Ketty Lester Movies

If it worked for Speed, it'll work for Runaway Car--or at least, that seems to have been the philosophy behind the making of this highly derivative made-for-TV actioner. Having suffered through an unusually rotten day on the job, timid nurse Jenny Todd (Nina Siesmaszko) heads to the garage where her 1978 Rambler Hornet is being repaired. Here she meets neurotic computer programmer Ed Lautner (Judge Reinhold), who asks her to give him a ride home. En route, Jenny picks up her baby nephew, as well as an unexpected hitchhiker: wiseguy skateboarder Dex Strang (Brian Hooks), whom Jenny may or may not have caused to suffer a nasty fall. Once the "dramatis personae" is established, the situation goes from bad to horrendous: The brakes jam, the door latches lock, the accelerator sticks at 100mph, and our wide-eyed heroine finds herself at the wheel of an out-of-control death machine, dangerously zooming through the busy city streets, barely avoiding crashes and collisions at every corner. The film's abundance of thrills, spills and impossible coincidences come to a climax of sorts when a police helicopter attempts to rescue Jenny's screaming nephew. Based (believe it or don't) on a true story, Runaway Car rolled off the Fox network TV-movie assembly line on January 21, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

An ex-championship boxer (James Earl Jones) sees a chance at recapturing a taste of his former glory after discovering that Thunder (Courtney B. Vance), one of the amateurs he trains, has real potential. Unfortunately, Thunder has entangled himself with crooked, gang-connected manager Ralph Tate (Billy Dee Williams), and he is not to let the young fighter go without a fight. This drama was made for cable and was aired as part of Steven Spielberg's "Screenworks" project. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Hester-Sue (Ketty Lester) is astonished when her ex-husband, Sam Terhune (J.A. Preston), who left her years ago for another woman, suddenly shows up in Walnut Grove. Insisting that he has giving up drinking, gambling, and womanizing, Sam tries to charm his way back into Hester-Sue's heart. Unfortunately, there are a few "details" about Sam's so-called reformation that he has kept secret from his former bride. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

James (Jason Bateman) befriends Gideon (played by Peter Billingsley of A Christmas Story fame), the new kid in school. Alas, when the other students make fun of Gideon's stammer, James bows to peer pressure and joins in on the ridicule. Heartbroken, Gideon runs away, and it is up to James' adoptive mother, Caroline (Karen Grassle), to set things right. Also figuring prominently in the outcome of this story is a wild dog whom James met while on a visit to Minneapolis. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Black farmer Joe Kagan (Moses Gunn) sells his Walnut Grove property and moves to Sleepy Eye, where he gets a job at the blind school. Joe's primary motivation is his love for schoolteacher Hester-Sue (Ketty Lester), but she would prefer a wealthier and more worldly husband. Only when she realizes that the man of her dreams may well prove to be a nightmare does Hester-Sue learn to fully appreciate the humbler, but more dependable, Joe. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Jack Kruschen guest stars as Gambini, an aging circus artist in whose footsteps his sons are reluctant to follow. When Gambini's show comes to town, Albert (Matthew Laborteaux) is fascinated with the old man's "escape" act -- so much so that he tries to be Gambini's protégé. This proves to be a near-fatal mistake, not only for Albert, but for many of the other kids in Walnut Grove. On a less dangerous note, Albert develops a crush on another circus performer, a girl named Anna Rosa (Gloria Manos). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

J. Brennan Smith is cast as Elmer, a chubby new student at the Walnut Grove school. Mercilessly ridiculed because of his weight, Elmer gravitates to the only person willing to be nice to him -- bratty Nancy Oleson (Allison Balson). In truth, however, Nancy doesn't care a fig about Elmer; she just hopes to use him to her advantage, and to that end she persuades the boy to "get even" with the other kids by becoming the class bully. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Season eight of Little House on the Prairie is marked with the conspicuous absence of several familiar characters, among them Mary and Adam Kendall and Nellie and Percival Dalton, all of whom have moved from Walnut Grove to New York. Mooning over the departure of daughter Nellie, the insufferable Harriet Oleson (Katherine MacGregor) yearns for a replacement. Before long, the Olesons have adopted a little girl named Nancy (Allison Balson), who looks just like the younger Nellie -- and unfortunately acts like her as well. This is the first episode of a two-part story. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The normally open-minded Doc Baker (Kevin Hagen) is a bit put off when his new assistant, Dr. Caleb Ledoux (Don Marshall), arrives in town -- not because Ledoux is unqualified (certainly not the case), but because he is black. Reluctant to entrust his patients to a man of color, Baker assigns Ledoux to only the most minor of cases. But when a major crisis develops, Ledoux proves not only equal to the challenge, but even more so than Baker. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the conclusion of Little House on the Prairie's two-part season-seven opener, the wedding of Laura Ingalls (Melissa Gilbert) and Almanzo Wilder (Dean Butler) is still on hold due to financial problems. When Almanzo's schoolteacher sister, Eliza Jane (Lucy Lee Flippin), has her heart broken by Harv Miller (James Cromwell), she decides to leave town. As it turns out, Eliza Jane's loss is Laura's gain when the latter is hired as the new schoolmarm -- thereby allowing the wedding to go forth as planned. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In desperate need of quick cash, two men knowingly sell mutton infested with anthrax to the citizens of Walnut Grove. When most of the community falls ill, Charles (Michael Landon) and Jonathan (Merlin Olsen) head to Springfield for medical supplies. En route, they are held up by a man whose behavior suggests insanity -- but will they turn the man in or honor the pitiful pleas of his wife to let him go? Meanwhile, back in Walnut Grove, an ailing Laura (Melissa Gilbert) is struck blind -- perhaps permanently. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Ray Bolger guest stars in this special 90-minute episode as Toby Noe, a hard-drinking drifter whom the Ingalls befriended while living in Winoka. Shambling into Walnut Grove just before a much-anticipated community dance, Toby immediately sets his cap for prudish spinster Amanda Jane Cooper (Eileen Heckart). Though it would seem that no romance could possibly bloom from this situation, Laura (Melissa Gilbert) and Albert (Matthew Laborteaux) nonetheless decide to try their hand at matchmaking. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi