Sharon Acker Movies
Canadian leading lady Sharon Acker went from the stage to films with 1957's Lucky Jim, a British cinemazation of Kingsley Amis' satirical novel. Ten years and dozens of plays and TV appearances later, Sharon once again participated in a theatrical film, 1967's Adventures of Caroline, this one shot in Canada. Her first below-the-border U.S. film appearance was in John Boorman's Point Blank (1967). Sharon Acker's TV credits include a year's worth of appearances opposite Hal Holbrook in The Senator (1970) and thirteen weeks as Della Street in 1973's unfortunate The New Perry Mason. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi- 1986
Along with her friends Amos (Tom Bosley) and Seth (William Windom), Jessica (Angela Lansbury) decides to sample the cooking at Cabot Cove's newest tourist attraction, the Joshua Peabody Inn. Casting a pall over the evening is a batch of spoiled strawberry preserves, causing several patrons to become seriously ill. When one of these patrons subsequently dies, Jessica begins to suspect that the "accidental" poisoning was deliberately contrived. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1982
- PG
In this comedy, the aged residents of Flo Adler's Mapleview Nursing Home revolt against the corporate conglomerate threatening to take over their home. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
Certainly the low point in Glenn Ford's acting career, this Canadian production is, nevertheless, one of the slickest-looking slasher films from that subgenre's early-'80s heyday. The plot (what one can make of it) involves an unseen killer stalking a group of college students at the prestigious Crawford Academy. The well-staged murders are mysteriously linked to the slightly off-kilter Virginia (Melissa Sue Anderson, formerly of Little House on the Prairie), whose disturbing past holds the key to the killer's identity. Though this film brought nothing new to the psycho-horror field, it did feature one of the more interesting ad campaigns of the period. One-sheets loudly boasted, "Six of the most bizarre murders you've ever seen!" and barred all late-arriving patrons from entering the theater during the final ten minutes (a promotional stunt stolen from Psycho). This hype proved less than apropos since the murders in question are not particularly bizarre or original (aside from the shish-kabob impalement depicted in the ads), and the film's climax is so painfully contrived that latecomers may be more able to comprehend it than those bemused viewers who watched the film from the beginning. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- Starring:
- Melissa Sue Anderson, Glenn Ford, (more)
- 1981
- PG
Donald Sutherland plays a brilliant surgeon who becomes a media celebrity after performing an artificial-heart transplant. Jeff Goldblum, inventor of the ersatz heart, likewise basks in the glow of sudden fame. The only person to have reservations about the procedure is heart recipient Mare Winningham, who becomes depressed over the knowledge that she's not altogether human. Several ethical questions are raised and left unresolved; the film assumes that the audience is intelligent and perceptive enough to draw its own conclusions. Released in Canada in 1981, Threshold was not offered an American distribution until after the Barney Clark heart transplant of 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Donald Sutherland, John Marley, (more)
- 1981
Season Seven of Quincy, M.E. begins at a crowded job fair, where guest lecturer Quincy (Jack Klugman) ends up rushing to the aid of a young woman (Sharon Acker) who has fallen down an escalator. Recovering from her injuries in the hospital, the woman awakens with no idea who she is nor what has happened to her. One thing is certain, however; her fall was no accident. As Quincy tries to help the woman recover her memory, he also endeavors to shield her from the person or persons who tried to kill her--a task that proves tragically futile, leading to a powerful finale. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1980
Originally intended as the pilot for a never-sold cop series titled Battles, this made-for-TV meller stars William Conrad as William Battles, a retired Los Angeles police detective spending his golden years in Hawaii. Somewhat bored by inactivity, Battles takes a job at a local college as assistant football coach and security chief. Not unexpectedly, our corpulent hero is soon up to his neck in a murder investigation, this time with a recent homicide bearing a remarkable resemblance to a similar killing in the 1940s (as described in a mock newsreel narrated by no less than Lowell Thomas). Assisting Battles in bringing the culprit to heel are his niece Shelby (Robin Mattson), collegiate football star Deacon Joe Jackson (Lane Caudell) and his own boss, Dean Mary Phillips (Marj Dusay). The Murder That Wouldn't Die debuted March 9, 1980, on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lane Caudell
