Barry J. Gordon Movies

In what may be the series finale, Louis Lewis (Bill Saluga) awakens from his coma, and refuses to give Richard (Richard Lewis) one of his kidneys, leaving Larry (Larry David) as Richard's best hope for survival. Omar Jones (Mekhi Phifer) calls Larry to tell him that he was, in fact, adopted. Larry goes to Arizona to visit his birth parents, the Cones (Hansford Rowe and June Squibb) and is shocked to learn that he is not actually Jewish. After an inspirational visit to the Cones' church, Larry has a change of heart, and races back to Los Angeles to donate his kidney to Richard. On the way into the operating room, he learns that there's been a terrible mistake. Larry also pays a brief but illuminating visit to the afterlife, where he gets into an argument with his guardian angels (Dustin Hoffman and Sacha Baron Cohen of Da Ali G Show) over his system for making sure he doesn't misplace his DVD cases. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

A man is killed in front of his brother and his wife -- and Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) and Sorenson (Rick Schroder) must rely upon the knowhow of a forensics expert to untangle the survivors' stories. Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) has trouble hiding his envy when it appears that Martinez (Nicholas Turturro) will soon be promoted to sergeant. And in her efforts to find out the truth about Jill's (Andrea Thompson) ex-husband, Don, Diane (Kim Delaney) arranges to meet a curiously untrustworthy narcotics task-force agent named Denby (Scott Cohen, in his first series appearance). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) has his doubts when a man claims that his former girlfriend is being stalked by his twin brother. Jill (Andrea Thompson) tries to solve a stickup-murder at an ATM by going to the chief suspect's mother. And Andy (Dennis Franz) withholds crucial information from his doctor about his prostate condition. Sharon Lawrence, whose starring sitcom Fired Up had just been canceled, returns to the role of Sylvia Costas. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

For the second week in a row, the duplicitous Quark is the center of attention. This time out, the Grand Nagus Zek (Wallace Shawn) appoints Quark the leader of the Ferengi financial empire. His exultation over this lofty position is dampened somewhat when Quark finds that he has been targetted for assassination. Scripted by Ira Steven Behr from an original story by David Livingston (who also directed), "The Nagus" was originally telecast March 21, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Four orphans vow to do anything they can to stay together when they learn the courts are planning to separate them. When a crotchety old vagabond happens by, the ingenious youths snap him up and convince him to masquerade as their grandfather in this pilot for the frothy NBC sitcom that ran from February through August of 1990. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Harry Similac (Dirk Benedict) is a music promoter who must scramble to stay out of debt in this slapstick comedy. He hits upon the idea of becoming a wrestling promoter and steals Rick Roberts (Roddy Piper) from his former manager Captain Lou Milano (Lou Albano). He books his rock band Kick at the match and creates a new phenomena that combines wrestling with rock n' roll. Charles Nelson Reilly, Billy Barty, and John Astin provide memorable comedy relief. Cameo appearances by wrestlers Ric Flair, Afa & Sika, Sheik Adnan Al Kaissy, Freddie Blassie, and Bruno Sammartino add further realism to this feature that recalls the rock-and-wrestling spectaculars of the early 1980s. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

In this sequel to the 1985 TV movie Stark, Nicholas Surovy once again assumes the role of no-nonsense Wichita cop Evan Stark. When his former partner Steve Graves (Ben Murphy) is murdered, Stark exceeds his authority by tracking the killer to Las Vegas. In addition to Surovy, Dennis Hopper, Pat Corley, and Barry Gordon repeat their Stark roles, respectively cast as Las Vegas Police Lieutenant Ron Bliss, Wichita Police Chief Waldron, and Lee Fogel. Also in the cast are two future stars: Kirstie Alley as sultry lounge singer Maggie Carter (performing "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good" and "Taking a Chance on Love") and Gina Gershon as Allison Cromwell. Like its predecessor, Stark: Mirror Image, which debuted May 14, 1986, on CBS, was intended as the pilot for a weekly series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

George Hamilton confounded his detractors by turning in a first-rate comic performance in Love at First Bite. Hamilton plays Count Dracula, who is evicted from his Transylvanian domicile when the Communist government decides to nationalize his castle. With faithful toady Renfield (Arte Johnson) at his side, Dracula heads for the Big Apple, where he finds the vampire pickings radically different from those on his home turf: for example, ol' Drac suffers the mother of all hangovers when his sinks his fangs into the neck of a wino. Klutzy Cindy Sondheim (Susan Saint James) falls in love with Dracula, not fully aware of his colorful background. But Cindy's stuffy fiance Dr. Jeff Rosenberg (Richard Benjamin), a descendant of Dracula's perennial foe Professor Van Helsing, knows what Dracula's up to and does his best to thwart the vampire's plan. This proves very difficult, since such time-honored remedies as the stake through the heart are frowned upon by the New York City authorities. So successful was Love at First Bite that Hamilton was encouraged to have a satiric go at another literary icon in 1982's Zorro, the Gay Blade. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Filmed independently in Cleveland, Double Stop is a clumsily staged but effective plea for racial tolerance. Uptight concert musician Jeremiah Sullivan discovers that his son is attending public school with (gasp!) black children. He swiftly bundles the kid off to a private school, much to the disgust of his liberal-minded wife (Mimi Torchin). Sullivan has a change of heart when he learns that his best friend received an excellent education at that selfsame multiracial public school. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Jason Robards Jr. superbly re-creates his Broadway role in this 1965 film version of Herb Gardner's play. Robards plays Murray Burns, head writer of TV's popular Chuckles the Chipmunk show. Fed up with the rat race, Murray quits his job and retreats to his cluttered Manhattan apartment, where he carries on a nonconformist, laissez-faire existence with his 12-year-old nephew Nick (Barry Gordon). Though they're as close as father and son, Robards has never gotten around to legally adopting Nick, which brings him to the attention of social workers Sandra (Barbara Harris) and Albert (William Daniels). While Albert is disgusted by Murray's irreverence, Sandra falls in love with the free-spirited writer. Teaming up with Nick, Sandra tries to convince Murray to get another job. Arnold Burns (Oscar-winner Martin Balsam), Murray's agent-brother, is amused by his sibling's independence, but can find no work for him. Desperate not to lose Nick to the authorities, Murray offers to go back to Chuckles the Chipmunk -- aka Leo (Gene Saks), a neurotic bug who bullies his staff and hates kids. Young Nick is disillusioned by Murray's willingness to conform, and he throws an uncharacteristic temper tantrum. But the boy comes around to Murray's sudden realization that compromise is sometimes necessary if it's for the sake of someone you love. While the central message of A Thousand Clowns may grate on some viewers, the film is saved by the exuberance of the cast. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In Hands of a Stranger, concert pianist James Stapleton loses his hands in a traffic accident. Doctor Paul Lukather grafts on a new pair of hands, which were "donated" by a murder victim. Distressed that his new extremities are radically different from his old ones, Stapleton suffers a severe emotional breakdown. He subsequently causes the deaths of several people, both directly and indirectly; the most chilling moment is the death of young Barry Gordon, the son of the now-blinded cab driver whom Stapleton holds responsible for his accident. This was an unofficial screen version (the fourth up through that time) of the novel Hands of Orlac; previous versions were made in 1924 (as Orlacs Hände), 1935 (as Mad Love) and 1960 (as Les Mains d'Orlac). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In an unusually serious and profound episode, Beaver invites his new friend Chopper Cooper (played by the versatile Barry J. Gordon) to spend the weekend. It seems that Chopper's parents are divorced, and have remarried several times. Beaver is fascinated by all the expensive presents bestowed upon Chopper by the various and sundry grownups and step-siblings in his life, and begins wondering if he could benefit by his own parents' breakup! However, an emotionally charged climactic conversation between Chopper and Beaver forces our hero to realize how lucky he is. Beaver's House Guest was co-written by eminent playwright/screenwriter Arthur Kober, whose other credits include the film version of The Little Foxes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The inimitable writer-director Frank Tashlin once more aims his satiric barbs at modern culture (modern 1950s culture, that is) in The Girl Can't Help It. Much of the film is dominated by Edmond O'Brien as mob boss Murdock, who while serving a term in federal prison becomes a singing sensation with his hit tune "Rock Around the Rock Pile." Once he's sprung, Murdock hires impoverished agent Tom Miller (Tom Ewell), not to promote his own career, but to turn his curvaceous lady friend Jerri Jordan (Jayne Mansfield) into a star. Alas, Jerri has no singing or acting talent whatsoever, a fact that she's eager and willing to admit. A domestic type at heart, all Jerri really wants out of life is to marry Murdock, so that she can clean his house, cook his meals and raise his children. When Murdock refuses to grant her wishes, Jerri falls in love with Tom instead.

Every so often, director Tashlin takes time out from the plot to poke fun at such technical marvels as CinemaScope and Technicolor, and to lampoon the American male's fixation on female bosoms and bottoms (at one point, Jayne Mansfield leans towards the camera, her cleavage exposed as far as the censors will allow, and plaintively asks Tom Ewell if he believes that she's equipped for motherhood). While much of the humor in the film is dated, The Girl Can't Help It is an invaluable record of the pop-music scene of the 1950s, featuring such guest artists as Julie London (playing Tom Ewell's dream girl), Ray Anthony, Fats Domino, The Platters, Little Richard and his Band, Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps, the Treniers, Eddie Fontaine, Abbey Lincoln and Eddie Cochran. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi