Victor French Movies

In the 102nd and final episode of ALF, the titular alien is thrilled to learn that his fellow Melmaccians Skip and Rhonda are going to establish a new colony on another planet--and he's been invited to join them if he can come up with a security deposit. This means that ALF will have to leave the Tanners, a prospect he faces with both sadness and regret (mostly over not being able to raise money for that deposit). Alas, just as he's prepared to make his final farewells, ALF is captured by the Alien Task Force! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Richard Gere plays Zack Mayo, an aloof, taciturn man who aspires to be a navy pilot. Once he's arrived at training camp for his 13-week officer's course, Mayo runs afoul of abrasive, no-nonsense drill sergeant Emil Foley (Louis Gossett Jr.). Mayo --or "Mayonnaise," as he is dubbed by the irascible Foley -- is an excellent cadet, but a little cold around the heart. Foley rides Mayo mercilessly, sensing that the young man would be prime officer material if he weren't so self-involved. Zack's affair with working girl Paula Pokrifi (Debra Winger) is likewise compromised by his unwillingness to give of himself. Only after Mayo's best friend Sid Worsley (David Keith) commits suicide over an unhappy romance does Zack come out of his shell and mature into a real human being. Take away the R-rated dialogue and the sex scenes, and Officer and a Gentleman could have been a 1937 MGM flick, maybe with Robert Taylor as Zack, Wallace Beery as Foley, and Jimmy Stewart as Sid. An Officer and a Gentleman was nominated for 7 Oscars, with wins to Gossett and to the hit song "Up Where We Belong." The closing scene has surely become a classic of movie romance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

"Gallegher's Sons" are a pair of pre-teen girls named Will (Eileen Chesis) and Charlie (Larrain Gillespie), who have been raised as boys by their chauvinistic father. When Gallegher dies, the girls are left to fend for themselves, which they do until they are discovered by passerby Hoss Cartwright. Taking it upon himself to transport the girls to their only surviving relative, Hoss is unaware that Will and Charlie are being pursued by a posse determined to recover a fortune in currency stolen by the light-fingered Gallegher. Also in the cast are Robert Strauss as Blake and Craig Curtis as Tully. Originally broadcast on December 9, 1962, "Gallegher's Sons" was written by Dick Nelson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ben Cartwright hires a new horse trainer named Will Holt (Michael Murphy), who brings with him an Indian bride named Moon (Dawn Wells, fresh from her stint on Gilligan's Island). When the neighbors express vicious bigotry towards the interracial couple, the Cartwrights try to smooth over the problem. Meanwhile, Moon forms a strong bond with little Bridger Green (Bobby Riha), himself a victim of persecution at the hands of his cruel stepfather Aaron Gore (played by Victor French, long before he and Bonanza star Michael Landon appeared together in Little House on the Prairie and Highway to Heaven). Written by William H. Wright and Carol Saraceno, "The Burning Sky" was originally telecast on January 28, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Child actress Suzanne Cupito, who went on to a long and rewarding adult career under the name Morgan Brittany, essays the title role in this, the final episode of Branded. The daughter of a bank robber, 11-year-old Kellie has sworn to kill the man responsible for her father's death: namely, Jason McCord (Chuck Connors). Making return appearances in this series finale are Lola Albright as feisty newspaperwoman Ann Williams and John Carradine as Jason's grandfather, General Joshua McCord. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Charles Bronson stars in this revisionist western directed by Michael Winner. The film concerns an Apache half-breed, Pardon Chato (Charles Bronson), who finds himself pursued by a relentless posse, headed by Joshua Everette (Jack Palance), after Chato has killed a white sheriff. But when members of Everette's posse rape Chato's wife, Chato stops running. Instead, Chato reverses course and begins to hunt down the posse, seeking vengeful retribution for the rape. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

John Gavin stars as Santa Fe marshal Ben Cutter, whose homecoming is blighted when he finds his town has been taken over by a Mexican bandit gang. Accompanied by two of the less frightened townsfolk--a small boy (Manuel Padila Jr.) and the boy's mother (Marisa Pavan)--Cutter sets out to rid the town of the interlopers. This TV movie was the pilot for a weekly series, slated for a CBS timeslot. Half a dozen scripts were prepared before the network decided to turn thumbs down. Cutter's Trail was originally telecast in a 90 minute slot, then expanded to two hours for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the series' second takeoff of the TV western Branded, Cpl. Agarn faces death by firing squad for the murder of Sgt. O'Rourke. As Agarn awaits his fate, flashbacks reveal how all this came about (and though we don't want to spoil the suspence, it can be noted that O'Rourke is still alive and kicking). The storyline is fused together by a plaintive ballad, composed by F Troop producer Herm Saunders and the episode's cowriters Austin Kalish and Irma Kalish, and performed by John Mitchum, who'd made several appearances in Season One as Trooper Hoffenmueller. (And yes, John Mitchum is the brother of Robert Mitchum). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Premiering as a two-hour TV movie on September 19, 1984, the weekly, 60-minute Highway to Heaven was star Michael Landon's third NBC series -- and like Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie before it, the program was a huge success for both star and network. Landon, who also functioned as executive producer and (sometimes) writer/director, was cast as Jonathan Smith, a "probational" angel. In life, Smith had been a lawyer named Arthur Morton, who, at the time of his death at age 38 in 1948, was an aloof and unfulfilled human being. As an angel, Smith was sent to earth to bring love, harmony, and understanding to people undergoing severe problems -- and in so doing, our hero learned a lot about his own potential for goodness and compassion. Of course, Jonathan had not yet earned his wings and would not do so until the Powers Above determined that he had fulfilled his mission. Jonathan was accompanied on his earthly missions by a "living angel," hardbitten ex-cop Mark Gordon, played by Landon's former Little House on the Prairie co-star Victor French. Originally a surly, embittered man, Mark had "seen the light" thanks to Jonathan and was thereafter dedicated to helping his spectral sidekick get his wings. As often as possible, Jonathan and Mark relied upon their wits and resourcefulness to help those in distress; although he possessed supernatural powers, Jonathan preferred not to use them. Although the series was essentially dramatic in nature, several of the stories had a tongue-in-cheek quality to them. There were also innumerable references to Michael Landon's previous TV and movie credits, including guest appearances by such Little House regulars as Matthew Laborteaux and Richard Bull, not to mention a 1987 Halloween episode which spoofed Landon's notorious starring role in the 1957 horror flick I Was a Teenage Werewolf. Managing to combine the best elements of whimsical fantasy and down-to-earth dramatic reality, Highway to Heaven lasted five years and 111 episodes, ending its NBC run on August 4, 1989. ~ All Movie Guide

The 2-hour pilot for Michael Landon's celestial TV weekly Highway to Heaven was first shown on September 19, 1984. Landon stars as Jonathan Smith, a novice Guardian Angel sent to earth to do good deeds. Jonathan is far from perfect, as he proves on his first assignment, wherein he tries to save a retirement home from being sold out from under its elderly residents, including Special Guest Overactor Helen Hayes. Along the way, Jonathan renews the faith of ex-cop Mark Gordon, who as played by Victor French would remain a regular on the subsequent Highway to Heaven series. Though that series was always very careful in depicting its spirituality, the name of God was somewhat tastelessly invoked in the print ads for the initial Highway to Heaven pilot film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Probationary angel Jonathan Smith (Michael Landon) launches his campaign to earn his wings by performing good deeds on earth as Highway to Heaven begins its first network season. Jonathan is accompanied on his journeys by rough-edged former cop Mark Gordon (Victor French), who, though still alive, can be just as much an "angel" as his celestial companion (and will be referred to as such in the individual episode synopses, for the sake of brevity). In the series' opening two-hour episode, Jonathan establishes his habit of taking odd jobs in places where his services are needed most -- in this instance, a dismal retirement home where the residents are in dire need of some cheering up. In subsequent episodes, Jonathan and Mark patch up several broken families: A minister estranged from his single-mom daughter, a movie star who tries to substitute money for love in dealing with his children, a burned-out country & western singer reunited with the husband and daughter whom she ran out on years earlier, an American teenager who refuses to accept the fact that he has a Vietnamese half-sister, and so on. They also find time to battle drug dealers and street gangs, melt the heart of a Scrooge-like used-car salesman during the Yuletide season, come to the aid of an illiterate high-school basketball star, and convince a quadriplegic named Scotty (played by semi-regular James Troesch) that he will find the love of his life despite his handicap. On his own, Jonathan falls in love with a mortal woman while trying to steer her son away from big trouble while Mark flashes back to the events of his own childhood and in so doing saves his grandfather's ranch from foreclosure. The season ends with the two-part episode "Thoroughbreds," guest-starring Helen Hunt as a stableman's daughter who falls in love with the son of her dad's millionaire employer. By the time this episode aired, Highway to Heaven was the 19th most popular network program on the air. ~ All Movie Guide

Probationary angel Jonathan Smith (Michael Landon) still hasn't earned his wings by the time Highway to Heaven enters its third season, but that does not stay him from his earthly mission to perform good deeds and straighten out the problems of troubled mortals. And, as in seasons past, Jonathan is accompanied in his wanderings by a "living angel," crusty ex-cop Mark Gordon (Victor French). Per tradition, the season opens with a two-part episode, "A Special Love," which finds Jonathan juggling two "assignments" at once -- to wit, convincing a physically handicapped youngster to enter the Special Olympics and comforting a married couple who has just learned they can never have children. Among the season's subsequent 23 episodes, several are standouts: "That's Our Dad" is a study in frustration and disillusionment as the star of a popular TV sitcom proves to be less genial in real life than he does on his show; the two-part "Love and Marriage," in which Jonathan gives three bickering couples a chance to rectify the events which led them to their present unhappiness; "Oh Lucky Man," wherein Mark settles accounts with a pair of con artists who are pulling a charity scam; "A Night to Remember," the story of a choice assignment for Jonathan which may result in his being forced to sever his ties with Mark; and "Ghost Rider," a full-blooded homage to spy thrillers featuring a "new" ghost on the horizon. The season finale is "The Gift of Life," putting Jonathan in the interesting position of trying to redeem a ruthless businessman after the latter's death -- all the while hoping to score points with Heaven himself. Having ranked as the 19th most popular network show in 1984-1985 and as 13th in 1985-1986, Highway to Heaven closed the 1986-1987 season in 24th place -- not as much of a comedown as one might think, considering that the series' competition included such ratings champs as The Cosby Show, Cheers, 60 Minutes, and Falcon Crest. ~ All Movie Guide

For its fifth and final season on NBC, Highway to Heaven was moved from its familiar Wednesday-night timeslot, first to Tuesdays at 9 PM (EST), then to Fridays at 10 PM. No matter where could be found on the dial, probationary angel Jonathan Smith (Michael Landon) persisted in his earthly mission to help and provide comfort for those undergoing crises in their lives -- and, all the while, he continued holding out hope that he would one day earn his wings. As ever, Jonathan was accompanied in his perambulations by ex-cop Mark Gordon (Victor French), who though still a mortal could pass as a genuine "angel" any day. Season Five's thirteen hour-long episodes include the two-part "Hello and Farewell," in which Jonathan and Mark come to the aid of a nurse who cannot get over her experiences in Vietnam, and also help the teenaged son of a flight chief come to terms with some startling news about his past; "The Reunion," wherein Jonathan tries to bring some happiness and contentment into the troubled lives of his former schoolmates; "Summer Camp," starring former Three's Company leading lady Priscilla Barnes as a grotesquely disfigured actress who finds a new purpose in life as teacher of blind children; and "It's a Dog's Life," an outlandish yarn in which Mark must take over Jonathan's duties when the latter is transformed into a dog! Telecast August 4, 1989, the very last Highway to Heaven, "Merry Christmas from Grandpa," finds Jonathan transported to a horrifying future in which three men are given the power to prevent the world from being destroyed by pollution. ~ All Movie Guide