Beverly Garland Movies

The made-for-television movie The World's Oldest Living Bridesmaid is about a prosperous lawyer who can't find a husband. Eventually, she falls in love with her younger male secretary. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide

In any other circumstances, the biggest news occurring in the fourth and final season of Scarecrow and Mrs. King would be the promotion from recurring to regular player of Raleigh Bond in the role of T.P. Aquinas, the chief source of top-secret information for peripatetic espionage agent Lee "Scarecrow" Stetson (Bruce Boxleitner). Instead, this tidbit is eclipsed by several far more significant developments, beginning with the two-part season opener, in which Lee tells his fellow spy Amanda King (Kate Jackson) something the audience has known for years--that he is in love with her. Typically, this admission is made at a time when both Lee and Amanda are up to their necks in danger, and the situation hasn't improved much in the subsequent episode "Night Crawler", in which , while trapped by Arab kidnappers, Lee asks Amanda to become his wife. The couple is finally married in the appropriately titled "Do You Take This Spy?", but for reasons of security they have to keep their wedding a secret--even from Amanda's children and her inquisitive mom Dotty (Beverly Garland). Sadly, the marriage of "Scarecrow" and Mrs. King marks the beginning of the end of the series, and not simply because that the air of sexual tension and anticipation has been dissipated. In the middle of the shooting schedule, Kate Jackson had to undergo cancer surgery, and thereafter a slow and tortuous recovery. As a result, Amanda King is virtually written out of the series that bears her name in the title. The scripters contrive to have Amanda shot and wounded while on her honeymoon, obliging Lee to carry out his next few missions in the company of his former partner, Francine Desmond (Martha Smith). Although viewers understood the circumstance that required Kate Jackson to be absent from most of the final episodes, they dolefully concluded that "Scarecrow" without Mrs. King was H2 without the O, and the series was quietly cancelled. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Suburban divorcee and part-time espionage agent Amanda King (Kate Jackson) is no longer merely a talented amateur as the tongue-in-cheek adventure series Scarecrow and Mrs. King enters its third season. Instead, Amanda has finished her training and is now a full-fledged operative for the top-secret organization "The Agency", making her not only the partner but the equal of seasoned spy Lee "Scarecrow" Stetson (Bruce Boxleitner). Amanda's promotion enables her boss Billy Melrose (Mel Stewart) to get over feeling guilty about dispatching her on life-threatening missions; it also infuriates sexy female spy Francine Desmond (Martha Smith), who is rather sweet on Stetson. One of the season's best episodes, "We're Off to See the Wizard", not only explains (at long last!) how Lee got his nickname "Scarecrow", but also won an Emmy Award for best musical scoring. Elswhere, Kate Jackson's former costar on The Rookies, Sam Melville, makes the first of a handful of appearances as Amanda's ex-husband Joe King in "The Wrong Way Home", while the guest-star cast of "Dead Men Leave No Tails" includes Nancy Boxleitner, the sister of star Bruce Boxleitner). And in "Reach for the Sky", Myron Natwick is introduced as Dr. Smyth, the shadowy top man at The Agency. When all is said and done, however, the season's most important episode is "All the World's a Stage", in which, after years of exchanging chaste kisses in the line of duty, "Scarecrow" and Mrs. King share their first real kiss--and it's a doozy!!!! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The humdrum life of suburban divorcee and mother Amanda King (Kate Jackson) is radically and permanently altered when secret agent Lee "Scarecrow" Stetson (Bruce Boxleitner), fleeing from Russian spies, runs into Amanda at a train station, hands her a mysterious package, and disappears into the crowd. Thus begins Season One of the lighthearted adventure series Scarecrow and Mrs. King. Despite her complete lack of experience in the realm of espionage, Amanda proves so adept at her new "hobby" that she and Lee will be teamed up again and again and again--much to the confusion of Lee's superior at The Agency, Billy Melrose (Mel Stewart), and to the dismay of Lee's usual partner, sexy female spy Francine Desmond (Martha Smith). Meanwhile, Amanda has a high old time keeping her undercover activities a secret from her mischievous young sons Philip (Paul Stout) and Jamie (Greg Morton), and especially from her nosy mother Dottie (Beverly Garland), who though charmed and impressed by "Scarecrow" is completely at a loss to determine the exact nature of his relationship with her daughter! In subsequent adventures, Lee and Amanda pose as husband and wife, never dreaming that the pose will become reality by the time the series reaches its fourth season; Amanda goes through her paces with a prominent ankle bandage, reflecting a real-life injury suffered by Kate Jackson on the set; Martha Smith shows up in the dual role of Francine and defecting Hungarian official Magda, resulting in twice as much trouble for Amanda; and mom Dottie blithely tools around town carrying an unidentified package, never realizing that a pair of Eastern Bloc spies have targeted her for assassination! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the final episode of Magnum P.I's second season, fashion designer Jan Kona (Jill St. John) solicits the help of Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck) when one of her two partners is murdered. She suspects that the surviving partner is the guilty party, and that she's next on the list. Meanwhile, a bemused Rick (Larry Manetti) tries to reconcile the glamorous, worldly Ms. Kona with her "past life" as one of his long-stemmed cocktail waitresses. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Claudia Weill's second feature is a romantic look at the humorous and tragic sides of love, starring Jill Clayburgh as Kate Gunzinger, a mathematics professor who lives with perpetually sunny architect Homer (Charles Grodin) in Chicago. But during a trip to New York City, Kate becomes romantically involved with handsome hunk Ben Lewin (Michael Douglas), a recently retired professional baseball player who is trying to adjust to a life outside of professional sports. The son of her father's fiancee, Ben, in spite of uncertainties about his future, actively pursues Kate, and Kate, much to her surprise, willingly permits Ben to make his amorous approaches. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Originally titled Stories from the Bible, Greatest Heroes of the Bible was designed as a seven-part TV miniseries; evidently the specter of low ratings forced the network execs to telescope the presentation into four installments. The series began with the story of David (Roger Kern) and Goliath (Ted Cassidy). Next we were offered the tale of Samson (John Beck) and Delilah (Ann Turkel). The Flood was next on the agenda, with Lew Ayres as Noah. This was followed by Joshua (Robert Culp) at the walls of Jericho. Moses (John Marley) was the central character in the next chapter, followed by Solomon (Tom Hallick) and Bathsheba (Carol Lawrence). The story of Joseph (Sam Bottoms) and his Brethren rounded out the presentation. While other miniseries prided themselves on being lensed in Europe and the Mid-East, Greatest Stories of the Bible declared itself as an "All American Production;" for example, Canyon City, Utah, stood in for Jericho. This miniseries was telecast November 19, 20, 21 and 22, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Strange things happen during the tour of a professional tennis team. For starters, the nasty team owner Beverly Garland is nearly murdered. The police have their work cut out for them, since every one of the athletes had plenty of motive. But there may be still another suspect: the ghost of a dead tennis pro, who has a score to settle. The taped, 90-minute Deadly Volley originally aired January 27, 1975, as part of ABC's Wide World Mystery anthology series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

For the third time in six years, Ironside (Raymond Burr) matches wits with gentleman thief Peter Justin--a role played in previous episodes by Sorrell Booke and Dan O'Herlihy, and here essayed by Leslie Nielsen. Determined to get even with Ironside for sending him to prison, Julian concocts an elaborate plan to pull off four art heists simultaneously. Though determined to put Julian back behind bars, Ironside finds himself in the curious position of defending his longtime adversary when Julian is framed for murder by his protégé Randy Pearce (Steve Sandor). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on the novel by Wilson Rawls, this film follows the events that befall a young Oklahoma farm boy as he, with the help of his two beloved hounds, struggles to help his family get by in the hard times of the 1930s. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Joseph Bottoms plays a 17-year-old high school boy who gets his girl friend Kay Lenz pregnant. The girl wants to put the baby up for adoption, but Bottoms decides to take on the parental responsibilities himself. He battles in court to gain custody of the child, even after being apprised of the heavy financial and personal burdens he's about to assume. Made for TV, Unwed Father has a good concept defeated by poor execution. One wonders whether the boy or the girl would have been the "good guy" had this film been made ten years later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Desi Arnaz Jr. and Michael Evans play the teenaged protagonists of The Voyage of the Yes. The boys take on the challenge of a 2,600-mile sailboat trip from California to Hawaii. While tackling the boundaries created by Mother Nature, Desi and Michael learn to combat their own inbred prejudices. As a bonus for fans of the stars, Arnaz and Evans perform a song "El Condor Pasa." Made for television, THe Voyage of the Yes was first telecast January 16, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide