Joan Collins Movies
British actress Joan Collins, daughter of a London theatrical booking agent, made her showbiz bow in a production of The Doll's House -- in a male role. She was 9 years old then, and it would be the last time there would be any doubt as to her gender. With the sort of glamorous countenance that prompted people to ask "why aren't you in movies?", Collins first appeared before the cameras in a small role as a beauty contestant in Lady Godiva Rides Again (1953). She made an auspicious American debut as an Egyptian temptress in Land of the Pharoahs (1955). This assignment led to a contract with 20th Century-Fox, where despite a few good dramatic parts (Girl on the Red Velvet Swing [1955] in particular) and an adroit comic characterization in Rally Round the Flag, Boys (1958), she was written off by critics as decorative but nothing more. She was perilously close to "perennial starlet" status in the 1960s, and by the 1970s was the uncrowned queen of "B" pictures. Offscreen she cut quite a swath through the tabloid headlines; if her autobiography, Past Imperfect is to be believed, she dallied with virtually every male actor in Hollywood except Wile E. Coyote. Her maturation from mere personality to superstar came about when she was cast in 1981 as glamorous and predatory Alexis Carrington on Dynasty. Despite professional and personal setbacks, Collins has managed to survive in an industry that swallows up lesser starlets on an average of ten per hour. Nor is Joan the only Collins with talent and charisma; her sister Jackie Collins is a highly successful romance novelist, whose books The Bitch and The Stud were turned into films, both starring sibling Joan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Actress Joan Collins is your guide for this extremely personal, and sometimes highly eccentric, tour of London. Though some of the "obvious" tourist spots are covered -- Buckingham Palace, Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park, the Globe Playhouse -- Collins prefers to visit places that might have more significance to her than in the typical vacationer: the veddy exclusive Athaneaum Hotel, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, and a "concept pub," the George Inn, wherein England's past horrors of war and regicide are lovingly invoked. Also seen are such "newer" landmarks as Harrods, the 443-foot London Eye, and, not surprisingly, Joan Collins' birthplace. Interspersed with the actress' always fascinating fashion and cosmetic tips, Joan Collins' London was seen in America over cable's Travel Channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Collins
Four of Tinseltown's greatest glamour queens came together for this tartly comic made-for-TV movie which pokes gentle (and not so gentle) fun at their histories and reputations. Kate Westburn (Shirley MacLaine), Addie Holden (Joan Collins), and Piper Grayson (Debbie Reynolds) are three legendary Hollywood stars who in their heyday were known to audiences for their beauty, charm, and musical talent -- and, within the movie industry, for their short tempers and industrial-strength egos. The three stars only worked together once, on a musical made in the early '60s called Boy Crazy, but when the film becomes a cult sensation in a late-'90s re-release, Gavin (Nestor Carbonell), a network television executive desperate for a hit, gets the idea of staging a reunion special starring the three divas. However, there's a hitch -- the three women can barely stand each other, and while they share the same agent, Beryl Mason (Elizabeth Taylor), Beryl and Piper haven't gotten along since Piper's husband left her to marry Beryl. But Gavin is determined to make the project work, and hires Kate's son Wesley (Jonathan Silverman) to work with Beryl to pull things together. Against all odds, the three stars agree to do the special, but while there's no small amount of cat-fighting behind the scenes, in front of the camera the ladies discover time has not been kind to all of them. These Old Broads was written and executive-produced by Carrie Fisher and Elaine Pope; Fisher, of course, is the daughter of Debbie Reynolds, whose husband Eddie Fisher had an affair with Elizabeth Taylor (Fisher later married Taylor after he divorced Reynolds), and Fisher wrote a character based on her mother for the novel (and subsequent movie) Postcards From the Edge, which was played onscreen by Shirley MacLaine. No word on where Joan Collins fit into this formula. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shirley MacLaine, Joan Collins, (more)
Eight-year-old Justin Morton (Spencer Breslin) gets a birthday present he never expected while visiting Australia with his mother (Rachel Hunter). Thanks to the work of two dimwitted thugs, Tank Emerson (Ralf Moeller) and Buzz Maroni (Peter Rowley), a walking, talking, sunglasses-clad koala named Ozzie ends up in Spencer's backpack instead of the highly realistic stuffed koala he was expecting. It seems that the devious Maxine Happy (Joan Collins) has learned of this magical animal's existence among a peaceful tribe of aborigines and wants to clone the koala to make a fortune for her company "Happy Toys." Furious over Ozzie's escape, Happy sends her two bumbling henchman to recover her prize. This leaves Spencer no choice but to try and get Ozzie back "down under" using every trick and gadget he can muster. ~ Scott St. Clair, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Spencer Breslin, Joan Collins, (more)
- 2000
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20th Century Fox was one of the world's biggest movie studios in the '30s and '40s, with an impressive roster including some of the greatest stars of Hollywood's Golden Age. 20th Century Fox had so much talent on hand and produced so many memorable films that more than a few great moments managed to slip through the cracks and Hidden Hollywood, Vol. 2: More Treasure From the 20th Century Fox Vaults features musical numbers and comedy routines which either clipped from Fox productions for release, or were edited for shortened re-releases and long believed to be lost. Highlights include a deleted sequence from Tales of Manhattan starring W.C. Fields and Phil Silvers; rehearsal footage of Buster Keaton working out a gag for Hollywood Cavalcade; the Ritz Brothers making merry in a scene cut from On the Avenue; and much more. Joan Collins plays hostess for this look down a side of memory lane you haven't seen before. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
In this period piece set in England in 1776, Betsy, the eldest daughter of the 'nouveau riche' Sterling family from the city, is to wed Sir John, the son of the aristocratic but poor Ogleby family from the country. However, Betsy's sister Fanny, who has secretly married her father's clerk by whom she is pregnant, quickly becomes the object of attention not only of Sir John but also of his elderly father, Lord Ogleby. Betsy's father, who is not aware that Fanny is already married, secretly agrees to exchange one daughter for the other. Soon everyone is acting at cross-purposes, the immediate concern being how to save face. The Clandestine Marriage is a comedy of errors set against the lush landscape of an English country estate in high summer. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nigel Hawthorne, Joan Collins, (more)
- 1998
Although the police investigation is spotty at best and the evidence questionable, Risa Gallagher (Joanna Pacula) receives a life sentence for the murder of her philandering millionaire husband. Managing to escape from prison, Risa goes from friend to friend in hopes of finding out who might have framed her, and to expose the real killer. Her task is of course complicated by the cops that dog her trail, and the fact that someone very, very close to her is responsible for her plight. Without going into further detail, let it be known that Joan Collins and Kate Jackson are respectively cast as Risa's wheelchair-bound mother (with a blonde wig), and the alcoholic ex-wife of Risa's late hubby. Produced for the Family cable channel, Sweet Deception originally aired August 2, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kate Jackson, Joanna Pacula, (more)
- 1997
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Joan Collins is the host of these outtakes and clips deleted from 20th Century-Fox productions of decades past. Entertaining song selections in the compilation include Betty Grable sequences from Footlight Serenade (1942) and Pin Up Girl (1944), Carmen Miranda wearing a lighthouse on her head while essaying True to the Navy for Doll Face (1945), and Shirley Temple doing a Jimmy Durante impersonation while dueting with him for Little Miss Broadway (1938). Alice Faye's delightful I'm Always Chasing Rainbows, and an Al Jolson medley were both deleted from Rose of Washington Square (1939). Faye and Grable teamed in Tin Pan Alley (1940). The fascinating footage features miscues on pre-recorded tunes and other assorted bloopers in addition to awkward attempts at musical performances by such actors as Don Ameche, Clark Gable, and Victor Mature. Hidden Hollywood first aired November 18, 1997 on American Movie Classics. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Collins
- 1994
Joan Collins camps it up in this pretentious art-house virago written, directed, and starring Steven Birkoff. In a satirical thrust at British upper-class values, in which the characters spout out dialogue in rhyming couplets, Collins and Birkoff portray snobbish British aristocrats and then, in contrast, a couple of East-enders in a British suburb. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Collins, Steven Berkoff, (more)
- 1993
Joan Collins guest stars as Ronnie, Roseanne's wealthy long-lost cousin. Though she hasn't seen Roseanne for over 20 years, Ronnie tries to renew their friendship and encourages Darlene to get out of Lanford, which only sparks the old feud between them. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1991
When the two-part Dynasty: The Reunion first aired, it rated a cover on TV Guide. The photo depicted Dynasty regulars Linda Evans (Krystal) and Joan Collins (Alexis) grinning at one another, while their true feelings were conveyed in comic-strip thought balloons reading "Hussy" and "Hag." This pretty much sums up the overall ambience of Dynasty: The Reunion. In part one, first telecast October 20, 1991, oil mogul Blake Carrington (John Forsythe) is released from prison. Hoping for a reunion with estranged wife Krystal -- and, incidentally, to recoup his financial empire -- Blake must now deal with a shady international consortium, headed by old nemesis Alexis. Part two, first telecast October 22, 1991, gets off to a good start with a desperate escape from the henchmen of an international consortium. The big money act, however, is the long-awaited catfight between Alexis and her longtime foe, goody two-shoes Krystal Carrington (Linda Evans). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Laid low by progressively weaker ratings, Dynasty discreetly left the scene at the end of its ninth season. But though viewership was down, the series' entertainment content was as high as ever, thanks in large part to a lengthy murder-investigation storyline. It all begins when the mummified body of Roger Grimes, former lover of the scheming Alexis Carrington Colby (Joan Collins), turns up on the estate of Alexis' ex-husband Blake (John Forsythe) and his current spouse, Krystle (Linda Evans). Investigating the case is detective Sergeant Zorelli (Ray Abruzzo), who like so many poor saps before him ends up in bed with Blake's predatory daughter Fallon (Emma Samms). Meanwhile, spiteful Alexis tries to frame Blake for the murder, only to be undermined by the vengeful hijinks of the vixenish Sable (Stephanie Beacham), an Alexis-like character first introduced on the Dynasty spin-off The Colbys. In a later development, Krystle abruptly lapses into a coma and is shipped off to a hospital in Switzerland -- as good a method as any to allow co-star Linda Evans to leave the series halfway through the season. Curiously, the series ends on another cliffhanger, without bothering to tie up any loose plot strands -- such as the ultimate fate of Alexis after she plunges from a high window. Fans would have to wait nearly three years before the "official," two-hour Dynasty denouement special in 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Forsythe, Linda Evans, (more)
- 1987
Season eight of Dynasty finds two of the series' former regulars, Emma Samms as the predatory Fallon Carrington and John James as Fallon's ex-husband Jeff, returning to the series full-time after a brief stint on the Dynasty spin-off The Colbys. The two prodigal actors have no trouble jumping right into the series' many intrigues, most of which involve the efforts of scheming Alexis (Joan Collins) to ruin the lives of her former husband Blake Carrington (John Forsythe) and his present spouse, Krystle (Joan Collins). This year, however, Alexis has plenty of competition in the revenge department courtesy of series newcomer James Healey as Sean Rowan, Jeff's brother-in-law and the son of the Carringtons' former butler, who holds Alexis responsible for his father's recent suicide. Also added to the cast this season is Stephanie Dunnam as Karen Atkinson -- the birth mother of the adopted child of Adam Carrington (Gordon Thomson) and his wife, Dana (Leann Hunley) -- who goes to court in hopes of getting her baby back. Season highlights include a heated and very dirty gubernatorial campaign, pitting Blake against Alexis. And the season closes with the latest in a long line of classic catfights between mortal enemies Alexis and Krystle, who should know by now never to start duking it out anywhere near a mud puddle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Forsythe, Linda Evans, (more)
- 1987
A sex symbol for several decades, actress Joan Collins chats with Paul Ryan in this 25-minute program from 1987. The sister of famed best-selling novelist Jackie Collins talks about her life and loves, her career as a vamp, and her notoriety. The star reveals herself to be a concerned mother. Born in London, Collins also speaks of her training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and about how her career got a rejuvenating jumpstart in the 1980s when she starred in the popular primetime soap opera Dynasty. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Although the ratings for Dynasty's seventh season were far below those of earlier years, the series still had plenty of "guilty pleasure" entertainment to offer its loyal fans. Much of the season's activities center around oil millionaire Blake Carrington (John Forsythe), who after thinking twice about murdering his ex-wife Alexis (Joan Collins) suddenly develops amnesia, imagining that he and Alexis are still married. Also in the course of things, spiteful Alexis boots Blake and his present spouse, Krystle (Linda Evans), out of their 48-room Denver mansion. Even so, things change for the better when Blake is finally able to wrest back his financial empire from Alexis' clutches. In other developments, Clay Fallmont (Ted McGinley) weds Krystle's mercurial niece Sammy Jo -- this despite the surprise return of the supposedly deceased Matthew Blaisdel (Bo Hopkins), who barges into the proceedings for the express purpose of abducting his former lover Krystle. (Matthew is not the only former cast member who pops up unexpectedly this season, not by a long shot!) Also on the domestic front, Blake's long-lost "son," Adam (Gordon Thomson), reveals that he is not actually related to the Carrington clan, just prior to his marrying series newcomer Dana Waring (Leann Hunley). Other new cast members include Jessica Player as Blake and Krystle's three-year-old daughter, Krystina, and Karen Cellini, taking over from Catherine Oxenberg in the role of Alexis' daughter Amanda. Finally, after a season away from Dynasty as regular on the spin-off series The Colbys, Emma Samms returns to the fold as Blake's rapacious daughter, Fallon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Forsythe, Linda Evans, (more)
- 1986
A made-for-TV miniseries set during World War II, Monte Carlo features a Russian singer (Joan Collins) who works in the French city. She moonlights, however, as an Allied spy to retaliate against the Nazis who murdered her husband. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Collins, George Hamilton, (more)
- 1985
Season five of Dynasty had famously concluded with the notorious "Moldavian Massacre," in which the entire cast was mowed down by machine-gun bullets at the wedding of Alexis' (Joan Collins) daughter Amanda (Catherine Oxenberg) to Prince Michael of Moldavia (Michael Praed). After keeping viewers in suspense as to who survived the carnage, the series launched its sixth season with the happy news that none of the major characters was killed. Though this proved to be a relief to the series' legion of fans, it also marked the beginning of a precipitous drop-off in ratings, from an all-time high throughout the fifth season. This loss of viewers also had a negative effect on the new Dynasty spin-off series, The Colbys. Be that as it may, there was plenty to hold the interest during Dynasty's sixth year on the air, starting with a wild kidnapping plot engineered by Krystle Carrington's scheming niece Sammy Jo (Heather Locklear) and slimy movie producer Joel Abrigore (George Hamilton). As originally conceived, the delightfully despicable Alexis was to have been the kidnap victim, but when Joan Collins briefly ankled the series over a contract dispute, the action was rewritten so that it is Krystle (Linda Evans) who is snatched -- while a lookalike actress named Rita (also Linda Evans) impersonates Krystle, doing her job so well that she even fools Krystle's hubby, Blake (John Forsythe), in the boudoir! New characters this season include Alexis' authoress sister Caress Morell (Kate O'Mara), whose novel "Sister Dearest" is a tell-all tome about...guess who; Christopher Cazenove as Ben Carrington, Blake's long-estranged younger brother; and the Fallmont family: Senator Buck Fallmont (Richard Anderson), his wife, Emily (Pat Crowley), and their son, Clay (Ted McGinley), who falls in love with the redoubtable Sammy Jo. Season six comes to rousing climax as Blake tries to strangle Alexis, and Steven Carrington's (Jack Coleman) seriously disturbed wife, Claudia (Pamela Bellwood), coming to grief (and leaving the series!) by vengefully setting fire to her father-in-law Blake's resort hotel La Mirage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Forsythe, Linda Evans, (more)
In this drama, a woman struggles to rise to the top of the fashion industry, but as she does, her past business sins come back to haunt her. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Collins, Timothy Dalton, (more)
- 1984
Season four of Dynasty found the series enjoying the peak of its popularity; after that, things could only go downhill -- and alas, they did. On the docket for this season are the Herculean efforts by Denver oil tycoon Blake Carrington (John Forsythe) to regain his financial empire after being systematically undermined by his vengeful ex-wife, Alexis (Joan Collins). Elsewhere, Blake's sexually confused son, Steven (Jack Coleman), vacillates between his long-suffering wife, Claudia (Pamela Bellwood), and his new boyfriend, Luke Fuller (William Campbell). Meanwhile, Blake's oversexed daughter, Fallon (now played by Emma Samms, taking over from Pamela Sue Martin), disappears, prompting her lovesick ex-husband, Jeff (John James), to embark upon a nationwide search, leaving his present spouse, Kirby (Kathleen Beller), in the lurch. New to the series in season five are Billy Dee Williams as Brady Lloyd, the record-executive husband of Blake's half-sister, Dominique (Diahann Carroll); Ali MacGraw as high-profile photographer Lady Ashley Mitchell, with whom Blake briefly dallies; and in his last TV role, Rock Hudson as millionaire horse breeder Daniel Reece, whom Blake's wife, Krystle (Linda Evans), takes up with in her hubby's absence. The most prominent of the series' newcomers is Catherine Oxenberg as Alexis' long-lost daughter Amanda. It is Alexis' engagement to Prince Michael of Moldavia (Michael Praed) that sets the stage for Dynasty's fourth-season cliffhanger finale: the infamous "Moldavian Massacre." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Forsythe, Linda Evans, (more)
- 1984
This drama offers a sordid behind-the-scenes look at the darker side of ballet as it chronicles the power struggle and deceit between the tyrannical owner of a prominent ballet company and a treacherous Russian ballerina. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1984
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The Grimms' grim tale of two crafty children who cross paths with an evil, gingerbread cottage-dwelling crone is the subject of this episode from the made-for-TV series Faerie Tale Theatre. Abandoned in the forest by their penniless father (well-known character actor Paul Dooley) and his new wife, siblings Hansel (Ricky Schroeder) and Gretel (Bridgette Anderson) come upon a lovely cottage made of gingerbread and candy -- but its inhabitant is far from sweet (Joan Collins, in a dual role as both the stepmother and the witch). ~ Carrie Downes, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rick Schroder, Bridgette Andersen, (more)
