Jane Connell Movies

Crazy for You, Ken Ludwig's 1992 adaptation of George and Ira Gershwin's 1930 musical comedy Girl Crazy, had already won a Tony award when this PBS TV adaptation was taped at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse. As if it matters, the plot concerns Bobby Child (Jim Walton), the son of a prominent East Coast banker. Though he'd rather be a song-and-dance man, Bobby is forced to enter the family business -- and his first assignment is to foreclose on the Gaiety Theater in Deadrock, AZ. But when he falls in love with Polly Baker (Stacey Logan), daughter of the Gaiety's owner (Larry Linville), Bobby dedicates himself to saving the theater. And how does any self-respecting musical comedy hero accomplish this task? By staging a fabulous show, naturally, with Bobby himself in the lead. Of course, the plot is a mere peg upon which to hang some of the Gershwins' best-loved songs, including "Embracable You," "Bidin' My Time," and the show-stopping "I Got Rhythm," belted out con brio by Stacey Logan. Crazy for You was first telecast on October 20, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale of a man whose scientific meddling has unexpected results gets a cross-gender update in this comedy. Richard Jacks (Tim Daly) is a research scientist trying to work his way up the ladder at a major perfume company when he inherits the notebooks of his great-grandfather, Dr. Henry Jekyll. Fascinated by Jekyll's ideas about the duality of man, Jacks starts performing experiments to refine his potion that would isolate man's good and evil natures. However, Richard's version has a very different result than the old Jekyll formula, instead of turning him into a snarling beast, the drug transforms him into Helen Hyde (Sean Young), a beautiful and powerfully sexy woman with a slight case of nymphomania. Jacks figures that a good looking woman willing to sleep with nearly anyone should have no trouble rising to a position of power within the company, so his alter-ego Helen may be his ticket to a room at the top. But this plan may require a bit of explaining to Jacks' girlfriend, Sarah (Lysette Anthony). The supporting cast includes Polly Bergen, Jeremy Piven, and Harvey Fierstein, who is so awestruck by Helen Hyde's allure that he's rendered heterosexual by the experience. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Heading for a mysterious rendezvous "to take care of a sick friend" in Tokyo, Col. Potter (Harry Morgan) leaves Hawkeye (Alan Alda) in charge of the 4077th. Hawkeye's first challenge: To deal with an onslaught of refugee Korean children. His second challenge: To find out why Potter is behaving so strangely upon his return. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Having completed her first play, would-be writer Thelma (BernNadette Stanis) is thrilled when her masterpiece is chosen for presentation at a local little theater. Anxious to see the work produced, Thelma agrees to a few "minor" changes at the behest of the theater's owner/director. Before long, however, it becomes obvious that what will emerge on stage will not resemble Thelma's original play in any way, shape, or form. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

One of the most controversial and compelling episodes of All in the Family, "Edith's 50th Birthday" begins as the rest of the family prepares a surprise party for Edith at Mike and Gloria's house. Left alone in her own house, Edith is attacked and held at knifepoint by a rapist (David Dukes). Though the intruder leaves before inflicting any physical damage, the experience so unnerves Edith that she refuses to go to the police and testify against her attacker; in fact, it appears as if she will be too frightened ever to leave her house again. Offsetting the grimness of the central situation is a surfeit of broad comedy, including Archie and Mike's slapstick efforts to search the Bunker house just in case the rapist is still lurking about. Written by Bob Weiskopf and Bob Schiller, "Edith's 50th Birthday" originally aired as a 60-minute episode on October 16, 1977; it has since been re-edited as two 30-minute episodes for syndication purposes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Child actor Ike Eisenmann, a frequent participant in the ABC Afterschool Special offerings of the 1970s, plays the title role in The Amazing Cosmic Awareness of Duffy Moon. Shorter in stature than most of his classmates in the sixth grade, young Duffy decides to purchase a somewhat mystical book that, according to its advertising, will enable him to "THINK BIG." Among the book's suggestions is to speak in a robotic voice when confronted by an adversity (namely, the school bully). An unexpected incident involving an injured pet crow serves to prove that Duffy doesn't really need a book to tap the inner resources -- and strengths -- that he's had all along. The impressive adult supporting cast includes Jim Backus and Jerry Van Dyke. ~ All Movie Guide

For its third animated-cartoon presentation, ABC Afterschool Special offers a streamlined adaptation of Edmond Rostand's romantic play Cyrano de Bergerac. The best swordsman and wittiest raconteur in all France, Cyrano de Bergerac (voiced by José Ferrer, recreating his most famous Broadway role) also has one of the largest noses known to man, and it is for this reason that he is reluctant to declare his love for the beautiful Roxanne. This, however, does not prevent Cyrano from helping his handsome but somewhat cloddish friend Christian win Roxanne's hand, simply by surreptitiously feeding flowery dialogue to Christian while the latter pitches woo. Cyrano was produced by the busy Hanna-Barbera studios. ~ All Movie Guide

In the second episode of a two-part story, Esmerelda again accidentally causes George Washington (Will Geer) to materialize in the Stephens living room -- and this time George has brought along his wife, Martha (Jane Connell). As Mrs. Washington drinks in the wonders of Samantha's modern kitchen, George insists upon defending himself in court from the public disturbance and assault charges he'd accrued in the previous week's episode. To top it off, Larry and Darrin lose an account thanks to Washington's inability to tell a lie. Written by Michael Morris, "Father of Our Country" first aired on February 26, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

For his only directorial effort, Jack Lemmon selected his old friend and habitual co-star Walter Matthau to play the central character. Joseph P. "Kotch" Kotcher (Walter Matthau) is an irksome 72-year-old who lives with his son (Charles Aidman) and daughter-in-law (played by Lemmon's wife Felicia Farr). Kotch is far from senile, but there are times that his family wishes he was a little more docile and doddering; he insists upon expressing his unwarranted opinions on all matters, both large and small, forever challenging his daughter-in-law's authority. When it is suggested that Kotch find himself a nice retirement home, the rebellious old man decides instead to take a long bus ride, hoping that his family will have cooled off by the time he returns. Before leaving, he tries to make amends with the family's former baby-sitter Erica (Deborah Winters), whose dismissal he has brought about. Upon learning that Erica is pregnant, Kotch loans her some money; and when she moves away to Palm Springs, he moves in with her, hoping to be of some help. As they get to know one another, Kotch and Erica discover that they're very much alike: both have been cast aside by their relatives due to their independent airs. Kotch was adapted by John Paxton from a novel by Katharine Topkins. Watch for director Jack Lemmon in a bit as a bus passenger. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

It all starts when Oliver (Eddie Albert) decides to take his wife Lisa (Eva Gabor) -- and only Lisa -- on a quiet, intimate, old-fashioned picnic. Well, that was Oliver's intention, but the citizens of Hooterville see things differently. Misinterpreting the Douglases getaway as a "come-one-come-all affair," everybody in town (and then some!) descend upon the picnickers en masse -- and pretty soon not even the ants have room to eat! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The seventh season of Bewitched began on September 24, 1970, with the first installment of an eight-part story arc. Samantha is ordered to attend the annual Witches Convention in Salem, MA, but without her mortal husband Darrin. A further complication arrives in the form of the Convention's high priestess Hepzibah (Jane Connell), who takes over the Stephens household --and shows no signs of leaving in the near future. "To Go or Not to Go, That Is the Question" was written by Michael Morris. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This trilogy begins with "Miriam" in which the title character (Susan Dunfee) watches as her longtime nanny Miss Miller (Mildred Natwick) slowly sinks into insanity. In "Among The Paths to Eden," Mary (Maureen Stapleton) is a lonely woman searching for a husband among the widowers paying respects to their dearly departed at a local cemetery. "A Christmas Memory" concerns the childhood recollections of a woman who slowly loses her mind. The last segment is narrated by the author and was shown on ABC television, winning both an Emmy and Peabody Award. The success of the program prompted Capote and Eleanor Perry to expand this feature to a trilogy. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

This thought-provoking and only slightly heavy handed anti-war tract is based on a real incident that occurred during the atomic terror of the Cuban missile crisis. The tragedy begins when a civil defense siren is accidentally tripped while a school is in session. The panic-stricken children are immediately sent home. One young girl has an air-raid shelter in her backyard and invites many children inside. A less popular girl begs to be let in, but the first girl makes excuses and shuts her out leaving the terribly frightened child to hide out in an abandoned refrigerator where she dies. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide