Melendy Britt Movies
- 2005
Originally created for (and telecast on) Nickelodeon, the half-hour anime series Avatar: The Last Airbender is set in an alternate world in which the "nations" are divided along the lines of elements: the Water Nation, the Earth Nation, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nation. The titular Avatar was supreme master of the four elements and was predestined to protect the rest of his world against the evil Fire Nation. Abruptly disappearing from view, the Avatar resurfaced in the form of 12-year-old Aang, the last of the Airbender tribe. Discovered frozen in ice near the South Pole by two young members of the Water tribe, Katara and Sokka, the irresponsible Aang had to summon up enough strength -- and self-esteem -- to do battle against the villainous Firebenders. The series' requisite "cute little animal" was Aang's pet lemur, Momo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zach Tyler, Mae Whitman, (more)
- 1990
Woody (Woody Harrelson) looks forward to meeting the wealthy family of his girl friend Kelly (Jackie Swanson) with fear and trepidation. As expected, the relatives think the very worst of Woody -- all except Kelly's mother (Melendy Britt), who is very, very friendly to her prospective son-in-law. Meanwhile, the gang at Cheers looks on as urban cowboy Cliff (John Ratzenberger) tries to "conquer" a mechanical bull. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This sword-and-sorcery animated feature basically stars two "toys" -- She-Ra (voice of Melanie Britt) and He-Man (voice of John Erwin). Princess Adora has a special destiny -- to manifest as She-Ra and save Etheria from the really nasty Horde -- but she is not aware of her power-to-be. When Prince Adam (who is really He-Man) goes to Etheria to find the future She-Ra, his job is cut out for him -- or at least drawn out in standard animation but with added visual tricks that entertain the eye. He and She-Ra wreak havoc on the nasties, so violence is not absent -- just concentrated on the enemies. This feature was quickly followed by She-Ra: Princess of Power in 1986. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Erwin, Melendy Britt, (more)
- 1981
In this follow-up to the fourth season Taxi opener "Jim the Psychic", disheveled ex-hippie Jim (Christopher Lloyd) continues to amaze his fellow cabbies with his uncannily accurate predictions. Clearly, there is only one job for which Jim is uniquely qualified: that of program scheduler at a major TV network. Martin Short guest stars as Mitch Harris, the network executive who hopes that Jim's prognostications about future TV ratings will mean money in the bank for Harris' bosses. ~ All Movie Guide
Having lived his life as the gardener on a millionaire's estate, Chance (Peter Sellers) knows of the real world only what he has seen on TV. When his benefactor dies, Chance walks aimlessly into the streets of Washington D.C., where he is struck by a car owned by wealthy Eve Rand (Shirley MacLaine). Identifying himself, the confused man mutters "Chance...gardener," which Eve takes to be "Chauncey Gardiner." Eve takes him to her home to convalesce, and because Chance is so well-dressed and well-groomed, and because he speaks in such a cultured tone, everyone in her orbit assumes that "Chauncey Gardiner" must be a man of profound intelligence. No matter what he says, it is interpreted as a pearl of wisdom and insight. He rises to the top of Washington society, where his simplistic responses to the most difficult questions (responses usually related to his gardening experience) are highly prized by the town's movers and shakers. In fact, there is serious consideration given to running Chance as a presidential candidate. Both a modern fable and a political satire, Being There was based on the novel by Jerzy Kosinski and costars Melvyn Douglas, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar as Eve's aging power-broker husband. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, (more)
- 1977
Jim Rockford (James Garner) arranges for his ex-jailbird "pal" Gandy Fitch (Isaac Hayes) to work as a legman for Marcus Hayes (Louis Gossett Jr.), a private eye who'd once been Jim's parole officer. Gandy repays the favor by horning in on "Rockfish"'s current case, involving the search for a missing heir named Finn O'Herlihy (Jack Collins)--who, as it turns out, is on the lam from the Mob. In the course of their investigation, mismatched Gandy and Marcus (aka "Gabby" Hayes) manage to stumble into a neo-Nazi bar, where, as the only two black men on the premises, they are more than a little conspicuous! Things come to a rousing climax at a Polish wedding where the elusive O'Herlihy is employed as a musician. This episode was intended as the pilot for a possible spinoff series starring Isaac Hayes and Lou Gossett Jr., tentatively titled "Gandy and Gabby" (which, as Jim observes at one point, sounds more like a puppet show!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
When the nuclear submarine he captains is rammed by a freighter while surfacing in Atlantic waters just off the coast of Rhode Island, Navy Captain Paul Blanchard (Charlton Heston) is able to radio for help. However, his sub's condition calls for urgent attention. Downed in extremely deep water near an even deeper ocean trench, the sub is perched precariously in waters too deep for conventional rescue efforts and is in danger of plummeting into the ocean trench. When the sub's escape hatch is blocked by debris from an undersea earthquake, the situation becomes even grimmer. Despite assurances that all will be fine, Captain Bennet (Stacy Keach), who is coordinating the official Navy rescue effort, has already warned Blanchard's wife to expect the worst. However, another Navy captain (David Carradine), who is working on an experimental deep-sea exploratory vessel for the Navy, hears of the incident and volunteers his help. This story is based on the novel Event 1000 by David Lavalle. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlton Heston, David Carradine, (more)
- 1976
ABC Afterschool Special's fifth-season opener is the first of the series' episodes to focus on AlaTeen, an organization for the teenaged children of alcoholics. Ever since her father walked out, 15-year-old Francesca James (Carol Jones) has been the unofficial head of her household, not only looking after her troubled younger sister, Jo Lynn (Elizabeth Herbert), but also her hard-drinking mother, Lillian (Melendy Britt). Informed of the existence of AlaTeen, the cynical Francesca laughs off the notion that the organization could possibly help her -- and in fact insists she doesn't need any help. And then comes the terrible night when Francesca's mom, in another drunken stupor, falls asleep while smoking in bed.... ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carol Jones, Melendy Britt, (more)
- 1976
Produced for the third season of the ABC Afterschool Special series, this episode was not seen until halfway through season four. Kristy McNichol stars as 12-year-old Nina Beckwith, who, much to her own surprise, finds that she is able to adjust quite satisfactorily to her parents' divorce. Unfortunately, Nina encounters a great deal of difficulty accepting her father's new wife -- especially since the woman in question is also Nina's math teacher! ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristy McNichol, Lance Kerwin, (more)
- 1976
While Beth (Gretchen Corbett) is stuck in jail on a contempt-of-court charge, Jim agrees to do some leg work on behalf of Beth's client Arnold Bailey (Joseph Campanella), who has been accused of income-tax evasion. Unfortunately for both Jim and Beth, Bailey is connected with the Mob. . .and has been systematically stealing funds from the "organization". Tied in with all this chicanery is corrupt union official Fred Metcalf (Richard Venture), whose murder may well be a prologue for Jim's own demise. In a neat bit of casting, the head mobster in this episode is played by Frank Campanella, the brother of guest star Joseph Campanella. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
Fashion model Margaux Adams (Doria Cook) places a frantic phone call to lawyer Beth Davenport (Gretchen Corbett)--and shortly thereafter turns up dead. At Beth's personal request, Jim (James Garner) agrees to investigate Margaux' murder, beginning with a visit to fashion designer Bob Coleman (Robert Webber). When Coleman is knocked off as well, Jim finds himself up against some decidedly unfashionable mobsters who have their dirty fingers in some industrial espionage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Lt. Kojak (Telly Savalas) investigates when two out-of-town conventioneers fall to their deaths from separate hotel windows. It's clearly more than a coincidence--and despite what some authorities believe, the two victims did not commit suicide. Kojak determines that a mad killer is on the loose...and there's every possibility that the perpetrator is a woman. Watch for brief appearances by future sitcom regulars Paul Benedict (The Jeffersons) and Gordon Jump (WKRP in Cincinnati). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Barry Sullivan heads the guest cast as Howard Jamison, the Hefneresque publisher of a nudie magazine. While holding a lavish party in his mansion, Jamison is shot and wounded by an unknown assailant. As luck would have it, among the guests are Ironside (Raymond Burr) and Ed (Don Galloway), who in time-honored "movie mystery" fashion inform the other partygoers that everyone is under suspicion and subject to interrogation. The roster of suspects is a colorful one indeed, ranging from Jamison's disgruntled "ex" to a punchdrunk prizefighter. Meanwhile, the would-be killer lurks somewhere in Jamison's garden, patiently awaiting a chance to finish the job. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
- R
Barry Newman stars as Tony Petrocelli, a maverick Midwestern attorney. Petrocelli is hired to defend a wealthy doctor (Robert Colbert), accused of murdering his wife. In the tradition of Sam Sheppard, the truculent doctor insists that the killing was committed by a mystery intruder who knocked him unconscious. Thanks to the doctor's healthy extramarital life, the case receives a surfeit of negative press coverage. Since he's already been tried by the public, it comes as little surprise to the doctor that he's found guilty. But during the appeal process, Petrocelli manages to locate a witness who opens the possibility that the murderer was the husband of the doctor's mistress. Five years after the theatrical release of The Lawyer, Barry Newman would star in a TV-series spin-off, Petrocelli. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barry Newman, Harold Gould, (more)
