James Coco Movies
An actor from childhood, the heavy-set, prematurely bald James Coco won an Obie award for his 1959 performance in the off-Broadway The Moon in Yellow River, but his first widespread public attention was gained through his many TV commercial appearances in the early 1960s. He attained Broadway stardom in the offbeat plays of Terence McNally, the best of which was Next, in which Coco portrayed a middle-aged man who through a bureaucratic blunder was ordered to report to his draft board. Playwright Neil Simon was so impressed by Coco that he wrote a stage vehicle for the actor, that dinner-theatre perennial The Last of the Red Hot Lovers. Simon's association with Coco continued through several subsequent plays and into such films as Murder By Death (1975) and The Cheap Detective (1978). Though he'd made his film debut in a bit role in 1964's Ensign Pulver, Coco didn't make an impact in films until after his stage successes; among his more notable starring roles were Sancho Panza in the 1972 film version of Man of La Mancha and the Fatty Arbuckle counterpart in 1975's The Wild Party. Coco starred in two TV series of the 1970s, Calucci's Dept. and The Dumplings, and won an Emmy for a guest shot on a 1983 episode of St. Elsewhere; one of his last TV assignments was as a ne'er-do-well relative on the Tony Danza/Judith Light sitcom Who's The Boss? In his final years, James Coco became as well known for his cooking prowess as his acting achievements, publishing a brace of best-selling cookbooks and--donning chef's hat and apron-- making frequent guest appearances on Hour Magazine and other such TV talkfests. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1970
- NC17
Rated "X" upon its initial release in 1970, End of the Road would probably rate at most a hard "R" today. Stacy Keach stars as Jake Horner, a college professor beset with a wide variety of emotional problems. He seeks out help in therapy, conducted by unorthodox psychologist Dr. D (James Earl Jones). This treatment turns out to have a disastrous effect on Horner, leading him into the arms of Rennie Morgan (Dorothy Tristan), the wife of a fellow teacher. End of the Road was adapted from a story by John Barth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stacy Keach, Harris Yulin, (more)
- 1969
Time for Giving is the British title for the American comedy film Generation. This exercise in late-sixties "mod"-ness is based on William Goodhart's Broadway play, which originally starred Henry Fonda. David Janssen takes over Fonda's role as the harried father of rebellious daughter Kim Darby. It was bad enough when Darby married kooky Peter Duel and moved to Greenwich Village. Now Darby is pregnant, and she and her husband insist upon partaking of that new hippie craze known as "natural childbirth," dispensing with the aid of an obstetrician. Fortunately for the Establishment status quo, Darby's husband gets cold feet, and loyal family doctor Carl Reiner is brought in when the kid is ready to come out of the chute. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Janssen, Kim Darby, (more)
- 1969
In this made-for-television musical fable, a young boy yearns to become an angel after he dies in a fall. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1964
The crew of the USS Reluctant is at it again in this comedy sequel to Mister Roberts. The story opens toward the end of WWII as the great ship drops her cargo at various island bases. Their captain is an unbending tyrant. Young Pulver aspires to become a doctor just like his hero and mentor, the ship's physician. A terrible storm erupts and the ruthless captain is knocked overboard by a rogue wave. Brave Pulver dives over to save the commander and together the two end up stranded on a deserted island. When the captain suddenly doubles over with appendicitis it is up to Pulver to save him via a radio and the ship's doctor's instructions. Fortunately, it all comes out well in the end. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burl Ives, Walter Matthau, (more)
