Florence Henderson Movies
Ever since the '50s, each generation has had its definitive sitcom mom, the one woman who symbolizes the attitudes and ideals of the American household (at least according to the major networks). In the late '50s, it was Barbara Billingsley; Donna Reed ruled the '60s; Roseanne repped the '80s; and Florence Henderson was queen of the '70s. As Carol Brady, she was the polyester-clad personification of the "have a nice day" mentality on the Brady Bunch (1969-1974). Prior to becoming Mrs. Brady, Henderson had worked on television during the '50s, getting her start as the "Today Girl" on Today (1952) and as a regular on Sing Along (1958). She also made frequent appearances on the Tonight Show through the early '60s. Henderson was a successful star of Broadway musicals and in 1970, she starred in the musical feature-film biography of Scandinavian composer Edvard Grieg, Song of Norway (1970).Since the end of the Brady Bunch series, Henderson has basically made her living portraying and sometimes spoofing Carol Brady. There was a blessedly short-lived variety show sequel to the program, The Brady Bunch Hour (1977), and Brady Bunch reunion TV movies, such as The Brady Girls Get Married (1981) and A Very Brady Christmas (1988). The show that wouldn't die also spawned two more sequel series, The Brady Brides (1981) and the downbeat drama The Bradys (1990). In 1995, Henderson played a feisty grandmother, the antithesis of Carol, in the feature-film spoof The Brady Bunch Movie. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 2006
Having suffered a fatal heart attack on the eve of her adoring granddaughter's eleventh birthday, a devoted grandmother wages a valiant fight in heaven to return to Earth one last time and celebrate alongside the little girl she loves most. Sarah Miller (Florence Henderson) adores her ten year old granddaughter Katie (Stephanie Patton), and the feeling is most certainly mutual. At the moment Katie is planning her eleventh birthday party, an event that Sarah claims she wouldn't miss for the world. But when Sarah drops dead of a heart attack just before the party and finds herself ascending to heaven, her only thought is how disappointed her granddaughter will be if her "Nanny" isn't there to share in the delicious cake and memorable moments. Sarah isn't particularly religious, though her heavenly guide Ashley (Yanni King) vows to do everything within her power to help secure the skeptical newcomer a short reprieve from death so she can attend the upcoming party. Meanwhile, down on Earth, Katie has an unexpectedly severe reaction to the news of her grandmother's passing. As the day of the party arrives, Sarah is still in a bureaucratic nightmare of cosmic proportions. The paperwork required for her return to Earth is taking forever to fill out, and as she races to ensure that every signature is in place Katie collapses in agony. Just as Katie is being rushed to the hospital, however, Sarah secures her passage to Earth and makes good on her promise to attend at the party. Upon returning to heaven, however, Sarah witnesses a sight that prompts her to pray as never before. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Florence Henderson, Allison Lange, (more)
- 2003
- PG13
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In keeping with his background in television sitcoms, Sam Weisman directs the cameo-filled comedy Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star. Dickie Roberts (David Spade) was a child actor on the hit TV show "The Glimmer Gang" and remains remembered for a particular catch phrase. Now in his thirties, he finds work as a parking valet and spends time with other nominal child stars (enter cameos by Danny Bonaduce, Corey Feldman, and the like). Wanting to make a comeback, he manages to get an audition with director Rob Reiner. When the role requires him to be normal, he decides to hire a normal family in order to relive the childhood he missed out on. He ends up with sleazy salesman George Finney (Craig Bierko) and his loving wife, Grace (Mary McCormack). Dickie shares a room with their two kids: sunny daughter Sally (Jenna Boyd) and impressionable son Sam (Scott Tessa). Former child star Alyssa Milano appears as Dickie's girlfriend, Cyndi. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Spade, Mary McCormack, (more)
- 2002
Based on a true story, Moms on Strike stars Faith Ford as Pam Harris, a working mother who barely has time to catch a breath between her professional work and her household duties. When her husband Alan (Tim Matheson) and her kids thoughtlessly forget her birthday, Pam rebels, refusing to do any cooking or cleaning until she is appreciated. Pam's strike ultimately becomes a nationwide cause, with her Grandma Betty (Florence Henderson) as her biggest booster. Filmed in Ontario, the made-for-TV Moms on Strike premiered March 17, 2002 on the ABC Family Channel cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Faith Ford, Tim Matheson, (more)
In this animated story based on the book for children by Lori Walburg VandenBosch, the holiday season has come to the small Western town of West Sage, and a mysterious stranger rides into town. As the good people of West Sage try to find out who he is and why he's come to their community, he teaches them an important lesson about the candy cane, in which they learn the traditional holiday treat is more than just another sweet. Legend Of The Candy Cane features the vocal talents of Florence Henderson, Ossie Davis, Tom Bosley, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Florence Henderson, Tom Bosley, (more)
This is a documentary portrait of a Hollywood comedy writer cited by many of entertainment's biggest stars as their comedic "secret weapon." Bruce Vilanch is a rotund, hirsute New Jersey native who left a job at a Chicago newspaper in the 1970s to become a gag writer for singer and actress Bette Midler. After toiling for several years in the dying genre of television variety shows and celebrity roasts, Vilanch became a staple of awards shows, scripting one-liners and song parodies at the Oscars, Emmys, and Grammys, for such luminaries as Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, and Whoopi Goldberg. All three of those stars, and many others, are interviewed about Vilanch's contributions to their work. Of particular note is a national controversy sparked by Vilanch's "off-color" racial remarks written for Ted Danson and Goldberg at a Friar's Club event, and his memorable riffs for emcee Crystal on the one-armed push-ups of Jack Palance at an Oscar telecast. Get Bruce! made Vilanch a more recognizable figure to mainstream audiences, and he became a regular on the TV game show revival of Hollywood Squares. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Vilanch, Bette Midler, (more)
- 1995
- PG13
The Brady Bunch Movie pays tribute to the 1970s TV show while poking gentle fun at it. The Brady family, led by father Mike (Gary Cole), still live in their suburban, split-level home and are still throwbacks to the era that spawned them. Eternally perky wife Carol (Shelley Long) is the perfect homemaker, while the kids' behavior is as wholesome as their loud, time-warp pastel clothes. Meanwhile, the greedy, selfish modern era swirls dangerously around them, embodied in next-door neighbor and real estate agent Ditmeyer (Michael McKean), who wants to buy the Bradys' property and turn the neighborhood into a giant mall. But no amount of money or prodding can persuade the Bradys to give up their home. Director Betty Thomas contrasts the overlit sitcom look of the Brady house interiors (faithfully recreated from the series) with real locations and natural grit for the modern L.A. scenes. The result is a satire that deftly spoofs the idea of staying true to old-fashioned values without ever passing judgment on those values. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shelley Long, Gary Cole, (more)
- 1995
A parade of old sitcom stars appear in this made-for-television adaptation of the book by Judy Blume. Peter Hatcher has to suffer through a summer with his worst enemy, Sheila Tubman. Much to his chagrin, his brother Fudge (Luke Taristano) announces that he wants to marry her. The two-hour movie is part of the Fudge television series. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Narrated by Florence Henderson, this video from Precious Moments is the only one in the series that is not fully animated. It features slow dissolves and close-ups of illustrations from the children's picture book Precious Moments, The Story of Joseph. Recommended for ages six and up. ~ Heather M. Fierst, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Florence Henderson
- 1994
Roseanne gets a visit from General Hospital's infamous couple, Luke (Anthony Geary) and Laura (Genie Francis). Roseanne joins a women's club to get some business connections and meets a bakery owner played by guest star Florence Henderson. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1994
- PG13
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The further misadventures of bumbling Los Angeles police Lieutenant Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) are chronicled in this third installment in the popular Naked Gun comedy series. This by-the-numbers entry begins with Drebin as a happily retired house-husband called back into action when an evil terrorist organization threatens Los Angeles. As in the other Naked Gun films, this plot is merely an excuse for an unhinged, rapid-fire succession of gags, ranging from satirical lampoons of cop movies to broad slapstick, all played with a perfectly straight face. Nielsen provides his familiar combination of complete witlessness and oblivious dignity as Drebin, and the film attempts to match the earlier Naked Gun films -- and the Police Squad! television series that inspired them -- in the number of jokes. However, the film proved less successful than its predecessors, as some viewers found that the freewheeling comic style of the earlier films had solidified into its own formula, now mildly entertaining but disappointingly predictable. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, (more)
This black comedy chronicles the fall of one of the world's most unlovable clowns as he plies his trade and tries to survive in Palukaville a town where everyone is more or less a Bozo. Shakes loves women and more than that, he loves his booze. Like many of his painted peers, ol' Shakes likes to hang out at The Twisted Balloon, the favorite local pub where he hoists a few, beats up on mimes (the lowest caste in Palukaville) and causes trouble with his girl friend Judy, a woman who cannot say the letter "L." Because the slovenly Shakes can't seem to make it to birthday parties sober and on time, he is fired from his booking agency, causing him to go on a big drinking binge. Later, Shakes awakens and learns that Binky, a lousy TV-clown, is framing him for beating up Shake's former boss with a juggling pin. Now poor Shakes must clear his name. He must also rescue "Juwee" who has been kidnapped by the nefarious Binky, and he must come to grips with his alcohol problem (perhaps the film could be therefore titled "Clown and Sober?"). Keep an eye peeled for cameos by Robin Williams, as a mime instructor, and Florence Henderson as one of Shake's illicit sexual conquests. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bobcat Goldthwait, Julie Brown, (more)
- 1990
While visiting a friend in Nashville, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) comes face to face with Bobby Diamond (Jimmy Dean), a popular country singer with more than a few of the requisite skeletons in his closet. A maelstrom of greed and philandering yields a murder, whereupon Jessica tries to find out who among Bobby's many enemies hated him enough to kill him. Featured in the cast is C&W entrepreneur-club owner Mickey Gilley, and "Carol Brady" herself, Florence Henderson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
In this made-for-TV movie, the characters from the beloved "Brady Bunch" television series return home to spend the holidays together. All grown up with families of their own, the kids all return to take part in the Brady Christmas reunion. All of the original stars, save one, of the original television series appeared in this special. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1986
This delightful presentation features Shari and her puppet friends telling Bible stories for children. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1986
Though the series proper debuted on Friday, October 3, 1986, L.A. Law was heralded by a two-hour TV movie, which aired Monday, September 15. The Steven Bochco production gets off to a good start, with no fewer than three cases resolved within the first installment. We first meet law-firm partner Michael Kuzak (Harry Hamlin) compromising his personal values with an odious client; our introduction to Arnold Becker (Corbin Bernsen) finds him personally involved in a divorce settlement; and Ann Kelsey (Jill Eikenberry) and Douglas Brackman Jr. (Alan Rachins) spar over a pro-bono case. Also starring is Richard Dysart as senior partner Leland McKenzie, and Jimmy Smits as tyro lawyer Victor Sifuentes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Season Three of Murder She Wrote begins with the first episode of a two-part story, in which mystery writer Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) pays a visit to the Carmody Circus, an extremely small-time operation. It seems that Jessica has evidence that one of the circus' employees, a roustabout-clown who calls himself Carl, is actually her brother-in-law Neil (Jackie Cooper), who has long been presumed dead. No sooner does Jessica link up with Neil than the man is accused of murdering the circus' hateful manager Hank Sutter (Charles Napier). A young Courtney Cox appears as Neil's granddaughter, Carol Bannister. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
In the second half of Murder She Wrote's two-part Season Three opener, Jessica's long-missing brother in law Neil Fletcher (Jackie Cooper), who has been working under an alias with the Carmody Circus, has confessed to the murder of circus manager Hank Sutter. Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is convinced that Neil is innocent, and that he is covering up for somebody else--and this proves to be a reasonable conclusion when a second murder occurs, in which the victim is rival circus owner Harry Kingman (Joe Dorsey). Seriously hampering Jessica's investigation is the stone wall of resistance built up by the highly clannish circus folk--and by the curiously hostile local authorities. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
In this installment of the series, Shari Lewis and Florence Henderson help children learn about the New Testament with the help of Lewis' puppet friend Lambchop. Animation is also used to tell the stories, which include "The Three Wise Men" and "The Good Samaritan". ~ Linda J. Shriver, All Movie Guide
