Maury Povich Movies
A native of Washington, D.C. (born Maurice "Maury'' Richard Povich in 1939), talk show host Maury Povich grew up in the nation's capital as the son of Washington Post sportswriter Shirley Povich. After attending the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in television journalism, and then starting a family, Povich entered the field of television news, initially as a reporter and sportscaster for local D.C. station WTTG-TV, then as the daytime host of that station's talk program Panorama (in 1967, at the age of 28). That assignment was, of course, prophetic: after years as a news anchorman at various stations (and a lucrative stint hosting the news magazine A Current Affair from 1986 to 1991, under the aegis of media mogul Rupert Murdoch), the television pundit attained his greatest recognition on a coast-to-coast level as the emcee of a number of small screen talk programs with a format similar to that of the original Panorama and (echoing A Current Affair) an emphasis on the über-sensationalistic, gossipy, tabloid-style material that began sweeping across the daytime airwaves during the 1990s. These syndicated programs (which drew large audiences) included the 1991 Maury Povich Show (1991-1998) and its nearly indistinguishable follow-up, Maury, which debuted in 1998. In 2006, Povich and longtime wife Connie Chung hosted the weekend news program Weekends with Maury and Connie on MSNBC; it folded after six months. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 1999
- Add The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg to QueueAdd The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg to top of Queue
Hank Greenberg was the first great Jewish star in baseball; at a time when the game was still racially segregated, Greenberg became a first-class hitter for the Detroit Tigers (a host city not always known for its tolerance, as the career of Father Charles Coughlin will prove), nearly beating Babe Ruth's home run record and becoming one of the game's best loved figures (he was also a friend and confidant to Jackie Robinson as he was breaking baseball's color barrier). Hank Greenberg became a powerful role model in America's Jewish community, and this documentary follows his life and career up to his death in 1986. Director Aviva Kempner includes extensive interview footage of Greenberg filmed in the year before his passing, as well as newsreel footage of Greenberg in action, reminiscences from his teammates and testimonials from his family, friends and fans, including Alan Dershowitz and Walter Matthau. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hank Greenberg
- 1991
With the Hackett brothers' house being fumigated, Brian (Steven Weber) tries to move in with Helen (Crystal Bernard), but Joe (Tim Daly) says no. Thus, Brian accepts the invitation extended by the motherly Fay (Rebecca Schull) to stay with her until he can move back home. It's a pleasant situation until Brian tunes in on America's Most Wanted and notices that one of the fugitives bears a striking resemblance to Fay -- whose subsequent behavior does absolutely nothing to alleviate his fears that he's next on the "hit list." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In a convoluted story of one man's obsession, widower Roger Blackwell (Michael Nouri) has been a media advisor to countless politicians, probably one too many as it turns out. Blackwell is set on using his experience to make a film about the manipulation of the media by unscrupulous politicos. His video obsession is apparent when he has an actress dress up as his deceased wife (a suicide he could have prevented) and films her for playback on monitors around the house. Blackwell hypes an incriminating tape in his possession that implicates the President of the U.S. in some dirty (not sexual!) dealings. Then he cons an old enemy, Molly Grainger (Anne Twomey) into covering his public unveiling of the tape which he plans to do on a talk show. What happens next is a series of events that lead to a surprise ending -- and more questions about whether or not the media is shafting the politicians as well. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Nouri, Anne Twomey, (more)
