Kenny Solms Movies
- 1999
Reporter Monica (Roma Downey) endeavors to persuade cynical Chicago tabloid publisher Liz Bradley (Ann Jillian) to return to her original, lofty journalistic ideals. Alas, Liz is so obsessed with reporting the "truth" at all costs that it threatens to destroy everyone around her. Particularly victimized by Liz's ruthlessness is her own sister Lauren (played by Desperate Housewives'Marcia Cross), who finds herself in the middle of a horrendous international scandal involving a corrupt politician (Scott Wilkinson. It takes the combined efforts of Monica and guileless young reporter Ray Rifkin (John Patrick White) to persuade Liz not to use "the truth" as a lethal weapon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Real-life mother and daughter Carol Burnett and Carrie Hamilton appear in this episode, which also features Burnett's former variety-show costar Tim Conway in a pivotal role--not to mention cameo appearances by musical-comedy favorite Carol Channing) and celebrated caricaturist Al Hirschfeld). Thirty years ago, the singing career of Lillian Bennett (Burnett) came to an abrupt end when she suffered a severe case of stage fright on the opening night of her first Broadway play--whereupon her understudy Amanda (Rita Moreno) went on in her place and subsequently rose to superstardom. Now Lillian is determined that her daughter Amanda (Hamilton) give up her own theatrical aspirations lest her heart be broken in the same manner. Meanwhile, Monica (Roma Downey) discovers that Amanda was actually responsible for ruining Lillian's career--meaning that someone is going to have to confess to something, and that someone else is going to have to find forgiveness in her heart before the Show inevitably Goes On. Carol Burnett sings "I'm Still Here", from the 1971 Broadway musical "Follies." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
- PG
Sheila (Jeannie Berlin) is not one of life's golden people: she's not especially good-looking, charming, charismatic, or smart. As a result, she has to struggle constantly. For some reason, she decides to move from the suburbs to New York City. Now she has a roommate (Rebecca Dianna Smith), a job with a record company, and a self-imposed obligation to try to meet some men. One night she goes out to a singles bar and meets Sam (Roy Scheider), a nice-looking doctor. They have what is for him a one-night stand, but Sheila is smitten. She hasn't had all that much luck with men, and this one she would like to keep. Embarrassed, Sam tries as gently as he can to ignore her. This becomes much more difficult when he starts dating Sheila's personable roommate. The screenplay for this gentle comedy was adapted by Gail Parent from her best-selling book of the same name. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeannie Berlin, Roy Scheider, (more)
The Day of the Locust is anything but a cheerful, light look at Hollywood in the '30s. It recreates both the town as well as the filmmaking world around which much of the town revolved with devastating accuracy. The movie tells the twin tales of talentless wannabe actress Faye Greener (Karen Black) and Homer Simpson (Donald Sutherland), a lovelorn accountant who couldn't care less about movies. Around this framework, a huge and intricate social network is tellingly revealed, until the film's gruesome and tragic ending. Not for those who prefer to hang onto their illusions about the glory days of Hollywood, The Day of the Locust, based on the novel by Nathanael West, is a must-see for serious film buffs. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donald Sutherland, Karen Black, (more)
- 1972
"Mom" is Connie Stevens, who stars in this made-for-TV comedy. Stevens plays a small-town waitress who is appointed the housemother for a rambunctious fraternity house on the local college campus. The frat boys assume that freewheeling Stevens will allow them to party to their hearts' content, but "Mom" takes her job quite seriously and compels the students to behave themselves. She also becomes involved in a campus feminist movement that threatens to topple the college's male power structure (headed by dean Van Johnson). Call Her Mom was the pilot for a Connie Stevens TV series that found neither a sponsor nor a network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Would-be playwright Murray (Gavin MacLeod) has completed his autobiographical masterpiece, All Work and No Play. The good news is that the play is going to be produced. The bad news is that the production deal was cinched by Ted Baxter (Ted Knight) -- which of course means that Ted will be playing the leading role. It is up to Ted's reluctant co-star, Mary (Mary Tyler Moore), to make lemonade out of this particular lemon. "We Closed in Minneapolis" was originally telecast on January 30, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
