Jeff Corey Movies

American actor Jeff Corey forsook a job as sewing-machine salesman for the less stable world of New York theatre in the 1930s. The 26-year-old Corey was regarded as a valuable character-actor commodity when he arrived in Hollywood in 1940. Perhaps the best of his many early unbilled appearances was in the Kay Kyser film You'll Find Out (40), in which Corey, playing a game-show contestant (conveniently named Jeff Corey), was required to sing a song while stuffing his mouth full of crackers. The actor was busiest during the "film noir" mid-to-late 1940s, playing several weasely villain roles; it is hard to forget the image of Corey, in the role of a slimy stoolie in Burt Lancaster's Brute Force, being tied to the front of a truck and pushed directly into a hail of police bullets. Corey's film career ended abruptly in 1952 when he was unfairly blacklisted for his left-leaning political beliefs. To keep food on the table, Corey became an acting coach, eventually running one of the top training schools in the business (among his more famous pupils was Jack Nicholson). He was permitted to return to films in the 1960s, essaying such roles as a wild-eyed wino in Lady in a Cage (64), the louse who kills Kim Darby's father in True Grit (68), and a sympathetic sheriff in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (68). In addition to his film work, Jeff Corey has acted in and directed numerous TV series; he was seen as a regular on the 1985 Robert Blake series Hell Town and the 1986 Earl Hamner Jr. production Morningstar/Eveningstar. The following decade found Corey appearing in such films as Sinatra (1992), Beethoven's 2nd (1993) and the action thriller Surviving the Game (1994). Shortly after suffering a fall at his Malibu home in August of 2002, Corey died in Santa Monica due to complications resulting from the accident. He was 88. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
1999  
 
What better subject for a screen comedy than the life and times of confessed Unabomber Theodore "Ted" Kaczynsky? This documentary parody traces Kaczynsky's life from his traumatic childhood and socially inept college days to his retreat from academia into factory work and eventual exile into the woods, concluding with his famous reign of terror, mailing bombs to perceived powermongers of the academic/industrial complex (boy, it sure SOUNDS funny so far). Ted is dotted with staged "interviews" from Kaczynsky's family and acquaintences (including Edie McClurg as his mother and Kaitlin Hopkins as the closest thing Ted had to a girlfriend) and recreations of important events in his life (such as the night Kaczynsky was invited to a campus pot party). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Daniel PasserEdie McClurg, (more)
1997  
 
In a spoof of a famous David Brinkley moment, Murphy (Candice Bergen) makes a disparaging remark about President Clinton while she thinks she's off the air--but she's not. Fired by network president Lansing (Garry Marshall) when she refuses to apologize, Murphy hardly knows what to expect when she is summoned to a special meeting at the White House. Astonishingly, the Clinton administration wants to offer Murphy a job--leaving her to ponder her future as Murphy Brown closes out its ninth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1996  
 
The third-season Babylon 5 saga "Point of No Return" arrived at a cliffhanger conclusion with its 22nd installment, "Z'Ha'Dum." Melissa Gilbert guest-stars as Anna, Captain Sheridan's wife, whom he believed was killed five years earlier. Against his initial protest, Anna guides Sheridan to Z'ha'dum, the homeworld of the dreaded Shadows, ostensibly to settle the hostilities that have dominated the past 21 or so episodes. In other developments, Londo is informed of the fruits of his ruthless political jockeying. The episode ends with a disturbing development, indicating that the troubles between B5 and the Shadows are far from over. Written by J. Michael Straczynski, "Z'Ha'Dum" was first broadcast in England on September 22, 1996; alas, the series' American fans would have to wait until the week of October 28. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Bruce BoxleitnerClaudia Christian, (more)
1994  
R  
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When New York psychiatrist Bill Capa (Bruce Willis, in an uncharacteristically un-smirking performance) visits Los Angeles to take over his murdered colleague's therapy group, he finds himself embroiled in the thick of a mystery when he bumps into (literally) Rosa (Jane March) and begins a torrid affair. Double-identities, death threats and love scenes abound as he delves deeper into the case to uncover the truth about his friend's death. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Bruce WillisJane March, (more)
1994  
R  
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The Richard Connell short story, The Most Dangerous Game, has been adapted for the screen many times. In this updated version, the rapper-actor Ice-T plays Mason, a homeless man whose best friend and his dog both die on the same day. Cole (Charles S. Dutton, a relief worker, tells Mason that there's a job available that entails leading a hunting expedition in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. The desperate Mason signs on. The hunting party is led by two CIA agents, Burns (Rutger Hauer) and Hawkins (Gary Busey), and it includes a business executive, Wolfe, Sr. (F. Murray Abraham), his son (William McNamara), and a strange Texan, Griffin (John C. McGinley). Mason flies on ahead to prepare the hunting lodge, and there he discovers that he is to be the prey for the hunt, though the hunters at least give him a head start before pursuing. The violent action pits the high-tech hunters, armed with numerous fancy weapons and vehicles, against Mason -- who must rely on his street smarts to escape and turn the tables on the hunting party. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Ice-TRutger Hauer, (more)
1993  
PG13  
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The Judas Project is advertised by its distributors as a contemporary fantasy. Let's see if this plotline rings a bell: A young man named Jesse becomes spiritual leader to a group of outcasts. Dispensing wisdom wherever he goes, Jesse warns his followers-and his new adherents-to beware false prophets. This is too good to last: eventually Jesse is betrayed by his best friend Jude. John O'Bannion, Ramy Zada and Richard Herd star in this diverting parable. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Ramy ZadaRichard Herd, (more)
1993  
 
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The gargantuan St. Bernard finds love in this sequel to the box-office hit. Beethoven happens to meet Missy, another St. Bernard, in the park and the two find they share a certain chemistry. Unfortunately, Missy is being held captive by Regina (Debi Mazar), a spiteful ex-wife attempting to leverage ransom money from her wimpy former husband. Fortunately for the dogs, their visit was long enough for the stork to come calling (no one ever accused Beethoven of having slow paws), and soon Missy berths a litter of adorable pups. Regina decides at first to drown the pups (an apparent attempt by the screenwriters to justify whatever horrible fate befalls her later) but reconsiders when she learns of their monetary value. However, the Newton children (Christopher Castile and Sara Rose Karr) manage to rescue them, and the entire family heads off for a Montana resort, Beethoven and pups in tow. Somehow, Regina and her sleazy boyfriend (Christopher Penn) end up at the resort as well, setting the stage for the final showdown. Less appealing than the original, Beethoven's 2nd is still an innocuous hour and a half of fun for younger kids and hardcore dog lovers. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Charles GrodinBonnie Hunt, (more)
1992  
 
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Developed by Tina Sinatra and approved by Frank himself, Sinatra is a made-for-television mini-series following the life and times of Frank Sinatra, one of the most popular and acclaimed singers of the 20th century. Opening with his childhood in Hoboken, New Jersey, the film follows Sinatra's (Philip Casnoff) rise to the top in the '40s, through the dark days of the early '50s and his triumphant re-emergence in the mid-'50s, to his status as pop culture icon in the '60s, '70s and '80s. In between, the film hits all of the main events, including his three marriages, his connections with the Mafia and his notorious friendship with the Rat Pack. Even with the presence of Tina Sinatra as executive producer, Sinatra doesn't gloss over the more unsavory portions of Frank's life, which makes it all the more impressive. With the exception of a couple of early songs, all the music in the movie is taken from the original Sinatra recordings. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide

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1992  
PG13  
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The owner of an aircraft salvage company (Viggo Mortensen) is reported killed in a crash. However, his wife (Andie MacDowell) knows better, and she decides to find him and his secret bank accounts. She travels around the world, and winding up in Cairo, she meets Liam Neeson, who helps her uncover her husband's smuggling scheme. ~ All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Andie MacDowellLiam Neeson, (more)
1991  
 
For most of his life, a former cop (Keith Carradine) has been tormented by his inadvertent involvement in the death of his parents. It happened during childhood. How was he to know the box he was asked to deliver contained a bomb? Now, after all these years, he learns the identity of the real perpetrators: gangsters headquartered in a Lake Tahoe resort. Armed with this invaluable knowledge, he meticulously plots his revenge. This thriller is based on a novel by Ronald T. Owen. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Keith CarradineKim Greist, (more)
1990  
 
Made for television, To My Daughter stars Rue McClanahan as a well-to-do matron whose oldest daughter (Michelle Greene) dies. The girl was always McClanahan's favorite; the remaining children (Samantha Mathis and Ty Miller), though not unaffected by the loss, hope that now their mother will pay some attention to them. Instead, McClanahan's grief threatens to shatter her already shaky relationship with her younger offspring. She virtually shuts the kids out of her life in order to finish her older daughter's uncompleted book. To My Daughter was unofficially based on the career of real-life writer Nancy Lynn Schwartz, who did indeed die before completing her history of the Screen Actors' Guild, obliging her mother to finish the job. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1990  
 
This made-for-TV adventure dramatizes the courage of Allan Pinkerton, who founded the famed detective agency, and a blue-blooded Southern belle, as they team up to keep the Union intact during the Civil War. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Christopher ReeveCarrie Snodgress, (more)
1990  
PG13  
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The can't-miss teaming of Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn is squandered on a clumsy, illogical romantic melodrama. Running across her old boyfriend Gibson at a Wisconsin gas station, Hawn is astounded that he seems not to recognize her. How could she have known that Gibson was put into the Witness Relocation Program after testifying against a homicidal mob boss (say, don't they usually alter your appearance when they put you in that program?) Curious over Gibson's furtive behavior, Hawn unknowingly sets herself up as a target for the bad guys. The whole affairs culminates in an after-hours showdown at a zoo (a plot device vastly improved upon in the 1996 Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle Eraser). While Bird on a Wire admittedly has its moments of enjoyment, most of the film is on a par with Gibson's embarrassing, homophobic scene with a pair of epicine hairdressers. And whoever heard of the Chinatown section of Racine, Wisconsin? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Mel GibsonGoldie Hawn, (more)
1989  
 
The Conner family is having a busy weekend and its not helped by Dan trying to fix the refrigerator. A door-to-door salesman (Jeff Corey) visits the household one weekend and dies in the kitchen. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

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1988  
R  
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Even though Charles Bronson doesn't carry a gun in this feature, there are still plenty of the fights, car chases, and explosions -- all hallmarks of Bronson's action films. Bronson plays Denver Tribune crime reporter Garrett Smith, who investigates the murder mystery of a Mormon family. Smith tries to mediate between rival factions who have broken off from the Salt Lake theology and are carrying on a bloody feud. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Charles BronsonTrish VanDevere, (more)
1988  
 
The daughter of a wealthy American entrepreneur is sent to a monastery on a remote Yugoslavian mountainside, where it is rumored the monks have developed an exquisite cognac recipe. The money-making American wants his daughter to get the recipe so they can market the spirits. Things complicate when she falls for a very good-looking monk. ~ All Movie Guide

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1987  
R  
A syndicate of Los Angeles gangsters is kidnapping beautiful young women, drugging them, and forcing them to participate in the filming of pornographic movies. A young woman teams up with a vice cop to try to find her sister, whom she suspects of falling victim to this gang. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
David NaughtonBarbara Crampton, (more)
1986  
 
The A-Team's Thanksgiving celebration is put on hold when Stockwell (Robert Vaughn) orders our heroes to capture exiled political adviser A.J. Bancroft (Jeff Corey), who carries a diary implicating several high-ranking government officials in a sinister conspiracy. It turns out that Bancroft is willing to trade the diary for a reunion with a young woman who claims to be his long-estranged daughter Ellen--a woman whom Face (Dirk Benedict) is presently wooing. The situation reaches the crisis stage when the possibility arises that Bancroft is actually Face's father...which of course radically alters his relationship with Ellen! This is the famous episode in which the ending was originally determined by the call-in votes of the viewers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1986  
 
While Harry (Harry Anderson) takes a night off, his replacement is the much-older Judge Robert Hirsch (Jeff Corey). This turns out to be a calamitous substitution: though Harry may be eccentric, Judge Hirsch proves to be downright certifiable. Before the night is over, the half-baked Hirsch has jailed public defender Christine (Markie Post) and prosecutor Dan (John Larroquette)--and replaced them with court matron Florence (Florence Halop) and resident derelict Phil (William Utay)! Future Evening Shade regular Michael Jeter shows up in a minor role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1986  
 
Second Serve is that rare TV movie which refuses to sensationalize its so-called "sensational" material. This is the true story of Richard Raskind (here named Richard Radley): Yale grad, Naval officer, brilliant surgeon and tennis champ. What Richard has successfully hidden from practically everyone is the fact that he feels like a woman trapped in a man's body. In 1975, he goes so far as to endure a sex-change operation, emerging as Renee Richards. The film is not so much about this "alteration" as its ramifications, particularly the fierce opposition from the US Tennis Association when Renee wants to qualify as a female pro player. Rather than cast two actors to play the "before and after" protagonist, Vanessa Redgrave plays both Richard and Renee. While it's no great shock to see Ms. Redgrave with short hair, her performance as a man in Second Serve is the sort of work for which the phrase "tour de force" was coined. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1985  
 
This made-for-TV movie was edited from several episodes of the short-lived television series Hell Town, in which Robert Blake starred as Father Noah "Hardstep" Rivers, a tough but giving Catholic priest trying to do good works in a rough ghetto neighborhood. Also appearing in Father of Hell Town are Jeff Corey and James Gammon. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Robert BlakeJeff Corey, (more)
1985  
 
Don't look for Alex Trebeck or listen for the familiar "thinking music" in the made-for-TV Final Jeopardy. This chiller-diller stars Richard Thomas and Mary Crosby as a small-town couple who find themselves stranded in an unfamiliar--and most unfriendly--big city. Weaving in and out of the proceedings (sometimes literally so) are a bunch of bad dudes with names like Slash, DOA and Ice. And they don't say "Your money or your life" in the form of a question. Final Jeopardy debuted December 8, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Richard ThomasMary Crosby, (more)
1985  
 
The Magnificent Five, a group of winos, steal the $4,000 intended to buy a stained-glass window for St. Dominic's by a bag lady. ~ All Movie Guide

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1985  
R  
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This romantic, melancholy twist on the Frankenstein formula stars Peter O'Toole as Professor Harry Wolper, a lonely eccentric who has dedicated decades of research to cloning his long-dead wife Lucy from a culture of living tissue. To this end, he enlists the services of likeable Graduate assistant Boris (Vincent Spano), who is initially baffled by the professor's endless rants about God, Science and "The Big Picture." After Wolper posts bills seeking a human egg donor, his wish is granted by the vivacious young Meli (Mariel Hemingway), in whom the professor soon discovers a more willing convert to his grand design... and perhaps a love more immediate and real than the one he lost. Boris eventually manages to come around to "The Big Picture" himself when Wolper points him in the direction of another graduate, Barbara (Virginia Madsen). Despite opting for a platonic relationship to better determine if they are ideally matched, Boris and Barbara soon fall deeply in love, realizing that they are soul-mates as the professor had predicted. Tragedy strikes, however, when a brain hemorrhage renders Barbara comatose, and Wolper's nemesis Dr. Sid Kuhlenbeck (David Ogden Stiers) persuades the university to shut down Harry's private cloning laboratory. Meli forces Wolper to choose between her love and his misplaced longing for his dead wife... and his answer is suddenly made clear when he witnesses Boris's heartfelt determination to bring his own true love back to the land of the living. Written by Jeremy Leven (based on his own novel), this is a flawed but engaging comedy which proves that a well-written story can incorporate traditional science fiction elements as more than a mere plot device and actually enhance the humanity of the characters. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Jeff CoreyPeter O'Toole, (more)
1984  
 
Harry's courtroom docket this evening includes a man claiming to be Santa Claus (Jeff Corey) (red suit, white beard, the whole shootin' match) who's been hauled in for trespassing, and a pair of cynical teenage runaways, one of whom is played by Family Ties costar Michael J. Fox. In his usual off-the-wall fashion, Harry solves everyone's problems and gets a hug in the bargain. With this episode, Paula Kelly joins the cast in the role of combative public defender Liz Williams. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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