Maurice Gibb Movies
Known mostly for his work in the pop/rock supergroup the Bee Gees with his older brother, Barry, and twin brother, Robin, Maurice Gibb was the harmony vocalist and bass player. He was also married to British pop superstar Lulu for a few years in the early '70s. Generally appearing as himself, most of his film and television credits are for his work as a composer and songwriter for a wide variety of productions, including composing the score for the movie A Breed Apart. His earliest television work dates to 1965 for several appearances on Beat-Club, which was a kind of American Bandstand for the U.K. He made his film debut in the little-seen documentary Popcorn, appearing along with fellow musical stars Joe Cocker and Jimi Hendrix. In 1970, he and brother Barry Gibb wrote the short-lived British TV show Cucumber Castle, starring himself as Prince Marmaduke, King of Jelly. In perhaps his most recognizable roles and songs, he and the other bandmembers wrote the music and appeared as singers in the movies Saturday Night Fever and Staying Alive, both starring John Travolta. In 1978, the Bee Gees played a Beatles-derived band in the ill-fated movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, along with fellow superstars of the time Peter Frampton and Aerosmith. The late '90s saw a resurgence of public attention on the the Bee Gees, and he made numerous television, film, and guest-starring appearances. He spent his later years with his wife Yvonne and two children in Florida, where he opened a paintball shop called Commander Mo's. He died of cardiac arrest in Miami Beach, FL, on January 12, 2003. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Robin Williams stars in this oddball comedy about a fast-talking car salesman who is down on his luck and in over his head until an extreme situation forces him to use his sales skills to save lives. Joey O'Brien (Williams) is the stereotypical car salesman: enterprising, aggressive, and desperate to make enough money to spend on his high-maintenance girlfriends. But suddenly the pressure is really on: he owes money to the mob, his ex-wife is nagging him about not spending enough time with their teenage daughter, and if he doesn't sell at least a dozen cars by the time the big sale is over on Saturday, he's going to lose his job. As Joey attempts to placate several potential buyers, his day is interrupted by Larry (Tim Robbins), the insanely jealous husband of dimwitted showroom receptionist Donna (Annabella Sciorra), who's been having an affair with someone who works at the dealership. With the police surrounding the place, his job (and life) on the line, Joey realizes that it's up to him to use his wits to persuade Larry -- who's not even sure what he wants out of the situation -- not to kill anyone. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Williams, Tim Robbins, (more)
- 1984
- R
Surly conservationist Rutger Hauer makes it his life's mission to protect the eggs of the endangered bald eagle. Collector Donald Pleasence wants to appropriate a few of these eggs without invoke Hauer's terrible wrath. Pleasence hires mountain climber Powers Boothe to pose as a magazine photographer, the better to win Hauer's confidence and expedite the egg-poaching. But Boothe is soon converted to Hauer's cause, and with the help of storekeeper Kathleen Turner the two men thwart Pleasence's anti-eco deviltry. While the acting and plotline of A Breed Apart are unremarkable at best, the film is redeemed by the breathtaking location photography of Geoffrey Stephenson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rutger Hauer, Powers Boothe, (more)
- 1978
- PG
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Pop star Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees star in this musical, loosely based on the popular 1967 Beatles album Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. In the story, Billy Shears, who now heads the Lonely Hearts Club Band, is the grandson of the famous Sergeant Pepper. He is confronted by the need to save the magical musical instruments of the band from the bad guys, led by music tycoon B.D. Brockhurst (Donald Pleasance), who want to steal them. If they succeed, the magic which infuses "Heartland U.S.A." will disappear. Among the many Beatles' songs performed in the film by well-known popular artists are: "She's Leaving Home" (Bee Gees, Jay MacIntosh, John Wheeler), "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" (Steve Martin), "Got To Get You into My Life (Earth, Wind & Fire), "When I'm 64" (Sandy Farina), "Come Together" (Aerosmith), "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (sung by the Bee Gees, Paul Nicholas), "With a Little Help from My Friends" (Peter Frampton, the Bee Gees), "Fixing a Hole" (George Burns), and "Get Back" (Billy Preston). ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Frampton, Barry Gibb, (more)
John Travolta graduated from minor celebrity to superstar with Saturday Night Fever. Travolta plays Tony Manero, a Brooklyn paint-store clerk who'd give anything to break out of his dead-end existence. In life, Tony is a peasant; on the disco dance floor, he's a king. As the soundtrack plays one Bee Gees hit after another (including "Stayin' Alive"), we watch white-suited Tony strut his stuff amidst flashing lights and sweaty, undulating bodies. Tony's class aspirations are mirrored in his relationship with his dance partner, Stephanie (Karen Lynn Gorney), a secretary eager to move into the glamorous world of Manhattan. Saturday Night Fever's huge success grew meteorically thanks to the towering popularity of its soundtrack; during the first half of 1978, when the movie's disco songs saturated the singles charts up to four at a time, it was no longer clear whether the hit movie was feeding the hit songs or the hit songs were feeding the hit movie. This crossover between music and movies set the pace for many movies to come, as it also marked the rise and fall of 1970s disco culture. Two versions of this film exist: the original R-rated version and a PG version, edited down to more "family-friendly" fare and fed to the public with the tagline, "Because we want everyone to see John Travolta's performance." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Travolta, Karen Gorney, (more)
