Beau James Movies

This 60-minute entry in the PBS American Experience anthology chronicles the unorthodox medical partnership between Alfred Blalock, chief of surgery at Johns Hopkins, and Vivien Thomas, a black man with little more than a high school education. When Thomas applied for a janitorial post at Johns Hopkins in the early '40s, Blalock was impressed by the man's medical knowledge and took him on as a technician. Ultimately, it was Thomas who, in 1944, designed the surgical procedure to correct what was then known as "blue baby syndrome." But racial barriers being what they were at the time, his contributions went ignored, and Blalock reluctantly accepted all the credit. It was not until 1976 that the medical profession formally recognized Thomas with an honorary doctorate. Partners of the Heart combines straight newsreel footage and still pictures with dramatized recreations of the events. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After spending the night with Cox (Michelle Forbes), Bayliss (Kyle Secor) returns her earrings -- just as she's arrived at the scene of a murder in which the victim's body was deposited in a restaurant dumpster. This murder may be tied in with a case being worked by Munch (Richard Belzer), wherein several wealthy and prominent gay men have met untimely ends. Meanwhile, Lewis (Clark Johnson) uses the likely existence of an incriminating videotape to chastise his fellow detectives for their handling of the volatile Georgia Rae Mahoney situation, and Falsone (Jon Seda) and his ex-wife clash bitterly over custody of their son. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jay Leno makes a brief uncredited appearance in this first episode of a two-part story , in which the homicide unit "celebrates" the new year by going after a serial sniper who strikes every eight hours. Having already claimed nine victims, the elusive killer taunts the cops by leaving behind cryptic clues based on the old game hangman. While investigating the case, Bayliss (Kyle Secor) is hampered by back pains, leading to a potentially dangerous dependency on medication. And Barnfather (Clayton LeBouef), frustrated by the lack of progress in tracking down the sniper, takes out his frustrations on Russert (Isabella Hoffman), leading to a momentous showdown. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season three of Homicide: Life on the Street finds the day and night shifts of the Baltimore homicide squad uneasily working in tandem to solve the murder of the winner of the city's Samaritan of the Year award. The case is particularly irksome for Detective Frank Pembleton (Andre Braugher), whose new desk mate is an unregenerate racist. As for Lt. Giardello (Yaphet Kotto), he has to smooth out the differences between his staff and new night-shift commander Lt. Megan Russert (Isabella Hoffman, making her series debut). Elsewhere, Kay Howard (Melissa Leo) finds herself stuck in the middle of domestic warfare when Beau Felton (Daniel Baldwin) and his wife, Beth (Mary B. Ward), separate; and a fascinating new subplot is introduced when Munch (Richard Belzer) and Lewis (Clark Johnson) formulate plans to purchase a bar. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Can a high-attitude African-American politician who says what he thinks stand a chance in a presidential campaign? Mays Gilliam (Chris Rock) is a straight-talking alderman representing a inner-city neighborhood in Washington, D.C. In the midst of a hard-fought race for the White House, the Democratic presidential and vice-presidential candidates are killed in an airline crash, and with little time to prepare a new campaign, the Republican candidate, Vice President Brian Lewis (Nick Searcy), seems all but guaranteed to win. With practically nothing to loose, party head Martin Geller (Dylan Baker) approaches Gilliam and asks him to stand as the Democrat's presidential candidate. While Gilliam is dubious at first, before long his streetwise style and willingness to face the issues head-on earns him surprising figures in the polls, especially after he persuades his short-fused older brother, Mitch Gilliam (Bernie Mac), to join the ticket as vice presidential candidate -- a big jump for a bail bondsman. Gilliam's love life also becomes more complicated as his ex-girlfriend Kim (Robin Givens) decides she wants him back now that he has a shot at the White House, even though Gilliam only has eyes for Lisa (Tamala Jones). Head of State marked the directorial debut for comic and actor Chris Rock, who also co-wrote and co-produced the film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide