Tippi Hedren Movies
Blonde actress/model Tippi Hedren lists the year of her birth as 1935, which means that she would have been 14 or 15 when she appeared fleetingly in her first film, The Petty Girl (1950). Hedren did not resurface on the movie scene again until 1963, when she was "discovered" by Alfred Hitchcock. The official story is that Hitchcock wanted to mold Hedren into a new Grace Kelly; rumors persist that his interest in the actress went way beyond professional, and that he made a few clumsy advances towards her on the set. Whatever the case, Hedren starred in Hitchcock's The Birds (1963) and Marnie (1964). She was criticized for being too impassive in the former film and too expressive in the latter, though it isn't fair to pick on her for the shortcomings of the script and direction. Hedren was under contract not to Hitchcock but to his home studio of Universal; thus, she was obliged to appear in a 1963 Kraft Suspense Theatre episode and in director Charlie Chaplin's A Countess from Hong Kong (1967), acquitting herself nicely in both instances. She curtailed her film appearances in the late 1960s when she married her second husband, Noel Marshall. The Marshalls then proceeded to pour 11 years' work (and $17 million!) into Roar (1981), a film based on their own real-life efforts on behalf of the African wildlife preservation movement. Even three decades after the fact, Hedren can't quite shake her earlier relationship with Alfred Hitchcock: she played a murder victim in the 1990 TV remake of Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt, and starred in the made-for-cable The Birds II: Land's End (1994). Tippi Hedren is the mother of actress Melanie Griffith. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A man finds himself torn between the love of his homeland, the love of his family, and the love of a woman in this period drama based on a true story. Robert Adams (Julian Adams) is a Southern gentleman who is helping to run the plantation run by his grandfather (Weston Adams) as the Civil War looms on the horizon. At a party, Robert meets Eveline McCord (Gwendolyn Edwards), a beautiful and intelligent schoolteacher from the North. Robert falls deeply in love with Eveline and asks for her hand in marriage, but not long after that, war breaks out and Robert's loyalties to family and home lead him to become a captain in the Confederate army, while Eveline stands by her family in the North. As Robert bravely fights for a failing cause and is captured and imprisoned by Union troops, he struggles to stay in contact with Eveline, with her love becoming the only thing he can still count on. Strike the Tent was written, produced, and co-directed by Julian Adams, who also played Robert Adams, his real-life great-great-grandfather; the supporting cast includes Mickey Rooney, Tippi Hedren, and musician Edwin McCain. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julian Adams, Gwendolyn Edwards, (more)
Five years after achieving commercial and critical success with his film Three Kings, director and screenwriter David O. Russell returns to the more idiosyncratic territory of his earlier work with this intelligent and offbeat comedy. Bernard and Vivian Jaffe (Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin) are a married couple who run an existential detective agency where they sift through the lives of their clients in order to discover the source of their angst. The Jaffes' latest client is Albert Markovski (Jason Schwartzman), an environmental activist who has a very large rock and a great deal on his mind; their study of Albert's problems lead Bernard and Vivian to Brad Stand (Jude Law), a public relations executive with a chain of successful variety stores, Huckabees. While publicly allying himself with Albert's environmental initiatives, behind the scenes Brad is running roughshod over responsible land management with little care for the consequences. When Brad learns he's being watched by the Jaffes, he hopes to co-opt them by hiring them himself; however, the plan has unexpected consequences when their questioning leads Brad's girlfriend, well-scrubbed model Dawn (Naomi Watts), into reassessing her life and relationships. Meanwhile, Albert finds himself joining forces with Tommy (Mark Wahlberg), a firefighter and fellow environmentalist who has been having second thoughts about Bernard and Vivian's ideas and methods after a long-term investigation and has since fallen under the spell of nihilist poet and philosopher Caterine Vauban (Isabelle Huppert). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Schwartzman, Isabelle Huppert, (more)
In a world driven by celebrity obsession, what better way to express your admiration of the Hollywood star of yesteryear than by having them glimmering from around your neck or shimmering on your finger wherever you go? At least that's the attitude taken by Dr. Lockbuster (Tim McNeil) as he enters into a lucrative partnership with notorious criminal Augustine Garza (Leo Rossi) and millionaire Quentin Leeds (Joseph Ruskin) to market "celebrity" diamonds made from the ashes of deceased Hollywood royalty. It seems that wealthy widows simply can't get enough of the glitz and glamour, especially diamond fanatic Mrs. Kelly (Tippi Hedren). But what happens when the men assigned the decidedly unglamorous task of acquiring the remains begin running out of "product"? With their decidedly finite supply of deceased Hollywood royalty rapidly declining, desperate grave robbers Bergerac de la Houssey (Bronson Pinchot) and Lulu (Darin Heames) soon begin shopping around for living candidates. When the murder of Quentin Leeds inspires investigators to pick up Bergerac for questioning, the nervous grave robber beats a hasty retreat while in possession of the famed Hemingway diamond that is said to have a hypnotic effect on anyone who comes in contact with it. With the police, Garza, and Mrs. Kelly hot on his trail, it seems that this quest for the ultimate gem can only end badly. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bronson Pinchot
A ravenous werewolf (Kane Hodder) is stalking Los Angeles in search of newbie wolf, Josie (Samaire Armstrong), with whom he wants to mate and keep the species going. Detective Steve Turley (Ryan Alosio), one of the few humans hip to werewolves, tries to protect her and several of her friends who are in the werewolf's way. But for a few, their erotic nude photography session ends badly when the werewolf finds out where they are. How will Turley keep the wolf at bay? Hey, what are these silver bullets...? ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Linda Marsh (Mary McDonnell) may have been hoping for a surprise on her 16th wedding anniversary, but she certainly doesn't welcome the news that her school-principal husband George (William Russ) has been carrying on an affair with the teacher of the Marshes' daughter! The breakup of Linda and George's marriage is quite a shock for the small town in which they live--almost as shocking as Linda's subsequent actions as she grimly embarks on "a search for a new life." As part of that search, Linda has enlisted her kids in her campaign to land a "replacement" head of the household. Wavering erratically between broad comedy and sentimental slush, the made-for-TV Replacing Dad was based on a novel by Shelley Frasier Mickle, and first aired March 14, 1999 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
This documentary is a loving look at the cinematic genius of Alfred Hitchcock. Speeding through much of his early British works, the film focuses on his American classics, such as Marnie, Vertigo, and particularly Psycho. The movie also neatly examines Hitchcock's signature touches, from his inevitable brief cameo to his famous MacGuffin. Kevin Spacey narrates, and there are interviews with such film figures as Jonathan Demme, Peter Bogdanovich, and Janet Leigh. Dial H for Hitchcock was screened at the 1999 Denver Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Spacey, Jonathan Demme, (more)
- 1999
The fact that Tippi Hedren is cast as the grandmother of the protagonist is hardly the only Hitchcock reference in the made-for-cable thriller The Darklings. While bedridden with a case of mono, teenager C.J. (Ryan DeBoer) glances out his window, and sees--or thinks he sees--next-door neighbor Clayton Shepherd (Timothy Busfield) murdering his wife Emily (Suzanne Somers). Of course, when the authorities are summoned, there is no evidence of any murder--and in fact there's no body. Further developments suggest that C.J. was simply imagining things, but he refuses to accept this explanation. In league with his youthful pals Jessie (Meghan Ory) and Josh (Ben Johnson), C.J. is determined to bend and even break the law to prove that Shepherd is a killer. Martin Sheen also stars in this delightful blend of TV-style teen angst, light humor and dastardly deeds. The Darklings premiered February 14, 1999 on the Fox Family channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Directed by Iwerks' granddaughter, this documentary seeks to highlight the cinematic accomplishments of Ub Iwerks, a forgotten genius overshadowed by the towering presence of Walt Disney. The details include his early life in Missouri, his teaming up with Disney, and the creation of his most famous work: Mickey Mouse. The film provides an in-depth look into the world of American animation during the '20s and '30s, including some rarely seen animated gems. After Iwerks left Disney to set up his own company, he became one of the key innovators of animation and helped train a future generation of cartoon masters, including Chuck Jones. Also featured are interviews with film critic Leonard Maltin and animators Mark Kausler and John Lasseter. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kelsey Grammer
Kiefer Sutherland and Bridget Fonda star in this thriller with Fonda playing an abused housewife who is forced to deal with a constant stream of lies and violent confrontation from her psychotic husband. Things only get worse when she discovers dead bodies are appearing at their home, a large sum of money is missing, and it becomes obvious her husband's bad side runs deeper and more dangerous than she imagined. The supporting cast includes Steven Weber, Penelope Ann Miller and Tippi Hedren. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kiefer Sutherland, Bridget Fonda, (more)
- 1998
Aris Iliopulos directed this campy comedy utilizing schlock filmmaker Ed Wood's last unproduced screenplay. Stock footage and old hygiene films are intercut with this near-silent story following a cross-dresser (Billy Zane), who escapes from the Casa de la Loco Sanitarium, manages to acquire some money, and then loses it at a funeral attended by eccentric mourners. He then seeks them out, killing them one by one. Some script instructions appear as titles. Bud Cort makes an uncredited appearance, and Wood aficionados can spot Kathy Wood (the filmmaker's daughter) in a walk-on, while Maila Nurmi re-creates her famed Vampira characterization. Larry Groupe's punk score alternates with standards by Nat "King" Cole and others. Shown at the Toronto Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Zane, Sandra Bernhard, (more)
The divisive issue of abortion is at the center of Citizen Ruth, a political satire that attempts to subject both pro-choice and pro-life forces to equal ridicule. Laura Dern portrays Ruth Stoops, an irresponsible, unemployed woman who's addicted to inhaling household chemicals and has becomes pregnant, for the fifth time. After she is arrested for substance abuse, the judge offers to lessen her sentence if Ruth chooses to abort her child. Ruth agrees, but that night she encounters a group of pro-life activists. They take her under their wing, promising to help her, while secretly planning to make her case public as a symbol for the pro-life movement . When Ruth discovers the deception, she takes refuge with a pro-choice group, sparking a media frenzy. Yet Ruth soon finds her new friends are also only interested in her value as a media icon. Realizing she has been used as a pawn in the abortion rights battle, the apolitical Ruth turns the tables, offering to join whoever will give her the best deal. What results is a frantic, comedic session of wheeling-dealing which argues that activists on both sides have become more concerned with waging political warfare than helping women. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura Dern, Swoosie Kurtz, (more)
- 1994
The uneasy relationship between a naive shrink and the psychotic husband of one of her patients forms the basis for this thriller. After poor Veronica runs screaming hysterically from a theater she is placed in an asylum. Dr. Marcia Stevens who did the initial observations of Veronica places the distraught woman under the care of Dr. Lisa Kelner, an innocent young psychiatrist in the midst of her residency. Dr. Kelner soon learns that Veronica is being abused by her husband Adam Cestare. Despite strict hospital regulations forbidding personal contact the intrigued young Dr.. visits the husband. Lisa is entranced by the charismatic Adam. For a psychiatrist she is incredibly gullible and masochistic. When Adam sees Dr. Lisa accidentally murder someone, he begins to blackmail her and mold her to suit his will. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maxwell Caulfield, Stephanie Knights, (more)
- 1994
Produced for cable TV, this feeble follow-up to the classic Hitchcock thriller transfers the avian carnage from Bodega Bay to the New England fishing town of Land's End, where a young couple and their two daughters are besieged by squadrons of malicious gulls and their assorted winged cousins. Despite some opening scenes suggesting an actual motivation for the bird attacks -- something Hitchcock left eerily ambiguous -- there is little variation on the formula, which overstays its welcome long before the lackluster climax (which owes more to The Killer Shrews than to The Birds); the pointless proceedings are further bogged down by a dreary adultery subplot. Even the presence of Tippi Hedren fails to provide even a slightly clever nod to the original, as she is wasted in a minor role as the proprietor of a local diner who has her own theories about the cause of the bird attacks. Direction was credited to standard DGA pseudonym Alan Smithee when Rick Rosenthal withdrew his name from the final cut. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brad Johnson, Chelsea Field, (more)
- 1994
It's the old switcheroo in this action comedy that follows the exploits of desperate extortionists. Gloria is a fluffhead with a Chinese dragon tattooed upon her chest. She wears lovely holograph earrings that just happen to contain classified detail of the U.S. space program. She is taken hostage by the bumbling extortionists and their leader Carl, former head of a freezer treat company. Unfortunately for them, Gloria accidently drowns in their pool when she tangles with a beach ball. Now the crooks must find a look-a-like for Gloria. They find her in Teresa, a college girl with a talent for mathematics. She is captured and tattooed. She soon escapes leading the crooks on a merry chase. Joining in the hunt for Teresa is an FBI agent and her new boyfriend. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adrienne Shelly, C. Thomas Howell, (more)
- 1993
In 1944, Angela Lansbury and Mickey Rooney both appeared in the classic racetrack film National Velvet. The two veterans are reunited in this story, which appropriately enough revolves around a thoroughbred horse, and two families who have staked everything in an upcoming race. When her old friend, horse trainer Matt Cleveland (Rooney), is murdered, Jessica (Lansbury) hits the trail of clues and collars the killer in the home stretch. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
