Blythe Danner Movies
American actress Blythe Danner brings a kind of classy elegance to her work that betrays her real-life background: the daughter of a Philadelphia bank executive, she enjoyed an expensive prep school education and undergraduate study at Bard College. Her earliest theatrical work was with the Theater Company of Boston and the Trinity Square Playhouse of Boston; by the time she was 25, Danner had won the Theatre World Award for her performance in the Lincoln Center Rep's production of The Miser. In 1970, she earned a Tony for her performance in Butterflies are Free; based on the true story of a blind attorney, Danner played the central character's free-spirit love interest. Given the tenor of '70s newspaper publicity, Danner was featured in several magazine and newspaper photo spreads because she spent much of Butterflies' first act clad in nothing but her underwear. Subsequently, the actress was frequently cast opposite fellow up-and-comer Ken Howard, notably in the short-lived 1973 TV sitcom Adam's Rib. She worked so well with Howard that many fans assumed that the two were married; in fact, Danner's longtime husband is Broadway and TV producer Bruce Paltrow.A "critic's darling" thanks to her husky voice and pleasantly mannered acting style, Danner has worked with distinction in TV and on stage, though her film roles have tended to be few and far between. She was memorable as Robert Duvall's long-suffering wife in The Great Santini (1980) and as Nick Nolte's wife in The Prince of Tides (1991), while in 1986's Brighton Beach Memoirs, the decidedly WASPish Danner surprised fans by portraying a middle-aged Jewish woman. Danner's film appearances became more frequent during the latter half of the '90s: she did starring work in such films as To Wong Foo: Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995), The Myth of Fingerprints (1997), The X-Files (1998), and The Love Letter (1999). A memorable turn opposite Robert DeNiro in the 2000 comedy found the established dramatic actress reaching the apex of a particularly impressive comedy run, and a year after reprising her role in the 2004 sequel Meet the Fockers, Danner would make showbiz history by earning a record three Emmy nominations for her roles in Huff, Will and Grace, and Back when We Were Grownups. When the smoke cleared and all of the winners had been announced, Danner did ineed come out on top when she took home the "Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" award for Huff, with nominations for both Huff and Will and Grace at the following year's ceremony offering telling testament as to just how strong her work truly was. In 2006 Danner could be seen performing opposite Zack Braff in the romantic comedy drama remake The Last Kiss.
Frequently seen in TV guest roles (she managed to make her Mrs. Albert Speer in 1982's Inside the Third Reich sympathetic, no mean feat), Danner could be seen on television on a regular basis in the brief 1989 series Tattingers, produced by her husband. In 1992, she did stellar work in the made-for-TV movie Cruel Doubt, in which she played the matriarch of a broken family. Her daughter Gwyneth Paltrow was also featured in the movie, and has since gone on to become a successful actress in her own right. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Percy MacKaye's classic play concerning a 17th century scarecrow's mission to destroy true love springs to life in this classic 1971 KCET production featuring performances by two-time Oscar nominee Gene Wilder and Tony award-winning actress Blythe Danner. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1970
An uncharacteristic Bing Crosby plays Dr. Cook, a small town physician with a little something to hide. Outwardly gentle and compassionate, Cook is less politely inclined to those in his Vermont community whom he regards as disposable. When a young man (Frank Converse) whom Cook has raised as a son returns to the community, he begins to suspect that his father-figure is keeping secrets. The young man learns that the good Doctor has been murdering those patients whom he regards as useless, and then burying the victims in his meticulously kept garden. Made for TV, Dr. Cook's Garden was adapted from a Broadway play by Ira Levin, in which Burl Ives starred in the title role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The first independent production of former studio mogul Jack Warner, 1776 was adapted from the hit 1969 Broadway musical by Peter Stone and Sherman Edwards. William Daniels, Ken Howard, and Howard Da Silva are among the many actors who recreate their Broadway roles. The story is set during the first Continental Congress, when the Declaration of Independence was drafted by such founding fathers as John Adams (Daniels) and Benjamin Franklin (Da Silva). The script attempts to "humanize" these remote historical figures by contemporizing them -- particularly the character of Ben Franklin. Blythe Danner's character of Martha Jefferson is expanded for the film version to allow for an elaborate outdoor production number. After 1776, Warner made only one more film, the 1972 "grunge Western" Dirty Little Billy. On an added note: the picture was originally rated G with its theatrical running time of 141 minutes. It was later expanded to 166 minutes; the added scenes caused the MPAA to re-rate it PG (for language) in 1992. Both versions are available on video. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Daniels, Howard Da Silva, (more)
- 1972
- R
When a married couple retreats to an isolated island to attempt to salvage their failing relationship, they find that they are the targets of a psychotic Vietnam vet and have to join forces to combat him. Way ahead of its time for addressing the problems of soldiers returning from combat. Adapted from the short story Master of the Hounds by Algis Budrys. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1974
This comedy western is the failed pilot for a TV series based on the 1971 feature film Skin Game. Like the original, this tells the story of two bungling con artists, one white the other black, who ride around trying to collect an outlaw bounty and outsmart slave traders. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1974
- R
Lovin' Molly is basically Jules and Jim, Texas style. In 1925, two close friends (Anthony Perkins and Beau Bridges) both fall in love with prescient woman's-libber Molly (Blythe Danner). Molly in turn loves both men equally and can't choose between them, so the three set up a freewheeling menage a trois--which endures for nearly forty years. Lovin' Molly belongs to Blythe Danner, an otherwise overly mannered actress who is at her naturalistic best herein. Lovin' Molly was based on the novel Leaving Cheyenne by Larry McMurtry. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Perkins, Beau Bridges, (more)
- 1974
In a strange blending of reality and fantasy, this is the story of F. Scott Fitzgerald's use of the creative process to try to work out and ameliorize his own marital difficulties, writing the fictional "The Last of the Belles" while trying to work out his own relationship with Zelda during WWI. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1975
- PG
Hearts of the West (British title: Hollywood Cowboy) stars Jeff Bridges as Lewis Tater, a 1930s-era aspiring novelist who harbors dreams of becoming the next Zane Grey or Peter B. Kyne. He arrives in Nevada to seek out the correspondence school that has "graduated" him. After learning that he's been taken to the cleaners by crooks, he stumbles onto a threadbare film-unit grinding out "B" westerns. He is given a job by unit manager Kessler (Alan Arkin), then falls in love with spunky script girl Miss Trout (Blythe Danner). With the help of crusty stunt man Howard Pike (Andy Griffith), Tyler fends off the correspondence-school crooks who want the money that he has accidentally stolen from them. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeff Bridges, Andy Griffith, (more)
Comedy combines with tragedy in acclaimed playwright Anton Chekhov's dramatic breakthrough concerning an aspiring writer who harbors dreams of transforming the theatrical experience. As friends and family gather at a remote country estate to attend the premiere performance of fledgling writer/producer Konstantin (Frank Langella)'s latest experimental play, the presence of his self-absorbed mother and her high profile lover Trigorin not only shifts the focus away from the production, but also changes the lives of all who attend. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1976
- PG
This follow-up to the successful 1973 thriller Westworld stars Peter Fonda and Blythe Danner as Chuck Browning and Tracy Ballard, investigative reporters. The team has been dispatched to the expensive theme park Westworld on the remote island of Delos, to find out what caused the park's robots to go berserk and begin killing the cash customers. They discover that Duffy (Arthur Hill), creator of Westworld, has retooled his park into Futureworld, a supposedly "fail safe" recreational mecca. In truth, he is scheming to replace all of the world leaders with robot clones, the better to take over the globe. Yul Brynner, the steely-eyed cowboy android from Westworld, makes a brief return appearance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Fonda, Blythe Danner, (more)
- 1976
Hawkeye (Alan Alda) is unexpectedly reunited with Nurse Carlye Breslin (Blythe Danner), the only woman he ever wanted to marry. Now, however, Carlye is the wife of another man. This puts Hawkeye in an uncomfortable position, especially when Carlye's transfer to the 4077th threatens to become a permanent issue. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Blythe Danner and Frank Langella star in this made-for-television adaptation of Tennessee Williams' drama. Alma Winemiller (Danner) is a woman of the South -- educated, soft-spoken, somewhat shy, and possessing a thoroughly original turn of mind. For quite some time, Alma has been infatuated with the handsome doctor who lives next door (Langella), but she's been unable to catch his eye. When he invites Alma to spend the night with him at a hotel, she has no illusions about what he wants from the relationship, but her loneliness and her desire has grown strong enough that she can't bear to turn him down. The Eccentricities of a Nightingale was first shown on PBS in 1975. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Based on the 1976 autobiography My Luke and I by Eleanor Gehrig and Joseph Durso, Love Affair: The Eleanor & Lou Gehrig Story provides a slightly different slant on the events previously dramatized on film as Pride of the Yankees (1942). The story is told in flashback from the point of view of the wife of baseball's "Iron Man". Sitting in a deserted Yankee stadium, Eleanor (Blythe Danner) relates her tale to her biographer Joseph Durso (Robert Burr). She recalls how she met the painfully shy ballplayer Lou Gehrig (Edward Herrmann) on a blind date in 1933. She remembers her battle of wills with Lou's domineering and possessive mother (played with a nearly impenetrable foreign accent by Patricia Neal), and her 1934 elopement with her "Luke." Other memories include the New York Yankees' goodwill trip to Japan, where relationships became strained between teammates Gehrig and Babe Ruth (Ramon Bieri). Also recalled is the fact that Lou played 2130 consecutive games (a record was only recently broken by Cal Ripken Jr.). Eleanor's story ends inevitably with Lou's slow death from amyotropic lateral sclerosis. In summing up, Eleanor insists that despite the tragic final years, she wouldn't have traded her short time as Mrs. Lou Gehrig for anything. Edward Herrmann took pride in the fact that his portrayal of Lou Gehrig won the unqualified praise of the real Eleanor (though Herrmann learned to bat southpaw for the role, he is seen actually playing baseball only once) Originally scheduled for broadcast on October 9, 1977, the made-for-TV Love Affair was bumped by a World Series playoff game; it was rescheduled for January 15, 1978--smack dab opposite the Super Bowl. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
An interesting take on the battle of Little Big Horn and General George Armstrong Custer's part in it, this is a combination of the known facts of the battle coupled with the fiction of "what if" - what if General Custer had been a survivor of the massacre? This movie takes that premise and runs with it. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1978
This is an average made-for-TV thriller about a high-school student (Kathleen Beller) with a psychotic secret admirer. The usual stalking and false scares pad the 96 minutes between commercials, until Beller finally confronts her assailant. On a positive note, there is a good supporting cast, with Blythe Danner, Tony Bill, Ellen Travolta, and Dennis Quaid along for the minimal chills. Fans of this sort of thing could find it a watchable diversion on a rainy day, but it's nothing special. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
A series of 17 short stories by American writer John Updike form the basis for this examination of the rocky marriage of a New England couple. The movie was made for television in 1979 and directed by Fielder Cook. Updike's stories focus on the issues of fidelity and responsibility hiding beneath the calm veneer of American suburban affluence. Michael Moriarty plays Richard Maple, a non-conformist middle-class man married to Joan Barlow Maple (Blythe Danner). Glenn Close plays the home-wrecker Rebecca. The couple's problems are both traced to childhood incidents in which their propensity for taking the easy way out is established. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Moriarty, Blythe Danner, (more)
Bull Meechum (Robert Duvall) loves fighting almost as much as he loves the Marine Corps. Profane, cocky, and arrogant, he's a great fighter pilot -- and he knows it. His boss hates his guts, but knows that if he's going to straighten out his lagging squadron, Meechum is the man to do it. The story and irony of The Great Santini is in Meechum's total intolerance of family life and fatherhood. Meechum has a lovely, supportive wife, Lillian (Blythe Danner), an earnest, likeable son, Ben (Michael O'Keefe), three smaller children, and a good home, but Meechum finds the pastoral nature of peacetime totally incompatible with his gung-ho nature. So he begins to drink. He drills his family unmercifully, like recruits. He hammers his son relentlessly until, in a basketball game, his son fights back, and the family cheers Ben's efforts. Tension builds in the household until, during one drunken night, Meechum breaks down. Based on a best-selling novel by Pat Conroy, The Great Santini earned critical raves but fared poorly at the box office. Duvall's performance as Meechum is generally regarded as one of his greatest. ~ Nick Sambides, Jr., All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Duvall, Blythe Danner, (more)
- 1981
This tribute to the late Lorraine Hansberry is featured in this video. Learn of her experiences as a black artist in America, from her visit to the South and on to Harlem. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1982
This 1982 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Blythe Danner and features musical guest Rickie Lee Jones. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Blythe Danner, Rickie Lee Jones, (more)
- 1982
The two-part TV movie Inside the Third Reich was based on the extraordinary revelatory (if self-serving) autobiographical book by Albert Speer. Played herein by Rutger Hauer, Speer is a young man of privilege in pre-Hitler Germany who happens to be a brilliant architect. Becoming a member of Hitler's inner circle, Speer is appointed the Nazi regime's master builder. According to this film, Speer is egomaniacal and ambitious, but somewhat blinded to the inherent evils of Nazism. Though he'd later claim to be ignorant of Hitler's horrific policies aimed at the Jews, he was certainly aware of the use of Jewish prisoners as slave labor: as Germany's armaments minister during World War II, Speer exploited these enslaved unfortunates as much as anyone, if not more so. The cast includes Derek Jacobi as Hitler, Blythe Danner as Speer's wife Margarethe, John Gielgud as Speer's father, Ian Holm as Goebbels, Maurice Roeves as Hess, and George Murcell as Goering. Originally running 5 hours, Inside the Third Reich was filmed in Munich; it was first telecast on May 9 and 10, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
- PG
In this melodramatic story, a college professor and his family experience trauma and tears when the professor discovers that his one-time lover in France has recently died and left a son behind -- his son. When the young boy shows up on the doorstep because the shocked father can only do what is right and offer him a home, the professor (Martin Sheen), his wife (Blythe Danner), and their children -- as well as the boy -- face new issues in a crisis that threatens the once-cohesive family. Both Sheen and Danner carry their roles beyond the sappy limitations of the script, but neither can change an unsatisfactory ending meant only to bring out another handkerchief. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Sheen, Blythe Danner, (more)
- 1983
Blythe Danner stars as a successful and somewhat sheltered attorney. After a chance meeting with abused teenaged streetwalker Beth Ehlers and tough social worker Joyce vanPatten, Ms. Danner quits her job to set up her own legal defense office for children. Four different "cases" intersect in this made-for-TV film, with emphasis on 12-year-old Tony LaTorre, who is on his own and perpetually in trouble with the law. Ms. Danner is compelled to battle bureaucracy, as well as the retrogressive attitudes of abusive parents who feel that their authority is being usurped. Assembled by several veterans of the TV series Lou Grant (including producer Seth Freeman), In Defense of Kids has the ring of truth throughout, even though it was not (as might be assumed) based on a true story. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
This semi-sequel to William Gibson's The Miracle Worker recounts the early adult years of the profoundly handicapped but brilliant Helen Keller. Helen, played by Mare Winningham, enters college, with her friend and mentor Annie Sullivan Macy (Blythe Danner) by her side. As Helen's international fame grows, she must withstand the pressures of those who'd treat her as a freak rather than a human being as well as Annie's near-strident demands that she excel at everything. The multi-faceted Ms. Keller lived too much of a life to be squeezed into a mere two-hour running time; the script betrays the strain of trying to show us more than it's able by wrapping up everything in a hurried, unsatisfying conclusion. Helen Keller: The Miracle Continues was initially telecast as part of the syndicated Operation Prime Time package in 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mare Winningham, Blythe Danner, (more)
Richard A. Levinson and William Link took the "fantasy murder" concept popularized in the classic Preston Sturges film Unfaithfully Yours (1948) one fatal step further in Guilty Conscience. Criminal attorney Arthur Jamison (Anthony Hopkins) wants to divorce his wife Louise (Blythe Danner) but will have to clean out all his assets to meet her alimony demands. With the help of mistress Jackie (Swoosie Kurtz), Arthur plans to murder his spouse and thus stave off financial ruin. But how best to pull off the dirty deed? Conjuring up an imaginary alter ego (also played by Anthony Hopkins), the attorney cerebrally stages several murder scenarios before hitting upon the perfect scheme. The fact that linear time is ignored throughout Guilty Conscience keeps the audiences on its toes. Are we watching another imaginary killing, or is this one the genuine article? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Hopkins, Blythe Danner, (more)
