Howard Hesseman Movies

In this involved send-up of two American icons -- the automobile and the tourist trap -- the tiny Florida town of Ticlaw strives desperately for success after it has been denied the most essential of all tourist amenities -- a freeway exit. The insane, and mostly successful, schemes of the mayor (William Devane) and other distinctly unbalanced citizens interrupt, often hilariously, the lives of various eccentric travellers forced into a place they never intended to be. Critics disagree violently on whether this is a neglected classic or sophomoric nonsense. The winning record of director (John Schlesinger) (Midnight Cowboy, Marathon Man, Cold Comfort Farm, etc.,) and first-class performances by William Devane, Beau Bridges, Beverly D'Angelo, Hume Cronyn, JessicaTandy and a plethora of great character actors -- not to mention the water-skiing elephant and the wild rhino -- argue that it's worth a look. ~ Michael P. Rogers, Rovi

Penned by Dan Greenburg, Private Lessons details the plight of a rich, fifteen-year-old boy (Eric Brown) whose French maid (Sylvia Kristel of the Emmanuelle series) is hired to teach him the finer points of l'amour. A contrived subplot involving a blackmail scheme complicates matters but really only serves as padding between the erotic scenes. In the end, the boy ends up wiser for the wear in more ways than one as he learns all the sordid details. Typical of many early '80s adolescent-oriented T & A films, this entry includes plenty of leering nudity and debauchery, although it seems comparatively tame compared with many others. Surprisingly, Private Lessons was a box-office hit at the time of its release; presumably, many film-goers had seen Kristel in her role as Emmanuelle, although they would have been disappointed to learn a body-double stood in during her love scenes in this case. A similarly-themed film, My Tutor, was released soon after. ~ Jeremy Beday, Rovi

Skyward is a 1980 GE Theatre presentation in the lofty tradition of TV's Golden Age. Bette Davis stars (what an inadequate word!) as a 60-year-old retired barnstorming airplane pilot. Real-life paraplegic Suzy Gilstrap portrays a wheelchair-bound team who is "tired of looking up all the time." It is her dream to become a pilot herself, a goal renounced by her overprotective parents and her self-centered boyfriend. But Davis, after initial heated protestations, agrees to train Gilstrap in the rigors of flying--specifically stunt-flying. Directed by Ron Howard, Skyward was produced and cowritten by Howard's Happy Days costar Anson Williams, while another Happy Days alumnus, Marion Ross, appears as Suzy Gilstrap's mother. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the future (the distant year of 1997), the United States of America is in crisis. The oil shortage has grown to epic proportions, leading to people living in their cars and bicycling to work. Cigarettes and meat have been outlawed, gold coins are needed to operate common household appliances, and the Western White House (located in a luxury apartment in California) has been forced by economic necessity to operate round-the-clock tours for vacationing Chinese citizens. The economy is deep trouble; President Chet Roosevelt (John Ritter) has borrowed four billion dollars from Native American tennis shoe manufacturer Sam Birdwater (Chief Dan George), and he's foreclosing on the loan. When a media expert, Eric McMerkhin (Peter Riegert), is summoned for advice (since despite all hardships, Americans refuse to give up their televisions), he suggests a telethon. It's a great idea, except the President's assistant Vincent Vanderhoff (Fred Willard) is in cahoots with the United Heb-Rab Republic, a sinister coalition of Israeli and Arab nationals who want to snap up America if the debt can't be paid. He ensures that the show is stocked with endless ventriloquists and insists on Monty Rushmore (Harvey Korman), a washed-up, drug-addicted television personality as host. The star of the popular sitcom "Both Mother and Father," he is sure to self-destruct over the grueling 30-day-and-night telethon schedule. Despite terrorist attacks and the kidnapping of President Roosevelt, the patriotic spirit prevails and American citizens dig deep and pledge their gold to the cause. This outrageous farce (based on a play by Firesign Theatre alumni Philip Proctor and Peter Bergman) features cameos from Elvis Costello, Jay Leno, Meat Loaf and the Del Rubio Triplets, and is narrated by George Carlin. The Beach Boys, Eddie Money, and Nick Lowe contribute to the musical soundtrack. ~ Fred Beldin, Rovi

Based on a book by John C. Fuller, the made-for-TV Ghost of Flight 401 is predicated on the "actual events" surrounding a real-life plane crash. In December of 1972, Flight 401 nose-dived into the Florida Everglades, killing its flight officer (played herein by Ernest Borgnine). Though damaged beyond repair, the plane is cannibalized for its parts, which are recycled to newly built aircraft. On each of these new planes, it is reported that the ghost of 401's flight officer has made unexpected appearances, to warn the crews of impending disasters. OoooOOOOOOoooooooo..... Those who dared first watched The Ghost of Flight 401 on February 18, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This made-for-TV ancestor to When Harry Met Sally stars the then-married Rob Reiner and Penny Marshall in what was essentially a replay of their own courtship. Covering a timespan from 1958 to 1971, the teleplay (written by Reiner and his frequent collaborator Phil Mishkin) asks the musical question "Should would-be novelist Alan Corkus (Reiner) and aspiring actress Maddy Pearlman (Marshall) become lovers, or merely remain good friends?" The whimsical nature of the plotline was carried over into the ABC network's ad campaign for the film, which was touted as "A Like Story." More Than Friends first aired on October 20, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the first half of a two-part story, Jim (James Garner) investigates the mysterious death of his mentor Joe Tooley (Paul Fix) on the Ventura Freeway. Assisting Jim--in a manner of speaking--is greenhorn detective Richie Brockelman (Dennis Dugan), who likewise suspects that Tooley's demise was no accident. The evidence leads to a crooked city councilman and a sinister data-storage firm called the Credit Computer Centre. This episode and its followup served to introduce the character of Richie Brockelman, soon to be spun off into his own eponymously titled TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Debuting September 18, 1978 on CBS, WKRP in Cincinnati was a weekly, half-hour "ensemble" sitcom largely set in the offices of a Major-Market radio station. Languishing at the bottom of the ratings chart with its moribund "beautiful music" format, WKRP was given a major shot in the arm with the arrival of ambitious new program director Andy Travis (Gary Sandy), who tossed out all the old Lawrence Welk records and installed an ultrahip Top-40 rock format. As WKRP's ratings rose slowly but steadily, Andy and the other staffers did their best to keep the momentum flowing despite an unprepossessing lineup of sponsors (ranging from nursing homes to funeral parlors) and the formidable opposition of WKRP's wealthy, imperious owner, Mrs. Lillian Carlson (played by Sylvia Sidney in the pilot episode, and thereafter by Carol Bruce). The other regulars included station manager Arthur "The Big Guy" Carlson (Gordon Jump), a well-meaning but ineffectual oaf who kept his job only because he was the owner's son; WKRP's sales manager Herb Tarlek (Frank Bonner), whose boorish behavior was rivaled only by his garish wardrobe; prissy, uptight and incredibly naïve newscaster Les Nessman (Richard Sanders), whose mission in life was to win the coveted Buckeye Newshawk Award; Dr. Johnny Fever, aka Johnny Caravella (Howard Hesseman), the station's mercurial, all-but-burned-out morning DJ; Venus Flytrap, aka Gordon Sims (Tim Reid), the funky, low-key nighttime platter-spinner; and Ms. Bailey Quarters (Jan Smithers, Andy's ebullient young assistant and traffic-and-billing expert, a classic example of "still waters run deep." Ultimately emerging as the true star of the series was Loni Anderson as WKRP's blonde, curvaceous receptionist Jennifer Marlowe, who though she refused to type or take dictation was the station's most efficient and level-headed employee, forever running interference for her bosses and coming up with last-minute solutions to otherwise insoluable problems (appropriately, Jennifer was the station's highest-paid staffer). One of the series' many running gags found Jennifer forever fending off the advances of the libidinous (and very married) Herb Tarlek, while simultaneously dating a never-ending parade of elderly millionaires. Created by Hugh Wilson, who drew extensively from his own professional experiences at various local radio stations (notably in the classic first-season episode "Turkeys Away"), WKRP in Cincinnati almost instantly built up a loyal critical and fan following, though thanks to CBS's haphazard scheduling practices it never truly clicked in the ratings. Nevertheless, the series lasted four seasons, ending its network run on September 20, 1982, and later yielding a moderately successful first-run syndicated spinoff (with a largely different cast), The New WKRP in Cincinnati (1991-1993). The catchy opening-theme music for the original WKRP was written by Tom Wells and Hugh Wilson, and performed by Steve Carlisle, while the closing-credits rock tune was composed and peformed by Jim Ellis.
~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Answering a call to a burglary in progress, rookie cop James Wells (Mark Lambert) shoots an kills an intruder. Performing an autopsy on the dead man, Quincy (Jack Klugman) discovers that the evidence doesn't match the young cop's story, but he refuses to issue an official statement--leading a muckraking TV journalist (David Spielberg) to conclude that there's a coverup going on to hide a possible case of police brutality. Actually, Quincy is merely playing for time to find out why the rookie is lying, and to determine what really happened. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

After a plane crash, killer tarantulas escape from the cargo, threatening orange groves and scaring the crop out of the locals in this arachnorama. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi

Future WKRP in Cincinnati regular Howard Hesseman makes a return appearance on The Bob Newhart Show, this time in the role of Bob's new patient, Mr. Plager. Described as "mildly neurotic with compulsive tendencies," Plager is welcomed by the rest of Bob's therapy group with open arms. Alas, those arms quickly fold up when it is learned that Plager is gay. Written by Patricia Jones, "Some of My Best Friends Are..." first aired on October 16, 1976, as the series' 100th episode. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Laverne (Penny Marshall), Shirley (Cindy Williams) and the rest of the series regulars agree to do a Christmas show at a local hospital. It is only after they have arrived for the show that gang discovers that they're visiting a mental hospital--and that the affable doctor (Howard Hesseman) who is there to greet them is actually one of the patients. This hilarious and touching episode ends with a rare example of the series breaking the "fourth wall" to deliver a heartfelt message to the home viewers. Musical highlights include "Silent Night", "Jingle Bell Rock", "Winter Wonderland" and a new Yuletide tune, "The Jolliest Fat Man", written by series regular Michael McKean (Lenny). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Yvette Mimieux delivers a sensitive, nuanced performance in a role that could have easily spread into a cheap exploitation turn in Jackson County Jail. Mimieux plays advertising executive Dinah Hunter, who leaves Los Angeles and a promising career after she discovers her lover has been cheating on her. Determined to start fresh in New York City, she gets into her car and heads east. Picking up some young hitchhikers along the way, she ends up stranded in an out-of-the-way western town after being beaten up and having her car stolen. Thrown into the local jailhouse on trumped up charges, she finds herself at the mercy of a psychopathic guard who further beats her and then rapes her. Dinah kills the jailkeeper and goes on the lam with fellow jailhouse inmate and down-home radical Coley Blake (Tommy Lee Jones). The sheriff's department engages the couple in a wild car chase through a parade commemorating the United States' Bicentennial, as Dinah and Coley try to break free to the open road. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi