Richard Chamberlain Movies
American actor Richard Chamberlain was a star in his first appearance--as the Pied Piper in the 3rd grade. While attending Pomona College, Chamberlain decided to study acting in earnest, honing his craft in little theatre productions. His All-American handsomeness gained him entry into film and TV work; Chamberlain starred in the title role of the NBC weekly series Dr. Kildare in 1961. It was one of two major medical programs premiering that year; the other was Ben Casey. Chamberlain's first starring film, Twilight of Honor (1963) did little to shake his male ingenue image--nor did his first job after the cancellation of Kildare, the notoriously disastrous musical play Holly Golightly (most reviewers thought this celebrated fiasco would kill both Chamberlain's and co-star Mary Tyler Moore's careers). In the late 1960s, Chamberlain headed for England to seek work in the classics. He first starred in a 1970 stage production of Hamlet, which became one of the pinnacles of his career. Several prestigious film, stage and TV appearances later, Chamberlain headlined the 1980 television multi-part drama Shogun and the 1983 miniseries The Thorn Birds which led critics and viewers to crown him "King of the Miniseries."Following a lead role in the poorly-received big screen efforts King Solomon's Mines (1985) and its sequel, Allan Quartermain and the Lost City of Gold (1987) (which critics blasted as low-budget Indiana Jones knockoffs) Chamberlain harkened back to the small screen, and continued to make periodic appearances in telemovies throughout the eighties, nineties and early 2000s. Key roles included Jason Bourne in a 1988 adaptation of Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Identity, and a 1991 reworking of Charles Laughton's Night of the Hunter (with Chamberlain assuming the Robert Mitchum part). He also landed guest appearances in such series as Touched by An Angel, Will and Grace, and The Drew Carey Show The actor made headlines in 2003 - not simply because of the debut of his autobiography, Shattered Love: A Memoir, but because the actor - around whom rumors of homosexuality had swirled for years -- finally 'outed' himself officially. (He and his gay partner, Martin Rabbett, have been together for twenty-five years and live in Hawaii).
Young Dr. Kildare no more, Richard Chamberlain is today a highly respected actor whose very presence in the cast list of a film or miniseries is a guarantee of distinction and class.
~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- 2007
- PG13
- Add I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry to QueueAdd I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry to top of Queue
When two testosterone-fueled firemen attempt to register as domestic partners in order to bypass the bureaucratic red tape preventing one of them from naming his own two children as his life-insurance beneficiaries, their low-key ruse turns into headline news in this quirky matrimonial comedy starring Adam Sandler and Kevin James. Chuck Levine (Sandler) and Larry Valentine (James) are two New York City firefighters whose longtime friendship has endured many a five-alarm fire. All that widower Larry wants is to ensure that his two children will be taken care of if anything should happen to him on the job, and all that single blaze-battler Chuck wants is to carry on with his carefree life of noncommitment. Having once rescued Larry from certain death in a particularly fearsome inferno, beholden Chuck feels forever indebted to his brave friend and has vowed to repay the favor when the time is right. When Larry discovers that the only means of circumventing the civic red tape that could throw his children's futures into jeopardy is to take Chuck as his lawfully wedded husband, his obligated pal reluctantly agrees to step up to the alter with the understanding that the arrangement will be a well-kept secret between themselves and the justice of the peace. A potentially fatal flaw in their presumably foolproof plan is soon revealed, however, when an overzealous bureaucrat decides to question Chuck and Larry's partnership. Subsequently forced to embark on a mandatory honeymoon and pose as starry-eyed newlyweds, Chuck and Larry quickly discover just how important it can be to stick by a friend in his or her time of need. Jessica Biel, Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames, and Dan Aykroyd co-star in a comedy from The Benchwarmers director Dennis Dugan. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Adam Sandler, Kevin James, (more)
- 2007
- R
A man who has turned his back on violence must reclaim his skills as a fighter for the sake of his family in this sentimental drama. Sean Kelleher (Michael Madsen) is an amateur boxer who goes too far while sparring with his brother and accidentally kills him; horrified by his actions, Sean pledges to never enter the ring again and pursues a career as a car salesman. After a rare cardiac ailment takes the life of his wife, Sean learns that his young son, Mikey (Luke Whelton), has contracted the same disease, and that his only hope for survival lies in experimental surgery that can only be performed by one doctor in the United States. The cost of the operation would be 250,000 dollars -- money Sean doesn't have -- but he learns of an annual underground bare-knuckles boxing tournament held each year by a band of gypsies called the Travelers. The purse for the winner would cover the price of the surgery, and Sean signs on to compete. A neighborhood priest who once coached boxing (Richard Chamberlain) helps Sean train for the contest, and he's embraced by a family of Travelers led by Papa Boss (Patrick Bergin), but the odds don't look good for Sean when he learns that he'll have to fight Smasher (Vinnie Jones), a hard-as-nails boxer who won the Travelers' contest in the previous year and has already killed two men in the ring. Strength and Honor was the first feature film from writer and director Mark Mahon. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Vinnie Jones, (more)
In the three-hour period television miniseries Blackbeard, Angus MacFadyen (Braveheart, Jason and the Argonauts) assumes the title role of the dreaded marauder who spent 1716-1718 terrorizing the Caribbean Sea. Born Sir William Teach, the mariner rechristens himself Blackbeard, and subsequently builds a legend around himself as the most merciless and loathsome pirate in world history by plundering as many ships and murdering as many seafarers as he can lay his dirty mitts on. Directed by Kevin Connor (Motel Hell, The Land That Time Forgot), Blackbeard co-stars big screen vets Rachel Ward, Stacy Keach, and Richard Chamberlain. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Angus MacFadyen
- 2002
On the verge of a job interview with Procter & Gamble, Drew (Drew Carey) refuses to return to Winfred-Louder, which is crashing and burning under the less than stellar leadership of Mr. Wick (Craig Ferguson). In a desperate effort to lure Drew back, Wick's muscular and masculine mother (played by Richard Chamberlain!) offers her body to our hapless hero--and when Wick finds out what his mom is up to, he goes crazy and disappears from sight. This already weird episode gets even weirder with a climactic reversal of fortune for Drew and his ex-boss. And elsewhere, Lewis (Ryan Stiles) and Oswald (Diedrich Bader) try to impress girls with a "personals" video directed by Kate (Christa Miller). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2002
It's Mother's Day in Cleveland, and all of the gang's moms have arrived to celebrate--including Kate's new stepmom, who looks just like her. The ladies' arrival coincides with the launching of an anti-pornography website which publishes a list of Ohio's biggest porn users--and among those listed are Drew (Drew Carey), Kate (Christa Miller), Oswald (Diedrich Bader), Lewis (Ryan Stiles) and Mr. Wick (Craig Ferguson). Mortified, the moms move back in with children to exert a "good influence", but succeeding only in driving everyone crazy. The whole thing ends up in court, with Drew and his friends suing the anti-porn site, and their moms defending it! The episode's best gags are self-referential comments about the glittering array of "guest moms", including June Lockhart, Marion Ross, Adrienne Barbeau, Phyllis Diller)...and Richard Chamberlain. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2000
Season Seven of Touched by an Angel begins as overage playboy Everett Clay (Richard Chamberlain is disinherited by his millionaire father Benjamin (Ray Walston). Inspired by the story of the Prodigal Son, Benjamin intends to make Everett miserable enough to change his ways and learn something about self-reliance. With a bit of prodding from Heavenly caseworker Monica (Roma Downey)--and through the auspices of a mysterious painting on a barroom floor in Central City, Colorado--Everett flashes back to the misadventures of his great-grandfather Jack (also Richard Chamberlain), who started the family business. It turns out that young Jack was an even less admirable character than his great-grandson...but all this changed during a memorable stopover at Central City. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1999
The top-rank performances of Lauren Bacall, Richard Chamberlain and Lindsay Frost elevate the two-part TV biopic Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke from the usual malaise of lurid, voyeuristic trash. As she lies near death in her luxurious mansion, 80-year-old tobacco heiress Doris Duke (Bacall) hardly seems to take notice of the sinister behavior of her boozing, control-freak butler Bernard Lafferty (Chamberlain). Ultimately, of course, Doris will die (in 1993), and the mysterious circumstances will cast suspicion on the redoubtable Mr. Lafferty (who himself died three years later). Before this happens, however, Doris flashes back to the sordid events of her life, whereupon the title role is taken over by a series of younger actresses, with Frost playing Doris from ages 20 through 50. We see how Doris' future is shaped by her loving, overindulgent father (Joe Don Baker) and her aloof, icy mother (Kathleen Quinlan). Though warned early on that Doris would always have to be wary of fortune hunters, she progresses through a string of highly publicized and largely unhappy romances, and also endures two disastrous marriages. All the familiar players in this real-life drama are in attendance, including writer Louis Bromfield (Brian Dennehy), international playboy Pofirio Rubirosa (Michael Nouri), and Doris' adopted daughter Chanzy (Mare Winningham) who is destined to break Doris' heart time and time again until the grieving millionairess finally worked up the courage to renounce the girl. Also touched upon are Doris' lifelong obsessions, which ranged from mysticism to belly-dancing. Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke was originally telecast by CBS on February 21 and 22, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lauren Bacall, Richard Chamberlain, (more)
- 1999
This suspense thriller, set in the Civil War period, concerns a beautiful woman and her father, who find themselves on the run from the law. Two men have offered to help them, but the men have had long-standing differences, and they have to learn to overcome their own problems before they can help anyone else. The Pavillion stars Patsy Kensit, Richard Chamberlain, Craig Sheffer, and Daniel Riordan.
~ Mark Deming, Rovi
~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Patsy Kensit, Richard Chamberlain, (more)
Richard Chamberlain plays a dying man trying to tie together the loose ends of his past in this melodrama. Thaddeus (Chamberlain) is in the last stages of AIDS, and he's determined to live out his final days in the company of old friends. First on the list is Allen (Michael Imperioli), an artist in Los Angeles who, much to Thaddeus' surprise, is now living with Eva (Ute Lemper). Thaddeus' arrival has forced the couple to come clean about Allen's past as a hustler; meanwhile, Thaddeus enlists Allen to help him track down Jamie (James Duval), a former trick who needs to be aware of Thaddeus' condition -- for his own sake. River Made to Drown In features Talia Shire in a cameo. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Chamberlain, Michael Imperioli, (more)
It has been 20 years since Federal agent Dane Corvin (Richard Chamberlain) left his home town of Raven Island -- and also 20 years since Dane's fiancée Helen (Karen Allen), a talented sculptor, bitterly broke off their engagement when he was forced to arrest her brother for poaching. Now Corvin has returned, hoping to somehow, some way win back Helen's love. As it turns out, however, Helen herself is harboring a secret that Dane may not be able to forgive. Some lovely location footage of the Pacific Northwest makes this adaptation of Evan Maxwell's novel seem more compelling that it truly is. All the Winters That Have Been originally aired over CBS on September 21, 1997, posting the eighth highest rating of its broadcast week. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Chamberlain, Karen Allen, (more)
- 1996
- Add The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years to QueueAdd The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years to top of Queue
This follow-up to the wildly popular miniseries The Thorn Birds (based on the best-selling novel by Colleen McCullough) tells the tale of a period during World War II that was not covered in the original story. In 1943, Father Ralph de Bricassart (Richard Chamberlain) is a Catholic priest who loves Meggie (Amanda Donohoe), with whom he had an affair years before. Meggie has divorced her husband and is now caught up in a bitter court dispute over custody of their son Dane, while Father Ralph has mixed feelings about the church's response to World War II. Father Ralph takes it upon himself to help Meggie win custody of Dane, but they also find themselves tempted to rekindle their forbidden love. The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years also stars Maximilian Schell, Simon Westway, and Christopher Gabardi.
~ Mark Deming, Rovi
~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Chamberlain, Amanda Donohoe, (more)
- 1995
This thriller was filmed on location in Bulgaria. The story centers on Nikolai as he makes his final confession and tells his story to a priest on the day he is to be executed. His tale of revenge is presented in flashback and begins while Nikolai was still a child. Back then he saw his father, a policeman, brutally shot by Griffith, an American smuggler of drugs and arms when the Communists were still in control. Nikolai spent the rest of his life plotting his revenge. He begins by seducing the smuggler's daughter, Kily, who has come to visit. He then tells the criminal that he has kidnapped her. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1994
From the extensive Audubon video series comes the film Greed and Wildlife: Poaching in America. Each year, millions of men, women, and children visit America's woods and waters to legally enjoy the beauty and bounty of its wildlife, while others recklessly slaughter grizzlies, bald eagles, alligators, and scores of other threatened or endangered species for sport or profit. These illegal hunters pose a serious threat to nature's balance of life. Greed and Wildlife: Poaching in America takes you behind-the-scenes with those who enforce America's hunting laws. Witness shocking and graphic footage of the unlawful killings. Actor Richard Chamberlain narrates the in-depth look at this issue, and what is being done to stop poaching, a matter of concern to all hunters and all Americans who value the mysteries and wonders of the great outdoors. ~ Sally Barber, Rovi
- 1993
- PG
In this suspenseful drama, a military transport crashes en route from Iceland to Newfoundland thereby stranding the surviving crew and passengers in an unforgiving, frozen wasteland. As repeated rescue attempts fail due to bad weather, equipment failure, and other problems, the plane's injured captain (Richard Chamberlain) must somehow keep his cold, hungry and injured survivors calm and their spirits up. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Chamberlain, Melanie Mayron, (more)
- 1991
"Remake fever" spread in 1991 to the producers of the TV-movie Night of the Hunter. 36 years earlier, writer James Agee, director Charles Laughton and stars Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters and Lillian Gish combined their considerable talents to create the original Night of the Hunter, a first-rate allegorical suspenser involving stolen funds, a homicidal phony preacher, and two innocent but resilient children. The 1991 remakes stars Richard Chamberlain in the old Mitchum role as Harry Powell, the bogus preacher with the words LOVE and HATE tattooed on his knuckles. In pursuit of stolen money hidden by an old prison cellmate, "Reverend" Powell ingratiates himself with the cellmate's widow (Diana Scarwid), then kills her. The woman's children seem to know where the money is, so Powell pursues them through the woods, nearly catching up with them before they are taken in by a kindly old woman. The 1991 Night of the Hunter couldn't come up with an adequate substitute for Lillian Gish, so the new script altered the ending, thereby diminishing most of the property's inherent value. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Chamberlain, Diana Scarwid, (more)
- 1991
This documentary on the latest achievements in astronomy is one of a six part series that investigates celestial phenomena such as black holes, quasars, and the search for other life in the universe. This episode centers upon the life cycle of stars, which are born, live, and die according to their own patterns. Profiles of the astronomers making the inquiries are featured as well. Those included are Howard University's Benjamin Peery, Leo Blitz, of the University of Maryland, and Hans Bethe from Cornell. The birth process of stars is discussed by experts, and Bethe expounds on his Nobel Prize winning theory on the power source of stars. In Australia, Mike Dopita, Richard Manchester, and David Allen study the death of a star. The supernova, which was the closest to Earth to occur in four centuries, was visible in 1987. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1991
This film is part of a series, narrated by actor Richard Chamberlain, that explores the advancements being made by today's astronomers in understanding the nature of the universe. This episode looks at the efforts of an international team of scientists, led by California Institute of Technology's John Conway and Tony Readhead, to track the activity of a gigantic black hole at the center of another galaxy. The energy force of a black hole is such that nearby celestial bodies are pulled into its gravitational field. This black hole has already absorbed hundreds of stars into its energy field. The film follows the efforts of the team of astronomers, as they use a massive telescope to attempt to see deep inside the black hole and learn more about its nature and the universe. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1991
This film is one of a six part series that surveys the recent achievements of astronomers, which are revolutionizing our perceptions of our universe. The series, narrated by actor Richard Chamberlain, investigates black holes, quasars, gravity waves, stars, and other celestial phenomena. The episode looks at recent inquiries by scientists into the age-old question: are we alone in the universe? Among the scientists prospecting for answers are Bradford Smith of the University of Arizona and Richard Terrile of California's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The viewer follows their activities from their observatory station at the foot of the Andes Mountains. Their findings, as well as those of Cal Tech's Amelia Sargent, Cornell's Steve Beckwith, and Harvard's David Latham, provide interesting evidence of planetary systems outside our own world. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1991
The Astronomers: A Window to Creation is a comprehensive and detailed look at modern scientists and their explorations of the universe. Divided into six parts, the presentation follows astronomers around the world as they strive to better understand the workings of space. From the mapping of the galaxy to the study of "cosmic background radiation," A Window to Creation covers a lot of territory. Japan plays host to Berkeley professors testing an experimental rocket that will record data. Elsewhere in the world, scholars from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics demonstrate progressive 3-D technology. For the layman astronomer, A Window to Creation delves into a plethora of topics: black holes, gravity waves, quasar, and the existence of planets in other solar systems. At the same time, the documentary offers a rare look at the faces behind such a lofty science. ~ Sarah Ing, Rovi
Aftermath: A Test of Love begins where most TV movies end. Based on fact (as recorded in Gary Kinder's book Victim), the story revolves around the family of Richard Chamberlain, an aloof obstetrician. The family falls victim to a violent, random crime, depicted in gruesome detail. Chamberlain's wife is murdered, and one of his sons is seriously wounded. Surviving this ordeal, Chamberlain must now try to hold his remaining loved ones together emotionally and attempt to reassemble his own battered psyche. The true events which inspired Aftermath: A Test of Love occurred in the 1970s in Ogden, Utah, where this TV movie was partially filmed. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1990
Poaching in America is the topic of this video as is a discussion of the methods to enforce the laws. ~ Rovi
