Stan Daniels Movies
- 2000
Noted cartoonist and humorist Gahan Wilson helped create this animated made-for-cable feature about a ten-year-old boy on the cusp of adolescence who is still trying to fathom the ways of the adult world. The voice cast includes Eugene Levy, Edward Asner, and Lolita Davidovich. The Kid was produced for the Showtime premium cable network. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Asner, Lolita Davidovich, (more)
- 1994
A dying wife and mother makes plans for her family in this made-for-television drama. Lea Thompson stars as Amy Hightower, a frontier wife and mother of four who is ill and expected to die. In an unusual move to make sure her family is cared for, she finds a prostitute named Pearl (Farrah Fawcett) and teaches her how to be a wife and mother. The movie shows how Pearl slowly transforms, Amy's health fluctuates, and how husband Martin (Peter Weller) deals with the unusual circumstances. Filmed in Texas, this film is at times humorous and emotional, and not typical movie-of-the week fare. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Farrah Fawcett, Lea Thompson, (more)
In this made-for-TV comedy, a self-made man (Jack Lemmon) tries to teach is idle son (Jonathan Silverman) and greedy wife a lesson by giving away his hard-earned wealth. However, the plan doesn't go quite as smoothly as expected. Released on video under the title Father, Son and the Mistress. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Lemmon, Talia Shire, (more)
- 1991
This made-for-cable-TV anthology is comprised of four provocative tales from one of America's most famous idealistic cynics, Kurt Vonnegut. The stories are "All The King's Horses," "Next Door," "The Euphio Question," and "Fortitude." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Glory! Glory! is a "roman a clef" of the Evangelism industry, with all the names fictionalized but with all characters easily recognizable to anyone who's ever watched a religious UHF channel. Barry Morse portrays a radio preacher whose operation is controlled by his honest but colorless son Richard Thomas. When Morse is promoted into a media superstar by savvy huckster James Whitmore, the son is left behind. All this changes when Thomas wanders into a bar and witnesses the performance of rock singer Ellen Greene. Greene's song Sister Ruth may be just what Thomas needs to rise to the top of his calling. Originally telecast in two parts over the HBO Pay-Cable service, Glory! Glory! closes out Part One with Ms. Greene becoming a powerful evangelist in her own right...a status quo subject to change when certain truths are made public. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In a comedy as flat as the cardboard cut-outs of movie stars that appear in one scene, Steve Martin plays Larry Hubbard, a wild and lonely guy who has been dumped by his girlfriend. Since misery loves company, he takes up with Warren, a fellow Lonely Guy (Charles Grodin), and eventually both Warren and Larry find some surprising companions, especially after Larry writes a best-selling Lonely Guy Guide. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, Charles Grodin, (more)
- 1982
Andrea Marcovicci returns as Emily, the hard-drinking, self-flagellating woman who cruelly jilted Louie (Danny DeVito) in the fourth-season episode "Louie's Fling." Receiving a phone call, Louie discovers that the caller is Emily, who is in the throes of alcoholic desperation. A vengeful Louie schemes to take advantage of Emily's vulnerability in order to get even with her -- but things don't exactly work out that way! ~ All Movie Guide
Although Taxi had earned scores of industry awards and the unflagging loyalty of its fans during its four-year lifespan on ABC, the series had never posted the sort of ratings that would qualify it as a hit. Thus, ABC dropped the show at the end of season four -- but the song wasn't quite over yet. Responding to overwhelming public demand, rival network NBC picked up Taxi for its fifth season, retaining the same Thursday-night time slot the series had occupied the previous year -- or, as the trade ads put it, "Same time, better network." The first NBC episode was "The Shloogel Show," in which all the cabbies embarked upon a "group blind date" that would have long-ranging ramifications. The relationships inaugurated on this episode would be explored and occasionally resolved on three later fifth-season installments, "Louie and the Blind Girl," "Arnie Meets the Kids," and "Tony's Baby." In another development, Carol Kane graduated from recurring to regular status in her Emmy-winning role as Simka, the wife of the Sunshine Cab Company's sweet-tempered immigrant mechanic Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman); the Latka-Simka marriage and its attendant old-world traditions (many of them bizarre in the extreme) would provide fodder for the two-part episode "Scenskees From a Marriage" and the season finale "Simka's Monthlies." Also providing material for several episodes was a huge inheritance bestowed upon "Reverend" Jim Ignatowski (Christopher Lloyd), the cab company's resident burned-out hippie; in fact, the last episode to be filmed, "A Grand Gesture," was entirely motivated by Jim's unexpected financial windfall. Additionally, we continued to learn more about the past lives of the various cabbies, notably the fact that Alex Rieger (Judd Hirsch) suffered from an addiction to gambling, and that the father of Tony Banta (Tony Danza) had run off to sea years earlier. Had the fans of the series and the stars had their way, Taxi would have run indefinitely on NBC. Alas, the ratings were no better than they'd been on ABC (though, ironically, the show managed to pick up three more Emmy Awards!) compelling the network to cancel the series -- permanently this time -- after its 114th episode. Happily, the series has since prospered in rerun syndication not only in local markets but also on basic cable. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1982
Allen Garfield (billed as Alan Goorwitz) guest stars as Mr. Rutledge, the owner of the Sunshine Cab Company. Upon learning that someone in the garage is stealing spare auto parts, he demands that the guilty party step forward. Since that party is light-fingered dispatcher Louie (Danny DeVito), who lacks the guts to own up to his own misdeeds, there is but one way out: Louie persuades assistant dispatcher Jeff (Thom Koutsoukos) to take the rap -- with jaw-dropping results. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1981
Unwilling to admit to her old-school chum Mary (Martha Smith) that she is merely a cab driver -- and an unattached one at that -- Elaine (Marilu Henner) spins a tall tale about her "wonderful" job and her "dream" boyfriend, a professor at Columbia University. Inasmuch as no such boyfriend exists, Alex (Judd Hirsch) is pressed into service to pose as the imaginary beau. The deception comes off well -- perhaps too well -- but can Alex and Elaine build a genuine relationship on a mountain of lies? ~ All Movie Guide
Taxi remained a succès d'estime for ABC as it entered its fourth season, gathering scores of industry awards and garnering the love of its most loyal fans and the respect of Hollywood insiders, while still continuing to post lukewarm ratings. The series hadn't cracked the "Top 25" shows throughout the 1980-1981 season and failed to do so during 1981-1982 as well. ABC had seriously considered dropping the program after its third season, but the uproar of protest from its devotees moved the network to give the property another chance -- albeit in a new time slot on Thursday evening opposite NBC's Gimme a Break and CBS' Knots Landing. Two major developments marked the progression of events on season four. The first was the defection of Jeff Conaway in the role of part-time cabbie and would-be actor Bobby Wheeler, though Conaway would return for a guest appearance in the episode "Bobby Doesn't Live Here Any More." The second was the marriage between mild-mannered immigrant taxi mechanic Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman) and his countrywoman Simka Dahblitz (Carol Kane in an Emmy-winning characterization) -- though the nuptials were postponed until Latka was able to divest himself of his slimy, womanizing "alter ego" Vic Ferrari (also played by Kaufman, who insisted that the series' producers sign "Vic Ferrari" to a separate contract!) As in previous seasons, Taxi offered a two-part episode in which the cabbies were forced to put their lives in perspective. On this occasion, the episode was the season finale "The Road Not Taken," wherein Elaine (Marilu Henner) mulled over the opportunity to leave New York for a new out-of-town job, prompting her fellow cabbies to reflect upon the various pivotal moments in their own lives. With the ratings continuing to sag, ABC reluctantly concluded that Taxi was expendable, and the series was canceled. For a while, it looked as if the property would be revived by the cable service HBO; but in the end, it was NBC that came to the rescue, picking up Taxi for its fifth (and as it turned out, its final) season. ~ All Movie Guide
Although Taxi had built up a loyal band of followers and accumulated several industry awards during its first two seasons on ABC, the ratings had steadily declined, prompting the network to mark the series' third season by moving the show from Tuesdays at 9:30 to Wednesdays at 9:00, opposite NBC's Diff'rent Strokes and a weekly CBS movie. Developments during season three included another rift in the rocky relationship between Louie DePalma (Danny DeVito), the obnoxiously dictatorial dispatcher of the Sunshine Cab Company, and his erstwhile girlfriend Zena Sherman (played by DeVito's real-life Significant Other Rhea Perlman); an uncomfortable reunion between cabbie Alex Rieger (Judd Hirsch) and his oppressively neurotic ex-wife Phyllis (Louise Lasser); a hilarious romantic triangle involving cabbie Elaine Nardo (Marilu Henner), her co-worker Tony Banta (Tony Danza) and her new boyfriend Kirk (John David Carson) (it so happened that Kirk would rather have linked up with macho Tony than with flustered Elaine!); Tony's decision to retire from the ring (at least temporarily) after enduing one too many KOs; and a few surprising glimpses into the past of zoned-out former hippie "Reverend" Jim Ignatowski (Christopher Lloyd). Undoubtedly the most memorable plot twist involved Sunshine Cab's sweet-natured immigrant mechanic Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman), who after undergoing a spectacular personality change re-emerged as slimy swinging bachelor-about-town Vic Ferrari! In a related development, Carol Kane made her first appearance as Simka Dahblitz, Latka's countrywoman and eventual sweetheart. Season three's by-now obligatory two-part "retrospection" episode was "On the Job," in which the cab company briefly closed shop, forcing the cabbies to look for "civilian" work. The fact that Taxi's overall ratings continued to decline during its third season was mitigated somewhat when the series took home six Emmy Awards in the spring of 1981. ~ All Movie Guide
Securely imbedded as the ninth most popular program on American television, Taxi inaugurated its second season on the same network (ABC), but in a new timeslot (Wednesday rather than Thursday). A few changes had been made in the cast as well. Randall Carver, who spent all of season one playing cabdriving college student/newlywed John Burns, was suddenly written out of the series with no explanation as to where his character had gone. Filling the breach was Christopher Lloyd, repeating the role of burned-out hippie minister Reverend Jim Ignatowski that he'd originated in the first-season episode "Paper Marriage." Yanked off the streets by the compassionate cabbies of the Sunshine Cab Company, Reverend Jim himself became a driver -- and a permanent cast member -- in the third episode of season two. This was also the season that introduced a handful of semi-regulars. Rhea Perlman, longtime significant other (and later wife) of Taxi co-star Danny DeVito, made a brace of appearances as Zena Sherman, the deceptively sweet-natured girlfriend of the cab company's terrible-tempered dispatcher Louie DePalma (DeVito, of course). Also, Carol Kane was seen for the first time as Simka Dahblitz, countrywoman and sweetheart of Sunshine Cab's foreign-born mechanic Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman), a relationship that would culminate in marriage at the end of season three.
In addition, Marc Anthony Danza, the son of Taxi regular Tony Danza, appeared twice as Brian Sims, a nine-year-old orphan who befriended kindhearted cabbie-cum-boxer Tony Banta (Danza). Basking in the success of the previous season's two-part episode "Memories of Cab 804," the producers of Taxi served up a couple of additional two-parters during the second season. The first, "Shut It Down," found the cabbies going on strike, a situation that could only be remedied if "shop steward" Elaine Nardo (Marilu Henner) made the supreme sacrifice and agree to date the despicable Louie (an earlier episode had intensified the relationship between Elaine and fellow cabbie Alex Rieger [Judd Hirsch], establishing a "will they or won't they?" situation that would permeate the remaining seasons). And in the season finale, "Fantasy Borough," the entire Taxi gang indulged in some elaborate wishful thinking prompted by a set of publicity photos left in one of the cabs by Fantasy Island star Herve Villechaize. Although Taxi would pick up two more Emmy Awards during the 1979-1980 season, the series' move to Wednesdays proved detrimental to the ratings -- which explains the shift to a new Thursday-night slot when the next season got under way. ~ All Movie Guide
In addition, Marc Anthony Danza, the son of Taxi regular Tony Danza, appeared twice as Brian Sims, a nine-year-old orphan who befriended kindhearted cabbie-cum-boxer Tony Banta (Danza). Basking in the success of the previous season's two-part episode "Memories of Cab 804," the producers of Taxi served up a couple of additional two-parters during the second season. The first, "Shut It Down," found the cabbies going on strike, a situation that could only be remedied if "shop steward" Elaine Nardo (Marilu Henner) made the supreme sacrifice and agree to date the despicable Louie (an earlier episode had intensified the relationship between Elaine and fellow cabbie Alex Rieger [Judd Hirsch], establishing a "will they or won't they?" situation that would permeate the remaining seasons). And in the season finale, "Fantasy Borough," the entire Taxi gang indulged in some elaborate wishful thinking prompted by a set of publicity photos left in one of the cabs by Fantasy Island star Herve Villechaize. Although Taxi would pick up two more Emmy Awards during the 1979-1980 season, the series' move to Wednesdays proved detrimental to the ratings -- which explains the shift to a new Thursday-night slot when the next season got under way. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judd Hirsch, Jeff Conaway, (more)
- 1978
A true classic of the "ensemble sitcom" genre, Taxi ran for five years on two different networks, accumulating dozens of industry awards (including several Emmys) and a comparatively small but intensely vocal corps of loyal and loving viewers along the way. Most of the action took place in the garage of New York City's Sunshine Cab Company, a fiefdom ruled from his "cage" by tyrannical, short-tempered taxi dispatcher Louie DePalma (Danny DeVito, who also directed a handful of episodes). The unofficial spiritual leader and father confessors of the cabbies was Alex Rieger (Judd Hirsch), the only Sunshine driver who worked full-time and was not pursuing an outside career. The others included Elaine Nardo (Marilu Henner), whose great dream in life was to be a wealthy and influential patroness of the arts; Bobby Wheeler (Jeff Conaway, who left the series after season three), an aspiring actor; Tony Banta (Tony Danza), a would-be boxing champ; Ageing hippie "Reverend" Jim Ignatowski (Christopher Lloyd, who joined the series during its Second Season), a burned-out relic of the activist 1960s who ultimately (and amazingly) became the garage's wealthiest employee after inheriting a fortune from his father; and, during Season One only, John Burns (Randall Carver), a feckless college student. Also on the Sunshine staff was Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman), a sweet-tempered immigrant from an indeterminate European country with an indecipherable language. During the series' fourth season, Latka married his countrywoman and sweetheart Simka Dahblitz (Carol Kane), who, beginning in season five, was listed among the regulars. (Another recurring character, assistant dispatcher Jeff was played on a sporadic basis by J. Allen Thomas, aka Jeff Thomas).
Debuting September 12, 1978, on ABC, Taxi opened to solid if not spectacular ratings, but its viewership dwindled as the network arbitrarily shifted its time slot (from Tuesday, to Wednesday, to Thursday) over the next four years. Although ABC intended to pull the plug on the program at the end of season four, popular demand from viewers and the industry alike kept the property alive -- albeit on a different network, NBC. Unfortunately, this move did not significantly improve the overall ratings, and as a result, Taxi ended its 114-episode run on July 27, 1983. (There had been an eleventh-hour attempt to revive the series on the cable service HBO, but this came to naught.) Since that time, the series has enjoyed a successful and profitable afterlife in local syndication and on basic cable. ~ All Movie Guide
Debuting September 12, 1978, on ABC, Taxi opened to solid if not spectacular ratings, but its viewership dwindled as the network arbitrarily shifted its time slot (from Tuesday, to Wednesday, to Thursday) over the next four years. Although ABC intended to pull the plug on the program at the end of season four, popular demand from viewers and the industry alike kept the property alive -- albeit on a different network, NBC. Unfortunately, this move did not significantly improve the overall ratings, and as a result, Taxi ended its 114-episode run on July 27, 1983. (There had been an eleventh-hour attempt to revive the series on the cable service HBO, but this came to naught.) Since that time, the series has enjoyed a successful and profitable afterlife in local syndication and on basic cable. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1978
Taxi's very first episode gets under way as would-be art dealer Elaine Nardo (Marilu Henner) strolls into the offices of New York's Sunshine Cab company, looking for a job. After a typically hostile "screening" by dispatcher Louie DePalma (Danny DeVito), Elaine is introduced to her co-workers: Alex Reiger (Judd Hirsch), the garage's "father confessor" and the only full-time cabbie in the bunch; aspiring actor Bobby Wheeler (Jeff Conaway); wannabe boxing champ Tony Banta (Tony Danza); shy, clumsy college student John Burns (Randall Carver); and mechanic Latka Gravas, a thickly accented foreigner from an unpronounceable country. Elaine also joins the cabbies' efforts to reunite Alex with his long-estranged teenage daughter, Cathy (Talia Balsam), who is returning from Brazil after a 15-year separation -- but only long enough to change planes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The classic sitcom Taxi spent all of one episode establishing its premise and characters -- then proceeded forward with the confidence of a series that had been on the air for years. In episode one, the viewer was swiftly and economically introduced to the personnel of New York's Sunshine Cab Company. Alex Rieger (Judd Hirsch) was the most experienced member of the fleet and the only one who worked as a cabbie full-time. The rest of the drivers were moonlighting, pursuing their life goals when not pursuing fares and tips. Elaine Nardo (Marilu Henner) was an art gallery receptionist, hoping someday to establish her own gallery and high-class clientele. Bobby Wheeler (Jeff Conaway) was an aspiring actor who never seemed to get a break. Tony Banta (Tony Danza) was a boxer who spent most of his time flat on the canvas. John Burns (Randall Carver) was a naïve, bumbling college student, who only a few months into the series found himself struggling to support not only himself but his new bride Suzanne (Ellen Regan). And Latka Gravas, the company's mechanic, was a good-natured foreigner who came from an obscure little Eastern Bloc country and spoke in a language peculiarly his own. Then there was pint-sized Louie DePalma (Danny DeVito), the hostile, sarcastic dispatcher, who considered the day wasted if he didn't humiliate someone -- but who often as not ended up on the receiving end of humiliation. Debuting on ABC's powerhouse Tuesday night schedule as part of a sitcom lineup which included Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley and Three's Company, Taxi proved worthy of its company by closing out its first season as the 9th highest-rated TV program in the United States, tied with CBS' All in the Family. The series also racked up two Emmy awards, for Outstanding Comedy Series, and for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (single performance), an award which went to the indefatigable Ruth Gordon for her performance in the episode titled "Sugar Mama." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Obviously inspired by The Wiz, Cindy is a musical adaptation of "Cinderella" with an African-American cast. In 1943 Harlem, Cindy (Charlaine Woodard), fresh from the south, is treated harshly by her stepmother (Mae Mercer) and nasty stepsisters (Nell-Ruth Carter, Alaina Reed). In a departure from most Cinderella stories, Cindy's dad (Scoey Mitchell) is around to provide comfort but not much help against the barrage of her new mother and step-siblings. While taking a precious night off at the Sugar Hill Ball, Cindy is swept off her feet by handsome marine Joe Prince (Clifton Davis). Substituting for the glass slipper in Cindy is a dirty sneaker, but the end result is the same. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Try though he might, Tony (Tony Danza) cannot shed himself of his troublesome girlfriend, an overambitious, overpossessive cab driver named Denise (Gail Edwards). Just it when it appears that Denise has finally taken the hint and removed herself from Tony's life, the girl signs up with the Sunshine Cab Company. Eventually everyone finds out why Denise is so enthusiastic, hardworking, and persistent...she's a habitual pill popper. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
It is a testament to the brilliance of The Mary Tyler Moore Show that the series' 168th and final episode earned an Emmy Award for Best Comedy Writing. When WJM-TV is taken over by new owners, everyone in the newsroom is certain that he or she will be given the pink slip -- none more so than anchorman Ted Baxter (Ted Knight), who literally hides behind his family during a meeting with newly installed station manager Coleman (Vincent Gardenia). But in one of the worst-kept secrets of the 1976-1977 TV season, everybody in the newsroom is fired except for Ted. Even so, there's still plenty of time for laughter, tears, and cameo appearances by former regulars Valerie Harper (Rhoda) and Cloris Leachman (Phyllis). And remember: It's a long way to Tipperary.... "The Last Show" originally aired on March 19, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
Free-spending Phyllis (Cloris Leachman) is devastated when her husband Lars cancels all her credit cards. With no money at her disposal, Phyllis must find a job to keep herself in the lifestyle to which she is accustomed. Well and good, except for one minor detail -- Phyllis hasn't got a single marketable skill to her name. Originally telecast on January 18, 1975, "Phyllis Whips Inflation" won an Emmy award for series regular Cloris Leachman. The episode also represented the actress' final regular appearance on The Mary Tyler Moore Show; within nine months, she would be headlining her own sitcom, appropriately titled Phyllis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
Former That Girl costar Ted Bessell appears as Joe Warner, the new man in the life of lovelorn Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore). Joe's elaborate displays of public affection are a source of both delight and embarrassment for Mary. But the heroine's friends cannot help but notice that Joe never says anything about "Love" -- and soon Mary notices his avoidance of the L-word as well. Valerie Harper makes a return appearance as Mary's pal Rhoda, with David Groh as Rhoda's new husband Joe Gerard. "Mary Richards Falls in Love" was originally broadcast on November 22, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
Perennial loser Ted Baxter (Ted Knight) has suddenly and inexplicably developed a foolproof system for winning the office football pools. Before long, Lou Grant (Ed Asner) is imploring Ted to share his new sure-win methods. But a potential disaster looms over Lou, when, without consulting Ted, he bets all his previous winnings on the Super Bowl. Since "The System" originally aired on January 11, 1975, the night before the actual Steelers-Viking Super Bowl, the writers had to declare a winner without the actual facts on hand -- resulting in a most curious closing-credits apology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Having always congratulated herself for dating men of intelligence, Mary (Mary Tyler Moore) surprises everyone when she goes out with a fellow on the basis of his dazzling handsomeness alone. Mary's friends are convinced that anyone as good-looking as her new beau, Paul van Dillen (Robert Wolders), must have a corresponding shallow personality. The big question is: Does Mary really care if Paul's beauty is only skin deep? Capped by a rare moment of scatology from the winsome heroine, "Not Just Another Pretty Face" originally aired on September 21, 1974. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Despite the presence of his faithful sweetie, Georgette (Georgia Engel), anchorman Ted Baxter (Ted Knight) still regards himself as God's gift to women. And now that Mary (Mary Tyler Moore) has been promoted to producer of "The Six O'Clock News," dumb-dumb Ted regards her as worthy of his attentions. Though Mary manages to keep Ted at arm's length, that isn't the story he spreads to the rest of the newsroom. "An Affair to Forget" first aired on December 21, 1974. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Tensions mount when Mary (Mary Tyler Moore) and her friends are trapped in the newsroom by a sudden November blizzard. Unfortunately, the gang is already at each other's throats, thanks to a series of minor squabbles. In hopes of unruffling everyone's feathers, Mary and Sue Ann (Betty White) decide to hold a Christmas party one month early. Capped by a brilliant burst of non-sentimentality, "Not a Christmas Story" originally aired on November 9, 1974. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
