Jasmine Guy Movies

There were two rival TV dramatizations of the sensational murder case involving "monster Mom" Frances Schreuder. Stephanie Powers was the star of the two-part 1987 TV movie At Mother's Request. Part One details the events leading to the murder of Frances' multimillionaire father Franklin Bradshaw (E.G. Marshall). Though Frances' complicity was well known at the time of Part One's first telecast on January 4, 1987 (in fact, she was already serving a life sentence in the Utah State Prison), the case is treated like a whodunit.

Part Two demonstrates how Frances' teen-age son Marc (Doug McKeon) was coerced into committing the deed by his manipulative Mom. Though lacking depth, At Mother's Request is still a powerful re-enactment of what was once considered "The Crime of the Century" (O.J. hadn't happened yet). The second half of this two-part TV-movie debuted on January 6, 1987. For the record, Lee Remick starred in a like-vintage TV adaptation of the same story, Nutcracker. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Fraternity and sorority members clash with the other students at a historically black university in this politically charged musical, which marked the sophomore feature from director Spike Lee. Dap (Laurence Fishburne) is a politically conscious brother who leads anti-apartheid demonstrations and eschews the social climbing of the Greek system. But Half-Pint (Lee), his craven young cousin, is willing to endure any humiliation to join the manly Gamma fraternity. As Half-Pint tries unsuccessfully to impress the Gammas with his inept womanizing, Dap engages in philosophical debates with Rachel (Kyme), his girlfriend. Meanwhile, the light-skinned, straight-haired sisters of the Gamma Ray sorority battle it out in a beauty parlor with their darker-skinned, Afro-headed fellow co-eds. Eventually, Half-Pint gets the chance to join the frat, but only after a degrading episode with Jane (Tisha Campbell), the soon-to-be ex-girlfriend of his house president, causes Dap to lose all respect for him. Based in part on the director's experiences at Atlanta's Morehouse College, School Daze was also written and produced by Lee. Despite production numbers that included "Straight and Nappy", a dis-fest between the "wannabes" and "jigaboos" on campus, the biggest hit on the film's soundtrack was the go-go anthem "Da Butt", E.U.'s ode to shaking one's backside. Supporting players Kadeem Hardison and Jasmine Guy also co-starred on the TV comedy A Different World, another look at life on a primarily African-American campus. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Besieged with guilt, a teenage boy feels he's to blame for his friend's accidental death and hides away in the subterranean subway world beneath the streets of New York City. His grief and guilt are assuaged somewhat through two friendships he develops. ~ All Movie Guide

It's official -- the formerly self-centered Hillman College graduate Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy) is definitely in love with her fellow collegiate Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Hardison) as A Different World begins its fourth season. Unfortunately, during the summer, Dwayne has met and fallen for someone else: a Japanese-American girl named Kinu. So disconsolate that she forgets to pay her room rent on time, Whitley temporarily moves in with another of her Hillman College confrères, the worldly Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) -- in an apartment right across the hall from Dwayne's! Hoping to make Dwayne jealous, Whitley finally agrees to go out with Dwayne's dweebish roommate Ron (Darryl M. Bell), but the scheme doesn't work. Incidentally, Ron is far more interested in the artistically inclined coed Freddie (Cree Summer), who isn't quite as waif-like as in previous seasons, and is beginning to emerge as something of a social activist thanks to the influence of her Black History professor. Meanwhile, the romance between Jaleesa and local community-center leader Walter (Sinbad) has gone south, with Jaleesa now hitching her star to hard-driving calculus teacher Colonel Clayton Taylor (Glynn Turnan), whose son Terrence (Cory Tyler) is currently driving everyone crazy as a new Hillman freshman. As the season progresses, Whitley lands a marketing job and later becomes assistant to an art gallery curator; Dwayne and Kina split, with Dwayne finally realizing he is as much in love with Whitley as she is with him; Ron is invited to join his dad's car business, but he opts instead to become a drummer in a band ; and Whitley's former roommate Kim is temporarily working at a mortuary. Season four ends with the possibility of Ron failing to graduate from Hillman, Walter accepting a job in Philadelphia; and Whitley laboring under the misapprehension that Dwayne wants to break off their relationship. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Whitley (Jasmine Guy) is convinced that she is the inspiration for Dwayne's poem "My First Love." Actually, Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) wrote the poem as a paean to mathematics--and its true inspiration turns out to be the spirit of William Shakespeare (John H. Francis), in one of his rare TV appearances. Meanwhile, Freddie (Cree Summer) suffers intense guilt pangs when she begins dating both Ron (Darryl M. Bell) and a dreamy pro-environmentalist named Livingston (Alex Gilbert). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) is unpleasantly surprised when his friend Zellmer (Blair Underwood), an Army reservist, is called to active duty in the Persian Gulf. Nonetheless, Dwayne organizes a "guy's only" farewell party for his pal--which is memorably crashed by Whitley (Jasmine Guy), Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis), and Kim (Charnele Brown), who perform "The Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy From Company B". Meanwhile, Freddie (Cree Summer) can barely say a word to Zellmer due to her opposition of the US' intervention in the Gulf. This episode was cowritten by series regulars Jasmine Guy and Dominic Hoffman (Julian Day). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jasmine Guy takes time off from A Different World to guest star as Kayla Samuels, a brilliant scholarship student who comes from an urban background much like Will's. Attracted to Kayla, Will (Will Smith) convinces her not to take life so seriously, and introduces her to a wonderful new world of fun and games. But when Kayla's schoolwork begins to suffer and her scholarship is jeopardized, Will must face the possibility that he is a bad influence...despite the fact that their friendship has blossomed into romance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

