William Devane Movies

When his black sheep brother is accused of a murder he didn't commit, an ambitious district attorney seeks the evidence that will prove his sibling's innocence. A priest has been killed, and the prime suspect is young ne'er-do-well Tony Jakubiak. But while Tony is coasting through life on attitude and charm, his older brother Frank is cleaning up the streets as a crime-busting DA. Frank and Tony both know that Tony is no killer. Trouble is, Tony isn't willing to give up his alibi. With life in prison a distinct possibility, Tony still refuses to talk. When Frank discovers his brother's true whereabouts on the night of the murder, he realizes that telling the truth would set his brother free, but destroy his own chances for winning the governorship. Now Frank must make the toughest decision of his life: does he give up the truth and face the consequences, or sacrifice his own flesh and blood to become the youngest governor ever elected into office? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Ryan Hurst, Jeremy London, and William Devane star in director Russ Emanuel's docudrama detailing the Federal Trade Commission's case against an independent sales organization seeking to redefine the way Americans use credit cards. Adam (London) and Ross Franklin (Hurst) were still in their twenties when they became millionaires by marketing electronic terminals for credit card transactions. It was the early '90s, and Americans were spending more money than ever before. But while Adam and Ross had ambition to spare, their refusal to acknowledge the demands of others more powerful revealed a certain lack of business savvy. Ignoring government warnings to "respond" to various complaints regarding their practices, the brothers built their modest startup company into a multi-million-dollar empire. But that empire would crumble when the FTC set out to destroy their company at the behest of powerful industry competitors. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The fourth installment of the Jesse Stone series finds restless New England police chief Stone (Tom Selleck) fighting boredom by attempting to solve a twelve year-old cold case involving a murdered bank teller. Jesse Stone is a transplanted L.A. cop who thrived on big city adrenaline, but ultimately buckled under the pressure. Exiled to Paradise after suffering though a nasty divorce and being busted for drinking on the job, Stone now leads a quiet life of writing parking tickets and trying to suppress the urge to cut loose with the booze and babes. When one of his officers out on maternity leave and the other recovering from a recent gunshot wound, Stone turns to some old cold cases to keep himself occupied. Twelve years ago, a local bank teller was killed in broad daylight. Though the gunman responsible for the crime was never brought to justice, Stone soon uncovers a crucial piece of evidence that went overlooked during the original investigation. Now, as this once-cold case gradually begins to heat up again, Stone continues his investigation into an alleged rape that tool place aboard a yacht during Race Week. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) is forced to conduct a brutal interrogation of Paul (James Frain), with Audrey (Kim Raver) looking on. Paul pleads ignorance, explaining that he owns so much property and is involved with so many buildings that he can't keep it all straight. He eventually remembers that a man named "Harris Barnes" bought out the company that owned the building in question, and Jack soon learns that Barnes is the alias of one Habib Marwan (Arnold Vosloo). He heads to Marwan's office. Curtis (Roger R. Cross) has been captured, and is interrogated by a man named Forbes (Richard Marcus), who foolishly leaves his henchman to finish Curtis off. Marwan has taken control of the override himself, and is operating it from an office full of co-workers who have no idea what he's up to. When Jack finds out that Curtis, who took Marianne to the same building, isn't answering his phone, he knows to expect trouble. Tony interrogates Dina (Shohreh Aghdashloo), who eventually admits that all the terror cells reported to Marwan, but never had contact with each other. She also reveals that Marwan is controlling the override himself from the office building. While Driscoll (Alberta Watson) continues to deal with her unruly daughter, Maya (Angela Goethals), CTU teams converge on the office building to find Marwan and the override and stop the meltdowns. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Season four of the wildly successful "real-time" adventure series 24 begins some 18 months at the end of season three. John Keeler (Geoff Pierson) has succeeded David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) as president of the United States, and the new secretary of defense is James Heller (William Devane) -- who is also the new boss of crack CTU agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland). One of Heller's first moves is to reunite Jack with his old nemesis Erin Driscoll (Alberta Watson), now the head of the CTU. Unbeknownst to most of the principal characters, Jack is in love with Heller's daughter (and policy assistant), Audrey Raines (Kim Raver), this despite the fact that Audrey is still legally married to estranged husband, Paul (James Frain). Outside of Jack Bauer and President Keeler, the only series character from season three to return as a regular in season four is CTU tech analyst Chloe O'Brien (Mary Lynn Rajskub); the rest of the cast is virtually brand-new. The "day" that comprises the fourth season begins, typically, with a nail-biting crisis, when James Heller and his daughter Audrey are captured by a terrorist group headed by Habib Marwan (Arnold Vosloo), who has already set a fiendish master plan in motion with a train bombing in the U.S. It soon develops that the abduction of Heller and Audrey is but a subterfuge to allow an enemy stealth bomber to blow up Air Force One and eliminate the president -- and ultimately to gain control of a nuclear warhead that will destroy a major U.S. city. Making matters worse, there is a turncoat in the ranks of the CTU -- and without giving the game away, it can be noted that CTU agent Sarah Gavin (Lana Parrilla) tumbles to the mole's identity before Jack Bauer does. As the tension mounts, Paul Raines is seriously wounded saving Jack during a covert mission, which "ices" Jack's relationship with Audrey; a shattering personal tragedy forces Erin Driscoll to resign from her post in mid-season; there is dissension in the terrorist ranks during a concerted effort to trigger nuclear meltdowns in six different cities; the seldom-used 25th Amendment is invoked to change presidents in midstream; and an old enemy of Jack's from the series' first two seasons appears virtually out of nowhere to make a terrible situation far worse than could ever be imagined. Clearly, the fourth season of 24 drew inspiration from the headlines of the day, notably the controversial treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib. The series also was attacked by certain special-interest groups for making several of the villains Arabs, or of Arab descent. And of course, there were those who carped that the series' notion of "real time" (each episode consisted of a single uninterrupted hour in the same day) resulted in some rather ludicrous lapses of logic. But 24 was as big a hit in the ratings throughout its fourth season as it had been all along. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on a novel by Jack Schaefer (writer of Shane), and previously filmed theatrically in 1970, the made-for-cable Monte Walsh is the still-timely saga of a dying way of life. Monte Walsh (Tom Selleck) and his friends are cowboys and bronco busters, plying their trade in the Wyoming Territory of 1892. Alas, the advance of civilization has all but rendered Monte and his comrades obsolete -- and with the increasing corporate buy-ups of Wyoming land, these relics of the Old West have practically nowhere else to go. Should Monte continue as before, seeking out the last of the wide open spaces, or should he follow the advice of his sweetheart Martine (Isabella Rosselini) and settle down in a steady job -- say, as a trick rider-roper in the traveling Wild West Show owned by impresario Colonel Wilson (Wallace Shawn)? This elegiac drama debuted January 17, 2003, on the TNT network as part of the cable service's "100 Years of Westerns" celebration. The teleplay is partially credited to one of the scripters of the 1970 film, Lukas Heller, who died in 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

William Devane and Meredith Baxter star in this sentimental made-for-cable drama as John and Carol Boyajian, a couple facing a bleak Christmas due to a surfeit of personal tragedy. Having already lost their son in Operation Desert Storm, the Boyajians must now confront the possibility that their daughter has cancer. Rather than wallow in grief, John and Carol are doggedly determined to celebrate their first Christmas in 11 years; but as the holiday approaches, their hope and perseverance rapidly deteriorate. The couple's faith is ultimately restored by the arrival of a mysterious "guest" who may not be precisely what he claims to be. The Christmas Visitor debuted December 21, 2002, on the Hallmark Channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

According to the original publicity packets, the avowed purpose of the NBC sitcom The Michaels Richards Show was to persuade viewers that there was more to star Richards than his familiar Seinfeld characterization of nutty next-door neighbor Kramer. The first pilot, however -- filmed on location with Richards as the sole star -- was scrapped as insubstantial and unfunny. The second pilot, filmed before a live audience with a strong ensemble cast, fared somewhat better, though the spectators (and the subsequent test audiences) complained that Richards wasn't "being Kramer enough." Accordingly, a third pilot was shot, with all the standard Kramerisms intact. The final product stars Richards as Vic Nardozza, a bumbling ex-security patrolman who launches his own L.A. private-detective agency -- after a six-week crash-course in the P.I. game. Specializing in undercover work, Nardozza adopts a number of baffling disguises -- baffling to him, if not necessarily to those whom he hopes to fool. Most of the episodes focus on the goings-on in Nardozza's seedy offices, populated by such fellow misfits as Brady McKay (William Devane), Stacey Devers (Amy Farrington), Kevin (former Saturday Night Live regular Tim Meadows), and Jack (Bill Cobb. The Michael Richards Show debuted October 24, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While vacationing at the beach, Monica (Roma Downey) and Rafael (Alexis Cruz) are swept up in a search for a boy named Scooter Fisher, who has left an ominous and rather desperate message in a bottle. Complicating matters is the fact that no one seems to have ever heard of Scooter Fisher, and that several others in the vicinity are in more immediate need of the angels' help. The plot takes an unexpected twist when, after Rafael reveals himself as an angel, a media circus ensues and prominent TV anchorman Benjamin Parker (William Devane) shows up to cover the "angel invasion" of Pacific Falls! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The perils and pitfalls of the so-called "repressed memory syndrome" are brought home in a chilling fashion in this fact-based TV movie. After attending a Christian retreat, young Rebecca Bradshaw (Lisa Dean Ryan) returns home to accuse her deputy sheriff father Matthew (John Shea) of sexually abusing her as a child. Matthew protests that he is innocent, but as Rebecca's claims become more vivid and outrageous--involving satanic rituals and the like--even he begins to wonder if there is any truth to the story. Making matters worse, Rebecca spreads her accusations to Matthew's old poker-playing buddies, insisting that they are all involved in a diabolical coven which requires the molestation of children! With nowhere else to turn, Matthew goes to the local pastor for advice--only to be bluntly informed that the only way he can find peace is to confess to horrendous crimes that may never have happened. Adapted from a series of articles by Lawrence Wright, Forgotten Sins originally aired March 7, 1996 on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Real-life recovering anorexic Tracey Gold stars in this emotional drama, which is more than your average disease-of-the-week fare. Based on the true story of college-student Nancy Walsh, this above-average TV-movie focuses on the family dynamic issues often found at the core of the eating disorder known as anorexia. Viewers watch Nancy as she slowly transforms from healthy and outgoing college freshman into a secretive and withdrawn young woman, starving herself in response to pressure. Her frantic parents (Jill Clayburgh, William Devane) try everything possible to save her from the slow suicide and ultimately go to the courts to legally force their daughter into getting help. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide