Harvey Bullock Movies

It has taken nine seasons, but waitress Alice Hyatt (Linda Lavin, widowed protagonist of the popular sitcom Alice, has finally landed a permanent boyfriend, one Nicholas Stone (Michael Durrell). And just in cast Alice had any doubts about her newest beau, Nicholas proves his mettle when he helps her cope with her 20-year-old son Tommy's (Philip McKeon) drinking problem. Meanwhile, fellow waitress Vera (Beth Howland) adjusts to her new life as the spouse of policeman Eliot Novak (Charles Levin). Among those making guest appearances in the series' ninth and final season are Golden Girls' Rue McClanahan, cast against type as syrupy day-school owner Mother Goose; Gregory Walcott, B-picture perennial and survivor of the infamous Plan 9 From Outer Space as Big Jake Hunnicutt, father of Alice's waitress pal Jolene; Fred Berry the former "Rerun" of What's Happening, as a chubby break-dancer named Bobo; and future political satirist Bill Maher as a cop. Plus, Mel's Diner continues to attract new regular customers, adding Danny (Jonathan Price) and Doug (Doug Robinson to this season's roster. In the final episode, Mel sells the diner, Alice is on the verge of becoming a fulltime professional singer in the entourage of country star Travis Marsh (Kip Niven), Jolene sets up her own beauty salon, and Vera is about to become a mother. What is there left for the cast to do but reminisce about the past nine years, with the help of an abundance of choice clips from past episodes? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Alice moved from its familiar Sunday night slot to a Wednesday night berth for its seventh season, then shifted to Mondays in February of 1983. Whatever the night, the series' fans faithfully flocked around the tube to watch the latest shenanigans at Mel's Diner, and the misadventures of waitresses Alice (Linda Lavin, Vera (Beth Howland) and Jolene (Celia Weston), short-fused proprietor Mel (Vic Tayback), and Alice's now 18-year-old son Tommy (Philip McKeon). Halfway through the season, Martha Raye, hitherto confined to sporadic appearances in the role of Mel's meddlesome mother Carrie Sharples, becomes a regular when Carrie moved in with Mel after divorcing her most recent husband. Not surprisingly, she is soon driving everyone at the diner crazy with her overbearing personality, but the regular patrons--including newcomer Artie (Tony Long)--simply love the old broad! The season opener features Debbie Reynolds as a famously promiscuous actress who includes Mel in her tell-all autobiography--or at least that's what Mel thinks. Later on, Jerry Stiller appears as Mel's longtime rival, who shows up at the diner with his young trophy bride. A two-part episode features Joel Grey as himself, headlining a musical revue featuring Alice and financed by Mel--whose ineptitude nearly sinks the project before it can even open. Doris Roberts makes a return appearance as Alice's insufferable mother Mona, this time wreaking havoc at Thanksgiving dinner. Prolific character actor Guich Koock drops in to play Jolene's black-sheep brother Jonas. Cassandra Peterson, better known as buxom horror-movie hostress Elvira, has a flashy role in the episode "Mel's Dream Car." Richard Deacon of Dick Van Dyke Show fame guests as the snobbish owner of a catering firm for whom Mel briefly goes to work; Harlem Globetrotters star Meadowlark Lemon) stops over to give Tommy a few basketball pointers; and series star Linda Lavin essays a dual role, as both Alice and Vera's elderly, obnoxious landlady Debbie Walden, in "Vera the Torch." One of the Season Seven episodes, "The Secret of Mel's Diner", was actually filmed for Season Six, but held back due to a writer's strike. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though fewer new episodes of Alice were telecast during its fifth season due to a Hollywood writer's strike, the series still remained one of CBS's most popular attractions, ranking seventh in the overall Nielsen ratings. Much of its ongoing success can be attributed to the seamless ensemble work of its cast: Linda Lavin as waitress and aspiring singer Alice, Vic Tayback as her irascible boss Mel, Beth Howland as ditsy waitress Vera, Philip McKeon as Alice's son Tommy, and relative newcomer Diane Ladd as the newest employee of Mel's Diner, Southern-fried Belle Dupree. Gracing Season Five with their presence are such guest stars as Robert Goulet, who shows up in a 2-part episode wherein Vera wins a free trip to Vegas; Mildred Natwick as Vera's Aunt Agatha, a geriatric "biker chick"; Ruth Buzzi as the dowdy wife of Mel's regular customer, Henry the postman (Marvin Kaplan); Jerry Reed as "himself", in an episode involving a huge fish and a huge-er blunder made by the waitresses; and, for the third year in a row, Martha Raye as Mel's mom Carrie Sharples, who is even more insufferable than usual after she is dumped by her current husband. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Nativity is just what it says it is. This low-key retelling of the Biblical story of the birth of Christ stars Madeline Stowe as Mary and John V. Shea as Joseph. The network publicists assured the viewers that there would be as much emphasis on the "human love story" as the Birth itself. Also in the cast are Leo McKern as Herod, Jane Wyatt as Anna, Paul Stewart as Zacharias, Audrey Totter as Elizabeth, George Voskovec as Joachim and Julie Garfield (daughter of John Garfield) as Zipporah. The made-for-TV The Nativity premiered on December 17, 1978; one day later, Madeline Stowe showed up in a small role in another TV movie, The Deerslayer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mel (Vic Tayback) entrusts his precious old car to the care of Alice (Linda Lavin)--and that's his first mistake. Somehow or other Flo (Polly Holliday) gets behind the wheel of the car, resulting in an accident that literally spreads the remnants of the vehicle from one end of Phoenix to another. Still, Flo actually believes she can cover up her carelessness--and she might have gotten away with it if not for a tempestuous witness named Maria (Chi Chi Navarro). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The title of this episode should give us an idea of what we're in for when Flo's trailer is stolen, leaving her homeless. The soul of generosity and hospitality, Alice (Linda Lavin) invites Flo (Polly Holliday) to stay at her place for a while. Big mistake! Not only is Flo a female "Oscar Madison", but Alice must also deal with her house guest's boorish boyfriend (Kenneth Mars), who acts like he has also moved in! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The staff of Mel's Diner is on pins and needles when an influential food critic (Victor Buono) accepts Alice's invitation to sample the diner's bill of fare. Realizing that the critic is a man of exotic tastes, Mel (Vic Tayback) knocks himself out to dish up a batch of chili that his guest will never forget. Unfortunately, a pall is cast over the evening when the critic has the effrontery to drop dead of food poisoning! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Klink orders the prisoners to send home pre-written recorded messages. Hoping to turn the tables on his captors, Hogan plans to use the recording equipment to transcribe a top-secret SS meeting. The plan hinges on Schultz, who is convinced (by Hogan) that he has what it takes to be a major singing star. Jack Riley, who later played the neurotic Mr. Carlin on The Bob Newhart Show, is here cast as an SS Man. First shown on November 15, 1970, "The Big Record" was written by R.S. Allen and Harvey Bullock. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hogan arranges a date between Klink and the beautiful Countess Marlene (Marj Dusay), who is actually an Allied agent. Unfortunately, Klink ends up delivering the wrong plans to the Countess, thereby potentially lousing up Hogan's latest espionage mission. To correct Klink's unwitting error, Hogan orchestrates a second romantic rendezvous between Marlene and Sgt. Schultz. Written by Harvey Bullock and R.S. Allen, "The Merry Widow" was first telecast on March 13, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In order to direct Allied bombers to a German hydroelectric dam, Hogan is in dire need of current weather reports. In order to hear those reports via radio, Hogan throws an anniversary party for Klink. Fortunately, the cloddish Kommandant never looks too closely at those "party" balloons which hover prominently over Stalag 13. Written by R.S. Allen and Harvey Bullock, "How's the Weather?" originally aired on January 2, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Don't Drink The Water is taken from a play by Woody Allen. Walter Hollander (Jackie Gleason) is a middle-aged caterer from Newark, New Jersey who takes his wife Marion (Estelle Parsons) and his teenage daughter Susan (Joan Delaney) on a tour of Europe. When their plane is high-jacked to Vulgaria, Walter is mistaken for an international spy when he takes some photographs. Secret agent Krojack (Michael Constantine) is dispatched to capture the alleged spy. The family takes refuge in the American embassy where Axel Magee (Ted Bessell) is the son of the ambassador. Axel arranges for the family to stay there, but leaving then becomes the problem. Susan's problems are solved when she and Axel are married, providing her with diplomatic immunity. Walter and Marion are forced to disguise themselves as part of an Arab delegation to escape from Vulgaria. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide