Lauri Hendler Movies
- 1992
- G
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A man finds himself living among the animals and enchanted spirits of the rainforest, and learns of the true consequences of human destruction in this animated adventure. Crysta (voice of Samantha Mathis) is a young fairy who is being tutored in the powers of magic by the older and wiser Magi (voice of Grace Zabriskie) in an Amazon rain forest. While their home was once on the verge of destruction thanks to the evil spirit Hexxus (voice of Tim Curry), the demon has been trapped inside a tree, and Crysta is free to play with her friends Batty Koda (voice of Robin Williams), a bat who escaped from an animal testing facility, and Pips (voice of Christian Slater), who has obvious romantic intentions toward the attractive young sprite. However, a clear-cutting crew destroys the tranquil peace of the rainforest, and when Crysta sees a runaway logging machine about to run over lumberjack Zak (voice of Jonathan Ward), she saves his life by shrinking him to her own size. However, Crysta isn't able to bring Zak back to his normal size, so he's forced to live among the forest creatures and learn first-hand the devastation the humans have brought to this world -- especially when the loggers accidentally free Hexxus from captivity. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Curry, Robin Williams, (more)
- 1985
With the death of co-star Dolph Sweet on May 8, 1985, the producers of the NBC sitcom Gimme a Break had no choice but to allow Sweet's character, suburban California police chief Carl Kanisky, to pass away as well. The opening episode of the series' fifth season finds the Kanisky household still trying to come to grips with The Chief's death, which in many ways has impacted housekeeper Nell Harper (Nell Carter) far more than Kanisky's daughters Katie (Kari Michaelsen), Julie (Lauri Hendler), and Sam (Lara Jill Miller). Eventually, the family bucks up and moves on with their lives, though Nell is occasionally seen talking to the departed Chief, supplying him with "updates" as to the well-being of his daughters. In other developments, Nell has decided to enroll in college, even though she is sorely tempted to return to her previous career as a singer, never more so than in the two-part "Second Chance", in which she is spotted by actor Gary Collins and given the opportunity to sing on Collins' afternoon TV show "Hour Magazine." Eldest Kanisky daughter Katie has moved into her own apartment, and by season's end has closed down her boutique to accept a high-paying job in San Francisco. Middle daughter Julie finds out she is pregnant, just as her husband Jonathan (Jonathan Silverman) has left on an archeological expedition to Mexico; eventually the couple is reunited and Julie gives birth to a daughter, whom she names after Nell. And youngest daughter Sam has entered the dating scene and is weighing options for her college career. As for the family's foster child, Joey (Joey Lawrence), he finds out he is "gifted" academically, but prefers to remain in the fourth grade where he's happy; and on a more somber note, he accidently shoots Nell with the late Chief's gun, an act for which he cannot forgive himself despite Nell's efforts to calm him down. Finally, season five yields the series' 100th episode "The Elevator", a milestone acknowledged by a closing scene in which the cast breaks character and blows out the candles on a huge cake. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nell Carter, Kari Michaelsen, (more)
- 1984
Casting a pall over the proceedings in season four of Gimme a Break is the serious illness of co-star Dolph Sweet, whose appearances as Glen Falls, CA police chief Carl Kanisky are for the most part limited to walk-ons, with very little dialogue. In the earliest episodes of the season, The Chief is conspicuous by his absence, resulting from Sweet's stomach surgery. When he finally returns to the cast, he seems wan and distracted, literally phoning in his performance on several occasions. Reportedly, the series' producers, aware of Sweet's condition, offered the actor the opportunity to retire from the series, but Sweet valiantly insisted upon sticking it out until season's end -- a few weeks after production closed down, the 65-year-old actor was dead of stomach cancer. On a brighter note, Telma Hopkins is now a full regular in the role of Dr. Addy Wilson, lifelong friend of The Chief's outspoken housekeeper Nell Harper (Nell Carter), thereby permitting both characters ample opportunity to show off their musical skills. Nell in particular in is in splendid voice this season, joining in duets with such guest stars as Sammy Davis Jr. and Ray Parker Jr. Meanwhile, The Chief's three daughters are growing apace. After briefly attending junior college, oldest daughter Katie (Kari Michaelsen) drops out to open a boutique; youngest daughter Sam (Lara Jill Miller) has long since passed the tomboy stage and is dating regularly; and middle daughter Julie (Lauri Hendler) has fallen in love with Jonathan (Jonathan Silverman), a young archeologist introduced in the episode "Jonathan's Lie." By the end of season four, Julie and Jonathan have run off to Las Vegas to get married -- on Julie's 18th birthday! Flashing back to the season opener, the two-part "New Orleans" finds Nell and the Kaniskys' foster son Joey (Joey Lawrence) visiting the titular metropolis during the 1984 World's Fair, where Joey is reunited with his father and Nell nearly marries a man whom she's only known for 24 hours. Later on, Addy is likewise reunited with her long-lost dad, but only after the aging roué has tried to make time with Nell! Still later, another two-parter, "Alabamy Bound," introduces Rosetta Le Noire as Nell's hyper-judgmental mother Maybelle. And on February 23, 1985, the episode "Cat Story" was telecast live in the Eastern and Central Time Zones -- a rare occurrence for prime time television of the period. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nell Carter, Dolph Sweet, (more)
- 1983
Season three of Gimme a Break finds the Kanisky household of Glen Lawn, CA increased by two. In addition to curmudgeonly police chief Carl Kanisky (Dolph Sweet), his daughters Katie (Kari Michaelsen), Julie (Lauri Hendler), and Sam (Lara Jill Miller), and their sassy housekeeper Nell (Nell Carter), the house's residents now include Carl's recently widowed dad Grandpa Kanisky (John Hoyt) and 6-year-old orphan Joey Donovan (Joey Lawrence). As introduced in a two-part episode, Joey is a budding con artist who has been abandoned by his uncle in Glen Lawn, and unofficially adopted by Nell so that the boy won't have to be institutionalized. Also joining the cast this season is Telma Hopkins, who makes her first appearance as Nell's childhood chum Dr. Addy Wilson in the episode "Nell's Friend" (The fact that Hopkins was formerly a member of Tony Orlando's backing band, Dawn, is underlined by the title of the subsequent episode "Knock Three Times)." The addition of Hopkins affords star Nell Carter even more opportunities to show off her singing skills than in previous seasons, beginning with the season opener guest-starring Andy Gibb. Later on, Nell and The Chief perform a duet of "Me and My Shadow," and the entire cast lifts its collective voice in "A Kanisky Christmas." Highlights this season include an appearance by impressionist George Kirby as the mayor of Glen Lawn, who falls hard for Nell; a flashback episode showing Nell's first meeting with Chief Kanisky's late wife Margaret (played by Sharon Spelman); and the two-part "The Big Apple," featuring cameo appearances by Wheel of Fortune's Pat Sajak and Vanna White, former New York mayor Edward I. Koch, and actor Tony Randall. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nell Carter, Dolph Sweet, (more)
Michael J. Fox is among the young sitcom stars enlisted for this made-for-TV teen film, about a battle between the rich, popular kids and their average counterparts. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael J. Fox, Nancy McKeon, (more)
- 1982
The second season of Gimme a Break finds versatile character actor John Hoyt becoming a full-fledged regular in the role of Grandpa Kanisky, the peppery father of grouchy suburban California police chief Carl Kanisky (Dolph Sweet). Jane Dulo is also seen on a recurring basis as Grandpa's wife, a role previously essayed in season one by Elvia Allman and Elizabeth Kerr. The season opens with Chief Kanisky's sassy housekeeper Nell (Nell Carter) being sent to jail for nonpayment of her phone bill -- a false charge, true, but one that causes no end of embarrassment for all concerned, especially The Chief. Kanisky will also experience troubles with his mortician brother Ed, who has fallen in love with an ex-hooker named Maxine (Arlene Golonka), and who later is in dire need of a kidney transplant (both Ed and Maxine disappear at the end of season two, never to be seen or heard from again) Elsewhere in the Kanisky household, youngest daughter Sam (Lara Jill Miller) causes a ruckus with the first of her several "imaginary friends"; middle daughter Julie (Lauri Hendler) experiments with cigarettes, oblivious to the fact that her mother died of lung cancer; and eldest daughter Katie (Kari Michaelsen) comes to the aid of her unwed-mother friend Valerie, in an episode famous for the fact that it was largely ad-libbed due to the unpredictable behavior of a baby "actor." Also, The Chief learns to tolerate homosexuals when a gay police officer saves his life; racist Aunt Blanche (Gretchen Wyler) sues The Chief for custody of his daughters; Nell and her bird-brained friend Angie (Alvernette Jimenez) try to get rich quick by peddling the "amazo-vac" door-to-door; and, of course, Nell once again gets to show off her musical skills, in an episode featuring the Pointer Sisters as a harmony group called the Doo-Wops. In other episodes worth noting, the two-part "The Centerfold" finds The Chief wrestling with a sexual-discrimination charge and a mad bomber simultaneously; and "Nell and the Kid" features Don Rickles in what was supposed to have been the pilot for a proposed Rickles series titled "Max." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nell Carter, Dolph Sweet, (more)
Season one of Gimme a Break begins as sassy ex-singer Nell Harper (Nell Carter), honoring a favor owed to her late friend Margaret, takes over as housekeeper in the suburban California home of Margaret's husband, short-tempered police chief Carl Kanisky (Dolph Sweet). Nell quickly forms a bond with The Chief's three daughters Katie (Kari Michaelsen), Julie (Lauri Hendler), and Samantha (Lara Jill Miller), frequently taking the girls' side against their bombastic father. Even so, Nell and The Chief soon grow quite fond of one another, though it is hard to tell amidst the barrage of insults and "fat" jokes that the two hurl at one another. Also introduced this season is The Chief's curmudgeonly-but-lovable father Grandpa Kanisky (John Hoyt), whose wife, aka Grandma, is played by Elvia Allman in the episode "Katie the Cheat" and by Elizabeth Kerr in "Grandma Fools Around." Other supporting characters popping in and out of season one are Nell's scatterbrained friend Angie (Alvernette Jimenez); The Chief's thick-witted subordinate Officer Ralph Waldo Simpson (Howard Morton) and his mortician brother Ed Kanisky (Pete Schrum), Nell's ex-husband Tony (Ben Powers); and antagonistic reporter Hamilton Storm (played by Harrison Page, who also appeared in other roles), the main thorn in Chief Kanisky's side. Naturally, Nell Carter is afforded several opportunities to show off her singing talents during season one, most notably in the episode "Hot Muffins." These musical moments would increase significantly in later seasons when former Dawn singer Telma Hopkins joined the cast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nell Carter, Dolph Sweet, (more)
- 1980
In this Christmas episode, Magnum is hired by five wide-eyed schoolgirls to locate their teacher, Linda Booton (Katherine Cannon). Conventional wisdom is that Linda has run off with her boyfriend, but the girls insists that the lady was kidnapped. As Magnum chases down a variety of false leads, it becomes obvious (to the viewer, if not the hero) that he has been duped, and that the real crime at hand involves stealing a valuable Gauguin original from the Robin Masters estate! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
The ABC Afterschool Special series kicks off its ninth season with a decidedly non-comic spin on a premise popularized by The Brady Bunch. Dominic Ginetti (Danny Aiello), a widower with two daughters named Ginger (Laura Dean) and Rose (Mara Hobel), marries Marie Mills (Maria Tucci), a divorcée with one daughter named Carrie (Lauri Hendler). At first, it appears that the three "instant" siblings will never get along, with Ginger and Rose immediately setting up a wall of defense against newcomer Carrie ("Just 'cause you and your mom are moving in does not mean you can start changin' everything around"). Eventually, Dominic's two daughters adjust to the situation -- which is more than can be said for Carrie, who remains cold towards her new stepfather, hoping against hope that her real dad (whom she hasn't seen for eight years) will one day return. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Aiello, Maria Tucci, (more)
In this drama, a young woman gives up college and marries her boyfriend, a Marine. Unfortunately, he is killed in Vietnam. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1980
The made-for-TV Portrait of an Escort stars Susan Anspach as a divorcee in financial straits, has a daughter to support. She takes a job with a professional dating service, charging fifty dollars per customer. Anspach last client of the evening turns out to be a man whose intentions are apparently homicidal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
The child stealer of the title is Beau Bridges, the self-centered ex-husband of Blair Brown. She has custody of the kids, and he has been slapped with a restraining order. Bridges waits until Brown's guard is down and kidnaps his two daughters. Told by the authorities that there's little they can do, Brown seeks out her fugitive "ex" on her own. Of minor interest in this made-for-TV tract is the fact that future Growing Pains costar Tracey Gold plays one of the daughters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Victoria Meyerink, best remembered by baby-boomers as the cute little girl who appeared at the end of several Danny Kaye Show episodes of the 1960s, is here cast as 14-year-old Melissa Harrington. Our heroine is convinced that her dreams have come true when she wins the one-million-dollar lottery, which will ensure her an income of 1,000 dollars per week for the rest of her life. But as this ABC Afterschool Special unreels, Melissa learns all too quickly that any dream can turn into a nightmare. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victoria Meyerink, Bobby Cummings, (more)
Part of the Alef-Bet Blastoff series, this animated film follows David and Rachel as they learn of the history behind the important traditions of their faith. In this particular episode, the kids help their mother prepare for the 25th reunion of her youth group. Disaster threatens when the family bookstore nears collapse. Through the timely intervention of Golda Meir, the children learn the value of national unity, and save the day. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