As the sixth and final season of A Different World gets under way, newlyweds Whitley (Jasmine Guy) and Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) are returning from their honeymoon in Los Angeles -- which unfortunately coincided with the Rodney King riots! Nor is life a bed of roses for the couple upon settling into their new home. Whitley loses her position at the art gallery, forcing Dwayne to hold down three different jobs to make ends meet. Things look temporarily brighter when Dwayne is offered a lucrative job in Japan, but alas, this opportunity also comes a-cropper. And on top of everything, Whitley learns she is pregnant! Meanwhile, Dwayne's formerly footloose roommate Ron (Darryl M. Bell) has matured sufficiently to assume the management of a trendy nightclub. As for Ron's erstwhile girlfriend Freddie (Cree Summer), she has apparently forsaken her tacky Annie Hall wardrobe and her artistic inclinations for a stylish business suit and a career in law, leading the increasingly militant Lena (Jada Pinkett) to label Freddie a sellout -- at least until she realizes that Freddie intends to improve the system from within, rather than as the perennial outsider. As for Whitley's no-nonsense former roommate Kim (Charnele Brown), she has finally settled upon a boyfriend who is truly marriage material (it's taken her long enough). Newcomers to the cast includes Gary Dourdan as Shazza Zulu, whom Freddie briefly dates before returning to Ron; Karen Malina White as the garrulous and somewhat pushy college freshman Charmaine Brown, a character carried over from A Different World's "parent" series The Cosby Show; Patrick Malone as Terrell, a student who may look and act like a thug but isn't...and may be a potential boyfriend for Charmaine. When near the end of the series' run Lena, Charmaine, Terrell, and Gina Devereaux (Ajai Sanders) decide to rent a house together, the casual viewer might assume that the producers had a spin-off series in mind, but this never came to fruition. Before leaving A Different World, let us give an affectionate nod to actor Lou Myers, who has woven in an out of the proceedings as Vernon Gaines, chef at the campus hangout The Pit. The series' resident philosopher, Vernon is known far and wide for occasionally bending the truth to serve his needs -- but in the season six episode "A Rock, A River, A Lena," we are offered proof incarnate that Vernon did indeed make the acquaintance of guest star Lena Horne during WWII. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally aired on CBS in 1992, Stompin' at the Savoy was produced and directed by Broadway choreographer and actress Debbie Allen. Set in New York City during the late '30s, the story concerns the economic survival of four young women trying to achieve their dreams at the end of the Harlem Renaissance. Pop star Vanessa Williams stars as Pauline, a domestic worker trying to make it as a singer. After work, she frequents the happening Savoy Ballroom along with Esther (Lynn Whitfield), Alice (Jasmine Guy), and Dorothy (Vanessa Bell Calloway). Eventually, fame and WWII come between the four friends. Though nominated for several Emmy awards for choreography and costume design, Stompin' at the Savoy has never been released on home video. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

When Freddie (Cree Summer) goes camping with Shazza (Gary Dourdan), Ron (Darryl M. Bell) tries to renew his relationship with Kim (Charnele Brown)--who at the moment is having problems in her anatomy class. Unable to participate in a dissection without becoming nauseous, Kim turns to her lab partner Spencer Boyer (Michael Ralph in his first regular series appearance) to boost her confidence. Alas, though Kim seems to have solved her classroom problem, her romantic life is still in shambles. Meanwhile, Charmaine (Karen Malina White) is the latest in a long line of series regulars to find employment at The Pit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jasmine Guy makes her first appearance as the deliciously duplicitous fallen angel Kathleen. Monica (Roma Downey) has been assigned to reunite veteran rodeo rider Ty Duncan (Stacy Keach) with his long-estranged son Matt (Miko Hughes). Conversely, it is Kathleen's mission to drive the Duncans even further apart--and this she does in the guise of a sideshow fortuneteller, who not only causes a serious rift in the relationship between Matt and his own son Daniel, but also does her best (or worst) to break up Matt's marriage. It looks like Monica has met her match this time...but the story's not over yet! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Reggae music is featured in this romantic thriller set in Jamaica. Stoney (Giancarlo Esposito), a photojournalist, is assigned by a U.S. music magazine to cover a battle of the bands in Jamaica. There he becomes involved with the seductive Blossom (Jasmine Guy) who works for Mr. Lee (Lucien Chen), a crime boss. Lee is planning to rob the concert box office. Blossom tries to convince Stoney to help her steal the money from Lee and escape to another island paradise. Interspersed amongst the action are many clips of the reggae bands as they musically battle it out. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide