Jerry Houser Movies
While attending Valley Junior College, Jerry Houser was cast as 15-year-old Oscy in Summer of 42 (1971), a role he repeated in Class of 44 (1973). With rare exceptions, most of Houser's subsequent film roles were minor. On TV, he was seen as Muff Platt in We'll Get By (1975); a decade-and-a-half later, he showed up in two "retro" TV weeklies, The Brady Brides (1989) and The Bradys (1991), playing Marcia's toy salesman husband Wally Logan. Jerry Houser has also provided voiceovers for over a dozen TV cartoon series, including The Biskitts, The Gary Coleman Show, GI Joe, The Smurfs and Tom and Jerry Kids. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 2005
The daily, half-hour animated series Danger Rangers lived up to its title by teaching the kids at home how to avoid accidents in a light, entertaining fashion. The cast consisted of five lovable animals, members all of "Club Danger Rangers", dedicated to the proposition of showing themselves and others how to think and play safely, and how to deal with such everyday perils as fire, water, and heavy traffic. Gabriela or "Gabby" the bird was C.D.R.'s CEO, a strict but affectionate taskmaster and a fount of useful information; Kitty the cat was the brains of the operation, forever researching and testing new safety methods; Sully the Sea Lion was the self-styled "action hero" of the bunch; Burble the bear was the resident practical joker, albeit eminently well-informed in the realm of avoiding recreational hazards; Burt the turtle, youngest of the group, was also its "creative genius"; and Squeky the mouse was the most pugnacious and rebellious of the Rangers, whose occasional lapses into foolishness served as example to the young viewers. The only non-animal member of CDR was also non-human in the bargain: Fallbot, a silly, clumsy, overeager but well-intentioned robot. Though the "safety-first" material was potentially frightening to youngster, it was presented in a strictly comic and nonthreatening manner; and like many another prosocial series of this ilk, Danger Rangers was festooned with such concepts and catchphrases as "Play It Safe", "Danger Proof Plan" and "Danger Ranger Ready." In the United States, Danger Rangers debuted August 6, 2005, as a PBS daytimer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
When con man Eddie Dash (Richard Pryor) is released from prison he's told to fulfill the required 100 hours of community service as the bodyguard/escort of a recently released mental patient (Gene Wilder). It's not too long before Wilder figures out a way to make a little dough at the expense of his impaired charge. Together they manage to get involved in an inheritance scam that's loaded with troubles and trials for all. It's apparent to most viewers that the Richard Pryor appearing in this film is a far cry from the actor most have seen previously; this is the first film undertaken by Pryor following a very serious illness. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Pryor, Gene Wilder, (more)
- 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
- 1982
This made-for-television drama chronicles an atypical May-December romance involving a twenty-something doctor and a middle-aged woman. The two soon fall passionately in love and this causes a little friction between the woman and her full-grown daughters. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1981
Underpublicized and underappreciated, the US ice hockey team heads for the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York. Driven a manner than can be described as merciless by coach Herb Brooks (Karl Malden), the team has learned how to swallow months of defeat and disappointment press on to success. The result: A stunning victory over the high-profile Russian and Finnish skating teams. Actual scenes from the Olympic finals are seamlessly blended with recreations of the event in this made-for-TV movie. Miracle on Ice costars Andrew Stevens as team captain Mike Eruzione. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
The original cast members from the popular comedy series The Brady Bunch reprise their roles in this made-for-television movie. Sisters Marcia (Maureen McCormick) and Jan (Eve Plumb) gather the family together to get ready for their double wedding. This movie was a pilot for a short-lived NBC series which followed called Brady Brides. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maureen McCormick, Eve Plumb, (more)
For the first (and thus far the only) time in his career, Chevy Chase plays a genuinely sympathetic character in Neil Simon's Seems Like Old Times. This time around, Chase is a divorced novelist who is abducted by crooks and set up as the fall guy in a bank robbery. Arrested, Chase manages to escape and to make his way to the home of ex-wife Goldie Hawn, now a highly respected liberal defense attorney. Chase's unexpected arrival coincides with an important dinner party on behalf of Goldie's current husband, district attorney Charles Grodin. At first making every effort to give Chase the boot, Hawn, ever the champion of the underdog finally decides to help him out of his dilemma--much to the discomfort of her politically ambitious husband. Wisely, Grodin does not play his character as an unpleasant stuffed shirt; he is as likeable as Chase and Hawn, giving the farcical plot convolutions a tinge of reality. We care about the people involved, thus the laughs spring as much from characterization as they do from the situation. If only Seems Like Old Times didn't have that lame-brained final close up..... ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase, (more)
- 1979
This program is part of a series that chronicles the stories of some of the great heroes of the Old Testament of the Bible. The colorful stories have made an indelible mark on Western consciousness, as they illustrate great spiritual truths in the plain narratives about ordinary people. This episode tells the story of Daniel who had a gift for interpreting dreams. This asset aids him in his audience with King Nebachadnezzar, who wants very much to understand a dream that has been troubling him. The ensuing drama is one of the most beloved stories in the Christian repertoire, exemplifying the importance of faith in an all-powerful God. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
An Anglo-American co-production, S.O.S. Titanic is a costly, 150-minute reenactment of the infamous sea disaster of 1912. Heading the cast is David Janssen as millionaire John Jacob Astor, who went down with the Titanic, and Cloris Leachman as raucous Denver dowager Molly Brown, who didn't (for the record, Leachman had previously played Brown on a 1957 episode of the TV anthology Telephone Time). Third-billed is Susan Saint James as fictional passenger Leigh Goodwin, who carries most of the dramatic load. Written by Hallmark Hall of Fame veteran James Costigan, the made-for-television S.O.S. Titanic premiered September 23, 1979. In subsequent network and syndicated showings, the film was pared down to 102 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Anthony Hopkins is a ventriloquist psychologically tormented by his dummy in the Richard Attenborough thriller Magic (a film with a story that may seem familiar to those who have seen the Michael Redgrave segment of Dead of Night, or the Cliff Robertson episode "The Dummy" from The Twilight Zone television series). William Goldman based his screenplay on his best-selling novel. Hopkins plays Corky, a seedy magician who is hooted off the stage in the low-rent clubs that will stoop to hire him. But when he comes across a dummy named Fats, his career is energized. Corky sees in Fats everything he lacks himself -- confidence, creativity, and verbal agility. With the help of his agent Ben Greene (Burgess Meredith), Corky rises to the top of the nightclub circuit. But with Corky's success comes an increased paranoia, and he turns down a TV contract, believing that it would mean taking a medical examination and that rumors of his mental instability might leak out. Corky takes off to a Catskills resort, run by Peggy Ann Snow (Ann-Margret), an old girlfriend now unhappily married to a volatile hick (Ed Lauter). While a frustrated Ben high tails it to the Catskills to find Corky, Corky discovers that he still has feelings for Peggy, but lands in the middle of a love triangle between the woman and her husband, where his schizophrenic personality manifests itself and additional murders occur. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Hopkins, Ann-Margret, (more)
Paul Newman plays Reggie Dunlop, the coach of a pathetic minor-league American hockey team. His career at a standstill and his marriage in tatters, Dunlop has nothing to lose by taking on a new group of players who are one evolutionary step above Neanderthals. Only when the team begins winning does he decide to get behind these players, and to encourage the rest of the team to play as down-and-dirty as the newcomers. Straight-arrow team member Ned Braden (Michael Ontkean) resents this influx of gonzo talent, preferring to play clean. As the film's multitude of subplots play themselves out, Dunlop does his best to keep the outraged Braden on the team. Slap Shot is the sort of film for which the "R" rating was invented: Its nonstop barrage of profanity and its raunchy action sequences are of such intensity that the film will probably never be shown intact on commercial television. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Newman, Strother Martin, (more)
- 1973
- PG
Paul Bogart directed this ho-hum follow-up to Robert Mulligan's Summer of '42 in which the three adolescents begin their college years during the waning years of World War II. Hermie (Gary Grimes), Oscy (Jerry Houser), and Benjie (Oliver Conant) graduate from high school and head off in different directions. Benjie takes off to join the Marines and disappears from the story line, while Hermie and Oscy fret about entering college. Hermie falls for beautiful college freshman Julie (Deborah Winters), and the boys have to deal with a fractious fraternity president (William Atherton) who is the supervisor of the fraternity hazings. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Grimes, Jerry Houser, (more)
- 1973
Having played a psychotic teenage outlaw in a previous F.B.I episode, Jo Ann Harris is no less vitriolic as a crime victim in this installment. Kidnapped by a pair of young thugs (one played by future "soft-core" filmmaker Zalman King), Tish Lemaire (Jo Ann Harris) hopes to turn the situation to her advantage. Jealous of her wealthy new stepmother Ann (Anne Francis), Tish goads her kidnappers into increasing their ransom demands--sublimely ignorant of the fact that they have no intention of returning her alive. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Set during the Civil War, Bad Company stars Barry Brown as a Northern boy, Drew Dixon, who heads West to avoid getting drafted. He falls under the spell of Jake Rumsey (Jeff Bridges), an easygoing young con artist. Drew joins Jake's gang of boy bandits, who live by their wits and try to avoid confrontation with adult criminals like Big Joe (David Huddleston). It is Drew who must eventually save Jake from hanging, even though he realizes that his intervention could lead to his own execution. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A surprise success in 1971 ($20 million worth of "surprise"), The Summer of '42 is a coming-of-age piece, drenched in nostalgia. Director Robert Mulligan narrates the film as the grown-up counterpart of Hermie (Gary Grimes), a teenager of the War Years who has a crush on twentyish Jennifer O'Neill. With O'Neill's soldier husband off to war, Grimes convinces himself that he can take hubby's place in every way. O'Neill is amused by Grimes' attentions (confined to doing chores and carrying her groceries), but never thinks of him in sexual terms. And then, O'Neill's husband is killed in battle. Herman Raucher based his intensely nostalgic script on his own experience, going so far as to use the real names of past acquaintances (including the Jennifer O'Neill counterpart) as character names in his screenplay. An Academy Award went to Michel LeGrand's evocative musical score. Summer of '42 was later novelized by Raucher, then followed up on screen by the less effective Class of 44. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer O'Neill, Gary Grimes, (more)
