Sam Jones Movies
With his Viking-warrior features and Adonislike physique, Sam J. Jones looked as if he'd just stepped out of an adventure comic strip. Accordingly, he was cast in such comix-to-cinema projects as Flash Gordon (1980), The Spirit (1987), and Jane and the Lost City (1989). On a more down-to-earth level, Jones was fine indeed as Dudley Moore's unwitting rival for the affections of Bo Derek in 10 (1979). Sam Jones' series-TV credits include the roles of Chris Rorchek in Code Red (1981-82) and the title character in The Highwayman (1988). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1979
Who better than former stuntman Hal Needham to direct the made-for-TV Stunts Unlimited? Glenn Corbett stars as former CIA agent Dirk Macauley, who enlists three movie stunt experts as an elite counter-espionage team. Macauley's "angels"-two male, one female-are Bo Carlson (Sam Jones), Matt Lewis (Chip Mayer) and C.C. Brandt (Susan Dalton-and do you want to bet that Macauley originally thought that "C.C." was a guy?) Their first assignment: retrieve a deadly laser weapon, stolen by special guest villain Alejandro Ray. While this 2-hour TV pilot didn't sell, the similarly themed The Fall Guy did. Stunts Unlimited debuted January 4, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
This made-for-TV effort stars Lindsay Wagner as Meg Laurel, an orphan who graduates Harvard Medical School and returns to treat the sick in her Appalachian hometown in the 1930s. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
Blake Edwards' 10 stars Dudley Moore as George, a Mancini-type songwriter. Approaching middle age, George feels as if life is passing him by, especially his sex life. Despite the presence of longtime lady friend Sam (Julie Andrews) in his life, he becomes obsessed from afar with Jenny (Bo Derek), who is engaged to be married. Following her to Mexico without her knowledge, George arranges a meeting with Jenny by saving the life of her fiancé, David (Sam Jones). Once he has made her acquaintance, George suddenly finds himself faced with the realities of embarking on such an affair. Beyond renewing the popularity of Maurice Ravel's "Bolero" and turning Bo Derek into a star, upon its release, 10 was one of the most financially successful Blake Edwards films in years. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dudley Moore, Julie Andrews, (more)
Heroic earthling Flash Gordon saves the world from the nefarious Ming the Merciless in this lavish, intentionally campy adaptation of the famous sci-fi comic strip. The story is as basic as space operas get: Ming (Max von Sydow) has developed a plan to destroy the Earth, and Flash (Sam J. Jones) and his attractive companion, Dale Arden (Melody Anderson), are called upon to stop him. Along the way, Flash must battle Ming's goons and the temptations of a luscious space princess. Previously the basis for a more straight-faced 1930s adventure serial, Flash's story is mined here for exaggerated, cartoon humor by screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr., a central figure in the similarly campy '60s Batman television series. The simplistic plot mainly serves as an excuse for spectacular sets and cartoonish action sequences, all set to an appropriately over-the-top rock score by Queen. Certainly not a film to turn to for serious excitement, fine performances, or character development, Flash Gordon has nevertheless developed an appreciative cult of fans who admire the film's humorous approach and the detailed, colorful production design. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Jones, Melody Anderson, (more)
- 1984
Police Commissioner Larry Crenshaw (William Windom) is the primary suspect when his wife Connie (Rosemary Thomas) is murdered. This places Hunter (Fred Dryer) and McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) in a ticklish situation: they are ordered to investigate the one man who most desires to see them thrown off the force--and they must save his hide if he turns out to be innocent. Before the inevitable slam-bang finale, the viewer is treated to an abundance of unexpected plot twists, most of them involving a disreputable private eye (Ray Girardin) and a deceptively charming tennis player (Sam Jones). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
In this western, a female sheriff must fight to keep her job by capturing a dangerous bandito. She must also fight with international revolutionaries. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1984
A rural pacifist group called the Brotherhood of Man hires the A-Team to protect them from a band of bigoted rednecks. However, the Brotherhood makes one unshakable demand upon the Team: none of the members are allowed to use any form of violence in thwarting the villains. Five points to anyone who can guess how long the Team (B.A. [Mr. T] in particular!) is able to go before abandoning "brain" in favor of "brawn"! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
In this drama, a married woman hires herself out as a surrogate wife and gets into big trouble. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
In a well-wrought sex comedy with one foot in the feminist camp and another on a banana peel, Casey Meadows (Deborah Foreman in an excellent performance) defies social custom when she gets a job as a limo driver. The manager of the Brentwood Limousine Company, McBride (Howard Hesseman), and her co-workers give her both a hard time and some of the worst fares possible. She is eventually assigned to chauffeur an overworked executive (Sam Jones) who just broke up with his girlfriend. After drowning his sorrows in the back seat of the limo, the ingrate wakes up in Casey's bed the morning after, refusing to believe he had anything to do with her. Their antagonistic relationship is stressed all the more when she has to drive him on a vacation and the car breaks down. What Casey does not know is that she has not been given the complete scoop on her passenger. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Deborah Foreman, Sam Jones, (more)
- 1987
The Spirit is a TV movie based on Will Eisner's celebrated comic-strip crimefighter. The title character's real name is Denny Colt (played by Sam Jones), a police officer who is believed to be have been killed by gangsters. Revived in a shack near the city graveyeard, Colt dons a domino mask and vows to fight crime as "The Spirit." His first job is to thwart the villainous vamp P'gell (McKinlay Robinson), who schemes to detonate a bomb during an important civic event. Intended as the pilot for a weekly series, The Spirit is a misshapen fiasco, bearing little resemblance to its excellent comic strip source material. Apparently the producers were appalled by the results, since the existing 78-minute version of The Spirit gives evidence of being hacked up in the editing room. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This adventure is taken from the popular British comic strip by Norman Pett that ran between 1932 until 1963. Jane (Kirsten Hughes) and her companion Jungle Jack Buck (Sam Jones) travel with a team of British adventurers to Africa and the mythical Lost City. Their mission is to find the fortune in diamonds before they fall into the hands of the Nazis, led by Lola Pagnola (Maud Adams). Also with Jane is the Colonel (Robin Bailey), a proper gentleman who is reminded of his "club" when he enters a centuries-old underground tomb. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Jones, Maud Adams, (more)
- 1987
In this adventure, an undercover cop must protect an endangered, unemployed Vietnam vet who has become a hitman's target. The story is also titled The Highwayman. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1988
- R
When his partner on the police force is murdered by the former CIA agent Kendrick (Gustav Vintas), Sam (Sam J. Jones) sets out to avenge his friend's death. He teams up with Jun Kim (Jun Chong) and kendo expert Bernard (Phillip Rhee) to rescue a scientist kidnapped by Kendrick. The villain hopes to use his victim's knowledge for the purposes of chemical warfare. Linda Blair plays Sam's sweetheart Sara, with former Playboy model Rebecca Ferrati as a seductive villainess in this well-crafted action feature. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Jones, Linda Blair, (more)
In this film, a secret agent sets out to follow the movements of his arch enemy, while his own movements are followed, in turn, by government agents. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Jones, Kimberly Pistone, (more)
- 1988
- R
In this post-apocalyptic film, a group of renegade roadsters find their brutal authority challenged by a tough truck driver. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Jones, Catherine Bach, (more)
- 1988
- R
Singer and former Miss America Vanessa L. Williams makes her screen debut in this crime-action film. Mike Braxton (Sam Jones) is a policeman in St. Louis, Missouri. He responds to an urgent summons from his brother Tony (Nick Cassavetes), a cop in Los Angeles. Mike gets to L.A. and finds that his brother's been murdered. He learns that Tony was investigating the arms-smuggling operation of Simon Stone (John Russell). Mike forms an alliance with Stone's lawyer (Williams), who's learned such disturbing things about him that she's willing to violate client-lawyer confidentiality. The pair work together to bring the arms dealer to justice. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Jones, John Russell, (more)
- 1989
- R
In this actioner, an L.A. cop speeds off to get revenge upon the dirty drug-dealing dogs who killed his partner. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Matuszak, Ronny Cox, (more)
- 1991
Jan-Michael Vincent spearheads a team of covert agents assigned to stop a team of American MIAs-turned-rogue-killers in Vietnam. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- R
This crime thriller concerns three cops (Jason Carver, Sam J. Jones, Sherrie Rose) and their quest to stop a criminal kingpin (Richard Lynch) and the corrupt chief of police (Mickey Rooney). ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
Mafia hijinks provide the basis of this violent crime drama. The trouble begins the night before an uneasy truce between the warring Malucci family and the Diamonds is to begin. A volatile gang member starts it all when he launches a dirty surprise attack upon the Maluccis, thereby breaching the code of honor. Among the dead is the fiancee of Dino Diamond's chief arm-breaker, aspiring fighter Fist Sullivan. After Sullivan is framed for the killing by a corrupt cop working for double-crossing Dino, he vows revenge. But he is in jail. One of the Maluccis busts him out. Now working for the enemy, Sullivan, and his turncoat surrogate daughter Alex, who witnessed the fiancee's murder, sets out to avenge the death of his beloved. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Steve Crowe helps Audrey Landers and Sam Jones learn the basics of sailing. ~ All Movie Guide
One of Fred Williamson's more unusual efforts as both actor and director, this one features the action star as a cigar-smoking detective named Mac Derringer. He is enlisted by his ex-wife (Vanity), a phone-sex operator, to catch the masked psychopath who murdered her co-worker. With the aid of partner Gary Busey and friend Peter Fonda, Derringer closes in on the maniac, but is soon framed for murder. Williamson has an interracial love scene, there's a stoolie who raps, and a subplot involves blackmail and pornography. The Jeffersons' Isabel Sanford appears as Derringer's mother, and the familiar genre cast features Stella Stevens, Robert Forster, and Henry Silva. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Busey, Peter Fonda, (more)
- 1993
The beautiful Cynthia Rothrock is one of the foremost female martial-arts experts in films, and that's all that is required in Angel of Fury. This time, Rothrock is sent to rescue a "brain." Said brain is housed in a super-computer, jealously guarded by enemy agents. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cynthia Rothrock, Chris Barnes, (more)
In this action drama, Frank DaVinci is out to avenge the murder of his sister. To follow through with his vendetta he enlists the aide of a hired killer and a group of Vietnam Vets. Violence and explosions ensue. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
