John Davidson Movies
Best known as the host of ABC's That's Incredible! (1980-1984) -- a mondo-styled documentary series that showcased the world's most outrageous human feats -- entertainer John Davidson actually sustained a long and impressive career before that program first bowed. Raised in Philadelphia as the son of a homemaker and Baptist pastor, Davidson attended Denison University and earned his bachelor's in theater arts. He commenced dramatic work as a stage performer, opposite Bert Lahr in a 1964 Broadway production of Foxy, but decided to enter film and television at the behest of manager-cum-producer Bob Banner, who helped Davidson land emceeing assignments on the variety programs The Entertainers (1964-1965), Kraft Summer Music Hall (1966), and his own John Davidson Show (1969), as well as plum roles in two big-screen Disney musicals -- The Happiest Millionaire (1967) and The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968).Following lead and supporting roles in such films as Coffee, Tea or Me? (1970), Shell Game (1975), and Roger and Harry (1977), Davidson landed That's Incredible! The program -- which featured extreme and bizarre stunts that ranged from a man catching a bullet in his teeth to a thrill-seeker diving from an airplane in a straitjacket and handcuffs -- courted not only high ratings, but extreme controversy for the injuries and deaths it reportedly caused among hopeful participants; nonetheless, it enjoyed a four-year run, during which Davidson's co-hosts included Cathy Lee Crosby and footballer Fran Tarkenton. Following Incredible!, Davidson himself became somewhat synonymous with variety and game show-themed material, hosting programs such as Hollywood Squares and The $100,000 Pyramid, while tackling scattered movie roles in features including The Squeeze (1987) and Edward Scissorhands (1990). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Popular country music star Crystal Gayle goes to Sweden for the holidays to spread some Christmas cheer in this live performance. Gayle's special style lights up the Nordic sky, as she sings Christmas favorites such as "Silent Night," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," and "Go Tell It on the Mountain" with her friends. She performs duets with special guests David Hasselhoff, John Davidson, and Michael Damian, set against the stunning backdrop of the Swedish countryside.
~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Crystal Gayle, David Hasselhoff, (more)
- 1973
Time for Love, aka New Kind of Love, was the pilot for an unsold anthology series. The throughline of the anthology was to have been "Opposites Attract," to which many viewers added, "Yeah? And then what?" The two stories comprising the pilot both trod the tired old "Shy and Nonshy" route. In one story, conservative junior executive John Davidson falls for swinging convention hostess Lauren Hutton. In the other, timid teacher Bonnie Bedelia is enchanted by rock star Chris Mitchum, who is trying to escape his screaming fans. Time for Love was the brainchild of Stirling Silliphant, one of the most prolific and successful writers of TV's so-called Golden Age. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
The fourth Airport film may be the silliest of them all, as George Kennedy returns, this time co-piloting with Alain Delon. The plane is on its way to the Moscow Olympics, has a bomb on board, and gets fired upon with missiles that necessitate flying upside-down. A look at the cast list resembles a bad episode of Fantasy Island, but it's always fun to see shameless touches like casting Mercedes McCambridge (Johnny Guitar) as the coach of the Soviet team. If you don't understand the significance of that choice, you may find this film more tedious than laughable, but fans of bad movies will have a field day, as Jimmie Walker, Charo, and -- oddly enough -- Bibi Andersson rub shoulders with high-altitude disaster. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alain Delon, Susan Blakely, (more)
- 1973
A dirty joke that became a "clean" TV movie, Coffee, Tea or Me stars Karen Valentine, cast to type as a perky stewardess. In a chaste variation of The Captain's Paradise, Valentine finds herself married to two different men in two different countries. Since the men are played by John Davidson and Michael Anderson Jr., each in his own way as cute as Valentine, the girl's dilemma is profound. Until its cop-out ending, Coffee Tea or Me glides through its risque situations with class and finesse. The film was directed by Norman Panama, who earlier had been responsible (in collaboration with Melvin Frank) for such comedies as Danny Kaye's The Court Jester (56) and the film version of the Broadway musical Li'l Abner (59). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karen Valentine, John Davidson, (more)
- 1980
For those of you who didn't get your T&A fill from the 1979 TV movie The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, we submit for your approval The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Part Two. The first film dealt with the selection and training of the famed pulchritudinous cheerleading lineup. The sequel finds the girls prepping for the Super Bowl and a hectic USO tour. Returning from the first film are Laraine Stephens as reporter Suzanne Mitchell, and several anonymous real-life members of the troupe. Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Part 2 first jiggled its way into the hearts of televiewers on January 13, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands opens as an eccentric inventor (Vincent Price) lovingly assembles a synthetic youth named Edward (Johnny Depp). Edward has all the essential ingredients for today's standard body, with the exception of a pair of hands. For what is initially thought to be a temporary period, he is fitted with long, scissor-like extremities that, while able to trim a mean hedge, are hardly conducive to day-to-day life. When the kindly inventor dies, however, Edward is left lonely and cursed with some very heavy metal for hands. He is eventually taken in by Peg Boggs (Dianne Weist), an Avon lady who takes pity on him after seeing his bleak existence. Edward, in spite of his inherent ability to slay anyone he comes across, is a gentle soul whose only wish is to be loved. His impromptu family has, at best, a limited understanding of Edward, but he finds himself drawn to Peg's weary but sympathetic daughter, Kim (Winona Ryder), who is dating Jim (Anthony Michael Hall), the neighborhood bully. Meanwhile, Edward finds himself a local celebrity after the town realizes that his talents include creative hedge trimming and an unrivaled ability to cut hair. His so-called friends are proven fair-weather when Edward is accused of a crime, after which his only supporters are Peg and Kim. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, (more)
- 1988
Hockey bloops and blunders are captured on this hysterical video. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1977
In this detective drama, two gumshoes are engaged by a millionaire father who wants to find his daughter who has been kidnapped. The film is also known as Love For Ransom. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Directed by Arthur Forrest, this program informs viewers of legendary hauntings in Hollywood and its studio backlots, and shows some ghost hunters at work. Hosted by John Davidson, The Search for Haunted Hollywood features actors and paranormal professionals relating reputed paranormal activity at sites in and around Hollywood, including the Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard, supposedly haunted by the ghosts of Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift. The world-famous Hollywood sign is rumored to be haunted by the spirit of a distraught actress who leapt to her death from one of the larger-than-life letters. The earthly home of cowboy star Tom Mix is said to be haunted, as is the dressing room of golden girl Mary Pickford. Guests on this video include Jack Carter, Norm Crosby, and paranormal professional Hans Holzer. Nonie Fagatt teams with ghost hunter Richard Senate and electronics wizards Daniel Hobbit and Barry Taff in a hunt for a genuine spook. Also featured are Patrick MacNee (John Steed of television's The Avengers), Max Maven, and Harry Blackstone the magician. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
- 1975
An amiable con man pulls a scam on the corrupt leader of a fund-raising campaign for a major charity in this lively drama. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Actually, there was no "That's Incredible: The Reunion I," though this ABC special was preceded by the That's Incredible Special on May 21, 2002. Be that as it may, Part II again features the hosts of the original reality series That's Incredible, John Davidson, Fran Tarkenton, and Cathy Lee Crosby. And again, the hour-long extravaganza is chock-full of highlights from the earlier series, including a spectacular motorcycle jump, a 2,000-person "chain reaction," smart animal tricks, and heart-tugging pieces on people overcoming handicaps (one of these segments featuring boxer Muhammad Ali). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Davidson, Fran Tarkenton, (more)
- 1972
Young singer John Davidson is cast, appropriately enough, as young singer Tory Hughes. When his contract is taken over by a Mob loan shark, Tory discovers to his chagrin that his whole life is being taken over as well. Indeed, Tory is expected to lure other unwitting victims into the shark's jaws--unless the FBI can put an end to the whole sordid mess. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
The Grotesque (aka Grave Indiscretion, aka Gentleman Don't Eat Poets) is a very black, very British comedy that puts an unusual and perversely entertaining spin on the classic tea-cup-and-intrigue mystery. Sir Hugo Coal (Alan Bates) is a grumpy, eccentric English gentleman (and self-styled paleontologist) obsessed with reconstructing a dinosaur skeleton with bones dredged up from a nearby moor. He is also penniless, and so must live vicariously off the inheritance of his smoldering American wife Harriet (Theresa Russell). Enter: the crafty and secretive Fledge (Sting) and his wife and co-conspirator Doris (Trudie Styler) the new Coal family servants. Fledge immediately sets his sights on Harriet and the Coal fortune, Doris on the household wine cellar. When Hugo and Harriet's daughter Cleo (Lena Headey) announces her engagement to demure poet Sidney Giblet (Steven Mackintosh), Hugo is less than pleased, but not for long, since Sidney is murdered soon after and, we learn, his body gruesomely disposed of. As the rivalry between Fledge and Hugo escalates, Cleo, the police, and the poet's shrewd mother Mrs. Giblet (Anna Massey) follow a trail of clues from the swampy, bone-littered moor to the Coal pig sties and finally (rather horribly) back to the Coal dinner table. Though criticized for its irreverent humor and somewhat ambiguous ending, The Grotesque is worth a watch. Sting and his real-life partner Trudie Styler (who co-produced the film) are both wonderful as the loathsome, manipulative servants, as is Anna Massey as the poet's investigative mother. The real stars of the film, however, are not the actors, but the dense, ornamental interiors provided by Jan Roelfs and Michael Seirton. Every corner of the Coal mansion is littered with artifacts and art objects, every frame crawling with worms, frogs, and reptiles. Like a Dutch still life, The Grotesque is simultaneously repellent and attractive, a painterly assemblage of morbidity and dramatic artifice. ~ Anthony Reed, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Bates, Theresa Russell, (more)
Spanish horror hack Paul Naschy (aka Jacinto Molina) plays a goofy supporting role as a deranged gravedigger in this quirky period variation on the zombie motif, set in a small highland village in (presumably) 19th century Scotland, where a stranger's arrival to claim an inheritance is met with apocalyptic visions (including the swinging female corpse of the title) and other evil omens. The town unearths a crypt full of horrors, including a devil-worshipping coven and throngs of the living dead who show up en masse for the standard gory climax. The Hanging Woman is one of Naschy's more interesting efforts, thanks to some lush settings, good photography, and period detail (rather uncommon for the Euro-zombie subgenre), and Naschy's performance is one of the film's highlights. This film is also known as Beyond the Living Dead. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
Adapted from the book and play of the same name, The Happiest Millionaire is the (mostly) true story of eccentric Philadelphia millionaire Anthony J. Drexel Biddle (Fred MacMurray). The Biddle mansion is the gathering place for a pugilistic boxing class, pet alligators and would-be opera singers. Cordelia Biddle (Lesley Ann Warren), the daughter of Anthony and his wife (Greer Garson), wants to marry wealthy and handsome Angie Duke (John Davidson), but Angie's parents are shocked by the Biddles' freewheeling lifestyle. Thanks in part to the ebullient intervention of John Lawless (Tommy Steele), the Biddles' butler, all misunderstandings are eventually swept away. Like Disney's previous Mary Poppins, The Happiest Millionaire is decked out with a vibrant musical score by Richard and Robert Sherman, but the magic is somehow lacking this time around. This was the last live-action film to personally supervised by Walt Disney; released several months after Disney's death, the film was made available in 141-minute and 164-minute versions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred MacMurray, Tommy Steele, (more)
- 1968
- G
- Add The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band to QueueAdd The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band to top of Queue
Set in 1888, this tuneful fact-based Disney production concerns the attempts of a musically talented family of Dakota pioneers -- who are politically divided on the upcoming presidential election -- to wrangle an invite to that year's Democratic convention in cosmopolitan St. Louis. Incumbent Grover Cleveland is attempting to win his second straight election and is challenged by Benjamin Harrison. The results are that Cleveland won the popular vote, but Harrison won the electoral vote to be declared President of the United States. Cleveland would win the next election to become the only President to ever serve two non-consecutive terms. Walter Brennan, Buddy Ebsen, Janet Blair, Richard Deacon, Wally Cox, John Davidson and Leslie Ann Warren round out the adult cast. Along with the moppets, they sing and dance to espouse their political allegiances to the candidate of their choice. Look closely for Goldie Hawn in her first film role as a laughing chorine. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Walter Brennan, Buddy Ebsen, (more)
- 1987
- PG13
In this comedy, artistic con man Harry (Michael Keaton) teams up with lady detective Rachel Dobs (Rae Dawn Chong) to trick a corrupt TV lottery-show host into revealing how he has been rigging the contest to benefit the Mob. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Keaton, Rae Dawn Chong, (more)
- 1974
In an acting tour de force that earned him critical acclaim back in 1974, John Davidson guest stars as professional female impersonator Ken Scott. The highlight of Scott's nightclub act is his dead-on imitation of legendary 1930s movie star Carol Marlowe. Unfortunately, the entertainer's schizophrenia overwhelms him, and soon he is carrying over his "Carol Marlowe" persona into real life--and murdering any man who is unlucky enough to be attracted to "Carol." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The second of Zucker-Abraham-Zucker's theatrical-feature spoofs (Airplane was the first, discounting the patchwork Kentucky Fried Movie), Top Secret! lampoons practically every film genre. Specifically, however, this is a hybrid of an "Elvis" movie and a World War II "underground resistance" thriller. In his film debut, Val Kilmer plays Nick Rivers, a Presley-like American rock idol sent behind the Iron Curtain on a goodwill tour. Before long, he is involved in a complex espionage scheme thanks to beautiful Lucy Gutteridge, the daughter of a scientist (Michael Gough) held captive by the Communists. Also essential to the action is flamboyant resistance leader Christopher Villiers, who behaves like Victor Mature in Betrayed (1954) and talks like James Mason. Adhering to Z-A-Z's cheerful disregard for people, places and events, the East Germans are depicted as Nazis, while the Underground is comprised of Frenchmen. The plot is mainly an excuse for the Z-A-Z team's fondness for joke-a-minute lampoonery, skewering cinematic targets ranging from The Blue Lagoon (1980) to The Wizard of Oz (1939). As in Z-A-Z's other efforts, Top Secret! scores its biggest yocks when invoking cliches that we never realized were cliches-and falls on its face whenever attempting a too-obvious gag (the biggest clinker: that pigeon statue in the park). Everyone has his or her favorite bits in this film: our faves include the resistance fighter named Deja Vu ("Haven't we met somewhere before?"), Kilmer's horrible nightmare while being tortured (he arrives too late to take final exams), the army-booted cow, the sensitive Pinto, and the East German National Anthem, sung to the tune of the Shorewood (Wisconsin) High School marching song. But let's say no more: comedy of this nature is designed to be seen, not written or read about. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Val Kilmer, Lucy Gutteridge, (more)
