Julie Harris Movies
A renowned theater actress, Julie Harris also augmented her reputation with strong performances in a number of film and TV roles, despite her aversion to the Hollywood "glamour star" trip. Born to a well-to-do Grosse Pointe, Michigan, family, Harris opted to pursue acting at Yale Drama School rather than make her society debut at age 19. She landed her first Broadway part one year later. Harris' career was truly launched at age 25, however, by her star-making performance as troubled pre-teen tomboy Frankie in Carson McCullers' play The Member of the Wedding in 1950. Reprising her role in the film adaptation of The Member of the Wedding (1952), Harris scored an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in her first major film appearance. Though she did not win, she did win the first of five Tony Awards in 1952 for her Broadway turn as Berlin cabaret singer Sally Bowles in I Am a Camera. Along with the well-received film version of I Am a Camera in 1955, Harris starred in perhaps her best-known film that same year: Elia Kazan's East of Eden. As initially-coquettish Abra, Harris became a sensitive yet sensible romantic lead opposite an anguished James Dean in his legendary debut. With this trio of films, Harris became part of the 1950s cinematic turn toward performative "realism" exemplified by Method actor icons Dean and Marlon Brando (despite her own impatience with the Method after an Actors Studio stint).Harris continued to avoid typecasting by playing a number of different roles in TV, theater, and movie productions throughout the subsequent decades. On film, Harris showed her considerable range as a kindly social worker in the film version of Rod Serling's teleplay Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962), one of the highly disturbed human guinea pigs in the original (and far superior) version of The Haunting (1963), a frustrated nightclub chanteuse in the Paul Newman p.i. vehicle Harper (1966), and a troubled wife in Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967). On stage, Harris' specialty became playing famous women throughout history, including Tony-award winning performances as Joan of Ark in The Lark (1956), Mary Todd Lincoln in The Last of Mrs. Lincoln (1973) (adapted for TV in 1976), and Emily Dickinson in The Belle of Amherst (1977).
After surviving a bout with cancer in 1981, Harris achieved considerable fame with a new audience by playing Lilimae Clements on the TV nighttime serial Knot's Landing from 1981 to 1988. After she left the show, Harris returned to films, after nearly a decade, as Sigourney Weaver's friend in Gorillas in the Mist (1988). Harris kept busy throughout the 1990s with supporting roles in several films, including Housesitter (1992) and the George A. Romero/Stephen King chiller The Dark Half (1993), as well as starring roles onstage and in TV films, including Ellen Foster (1997). Awarded the National Medal of the Arts in 1994 to go with her Tonys and Emmys, Harris noted in 1990s interviews that her passion for her craft had not always meshed with her personal life. Harris has been married three times and has one son. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Harold Clurman: A Life of Theatre profiles the career of celebrated director/producer Harold Clurman. A man known for his passionate commitment to working with actors, Clurman devoted his life to the theatrical arts, serving not only as a director and producer, but as a respected critic as well. The program features footage of Clurman on the job delivering thought-provoking lectures and helping actors construct roles. Meryl Streep narrates. Stella Adler, Karl Malden, and Julie Harris are interviewed. ~ Betsy Boyd, All Movie Guide
- 1988
In the 1988 documentary Forever James Dean, we see Dean in his first appearance on film, in a Pepsi Cola commercial. We see a color vignette from the 1951 religious TV special Hill Number One, with Dean as a Biblical apostle describing the Resurrection. We watch Dean honing his craft in clips from such network TV dramas as "I'm a Fool" and "The Unlighted Road". We are treated to choice selections from his trio of starring films: East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant. And we are invited to cringe at Dean's ominous "Drive carefully" warning during a staged interview with Gig Young. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
A remake of the 1945 Gene Tierny vehicle Leave Her to Heaven, Loni Anderson plays a newlywed whose over-possessiveness of her husband's attentions takes on a dangerous edge. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Gorillas in the Mist is based on the autobiographical 1983 book by naturalist Dian Fossey. Before the book could be brought before the cameras, Fossey had been mysteriously killed; her death provides a logical, if somewhat ghoulish climax to the film. A Kentucky girl, Fossey (Sigourney Weaver) is inspired by famed anthropologist Louis Leakey (Ian Cuthbertson) to devote her life to the study of primates. Travelling into deepest Africa, Fossey becomes fascinated with the lives and habits of the rare mountain gorillas of the Ugandan wilderness. Studying them at close quarters, Fossey develops a means of communicating with the gorillas, and in so doing becomes obsessed with the beasts' well-being. She is so devoted to "her" mountain that she loses the opportunity for a romance with a National Geographic photographer (Bryan Brown). Appalled by the poaching of the gorillas for their skins, Fossey complains to the Ugandan government, which dismisses her by explaining that poaching is the only means by which some of the Ugandan natives can themselves survive. She refuses to accept this, and becomes a militant animal-rights activist, burning down the poachers' villages and even staging a mock execution of one of the offenders. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sigourney Weaver, Bryan Brown, (more)
- 1986
The core and darker nuances of the original "Nutcracker" fairytale by E.T.A. Hoffman (with music by Tchaikovsky) are kept alive in this adept cinematic interpretation with its combination of ballet, special effects, and Maurice Sendak's costume and production designs. The Pacific Northwest Ballet Co. perform the tale about a young girl's dream. The Stahlbaum house is celebrating the night before Christmas, and the children, Fritz and Clara (Vanessa Sharp) welcome their godfather Herr Drosselmeier (Hugh Bigney) who brings them gifts. Clara's gift is a beautiful nutcracker, so beautiful that her brother becomes jealous and breaks it. Later, when everyone is in bed, Clara sneaks back to the Christmas tree to look at her repaired nutcracker and has a marvelous and often menacing dream. The Christmas tree grows to fill the room, and a mighty army of mice led by the Mouse King threatens her. The Nutcracker and the toy soldiers try to defeat the army but the Nutcracker is captured, at which point Clara (Patricia Barker as the dream Clara) bravely clobbers the Mouse King, and the army is defeated. From that point onward, she and the Nutcracker -- who has turned into a Prince -- have many adventures in the Land of Snow where a series of more than seven different dances introduce enchanting and grim characters. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hugh Bigney, Vanessa Sharp, (more)
- 1986
Mark Lindsay Chapman (no relation to the murderer of John Lennon) stars in the made-for-TV The Annihilator. If the title sounds faintly reminiscent of The Terminator, it might just be more than a coincidence. The plot involves an army of mindless automatons, programmed to kill, kill, kill. Chapman plays a reporter whose efforts to halt the robot army are flummoxed by the fact that he himself is a fugitive from the law. The Annihilator premiered on April 7, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Moving to its now-famous Thursday night timeslot on the occasion of its eighth season, Knots Landing quickly updates its fans on events left unresolved at the end of Season Seven, not least of which is the mysterious kidnapping of Karen MacKenzie (Michele Lee). It turns out that Karen's abductor is Phil Harbert (Louis Gimbalvo), who wants to get even with her crime commissioner ex-husband Mack (Kevin Dobson) for sending him to jail during his wife's terminal illness. Before Mack manages to rescue Karen, Phil has obsessively cut her hair, leaving her with the new shorter style that she will sport for the remainded of the season. In other Season Eight developments, Gary Ewing (Ted Shackelford) runs for the senate opposite the duplicitous Peter Hollister (Hunt Block), but ends up losing both the election and his wandering wife Abby (Donna Mills) to Peter. The past relationship between Mack and Anne Matheson (Michelle Phillips) is revealed in a series of flashbacks tied in with the appearance of the couple's illegitimate daughter Paige (Nicollette Sheridan), who is a curious character indeed: Benign to Abby's daughter Olivia (Tonya Crowe) as she helps the girl get over her drug dependency, but quite the predator when it comes to seducing every available male in Knot's Landing--including Michael (Pat Petersen), the son of her father Mack's ex-wife Karen. The seriously disturbed Jean Hackney (Wendy Fulton) comes back into the life of Ben Gibson (Michael Sheehan), estranged husband of Gary's ex Val (Joan Van Ark). Gary has his own problems with the conniving Jill Bennett (Teri Austin), who has maneuvered him into a marriage proposal. And Laura Sumner (Constance McCashlin), the wife of crooked politician Greg Sumner, gives birth to a daughter. As the season rushes to a close, Ben is driven mad by the obsessive Jean and completely drops out of view; and Olivia falls for her mom Abby's current amour, the unsavory Peter Hollister--a turn of events that prompts Abby to conclude that Olivia is responsible for Peter's sudden death ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Shackelford, Joan Van Ark, (more)
- 1985
The "Black Market Baby" story arc which dominated most of Knots Landing's sixth season is resolved in the first few episodes of Season Seven, as Val Ewing (Joan Van Ark) is tearfully reunited with her twin babies, who had been stolen and auctioned off on the illegal-adoption circuit. This settled, the series can now devote itself to the intrigues involving the rest of its ever-growing cast of regulars. Newly divorced from Karen (Michele Lee), owner of Knots' Landing Motors, crime commissioner Mack MacKenzie (Kevin Dobson) begins an affair with Jill Bennett (Teri Austin), little suspecting that Jill is a few bricks shy of a full load. Val's half-brother Joshua (Alec Baldwin), a former preacher, scores a big hit as a TV personality, but develops a dangerous case of jealousy when his wife and co-star Cathy (Lisa Hartman) gets more fan mail than he does. Subsequently, Joshua dies, an apparent suicide--but when all the facts come out, thanks to an investigation inaugurated by undercover reporter Sonny Harkins. This season, Hunt Block joins the cast as ruthless politician Peter Hollister, the self-proclaimed brother of crooked politico Greg Sumner (William Devane) and potential rival (in more ways than one) of series protagonist Gary Ewing (Ted Shackelford). Also, Ruth Roman is introduced in the role of Sylvia Lean, ex-mistress of Greg Sumner's dad and (supposedly) Peter Hollister's mother. Elsewhere, Gary accidentally causes an arsenic leak that will imperil his Empire Valley estate, not to mention the rest of Knot's Landing; Val enters into a marriage with reporter Ben (Michael Sheehan), which is shattered by Ben's affair with Cathy; after finding out that her mother Abby (Donna Mills) knew all along that Val's babies had been kidnapped, the disillusioned Olivia (Tonya Crowe) turns to drugs; and in the season's penultimate episode, Nicollette Sheridan makes her first appearances as Paige Matheson, illegitimate daughter of Mack MacKenzie and his former lover Anna Matheson (Michelle Phillips). The season's cliffhanger ending revolves around another kidnapping, this time with Karen as the victim and an as-yet-unidentified stranger as the predator. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Shackelford, Joan Van Ark, (more)
- 1984
Season Six of Knots Landing begins with the conniving Abby Cunningham (Donna Mills) finding herself the victim rather than the predator for a change when she is kidnapped by the sinister Mark St. Claire (Joseph Chapman). Meanwhile, Karen Fairgate MacKenzie (Michele Lee), having been wounded by a gunshot meant for her business partner Gary Ewing (Ted Shackelford), clings desperately to life. Ultimately, Abby is rescued by the timely intervention of Senator Greg Sumner (William Devane)--which does not in any way diminish the fact that Sumner is a crook, whose mob-connected machinations will have a negative impact on practically everyone else in the cast, including Greg's future bride Laura (Constance McCashlin), the former wife of attorney Richard Avery. And although it is nip and tuck for a while, Karen survives the shooting. Several new characters are introduced this season, not least of which is Greg Sumner's stepmother Ruth Sumner Galveston, played by Ava Gardner in her TV series debut. Howard Duff is seen as Greg's father Paul Galveston, an unscrupulous tycoon whom Karen's crime-commissioner husband Mack (Kevin Dobson) intends to bring to justice. Also, Alec Baldwin makes his first appearance as TV evangelist Joshua Rush, ostensibly the nephew of Lilimae Clement (Julie Harris) but actually her son, meaning he is also the half brother of the long-suffering Val Ewing (Joan Van Ark)--of whom, much more later! To her everlasting regret, local waitress Cathy Geary (Lisa Hartman) will become the wife of Joshua Rush before the season is over. Finally, Teri Austin is introduced as Jill Bennett, a woman who is destined to very nearly bring about the demise of both Val Ewing and her ex-husband Gary. Above all else, Season Five is the year of the "Black Market Babies", as Val gives birth to twins, only to have them stolen from her by an unscrupulous doctor and auctioned off on the illegal adoption market. Although everyone in Knots Landing has been convinced that Val's babies were stillborn--everyone, that is, but Abby, who gloms onto the truth but cruelly keeps her mouth shut--Val stubbornly refuses to accept this and leaves town, determined to prove that her children are still alive. In the process, she becomes unhinged and assumes a new identity, "Verna Ellers." Resurfacing in a small Tennessee community, "Verna"--completely unaware of her previous existence--falls in love with a local dry cleaner and accepts his marriage proposal! In the season's cliffhanger finale, Val is on the verge of reclaiming her babies from their adoptive parents, Harry and Sheila Fisher (Joe Regalbuto, Robin Ginsburg)...and then... ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Shackelford, Joan Van Ark, (more)
- 1983
- R
Julie Harris portrays the poignant short life of the great English writer Charlotte Brontë in this filmed version of Harris's tour-de-force, one-woman act. Filmed on location in Ireland (substituting for Brontë's Yorkshire home), the landscape brings forth the author's stunning natural environment, and the house and its furnishings evoke a 19th -century setting. The drama begins in 1849 when Charlotte comes back home to her minister father after attending the funeral of her sister Anne, dead at age 29. Younger sister Emily died the year before, her brother Bronwell before that, her colorful Aunt Branny and many others have also died. Jane Eyre has just been published two years earlier -- Charlotte's triumph flung in the face of so many tragedies. As she walks around her home, she recalls people and times gone by, a love that never came to realization, the dissolute life of her brother, and her father's insistence that she never marry -- memories are nostalgic, caustic, humorous, and always captivating. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Harris
- 1983
The fourth-season murder of singer Cijji Dunne still looms large over the main characters of Knots Landing as the series launches its fifth year on the air. After briefly suspecting Cijji's erstwhile lover Gary Ewing (Ted Shackelford) and Gary's wife Val (Joan Van Ark), Federal prosecutor Mack McKenzie (Kevin Dobson) concludes that the guilty party is Chip Robert (Michael Sabatino), the unscrupulous literary agent who'd been representing Val's efforts to promote her novel. Though Chip manages to skip town, he is brought to justice--temporarily, at least--when he is "accidentally" struck down by the car driven by Val's mercurial mother Lilimae (Julie Harris). In a plot development of more wide-ranging significance, Gary Ewing moves out of his cul-de-sac home in Knots Landing and into their new ranch, using money left to Gary by his late oil-magnate father Jock Ewing. Sharing the ranch is Gary's new wife, the conniving Abby Cunningham (Donna Mills), who hopes that by ensnaring Gary she can expand her own base of power. As for Gary's ex-spouse Val, she will inaugurate a brand new story arc near season's end by announcing that she is pregnant--without revealing the identity of the father. Elsewhere, Gary's business partner Karen (Joan Van Ark), still not completely recovered from such past traumas as the murder of her husband, begins to rely heavily upon drugs. New to the cast this season is William Devane as Mack's old friend, Senator Gregory Sumner, who has risen to the highest political circles via his close connections with the Mob. Believing that every man has his price, Sumner will be quite taken aback to discover that Mack is completely incorruptible--whereupon the "good senator" will do everything in his power to destroy Mack. Meanwhile, Greg's daughter Mary Frances (Danielle Brisbois) will enjoy a romance with Karen's son Eric (Steve Shaw). As for Eric's sister Diana (Claudia Lonow), she will befriend the redoubtable Abby and move in with her on the Ewing spread--a plot contrivance that will seal the doom of fugitive murderer Chip Roberts when Diana causes his accidental demise. Another cast addition is Lisa Hartman as waitress Cathy, whose first appearance proves quite a shock to the other regulars, inasmuch as she is a dead ringer for the murdered Cijji Dunne. Also making their first appearances are Douglas Sheehan as reporter Ben Gibson, who comes to Val's aid when she is briefly suspected of murder and falls for her in the process; and Danny Ponce, taking over from Matthew Newmark in the role of Jason Avery. The season's traditional "cliffhanger" finale--which, incidentally, also marks the 100th episode of Knots' Landing--finds Karen being felled by a gunshot meant for Gary, and Abby in the clutches of kidnapper Mark St. Claire (Joseph Chapman). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Shackelford, Joan Van Ark, (more)
- 1982
Joining the cast of Knots Landing as the series begins its fourth season is Kevin Dobson as Federal prosecutor Marion Patrick "Mack" MacKenzie, who is brought into the storyline when Karen Fairgate (Michele Lee), widowed owner of Knots Landing Motors, decides to aggressively pursue the criminals responsible for the murder of her husband. Mack will soon establish himself as the series' all-purpose problem solver, though this will not spare him from plenty of his own problems--several of these stemming from his subsequent marriage to Karen. Among the other characters introduced in the course of Season Four is sinister literary agent Chip Roberts (Michael Sabatino), who agrees to represent Val Ewing (Joan Van Ark) when she pens the novel "Capricorn Crude", a thinly veiled account of the questionable machinations of her husband Gary's (Ted Shackelford) oil-rich family. Another significant addition is singer Ciji Dunne (Lisa Hartman), another of Gary's extramarital flings. When Ciji turns up murdered, both Gary and Val are suspected, but as it turns out the real culprit is. . .but why spoil things for Knots Landing novices? In contrast with the new cast members, Season Four marks the final appearances of longtime regulars John Pleshette as shady attorney Richard Avery--who is booted from his home by wife Laura (Constance McCashlin) after he becomes the latest in a long line of lovers for Abby Cunningham (Donna Mills)--and James Houghton and Kim Lankford as the volatile Kenny and Ginger Ward. Plus, this season marks the last of the Knots Landing-Dallas crossovers, with Gary's brother J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) showing up for a brace of appearances, and Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) appearing in the episode "New Beginnings", which represents the only time that Dallas and Knots Landing ever shared the same storyline. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Shackelford, Joan Van Ark, (more)
- 1981
Season Three of Knots Landing picks up where the previous season left off, as Sid Fairgate (Don Murray), owner of Knots Landing Motors and the boss of series protagonist Gary Ewing (Ted Shackelford), hovers between life and death after his car "accidentally" plummets over a cliff, the end result of Sid's cooperation with the FBI in bringing the crooked owners of the Orchid Cab Company to justice. Ultimately Sid dies, leaving his wife Karen (Michelle Lee) in charge of the family business. Karen's partners in this endeavor are the aforementioned Gary Ewing, and Sid's conniving, predatory sister Abby Cunningham (Donna Mills). In other developments this season, Julie Harris joins the cast as Lilimae Clements, the mercurial, slightly larcenous mother of Gary's long-suffering spouse Val (Joan Van Ark); Val herself pens a "roman a clef" about the oil-rich Ewing family titled "Capricorn Crude"; and Karen Fairgate's brother Joe Cooper (Steven Macht) makes the first of several memorable appearances. The season ends as Abby finally succeeds in her strenuous efforts to get Gary into bed with her--and with Val walking out on Gary when she realizes anew that he can't be trusted as far as he can be thrown. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Shackelford, Joan Van Ark, (more)
- 1979
- R
Poet Sylvia Plath wrote an immensely popular roman à clef, The Bell Jar, which chronicles a woman's descent from functioning as a highly educated, motivated, and capable young woman to being completely incapacitated at the hands of mental illness. Sadly, Plath committed suicide at age 30, and did not have a chance to enjoy the success of her novel, which wasn't officially published in the United States until the early '70s. In this tragic tale, Esther Greenwood (Marilyn Hassett) is the central figure, a college student on a publishing internship with a woman's magazine in Manhattan. As she begins to experience psychological difficulties, her troubles are compounded by the incredible insensitivity of the people around her. On one occasion, her boyfriend condescendingly berates her for taking an overdose of pills. Critics complained that this movie, which did not do well at the box office, failed to capture the evocative emotional tone of the novel. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marilyn Hassett, Julie Harris, (more)
Based on the best-selling memoirs of Lillian Rogers Parks, the NBC miniseries Backstairs at the White House traces over five decades of American political history as witnessed from the vantage point of the servants' quarters. Played by Tania Johnson as a teenager and by Leslie Uggams as an adult, Lillian Rogers Parks served for 52 years as a maidservant at the White House. Though crippled early on with polio, Lillian diligently and loyally stuck to her duties -- and her own rock-solid set of principles and ideals -- through eight highly different Presidential administrations, often (and occasionally reluctantly) acting as friend and confidante to the First Lady of the moment. The large and stellar cast included a number of top-rank film and TV actors, obviously having the time of their lives impersonating such presidents as William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, and their respective wives. Also in the cast were several African-American veterans from the landmark TV miniseries Roots. Earning 11 Emmy Award nominations, the nine-hour Backstairs at the White House was seen in five installments from January 29 to February 19, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Uggams, Olivia Cole, (more)
- 1979
The Gift was a Christmas 1979 TV-movie offering based on the semi-autobiographical book written in 1973 by Pete Hammill. Gary Frank plays the Hammill counterpart, a Brooklyn-born sailor about to be shipped off to the Korean War. Frank decides to use his 3-day pass to discover if his girl friend really loves him, if he can communicate at last with his troublesome parents, and if he can get his own life together before being sent into battle.
Julie Harris plays Frank's mother, while Glenn Ford portrays Frank's pugnacious, one-legged Irish dad. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Julie Harris plays Frank's mother, while Glenn Ford portrays Frank's pugnacious, one-legged Irish dad. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
This introduction to the theater features a collection of fourteen dramas all combined in four modules. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1978
- Add Emily Dickinson: A Certain Slant of Light to QueueAdd Emily Dickinson: A Certain Slant of Light to top of Queue
"There's a certain slant of light/ winter afternoons/ That oppresses/ like the heft of cathedral tunes." Emily Dickinson's heavy lines create the mood for the Monterey Video release, Emily Dickinson: A Certain Slant of Light. Hosted by classical actress Julie Harris, the video explores the life of the tragic poet. It runs a mere 29 minutes and features the real-life surroundings of the "Belle of Amherst." ~ Sarah Ing, All Movie Guide
The life of poet Emily Dickinson is thoughtfully re-created in this one-woman show starring Julie Harris. As the actress reads from the poems, letters, and diaries of the poet, a picture emerges of a highly sensitive, yet troubled soul. Dickinson lived during the 19th century and was the granddaughter of one of the founders of Amherst College. As the performance reveals, the poet's writings became more experimental as she grew older. Though it would be almost impossible to create a program that could review even a large percentage of Dickinson's poems (she wrote more than 1,700), this one does reveal some of the reasons why her writings focused so much on the themes of nature, love, and death. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Harris
- 1976
The American Film Institute put together this movie of film clips from all eras of American filmmaking as a Bicentennial tribute to the country. Narrated by Charleton Heston, the 83 film clips included all relate to American history, or reflect on the character of Americans. The clips are grouped into five categories: The Land, The Cities, The Families, The Wars and The Spirit. As much a tribute to American filmmaking as it is a tribute to the country, in this compilation, scenes are shown from such diverse films as Birth of A Nation and 2001. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlton Heston
Julie Harris stars as Mary Todd Lincoln in this look at the twilight of the former First Lady's life. After her husband's assassination, she finds herself heavily in debt and denied a pension due to her Southern ancestry, and spends the remainder of her life deeply depressed, dying impoverished and insane. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Harris, Michael Cristofer, (more)
Often described as "Ship of Fools with a conscience," Voyage of the Damned is based on a true story. In 1939, the Nazis ostentatiously loaded a luxury liner with hundred of Jewish refugees from all walks of life. The ship then tried to drop anchor in Havana, Cuba-only to have its passengers refused entry by the Cuban government, in keeping with its super-stringent immigration policies. This was exactly what the Nazis expected to happen, and indeed wanted to happen. By having the refugees turned away from Havana, the German government could "prove" that the Jews were indeed the most unwanted race on earth, thereby justifying Hitler's extermination policy. The crosssection of humanity on board the ship includes the requisite big-time stars: Faye Dunaway as a monocle-sporting countess and Oscar Werner as Dunaway's society-doctor husband; professor Luther Adler and his wife Wendy Hiller; poverty-stricken Nehemiah Persoff and Maria Schell, who hope to be reunited with their "fallen" daughter Katherine Ross; disbarred attorney Sam Wanamaker and his family (wife Lee Grant, daughter Lynne Frederick); anti-Nazi captain Max Von Sydow; and so on. Representing the Cuban government are president Fernando Rey and bureaucrat Jose Ferrer; other Havana denizens include businessman Orson Welles and minister James Mason. Despite its morbid overtones, Voyage of the Damned ends on a faintly positive note. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Faye Dunaway, Max von Sydow, (more)
- 1975
Long Way Home is comprised of the first two episodes of the 1975 TV series The Family Holvak. Glenn Ford plays the Reverend Tom Holvak, who lives with his family in a depression-era southern town. Holvak opens his doors to a charming vagabond, played by David Carradine. Only the Holvak son Ramey (Lance Kerwin) figures out that Carradine is an escaped convict. To make matters worse, Carradine plans another crime--and doesn't cotton to witnesses. Julie Harris costars as Holvak's wife Elizabeth, with Elizabeth Cheshire appearing as daughter Julie Mae. Long Way Home was originally telecast September 7 and 14, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Produced by Billy Graham's Evangelistic Association and based on an autobiographical novel by Corrie Ten Boom, The Hiding Place is an account of a Dutch family who risk their lives by offering a safe haven for Jews during World War II. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Harris, Eileen Heckart, (more)
- 1975
- Add James Dean: The First American Teenager to QueueAdd James Dean: The First American Teenager to top of Queue
In this documentary, narrated by Stacy Keach, the tragic screen-icon James Dean is remembered. Footage from early television appearances, stills from his life, and clips from his three Warner Brothers films are interwoven with interviews with his co-workers. The soundtrack includes music from Elton John, David Bowie, and the Eagles. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
