Hurd Hatfield Movies
Though hardly the easiest actor in the world to properly cast, Hurd Hatfield can claim at least two unforgettable film portrayals. Born in New York and educated at Columbia University, Hatfield was trained at England's Chekhov Drama School (Michael Chekhov, not Anton) and made his stage debut in London. He was personally selected by eccentric filmmaker Albert Lewin to play the title role in the 1945 movie version of The Picture of Dorian Gray. It was an astonishing performance, one that proved virtually untoppable for Hatfield; nothing he would do in his sporadic film appearances of the 1940s and 1950s came close to this personal triumph. After several years on stage, Hatfield was cast as Pontius Pilate in Nicholas Ray's filmization of The King of Kings (1961) -- another brilliant, matchless characterization. Perceived as a "cold fish" in his leading-man days, Hatfield was able to use his sang-froid to his advantage in such roles as Paul Bern in Harlow (the 1965 Carol Lynley version) and the middle-aged sex deviate in The Boston Strangler (1968). The best of Hurd Hatfield's most recent screen appearances was his portrayal of an inconvenient and troublesome grandparent in Crimes of the Heart (1986). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
- Add From Russia to Hollywood: The 100-Year Odyssey of Chekhov and Shdanoff to QueueAdd From Russia to Hollywood: The 100-Year Odyssey of Chekhov and Shdanoff to top of Queue
Michael Chekhov and George Shdanoff were Russian expatriates who came to Hollywood and became two of the best known and most influential acting coaches in the film industry; Chekhov was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in Spellbound, and as a teacher he and his associate Shdanoff helped guide the careers of Leslie Caron, Patricia Neal, Gregory Peck, Rex Harrison, Marilyn Monroe and Clint Eastwood. From Russia to Hollywood provides a glimpse into their lives and careers as Chekhov flees Russia for Germany after the Communist government expresses its displeasure with his productions for the Moscow Art Theater (Stanislavsky considered Chekhov a genius, but the government considered him ideologically unsound). When the Nazis began to rise to power, Chekhov relocated to the United States, where he taught acting when not busy with his own career on the stage and screen. Here, several of Chekhov and Shdanoff's better known students discuss their work and how their teachings effected a generation of Hollywood actors. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregory Peck, Mala Powers, (more)
- 1991
- R
The romantic rivalry between twin psychologists in love with the same beautiful model takes a deadly turn in this dark made-for-cable-TV thriller. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Isabella Rossellini, Aidan Quinn, (more)
- 1989
Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is off to Jamaica, there to visit an old friend living on a sprawling plantation. No sooner has she arrived than Jessica is plunged into family intrigue, stemming from the decision by the plantation heir to wed the daughter of an Obeah priest. This not only dashes the hopes of the family merging with another prosperous Jamaican plantation clan, but it also leads to murder--apparently the fulfillment of an ancient voodoo curse! Musical stage star Shani Wallis makes a rare American TV appearance in this episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A frustrated writer helps save a woman being railroaded by the law -- or is she? -- in this comic mystery with romantic overtones. Phil Blackwood (Tom Selleck) is a best-selling mystery novelist who has run into a bad case of writer's block. Hoping to find inspiration for his next book, Phil goes to the city courthouse and witnesses the arraignment of Nina Ionescu (Paulina Porizkova), a beautiful Romanian immigrant who is accused of killing a man with a pair of scissors. For Phil, it's love at first sight, and after sneaking into jail disguised as a priest, he makes her an offer. Phil offers to let her stay at his house, and he provides her with an alibi -- she can claim that she couldn't have committed the crime, because she was with him at the time of the attack. Nina agrees, but after Phil encounters a handful of dangerous foreign agents, Nina's acrobatic parents, and a highly suspicious district attorney, he begins to wonder if Nina might have committed the murder after all. Her Alibi also features William Daniels as Sam, and James Farentino as Frank Polito; the song "Falling In Love" was written and recorded for the film by Randy Newman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Selleck, Paulina Porizkova, (more)
Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Beth Henley (who also penned the screenplay), Crimes of the Heart stars three high-powered actresses as three high-strung sisters. Lenny (Diane Keaton), Meg (Jessica Lange) and Babe (Sissy Spacek) gather at Lenny's deep-South home for her birthday. Lenny, the oldest, can't seem to sustain a relationship with a man. Meg is an aspiring actress who hasn't progressed beyond commercial voice overs. And Babe is released on bond from jail after shooting her senator husband. Add to this information the fact that the girls' mother killed herself in Lenny's house, and that when Meg offhandedly expresses the wish that grouchy grandfather Hurd Hatfield would slip into a coma, he does, whereupon the sisters, despite every effort to treat the situation with proper sobriety, burst into helpless laughter over her "psychic" powers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diane Keaton, Jessica Lange, (more)
- 1986
Jerry Orbach returns as hard-boiled Boston private eye Harry McGraw, who once again teams up with Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) to solve a murder. This time the victim is a popular actor, who had agreed to serve as one of the auctioneers accepting bids for a torrid diary written by a onetime sex symbol. Not only is the author of the diary under suspicion, but so are several others who'd been a part of her tragic past, obliging Jessica to burrow through the sizeable suspect list so that Harry can make a pinch. Watch for Angela Lansbury's former Picture of Dorian Gray costar Hurd Hatfield--not to mention Jean VanderPyl, the longtime voice of cartoondom's Wilma Flintstone! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Director Bruce Beresford has safely stayed within the domain of the Bible and not strayed into patches of Hollywood fiction in this routine version of the story of David (Richard Gere). For that reason, anyone unfamiliar with Biblical history might be puzzled by the episodic presentation of David's life. In the opening scenes, Samuel condemns Saul and anoints the young David as his heir, and in fairly quick succession David slays Goliath, incurs Saul's jealous wrath, leaves, and, much later, comes back to rule after Saul has died. Once David is on the throne, Bathsheba and then Absalom enter into the picture. Interspersed are brutal scenes of fighting, but not much in the way of motivation for David's complex behavior. Gaps in the narration or unclear motivation may be the result of trying to cover too many events in a 114-minute running time. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Gere, Alice Krige, (more)
- 1984
Angela Lansbury is reunited with her onetime The Picture of Dorian Gray costar Hurd Hatfield in this episode, in which Jessica Fletcher (Lansbury) attends a special performance by a Soviet ballet troupe. Just as two of the dancers decide to defect, the KGB official assigned to the troupe is killed. When one of the defecting dancers also turns up murdered and a terrified ballerina is accused of the crime, Jessica reluctantly joins forces with a gruff government official to solve the crimes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Word is about the newly discovered text that is allegedly written by the younger brother of Jesus Christ. It the document is genuine, it would throw the world's theological community into chaos. David Janssen plays an archaeologist who travels to Italy to verify the document's origins. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Police officer Len Gittings (Walter McGinn) is suspected of accidentally shooting a fellow cop in a drug raid. In his efforts to uncover the truth, Kojak (Telly Savalas) is unaware (at least at first) that Gittings had been trying to protect his drug-addict girlfriend Claire (Lynn Redgrave) during the raid. . .and that Claire herself may have pulled the trigger. In addition to guest star Lynn Redgrave, this episode boasts early TV appearances by Morgan Fairchild (Falcon Crest), Dan Hedaya (Party of Five) and Irene Cara (Fame). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
A lovely young woman becomes imprisoned in a warlock's 18th century castle in this horror film. ~ All Movie Guide
Author William F. Nolan and producer/director Dan (Dark Shadows) Curtis combined forces for the made-for-TV The Norliss Tapes. Roy Thinnes stars as Dan Norliss, an investigative reporter specializing the supernatural. Norliss' tapes consist of his observations when tracking down a report about a "walking dead man." As it happens, the tapes seem to be all that is left of Norliss, who has completely disappeared. The Norliss Tapes was the pilot for a series which failed to secure a network slot (perhaps no one wanted a program with a nonexistent hero!). An earlier failed attempt by Curtis to build a series around a paranormal investigator resulted in the 1969 pilot In the Dead of Night. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Thinnes, Angie Dickinson, (more)
- 1972
Fugitive Confederate officer Cody Ransom (Jon Cypher) is finally willing to surrender to the Union forces-but only if the Cartwright men act as intermediaries. Unfortunately, by-the-book Northern officer Major Donahue (Hurd Hatfield) insists upon handling the capture all by himself-and he is prepared to resort to violence to get his way. Suzanne Pleshette appears as Rose, a war-weary Southerner desperately trying to put her life back together, while 10-year-old Jodie Foster is seen as Bluebird. Originally shown on March 19, 1972, "A Place to Hide" was written by William D. Gordon and Ward Hawkins. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1972
The FBI and the Reds are both on the prowl for traitorous scientist Frederic Scott (Richard Kiley). While on assignment for the spy ring to whom he has sold out, Scott suddenly dashes off to parts unknown in search of his estranged wife Margaret (Marian McCargo). This clash of priorities threatens to prove fatal for both the traitor and his wife. Featured in the cast is Hurd Hatfield, best remembered for his saturnine portrayal of the title character in the 1945 film version of The Picture of Dorian Gray. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Thief is a made-for-TV drama starring Richard Crenna as a paroled burglar. Crenna wants to turn over a new leaf and lead an honest life. To do this, however, he has to pull one last major heist which will square all his accrued debts. The focal point of this film is a near-silent cat burglar sequence, which is good enough to make up for the patchy character development and by-rote dialogue. The Thief also includes an early TV appearance by veteran character actor Michael Lerner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This film of the wartime exploits of Baron Von Richthoven, who was also known as the "Red Baron," was a relatively lavish Corman-brothers production, and is directed by Roger Corman. The film's airborne dogfight sequences are among its most notable features. Vintage World War I airplanes were used, and accidents during filming resulted in one death and several injuries. The evolution of airborne warfare from being a sporting game between gentlemen to its use as an instrument of total war is integral to the story. Von Richthoven (John Phillip Law), who becomes an air ace and an important German hero, was an early aeronautical rival of Hermann Goering (Barry Primus). So important was he to German morale that he was asked to retire from fighting, so that he could assume a position in the post-war German government. He refused, and was killed by a young Canadian (Don Stroud) in an airborne battle. Spookily enough, even though he died in the air, his plane is reputed to have landed intact. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
The Boston Strangler adopts the split-screen technique then in vogue (see also The Thomas Crown Affair) to relate the true story of self-confessed mass murderer Albert DeSalvo. Adapted by Edward Anhalt from the book by Gerold Frank, the film covers the years 1962 to 1964, during which time a dozen women were raped and murdered in the Boston area. State-appointed officer John Bottomly (Henry Fonda) arrests as many known sex offenders as he can get his hands on in hopes of finding a clue as to the Boston Strangler's identity. As these things often happen, the police come across the necessary evidence through pure luck. Well-played by Tony Curtis (whose makeup is startling), DeSalvo himself does not appear until an hour into the film. When caught, the schizophrenic DeSalvo insists that he knows nothing of the murders. Under interrogation and hypnosis, his homicidal impulses are exposed. Meticulously cast, The Boston Strangler offers excellent vignettes by Sally Kellerman as the Strangler's only surviving victim and by Hurd Hatfield as an erudite sex pervert. When Boston Strangler was first shown on TV in 1974, a voice-over coda was added, noting that Albert DeSalvo was stabbed to death in prison on November 26, 1973, and that many experts were convinced that he was not the killer but that his confessions were the product of a delusional mind. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Curtis, Henry Fonda, (more)
- 1966
Adapted for television by Robert Hartung from the play by Barrie Stavus, Lamp at Midnight deals with the 16th-century conflict between the Catholic Church and Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei. After exhaustive research, Galileo (played by Melvyn Douglas) concludes that the Aristotelean concept of the Universe is incorrect. It is Galileo's contention--like Copernicus before him--that Earth is not the center of the universe, but merely another planet, revolving around the sun. This theory is considered heresy by the Church, and before long Galileo is dragged before Cardinal Bellarmin (George Voskovec), leader of the dreaded Court of the Inquisition. Also in the cast of this impressively mounted production are David Wayne, Kim Hunter, Hurd Hatfield, and, as Pope Urban VIII, Michael Hordern. Originally telecast April 27, 1966, the videotaped Lamp at Midnight was the final presentation of Hallmark Hall of Fame's 15th season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Jack Landau directed this 1966 televised production of Tennessee Williams' fantastical one-act play. In it, Martin Sheen stars as Kilroy, an American GI who finds himself in the surreal landscape of a fictitious Latin American nation where he interacts with several characters who have fallen into meaningless and destitute lives. The play also features performances by Tom Aldredge, Michael Baseleon, Albert Dekker, Hurd Hatfield, Kazimir Kokich, and Lotte Lenya. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Sheen
- 1965
This comedy is adapted from a short story by Mark Twain. An abusive carpetbagger marries a plantation owner's daughter to humiliate him. He is cruel to his wife, but she will not complain to her father. The beastly carpetbagger ties the stoic woman to a tree and sets the bloodhounds upon her. They tear off her clothes. This causes the girl's father to die of embarrassment. Meanwhile the girl bears a son. The son grows up and goes West in search of his wretched father. He desires to avenge his mother's honor. Someone else kills his father first. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeff Siggins, Greta Thyssen, (more)
- 1965
Often described as a French New Wave film made in Hollywood, Arthur Penn's 1965 art movie enters the unsettlingly paranoid world of a nightclub comic on the run from the Mob. Having fooled around with the wrong blonde and gambled himself into an unpayable debt, an entertainer (Warren Beatty) flees to Chicago, where he hides out and changes his name to Mickey One. He hooks up with Jenny (Alexandra Stewart) and Castle (Hurd Hatfield), the owner of the nightclub Xanadu, but he cannot shake the paralyzing conviction that he's being pursued no matter where he is. After being beaten by unknown assailants, Mickey finally decides that escape is impossible, so he might as well just do his thing. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Warren Beatty, Hurd Hatfield, (more)
- 1965
Hurriedly assembled to capitalize on the Paramount feature of the same name, Magna Pictures' Harlow was shot in less than two weeks, utilizing a glorified TV-kinescope process called Electronovision. Carol Lynley is physically an excellent choice to play 1930s Hollywood "platinum blonde" Jean Harlow, though she has little of Harlow's casual charisma. Pushed into a movie career by Mama Jean (Ginger Rogers) in order to support her dysfunctional family, Jean rises from 2-reel comedies to big-budget features in the space of a year. Though one of the highest-priced stars at MGM, Jean's fortune is rapidly depleted by her high-living (and, it is hinted, incestuous) stepfather Marino Bello (Barry Sullivan). Seeking happiness and security, Jean marries producer Paul Bern (Hurd Hatfield), only to have him commit suicide due to his impotence. Just when her misery is about to be ended by her marriage to movie star William Mansfield (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.)--a thinly disguised William Powell, who refused to allow his name or likeness to be used--Jean dies of uremia at the age of 26. If you can get past those miserable Laurel & Hardy imitators at the beginning of Harlow, you might be able to survive the rest of the picture, which gives a whole new meaning to the word "cheap." Watch for boxing champ Sonny Liston in a one-scene bit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carol Lynley, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., (more)
- 1964
The Seaview is assigned a mission in the Aegian Sea, to investigate a series of research ship disasters, and an attempt to destroy the sub. Captain Crane (David Hedison) goes undercover in a small seaside village and finds that someone is prepared to kill anyone who asks (or answers) too many questions. He and Nelson (Richard Basehart) follow the trail to Zeraff (Hurd Hatfield), a mad inventor who has built a huge and powerfully armed undersea installation and plans to rule the world, even if it means destroying a good portion of it in the process. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Trevor Howard stars as 19th-century British prime minister Benjamin Disraeli, in this videotaped, 90-minute color special. James Lee's teleplay traces Disraeli's career over a thirty-year period, detailing his devotion to the buildup and maintenance of the British Empire. The story also touches upon the many enemies made by the witty but tenacious PM-some of whom resented the fact that a Jew had a position of power in the government. Above all, the play details the friendship and mutual respect between "Dizzy" and Queen Victoria, played here by Kate Reid. Trevor Howard won an Emmy award for his virtuoso performance as Disraeli, which required a multitude of make-up changes, courtesy of the gifted Bob O'Bradovich. Greer Garson, Denholm Elliott, Hurd Hatfield (as Rothschild) and Geoffrey Keen (as Gladstone) also appear in The Invincible Mr. Disraeli; the play was first telecast April 4, 1963 as a Hallmark Hall of Fame special. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