- 1979
After a four-year relationship, Quincy (Jack Klugman) still cannot summon the courage to propose to his lady friend Lynne (Sharon Acker), and in fact seems to be deliberately neglected her in favor of his work. During a particularly difficult forensic procedure in which he must clean up after an incompetent colleague, Quincy reflects on his current romantic crisis--and flashes back to the events leading up to the death of his late wife Helen. Appearing as the former Mrs. Quincy is Anita Gillette), who ironically later joined the series as Quincy's second wife Emily. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1979
Though apparently killed at the end of the previous episode "To Protect and Serve", mob hit man "Anthony Boy" Gagglio (George Loros) actually survived to serve a prison term. Now a free man, Anthony Boy has sworn vengenace against the person who sent him up--namely, Jim Rockford (James Garner), who already has enough to worry about with an impending IRS audit. In an effort to get his tax documents in order in as peaceful a manner as possible, Jim retreats to a mountain cabin in the company of pretty accountan Sharon Acker (Adrianna Danielli. Unfortunately, Angel (Stuart Margolin) lets slip the location of the cabin, and soon Anthony Boy and his sidekick Syl (Luke Andreas) are on their way to bump Jim off--followed closely by gangster Joseph Minette (Joe Sirola), who has plans of his own to kill Anthony Boy and leave no witnesses behind. Originally a 90-minute episode, "The Man Who Saw the Alligators" is usually pared to 60 minutes in syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1978
Quincy, M.E.'s fourth season begins several hundred miles away from Los Angeles, home turf for feisty medical examiner Quincy (Jack Klugman). After he and his girlfriend Barbara (Sharon Acker) are nearly run off the road in a very minor car accident, Quincy discovers that the driver, a woman, is dead. Since the accident was hardly fatal, Quincy does a quick examination and learns to his horror that the woman's body is infected with a fatal toxin which has already killed two others--and may very well cause the death of Quincy's assistant Sam Fujiyama (Robert Ito). The series' real-life technical advisor Marc Scott Taylor) makes the first of several acting appearances in this episode as the temporary subsitute for the stricken Sam in this episode. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1978
Rita Moreno returns as freewheeling prostitute Rita Capkovic, who wants again begs Jim (James Garner) to save her life. It seems that Rita's most recent "John", Dr. Neil Rosendahl (William Joyce), was murdered right before her eyes--but she herself has been charged with the crime. Among other things, Jim tries to figure out while Rita, who has recently inherited a fortune, refuses to hire a good attorney to get her off. The solution to the mystery rests with two other characters: one a doctor, and one a highly questionable "business associate" who suffers from a REALLY bad hip problem. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1977
Vengeful ex-convict Harlan Betts (Lawrence Pressman) is determined to get even with high-profile attorney Larry Drake (Lawrence Pressman), who when serving as deputy district attorney sent Betts to prison. At the same time, Charlie Finn (Pernell Roberts), a businessman facing bankruptcy, is further weighed down by divorce proceedings instigated by his wife's attorney--Larry Drake. With grim inevitability, these two separate storylines converge, bringing homicide detectives Keller (Karl Malden) and Robbins (Richard Hatch) onto the scene. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1977
When a billionaire checks into the hospital for a heart operation, he becomes the object of a massive terrorist attack, as they hold him for $10 million ransom. Complicating the problem is his absolute obsession with his privacy, a la Howard Hughes. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi
- 1976
Our Man Flint had scored in 1966 as a high-gloss spy movie spoof starring James Coburn as Derek Flint, maverick operative of the Zonal Organization for World Intelligence and Espionage (or Z.O.W.I.E.). When the film spawned its inevitable TV-pilot spin-off, Ray Danton was Derek Flint and the project was shorn of all traces of humor or satire. Danton's Flint is just another well-tailored international gumshoe, assigned in the pilot film to rescue an oil company executive who has been kidnapped by a "liberation" movement in a mythical mideastern sheikdom. Our Man Flint: Dead on Target had so little to do with its source that the film was originally telecast under the pared-down title Dead on Target, with no hint of Flint until one tuned in the program. ABC evidently had no faith at all in the film; it was shunted away to a late-night slot on the network's anthology series Wide World Mystery. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1975
The latest patient of ambitious psychiatrist Norman Jessup (William Smithers) is lifelong lawbreaker Charlie Blake (Dean Stockwell). In his efforts to advance himself, Dr. Jessup has no qualms about exploiting Blake's criminal past. These efforts prove to have their dangerous side when Jessup impedes a rape-murder investigation conducted by detectives Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1974
Steve Forrest, in his last starring role before moving permanently to series television with S.W.A.T., plays James Devlin, a once-notorious gunman who is wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Through an accident -- though the priest Father Alvaro (Rafael Campos) insists it was divine intervention -- he survives the hanging, barely, and is set free, a death certificate having been duly and lawfully issued by the doctor (William Bryant) who examined the "body." A near walking corpse, with an odd, dark fire in his eyes and a strangely low body temperature and heartbeat, Devlin doesn't know what to do with the rest of his life, however long that may be -- he's got enemies still walking around who would like to finish the job, and neither the doctor nor the priest can tell him how long he might live. Having already reformed before he was convicted, he goes the rest of the way and decides to spend what time he's been given, and use the skills he still has as a gunman and soldier of fortune, on the side of the angels, helping people who need it. He quickly finds himself up to his neck in a deadly land war between an ambitious mining tycoon (Cameron Mitchell) and a young widow (Sharon Acker) for the property she owns. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Forrest, Cameron Mitchell, (more)
- 1973
Astronaut Neil Stryker (Glenn Corbett) returns from space, only to find himself held incommunicado by government security people he's never seen before, in a hospital facility that he's never heard of. He escapes from the hospital and, to his shock, sees a night sky lit up by three moons. He now knows that he's not on Earth -- but on some sort of near-duplicate of Earth, a parallel planet. He learns that the planet is called Terra by its inhabitants; and it resembles Earth in gravity, atmosphere, and environment -- it could pass for Earth, and the place where he is stranded might pass for any northeastern American city; but this world is ruled by a totalitarian government called The Perfect Order, which regiments day-to-day life on a level that would make even the worst Communist regime seem like amateurs; and it is ever on the lookout for unbelievers, non-conformists, subversives, and potential sources of contamination -- of which Stryker is a prime example, as someone from another world. Security agent George Benedict (Cameron Mitchell) is on his trail, and quite prepared to prevent any "contamination" that Stryker leaves behind along the way, even sending the rather high-ranking physician (Tim O'Connor) who spent time interrogating Stryker to the dreaded "Ward E," where his memory, free-will, and reasoning ability are cleaned and reshaped. Stryker quickly discovers that it's virtually impossible to trust anybody, because almost 100% of the population is in the Perfect Order's hold. He manages to find an ally in a young doctor (Sharon Acker), who enlists the help of her free-thinking mentor (Lew Ayres) on Stryker's behalf. But his only hope of true escape is to reach the government's launch facility, commandeer a spacecraft, and try to return to Earth. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
- 1972
- R
The Century Turns is the syndication title of the 2-hour pilot for the Hec Ramsey television series. Richard Boone stars as Ramsey, an old-fashioned western lawman coming to grips with the "modern technology" of the 20th century. Ramsey teams up with college-educated criminologist Oliver Stamp (Rick Lenz) to solve a tricky mystery. Before the film's 97 minutes are up, both veteran and newcomer learn a lot from each other-though it's Ramsey who has the least to learn. Produced by Jack Webb, The Century Turns was originally telecast October 8, 1972; the Hec Ramsey series was shown in rotation with Columbo, McCloud and McMillan and Wife until August 25, 1974. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1972
Scripted by Rick Husky from a story by Sam Roeca, "Trapped" is a radical departure from the usual Mission:Impossible format. Things start traditionally enough, as the IMF sets about to recover an $8 million army payroll from a family of smugglers: Joe, Arthur and Doug Stafford (Tom Tully, Jon Cypher, and Bert Convy). But the odds change dramatically when Phelps is hit on the head and loses his memory--then wanders straight into a trap set by the crooks. "Trapped" first aired on February 26, 1972, as the final episode of Mission:Impossible's sixth season. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Greg Morris, (more)
- 1972
A college-educated sheriff takes on an older crimefighter as his deputy in this western. (AKA Century Turns) ~ Rovi
- 1971
Inspector Erskine (Stuart Whitman) is determined to put a Communist spy ring headed by Damian Howards (Stuart Whitman) out of commission for keeps. Meanwhile, Howards concocts a scheme to get his hands on some top-secret information. Essential to the spy's success is his former girl friend Kate Waller (Sharon Acker)--but can he convince her that the flame of romance still burns? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1970
A woman is led to the edge of madness as she wrestles between her spiritual life and her romantic longings in this unusual drama. Martha Hayes (Genevieve Bujold) is a young woman who was raised in a small rural community. A deeply committed Christian, Hayes moves to Montreal, where she earns a meager wage working with the choir at an Anglican Church. Hayes has also been asked to look after a child with health problems, and when the child unexpectedly dies, she falls into a deep depression. While in conference with Father Michael Ferrier (Donald Sutherland), a priest who has come to her church as part of a interfaith music festival, Hayes breaks down and confesses her love for him. Ferrier responds by leaving the church to marry her; however, Ferrier is not well suited for life in the secular world, and their marriage soon collapses, leading Hayes to desperate measures. Genevieve Bujold's performance in Act Of The Heart earned her the Best Actress award at the 1970 Canadian Film Awards. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Geneviève Bujold, Donald Sutherland, (more)
- 1970
The Bold Ones was the umbrella title given a group of rotating hour-long TV series, which ran from 1969 to 1973. Joining established Bold Ones components The Doctors and The Lawyers in 1970 was The Senator, starring Hal Holbrook as RFK-like Senator Hays Stowe. The pilot for The Senator was A Clear and Present Danger, which first aired March 21, 1970. In this 2-hour "problem drama", Senator Stowe tackles the issue of air pollution after a close friend dies of emphysema. The Emmy-nominated Hal Holbrook, Sharon Acker (as Erin Stowe) and Cindy Eilbacher (as Norma Stowe) carried their roles over to the "Senator" series proper, while Michael Tolan was cast as Stowe's aide Jordan Boyle, the role played in A Clear and Present Danger by Joseph Campanella. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1970
In a change-of-pace Mission:Impossible episode, Jim Phelps makes a sentimental journey to his rural home town. Even here, however, Phelps finds himself waist-deep in a danger, as a series of unexplained murders terrorizes the community. Summoning the aid of his fellow IMF agents, Phelps conducts his own investigation of the killings, and comes to a disturbing conclusion: The murderer may well be an old and trusted boyhood friend. Among the guest stars is future MASH regular Loretta Swit, in a truly offbeat characterization. Written by Laurence Heath, "Homecoming" originally aired on October 10, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Leonard Nimoy, (more)
- 1969
Robert (Arthur Hill) is a successful family man who attends an insurance convention in the U.S. Leaving behind his wife Barbara (Sharon Acker) and two sons ages 19 and 13, he has an affair with an American girl. His wife suspects something is wrong when he returns. The youngest son skips school and the oldest son gets involved with a female rock singer and participates in campus demonstrations. Robert slowly grows more distant from his family and is plagued by having never taken a stand on anything political or controversial. After seeing some disturbing pictures of Vietnam, student riots, and the Warsaw Ghetto, Robert begins to lose his mind in this drama of the good life that goes from bad to worse to insanity. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Arthur Hill, Sharon Acker, (more)
- 1969
Traveling on a diplomatic mission to meet with the leaders of the planet of Gideon, Captain Kirk instead finds himself aboard a ghostly version of the Enterprise in this episode of the landmark science fiction series. Having fallen victim to what appears to be a transporter mishap, Kirk wanders through an abandoned copy of his own starship. There is only one other soul on board, a woman named Odona, who cannot -- or will not -- explain her presence. But Kirk eventually discovers that his strange situation was brought about by the leaders of Gideon, and that it may be somehow related to the planet's severe over-population. Kirk must find a way to escape from the shadow starship before it is too late for himself and for the people of Gideon. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
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