Harry Guardino Movies

Although Gary's Old Towne Tap is under new ownership, the gang at Cheers intends to reinvigorate its war of practical jokes against the rival pub. Alas, Gary's taciturn owner (Harry Guardino) doesn't find the pranks very funny -- but then, not too many mobsters are known for their sense of humor. Senator John Kerry appears as himself in the opening scene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hunter (Fred Dryer) is given the responsibility of mentoring fledgling detective Jack Ryan (Eric Larson)--the son of his own mentor, police commissioner Bill Ryan (Harry Guardino). Unfortunately, during the search for a robber-murderer who preys upon businessman at check-cashing stores, young Jack commits a number of serious errors. Regretfully, Hunter must inform Jack that he hasn't got what it takes to be a cop--but how can he bring himself to break the news to the boy's father? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Eugene Roche is cast as veteran reporter Billy Simms, yet another longtime friend of Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury). While recovering from a heart attack, Billy expresses the wish that something very, very bad would happen to the slimy publisher who took over Billy's former newspaper and turned it into a trashy tabloid. Sure enough, the publisher is murdered, casting suspicion not only on Billy but also Jessica, whose reputation had recently been slimed by the newspaper. Gretchen Corbett delivers a sharply honed performance as aggressive police investigator Lt. Caruso. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The three-part TV miniseries The Sophisticated Gents covers 25 years in the lives of a group of close friends. Nine African-American members of a sports club gather for a quarter-century reunion. As they reminisce over the high and low points of their lives, some of the members await the arrival of the group's troublemaker with less than enthusiasm. The story comes to an out-of-left-field conclusion involving an escaped killer (Melvin van Peebles) and a pursuing cop. The nine "gents" of the title are played by Ron O'Neal, Thalmus Rasulala, Bernie Casey, Dick Anthony Williams, Raymond St. Jacques, Robert Hooks, Rosey Grier, Paul Winfield...and the aforementioned Melvin van Peebles. Based on John A. Williams' novel The Junior Bachelor Society, the 4-hour The Sophisticated Gents was originally telecast September 29, October 1 and October 2, 1981; for reasons unknown, its debut had been postponed for nearly two years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A piece of made-for-television hack work that suddenly became sort of topical 23 years later, with the attacks on the New York World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, Evening in Byzantium was a two-part made-for-TV feature based very loosely on Irwin Shaw's best-seller. The book involved intrigue and romance at the Cannes Film Festival, but the television producers evidently thought that this did not justify a two-night prime time movie event, so they added a story about Middle Eastern terrorists using the Cannes Film Festival as part of a larger plot to attack the West. Glenn Ford plays Jesse Craig, a down-on-his-luck producer with a film project in mind involving terrorists, who goes to Cannes to raise money and finds himself dealing with his ex-wife (Shirley Jones) and romancing Erin Gray. But before too long, he uncovers a plot by real terrorists to replace commercial airliners in flight (blowing them out of the sky and taking over their authorized flight paths) with specially converted airliners and bomb targets in the United States. Also on hand is Vince Edwards, playing an actor with a radical political agenda, who is alarmed that Ford's proposed film parallels his own terrorist plans; Michael Cole as Ford's associate; Eddie Albert and Gloria De Haven as a couple with ties to the movie business; Harry Guardino as a skeptical American security officer; and Marcel Hillaire as the French police inspector trying to unravel the terrorists plans. It's all very silly, though played very sincerely by most of the cast, and none of the plot described is less plausible than the notion that Glenn Ford and Erin Gray could ignore the 36-year difference in their ages. Evening in Byzantium was originally shown in August of 1978 as part of the syndicated Operation Prime Time programming series, intended to compete with the three networks. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

Contract on Cherry Street represented Frank Sinatra's TV movie debut--an event deemed worthy of a TV Guide cover story. Sinatra plays NYPD veteran Deputy Inspector Frank Hovannes, in charge of a special unit set up to battle organized crime. The murder of Hovannes' partner, coupled with departmental restrictions and legalities, leads the Inspector to organize a semi-vigilante group with three other like-minded officers. They murder an underworld honcho, in hopes of triggering a mob war that will result in the decimation of every gangster in the Big Apple. Edward Anhalt's script for Contract on Cherry Street can't make up its mind whether to emulate The Godfather or Kojak. Sinatra's own Artanis Productions was responsible for this film, so any praise or blame must ultimately fall upon Ol' Blue Eyes' shoulders. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this detective drama, a prosecutor investigates a murder and finds that it is connected to a recent mugging. In the end, he is led to convict a high-ranking crime lord. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The Dorothy Uhnak novel The Ledger was the basis of Get Christie Love! The title character, played by former Laugh-In regular Teresa Graves, is the first black woman to be hired by a big-city police force. Christie Love proves her value to her fellow officers by going undercover to smash a drug ring. First telecast January 22, 1974, Get Christie Love! served as the pilot film for the weekly TV series of the same name. That series ran from September 11, 1974 until July 18, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Diagnosed with inoperable stomach cancer, Detective Ben Fiore (Harry Guardino) decides to take care of some unfinished business before cashing in his chips. With nothing to lose, Fiore begins an intensive manhunt for the killer of his partner Eddie Ryan (Jed Allen)--and at the same time he reveals his long-suppressed ardor for Eddie's widow Ellen (Joanne Linville). Despite the dying detective's effort to hide his illness from everyone, Lt. Kojak (Telly Savalas) senses that there's something very strange going on, especially considering that the late Eddie Ryan was frankly not worthy of Fiore's intense loyalty. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally networkcast on March 20, 1973, Police Story was the 2-hour pilot for the long running anthology weekly which officially debuted seven months later. Created by novelist (and ex-police officer) Joseph Wambaugh, Police Story was set in Los Angeles, and each week detailed a different aspect of law enforcement work. In the pilot, Vic Morrow stars as a hard-nosed cop assigned to a unit devoted to stopping felonies in progress. Morrow's principal reason for being is to bring to justice an elusive veteran criminal named "Slow Boy," portrayed by Chuck Connors. This initial Police Story entry was rerun September 26, 1973, one week before the premiere of the series proper. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide