James Griffith
- 2002
Pregnant Toronto-based performance artist Stephanie (portrayed by a very pregnant Valerie Buhagiar) accidentally sets labor into motion after a rather rambunctious round of lovemaking with her current boyfriend, Ian (Tom Melissis), whose unsure whether or not he's the baby's dad, but is willing to take on the job if he is. In her resultant giddiness, Stephanie proceeds to gather all of her closest friends and family -- and all their problems and neuroses -- for the much-anticipated event. Included in the birthing party are Anita (Debra McGrath), Stephanie's high-strung older sister and ex-friend of Stephanie's midwife, Julia (Angela Gei); Jack (Karl Pruner), Anita's husband and corporate lawyer big shot, who is beginning to have concerns about his marriage; food photographer and official birth documentarian Gary (Colin Mochrie), who was also a lover of Stephanie's and also wishes to be the baby's father; Dani (Barbara Radecki), who dislikes children and is only present because of a drunken oath she made to Stephanie; and Azaan (Derwin Jordan), Stephanie's neighbor and frequent artistic partner. As Julia arrives on the scene and sets up a birthing tub in the middle of Stephanie's expansive loft, each participant does what he or she can to help the expectant mother comfortably give birth while trying to deal with his or her own personal crises. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Valerie Buhagiar, Angela Gei, (more)
- 1982
With Dr. Baker (Kevin Hagen) in tow, Caroline (Karen Grassle) responds to a call for help from a prospector's camp. Here she finds her old friend Louisa (Ruth Silveira) now pregnant and suffering from the influenza that has spread throughout the camp. Though Louisa dies, her baby survives -- whereupon Caroline makes a fateful decision concerning the infant's future happiness. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, (more)
- 1981
Huckleberry Finn joins Tom Sawyer and Jim, a runaway slave, as they escape down the Mississippi River on a raft. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1979
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a 1979 made-for-TV adaptation of Washington Irving's classic ghost story. Humor is the drawing card in this version, with Jeff Goldblum a delightfully nerdish Ichabod Crane, Dick Butkus an appropriately nasty Brom Bones, and Meg Foster as spirited Katrina van Tassel. Angered that Katrina has grown fond of schoolmaster Crane, Brom Bones determines to scare off the interloper by filling his head with spooky tales of a Headless Horseman. Crane pooh-poohs the legends, until one fateful ride home in the dark of night. Filmed not in Upstate New York but in Park City, Utah, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow premiered on October 31 (when else?), 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
- R
After the death of Bruce Lee in 1973, a slew of imitators invaded the world of the kung fu flick. One of the more well-known is Bruce Li (aka Ho Chung Tao), who continued making sequels and what one might charitably call homages well into the 1980s. Dynamo would, were it just another kung fu flick, rank somewhere in the middle of the pack; if the plot is strictly connect-the-dots, the fight scenes aren't bad, and there are plenty of them. (Though it should be noted that not all of the fight scenes are actually from this film, a move made presumably to lengthen the movie, which as it is clocks in at a paltry 81 minutes and barely sustains the plot even that long.) The premise--a Bruce Lee lookalike plucked from obscurity to make money for an advertising agency--is awkwardly ironic, and mention of Lee's recent demise early in the film doesn't help matters, although it's probably supposed to. When it is Li onscreen, he's actually fun to watch, and it's regrettable that his career is largely founded on imitating Bruce Lee. He tries, but largely lacks the latter's passionate intensity that was key to his star quality, and the result is a film that's a pale copy of the real thing. If you want to watch a Bruce Lee movie, then you might as well watch a Bruce Lee movie. ~ Genevieve Williams, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Originally made for television, this western concerns three unjustly convicted female prisoners. While being transported to prison, their guards die of water poisoning and a former contract killer helps them survive. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Fed up with low-quality television programs, John (Randolph Mantooth) stays up all night--for several consecutive nights--to develop his own TV game show. Back on the job, John joins Roy (Kevin Tighe) in treating an ex-jazz singer who may have heart problems. Other emegencies on tonight's docket include a tightrope walker who is trapped between two tall buildings, and a multiple-injury incident caused by a careless driver. This final episode of Emergency!'s sixth season is also the series' last hour-long episode; thereafter, the program would resurface in the form of six movie-length "specials", spread out over the next two years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
A kidnapping has occurred, and the ruthless abductor has posted a ransom. Among the kidnaper's demands is that detective Mike Stone (Karl Malden) deliver the ransom himself. Stone agrees to this condition, even though he suspects that he is walking into a murder trap. Future Hardy Boys regular Parker Stevenson and reliable character actors Dabney Coleman and Eugene Roche are the principal players in this episode, which was originally networkcast in a 55-minute timeslot to accommodate a brief political message (1976 was an election year, of course!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Having already exhausted the dramatic possibilities of fire with The Towering Inferno, producer Irwin Allen turns to water in the made-for-TV Flood! The film is set in a small community, conveniently (for the purposes of the plot) located near a huge earthen dam. As the flood waters rise and the dam threatens to collapse, we are made privy to the individual reactions of such all-star victims-to-be as Robert Culp, Martin Milner, Richard Basehart, Cameron Mitchell, Barbara Hershey, Teresa Wright and Carol Lynley. As in Inferno, helicopter pilots come to the rescue. Most of the film was shot in Eugene, Oregon. Flood! first aired on November 24, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Previously seen on Streets of San Francisco as a Latino cop determined to purge his old barrio neighborhood of drug pushers, A Martinez appears in this episode in the radically different role of a hapless illegal alien named Rudy Costa. During a raid by immigration officials, a security guard is murdered, and Costa is fingered as the killer. As they pursue the fugitive Costa, Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) uncover evidence that their quarry may have been framed. Much of this episode was filmed on location in Napa Valley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
Crime doesn't take a holiday on Christmas Eve, and detectives Kojak (Telly Savalas) and Stavros (Demosthenes) have plenty to keep them busy. For starters, there's a gun-wielding man on the loose, determined to kill his cheating wife--and anyone else who gets in his way. At the same time, Stavros tries to help a young girl search for her boyfriend, who is likewise heavily armed and very dangerous. Keep an eye out for two future stars, John Larroquette and Edward James Olmos), in very minor roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
Having lived most of his life on a farm, Johnny Johnson (Mitch Vogel) sets out to experience what the world has to offer. Mr. Edwards (Victor French) tags along to make sure that Johnny doesn't get in over his head. Even so, Johnny succumbs to the charms of a young barmaid named Mimi (Jane Alice Brandon) -- losing his heart and most of his money in the process. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, (more)
A septet of settler's children find themselves orphaned and alone following a disaster on the Oregon trail. This fact-based, family-oriented adventure chronicles their cross-country odyssey as they make their way westward. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Brock Peters plays the central figure in this story, a man charged by Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) with a murder that he didn't commit. Unfortunately, once he surrenders his fingerprints to the authorities, he will be exposed as the same person who ran away from a homicide investigation 25 years earlier. Also in the cast are a pre-stardom Dabney Coleman) and onetime Bonanza regular Mitch Vogel, here playing father and son, and future Lou Grant regular Robert Walden. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
The doctors at Rampart set their sights on a diabetic patient who, intentionally or otherwise, repeatedly forgets to take his insulin shots. Another crisis situation arises from a frantic phone call from an anonymous woman who claims to have overdosed on drugs. Elsewhere, the team attempts to rescue some valuable horses from a burning stable; a hostage in a bank robbery is given medical treatment literally "under the gun"; and fireman Chet Kelly (Tim Donnelly) tries his hand at guitar playing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
- PG
Hail, Hero! stars Michael Douglas in his screen debut as long-haired college student Carl Dixon. Reversing the usual procedure in late-1960s films, Dixon decides to quit school and enlist in the Army, even though he's already run afoul of the law as a Vietnam protestor. It is our hero's intention to use love, rather than bullets, to combat the Viet Cong. Needless to say, his idealism is no match for the harsher realities of war, but this doesn't stop him from endlessly spouting the sort of agit-prop rhetoric so beloved of filmmakers of the era. In addition to Michael Douglas, co-star Peter Strauss likewise makes his first film appearance in Hail, Hero! Dated in the extreme, the film is saved by the musical score by Gordon Lightfoot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Douglas, Arthur Kennedy, (more)
- 1969
- R
Jim Killian (Glenn Ford) is a reformed gunslinger who takes a job as a local preacher in Vinagaroon, Arizona. He arrives during a time of conflict between shepherds and cattlemen who are engaged in a bloody range war. When Coke Beck (David Carradine) hangs a local Indian, the victim's daughter Leloopa (Barbara Hershey) enlists the help of Killian. He tries to mediate the conflict in a meeting between the rival factions, but a member of the congregation exposes him as an ex-convict. He also enlists the help of the heart-of-gold saloon-operator Madge (Carolyn Jones). Killian and the townsfolk, women included, organize a march to the watering hole -- the center of the controversy. The cattlemen approach and draw their guns in what could be a potentially violent confrontation. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Carolyn Jones, (more)
- 1969
Vincent Edwards, four years removed from Ben Casey, enters another branch of the healing profession in the made-for-TV Dial Hot Line. Edwards plays Matt Lincoln, a community psychiatrist who is patched into a "hot line" telephone for those troubled souls unable to afford therapy. This TV movie involves three of Lincoln's call-in patients, including one potential suicide. Also featured was future Laugh-In regular Chelsea Brown as Tag, a member of Lincoln's staff. Dial Hot Line later matriculated into the brief Matt Lincoln TV series, with both Vincent Edwards and Chelsea Brown retained from the pilot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
Seven in Darkness has the distinction of being the first made-for-TV "ABC Movie of the Week." The "seven" are all blind people, passengers on a flight en route to a convention for the visually impaired. The plane crashes, forcing the sightless seven to struggle for survival in the hostile wilderness. Arthur O'Connell is given "special guest star" billing, a reliable tip-off as to which of the seven dies first. The rest of the party includes Dina Merrill, Barry Nelson, Sean Garrison, Milton Berle, Alejandro Rey and Lesley Ann Warren. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Warfield (Glenn Ford) is the dispassionate ex-gunslinger who joins forces with peaceful neighbor Forbes (Arthur Kennedy) to help him track down the Apache Indians who have kidnapped Warfield's wife and children two months prior. In searching for the abductees, the hardened gunslinger eventually keeps a level head while the even-tempered Forbes turns into a cold-blooded killing machine. Warfield and Forbes eventually complete their personality changes that lead to the inevitable western showdown. Initially a television movie made for ABC, the company decided to release the film only in theaters. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Ford, Arthur Kennedy, (more)
- 1967
Baltic freedom fighter Nikolai Kurzon (Bob Tiedemann) has been kidnapped by Colonel Alex Stahl (Steve Ihnat), leader of the secret police in Kurzon's homeland. To rescue both Kurzon and his thousands of followers, the IMF must make it appear that Stahl has sold out his government. To accomplish this, Cinnamon poses as an astrologer with a remarkable record of accurate predictions. Much of the action takes place on an airplane that, to all appearances, is doomed to crash with Stahl aboard. Originally telecast December 3, 1967, "The Astrologer" was written by James F. Griffith. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, (more)
- 1967
While visiting the remote community of Olympus, Candy is accused of murdering the son of town boss A.Z. Wheelock (Arch Johnson). Things don't look very rosy for the Ponderosa ranchhand: Determined to see Candy hang, Wheelock has paid off both the district attorney and a drunken eyewitness. Arriving in town, Joe Cartwright tries to prove Candy's innocence, only to be arrested himself for murdering the sole witness. Also appearing are Barry Sullivan as Fully, Brooke Bundy as Mary Elizabeth, and Vaughn Taylor as Sheriff Henning. Originally titled "Judgement at Olympia", this episode was written by Walter Black, and made its network debut on October 8, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
The action in A Big Hand for the Little Lady centers around a high-stake poker game. The participants include some of the wealthiest men in the West (among them Jason Robards Jr., Kevin McCarthy, Charles Bickford and Paul Ford). Into this rarefied atmosphere trudges impoverished farmer Henry Fonda, who despite the protests of his wife Joanne Woodward plunks down his last dollars to join the game. Halfway through the proceedings, Fonda falls ill. With quiet desperation, Woodward sits down daintily at the table and says in a firm voice, "Gentlemen, how do you play this game?" End of story? Not by a long shot! This O. Henry-style shaggy dog story is based on a Dupont Show of the Week TV presentation Big Deal at Laredo. Keep an eye out for two movie veterans in bit parts: silent screen comic Chester Conklin and 1930's leading lady Mae Clarke. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Fonda, Joanne Woodward, (more)
