Robert DoQui Movies
African-American stage and film actor Robert Do Qui was first seen by televiewers on a weekly basis as Detective Cliff Sims in Felony Squad (1968-1969). Do Qui has worked extensively with director Robert Altman, most prominently as the sympathetic nightclub manager in Nashville (1975). In the 1980s and 1990s, he became familiar to action fans as Sgt. Reed in the three Robocop flicks. In addition to his many acting credits, Robert Do Qui served several terms as an officer of the Screen Actors Guild. He died at age 74 in 2008. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1965
In this African adventure, a big game hunter's 8-year-old son finds fun and danger with his friends: a chimp and an elephant. The trouble begins when the three adventurers venture too far into the jungle and get lost. Later the boy's governess and others launch an exhaustive search for the lad. Though deathly afraid of lions, the brave nanny overcomes her fear just in time to save the boy from becoming a tasty snack. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Dr. Marsh Tracy (Marshall Thompson) is an animal behavioral research director who travels to East Africa with his daughter Paula (Cheryl Miller) in this engaging wildlife saga. While Tracy develops a relationship with anthropologist Julie Harper (Betsy Drake), Paula befriends the visually challenged lion named Clarence. Because his eyes are crossed, Clarence has never been able to rely on hunting for survival, so the family adopts the lovable lion. Richard Haydn plays the schoolmaster with comic flair as he runs scared from the harmless king of the jungle. The evil Gregory (Maurice Marsac) is the leader of a group of mercenaries who plan to capture Julie's beloved gorillas and sell them for profit. Clarence later traps Gregory in a slapstick scene to save the animals from danger. The film served as a pilot for the television series Daktari. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marshall Thompson, Betsy Drake, (more)
Steve McQueen stars as the Cincinnati Kid, a crackerjack New Orleans stud poker player. Tired of chicken feed, the Kid decides to challenge The Man (Edward G. Robinson), the reigning poker champ, who is in town for a private game. The Shooter (Karl Malden), another gambling pro, arranges a game between the Kid and the Man, with the Shooter dealing. The game is compromised by the intervention of Slade (Rip Torn), an old foe of the Man's who tries to fix the outcome. The Kid finds out about this and tells Slade to get lost, preferring to win fair and square. The outcome is in the cagey hands of The Man, who is smart enough to do (as one reviewer put it) the wrong thing at the right time. The Cincinnati Kid was based on the novel by Richard Jessup. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve McQueen, Edward G. Robinson, (more)
The British title of Billy Wilder's classic comedy was Meet Whiplash Willie -- for, despite Jack Lemmon's star billing, the movie's driving force is Oscar-winning Walter Matthau as gloriously underhanded lawyer "Whiplash" Willie Gingrich. CBS cameraman Harry Hinkle (Lemmon) is injured when he is accidentally bulldozed by football player Luther "Boom Boom" Jackson (Ron Rich) during a Cleveland Browns game. Willie, Harry's brother-in-law, foresees an insurance-settlement bonanza, and he convinces Harry to pretend to be incapacitated by the accident. To insure his client's cooperation, Willie arranges for Harry's covetous ex-wife Sandy (Judi West) to feign a rekindling of their romance. Harry's conscience is plagued by the solicitous behavior of Boom Boom, who is so devastated at causing Harry's injury that he insists on waiting on the "cripple" hand and foot. Meanwhile, dishevelled private eye Purkey (Cliff Osmond) keeps Harry under constant surveillance, hoping to catch him moving around so the insurance company can avoid shelling out a fortune. Wilder and usual co-writer I.A.L. Diamond were at their most jaundiced and cynical here, even if, after a sardonic semiclimax, the last ten minutes succumb to the sentimentality that often marred Wilder's later movies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, (more)
- 1966
Glenn Madison (Steven Hill), a war hero with political ambitions, is rescued from a plane crash by Richard Kimble (David Janssen). Normally, this would make Kimble a hero, but both he and Madison are anxious to keep the rescue a secret from the public--Kimble because he is a fugitive from justice, and Madison because his travelling companion was his mistress Pat Haynes (Jessica Walter). But Madison's vengeful wife Claire (Nancy Wickwire) doesn't intend to let her husband, or Kimble, off the hook so easily. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Bill (Brian Keith) inadvertently lives his life vicariously through his nephew Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) when the boy decides to join the neighborhood stickball team. Determined that Jody become a second baseman--a position to which he himself had unsuccessfully aspired when he was a boy--Bill tirelessly trains the youngster for his team tryout. Ultimately, however, it is Jody's sister Buffy (Anissa Jones) who proves to be the better ballplayer...a fact that seems to bother Bill more than it does Jody! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Uptight is an updated remake of John Ford's The Informer (35). The Irish Republican rebels of the original are replaced by black activists, Dublin becomes the Cleveland ghetto, and "the troubles" of 1921 are transformed into the days just following the assassination of Martin Luther King. Julian Mayfield plays an itinerant street sweeper who betrays his militant friends to the fuzz, resulting in an underground all-points bulletin to exact vengeance on the squealer. Ruby Dee portrays a prostitute who befriends the snitch as he eludes his revolutionary ex-buddies. Jules Dassin's unrelenting directorial pace is complemented by the driving jazz score of Booker T. Jones. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Raymond St. Jacques, Ruby Dee, (more)
- 1968
The second-season opener of Ironside finds wheelchair-bound detective Robert Ironside (Raymond Burr) engaging in a high-stakes game of "sleight of hand". With a touring exhibition of rare jewels arriving at a San Francisco museum, Ironside must keep the method of shipment secret from master jewel thief Arthur Justin (Sorrell Brooke)--who in the past has had an irksome habit of remaining at least two steps ahead of the Law. For the sake of authenticity, several genuine jewels are seen in this episode, including the Kimberly and Transvaal Diamonds (studio publicity of the time indicated that the real gems were insured for seven million dollars, which was real money back in 1968!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
- R
Faulkner (Christopher George) is an ATF agent who shut down the moonshine operation of Burl (Ralph Meeker) in his Southern state hideaway. Along with agent Martin (Ron Rifkin), the duo uses eight escaped prisoners for the job, promising their freedom should the mission succeed. Fabian stars as one of the more unlikely criminals and Leslie Parrish drips with sweet Southern charm as a honeysuckle rose in this routine adventure film. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher George, Fabian, (more)
- 1969
This episode takes place almost entirely in the cabin of a night plane travelling from Hawaii to San Francisco. Among the passengers are Chief Ironside (Raymond Burr), his assistants, and a federal witness whom they are escorting to testify against a racketeer. Unfortunately, also on board is a professional hit man, determined to bump off the witness before the plane lands--and worse,there may be more than one killer on the plane. Featured in the cast is Michael Sevareid,the son of celebrated TV journalist Eric Sevareid. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
- PG
A US Army Colonel (Cesar Romero) and his wife (Barbara Hale) relate their stories about the all black 10th cavalry unit formed after the Civil War. Eli (Robert Do'Qui) is one the new recruits being trained by two veteran troopers (Rafer Johnson & Isaac Fields). Julie (Janee Michelle) is the young beauty who tries to tame Eli's wild romantic heart. Eli befriends a local Indian chief (Robert Dix), but is unable to save him and the tribe from military cruelties. Lincoln Kilpatrick and Isabel Sandford also appear in this period film that is the directorial debut for John Cardos. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert DoQui, Janee Michelle, (more)
- 1970
Tarzan (Ron Ely) tries to stop a bloodthirsty Colonel (Jock Mahoney) from taking over an African village with his soldiers of fortune. The ape-man has been rendered deaf by an exploding hand grenade, effectively limiting one of his keen senses. Tarzan relies on his telepathic powers to stop a lion. Woody Strode also appears in this film that combines two made for television episodes. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ron Ely, Jock Mahoney, (more)
- 1971
Robert DoQui guest-stars as African liberation leader John Darcy, code name Kitara. The IMF must rescue Darcy from the clutches of white supremacist ruler Colonel Alex Kohler (Lawrence Kohler)--and also smash the Colonel's brutally rigid segregationist policies. To accomplish this, the agents utilize a pill that will intensify Kohler's neurotic paranoia. First networcast on February 20, 1971, "Kitara" was written by Mann Rubin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Leonard Nimoy, (more)
- 1972
Rod Serling, a master of speculative scriptwriting, penned the screenplay of The Man. Set a few days into the future, the story contrives to kill off the President, the vice president, and virtually everyone in line of succession in a bizarre accident. This turn of events elevates African-American senator James Earl Jones directly into the Oval Office. Based on a novel by Irving Wallace, The Man was originally intended as TV movie, but released theatrically because most sponsors were afraid of its supposed controversial content. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Earl Jones, Martin Balsam, (more)
- 1972
A college professor (Monte Markham) with the power of clairvoyance alerts the police that someone is about to plant a powerful bomb. He soon discovers that the police are focusing on a prime suspect -- him. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Lee Grant plays Mrs. Schuster, wife of a recently murdered Manhattan cop. Lt. Schuster died under a cloud, with intimations that the killing was orchestrated by criminals with whom the Lieutenant was chummy. Mrs. Schuster is forced to vindicate her husband, and to try to emotionally reassemble herself. The film is sustained by the powerhouse performance of Lee Grant, backed by such strong supporting players as Jack Warden, Paul Burke and Eartha Kitt. Lieutenant Schuster's Wife is one of the most convincing and compelling directorial jobs of TV-movie workhorse David Lowell Rich. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Writer-director Jack Hill (Spider Baby, Switchblade Sisters) managed to beat Death Wish to the screens by a year with this violent tale of a citizen touched by crime and deciding to fight back. Her little 11-year old sister is a hopeless addict, the police can't help, and poor Nurse "Coffy" Coffin (Pam Grier) has no choice but to take the law into her own hands. Posing as a Jamaican prostitute, Coffy infiltrates the lairs of pimp King George (Robert DoQui) and kingpin pusher Vitroni (Allan Arbus). Eventually, after her childhood sweetheart is beaten into a coma and she finds out her politician-lover (Booker Bradshaw) is involved, Coffy kills everyone with a shotgun. However, by having a black woman named Coffy get injected with a sugar mixture (the crooks think it's heroin), one can only imagine the filmmakers cackling about Coffy with cream and sugar. In fact, the original ad line promised "Coffy...she'll cream you!" ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pam Grier, Booker Bradshaw, (more)
- 1973
Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) are intrigued when an off-duty officer makes a citizen's arrest of a female shoplifter (Pamela Jones). The woman insists that she has resorted to stealing in order to feed her starving baby. As it turns out, the woman is indeed caring for an infant--but it isn't hers. When all the facts come to light, Jim and Pete race against time to avert a tragedy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Created by Earl Hamner, A Dream for Christmas is set in the 1950s. African-American minister Will Douglas (Hari Rhodes) moves his family from Arkansas to the Watts section of Los Angeles to take charge of an impoverished church. The attendance, at least at first, is as poor as the congregation. Worse still, the church is slated to be demolished. But it's close to Christmas, a time when miracles have been known to happen. Featured in the all-black cast are Beah Richards, Lynn Hamilton, Robert Do'Qui, Juanita Moore, and Clarence Muse. Appropriately enough, A Dream for Christmas originally aired on December 24, 1973. It was originally designed as the pilot for a never-sold TV series titled The Douglas Family. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
A group of solid citizens, upset by the increase of crime in their neighborhood, form a vigilante team. During the team's assault on a sleazy bar, a street informer is killed and the head of the vigilantes--who happens to be an old college friend of detective Steve Keller (Michael Douglas)--is accused of murder. As it turns out, however, the killing has far more serious and wide-ranging ramifications, with a vicious drug ring ultimately taking center stage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
The title of this episode is something of a misnomer: It's anything but routine for Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) when they pursue four young car thieves. The quartet has stolen a vehicle full of weaponry and ammunition, and now they're taking advantage of this fact by going on a violent crime spree. Other crises facing Jim and Pete tonight include a "dead spouse" report and an outsized bar fight. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Tennessee Sheriff Buford Pusser and his trusty club return in this sequel. As with the first, he continues his single handed crusade against organized crime. Violence ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Following 24 characters through 5 days in the country music capital, Robert Altman's 1975 epic presents a complexly textured portrayal (and critique) of American obsessions with celebrity and power. Among the various stars, aspirants, hangers-on, observers, and media folk are politically ambitious country icon Haven Hamilton (Henry Gibson) and his fragile star protegée Barbara Jean (Ronee Blakley); Tom (Keith Carradine), a self-absorbed rock star who woos lonely married gospel singer Linnea Reese (Lily Tomlin); Sueleen Gay (Gwen Welles), a talentless waitress painfully humiliated at her first singing gig; Albuquerque (Barbara Harris), a runaway wife with dreams of stardom; nightclub owner Lady Pearl (Barbara Baxley), who reminisces about "those Kennedy boys"; single-minded groupie L.A. Joan (Shelley Duvall); vapid BBC commentator Opal (Geraldine Chaplin); and campaign guru John Triplette (Michael Murphy), who is trying to organize a concert rally for the unseen but always heard populist presidential candidate-cum-demagogue Hal Phillip Walker. Everything comes to a head during a climactic concert at Nashville's replica of the Parthenon temple, as the entertainment-hungry audience is momentarily woken out of its stupor by unexpected violence, only to be lulled into a restorative sing-along to "It Don't Worry Me." ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Gibson, Barbara Baxley, (more)
- 1975
New police recruit Ernie Sampson (Warren Munson) is afraid to reveal the fact that he stutters when under pressure. In his efforts to hide his impediment, Ernie fails to warn Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) that they're about to be ambushed by an armed robber. After this near-fatal incident, Ernie's training officer is all for washing the young man out of the program--but surprisingly, Jim and Pete are convinced that the rookie deserves a second chance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
