Al Checco Movies

James Coburn stars in this TV movie as the powerful head of a major law firm. Glynnis O'Connor is the firm's prize attorney--and also the lover of Coburn's son Ted Wass, a blue-collar worker long estranged from his father. Coburn stages a reconciliation with his son, but it's only so he can enjoy Glynnis' sexual favors himself. After only token resistance, Glynnis defers to Coburn's desires. The question raised by Sins of the Father: which of the two lawyers is the most opportunistic? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The 8-hour TV miniseries Blind Ambition was originally telecast May 20 through 23, 1979. This 105-minute feature-film version, prepared in 1982, seems a bit rushed at times, but overall does a credible and coherent job of storytelling. Based on John Dean's book Blind Ambition, with elements of Maureen Dean's Mo woven in by screenwriter Stanley R. Greenberg, this is the saga of the Watergate affair, as experienced by Dean (Martin Sheen) and hia wife Maureen (Theresa Russell). As the Nixon administration goes down in flames, the Deans' marriage is sorely tested-as is Dean's success-at-any-price credo. Rip Torn plays Nixon like something out of a Greek Tragedy; some viewers accepted his interpretation, others found it jarringly inaccurate. Others in the cast of "usual suspects" include Michael Callan as Charles Colson, Lonny Chapman as L. Patrick Gray, William Daniels as G. Gordon Liddy, Fred Grandy as Donald Segretti, Christopher Guest as Jeb Magruder, Lawrence Pressman as H. R. Haldeman, William Windom as Richard Kleindienst, James Greene as E. Howard Hunt, Logan Ramsey as J. Edgar Hoover, and Al Checco as judge John Sirica. Also known as The John Dean Story, Blind Ambition earned two Emmy nominations. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The formal title for this TV mini-series was Harold Robbins' 79 Park Avenue, just in case you might mistake it for William Makepeace Thackeray's 79 Park Avenue. Originally presented in three parts, this adaptation of the Robbins best-seller stars Lesley Ann Warren as Marja Fludjicki, a Depression-era tenement girl who is accused of murdering her drunken stepfather. Part One details how Marja's "crime" was justifiable; she'd been raped by the bounder. Parts Two and Three would trace Marja's progress from teenaged prostitute to elegant, high-priced Park Avenue Madam--and mob mistress. Forced by circumstance into a life of prostitution, Marja marries Las Vegas high-roller Ross Savitch (Marc Singer). Ross is bumped off by the Syndicate, leaving Marja in the lurch. Marja rebounds from tragedy to become a federal witness against the Mob. 79 Park Avenue was first telecast on October 16, 17, and 18, 1977. Though all the names are changed, it isn't hard to discern the Bugsy Siegel story in this video equivalent to eating a whole box of chocolates in one sitting. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on the best-selling Vincent Bugliosi book of the same name, Helter Skelter is a made-for-TV account of the investigation and prosecution of Charles Manson (Steve Railsback), who was convicted of leading a group of followers (known as "The Family") to murder seven people in California, including actress Sharon Tate. The film takes a Law & Order-like approach, starting with the discovery of the murders, which leads to the police gathering snippets of evidence that they eventually connect to the bigger picture. The second half of the movie concentrates on how District Attorney Bugliosi (George DiCenzo) attains a conviction despite the enormous amount of press coverage the case received. Nancy Wolfe, Christina Hart, and Cathey Paine portray the three loyal Manson Family members who were the co-defendants at his trial. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

This episode focuses on Lt. Carl Reese, the police-inspector friend of Chief Ironside (Raymond Burr) who is played on a recurring basis by Johnny Seven. Shortly after five pounds of heroin disappears while in the custody of Reese and his partner Don Borden (Sandy Ward), Borden is killed in a mysterious accident. Now Reese himself is suspected of collaborating with the drug dealers, and a swift conviction would seem to be a foregone conclusion. Despite the formidable opposition of the DA's office, Ironside is determined to clear Reese's name. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A TV reporter becomes obsessed with a story about voyeurism in this film also known as Sex Through a Window. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

Fugitive criminal Dree Foster (Robert Drivas) leads the FBI on a not-so-merry chase beginning in Philadelphia and ending in an as-yet-unkown location in Arizona. Along the way, Foster commits a variety of crimes, charming three impressionable teenage runaways (one of them a pre-Star Wars Mark Hammil) into acting as his accomplices. Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) has no idea what crime Foster is planning--but he does know that the fugitive is heavily armed with guns and grenades! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While Stone (Karl Malden) is on disability leave, Keller (Michael Douglas) is partnered with Inspector Jim Martin (played by future Starsky and Hutch costar David Soul), a man notorious for his short temper and strongarm tactics. Conducting a manhunt in the Barrio, Keller is taken aback by the intensity of Martin's conviction that the Latino murder suspect they are searching for is guilty beyond all doubt--and all redemption. Though sidelined by injury, Stone does some investigating on his own to determine the source of Martin's personal demons. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Skin Game was historically significant as the 2000th film produced by Warner Bros. studios. The film is a comedy western starring James Garner and Louis Gossett Jr. as a pair of clever Antebellum con men. Garner regularly "sells" the black Gossett into slavery for an exalted price, then "liberates" Gossett so that they can move on to the next sucker. Unfortunately, they outsmart themselves, and before long Gossett seems doomed to a lifetime of forced servitude. They are rescued by pretty pickpocket Susan Clark, who has a few surprises in store for them. Skin Game was supposed to be spun off into a TV series, but the project never got any farther than the 1974 pilot film Sidekicks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This romantic comedy finds Richard Burrows (Elliot Gould) as a medical student in residence engaged to marry the pregnant Jody (Brenda Vaccaro). When Jody abstains from sex and her mother moves in with the newlyweds, Richard engages in a series of love affairs with the hospital nurses. He meets Helen Donnelly (Angel Tompkins), the wife of a baseball player (played by Dabney Coleman). The two initially plan to divorce their respective spouses before Richard decides to work things out with his wife after the birth of their son. Jody loses weight at a health spa and also loses her desire for Richard. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

In the opening episode of Adam-12's second season, patrol officer Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) is none too thrilled when he and his partner Jim Reed (Kent McCord) are assigned to do community-relations work. Malloy is particularly uncomfortable when he is called upon to deliver a lecture at an elementary school, especially since he'd rather be preparing for an upcoming departmental track meet. But the hard-bitten cop finally shows his human side when he takes a trouble youngster under his wing and helps the boy qualify for the LAPD Junior Olympics. Featured in this episode are two busy TV child actors, former Munsters costar Butch Patrick and future Waltons regular Jon Walmsley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Neil Kriton (Michael Tolan), a respectable businessman, is none too pleased when his black-sheep younger brother Ricky (Scott Marlowe) shows up, begging for a job. Neil relents and finds employment for Ricky, despite the reservations of Neil's wife Denise (Julie Adams) and sister-in-law Lori Donna Baccala). Perhaps the elder Kriton would have been wise to heed the warnings of the women in his life: Ricky happens to be a fugitive from the FBI, wanted for hijacking and attempted murder--and he has no intention of reforming. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide