Jack Carter Movies
Funnyman Jack Carter (as he is invariably billed) was a successful nightclub comedian when he decided to dive headlong into the infant medium known as television. In January of 1949, Carter was hired to host ABC's minstrel-show effort Pick and Pat. By the spring of that year, Carter presided over the ABC variety program Jack Carter and Company. Later that same year, he was the first emcee of the DuMont Network's Cavalcade of Stars, remaining with the series until being replaced by Jackie Gleason in 1950. His last "regular" TV assignment was as host of 1956's Stage Show, though he kept busy as a sitcom guest star into the 1980s, frequently playing abrasive con artists (e.g. "Friendly Freddie" on Gomer Pyle USMC). In 1971, Carter made his directorial debut with an episode of Lucille Ball's Here's Lucy. Jack Carter's movie roles have ranged from comedy relief to raffish villain in such pictures as The Extraordinary Seaman (1969), The Amazing Dobermans (1976) and The Funny Farm (1982). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2007
Europe's Big Top Circus Stars Live from Hippodrome! features performing their popular acts before an adoring crowd in the celebrated venue. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Randall, Woody Allen, (more)
- 2004
While on a stakeout of the Penguin's headquarters with Batman, Wonder Woman is suddenly and inexplicably turned into a pig by the enchantress Circe. The remainder of the episode finds Batman and the beauteous magician Zatanna combining forces to return "Wonder Pig" to her normal self. Mayhem blends with mythology and even music (don't miss Batman's soulful rendition of the old standard "Am I Blue?") in this wild and crazy tale. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Hale, Rachel York, (more)
One man's life begins to crack under the weight of his compulsions in this drama. Michael (Patrick Cupo) works as a salesman for a garment firm in Los Angeles. Michael has a job, a wife named Gina (Anita Barone), and a baby on the way; however, he also has a gambling problem that is threatening to destroy him. As his debts mount, Michael is forced to lie to his boss (Charles Durning) in order to come up with money to pay his bookies, and as the pressures of his job and the coming responsibilities of fatherhood weigh on him, Michael sinks deeper and deeper into his addiction to gambling, always convinced the next bet will be the big win that pulls him out of the hole. One Last Ride was based on a play written by leading man Patrick Cupo. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Cupo, Chazz Palminteri, (more)
After covering baseball in Bull Durham, basketball in White Men Can't Jump. and golf in Tin Cup, writer, director, and obvious sports fan Ron Shelton takes on the world of boxing in this comedy. Vince Boudreau (Woody Harrelson) and Cesar Sota (Antonio Banderas) are close friends and aspiring boxers struggling on the lowest rungs of the fight game. When a major boxing promoter needs to fill out the card for a heavyweight bout in Las Vegas, Vince and Cesar both get the call to head out to Sin City. But the excitement sours when they realize that there's a small problem: the promoter's schedule has the two pals fighting each other. Play It to the Bone also features Lolita Davidovich, Lucy Liu, Tom Sizemore, and Robert Wagner. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Antonio Banderas, Woody Harrelson, (more)
- 1998
Monica (Roma Downey) and Andrew (John Dye) are assigned to the old-time comedy team of Salt and Pepper, who are about to be inducted into the Comedy Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, Maury Salt (Jerry Stiller) and Ed Pepper (Tom Poston) have hated each other ever since the argument that broke them up thirty years ago. Reluctantly reunited for the induction ceremony, the two showbiz veterans start quarrelling all over again, and it takes the intervention of Monica, posing as Salt's woefully inept new comedy partner, to restore a semblance of peace and quiet. As it turns out, if a reconciliation is to take place, it had better be soon; one of the partners hasn't much longer to live. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
- R
In this romantic comedy, a pair of disparate yuppies attempt to bridge the considerable disparities between them and have a relationship. During their tempestuous struggles, their two best friends offer expert commentary. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arye Gross, Courteney Cox Arquette, (more)
- 1993
In classic noir tradition, the protagonist of the made-for-TV Double Deception is hard-boiled private eye John Kane (James Russo), who provides the first-person narration for the deliciously convoluted plotline. Kane knew that former call girl Pamela Sparrow (Alice Krige) was a keg of dynamite the minute she uncrossed her beautiful stems in his seedy office. "Please help me," pleaded Pamela in that come-hither voice, "My husband is missing." But the dame wasn't up front at first, failing to mention that her soul-mate was tied in with a 10-year-old murder case. Funny thing: Pamela reminded Kane of his dead wife -- and funnier still, there are some things just don't stay dead. It figured that Kane would get a few lumps on the casaba along the way, and that he'd have a couple of waltz-arounds with the top brass. But a case is a case, and when murder's involved, someone's got to do something about it, or it's bad for business. Double Deception was originally broadcast by NBC on June 21, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
The 1986 stage hit Broadway Bound is the third entry in playwright Neil Simon's "autobiography trilogy". Unlike the cinemadaptations of Brighton Beach Memoirs and Biloxi Blues, Broadway Bound was filmed for television, where it debuted March 23, 1992. Brighton Beach Memoirs star Jonathan Silverman returns as Neil Simon's alter ego Eugene Jerome, while Corey Parker plays Eugene's brother Stanley (based on Simon's brother and early writing partner Mel). The year is 1948: Eugene and Stanley have begun writing comedy sketches for the Catskills resorts, hoping that this activity will be the first step on the road to fame and fortune. As they seek out funny material, the boys' home life is rapidly disintegrating. The crises at hand include their parents' constant quarrelling (brought about by their father's philandering) and a seemingly insurmountable dilemma involving their aged uncle. Just as WASPish Blythe Danner scored as Eugene's Jewish mother in Brighton Beach Memoirs, so too do non-Jewish actor Anne Bancroft and Hume Cronyn effectively essay Hebraic characterizations in Broadway Bound. Following its American television premiere, the film was released theatrically in Europe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Corey Parker, Jonathan Silverman, (more)
- 1991
Racism is alive and well and living in Beverly Hills, as this slightly comic drama reveals. Kim is a nice Anglo girl who is about to "come out" as a debutante. In her social set, girls simply do not date "minority" people, and when she begins seeing the stunningly handsome Tom Garcia, not only does this scandalize her friends and (more particularly) her mother, but everyone assumes that he is the son of field hands. Kim's mother, in particular, is anxious to make him go away. Assuming that he is simply poor and greedy, she offers him money to give her daughter up. She is astonished to discover that he is a Hispanic rich kid, living at a ritzy address in Bel Air. Furthermore, he is working actively to improve the public perception of Hispanics, and he is understandably insulted on several fronts by this "offer." Thwarted in her attempt, the obsessive socialite mother then conspires with a socially acceptable Anglo boy to do some dirty tricks which will bring daughter Kim back into the fold. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bobbi Bresee, Peter Anthony Elliott, (more)
- 1990
- R
Prison chicks provide the basis for this exploitation film. The tale centers on two young women, one a naive, star-struck midwestern girl, and the other a savvy hitcher, who head for Tinseltown in search of stardom only to find themselves appearing in a soft-core porno flick. Unfortunately they end up arrested and thrown in prison where they are abused by the ubiquitous overbearing chief lesbian guard who forces inmates to become sexual slaves for the millionaires who frequent the penitentiary. Meanwhile, the naive girl's sister refuses to believe the claim that her sister is in Mexico shooting a film, and goes to LA to investigate the situation herself. When she finds out what has been happening, she enlists the aid of a biker and detectives to help her stop the insanity of it all. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Erik Estrada, Richie Barathy, (more)
- 1990
- R
The princess here is a lesbian demon woman running a modeling agency where she "tries out" the models before setting them up on their gigs. A former police officer sets himself up as a private detective and takes a missing-person case, trying to find a young teen-aged girl. The missing girl is found working for the demon woman who preys on snoopy detectives. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1988
Though bereft of budget, the 1988 sci-fier Arena has its heart in the right place. The scene is a distant planet, where extraterrestrial gladiators square off in an arena. Earthling Steve Armstrong would like to prove his fighting skills, but the evil planetary ruler Marc Alaimo won't let him. After an intensive series of training sessions with martial-arts expert Claudia Christian, whose father used to run the arena, Armstrong is at last permitted to display his prowess in public. He also gets a chance to topple Alaimo's despotic regime, and, hopefully, to win himself a trip back to Mother Earth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Having invested in a trendy New York seafood restaurant, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is delighted that her nephew Grady (Michael London) has chosen the restaurant to celebrate his engagement to the lovely Donna Mayberry (Debbie Zipp). Alas, murder casts a pall on the party when the restaurant's Maitre D' is murdered and his body is stuffed in the kitchen freezer. Now Jessica is faced with the double dilemma of recouping her investment and locating the killer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
- R
Chuck Vincent directed this R-rated remake of his own hardcore classic Mrs. Barrington (1974). Ivy Barrington (Ruth Collins) is a beautiful woman whose rich husbands keep dying mysteriously after they name her sole heiress to their fortunes. Jane Hamilton, also known as porn's "Veronica Hart," co-stars with Troy Donahue and Jack Carter. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ruth Collins, Joyce Lyons, (more)
- 1987
- R
When a rapist avoids conviction several times in a row, his past victims join together to exact vigilante justice. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1987
- R
Randy (Christopher Parker) leaves rural New Hampshire for Hollywood to become a star in this tragic drama. His best friend David (Brian Matthews) is hooked on drugs and under the spell of the sleazy dealer Bruce (Tom Badal). Randy meets pretty blond Betty (Patti Bauer) at a party but soon discovers she makes porno films with filth merchant Uncle Solly (Jack Cater). When David is killed, Randy goes after Bruce to exact revenge for his friend's death, but he heroic Randy soon finds himself surrounded by the police and caught up in the tawdry cesspool of Tinseltown's dark side. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Matthews, Tom Badal, (more)
- 1987
- R
In this gritty thriller, a woman who suffers the pain and humiliation of sexual assault is appalled to discover the man who raped her has gone free. Enraged, she joins forces with a number of other women who have survived rape and together they set out to meet out justice on their own terms. Released on video as I Will Dance on Your Grave: Lethal Victims, the cast of W.A.R.: Women Against Rape includes Martin Landau, Frank Stallone, Jack Carter, Terry Moore, and Jerry Van Dyke. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1987
- R
Though a young sci-fi writer suffers from a bad case of writer's block, he does not seem to have a problem finding someone to date; he is involved with his landlady and her daughter. This low-budget comedy is the feature debut of writer and director, Gary Walkow. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Villard, Susan Dey, (more)
- 1985
Jessica (Angela Lansbury) pays a visit her niece Tracey (Linda Grovenor), an up-and-coming jockey. After winning a race, Tracey has a confrontation with the horse's owner, indicating that she was supposed to have thrown the race. Not long after, the owner turns up murdered--and Tracey is the prime suspect. Naturally, Jessica isn't about to let her niece take the rap for a crime she didn't commit...and besides, she has a pretty good idea "whodunit" (especially since the revelation of the actual culprit follows the most reliable of the Murder She Wrote guidelines!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
In hopes of one day working alongside her mom Maggie (Joanna Kerns) at the "Long Island Herald", Carol (Tracey Gold) asks Maggie her honest opinion of an article she has written for her school magazine, the "Walt Whitman Chronicle." Unfortunately for Carol, Maggie is honest to the point of brutality, causing an enormous amount of family friction. Elsewhere, Mike (Kirk Cameron) and Ben (Jeremy Miller) get in over their head when they sample the "pleasures" of off-track betting. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
- PG
It is doubtful that while acting in D. W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation back in 1914, Lillian Gish ever dreamed that seven decades later she'd be co-starring with a cute dog in something called Hambone and Hillie. It all begins at a busy airport, where octogenarian Hillie (Gish) is accidentally separated from her beloved bow-wow Hambone. In a twinkling, Hambone and Hillie find themselves on opposite coasts of the USA. The rest of the film charts the efforts of both mistress and mutt to find each other again. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lillian Gish, Timothy Bottoms, (more)
