Barbara Eden Movies
An Arizona native, actress Barbara Eden was three years old when her family moved to San Francisco, where as a teenager she plunged into acting and singing classes at San Francisco State College's Conservatory of Music. After briefly working as a band singer, Eden took up residence at Hollywood's Studio Club, an inexpensive rooming house for aspiring actresses. Other Studio Club residents would note in later years that Eden would look at the club's bulletin board and apply for every show business job available, even those that she was advised would "ruin" her career. Persistence paid off, and in 1956 Eden made her film debut in Back from Eternity. She worked steadily in television, finally attaining leading-lady status on the 1958 sitcom How to Marry a Millionaire, in which she played a myopic "Marilyn Monroe"-type golddigger. Good film and TV roles followed for the lovely blonde actress, and full stardom arrived with the NBC comedy series I Dream of Jeannie. Eden played the curvaceous bottle imp from 1965-70, reviving the character in a brace of TV movies, the last one produced in 1991. Eden's post-Jeannie career has included several films, TV guest star appearances, theatrical and nightclub engagements, and still another sitcom, 1981's Harper Valley P.T.A. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie GuideAlthough advertised as a "reunion" of former I Dream of Jeannie stars Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman, the made-for-TV A Howling in the Woods is actually a vehicle for Eden, with Hagman contributing a glorified cameo role. The scene is a remote wooded area in Nevada, where disillusioned housewife Liza Crocker (Eden) has arrived for a solitary camping trip. It so happens that Liza's "sanctuary" is located near the small and cloistered town where she was born -- a town that does not necessarily want to have her back. As Liza's husband, Eddie (Larry Hagman), searches for her in hopes of a reconciliation, the heroine is terrorized by the mournful sound of a howling dog, which triggers painful and frightening memories that she had hoped were long, long buried. Based on a novel by Velda Johnston, the underrated and almost unbearably suspenseful A Howling in the Woods debuted November 11, 1971, on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A trio of energetic young men try to put on a good show for their Army camp, in this lightweight comedy by Raoul Walsh. Luigi (Sal Mineo just risen to stardom), Jerry (Berry Coe), and Mike (Gary Crosby) are in boot camp when they are presented with a chance to represent their unit in competition on a national television show. The three guys are up to the challenge, which begins a chain of unusual circumstances that not only have them singing and dancing at the proper times, but also running into a trio of alluring young women (Barbara Eden, Terry Moore, and Christine Carere). Then there is that little mix-up when the Assistant Secretary of War mistakenly marries herself off to a doped-up Private Jerry, all for a good cause. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sal Mineo, Christine Carère, (more)
Like its lively predecessor, The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), this mild comic send-up takes its characters and situations from the popular family sitcom of the 1970s, The Brady Bunch. Set in the '90s, it is filled with in-joke references to American pop culture. However, one need not be familiar with the original series in order to enjoy this film. Bad guy Trevor Thomas (Tim Matheson) is posing as supermom Carol Brady's long-dead first husband Roy Martin. He claims to have been amnesiac and made unrecognizable by plastic surgery after suffering disfiguring injuries, but in truth, he is on the hunt for a very valuable artifact, an ancient Chinese horse carving which Roy sent to his family from the field. Because of the family's sheer niceness, they could never imagine such deception, and husband Mike Brady (Gary Cole) welcomes him into their midst. This causes Roy no end of frustration, as not only must he live with this incredibly sweet and cheerful family while he searches for the carving, but he must endure having his ill-tempered sarcastic jibes go completely unrecognized. When Carol (Shelley Long) is kidnapped, the whole family goes a-hunting. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shelley Long, Gary Cole, (more)
This is a somewhat serviceable, light comedy by prolific director Norman Taurog (a favored helmer of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lewis films). Squeaky-clean Pat Boone is a singing lieutenant who has to briefly ship out to the Aleutians and regrettably leave Sally (Barbara Eden), his new love behind. Taking off with the ship is a stowaway turkey, nurtured by Garfield (Buddy Hackett), a zany sailor with a soft heart for the avian critter. The problem is, the turkey has a special attachment to the captain (Dennis O'Keefe). By the time the ship docks in Long Beach again, the turkey and an amorous pelican have produced a strange-looking egg, and Sally has just smuggled herself onboard, anxious to see her lieutenant. Now comes the inspection of the ship by Commander Bintle (Gale Gordon). ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pat Boone, Buddy Hackett, (more)
Director John Farrow's Back From Eternity is a virtual scene-for-scene remake of Farrow's 1939 film Five Came Back. The earlier film is the better of the two, if only because it is 22 minutes shorter. The plot concerns a small passenger plane that crashlands in South America, square in the heart of headhunter country. Pilot Robert Ryan is able to get the plane back into flying condition; unfortunately he discovers that the plane will only be able to carry five of its eleven passengers to safety. Who will have to be left behind: condemned murderer Rod Steiger, socialite Phyllis Kirk, her weak-willed fiance Gene Barry, copilot Keith Andes, elderly married couple Beulah Bondi and Cameron Prud'homme, songstress Anita Ekberg, foul-tempered cop Fred Clark, soft-hearted crook Jesse White, or tousle-haired kid Jon Provost? Rod Steiger is just fine in the role orginally played by Joseph Calleia, but Ekberg is no match for the original's Lucille Ball. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Ryan, Anita Ekberg, (more)
This Magical World of Disney made-for-television movie is another tale of step-kids coming together to form a new, big, happy family. Don Murray and Barbara Eden star as single parents, each with three kids of their own from previous marriages. When Eden and Murray fall in love, the brood comes together under the roof of millionaire Murray's Bel Air Mansion -- and much brouhaha follows when the culture clash between the families becomes evident. This movie was the basis for the hour-long series that followed. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
The owner of a professional football team must restore the titular train and run it from Tennessee to NYC in 24 hours if he is to inherit $1 million in this comedy. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
Condominium is a two-part, four-hour TV adaptation of the novel by John D. McDonald. The setting is a hastily constructed Florida high-rise, assembled at the least possible cost by its greedy owners. An oncoming hurricane threatens to topple the structure and its residents into the ocean. Various degrees of greed, lust, terror and concern are displayed by stars Steve Forrest, Dan Haggerty, Ralph Bellamy, Barbara Eden, Stuart Whitman, Jack Jones and Pamela Hensley. Produced for the syndicated "Operation Prime Time" series, Condominium was first made available to local stations on November 20, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
With Five Weeks in a Balloon, 20th Century-Fox hoped to cash on the success of the studio's earlier Jules Verne adaptation Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1959). The plot is set in motion when 19th-century explorer Fergusson (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) volunteers to head a balloon expedition to claim an otherwise unreachable chunk of African territory for the British Empire. Along for the ride are reporter Donald O'Shay (Red Buttons), absent-minded professor Sir Henry Vining (Richard Haydn), Vining's assistant Jacques (Fabian) and schoolmarm Susan Gale (Barbara Eden). Along the way, the little party acquires another passenger when they rescue native girl Makia (Barbara Luna) from a slave trader. Their many near-death experiences include a run-in with evil potentate Sheik Ageiba (Henry Daniell). Other reliable characters on hand include Peter Lorre, Herbert Marshall, Reginald Owen, Mike Mazurki, and, in a dual role, sneezemaster Billy Gilbert. Since no one could be expected to take this sort of fare seriously, Five Weeks in a Balloon is played tongue-in-cheek, peppered with such overripe dialogue as "You, sir, are a cad!" and "Kismet! We are doomed!" ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Red Buttons, Fabian, (more)
Tensely directed by Don Siegel, Flaming Star is the grittiest of Elvis Presley's post-Army films. Elvis plays Pacer Burton, a half-breed youth in the old West, torn between loyalty to the whites, as represented by his father (John McIntyre), and the Indians, represented by his mother (Dolores Del Rio). A series of brutal Kiowa raids, and the subsequent reprisals by the white settlers, sorely test Pacer's fortitude. Though offered moral support from his loved ones, Pacer is forced to work things out himself. The film was based on a novel by Clair Huffaker. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elvis Presley, Steve Forrest, (more)
This cinemadaptation of John O'Hara's From the Terrace stars Paul Newman as Alfred Eaton, an unhappily married financial adviser, while his real-life wife Joanne Woodward portrays Mary St. John, his promiscuous screen spouse. Mary's libertine behavior is a by-product of her husband's inability to express love and affection, a trait he has inherited from his cold-blooded father. Mark Robson directs and Myrna Loy heads up a large supporting cast as Newman's alcoholic mother. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, (more)
There's little chance that the made-for-TV Guess Who's Sleeping in My Bed? will ever be confused with either Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? (67) or Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (63). The plot: Dean Jones divorces Barbara Eden, but finds that he can't live in the style to which he's accustomed without his ex-wife's income. Circumventing Eden, Jones ingratiates himself with his children and convinces them to allow him to move back in. Eden, meanwhile, has a new "significant other" in the form of Kenneth Mars, but since Mars has never gotten the girl in any previous film, it's no trick to guess the outcome of this story. Guess Who's Sleeping in My Bed? is elevated by the direction of the always inventive Theodore J. Flicker, who once upon a time gave us that imperishable movie satire The President's Analyst (68). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This low-budget expansion of the popular Tom T. Hall/Jeannie C. Riley song "Harper Valley PTA" is surprisingly good, boasting lively performances by star Barbara Eden and everybody else in the cast. Eden plays Stella Johnson, a widowed single mom whose gaudy makeup, miniskirts and tight jeans are a source of scandal for the smug, self-righteous members of the local PTA. Forced to leave town with her teenaged daughter Dee (Susan Swift), Stella gets revenge with photographic evidence revealing the sexual peccadilloes and drunken misbehavior of the oh-so-righteous PTA members. The supporting cast includes such seasoned comic pros as Nanette Fabray, Louis Nye, Pat Paulsen and Audrey Christie, all performing above and beyond the call of duty. A weekly-TV version of Harper Valley PTA, also starring Barbara Eden, soon followed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Eden, Ronny Cox, (more)
Suburban housewife Barbara Eden is the prime suspect when her husband is murdered. Shortly afterward, Eden's best friend turns up dead-and this time she's arrested. Now someone is trying to bump off Eden's daughter. It's all the handiwork of an old college rival, who believes that Eden stole her boyfriend. The homicidally inclined woman scorned is played by none other than Loretta Swit, cast spectacularly against type. The made-for-TV Hell Hath No Fury was first telecast March 4, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Housewife Barbara Eden loses her husband Peter Bonerz to seductive Liberty Williams. After the divorce, Eden becomes incensed that Williams is flaunting her victory. To get even, Eden begins dating notorious playboy Hal Linden. Now it's Bonerz' turn to suffer the pangs of jealousy. Made for television, How to Break Up a Happy Divorce first lit up the TV tubes of America on October 6, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Although there had been several attempts throughout the 1950s and early 1960s to create a TV sitcom based on the legend of Aladdin's Lamp--one of these, "Al Haddon's Lamp", featured Buddy Ebsen as a bucolic genie--the premise did not result in a full series until producer Sidney Sheldon hit upon the brilliant idea of featuring a sexy female genie. Debuting September 18, 1965 on NBC, the weekly, half-hour I Dream of Jeannie starred Barbara Eden as Jeannie, a curvaceous blonde bottle imp rescued from 2500 years' imprisonment by astronaut Tony Nelson (Larry Hagman). Out of gratitude, Jeannie arranged for Tony to likewise be rescued from a desert island, then followed him to his home in Cocoa Beach, Florida, there to serve and obey her new "master." Unable to convince anyone that he'd found a genuine genie, Tony opted instead to keep Jeannie's presence, and her true identity, a secret, which proved problematic whenever our heroine used her magic to get her master in and out of various jams. The only other person who knew Jeannie's secret was Tony's astronaut buddy Roger Healy (Bill Daily), whose various efforts to profit from Jeannie's awesome powers invariably came a-cropper. Also featured was Hayden Rorke as Cocoa Beach's air force psychiatrist Dr. Alfred Bellows, who was convinced that the mysterious goings-on in Maj. Healy's household were proof that Tony was crazy and delusional, obliging Jeannie to gently discredit Bellows in the eyes of his superiors week after week after week. Although Tony tried to maintain a normal social life with several girlfriends, these relationships were forever scuttled by the jealous Jeannie, who of course had fallen in love with her master. Ultimately, Tony reciprocated Jeannie's affections, and the couple was married during the series' fifth and final season. By this time, Jeannie had begun wearing "civilian" clothes and had pretty much forsaken the midriff-baring harem costumes that had been her trademark in the first few seasons (Amusingly, network censors demanded that the series' producers disguise the fact that Barbara Eden had, like practically every other woman on earth, been born with a belly button!) Complicating the lives of the principal characters were several "visitors" from Jeannie's past life in Baghdad. Among these were Jeannie's twin sister Jeannie II (also played by Barbara Eden), a dark-haired vixen who hatched endless sinister schemes to snag Tony for herself; and Jeannie's magical pet dog Djinn Djinn, who managed to render himself invisible at the most inopportune moments. Lasting 139 episodes (109 of these in color), I Dream of Jeannie ended its NBC run on September 1, 1990. Barbara Eden went on to star in a brace of "reunion" TV movies, telecast in 1985 and 1991; and from 1973 to 1975 an animated version of the property, simply titled Jeannie, was seen on CBS' Saturday-morning lineup. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Eden
In this comedy, a revival of the popular TV-series from the mid-60s, the wedded bliss of astronaut Tony Nelson and his magical djin and wife Jeannie is endangered when Jeannie desires to become more independent. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
In the third episode of a four-part story, Jeannie (Barbara Eden) is still locked in a safe that is destined to be sent to the moon. Her lookalike sister Jeannie II (also Barbara Eden) shows up, intending to use the situation at hand in order to ensnare Jeannie's master Tony (Larry Hagman) for herself. Unfortunately, Jeannie II's own master Habib (played by Ted Cassidy, aka "Lurch" on The Addams Family) likewise appears--fully prepared to kill several characters whom we care about! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Beware of twin genies bearing gifts, especially when our sweet Jeannie (Barbara Eden) receives a birthday present from her wicked lookalike sister Jeannie II (also Barbara Eden). The gift consists of two bottles, one containing a "love" potion, the other a "hate" potion. Jeannie II craftily switches the bottles, and as result Jeannie ends up despising her master Tony (Larry Hagman)--and falling madly in love with Roger (Bill Daily)! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Gullible Jeannie (Barbara Eden) is delighted when her duplicitous lookalike sister Jeannie II (also Barbara Eden) offers to help Jeannie land Tony (Larry Hagman) as a husband. Of course, Jeannie II really wants Tony all to herself, and she'll stop at nothing to achieve this goal. And as usual, feckless Roger (Bill Daily) is trapped in the middle of all this intrigue. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Barbara Eden appears as both Jeannie and Jeannie's mother in this episode. Summoned to Cocoa Beach to help Tony (Larry Hagman) overcome a case of sleeping sickness (which she caused via some misguided magic), Jeannie's mom meets Dr. Bellows (Hayden Rorke) for the first time--and falls madly in love with him! Jeannie must now persuade her mother to both release Tony from his malady and to reconsider her plan to make Dr. Bellows her master and put Mrs. Bellows (Emmaline Henry) out of the way! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Barbara Eden plays a dual role in this episode, as both Jeannie and Jeannie's gray-haired, bespectacled mother. A box of enchanted "Pipchick" candy from Jeannie's mom has a curious effect on Tony (Larry Hagman), endowing him with super strength. Convinced that Tony has created the candy himself, Dr. Bellows (Hayden Rorke) demands that our hero whip up another batch. Unfortuanetly, the recipe loses something in translation, and as a result of eating Tony's candy everyone begins acting out their innermost fantasies--including a wildly uninhibited Dr. Bellows, who leaves Cocoa Beach behind to embark upon a whale hunt! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This episode marks the first appearance of Jeannie's wicked lookalike sister--who of course is also played by Barbara Eden. Jealous of the relationship between Jeannie and her master Tony (Larry Hagman), the raven-haired "Jeannie II" schemes to break up the couple. Her first step is to trap the real Jeannie in her bottle and take her place; the second is to drive Tony bonkers by having him zipped and zapped all over the world! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Even though Tony (Larry Hagman) and Jeannie (Barbara Eden) are now husband and wife, Jeannie's wicked lookalike sister (also played by Barbara Eden) hasn't abandoned her efforts to break up the couple. Jeannie II's latest scheme is to pose as the "real" Jeannie while conducting a very public romance with handsome astronaut Biff Jellico (played by Barbara Eden's then husband Michael Ansara), thus disgracing her sister. Meanwhile, Jeannie remains blissfully ignorant of what her sibling is up to--until it's almost too late. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Jeannie's wicked lookalike sister (also played by Barbara Eden) has cooked up a new scheme to claim Tony (Larry Hagman) for herself. First, Jeannie II tries to convince General Schaeffer (Vinton Hayworth) that Tony lacks the mental competence to remain in the space program; then, she magically adds a great deal of weight to Tony's body (150 pounds, to be exact), "proving" that he isn't physically qualified either. To top off this deviltry, Jeannie II has carefully planted evidence pointing to the real Jeannie as the cause of Tony's current woes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide



















