George Hamilton Movies
Actor George Hamilton got his start in high school dramatics. Movie-star handsome, Hamilton played the lead in his very first film, Crime and Punishment USA (1959). While his acting talent was barely discernible in his earliest effort, Hamilton steadily improved in such MGM films as Home From the Hill (1960), Where the Boys Are (1960), Light in the Piazza (1961). He was at his best in a brace of biopics: in Warner Bros.' Act One (1963) he played aspiring playwright Moss Hart, while in Your Cheatin' Heart (1965), he registered well as self-destructive C&W singer Hank Williams. His much-publicized mid-1960s dating of President Johnson's daughter Lynda Bird was unfairly written off by some as mere opportunism, a calculated ploy to buoy up a flagging career. In fact, it did more harm than good to Hamilton: by 1969, movie roles had dried up, and he was compelled to accept his first TV-series role, playing jet-setter Duncan Carlyle in The Survivors. The following year, he starred as State Department functionary Jack Brennan in the weekly TV espionager Paris 7000. He staged a spectacular comeback as star and executive producer of Love at First Bite (1979), a screamingly funny "Dracula" take-off that won the actor a Golden Globe nomination. Even better was Zorro the Gay Blade (1980), which unfortunately failed to match the excellent box-office performance of First Bite but which still provided a much-needed shot in the arm to Hamilton's career. He went on to play such campish roles as villainous movie producer Joel Abrigor in TV's Dynasty (1985-86 season only) and jaded 007-type Ian Stone in the weekly Spies (1987). Throughout the thick and thin of his acting career, Hamilton remained highly visible on the international social scene, squiring such high-profile lovelies as Elizabeth Taylor and Imelda Marcos. He also remained financially solvent with his line of skin products and tanning salons. In 1995, George Hamilton hopped on the talk-show bandwagon, co-starring with his former wife Alana (who'd remarried rocker Rod Stewart) on a not-bad syndicated daily TV chatfest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Inspired by the childhood experiences of actor George Hamilton, director Richard Loncraine's bittersweet period comedy tells the tale of one mother's attempt to find a new father for her two young boys after catching her husband with another woman. Beautiful but mercurial, Ann Devereaux (Renée Zellweger) has always gotten by on her own charms. Her husband, Dan (Kevin Bacon), is a successful bandleader, but when Ann becomes a witness to his infidelity, she packs their two sons, George (Logan Lerman) and Robbie (Mark Rendall), into her baby-blue Cadillac Coupe de Ville convertible and never looks back. The year is 1953, and Ann is convinced that her girlish charms are still as irresistible as ever. At first their trip is something of an adventure for everyone involved, but the harder Ann searches for a suitable mate the more she realizes that true gentlemen are a dying breed. As time wears on, flamboyant fledgling actor Robbie and cynical aspiring writer George begin to tire of changing schools, their increasingly humble lodgings, and their mother's romantic misadventures. It's a life of instability and unpredictability punctuated by moments of sheer panic, and as Ann forms a different future for her family than either of her sons could have ever imagined, observant George learns to look past her narcissistic exterior and appreciate the determination, dignity, and love that lies just beneath the surface. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Renée Zellweger, Kevin Bacon, (more)
The controversial satire The LA Riot Spectacular plays for mordent laughs the events that consumed L.A. in 1992, after the police officers on trial for beating motorist Rodney King were found innocent. The city was engulfed by a massive riot, but the film plays these moments for laughs. In addition to recreating some of the images seen on television, the film skewers a variety of figures including the police, the media, and the citizens of the city. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher McDonald, Emilio Estevez, (more)
As the wife of fading Hollywood producer Kit Freers (Andrew McCarthy), children's book illustrator Holly Freers (Justine Bateman) would love to have some of the fame and fortune of her movie star neighbors rub off on her just once in a while. However, there is one aspect of living in Beverly Hills that Holly despises. Whereas she is deeply devoted to her daughter Chloe (Holliston Coleman), most of the wives in Holly's neighborhood regard their children as mere ornaments, treating motherhood more as a passing fad than as a blessing. This is especially true of Julia Prentice (Angie Everhart), the trophy wife of a popular sitcom star, who is gearing up to stage the baptism of her baby as a major media event. Nor is this the only reason that Holly resents Julia; it seems that the woman had once been Kit's lover. Thus, when Julia's corpse is found floating in the Freers' swimming pool, the police have two ready-made suspects -- and Holly suddenly becomes a celebrity, just like she always wanted...though she certainly didn't want it like this! Hoping to track down the real killer, Holly starts playing Jessica Fletcher (or is it Nancy Drew?) in the company of her handsome neighbor, screenwriter and mystery buff Justin Caffrey (David Gale). Originally telecast by the Hallmark Channel on August 8, 2004, The Hollywood Mom's Mystery is based on Dead Hollywood Moms Society, a novel by Lindsay Maracotta. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Justine Bateman, Elizabeth Peña, (more)
16-year-old Lindsay Dearborn (Brooke Nevin) is "Too Cool for Christmas," and wants no part of the family celebration being planned by her two male homosexual parents (Adam Harrington and Barclay Hope) and her kid sister Alexa (Jodelle Ferland. Nope, Lindsay is gonna spend the holidays skiing with her best buds, and that's the way it is. Her disdain for the Yuletide season comes to surface at the mall, where she disses a department store Santa Claus (played by George Hamilton) for his tacky beard and out-of-date clothing. Surprisingly, Santa agrees with Lindsay and asks her to help him undergo a complete "fashion makeover" so that he can win back the affections of Mrs. Claus (played by Donna Mills) Out of sympathy for the old guy, Lindsay does what he asks, then is informed that he's the genuine, bonafide, not-a-phony Santa Claus--and further, that he needs her help to deliver all his presents on Christmas Eve. Agreeing on the condition that she'll be back in town in time to go skiing, Lindsay embarks upon the thrill ride of her life--and in the course of the long winter's night, she learns a few lessons about the true meaning of Christmas. An alternate version of the film, which exchanges the homosexual couple for a straight one, was named A Very Cool Christmas and appeared on the Lifetime channel in December 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brooke Nevin, George Hamilton, (more)
- 2003
In this ABC reality series, ten members of an Italian-American blue-collar family were invited to live in the luxury of a mansion in West Palm Beach, FL. Whoever was still living in the house at the end of the series won a grand prize of one million dollars. Determining who would be allowed to stay and who would be asked to leave were a group of "trustees," actually the mansion's staff of servants, who based their assessment on the behavior (good, bad, polite, boorish) of the contestants. So it went until there were two family members remaining, of whom only one would emerge triumphant. Hosted by George Hamilton, The Family debuted March 4, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Hamilton
A down-on-his luck auteur gets one more chance at the big time -- provided his neuroses don't swallow him whole -- in Woody Allen's 33rd feature release, Hollywood Ending. Allen plays Val Waxman, a one-time cinematic genius who's resorted to taking advertisement work to pay the bills for himself and his airhead live-in girlfriend, Lori (Debra Messing). Val finds his luck is about to change, however, when he receives the script for The City Never Sleeps, a period noir set against the backdrop of 1940s New York City. It seems his ex-wife, Ellie (Tea Leoni), now an executive at Galaxy Pictures, has been pulling for him to direct the picture, claiming he's the only man who can do justice to the script. She even manages to convince her boyfriend, Hal (Treat Williams), Galaxy's high-powered studio head, to take a chance on Val's "unique vision." Just when the cameras are ready to roll, however, Val finds that unique vision in jeopardy -- literally -- as he's struck with a psychosomatic case of blindness. When physicians and psychiatrists fail to cure him, Val contrives a scheme to forge ahead with the picture, for fear of blowing his one last chance at greatness. Hollywood Ending co-stars George Hamilton and Mark Rydell. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Woody Allen, Téa Leoni, (more)
Three famous vocalists find their lives don't harmonize well off-stage in this farcical comedy. Armand Dupres (George Hamilton), Ricardo Palacios (Joe Mantegna), and Fabrizio Bernini (Danny Aiello) are three well-respected opera singers who have risen to superstardom thanks to a successful series of recordings and performances as a trio. However, after a disastrous concert in Mexico City, the three singers (all possessing king-sized egos) split up the act and refuse to talk to one another. A few years later, Palacios' career has taken a nosedive, and he's willing to set aside his differences and put the group back together. However, that's before he discovers that Dupres is engaged to marry his rebellious daughter Carmen (Ariadna Gil), and that his ex-wife has married Bernini. Can Palacios stop the wedding between Dupres and Carmen, win back his wife from Bernini, and still get the trio back on the road? ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Casper the Friendly Ghost and Wendy the Good Witch team up to fight an evil warlock. Shelly Duvall and Teri Garr star. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hilary Duff
Cross What's up Doc with Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia and you get this dark screwball comedy of murder and lost luggage. Mafia hitman Tommy Spinelli (Joe Pesci) is flying to San Diego with a bag that holds eight severed heads, which he's bringing to his superiors to prove that some troublesome rival mobsters are permanently out of the picture. Medical student Charlie Pritchett (Andy Comeau) is headed to Mexico with his fiancée Laurie Bennett (Kristy Swanson) to meet her parents. Charlie's suitcase is identical to Tommy's, and it's not until Tommy arrives in San Diego that he discovers that there are no heads in his bag, while Charlie realizes his duffel most certainly does not contain his vacation wardrobe. Tommy finds Charlie's address in the bag and heads to the fraternity house he calls home, where he drafts Charlie's friends Ernie (David Spade) and Steve (Todd Louiso) into finding him some replacement heads post-haste. Meanwhile, Laurie's parents (Dyan Cannon and George Hamilton) are a bit miffed to discover that their future son-in-law is travelling with a bag full of rotting heads, while Laurie is ready to give Charlie his walking papers. Eight Heads in a Duffel Bag was the directorial debut of screenwriter Tom Schulman, who won an Academy Award for his script for the movie Dead Poets Society. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Pesci, Andy Comeau, (more)
The real-life story of Teddy Roosevelt's role in the Spanish-American war is re-told in this made-for-television movie. Tom Berenger stars as Roosevelt, who in 1898 formed his own volunteer calvary to go into Cuba and fight the expansion of Spanish rule. Thousands of men from all walks of life volunteered, but Roosevelt honed the team down to over 500 fighting men. When they finally arrived in Cuba, they faced a well-equipped Spanish army and squared off in the famous Battle of San Juan Hill. Berenger is strong as the charismatic leader, and the supporting cast shines with familiar names. The film clocks in at four hours and was originally shown in two parts. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Berenger, Sam Elliott, (more)
- 1996
In this feature-length episode of the popular, long-running detective series, Jennifer and Jonathan fly to Germany so she can save a leukemia patient's life with her bone marrow donation, but once there, a case of mistaken identity endangers her life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Wagner, Stefanie Powers, (more)
- 1995
In this sudsy drama, a small boy's disappearances leads his mother to suspect her ex-husband of kidnapping. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lisa Rinna, George Hamilton, (more)
A mother is forced to come to terms with her past in this made-for-television adaptation of the novel by Danielle Steel. Set in the 1930s, Lisa Rinni stars as Marielle Delauney, a wife and mother who harbors a secret about a marriage she once had and a child she lost many years ago in an accident. In an attempt to re-build her life after the trauma, Marielle left her husband, re-married, and started a new family. When her second son suddenly disappears though, and her ex-husband (Maurice Godin) is considered the prime suspect, the truth about all involved is slowly revealed. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 1994
- Add Two Fathers: Justice for the Innocent to QueueAdd Two Fathers: Justice for the Innocent to top of Queue
In this made-for-TV drama, Stackhouse (Robert Conrad) and Bradley (George Hamilton) are two men with seemingly nothing in common; Stackhouse is a blue-collar widower from Chicago, while Bradley is a wealthy high-level business man from Boston. But their lives are brought together by a common tragedy -- their children were both murdered by the same man, and when the culprit escapes from prison, Stackhouse and Bradley team up to help put the killer back behind bars. Two Fathers: Justice for the Innocent also features Danny Goldring and Mary Mulligan.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Conrad, George Hamilton, (more)
- 1994
- PG13
In this futuristic martial arts drama based on a popular video game, Los Angeles has been transformed into a watery New Angeles after a long-threatened earthquake devastates the West Coast. Billy Lee (Scott Wolf) and his brother Jimmy (Mark Dacascos) are two martial arts experts who were raised by a woman named Satori (Julia Nickson) after the death of their parents. Satori has come into possession of one half of a magic amulet; if joined with the other half, it gives whomever possesses it remarkable powers. However, the other half of the charm is now held by Koga Shuko (Robert Patrick), a martial arts master and business tycoon who is obsessed with ruling New Angeles. Satori gives her half of the amulet to Billy and Jimmy, hoping they can keep it safe while trying to win the other half away from the unscrupulous Koga Shuko. In their adventures, the brothers encounter Marian (Alyssa Milano), the leader of a gang called "The Power Corps," and Linda Lash (Kristina Malandro Wagner), Koga Shuko's beautiful but deadly female bodyguard. George Hamilton and Vanna White appear in cameos as themselves, and Andy Dick has a small role as the Smogcaster. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Patrick, Mark Dacascos, (more)
- 1993
Investment banker Jack Scalia would give anything to escape his wealthy but empty existence. He fantasizes about becoming an Italian movie star, like his idol George Hamilton. Shedding himself of his wife and job, Scalia heads to Tinseltown to realize his dream, changing his name and adopting a Mediterranean accent along the way. He manages to succeed within these terms-except in the field of romance. He may be a matinee idol to the world, but poor Scalia can't get to first base with the new love of his life, scriptwriter Kathy Ireland. Elliott Gould, Katherine Helmond, James Doohan, Norm Crosby and Frank Gorshin are among the familiar faces popping up in this surprisingly obscure romantic comedy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Scalia, Kathy Ireland, (more)
- 1992
A physician--an amateur sleuth--decides to investigate the suicide of a former student of his and begins to suspect that it was murder. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
The murder of a millionaire has unexpectedly humorous results in this farcical comedy. When Phoebe (Sean Young) and Julian (Richard Lewis), two Americans on a tour of Europe, discover a lost dachshund, they learn that a $5,000 reward has been posted for the dog's return. Phoebe and Julian head to Monte Carlo to return the pet and claim the money, but they find that the dog's owner has been murdered -- and suddenly, they're suspects in the killing. As hapless detective Inspector Bonnard (Giancarlo Giannini) investigates the crime (imagining that the maid and butler must somehow be involved), he grills several other American tourists he believes are likely suspects, including gambling addict Augie Morosco (John Candy) and loud-mouthed suburbanites Neil and Marilyn Schwary (James Belushi and Cybil Shepherd). George Hamilton appears as an unusually opportunistic gigolo; former SCTV star Eugene Levy directed. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Candy, Cybill Shepherd, (more)
A big city doctor is stranded in a small rural town, where he finds love, professional challenges, and a pet pig, in this comedy. Fresh out of residence at a Washington D.C. hospital, hot-shot plastic surgeon Ben Stone (Michael J. Fox) hops in his Porsche and is headed for California, where a lucrative practice in Beverly Hills awaits. However, Ben accidentally plows into a fence in Grady, South Carolina; the wreck puts Ben's car out of commission, and the town's mayor, Nick Nicholson (David Ogden Stiers), sees to it that Ben is sentenced to perform community service while he's waiting to get his car back on the road. For a week, Ben will serve as the community's general practitioner, filling in for the aging Dr. Hogue (Barnard Hughes). Many of the locals go out of their way to make Ben feel welcome, since they need a new full-time doctor and hope he'd be interested in staying on a permanent basis. Ben isn't especially interested until he meets Lou (Julie Warner), a beautiful, intelligent, and feisty local woman he first meets as she's enjoying a morning skinny-dip. Ben now finds himself wondering what the odds are of winning her away from her less-than-brilliant boyfriend Hank (Woody Harrelson). Bridget Fonda has a memorable supporting role as Nancy Lee, who doesn't make much of a secret of her attraction to Ben. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael J. Fox, Julie Warner, (more)
- 1991
Peter Falk is Lieutenant Columbo, and the murderer is known to the audience from the get-go. This much we know before ever tuning in to Columbo: Caution--Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health. The special guest killer this time is George Hamilton, host of an America's Most Wanted-style TV show. Threatened with public revelation that he once starred in a porno film, Hamilton rubs out the blackmailer and cleverly covers his tracks. It must needs be that Hamilton's little murder will be re-enacted on his own TV show, and that Lt. Columbo will show up, rumpled raincoat and all, to ask that "one last question" at every turn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Falk, George Hamilton, (more)
After a break of more than 15 years, director Francis Ford Coppola and writer Mario Puzo returned to the well for this third and final story of the fictional Corleone crime family. Two decades have passed, and crime kingpin Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), now divorced from his wife Kay (Diane Keaton), has nearly succeeded in keeping his promise that his family would one day be "completely legitimate." A philanthropist devoted to public service, Michael is in the news as the recipient of a special award from the Pope for his good works, a controversial move given his checkered past. Determined to buy redemption, Michael and his lawyer B.J. (George Hamilton) are working on a complicated but legal deal to bail the Vatican out of looming financial troubles that will ultimately reap billions and put Michael on the world stage as a major financial player. However, trouble looms in several forms: The press is hostile to his intentions. Michael is in failing health and suffers a mild diabetic stroke. Stylish mob underling Joey Zaza (Joe Mantegna) is muscling into the Corleone turf. "The Commission" of Mafia families, represented by patriarch Altobello (Eli Wallach) doesn't want to let their cash cow Corleone out of the Mafia, though he has made a generous financial offer in exchange for his release from la cosa nostra. And then there's Vincent Mancini (Andy Garcia), the illegitimate and equally temperamental son of Michael's long-dead brother Sonny. Vincent desperately wants in to the family (both literally and figuratively), and at the urging of his sister Connie (Talia Shire), Michael welcomes the young man and allows him to adopt the Corleone name. However, a flirtatious attraction between Vincent and his cousin, Michael's naïve daughter Mary (Sofia Coppola) develops, and threatens to develop into a full-fledged romance and undo the godfather's future plans. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, (more)
