Anne Archer Movies
The daughter of actors John Archer and Marjorie Lord, noted actress Anne Archer began her own career in the early 1970s, landing her first important film role in the 1972 Bob Hope comedy Cancel My Reservation. A year later, Archer played the Natalie Wood part in a TV-sitcom adaptation of Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice. Often cast in vulnerable, imperiled roles, the actress gave one of her most memorable performances as Michael Douglas' wife in Fatal Attraction (1987), for which she earned an Oscar nomination. She also proved her mettle as the wife of Harrison Ford in both Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994). In addition to being one of the industry's most reliable onscreen spouses, Archer has done solid work in such films as Robert Altman's Short Cuts (1993), in which she played a woman racked with moral conflict over her husband's questionable behavior during a weekend fishing trip. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1971
This episode reunites Ironside star Raymond Burr with his former Perry Mason costar Barbara Hale. Chief Ironside (Burr) comes to the aid of Marsha Connell (Hale) when she is implicated in the murder of a member of an improvisational comedy group. The killing takes place during a stage performance, so naturally all the actors--and everyone in the theater, for that matter--fall under suspicion. The episode's highlight is the bravura performance of Roddy McDowell as a washed-up child actor attempting a comeback as an improv comic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Shedding his "good guy" TV image, Carl Betz guests in this episode as veteran jewel fence Martin Ashton. Having long sheltered his daughter Lynne (Anne Archer) from his criminal activities, Ashton is outraged when the girl announces plans to marry his accomplice Mike Keller (Michael Burns). As FBI Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) closes in on the crooks, Ashton prepares to resort to desperate measures to "rescue" his daughter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
- PG
The exciting world of rodeo provides the framework for this western saga that centers around a temperamental bronc rider who tries prove himself worthy of his wife, son, and his best friend's respect. He also wants to keep his freedom. Songs include: "Easy Made for Lovin," "My Special Day," "I'm a Rodeo Cowboy." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Coburn, Lois Nettleton, (more)
- 1972
- R
The title of this Bob Hope vehicle Cancel My Reservation is a multiple pun, referring to elements in the story. The ever-youthful Hope plays Dan Bartlett, a late-night TV talk show host. Frazzled, he takes a much-needed vacation in Arizona. There, he stumbles upon a murder and a conspiracy by local rancher, John Ed (Ralph Bellamy) to defraud a local Native American group of part of its reservation. Dan is a suspect in the murder, and must investigate in order to clear his name. Though the story is rather light, celebrities of all sorts have either small parts or cameos in this film, and much of the film's entertainment value comes from spotting them. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Filmed in the late 1960s, The All-American Boy was finally afforded a release in 1973, after its star Jon Voight had risen to worldwide prominence. Voight plays a young boxer who never has, and never will, achieve fame in the ring. Rather than find a new role in life, he prefers to hang around his old buddies, all losers like himself. Two hours too long, The All-American Boy carries "Age of Aquarius" disenfranchisement to the Nth degree. The film's main appeal lies in its cast: Jon Voight, Anne Archer, Rosalind Cash, Jeanne Cooper, Leigh French, Art Metrano and Jaye P. Morgan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Joseph Wambaugh, the ex-cop turned novelist whose Police Story began its TV run in 1973, was responsible for the like-vintage TV miniseries The Blue Knight. William Holden stars as Bumper Morgan, a 50 year old cop on the verge of mandatory retirement. Morgan's last four days with the LAPD are packed with incident, notably the trackdown of the brutal murderer of a prostitute. Lee Remick plays Morgan's faithful lady friend, who is anxious for her man to retire but who will tolerate no criticism from anyone of the job the police are doing. Emmies went to William Holden, director Robert Butler and editors Marjorie and Gene Fowler Jr., while Lee Remick received an Emmy nomination. The film itself is derivative at times (one chunk of dialogue is lifted bodily from the Jane Fonda vehicle Klute), but otherwise is as realistic a portrayal of police work as TV censors would allow in 1973. Originally telecast in four one-hour installments, Blue Knight was cut to 103 minutes for syndication; a second Blue Knight TV movie, filmed in 1975 and starring George Kennedy as Bumper Morgan, served as the pilot for a short-lived TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Made for television, The Mark of Zorro is virtually a scene-for-scene remake of the 1940 Tyrone Power theatrical film--the principal difference being that, where Power's version ran 93 minutes, the TV version blurs along at a mere 78 minutes. Frank Langella plays Don Diego, the supposedly foppish Spanish California nobleman who fights for the people's rights in the guise of Zorro. Ricardo Montalban appears in the Basil Rathbone role as the evil oppressor whom Zorro eventually bests with his sword. Gilbert Roland is cast as Zorro's father, allowed a bit of swashbuckling on his own (the 69 year old Roland is astonishingly athletic). Alfred Newman's pulsating score from the original Mark of Zorro is cleverly redeployed in this remake. What's missing in the 1974 Mark of Zorro is the freshness and virtuosity of the earlier film's director Rouben Mamoulien; and, in all due respect to his considerable talent, Frank Langella is no Tyrone Power. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
The focus in this episode is on Dr. Baker (Kevin Hagen), Walnut Grove's unmarried, middle-aged general practitioner. Despite the considerable difference in their ages, Dr. Baker falls in love with Kate Thorvald (Anne Archer), the visiting niece of Mrs. Oleson (Katherine MacGregor). It takes a sudden shock of recognition for Baker to come to his senses -- but what about Kate? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, (more)
Sam Elliot stars as Rick Carlson, a thirty year old lifeguard who thinks life is passing him by. Rick loves the beach life and his job, but after attending his fifteen-year high school reunion and receiving advice from his family and friends that he's wasting his life, Rick begins to question his livelihood and wonders whether he should quit and find a more normal line of work -- such as selling cars for the local Porsche dealership. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Elliott, Anne Archer, (more)
- 1975
Log of the Black Pearl was the 2-hour pilot film for an unsold weekly TV adventure series. Kiel Martin plays a successful stockbroker who gives up his job when he inherits the Black Pearl, his grandfather's yacht. He becomes a soldier of fortune, willing to rent out the boat and his services when adventure calls. Ralph Bellamy plays Martin's crusty captain and Jack Kruschen is his first mate. His first (and last) assignment is to find a missing treasure before the villains can claim the booty. Loosely inspired by the old radio series Voyage of the Scarlet Queen, Log of the Black Pearl was co-produced by Jack Webb. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Rod Taylor stars in this feature-length pilot film for the unsold TV series Shamus. The star is cast as Shamus McCoy, who befitting his name, makes his living as a private detective. While investigating the bomb killing over another gumshoe, McCoy picks up a trail of evidence leading to a major gambling operation. Anita Gillette played the "wife" in question, one Helen Baker. A Matter of Wife...and Death first aired April 10, 1976 on NBC -- an event unheralded by TV Guide, which mistakenly listed a telecast of the theatrical feature The Ballad of Cable Hogue on that same evening. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Taylor, Joe Santos, (more)
This pilot film for a TV series titled Hancock was initially telecast as The Dark Side of Innocence. The Hancocks are a tightly-knit, prosperous California family. Mom and Pop Hancock (John Anderson and Kim Hunter) oversee a thriving lumber business--when they're not refereeing the travails of their five children. The pilot episode concentrates on the oldest daughter (Joanna Pettet), who has decided she's sick of being a society matron and has returned to the Hancock manse with her own kids in tow. The remaining Hancock kids all have problems of their own, especially embittered divorcee Anne Archer. The Hancocks didn't fly as a series, which means that some of the crises presented in the pilot are never resolved. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
- R
In this crime drama, a runaway girl from rural Montana heads for LA and ends up trapped within its darkest underbelly surrounded by crime, drugs, and sleazy people. Fortunately, her brother, a tough cowboy, comes to rescue her. But first he must find her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Mitchum, Karen Lamm, (more)
Chuck Norris plays John T. Booker, a Vietnam vet who finds out that several of his army buddies lost their lives in a mission that was intended to fail. Seeking answers, Booker quits his school-teaching job and tracks down the surviving members of his unit. One by one, his old friends are being knocked off by sinister forces, orchestrated by a crooked, and legally untouchable, politician. Amidst a plethora of martial arts, gunfire and explosions, the film briefly pauses for a comic-relief scene involving over-aged bellboy Jim Backus. Good Guys Wear Black did so well at the box-office that it warranted a sequel, A Force of One (1979). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chuck Norris, Anne Archer, (more)
- 1978
This four-hour TV movie is one more of novelist Harold Robbins' "guess who everyone is supposed to really be?" wallowfests (with nary a Jolly Roger in sight). The "pirate" is Baydr (Franco Nero), an anti-Semitic Lebanese oil sheik, who, unbeknownst to himself, is actually an Israel-born Jew fathered by Ben Ezra (Eli Wallach). Baydr marries a haughty American WASP, Jordana (Anne Archer as a blonde), whom he meets at JFK's 1960 presidential campaign, and fathers a son by her. Meanwhile, Leila (Olivia Hussey), one of Baydr's two daughters from a prior marriage, trains to become a PLO terrorist and plots to kidnap Jordana and her son by Baydr. The modern viewer is luckier than those poor TV fans of 1978 who had to sit through two nights of this nonsense: the currently available syndicated version of Harold Robbins' The Pirate (retitled simply The Pirate) runs a mere 150 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Film auteur Sylvester Stallone wrote, directed, and stars in this re-working of Rocky to fit an old-fashioned Hollywood formula, depicting three brothers from New York's Hell's Kitchen of the 1940s who want to claw their way out of poverty. Lee Canalito is the muscle-brained iceman Victor, and Armand Assante is the embittered, crippled war veteran Lenny. But the smooth-talking con man brother Cosmo (Sylvester Stallone), sees beef-cake Victor's fists as their ticket out of the slums. Cosmo, ever the manipulator, convinces the dull-witted Victor to participate in a series of bone-crunching wrestling matches as Kid Salami. Cosmo and Lenny exploit Victor's brute strength to grab the fast money on the wrestling circuit. But their climb to success is halted when the local gangster Stitch (Kevin Conway) puts up his malicious and dangerous wrestler Frankie the Thumper (Terry Funk) to fight against Kid Salami in a 22-round meat-pounder. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester Stallone, Kevin Conway, (more)
- 1980
- PG
This box-office bomb is about some schemers' hell-bent efforts to raise the fated vessel from its murky grave when they suspect that there's a fortune in radioactive cargo aboard. To add a little excitement, a bunch of Russians decide they want to get there first. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Robards, Jr., Richard Jordan, (more)
John Ritter plays an unsuccessful actor who takes a job posing as comic-book hero Captain Avenger at comics stores and conventions. While thus garbed, Ritter foils a grocery store robbery. He skedaddles from the scene when the cops show up, leading witnesses to assume that he is a genuine costumed superhero, the sort that shows up to foil the villains and then modestly retreats after his job is done. Ritter is hired by the mayor's staff, who hope that the Captain Avenger tie-in will help the mayor win an upcoming election. This plan comes acropper, and Captain Avenger finds himself on the outs with the public. Prodded by his girlfriend Anne Archer to be himself and not rely on a costume and mask to gain adulation, Ritter becomes a bonafide hero when he rescues several citizens from a fire. Thanks to the enthusiastic performance of John Ritter, Hero at Large remains amusing even when you know what's going to happen next (a common occurrence in this film). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Ritter, Anne Archer, (more)
- 1981
- PG
An electronics engineer (Ryan O'Neal) and his gal pal (Anne Archer) travel to South America, where they become involved in a plot to rob an emerald smuggler (Omar Sharif) of his fortune. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ryan O'Neal, Anne Archer, (more)
- 1983
This drama chronicles the experiences of three women as they endure the rigors of NASA training and compete with each other to become the first female astronaut in US history. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
In this easily predictable romantic comedy, Gail (Anne Archer) is a no-nonsense geologist from the East Coast and John (Terry Jastrow) is a down-home, intuitive Texan whose expertise lies in guessing where petroleum is located -- Gail, as a geologist, is not in the habit of guessing. As the two meet and work together on a wildcat well in Texas, their romantic and financial fortunes are transparently tied together, and nothing at all comes as a surprise after their first initial meeting and disagreement. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Archer, Terry Jastrow, (more)
- 1984
In this fast-paced, often complex murder mystery, a psychiatrist's patient and later his secretary are killed, yet the police seem unable to come up with any answers so the doc takes matters into his own hands. Roger Moore is Dr. Judd Stevens, a rather meek Chicago psychiatrist whose patient is killed while wearing a jacket borrowed from Stevens. After Stevens' secretary is brutally slain, Lieutenant McGreavy (Rod Steiger) is certain that Stevens is guilty and is ready to prove it, but when his vendetta gets too obvious, he is taken off the case. That leaves his partner Angeli (Elliott Gould), a much more sympathetic cop, to continue on with the investigation. Even then, the killings continue, so Stevens gives up on the police and goes for help to a wacky P.I. (Art Carney) who lives surrounded by clocks and at first seems like a hopeless nitwit. As Stevens continues in his pursuit of the killers, life is complicated by a Mafia bride who seeks his professional help and clues that lead increasingly to the Mafia and cops on the take. The acting may be a bit uneven, and Moore might have fared better if allowed a little Bond action, but the movie is engaging enough to maintain interest throughout. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roger Moore, Rod Steiger, (more)
- 1985
- R
This uneasy mix between a slasher film and a police story focuses on a series of murders in a luxury Manhattan apartment building and the main suspect in the case, an eccentric doorman (Ian McShane). The chief detective sent to unravel the crimes, Lt. Dinardo (Mike Connors) is involved with Kate (Anne Archer), an undercover cop who installs herself in the apartment building to lure the killer into action. This makes the lieutenant particularly interested in the outcome of Kate's ploy. Although potentially prone to high suspense and dramatic turns, the story is not quite as tension-filled (or gory) as its outlines suggest. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Connors, Anne Archer, (more)
- 1985
- R
In an unusual comedy by Joan Darling, Brian Dennehy and Anne Archer star as the Richard, a druggist, and his wife Peggy, a pair of debt-ridden parents who rebel against the system. Nothing goes right while they try to uphold the system, then things get even worse when they leave it. Richard decides to pull the plug on modernity when he cannot meet his utility bills and creditors are at his door like wolves. He shuts off the electricity and sets up candles, buys a goat, and digs a well in the back yard. He finally does hit water, but it happens to be the city's water main. Peggy is not quite as crazed as her husband so she goes to see a shrink -- who promptly dies on her. If anything can go wrong for Richard and Peggy, it will. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Dennehy, Anne Archer, (more)
- 1987
Anne Archer stars in the made-for-TV movie A Different Affair--and, surprise, she doesn't play a long-suffering victim. Anne is cast as a chic radio psychologist who has lived alone and liked it since the death of her husband. All this changes when the plot requires that she take in a troublesome 12-year-old foster child, played by Bobby Jacoby. Tony Roberts fills the standard best friend/lover/severest critic role, while other parts are essayed by Stuart Pankin and Alan Fudge. Filmed in 1985, A Different Affair didn't land an airdate until March 24, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Archer, Tony Roberts, (more)
