Conrad Janis Movies
A New York-based radio actor from childhood, Conrad Janis was 16 when he made his first Broadway appearance in Junior Miss. Janis went on to star in the 1945 film comedy Snafu then played supporting roles in such 20th Century-Fox productions as Margie (1946) and The Brasher Doubloon (1947, as a teenaged murderer). His subsequent Broadway credits include The Brass Ring (for which he won a Theatre World Award), Time Out for Ginger and Visit to a Small Planet. Premature baldness compelled him to switch from leading-man assignments to character roles. A veteran of some 350 TV appearances, Janis was seen on a regular weekly basis as Otto Palindrome on the 1978 sci-fi spoof Quark, and as Mindy McConnell's dad Fred on the Robin Williams sitcom Mork and Mindy. Dropped from M & M after the 1978-79 season when the producers decided to retool the program, Janis was rehired in 1980, this time at a much heftier salary. Though justifiably proud of his acting accomplishments, Janis reportedly is prouder still of his activities as a jazz musician, fronting such prestigious musical aggregations as The Tailgaters and the Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band (this latter group served as the subject of a lively PBS documentary). In addition, Janis is the owner operator of a prominent avant-garde art gallery, and is in charge of his own production company, MiraCom. In 1994, Conrad Janis made his film directorial bow with The Feminine Touch. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 2002
Realizing that he has made too many enemies to win the presidency of the condo board, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) contrives to have the more popular Martin (John Mahoney) run against him. The strategy is to get Martin elected so that Frasier can be the real power behind the throne -- but Frasier has forgotten that his dad can be just as contrary and intractable as he is. Meanwhile, Daphne (Jane Leeves) takes the first steps to becoming a U.S. citizen, and Roz (Peri Gilpin) misinterprets a "sexual signal." ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conrad Janis, Marc Vann, (more)
- 2002
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Daphne's boorish brother Simon (Anthony LaPaglia) has finally left town, but her busybody mother Gertrude (Millicent Martin) is still very much in attendance. Gertrude won't leave until Simon returns, while Daphne (Jane Leeves) can't move in with Niles (David Hyde Pierce) as long as her mom is around. As this crisis reaches the boiling point, so does the ongoing war of wills between Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and his stubborn neighbor Cam (Brian Stokes Mitchell). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Leave it to the Frasier gang to take a perfectly enjoyable holiday like Christmas and cast a pall of misery over the proceedings. Specifically, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer), Daphne (Jane Leeves), Niles (David Hyde Pierce), and Roz (Peri Gilpin) show up separately at the offices of their favorite masseur (Albert Macklin), relating horrible recent Yuletide memories as they receive their respective rubdowns. Particularly amusing (at least for the viewer) are Niles' traumatic misadventures in a stalled elevator. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
In this actioner a beautiful designer journalist uses her black-belt in karate to stop an assassin from continuing to kill presidential candidates. Journalist Jennifer Barron begins her fight while doing a story about the optimistic Senator Ashton and his running mate Kahn. They are both victims of the killer. When Barron's lover John gets killed in an amusement park, and someone begins stalking her in hopes of taking a computer disk that she may or may not possess, the chop-socky writer has no choice but to defend herself and bring them to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paige Turco
- 1994
The diminutive, loincloth-clad Bushman from the Kalihari Desert who starred in The Gods Must Be Crazy and in its sequel also appears in this Hong Kong comedy. In this story, N!xau (playing himself) has just finished saving a wealthy asian businesswoman from a lion, and has somehow become entangled in her luggage as it is being loaded onto her private jet, bound for Hong Kong. When he finally escapes from the jet's luggage compartment, he is in that ciy, and must use his incomparable tracking techniques, forged in the desert, to find the woman and get back home. Along the way, he foils some jewel thieves, and teaches the wealthy businesswoman that there's more to life than money and a high-consumption lifestyle. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- N!xau, Cecilia Yip, (more)
- 1991
Jessica (Angela Lansbury) decides to retire her trusty typewriter and signs up for a computer course. While deep in study, she stumbles across a case of illegal computer hacking--which of course leads to murder. The victim this time out is one of the two men in charge of the computer school, while the suspects include the dead man's wife, his mistress, and the elusive hacker (or at least, the hacker was elusive until Jessica entered the scene!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
During a political fundraiser in San Francisco, a necklace is stolen (apparently) and a man murdered (positively!) The dead man was a powerful publisher with senatorial ambitions, whose body was found on the balcony of the hotel room occupied by Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury); the necklace belonged to the decedent's wife. Suspecting that the man accused of the crime--a professional jewel thief who'd hidden himself in Jessica's room--is not guilty, Jessica sets about to crack the case. Keith Michell makes his first series appearance as the delightfully larcenous Dennis Stanton. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Originally and imprudently titled The Whorehouse Sting, this fact-based, made-for-TV melodrama casts Beau Bridges as federal agent Frank Powell, who makes it his mission to bring slick but deadly racketeer Oliver Sully (Harold Gould) to justice. This undertaking requires Powell and his fellow government functionaries to set up a phony San Francisco brothel (total price tag: $450,000), thereby setting the stage for an intricate extortion "sting". Putting her life on the line along with Powell is professional call girl Kathy Dunne (Farrah Fawcett), who agrees to pose as the brothel's madam. Laced with moments of unexpected humor and capped by an unexpected denoument, The Red-Light Sting debuted April 5, 1984, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Jose Ferrer guest stars in this episode--but not for long!--as a famed hypnotist known as The Amazing Cagliostro. As a publicity stunt, Cagliostro shepherds a group of six journalists behind locked doors, then hypnotizes them en masse. The act comes to an abrupt conclusion when Cagliostro is stabbed to death in full view of the journalists--who, being hypnotized, can remember nothing about the crime! Jessica (Angela Lansbury) of course figures that at least one person in the room was sufficiently conscious to commit the murder, and she's determined to find out which one. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
The Gossip Columnist is a rare one-part offering from Operation Prime Time, the TV-syndication service responsible for such miniseries as The Kent Family Chronicles. Fourth-billed Kim Cattrall plays the title character, journalist Dina Moran. Instructed by her boss (Dick Sargent) to take over the gossip column previously written by Hedda Hopper-clone Alma Llewellyn (Sylvia Sidney), Dina becomes a veritable Rona Barrett (why, one would think that scenarist Michael Gleason had purposely based the character on Barrett). In the course of 2 hours, our heroine makes and breaks several celebrities. Martha Raye plays a character not far removed from herself: a formerly big star hoping for a comeback. The cast includes such TV perennials as Robert Vaughn, Bobby Vinton, Bobby Sherman, Richard Deacon and Lyle Waggoner, along with such guest stars as Steve Allen, Jim Backus, Jack Carter, Allen Ludden, Jayne Meadows, Rip Taylor and Betty White. The Gossip Columnist first aired during the third week of March, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
In the first episode of a two-part story, Laverne (Penny Marshall) and Shirley (Cindy Williams) climb aboard the legendary Moosejaw Express in anticipation of a thrilling train ride from Wisconsin to Canada . It's thrilling, all right, but not in the way the girls had expected. No sooner has the journey began than a murder victim (Roger C. Carmel) stumbles into L&S's compartment and dies--but not before mumbling the fateful words "Beware the bald man"! This star-studded episode was originally scheduled to air on February 11, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Laverne (Penny Marshall) and Shirley (Cindy Williams) are still trying to solve a murder while hurtling towards Canada on the Moosejaw Express. The girls have been warned to "beware the bald man"--who has apparently already caught up with them and poisoned their food. Meanwhile, stowaways Lenny (Michael McKean) and Squiggy (David L. Lander) hope against hope to rescue the girls in the nick of time, but unfortunately they're a little tied up at the moment! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Shelley Winters) guest stars as Evelyn McNeil, widowed sister-in-law of Chief of Detectives Frank McNeil (Dan Frazer). An aficionado of the gambling houses, Evelyn finds herself in over her head with some particularly nasty mobsters. Banking on his lifelone friendship with Kojak (Telly Savalas), McNeil asks the detective to shield Evelyn from harm--but it may already be too late. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
New York's Roseland ballroom was in 1977 the traditional gathering place of senior citizens who wanted briefly to relive the good old days. Appropriately, the cast of Merchant/Ivory's Roseland includes a quartet of always-welcome showbiz veterans: Teresa Wright, Lou Jacobi, Helen Gallagher. The episodic storyline is unified by an unending flow of vintage hit songs, including "Slow Boat to China", "Stranger in Paradise" and "Rockin' Chair". The most effective vignette involves cleaning-lady Skala, whose minimum-wage job supports her weekly ballroom nostalgia-fests. The film was written by Merchant-Ivory perennial Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Teresa Wright, Lou Jacobi, (more)
- 1977
Again worried that George (Sherman Hemsley) is working too hard, Louise (Isabel Sanford) suggests that he take up a relaxing hobby. She soon regrets her suggestion when George signs up for flying lessons. Fortunately for all concerned, George makes a startling (and messy) discovery while airborne which causes him to realign his priorities. With this episode, The Jeffersons made its second third-season schedule change, moving from Wednesdays to Mondays opposite NBC's Little House on the Prairie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford, (more)
- 1976
The fifth season of The Waltons gets under way as budding writer John-Boy Walton (Richard Thomas) prepares the first edition of his own newspaper, "The Blue Ridge Chronicle." The lead story concerns a car accident caused by the local mayor, whom John-Boy is convinced was drunk at the time. Worried about the mayor's reputation, the Walton family is dead set against John-Boy printing this story...and even more staunchly opposed to his "freedom of the press" policy when he covers a crime involving four teenagers--including his own brother Ben (Eric Scott). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
In a rare dramatic appearance, Desi Arnaz Jr. appears as B.J. Palmer, the lead singer of a popular rock group. When the group's avaricious manager David Breen (Conrad Janis) is bludgeoned to death, B.J. is convinced that he himself is the guilty party. After all, the troubled young singer suffers from congenital insanity--or at least, that is what he has been led to believe by certain other parties! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Long before the Warren Beatty/Annette Bening vehicle Bugsy (92), Harvey Keitel portrayed gangster Bugsy Siegel and Dyan Cannon costarred as Siegel's mistress Virginia Hill in the made-for-TV The Virginia Hill Story. Told in flashback, the film traces Virginia's life from the time she takes up with Bugsy; we see Siegel's takeover of the Las Vegas gaming tables and his eventual death at the hands of his mob rivals. The flashback is bookended by Virginia's 1951 testimony before the Kefauver Committee. The film's attention to period detail does not extend to its "revisionist" dialogue, but it's gratifying to see the often ill-used Dyan Cannon in a worthwhile role. Harvey Keitel is alternately sinister and sensual as Siegel, while Herbert Anderson (the immortal Henry Mitchell from the old Dennis the Menace series) is the living image of Estes Kefauver. A note worth noting: The Virginia Hill Story premiered the same November week in 1974 as the network debut of The Godfather (1972). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
Tony Baretta (Robert Blake) is partnered with neurotic, pill-popping police officer Scotty (Michael Parks) during a frustratingly long drug stakeout. What Baretta doesn't know -- at least not at first -- is that Scotty is at the end of his financial rope, having been spent into the poorhouse by his selfish girlfriend. Can it be that Scotty is open for a bribe from the very perps he has been assigned to nab? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Blake, Dana Elcar, (more)
In the wake of the 45-million-dollar gross of the original Airport (1970), Universal was all but required by an act of Congress to produce Airport '75. Charlton Heston heads the all-star cast as Alan Murdock, the former test pilot who must keep a disabled 747 from crashing in flames. The crisis begins when a businessman (Dana Andrews), flying his small private plane, suffers a fatal heart attack and the plane smashes into the cockpit of the 747. Following Murdock's radioed instructions, stewardess Nancy Pryor (Karen Black) takes over the controls. The special-guest passenger lineup includes Helen Reddy as a singing nun (a character wickedly satirized in the 1980 parody Airplane!), Myrna Loy as an alcoholic, and Sid Caesar as a garrulous passenger. While Airport '75 yielded only 25 million dollars at the box office, the franchise continued, spawning Airport '77 a few years later and Airport '79 two years after that. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlton Heston, Karen Black, (more)
- 1973
The 1947 film comedy Miracle on 34th Street starred Edmund Gwenn as a bearded gentleman named Kris Kringle, who was convinced that he was the genuine Santa Claus. The earlier Miracle was good enough as it stood, so why remake it? Still, the full-color 1973 Miracle on 34th Street has the considerable advantage of Sebastian Cabot, his trademarked beard dyed snowy white, as Kringle, so it isn't as bad as expected. The story, which involves the commercial and legal ramifications of the "real" Santa taking a job as a department store Santa at Macy's, was barely updated for the 1970s, meaning that several of the plot devices--including a nasty psychiatrist who has Kringle committed--were somewhat anachronistic. The uplifting final scene, wherein a cynical little girl becomes a true believer of Santa Claus (as do the adults in the story), still works well in the remake, even though Suzanne Davidson isn't in the same league as the original Miracle's Natalie Wood. The TV-movie version of Miracle on 34th Street wasn't too successful, but that didn't stop John Hughes from churning out a second remake in 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
A malfunction in his telesensory transmitter turns Martin (Ray Walston) into a "living camera", broadcasting everything he sees to the entire country. This proves to be a drawback when Martin inadvertently witnesses popular movie star Chad Foster (Conrad Janis) in an embarrassing situation, revealing to a nationwide audience that Chad wears a toupee and phony muscles. The only way Martin can salvage the situation is to "re-invent" the hapless Foster, making him more popular than ever! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
In this sequel to the first-season episode "Noise of Death", Henry Silva returns as drug kingpin Little Charlie Sebastino. After a little girl dies from an overdose, Elliot Ness (Robert Stack) persuades the Chicago media to bear down on the city's illegal heroin traffic. Withering in the glare of publicity, the higher-ups in the Mob shut down Little Charlie's operation--leading to a bloody chain reaction of betrayal and revenge. The episode's stellar supporting cast includes Eduardo Cianelli and Will Kuluva as fraternal mob kingpins, Paula Raymond as Kuluva's two-timing wife, and Conrad Janis, miles removed from his mild-mannered portrayal of Pam Dawber's father on Mork and Mindy, as a dope-addicted jazz drummer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1958
Singer Julius LaRosa, whose greatest fame lies in the fact that he was fired on the air by radio-TV personality Arthur Godfrey, heads the cast of the near-plotless musicfest Let's Rock. LaRosa plays a top recording star who suffers a dip in popularity when rock-n-roll becomes the national craze. With the help of girlfriend Phyllis Newman, LaRosa is able to recapture his audience by adjusting to the "new sound." Forget the plot: this the film in which Danny and the Juniors perform their hit single "At the Hop" and the Royal Teens participate in a production-number version of their smash "Short Shorts". And besides, who couldn't love a film which offers not only Paul Anka and Della Reese, but also the legendary Wink Martindale!!! Let's Rock was later reissued as Keep It Cool. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julius LaRosa, Phyllis Newman, (more)
