who is convinced that she's cured, placing the doctors in this week's ethical dilemma. And in a less solemn moment, Boyd tries to help Dr. Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) by claiming that God wants Wilson to join House's weekly poker game! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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