The murder of a cosmetics company tycoon leads lawyer Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) into a strange case involving a new anti-aging concoction. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- R
A woman is terrorized by her former lover in her apartment, which he remodeled to his own specifications. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Dean Anderson, Marg Helgenberger, (more)
- 1991
In this remake of a classic Hitchcock thriller, a niece begins believing that her beloved uncle is a cold-blooded killer. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Harmon, Margaret Welsh, (more)
John Schlesinger directed this upscale horror film about a landlord with the ultimate problem tenant. Patty Palmer (Melanie Griffith) and Drake Goodman (Matthew Modine) are a middle class couple who lie on their financial statement in order to buy an old Victorian house in San Francisco, planning to renovate it and rent it out. Unfortunately, they select as a tenant Carter Hayes (Michael Keaton), a psychotic real estate bargain hunter who plans to drive Patty and Drake into foreclosure proceedings and then buy the house cheap. Carter starts the ball rolling by refusing to pay his rent and driving out a couple who had rented the rear flat by hammering and sawing all night -- and then releasing a tidal wave of cockroaches. What follows is a psychological war between Carter and the Yuppie couple, with Carter succeeding not only in provoking Drake into more extreme means of eviction, but also causing a rift between Drake and Patty. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Keaton, Melanie Griffith, (more)
- 1990
The cast from the popular television cornball comedy series are reunited when Oliver must save Hooterville from developers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Deadly Spygames is a direct-to-video espionager conceived in the spirit of James Bond. The target: A Cuban radar station. The mission: to neutralize the efforts by a group of megalomaniacs to launch a nuclear war. The first complication: the male and female spy (Jack M. Sell--who also directed--and Adrianne Richmond) are former lovers. The reason you'll watch: to see 1960s icons Troy Donahue and Tippi Hedren in supporting roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Troy Donahue, Tippi Hedren, (more)
In the Cold of the Night is an above-average erotic thriller, directed with superb visual style by Nico Mastorakis, but plagued by an uneven, derivative plot. Photographer Scott Bruin (Jeff Lester) is very successful but begins to have frightening visions of himself murdering a beautiful woman. When he meets the woman in those dreams, Kimberly (Adrienne Sachs), they begin a highly charged romance. When Scott becomes suspicious, he finds out information which leads to a "surprise" ending. In the Cold of the Night generated a great deal of controversy when it was originally released, and director Mastorakis had to cut the film to avoid an X rating. Despite the cuts and the weak plot, the extraordinary visual style of Mastorakis, and the haunting cinematography make In the Cold of the Night a treat for fans of erotic thrillers or anyone who appreciates technique and style in filmmaking. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is the portmanteau pilot film for the subsequent TV revival of Hitchcock's celebrated anthology series of the 1950s and '60s. Four short tales are presented, each of them remakes of earlier Alfred Hitchcock programs. "Incident in a Small Jail," originally presented in 1961 with John Fiedler in the lead, stars Ned Beatty as a traveling salesman who finds himself sharing a jail cell with an accused rapist -- the target of an angry, indiscriminate lynch mob. "Man from the South," based on an oft-adapted Roald Dahl piece, stars John Huston as a cagey gambler who makes a grisly wager with novice Steven Bauer. The original 1959 Hitchcock version of this tale starred Peter Lorre and Steve McQueen; featured in the cast of the remake are former Hitchcock movie leading ladies Kim Novak and Tippi Hedren, as well as Hedren's daughter Melanie Griffith. "Bang, You're Dead" is a taut, tension-filled tale of a child who wanders around town with a loaded gun. The child is a little girl (Bianca Rose), but in the initial 1961 version the protagonist was a boy, played by Billy Mumy (who appears in this remake in a small role). The final playlet, "The Unlocked Window," is an abbreviated version of a story first shown on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour in 1965. Bruce Davidson is featured in a virtual reprise of that beloved old Hitchcock protagonist Norman Bates. Each of the four stories in Alfred Hitchcock Presents had its own director -- in order of appearance, they are Joel Oliansky, Steve De Jarnatt, Randa Haines, and Fred Walton -- and all were narrated by co-star John Huston. The late Alfred Hitchcock opens and closes each playlet via colorized footage from the original series -- a bizarre touch that "The Master" might have approved of. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
