Judith Parker Movies
Based on a true story, the made-for-TV Child Lost Forever was advertised as a "docudrama." A unwed teenage mother is forced to give up her baby for adoption. 16 years later, the girl (played as an adult by Beverly D'Angelo), now married and the mother of two, decides to look for the son she lost. She finds that the boy died at age three under mysterious circumstances. The more she investigates, the more she realizes that she's stumbled upon a long-hushed-up case of child abuse. Child Lost Forever debuted November 16, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Beverly D'Angelo, Michael McGrady, (more)
In this drama, a marketing director at a publishing house is assigned to represent an author. In his presence, she soon forgets her marital vows. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
The title of The Seduction of Gina is the most tawdry of come-ons: this TV movie was better served (though perhaps not as attractive to the casual viewer) under its original title, Another High Roller. Gina (Valerie Bertinelli), married to a feckless intern, is shy and withdrawn. Upon receiving a $30,000 inheritance, Gina decides to vacation in Tahoe. While at the casino's gaming tables, Gina finds she really enjoys gambling. As the evenings wear on, she also discovers that she can't stop; she has been "seduced" by the gambling bug. In keeping with the film's steamy title, Seduction of Gina was advertised with the full-page image of Valerie Bertinelli in the arms of Michael Brandon, who plays the casino's lawyer (and Gina's erstwhile lover). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Valerie Bertinelli, Michael Brandon, (more)
The First Affair of the title is the one conducted by naïve but nubile college freshman Toby King (Melissa Sue Anderson). Struck by the girl's sense of responsibility, professor Jane Simon (Loretta Swit) hires Toby as a baby-sitter. Soon afterwards, however, Jane's susceptible husband Greg (Joel Higgins) finds himself being won over by Toby's unspoiled beauty and words of endearment. This standard-issue triangle drama was filmed under the title Freshman Year. Lensed on location at Harvard University, the made-for-TV First Affair premiered October 25, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melissa Sue Anderson, Loretta Swit, (more)
This is an average made-for-TV thriller about a high-school student (Kathleen Beller) with a psychotic secret admirer. The usual stalking and false scares pad the 96 minutes between commercials, until Beller finally confronts her assailant. On a positive note, there is a good supporting cast, with Blythe Danner, Tony Bill, Ellen Travolta, and Dennis Quaid along for the minimal chills. Fans of this sort of thing could find it a watchable diversion on a rainy day, but it's nothing special. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
A Southern big shot (Mitch Ryan) runs his local community like a personal fiefdom. His despotism extends to his abusive marriage to Maggie (Jaclyn Smith). Denied her basic rights as a woman and a human being, Maggie tries to file for divorce, only to run up against a corrupt, good-ole-boy legal system. Her only recourse is to escape from Bogen County without attracting the attention of the paid-off police force. The film's feminist trappings do not entirely compensate for the exploitational nature of the script. Made for TV, Escape from Bogen County first aired October 7, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Its title inspired by the famous Robert Frost poem "Stopping By a Woods on a Snowy Evening," Miles to Go Before I Sleep stars Martin Balsam and MacKenzie Phillips. Balsam plays a lonely senior citizen, seeking a means of keeping busy in a world that has shut him out. He takes a part-time job at a youth rehabilitation center, where he meets incorrigible delinquent Phillips. Tentatively reaching out to one another, the two lost souls both find a reason for living. Miles to Go Before I Sleep was first telecast as a 90-minute GE Theater special on January 8, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide











