Howard Hesseman Movies
Howard Hesseman's early credits have sometimes been hard to trace, mainly because he often billed himself as "Don Sturdy." The mustachioed, prematurely balding Hesseman was a founding member of the San Francisco-based improv troupe The Committee. During his decade-long tenure with this aggregation, he was featured in such films as Petulia (1968) and A Session with the Committee (1970), and showed up on such TV series as The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and The Dick Cavett Show. Through the auspices of his Committee cohort Peter Bonerz, Hesseman played a recurring role on TV's The Bob Newhart Show (1972-78), playing the unsuccessful producer of such TV disasters as "The Nazi Hour." His screen roles in the 1970s included a showy part as a harried TV-commercial director in the opening sequence of The Sunshine Boys. In 1978, Hesseman achieved celebrity in the role of counterculture deejay Dr. Johnny Fever (aka Johnny Caravella) on the popular sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati. Following WKRP's cancellation in 1982, he spent two seasons playing Ann Romano's third (and presumably final) husband Sam Royer on the weekly One Day at a Time. From 1986 to 1990, he starred as urbane high school teacher Charlie Moore in TV's Head of the Class. During all this activity, Howard Hesseman continued showing up in feature films, playing such roles as smarmy promoter Terry Ladd in This is Spinal Tap (1984) and child star Patty Duke's manipulative manager/guardian John Ross in the TV biopic Call Me Anna (1989). Over the following several years, Hessman would remain active on screen, appearnig on shows like That 70's Show and Crossing Jordan, and in movies like The Rocker. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi- 2006
Seizure victim Henry Errington (Howard Hesseman) is in dire need of an immediate heart transplant. Unfortunately, the only potential donor has died from a strange illness, rendering the heart useless. In desperation, House (Hugh Laurie) decides to use the damaged heart anyway, and proceeds to "cure" the dead donor--while her grieving husband looks on! And in a separate development, Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) comes knocking at House's door after the breakup of his latest marriage, resulting in the Odd Couple to end all Odd Couples. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2005
Originally titled Secret Santa, this made-for-cabe holiday treat stars Howard Hesseman as Fred Nickells, a lonely old eccentric who intends to spend Christmas Eve driving around town in a limo and tossing huge wads of money to deserving pedestrians. To this end, Nickells hires chauffeur Shannon McManus-Johnson (Andrea Roth), a single mom who'd much rather spend the Night Before Christmas with her son Trevor (Jason Spevack). Meanwhile, reporter Peter Archer (Yannick Bisson), determined to learn the motive behind Nickells' Yuletide generosity, uncovers a startling secret that could well determine the future of himself and Shannon--but will it be for the better? Chock full of cute "inside" references to earlier Holiday films, Crazy for Christmas made its Lifetime network bow on December 7, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Science allows a man to cheat death and continue to be a thorn in the side of his family in this dark comedy. Mr. Valdemar (Howard Hesseman) is a wealthy but ill-manned man who is elderly and in poor health. Knowing he doesn't have long to live, Valdemar agrees to take part in an experiment by Dr. Pretory (Jason Carter), an eccentric hypnotist. Pretory wants to discover what happens to a man if he is under hypnosis at the point of death, and so as Valdemar is taking his last few breaths, Pretory puts him in a deep trance. Hovering somewhere between death and life, Valdemar is able to describe to world beyond our own to Pretory and his family; however, cheating death isn't making Valdemar any easier to get along with, and he continues to cause trouble for his daughter, Daisy (Jessica Capshaw), and her significant other, Benjamin (Neil Patrick Harris), especially since you can't inherit the estate of a man who isn't entirely dead. The Mesmerist was based on the short story The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar by Edgar Allan Poe, which was brought to the screen in less comical form as part of Roger Corman's 1962 horror omnibus Tales of Terror. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 2000
In order to convince a skeptical cabbie that a tragedy will occur if she doesn't reach the Queensborough Bridge by 10 PM, Monica recalls the chain of disastrous events that led up to this crticial and anxious moment. It all started when a total stranger (Howard Hesseman) made a rude gesture to Monica because of her inept parallel-parking skills. Outraged by this breach of etiquette, Monica transmitted her anger and bitterness to several other people in the course of the day. One of the second-hand recipients of Monica's wrath is a woman named Wendy (Kathie Lee Gifford)--who becomes so disheartened that she intends to commit suicide! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1997
Christmas Eve is just like any other work day for pickpocket Trish Tracy (Mary Stuart Masterson) and her niece Patsy (Lauren Suzanne Pratt). With a store full of suckers ripe for plucking, Trish and Patsy work the crowd, amassing quite a fortune before they're caught by sharp-eyed (and soft-hearted) security guard Bert (Mark Ruffalo). Rather than have Trish spend the Holidays in jail and turning over Patsy to Social Services, Bert agrees to be temporarily responsible for the pair--and that's how Trish and Patsy end up passing the Yuletide days in Bert's tiny apartment. For the most part, this made-for-cable movie emulates such previous Christmas-themed films as 1940's Remember the Night?, though towards the end of the story the writers throw a curve at the audience by introducing an unsavory character who plans to kidnap perky Patsy. On the 2nd Day of Christmas debuted December 8, 1997, on the Lifetime channel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1997
Finding her new life as a housewife and mother unfulfilling, an ex-radio-news-reporter starts doing a little gambling, just for some excitement. Unfortunately, it isn't long before her need for thrills becomes a craving and the craving a full-blown addiction that threatens to destroy her life. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cynthia Gibb, Robin Thomas, (more)
- 1996
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This documentary pays tribute to the contributions and importance of the title watering hole in the creation of the psychedelic dancehalls that littered the West during the late '60s and helped launch such super groups as The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and The Quicksilver Messenger Service. The Red Dog Saloon had its genesis in 1964 when a group of free-thinking, LSD-enhanced Northern California students and young folks had a party and began thinking about starting up a saloon that would evoke the old West. They decided to build their saloon in Virginia City, Nevada, a once prosperous town that was by then nearly empty. The ambience of the saloon blended Old West sensibilities with modern psychedelia, go-go girls and plenty of illegal drugs. The film is comprised of interviews with surviving founders, actual archival footage, and even a performance of some of the musicians who appeared there. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
The cautionary phrase "It could happen to you!" was seldom more appropriate than in this two-part, four-hour TV movie, inspired by a true story and based on actual court transcripts. The story begins in Fayetteville, NC in 1985, when Army sergeant Tim Hennis (John Corbett) is accused of murdering the wife and children of an Air Force captain. A combination of overzealous prosecution from the District Attorney's office and pressure from the armed forces and the media makes a swift conviction a fait accompli, though Hennis and his family continue to protest his innocence. Refusing to give up on the case, Hennis' defense team presses its own investigation, ultimately turning up a maelstrom of hitherto unknown evidence, surprise rebuttal witnesses, and a startling eyewitness testimony. First telecast by ABC, Innocent Victims was originally shown on January 21 and 22, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Hal Holbrook, Rue McClanahan, (more)
In this made-for-TV drama, a teenage girl named Sarah (Kathleen Robertson) is flying home to see her parents when she falls ill. While Sarah is convinced that she has simply come down with a bad cold, when she keels over and dies while crossing a street, an autopsy reveals that Sarah had in fact contracted the pneumonic plague. Dr. Nora Hart (Kate Jackson), the hospital's authority on epidemics and highly contagious diseases, now must track down as many people as possible who came in contact with the girl before the plague begins to spread -- including Calvin Phillips (Howard Hessman), a congressman Sarah met on her flight. Based on the novel The Black Death by Gweneth Cravens and John C. Marr, Quiet Killer also stars Jerry Orbach, Luis Guzman, and Al Waxman. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 1990
Based upon Patty Duke's bestselling autobiography, Call Me Anna details the Academy Award-winning actress's rise to stardom and her lifelong struggle with manic depression. Born Anna Marie Duke, the youngster from Queens embarked upon an acting career at an early age. Her manager, John Ross, essentially removes her from her family (including a depressed mother and alcoholic father) at the age of seven and tyrannically manages her career. While this effectively aids her professionally, his abuse takes a toll upon the sensitive young girl. She makes a name for herself when she lands the part of Helen Keller in the Broadway smash The Miracle Worker and gains national fame when her work in the film version earns her a coveted Oscar. She goes on to star in her own television series, and embarks upon a number of relationships, including ones with Desi Arnaz Jr. and John Astin (whom she marries). Eventually, Duke shows signs of mental illness, brought about both by her parents and her managers, and enters into therapy with a doctor, who is able to give her the help she desperately needs. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
- Starring:
- Patty Duke, Howard Hesseman, (more)
- 1990
This made-for-cable series features comedy performers starring in various skits and satires. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
- 1990
Teenagers are constantly tempted to experiment with illegal drugs, alcohol, smoking, and sex in hopes of fitting in with their friends or escaping pressures at home or school. This program features actor Howard Hesseman hosting a panel of experts who provide parents, teachers, and other caregivers with helpful skills for interacting with teens so that the teens' deepest emotional needs can be met and their careless and destructive behaviors minimized or eliminated as they pursue their goals. ~ Elizabeth Smith, Rovi
- 1989
There is quite a cast turnover in season four of Head of the Class, with three of the gifted students in Fillmore High School's Individual Honors Program (IHP) having moved on in life. Overachiever Maria has transferred to the High School of Performing Arts, Indian émigré Jarwarhal has gone to California with his family, and child prodigy Janice has been accepted at Harvard. Among the new students of the IHP's "permanent substitute" teacher Charles Moore (Howard Hesseman) are aspiring filmmaker Aristotle (De'voreaux White), drop-dead-gorgeous Viki (Lara Piper), and smooth-talking Alex (Michael de Lorenzo). Later in the season, the class welcomes another newcomer, the shy, parent-dominated Jasper (Jonathan Ke Quan). Also, after a year of hard work and persistence, former remedial student T.J. (Rain Pryor) finally qualifies for the IHP. She manages to win this honor all by herself, despite a rare foray into fantasy when T.J. almost enters into a deal with the Devil (Richard Libertini) to improve her grades! Among the season's more noteworthy episodes is the third of Head of the Class' musical outings, the two-part "From Hair to Eternity," in which the students stage a production of Hair despite the protests of one of Fillmore High's more prudish teachers. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Howard Hesseman, William G. Schilling, (more)
- 1988
This program, narrated by actor Howard Hesseman, provides an educational guide to drugs, their use, and abuse. Scientific evidence is presented, showing the composition and effects of drugs, ranging from sleeping pills, to marijuana, to cocaine and alcohol. The tolerance level and addictive aspects of drug use are discussed, as well as the steps that must be taken for recovery. The program gives tips on how to recognize addictive behavior patterns that may require help and information on places to look for assistance.
~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1988
"Permanent substitute" teacher Charlie Moore (Howard Hesseman) continues to instill the genius-level students of Fillmore High's Individual Honors Program (IHP) with the sort of things one can't find in a book -- such as emotional maturity, personal responsibility and a genuine sense of self-worth -- in season three of Head of the Class. New to the series this year is Rain Pryor, daughter of Richard Pryor, as the street-smart T.J. Jones, a remedial student who is "slow" mainly because of a bad and overly defensive attitude, but who is determined to earn the right to join the IHP kids. This is the season that Head of the Class carved its niche in the annals of television history. The hour-long episode "Mission to Moscow," originally telecast November 2, 1998, was the first American prime time comedy series episode ever to be filmed in the Soviet Union. Other season highlights include "Let's Rap," featuring future King of Queens regular Leah Remini in a one-line bit part; "First Date," wherein tough-guy Eric (Brian Robbins) and budding poetess Simone (Khrystyne Haje) go out together for the first time; "I Am the King," which sets up Charlie Moore's eventual exit from the series when he is hired as a commercial spokesman for an appliance store; and "King of Remedial," in which fat, wisecracking science geek Dennis (Dan Schneider) surprises himself by becoming the role model for a group of special-education students. Finally, season four offers the second of the series' musical episodes with the two-part "Shop Til You Drop," wherein the IHP class stages a production of "Little Shop of Horrors." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Howard Hesseman, William G. Schilling, (more)
- 1987
Head of the Class enters its second season with unorthodox substitute teacher Charlie Moore (Howard Hesseman) now permanently in charge of the Individual Honors Program (IHP) at New York's Fillmore High. Charlie has no trouble teaching the kids academics, since his ten charges are the most brilliant students in school; his primary goal is to instruct them in "The Book of Life," enhancing their maturity, spurring on their emotional growth, and helping them develop the social skills that will help them survive the real world. In the season opener, it is clear that Mr. Moore still has a lot of work ahead of him when three of his pupils childishly stoop to deception to win a local science fair. Likewise needing to learn something about basic human values is poetic student Simone (Khrystyne Haje), who becomes an obnoxious control freak when put in charge of the school's literary journal. Later on, the arrival of a transfer student (Leon Fan, in the first of several recurring appearances as Billy Chin) nearly reduces the youthful geniuses to tears when it looks as if one of them will be forced to leave the class to make room for the newcomer. Also, Charlie reluctantly takes over for principal Samuels (William G. Schilling) as coach for a big academic competition; a Woody Allen film festival has both Charlie and nerdish student Arvid (Dan Frischman) moping over their respective neuroses; the episode "On the Road Again" features Claudette Nevins as Dr. Samuels' wife Lois, who through a series of bizarre circumstances ends up sharing a room with Charlie; onetime Star Trek regular Nichelle Nichols serves up a big surprise for chubby science geek Dennis (Dan Schneider) in "For Better, for Worse"; and in the episode "Will the Real Arvid Engen Please Stand Up?," series regulars Dan Schneider and Brian Robbins (Eric) pull double duty as actors and scriptwriters. This season also presents the first of three musical episodes, "That'll Be the Day," in which the IHP class puts on a performance of the Broadway hit Grease (this episode also features a guest turn by a young Lori Petty). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Howard Hesseman, William G. Schilling, (more)
The "six" are played by David Carradine, Howard Hesseman, David Morse, Charles Haid, Jan-Michael Vincent and Richard Dysart. The "rock" is, of course, escape-proof Alcatraz Island. This TV movie dramatizes an actual 1946 breakout attempt--which was meticulously preplanned for eight years. And what would a movie about "The Rock" be without a cameo appearance by the Birdman of Alcatraz? Six Against the Rock's Birdman is impersonated by Dennis Farina. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1986
Season one of Head of the Class begins as substitute teacher Charles Moore (Howard Hesseman) takes over the high-achieving Individual Honors Program (IHP) at New York's Monroe High School (soon to be re-christened Millard Fillmore High). Though principal Dr. Samuels (William G. Schilling) expects Charlie merely to keep quiet and allow the students to study on their own so that the school can continue winning the annual Academic Olympics Contest, our hero prefers to take a less passive approach to his work. He realizes that although his students all possess genius-level intellects, they are woefully lacking in personal maturity and basic social skills. Thus, Charlie sets the class on its ear by adopting a "hands-on" approach, flamboyantly instructing his charges in "The Book of Life." Though Samuels is terrified that the kids' grades will suffer, in fact they begin to excel beyond all expectation -- just as Charlie and assistant principal Bernadette Mehra (Jeanetta Arnette) figured they would. Mr. Moore's first crop of students include Maria (Leslie Bega), Darlene (Robin Givens), Allan (Tony O'Dell), Arvid (Dan Frischman), Simone (Khrystyne Haje), Dennis (Dan Schneider), Eric (Brian Robbins), Sarah (Kimberly Russell), Jawarhalal (Jory Husain), and preteen prodigy Janice (Tannis Vallely). Occasionally commiserating with the IHP-ers during this and the next season is "normal" student Lori Applebaum (Marcia Christie). Charlie's new job is jeopardized early in the season when the IHP's regular teacher Vernon Thomas (Roscoe Lee Browne) returns from sick leave; fortunately, Thomas is wiling to defer to Charlie's unorthodox techniques. Later in the season, the academic tables are turned when the students help Charlie re-qualify for his teaching license. And in one far-sighted episode, the kids compete in an academic tournament against a group of brainy Russian students; two years later, Head of the Class would be the first American sitcom to film an episode in the Soviet Union. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Howard Hesseman, William G. Schilling, (more)
- 1985
The opening episode of Murder She Wrote's second season marks the first occasion in which matronly mystery writer and amateur sleuth Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) assumes a different identity in the cause of justice. Summoned to a Caribbean resort by a desperate letter from her old friend Antoinette Farnsworth (Reggie Savage), Jessica arrives to find that Antoinette has been murdered. To ferret out the guilty party, who has already been pinpointed as a jewel thief, our heroine poses as a very wealthy--and very reclusive--widow. Len Cariou, who previously costarred with Angela Lansbury in the hit Broadway musical "Sweeney Todd", makes his first appearance as redoubtable British secret agent Michael Haggerty. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
A Navy lieutenant longing to see some real wartime action enters into a battle of wills with the tyrannical ship captain in this live television production of playwright Joshua Logan's Tony Award-winning Broadway play. The year is 1945. War is raging in the Pacific, and Lt. Doug Roberts (Robert Hays) is torn between his devotion to serving his country, and his duty to serve his men. Lt. Roberts longs to see some real action, though the navy cargo ship he is sailing on couldn't be in more peaceful waters. As the eager lieutenant locks horns with his stubborn and unflinching Captain (Charles Durning), it quickly becomes apparent that not even the support of Ensign Pulver (Kevin Bacon) and Doc (Howard Hessman) will help in convincing the bull-headed Captain to change course and sail his crew into battle. As a result, Lt. Roberts finds himself in the precarious position of wanting to help his fellow countrymen win the war while simultaneously respecting the orders of his superiors. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Hays, Charles Durning, (more)
- 1984
A 17-year-old boy (Chad Lowe) is killed in an automobile accident. As the facts begin to assert themselves, it appears that the boy actually took his own life. His mother (Mariette Hartley) and sister (Dana Hill) try to learn the truth, even as his father (Howard Hesseman) digs in his heels and refuses to face the possibility of a suicide. While this plot line is unravelling, the boy's best friend (Charlie Sheen) is tormented by the possibility that he could have prevented the tragedy. The emphasis in Silence of the Heart is the effect of suicide on the survivors rather than the victim, and the realization that one does not have to be "crazy" to end one's own existence. This made-for-TV movie was originally telecast October 30, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1984
Patty Duke Astin plays the wife of police officer Frederic Forrest, who wants to join a special investigative unit. Forrest is denied this position on the basis of information concerning his wife. The information, which reveals a dicey extramarital affair, was culled from a department surveillance file that was supposed to have been destroyed by court order. Astin battles through legal channels to expose the police force's illegal actions, even as she and her husband suffer the innuendoes and cold shoulders from his fellow officers. The made-for-TV Best Kept Secrets premiered on March 26, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1983
This 1983 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Howard Hesseman and features musical guest Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. ~ Skyler Miller, Rovi
- Starring:
- Howard Hesseman, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, (more)
- 1982
This 1982 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Howard Hesseman and features musical guest Men at Work. ~ Skyler Miller, Rovi
- Starring:
- Howard Hesseman, Men at Work, (more)
- 1982
In this made-for-TV thriller, a luckless, cynical San Diego gumshoe is hired to look into the mysterious disappearance of a crime lord's wife. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Mitchum, Angie Dickinson, (more)
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