Edward C. Hume Movies

Based on actual events from the early '90s and first aired on the Family Channel, this exciting drama centers on the attempts of one small town to keep the Mississippi river from destroying it. The leaders in this seemingly impossible quest are widower farmer Herb and the Army Corps of Engineers woman he loves. Despite their efforts to shore up the town's levees, the water keeps rising, and the town is increasingly at risk. When a levee up-river breaks, Herb's kids are caught in the flood and a massive search ensues. Finally, just as the town is about to be inundated, Herb finds himself forced to make a difficult decision between the town's welfare and his own. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

George Lucas produced and Jim Henson directed this gothic fantasy which pits living and breathing actors Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie (who, along with Trevor Jones, provides the film's music) against a motley collection of Muppet monsters. The film centers upon teenage Sarah (Connelly), who lives in a fantasy world of myth and magic, evil spells, and wondrous enchantment. She is baby-sitting her little brother when she cavalierly wishes that goblins would take him away. She gets her wish, and a coterie of goblins abduct him. She then encounters Jareth (David Bowie), the ruler of a mystical world one step removed from reality. He tells Sarah that the only way to get her brother back is to find her way through a M.C. Escher-like labyrinth and find the castle at the center. As she makes her way through the maze, she faces a number of horrific challenges (like the Bog of Eternal Stench) before she finds her way to the gravity-defying castle, where her brother is being held by the evil goblins. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

This moving docudrama on a man whose courage raised $20,000,000 for a worthy cause is also an honest look at the nature of determination. When Canadian Terry Fox was diagnosed with cancer in 1977, his right leg was amputated and rather than simply battle depression, Fox decided to run his own cross-country marathon (5,150 miles) to raise money for cancer research. His parents, his doctor, and his friends opposed the idea but he persisted, convincing a friend with a camper to come along with him (or he could never have made the run). Fox starts at the Atlantic Ocean off Newfoundland, and with only a few supporters and very little fanfare, begins his odyssey. The amputee's human failings are clear: he is egocentric, impatient, short-tempered, and verges on the suicidal in forcing his endurance to the limit. As Fox's mental and emotional state is stretched at the beginning of the run, his friend driving the van has to call on his own reserves to stay with him. No one pays very much attention to Fox as he moves slowly through Quebec, but by the time he reaches Ontario, the Canadians start to notice his heroic effort. The Ontario Cancer Society representative, Bill Vigars (Robert Duvall), moves in like a steamroller to set up more sponsors, media events, and receptions. Fox is suddenly forced into the limelight, having to give speeches in front of huge audiences for the first time in his young life (he is 21). About half-way through his now well-publicized journey, Fox collapses and it becomes clear that his dream will have to end -- but not before he inspired millions of others to donate to cancer research. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

A peaceful Midwestern city attempts to recover after it is destroyed by a nuclear missile strike in this powerful and deeply disturbing testament to the folly of pro-military hawks who believed that annihilation was a justifiable means of attaining power and control. The Day After originally aired on network television. At the end of the broadcast, many stations offered teams of counselors staffing 800 telephone numbers to help distraught viewers calm down. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

21 Hours at Munich is a grim reenactment of the darkest days of the 1972 Munich Olympics. A gang of eight Arab terrorists storm the Israeli dormitory, killing two and taking hostage nine athletes. The terrorist's demands include the release of 200 Arabs held in Israeli jails; Israel follows its standard policy in dealing with terrorism and refuses to capitulate. There can be only one way that this film will end, but the tragedy of the occasion is buoyed by isolated moments of inspirational heroism. William Holden and Franco Nero head the cast, while sportscaster Jim McKay, whose emotional coverage of the actual events has since become famous, narrates the film. 21 Hours at Munich first aired on November 7, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

They've Kidnapped Anne Benedict is the rerun title for the made-for-TV movie The Abduction of St. Anne. Robert Wagner stars as detective who is hired by Vatican for $100,000. It's his job to find out if it's true that a mobster's 17-year-old daughter (Kathleen Quinlan) has miraculous and healing powers. If the rumors are fact, Wagner is expected to kidnap the girl on behalf of the Church, with the help of bishop E.G. Marshall. Before the film runs its course, all three principals--Wagner, Marshall, and Quinlan--find themselves up to their necks in life-threatening peril. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The made-for-TV Toma was inspired by the real-life career of New Jersey plainclothes detective Dave Toma. Tony Musante stars as the detective, whose penchant for impenetrable disguises makes him indispensable to the undercover division of the Newark police department. Toma's fierce independence gets him in hot water with his superiors, who are forced to say "no" when he expresses a desire to get the goods on a numbers racketeer. Defying orders, Toma dons another clever disguise and infiltrates the gang. Tony Musante, Susan Strasberg (as Patty Toma) and Simon Oakland (Inspector Spooner) were all retained for the subsequent Toma series, which ran from 1973 until 1974, then resurfaced in altered form as the Robert Blake cop series Baretta. As he would so often on the weekly Toma, the real David Toma plays a cameo role in this 74-minute pilot film. The original Toma was first telecast March 21, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The 2-hour pilot film for the long-running (1972-77) TV detective series first aired on September 16, 1972. Veteran police detective lieutenant Mike Stone (Karl Malden) and his young partner Steve Keller (Michael Douglas) try to solve the murder of runaway Holly Jean Berry (Kim Darby). By reconstructing Holly's last days of life, Stone and Keller draw up a list of likely suspects, foremost of which is slick but not overly bright corporate lawyer David J. Farr (Robert Wagner). The actual murderer may seem to come out of left field, but his sudden appearance on the scene is perfectly credible within the framework of Edward Hume's teleplay. Streets of San Francisco was based on Poor, Poor Ophelia, a novel by Carolyn Weston. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Made for television, The Harness was "suggested" by a John Steinbeck short story. Lorne Greene stars as an aging California farmer, long under the thumb of his domineering wife. Much against his better judgment, Greene becomes fascinated with young Julie Sommars, a free-spirited unwed mother. When his wife dies, Greene begins to spend time with Sommars, causing an avalanche of malicious gossip. The Harness was filmed near Salinas, California, site of many a John Steinbeck tale. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

William Conrad stars as corpulent private eye Frank Cannon in this 2-hour pilot for the subsequent Cannon series. He responds to a plea for assistance from ex-flame Vera Miles (an actress who was in practically every pilot film made between 1965 and 1975). She is the prime suspect in the murder of her husband, and has also become the target of vicious anonymous phone calls. Cannon's investigation unearths a hotbed of small-town corruption. Cannon was first telecast March 26, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

On an Indiana college campus, Professor Fritz Simpson is conducting a psychological experiment to determine the significance of dreams. Recognizing the man who has volunteered for this experiment as Fred Johnson (Bill Raisch), aka "The One-Armed Man", Simpson contacts his old friend, fugitive Richard Kimble (David Janssen). At the risk of his own freedom, Kimble rushes to Simpson's college lab, hoping that Johnson will at long last confess to the murder of Mrs. Kimble. Unfortunately, Simpson's neurotic wife Caroline (Geraldine Brooks) alerts Lt. Gerard as to Kimble's whereabouts. Featured in the small role of a coed is Jill Janssen, the sister of series star David Janssen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide