Jay Leno Movies
A popular comedian during the 1970s, Jay Leno is best known as the man who replaced Johnny Carson at the helm of The Tonight Show in 1992. Leno was born James Douglas Muir Leno to parents of Italian and Scottish heritage (Leno is particularly fond of discussing the Italian part) in New Rochelle, NY, but was raised in Andover, MA. During the year in which he was establishing his standup career, Leno was performing 300 nights throughout North America. He made his television debut on the Merv Griffin Show and his acting debut in Silver Bears (1977). That year he appeared in the cast of the short-lived Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. Show, a musical variety summer replacement series. By the early '80s, Leno had left behind any notion of becoming an actor because his comedy career was in high gear. His subsequent film appearances have been as himself or as a parody of himself (The Flintstones, 1994). Leno made his first appearance on The Tonight Show on March 2, 1977. Though he can be sharp and is an astute political commentator, there is something nice and comforting about the soft-eyed, lantern-jawed funnyman that appeals to vast middle-American audiences, the same sort who regularly tuned in to Carson. It is small wonder that Leno became Carson's sole guest host by 1987. Leno hosted his first show as Carson's successor on May 25, 1992, with comedian Billy Crystal as his first guest. There was much furor surrounding the selection of Leno as many believed fellow late night gab-meister David Letterman would inherit the throne. Since taking the Tonight Show's reigns, Leno has attempted to inject the show with a slightly hipper edge by featuring more radical musical acts and affecting a more casual look. It's a tough balancing act, for he must do so without alienating his older, more conservative fan base. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1976
J.J. (Jimmie Walker) is informed by a former girlfriend that she has contracted VD -- and that he is the carrier. With his parents out of town, J.J. heads to the local free clinic, hoping to be checked out and "cured" without his mom and dad ever finding out. Future Tonight Show host Jay Leno appears as another of the clinic's anxious clients. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
- PG
Director Ivan Passer and screenwriter Peter Stone adapted Paul Erdman's novel concerning a group of con men who arrive in Switzerland and end up conning each other. Michael Caine stars as Doc Fletcher, a lackey for gangster Joe Fiore (Martin Balsam), who is sent to Switzerland to purchase a bank for his boss. Prince di Siracusa (Louis Jourdan) is aiding Doc in his purchase but is working on his own scam. They both meet Shireen Firdausi (Stephane Audran) and Agha Firdausi (David Warner), who are working on their own deal concerning an Iranian silver mine. Also arriving in town is Donald Luckman (Tom Smothers) and his wife Debbie (Cybil Shepherd), sent by banker Henry Foreman (Joss Ackland) to buy a bank as a front for Charles Cook (Charles D. Gray), a billionaire who is looking for a way to disguise his profits. With all these schemers in tow, various confidence games play out and characters switch alliances and obligations, while some wind up in jail. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Cybill Shepherd, (more)
- 1978
This lively musical comedy pays tribute to the birth of rock & roll in the late 1950s and the instrumental role played by disc jockey Alan Freed who helped bring the new sound into vogue. Much of the story centers on the daring deejay's attempts to put on the very first live rock & roll stage show at the Paramount Theatre in Brooklyn. To do this he must overcome the protests of concerned and angry parents, conservatives, and local police. Several performers of the era appear in the film including Chuck Berry, and Jerry Lee Lewis. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim McIntire, Fran Drescher, (more)
- 1979
In the future (the distant year of 1997), the United States of America is in crisis. The oil shortage has grown to epic proportions, leading to people living in their cars and bicycling to work. Cigarettes and meat have been outlawed, gold coins are needed to operate common household appliances, and the Western White House (located in a luxury apartment in California) has been forced by economic necessity to operate round-the-clock tours for vacationing Chinese citizens. The economy is deep trouble; President Chet Roosevelt (John Ritter) has borrowed four billion dollars from Native American tennis shoe manufacturer Sam Birdwater (Chief Dan George), and he's foreclosing on the loan. When a media expert, Eric McMerkhin (Peter Riegert), is summoned for advice (since despite all hardships, Americans refuse to give up their televisions), he suggests a telethon. It's a great idea, except the President's assistant Vincent Vanderhoff (Fred Willard) is in cahoots with the United Heb-Rab Republic, a sinister coalition of Israeli and Arab nationals who want to snap up America if the debt can't be paid. He ensures that the show is stocked with endless ventriloquists and insists on Monty Rushmore (Harvey Korman), a washed-up, drug-addicted television personality as host. The star of the popular sitcom "Both Mother and Father," he is sure to self-destruct over the grueling 30-day-and-night telethon schedule. Despite terrorist attacks and the kidnapping of President Roosevelt, the patriotic spirit prevails and American citizens dig deep and pledge their gold to the cause. This outrageous farce (based on a play by Firesign Theatre alumni Philip Proctor and Peter Bergman) features cameos from Elvis Costello, Jay Leno, Meat Loaf and the Del Rubio Triplets, and is narrated by George Carlin. The Beach Boys, Eddie Money, and Nick Lowe contribute to the musical soundtrack. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Riegert, Harvey Korman, (more)
- 1979
Future Tonight Show host Jay Leno appears in this episode as fun-loving Joey Mitchell, on whom Laverne (Penny Marshall) has a seemingly hopeless crush. Unfortunately, Joey thinks of Laverne as just one of the "guys", compelling Laverne to turn to Shirley (Cindy Williams) for advice on how to act more "froo-froo" (translation: more feminine). As a result, Laverne undergoes a miraculous (and ludicrous) character transition, reinventing herself as an eyelash-fluttering Southern belle! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
Future Tonight Show host Jay Leno appears in this episode as a Brandoesque biker named Bones. Pulling up at the diner with his cycle gang (among them former Welcome Back, Kotter regular Ron Palillo), tough-guy Bones is instantly smitten by Alice (Linda Lavin), whom he asks to be his "old lady"! Fans of Jay Leno will instantly notice how expertly he handles his prop motorcycle--which is more than can be said for most of the other cast members. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
Future Tonight Show host Jay Leno appears in this episode as influential rock-and-roll entrepreneur Bobby Bitts. Forced by Squiggy to hear Carmine sing his latest composition "Do the Hotfoot", Bobby sees potential in the song, but only if the title is changed to "Do the Carmine". This action causes Carmine's ego to swell to obscene proportions--but alas, his dreams of fame and fortune are scuttled when it is alleged that "Do the Carmine" is a pro-Communist rant when played backward! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The Hideous Sun Demon was a typically awful really low budget 1959 sci-fi monster movie which B-movie actor Robert Clarke produced, directed, and starred in. The current feature simply takes the original film and dubs in hip, funny, self-mocking dialogue to replace the old, stiff, self-conscious original dialogue, much in the manner of Woody Allen's creative redubbing of What's Up Tiger Lily?. Among the uncredited voices is that of comic Jay Leno. A small amount of new footage, carefully shot to match the original, has been added to fill out the story. In the original, a research scientist (Clarke) has been exposed to a radioactive substance which makes him turn into a reptile monster whenever he's exposed to sunlight. After this, he falls in love with a beautiful nightclub singer, but a series of mishaps result in his being killed while his love remains unconsummated. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Clarke, Patricia Manning, (more)
- 1985
Michael Nesmith (famed as the talented one from '60s pop-band The Monkees) directed this melange of music and comedy clips starring Whoopi Goldberg, Garry Shandling, Rosanne Cash, Jay Leno and Jimmy Buffett. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Every so often, Tonight Show host Jay Leno conducts a highly slanted "independent poll" of viewers on one subject or another. This comedy routine had its roots in the made-for-cable Jay Leno: The American Dream. Decked out in a garish silver sports coats, Jay combs the hinterlands in search of the "real" America. Much of the humor is reliant upon Jay's deadpan commentary concerning various icons and landmarks (both famous and obscure) which the homefolk hold dear. Hilarious without ever stooping to cruelty, Jay Leno: The American Dream is a pleasant 49 minutes out of your life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
This 1986 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Jay Leno and features musical guest the Neville Brothers. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jay Leno, The Neville Brothers, (more)
An arrogant Detroit cop (Jay Leno) must work with his efficient Japanese counterpart (Pat Morita) to corner an evil ganglord. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jay Leno, Chris Sarandon, (more)
The ghost of Frank Capra must have smiled when he saw Dave, an amusing and effective update of one of Capra's favorite themes -- the scrupulously honest little guy who becomes a force for good against a corrupt system. Dave Kovic (Kevin Kline) runs an employment agency and seems to genuinely enjoy finding work for people who need it. He also bears a striking resemblance to the president of the United States, Bill Mitchell (also played by Kline) and occasionally gets work as a Bill Mitchell impersonator. One day, Dave gets a call from the Secret Service -- for security purposes, they want to hire him to act as a decoy for an upcoming appearance by the president. All goes well, but later that evening President Mitchell suffers a massive stroke while in bed with his mistress. Wanting to keep the matter a secret, two of the president's top advisors appeal to Dave to stand in as Bill Mitchell until he regains his health. One of the men behind this scheme, Bob Alexander (Frank Langella), hopes to use Mitchell's absence to promote his own right-wing political agenda, but after a few weeks "in office," Dave decides it's time to promote some changes of his own that will help increase employment and keep homeless shelters open. Dave also finds himself growing fond of Ellen Mitchell (Sigourney Weaver), the President's wife, while Ellen sees in Dave the idealism her husband left behind years ago. Dave features numerous cameo appearances by politicians, Washington insiders, and journalists; Oliver Stone also appears to explain a conspiracy theory regarding sudden changes in Bill Mitchell's behavior. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, (more)
- 1993
Rumors are flying that the executives at radio station KACL are planning to fire one of the on-the-air personalities. With no facts to back him up, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) speculates that the unlucky employee will be his nemesis, macho sports-show host Bulldog (Dan Butler). Overhearing this bit of gossip, Frasier goes ballistic and quits his job, unaware that the rumor was never true in the first place. Now it is up to loose-lipped Frasier to persuade Bulldog to come back -- and to persuade management to take him back. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Performance art certainly isn't for everyone, as Larry (Garry Shandling) quickly finds out in this installment of The Larry Sanders Show. Worried that the show has become too routine, Larry books a controversial performance artist on the show. Despite his initial enthusiasm, however, our gracious host gets cold feet and cancels the appearance after getting a taste of the act. Guest stars include Maureen Mueller, John Riggi, Roseanne, Tom Arnold, Jay Leno, Tim Miller, and George Segal. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Everyone's favorite headbangers from Aurora, Illinois, are back in this sequel to the 1992 hit comedy Wayne's World. The success of their TV show allows Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) and Garth Algar (Dana Carvey) to finally move out of their parents' homes, but now they have to figure out what to do with their lives. Wayne's girlfriend, up-and-coming rock star Cassandra (Tia Carrere), is enjoying a career boost thanks to her new manager Bobby Cohn (Christopher Walker), but Garth thinks that Bobby is more interested in her body than her place on the charts. Meanwhile, Wayne is visited in a dream by the late Jim Morrison (Michael A. Nickles), who convinces him to promote a massive rock festival, "Waynestock," featuring Aerosmith as headliners. Garth, on the other hand, is finally relieved of his pesky virginity by femme fatale Honey Hornee (Kim Basinger), though it turns out that Honey has a hidden agenda. Drew Barrymore, Harry Shearer, and Charlton Heston play cameo roles in Wayne's World 2, and Jay Leno, Rip Taylor, and Todd Rundgren appear as themselves. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, (more)
In this animated children's film from Amblin Entertainment, a group of four dinosaurs, including a tyrannosaurus rex, a triceratops, a hadrosaur, and a pterodactyl, are brought forward in time to New York City to entertain and befriend the children. However, when the dinosaurs are threatened by an evil circus owner, it is up to their young friends to save the day. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Goodman, Blaze Berdahl, (more)
This follow-up to 1989's unexpected comedy hit Major League continues the broadly humorous adventures of the misfit Cleveland Indians. No longer the scrappy survivors who pulled off an upset championship victory, the Indians have let success go to their heads, accepting movie roles and hefty endorsement deals. Unfortunately, with success comes complacency, and the Indians soon wind up back in last place. When this poor performance winds up threatening the franchise, the team rediscovers its roots and again achieves unlikely success. Original director David S. Ward brings back most of the first film's memorable characters, including unconventional pitcher Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn (Charlie Sheen), voodoo practitioner-turned-Buddhist Pedro Cerrano (Dennis Haysbert), and base stealer-turned-movie star Willie Mays Hayes (Omar Epps, replacing Wesley Snipes). ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, (more)
The good (if not fully evolved) citizens of Bedrock make their way to the big screen in this live-action adaptation of the popular animated series of the 1960s. Fred Flintstone (John Goodman) and his best friend Barney Rubble (Rick Moranis) work together at the Slate and Company Rock Quarry. When Fred loans Barney some money that allows him and his wife Betty (Rosie O'Donnell) to adopt a child, Barney is looking for a way to show his gratitude. Barney thinks he's found one when the executives at Slate and Company announce that they're giving all their employees intelligence tests to help determine future promotions. When Barney switches his high-scoring test with Fred's, his plan works -- but not quite the way he had hoped: Fred is deemed executive material and given a big promotion, complete with a sexy secretary (Halle Berry) who makes his wife Wilma (Elizabeth Perkins) jealous, while Barney is soon out of a job and can't pay his bills. Bill Hanna and Joseph Barbara, who created the original television series, make cameo appearances here; Elizabeth Taylor gives a fine comic performance as Wilma's nagging mother, and Harvey Korman provides the voice of the Dictabird. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Goodman, Elizabeth Perkins, (more)
- 1994
To prove his worth to Lisa (Nia Long), Will decides to become a celebrity journalist. Though his proposed book "The Stars at Night" goes nowhere, he manages to get an autographed photo of TV talk host Jay Leno sold to a tabloid newspaper. Unfortunately, the photo is doctored to make Leno look like a jerk--and before long, Will is facing an enormous libel suit! In addition to Jay Leno, screenwriter-novelist John Ridley (later the "auteur" of the hit movie Barbershop) also appears as himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
What ever will princess Ebony do without the friends she so desperately wants? Her father, the king, has given her everything he can, except for friends she can call her own. This modernized fable finds the African-American princess Ebony kissing frogs in hopes of finding friends her own age. You'll notice the tale focuses on the princess finding true friends rather than true love, teaching the value of friendship. In the end, the enchanted frog teaches Ebony the meaning of being a friend. Danny Glover and Sinbad lend a hand in telling this yarn. ~ Amy Lewis, All Movie Guide
- 1995
The Buchmans' dumb-dumb dog Murray lands a walk-on role in Paul's (Paul Reiser) commercial for Yum Yum Gum. In a twinkling, Murray has acquired an agent, an entourage, and a possible weekly series deal. Brent Spiner, late of the Star Trek franchise, guest stars as showbiz wheeler-dealer Bob -- and isn't that Jay Leno? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Will (Will Smith) thinks he's scored a major coup when he books a juror (George Wallace) who has been dismissed from Uncle Philip's sex-scandal trial as a guest on Hilary's show. Unfortunately, the ex-juror is mighty angry, and his on-the-air invective causes a heap of trouble for Philip (James Avery). Horrified at how things have turned out, Will and Hilary (Karyn Parsons) come up with a "musical" apology to Philip--as if that makes the situation any better! Jay Leno appears as himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
