John Crawford Movies

Based on the popular series of books by Darren Shan, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant tells the story of a small-town teen who inadvertently shatters a 200-year-old truce between warring factions of vampires. Sixteen-year-old Darren (Chris Massoglia) is your typical adolescent; he spends most of his time with his best friend, Steve (Josh Hutcherson), earns decent grades, and generally manages to stay out of trouble. But trouble finds Darren when he and Steve make the acquaintance of a vampire named Larten Crepsley (John C. Reilly) while attending a traveling freak show at a local theater. Transformed into a bloodsucker by Crepsley, Darren joins the Cirque Du Freak and quickly ingratiates himself with the unusual cast of characters who populate it, including Madame Truska the Bearded Lady (Salma Hayek) and the traveling sideshow's towering barker (Ken Watanabe). As Darren works to master his newfound powers as a budding member of the supernatural underworld, he becomes a valued pawn between the vampires and their deadlier rivals, the Vampaneze. With tensions between the two sects intensifying, Darren must figure out a means of keeping the coming war from destroying his last vestige of humanity. Patrick Fugit, Orlando Jones, Willem Dafoe, and Jane Krakowski co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

This seldom-seen, well-crafted monster movie involves the reopening of a Utah silver mine which had been closed for nearly 70 years after a catastrophic cave-in, the circumstances of which remain one of the nearby town's most legendary mysteries. When attempts are made to explore the mine shaft, the investigating party never returns. It seems the mine's collapse had served to seal in a nest of weird, multi-tentacled, bloodsucking creatures -- which are now free to seek new prey on the outskirts of town. This simple but intense horror film benefits from good performances and genuine suspense -- providing only quick, spooky glimpses of the title beasts -- building to a thrilling showdown in the treacherous mine shafts. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

TV movies dealing with Elvis Presley are always good for a few vital extra rating points, and Elvis and the Beauty Queen was no exception to this rule. The King, here played by Don Johnson, is first seen here at the age of 37. Elvis falls in love with 21-year-old Miss Universe contestant Linda Thompson (Stephanie Zimbalist), and the two stay together for five years, remaining as close as it's possible to be a world populated of managers, gophers and sycophants. Linda tries to wean Presley off drugs, but you and I and everyone in the universe knows how that turned out. There's nothing here that hasn't already been trampled to death by the tabloids, but diehard Elvis fanatics will be satisfied. Three surprises: Elvis and the Beauty Queen was not telecast on Elvis' birthday; it wasn't telecast on the anniversary of his death; and it premiered in March of 1981, several weeks after the February "sweeps". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In a semi-remake of the third-season episode "Take Him, He's Yours"--which, appropriately, is referenced in this episode!--Tommy (Philip McKeon) again spends a few days in the home of Mel (Vic Tayback). Knowing her boss' low patience threshold, Tommy's mom Alice (Linda Lavin) places a bet that Mel will ultimately kick the boy out. In turn, Mel bets Alice that she won't be able to resist spying on her son--which she does, dressed in a rabbit costume!. This is the final episode of Alice's fourth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of The Waltons' two-part Season Nine opener, John Walton (Ralph Waite) faces a long jail term for helping to conceal murder suspect Harley Foster (Hal Williams) from the authorities. Despite his own dilemma, John is determined to prove that Harley is an innocent victim of racial prejudice. Meanwhile, the budding romance between John's daughter Elizabeth (Kami Cotler) and Drew Cutler (Tony Becker) hits a snag when she begins neglecting him to spend more time her horse Molly. And in faraway Paris, the girlfriend of Jason Walton (Jon Walmsley) helps him locate his war-correspondent brother John-Boy (Robert Wightman). The episode closes with a stunning national tragedy which has a profound impact on the people of Walton's Mountain. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hoping to divest himself of his well-earned nickname, veteran moonshiner Hard Luck Jones (Fred Stuthman) steals a vintage armored personal carrier from Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke), who'd been using the vehicle to transport illegal cigarettes. Jones intends to transform the APC into Hazzard County's first "mobile still", and to that end he hides the valuable relic on the Dukes' property--potentially giving Boss yet another excuse to throw the whole Duke clan into the hoosegow. This episode was originally scheduled to air on December 21, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Second World War has made quite an impact on Walton's Mountain as the eighth season of The Waltons gets under way. Fired up with patriotic fervor, everyone in the Walton family is involved in the war effort. For example, John Walton (Ralph Waite) is serving on the local draft board, Jason (Jon Walmsley) is an Army corporal, Erin (Mary McDonough) has taken a job at the metals plant owned by J.D. Pickett (Lewis Arquette), and the younger Walton siblings are closely monitoring the activities of the absent John-Boy, now a war correspondent in Europe. The good news in this first episode of a two-part story (originally telecast in a single two-hour slot) is that John's wife Olivia (Michael Learned) has returned from Arizona, where she was being treated for tuberculosis. The bad news is that a certain Calvin Satterfield (George DiCenzo) has threatened to kill John for advising Calvin's AWOL son Tommy (Glenn Withrow) to return to the Army -- advice that turned out to have tragic consequences. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Tim Conway and Don Knotts, mere supporting characters in the original Apple Dumpling Gang, are promoted to starring roles in the 1979 sequel The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again. Once more cast as clumsy, soft-hearted western outlaws, Conway and Knotts come to the rescue of cavalry private Tim Matheson. The villain, lieutenant Philip Pine, is undermining the authority of Matheson's commander Harry Morgan, and Matheson wants to find out why. Featured performers include Jack Elam as Big Mac and Ruth Buzzi as Tough Kate. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Bob hopes to get away from his work by joining Emily on a relaxing ocean voyage. Fat chance! No sooner have they cast off than Bob has offered his psychological services to a battling married couple. Featured in the cast are Jeff Donnell as Clara, aka "The Little Woman"; John Crawford as Vern; Robert Phelps as Graham; and Jack Scalici, Claudette Duffy, and Timoth Himes as three wild-eyed participants in a shipboard scavenger hunt. Written by Earl Pomerantz, "Freudian Ship" first aired on January 7, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Another of the many Arthur Hailey literary properties which were transformed into TV miniseries in the 1970s, the five-part, ten-hour Wheels took place in Detroit sometime in the late 1960s. Rock Hudson starred as Adam Trenton, executive in charge of project development at the fictional auto-manufacturing firm of National Motors. Ambitious and ruthless, Adam let nothing stand in the way of his development and production of a new, youth-marketed car known as the Hawk. Meanwhile, Adam's bored and neglected wife Erica (Lee Remick, who earned an Emmy nomination for her performance) drifted into an extramarital affair and a brief "career" as a shoplifter. Eventually, Adam himself acquired a mistress, who in turn fell in love with Adam's son Kirk (James Carrol Jordan). As if things couldn't get any seamier, Kirk's brother Greg (Howard McGillin) was plagued by a blackmailer, while crooked car dealer Smokey Stevenson (played by miniseries stalwart Anthony Franciosa) cooked up a sinister deal that threatened to destroy National Motors. Originally telecast from May 7 to 15, 1978 on NBC, Arthur Hailey's Wheels posted such disappointing ratings that, when it was later rebroadcast, the property was whittled down from ten hours to four -- with episodes three and four summarily dropped from the proceedings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While Walton's Mountain is abuzz with news about the Nazi invasion of Norway and Denmark, a family of German immigrants arrive to visit their American relative, Mrs. Brimmer (Nora Marlowe). Jumping to the "obvious" conclusion, Elizabeth (Kami Cotler) is convinced that the Mountain is being invaded, and soon rumors are flying about the hapless German visitors. A combination of unfortunate coincidences and blind bigotry results in a near-tragedy for all concerned. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Richard Thomas briefly returns to the role of John-Boy Walton in this first episode of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single two-hour installment). Upon hearing of the dire financial conditions in Jefferson County, John-Boy comes home with plans of reopening the old Guthrie coal mine. Elsewhere, John Walton (Ralph Waite) weighs the possibility of giving up the family business and going to work at a defense plant; and Erin ($Mary Elizabeth McDonough) hesitates to inform her family that she has taken a second job under "questionable" circumstances. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Waltons offer food and shelter to Josh (played by a pre-Diff'rent Strokes Todd Bridges) , a young black orphan who has walked all the way from North Carolina. Though he quickly becomes attached to his "temporary" family, Josh runs away after John Walton (Ralph Waite) reprimands him for stealing a fishing rod. Unfortunately, the boy subsequently finds himself surrounded by people who have no great affection for blacks--and things looks grim for Josh until Verdie Foster (Lynn Hamilton) takes a hand in matters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide