Tyne Daly Movies
The daughter of actor James Daly and sister of actor Tim Daly, Emmy award-winning American actress Tyne Daly was destined early on to enter the family business. After graduation from the American Academy of Dramatic Art, Tyne worked on stage and appeared in TV guest spots starting in the early '70s. While applauded for her talent, Daly found full stardom eluding her for several years during a long string of busted TV pilots like In Search of America (1971), Doctor Granger (1972), Fitzgerald and Pride (1972) and Hotshot Harry and the Rocking Chair Renegades (1979) did little to make her bankable (though her performance as Kate, female partner to Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry Callahan, in the 1976 action opus The Enforcer, most assuredly helped).
Then in 1981, Tyne Daly and Loretta Swit were cast in the pilot of Cagney and Lacey, an unusual (for U.S. prime time television) story of two policewomen who could handle their jobs with courage and assuredness. The success of the pilot led to a series in 1982, with Daly cast as Detective Mary Beth Lacey (opposite Meg Foster and later Sharon Gless). The series witnessed the character fighting to be accepted on equal terms with her male counterparts, and also struggling to maintain a normal home life as wife and mother. Daly's realistic portrayal earned her considerable praise from real-life law enforcement officials. Cagney and Lacey was cancelled in 1983, but returned to the air a year later thanks to a letter-writing campaign mounted by viewers. By the time the series ended in 1988, Daly had won four Emmy awards for her portrayal of Lacey. In 1994 she starred opposite Kellie Martin in the short-lived inspirational TV drama Christy, and in 1995 appeared in a trio of Cagney and Lacey reunions.
In subsequent years Daly switched venues, devoting her energies to the Broadway stage. Her accomplishments during this period included scoring a personal triumph and winning a Tony as Mama Rose in the 1989-90 revival of the 1959 musical Gypsy, and taking on untold challenges in a five-role, one-woman show, Mystery School, at Gotham's Angel Orensanz Foundation Center in 1998 (revived 2008). As time rolled on, the actress (like Cagney co-star Gless) returned to television, notably with a key supporting role as the lead character's domineering, judgmental mother on the series drama Judging Amy (1999-2005) (a series on which Gless occasionally appeared as a guest star)). Having caught the theatrical bug, however, Daly also retained her footing on stage in such outings as the acclaimed Rabbit Hole (2006) (opposite John Slattery and Cynthia Nixon). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Overcoming limitations, whether real or perceived, is the topic of Reading Rainbow: Amazing Grace, as Tyne Daly reads the story of a young girl who manages to land the title role in a school play despite an assumption that she cannot due to her race and gender. Several guests appear on the program, including Whoopi Goldberg, Lauren Turner, and Sheila Haines, who discuss their experiences with obstacles in their careers. In the book review segment, kids analyze Great Women in the Struggle, Mirette on the High Wire, and Roses Sing on New Snow. ~ Alice Day, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Peter Falk returns as dishevelled Lieutenant Columbo in this 2-hour TV special. This time, Columbo investigates the murder of football-team owner Steve Forrest. The prime suspect is Forrest's nephew Greg Evigan, meaning of course that he "done it." Naturally, Evigan has an airtight alibi, but when has that ever stopped Columbo? Tyne Daly co-stars. Columbo: A Bird in the Hand originally aired November 22, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Tyne Daly ages and ages (courtesy of a sympathetic makeup staff) as the matriarch of an upper-class Connecticut family. This TV movie traces the progress of that family--mother, father, three kids--from 1962 through 1984. We watch the children go through all the joys and heartache of maturity, and we see Ms. Daly's husband (Terry O'Quinn) stray from the fold in the company of another woman. The one unifying factor throughout the years is the family's well-appointed suburban house. The title The Last to Go refers to Tyne Daly, who is the final person out of the house when it is finally put up for sale. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Tyne Daly, the sister of series star Tim Daly, guests in this episode as a millionairess with the whimsical moniker of Mimsy Borogroves. The arrival of Mimsy on the isle of Nantucket has Helen (Crystal Bernard), Roy (David Schramm), and Fay (Rebecca Schull) falling over themselves trying to curry favor with the woman in hopes that she will bankroll their individual pet projects. But as things develop, it is Joe (Tim Daly) and Brian (Steven Weber) who are most profoundly affected by Mimsy's presence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
An unlikely friendship develops between two seemingly dissimilar women in this made-for-television adaption. Gena Rowlands stars as Pat Foster, the wife of a wealthy Seattle businessman. When he dies unexpectedly, her finances are put into jeopardy and she suddenly feels empathy for a homeless woman (Tyne Daly) she regularly sees on the street. The film was adapted from Marsha Norman's play. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 1991
In this touching drama, based on a magazine article by Mary Stuart, a wealthy socialite finds herself impoverished following her husband's sudden death. Across the street from her tiny apartment, there lives a bag lady in large cardboard box. The women, realizing that they have more in common than they thought, become good friends. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
The made for TV Stuck With Each Other stars Richard Crenna and Tyne Daly as two luckless New Yorkers, a salesman and a secretary respectively. One morning they come to the office to find that their boss has dropped dead--leaving behind an open safe containing $964,000 he's not supposed to have. Crenna and Daly divide the illicit funds between them, and are immediately pursued by two thick-eared thugs (Michael J. Pollard, Bubba Smith). Thus for the rest of the film, Crenna and Daly are reluctantly paired as a united front against the bad buys. Directed by Tyne Daly's then-husband Georg Stanford Brown, Stuck With Each Other premiered on October 17, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Kids Like These was cowritten by Emily Perl Kingsley, the mother of a Down's Syndrome child. Basing the script for this TV movie on her own experiences, Ms. Kingsley relates the story of Tyne Daly and Richard Crenna, the parents of a Down's baby. Refusing to accept the doctor's grim prognosis and suggestion that the child be institutionalized, Daly devotes herself to training her baby to surmount his handicaps. By the time the boy enters school, he is functioning at a higher level than anticipated, inspiring Daly to begin working with other parents of handicapped children. But her tireless activities on behalf of strangers takes a toll on her own family--and also blinds her to the still-existing limitations facing her son. Directed by Tyne Daly's then-husband Georg Stanford Brown, Kids Like These utilizes five Down's children to portray the son at various ages; the cast also includes real-life therapist Dr. Margaret Gianini. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
In this drama, a nurse, interred in a Vietnamese prison camp for ten years, is finally released and goes home with her Asian son. There she finds difficulty adjusting to society and the fact that her husband has found a new life and a lover to boot. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Actress Tyne Daly narrates this documentary which follows a group of American activists visiting Nicaragua in the 1980's. The vistors are witness as civil war rages between the Sandanista rebels, who had the support of much of the population, and the Contras, who not only had the backing of the Nigaraguan govenment, but the financial support of the United States. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Based on a novel by Ernest Gann and set in 1928, this story starts out focusing on aviation and then flies in another direction at about three feet worth of altitude. Christopher Reeves is Edgar Anscombe, a pilot of a Stearman biplane running a mail route between the states of Washington and Nevada, when he is obliged to accept Tillie Hansen (Rosanna Arquette) as a passenger one day. Introverted at best, sullen and forbidding at worst, Edgar is struggling with his own trauma after surviving a crash that left him with an ugly scar across his face. Tillie personifies all the worse traits commonly attributed to the rich and spoiled -- and the two are set to joust from the beginning. After they take off, an accident occurs and although the dueling pair survive the crash, they are hard put to survive for long in the desolate mountains. Soon Edgar's friend Jerry (Scott Wilson) is out looking for him, and Tillie's obnoxious father is there at the base airport to put pressure on everyone to find her. Needless to say, Edgar and Tillie, in the meantime, are faced with dangers that make their previous problems seem minor. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Reeve, Rosanna Arquette, (more)
- 1985
- PG
The "movers and shakers" in this weak comedy limned by Charles Grodin do not refer to a religious sect, but the big-wigs in Hollywood who determine how the next many millions are to be spent. Two parallel stories occupy center stage. On the one hand, Joe Mulholland (Walter Matthau) has made a promise to a dying producer that he would put together a film on "Love in Sex." The problem is that there is no script to go with that title -- a minor hurdle by Hollywood standards. On the other hand, Herb Derman (Grodin) is hired to make up the story, but he is neck-deep in marriage woes and will have a hard time holding down his personal life long enough to write. Mixed into both of these tales are parodies of behind-the-scenes Hollywood at its worst. These scenarios are helped along by a fine cast of actors and actresses. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Walter Matthau, Charles Grodin, (more)
- 1983
In this made-for-TV comedy, a group of single adults attempt to find their perfect mates in the harsh world of dating. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bonnie Franklin, Robert Klein, (more)
- 1982
After the death of a Down's Syndrome Child, pediatrician Barbara Lubow (Colleen Dewhurst) asks Quincy (Jack Klugman) to perform an autopsy. Much to his dismay, Quincy determines that the child had been starved to death by his parents--at the encouragement of their family doctor. Appalled by this callous attitude towards Down's children, Quincy becomes involved in the trials and tribulations of a married couple (Tyne Daly, Clu Gulager), whose efforts to establish a group home for six handicapped youngsters is meeting with violent opposition from their bigoted neighbors. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
Magnum (Tom Selleck) is reunited with journalist Kate Sullivan (Tyne Daly), whom he'd met while she was covering the Vietnam war. At the moment, Kate has been assigned to interview a visiting dignitary from the Jororo Islands. . .or at least that's what she claims. As the story unfolds, it becomes obvious that Kate is more interested in securing the "inside story" on cross-dressing international assassin David Bannister (Christopher Morley)--whose own current assignment is to assassinate the man from Jororo! This episode was deemed strong enough to warrant a followup, "Jororo Farewell," which aired two seasons later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
Finding it increasingly difficult to offer consolation to the relatives of accident and murder victims, Quincy (Jack Klugman) solicits the advice of Dr. Pendleton (Michael Constantine), a psychiatrist who works with terminally ill patients. Circumstances dictate that Quincy must act as substitute for Pendleton while the doctor is called away on business. In this capacity, Quincy finds himself becoming emotionally involved in the plight of Kay Silver (Tyne Daly), a young woman dying of cancer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Based on a 1940s Los Angeles murder trial, this film follows the case of members of a Mexican-American gang, led by Henry Reyna (Daniel Valdez), as they are tried and sentenced to San Quentin for a murder they may not have committed. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Valdez, Edward James Olmos, (more)
- 1981
This fact-based made-for-television drama tells the story of nurse Joy Ufemal and her invaluable work with those dying of incurable diseases. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1981
This pilot film for the TV detective series Cagney and Lacey stars Loretta Swit as Chris Cagney and Tyne Daly as Mary Beth Lacey. C and L are NYPD undercover officers, spending their first week on the job disguised as hookers. It's all part of a plan to flush out the person who's been going around beating up prostitutes. The storyline, which also includes the murder of a diamond merchant, shifts from Cagney and Lacey's street duty to their constant struggle against sexism at precinct headquarters and at home. Executive producer Barney Rosenzweig claimed that he'd come up with the idea of Cagney and Lacey after reading a Molly Haskell piece concerning the patronizing treatment of women in films. First telecast on October 8, 1981, the pilot film for Cagney and Lacey held its own opposite the season premiere of Taxi, leading to a weekly series which lasted from 1982 to 1988. But when the series proper went into production, Loretta Swit was replaced by Meg Foster, who in turn was replaced by Sharon Gless (later the wife of executive producer Rosenzweig). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tyne Daly, Loretta Swit, (more)
- 1980
When one of the twin babies of Madeline and Bill Estes (Tyne Daly, Robert Ginty) dies under mysterious circumstances, the initial evidence points to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. But thanks to a small but criticial error in the coroner's office, Dr. Bob Gage (Jonathan Segal) suspects thar Madeline Estes actually murdered his child--and before long, even Madeline's husband Bill thinks that she's guilty. Can Quincy (Jack Klugman) come to the rescue before another tragic blunder occurs? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
This critically-acclaimed film chronicles nineteen years in the life of a divorcee (played by Lee Remick), from the repressive 1950s through the liberated 1980s. Women's Room earned three Emmy nominations: one for Best Drama Special, and one each for costars Patty Duke Astin and Colleen Dewhurst. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1979
The elderly residents of a nursing home tire of being oppressed and stage a revolution in this made-for-television comedy. Following the ensuing riot they rush out and commandeer a passing train to go out for a few final adventures. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harold Gould, Strother Martin, (more)
- 1977
- PG
Don Siegel took over the directing chores from Peter Hyams on this taut cold war action film, based on the novel by Walter Wager. With the cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union thawing, old KGB hard-liner Nicolai Dalchimsky (Donald Pleasence) activates a group of Americans who were brainwashed twenty years earlier to blow up United States defenses when a passage from a Robert Frost poem is recited to them. When bombs go off at an abandoned United States defense installation, the Kremlin realizes that they have a rogue KGB agent on their hands who is trying to re-ignite the cold war. To stop him, the Russians send out KGB agent Grigori Borzov (Charles Bronson). Accompanying him is KGB double agent Barbara (Lee Remick). As the two agents try to stop Nicolai from starting World War III, they find time to fall in love with each other. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Lee Remick, (more)
