Cheryl Ladd Movies
Actress/singer Cheryl Jean Stopelmoor billed herself as Cherie Moore when she performed as a backup singer on the 1970 Hanna-Barbera animated TVer Josie and the Pussycats. She reverted to her given name when appearing as a regular on the prime-time programs The Ken Berry WOW Show and Search (both 1972), and in various TV guest assignments. Stopelmoor was occasionally written up in fan and industry magazines of the period, more because of her unusual name than her acting skills (often, her last name was longer than the parts she played). Stopelmoor finally became a star when she adopted her married name of Ladd (her husband of many years was actor David Ladd, son of film luminary Alan Ladd) and replaced Farrah Fawcett on the highly-rated ABC "jiggle" show Charlie's Angels. She played blonde angel Kris Munroe from 1977 through 1981, then concentrated on made-for-TV films, wherein she was permitted plenty of creative input. Ladd's TV movies found her cast as both victim (A Death in California) and victimizer (When She Was Bad); arguably her best outing was the title role in the 1983 TV biopic Grace Kelly. She has since returned to series TV from time to time, playing Liane DeViller on Crossing (1986) and Holli Holliday on the syndicated Baywatch wannabe One West Waikiki (1994). Tirelessly active in civic and charitable endeavors, Cheryl Ladd was at one time Goodwill ambassador to Childhelp USA. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
On the day of her granddaughter's departure to California -- in the company of her rock musician boyfriend -- Elizabeth Leroy Bishop (Cheryl Ladd) tries to tell her the story of how she came to spend her life in the town of Three Rivers, and the rewards she has received from that life. We flash back to 1950, just after Elizabeth's mother died of cancer -- of college age, Elizabeth (Amy Grabow) comes home to live with her physician father (Christopher Allport), and meets the young associate pastor Ben Phillips (Brad Rowe), who is newly arrived in town. Elizabeth is heavily involved with the life of the church, and the two quickly become friends and more. Ben eventually asks Elizabeth to marry him; but first he must fulfill his obligation as a minister, to serve as an army chaplain in Korea. A series of tragedies test Elizabeth's faith over the ensuing 50 years, and just as she reaches a point of beginning to understand what she sees as God's plan for her, two unexpected events await. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amy Grabow, Christopher Allport, (more)
Thirty-three-year-old ad executive Eve Simon (Elisa Donovan) is, to all outward appearances, a success, and a fabulously wealthy one in the bargain. Even so, as she sits alone nursing an expensive drink in an upscale Manhattan watering hole on Christmas Eve, our heroine wonders if it's all been worth it -- and, more to the point, how would her life have turned out had she made different choices. "Wish upon the Christmas star!" advises a philosophical derelict named Brother James (Peter Williams). Eve does just that -- and she awakens, it is 12 years earlier, she's an unemployed 21-year-old living with her parents (Cheryl Ladd, James Kirk), and she's still engaged to Scott (Sebastian Spence), the hometown boy whom she would ultimately dump in her pursuit of a career in the Big Apple. So, will she make the same choices again, or will she follow her heart instead of her head the second time around? Made for the Lifetime cable channel, Eve's Christmas premiered December 6, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elisa Donovan, Cheryl Ladd, (more)
- 2003
Upon finding out that the pregnant Piper suffers from toxemia, her doctor prescribes complete rest and avoidance of all tension. This may prove difficult, inasmuch as Piper's sisters and her Whitelighter, Leo (Brian Krause), have suddenly lost all their powers -- and worse still, all magic in the world has been expunged. It is all the result of a summit meeting wherein the representatives of evil hatch a scheme to take control of Piper's unborn child -- who, as the episode ends, clearly won't stay unborn for long. On top of all this, Victor Bennett (James Read), father of Piper and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), has a most unsettling surprise for them. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Krause, Julian McMahon, (more)
- 1999
Although actor-director-producer Michael Landon died of pancreatic cancer in 1991, his life and career remained indelibly etched on the collective consciousness of America for many years afterward, as witness this warts-and-all TV biopic written and directed by Michael Landon Jr. Although it is clear throughout that the younger Landon loved and adored his father, the film is unstinting in its depiction of the emotional damage wrought upon the boy when, at age 15, his parents were divorced. In fact, it is the elder Landon's infidelities (and his almost casual selfishness) that galvanize the storyline, creating a schism between father and son that would not be repaired until the two Landons came to terms during Michael Sr.'s long and painful terminal illness. To be fair, the film allows Michael Sr. to score points vis-à-vis his tireless dedication to his work and his sincere efforts to be a loving and protective father to his enormous family. John Schneider is cast as the elder Landon, with Joel Berti as the adult Michael Jr., Cheryl Ladd as his mother (and his dad's second wife) Lynn, and Julie Condra as Michael Sr's third wife Cindy, a makeup artist whom the actor had met on the set of Little House on the Prairie (is it any surprise that Lynn comes off far more sympathetically than Cindy in the context of the film?) Michael Landon, the Father I Knew premiered May 23, 1999 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
This chilling drama cautions parents about the potential dangers of letting children have unsupervised access to the Internet. The story centers on a troubled, emotionally isolated teenaged girl who turns to the Net chat-rooms for the solace and companionship she needs. It does not take long for an unscrupulous user to find her and to start a virtual love affair that results in her visiting his apartment. Suddenly mister nice-guy turns into a creep and takes her hostage, leaving her computer-illiterate mother (Cheryl Ladd) to somehow navigate the complexities of the worldwide web in a desperate search for the kidnapper's identity and location. Fortunately, the police and an expert hacker are beside her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Having just moved to a new town, widow Elaine Freedman (Cheryl Ladd) and her teenage daughter, Justine (Jody Thompson) are greeted by the effusive, terribly nice Dr. Calvin Lawrence (Michael York). Sensing that Justine is bit testy and out of sorts (most kids her age tend to get that way, you know), Dr. Lawrence recommends that she begin taking a special vitamin which he manufactures in his own home. Before long, Justine is the model of perfection -- just like all the other teenagers in town. What no one realizes until it is almost too late is that the kindly Dr. Lawrence is the quintessential control freak, using mind-altering drugs and secret radio waves to create his own "perfect city," where everyone bends to his will. A TV movie variation on the theatrical feature Disturbing Behavior, Perfect Little Angels was based on a novel by Andrew Neiderman, and first aired November 14, 1998, on the Family Channel cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cheryl Ladd, Jody Thompson, (more)
Also known as A Deadly Seduction and A Tangled Web, this made-for-TV melodrama stars Cheryl Ladd as Lucinda, a convict paroled in the custody of a hardboiled detective. Ladling on the charm in buckets, Lucinda inveigles the detective's brother, a wealthy widowed attorney, into falling in love with her. After their marriage, the "heroine" hatches a devilishly detailed scheme to kill of her husband, claim his fortune, and then seduce his handsome young son! Fans of The Simpsons will enjoy the performance by Nancy Cartwright (aka the voice of Bart Simpson) as Lucinda's nonplussed younger sister. Vows of Deception originally aired November 12, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cheryl Ladd, Mike Farrell, (more)
- 1996
In this suspenseful made-for-TV thriller, a little girl finds herself tormented by scary visions of a woman in trouble. Lisa then receives information about a missing child's body. Her mother, knowing full well what her daughter is going through, hurries to help her solve the mystery for she fears that if they do not, Lisa herself may be next on the killer's list of victims. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cheryl Ladd, Duncan Regehr, (more)
- 1996
In this low-budget screwball-mystery, the death of an L.A. woman leads to a surreal murder investigation on the outer fringes of la-la land. When Molly McMannis (Justine Bateman) turns up dead, still impaled with the murder weapon -- a carrot -- the police launch a probe into the colorful world Molly inhabited. The suspects range from her ex-con brother to her roommate to her high-strung friend (Heather Graham). But a more likely culprit lurks among the ranks of a therapy group full of off-the-wall serial killers and the shrinks who coddle them. The fetishistic police detectives -- including sadistic interrogator Angela Pierce (Jill Hennessy) -- prove as disturbing as the people they're investigating. In fact, their unorthodox procedures leave the door open for the killer to strike again. Written, produced, and directed by Jordan Alan, who previously helmed the similarly offbeat Love and Happiness, Kiss and Tell features a who's who of obscure and indie Hollywood talent, including veteran actor Lewis Arquette and his three famous sons. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Howitt, Daniel Craig, (more)
In the tradition of such woman-in-jeopardy nail-biters as Extremities and Sleeping With the Enemy comes the ABC made-for-television pic Dead Before Dawn, starring small-screen vets Cheryl Ladd (Charlie's Angels) and Jameson Parker (Simon & Simon). Though to outsiders' eyes all is well in the life of suburban housewife Linda (Ladd), behind closed doors and shutters her socially impeccable husband, Jeff (Parker), turns into a satanic monster, beating the living hell out of his wife and children. In a desperate move, Linda files for divorce, but the vengeance-starved Jeff -- panic-stricken that Linda's in-court testimonies will decimate his career -- will stop at nothing to shut her up...even homicide. Kim Coates and Hope Lange (Death Wish) co-star. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Desperate and unable to bear a child of their own, a young couple tries to adopt the child of impoverished parents. But when those parents resist, a huge custody battle ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cheryl Ladd, Polly Draper, (more)
In this made for TV movie based on Danielle Steele's novel, Cheryl Ladd portrays a successful New York television anchorwoman. When she marries a successful surgeon in Los Angeles, romance becomes difficult with their careers on opposite ends of the country. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cheryl Ladd, Michael Nouri, (more)
- 1991
When a woman is falsely convicted for selling drugs, she asks her sister to raise her young children in this true story. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1990
In assembling the 1990 TV-movie version of Jekyll and Hyde, writer/director David Wickes recycled many of the elements of his 1988 adaptation of Jack the Ripper--including props, costumes, sets, and star Michael Caine. Caine goes through the standard motions as kindly Henry Jekyll, who dabbles where Men Must Not and unleashes his beastly alter ego Mr. Hyde. Anything new here? Well, the character of Dr. Lanyon, Jekyll's best friend in the original Robert Louis Stevenson story, has been rewritten as his worst enemy. Joss Ackland plays the vitriolic Lanyon, while Cheryl Ladd shows up as a newly fabricated love interest. Jekyll and Hyde has some neat makeup transformations, but otherwise is just the same old cloak 'n' fang jazz seen in so many earlier incarnations of the venerable Stevenson yarn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Cheryl Ladd, (more)
- 1990
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Cheryl Ladd stars as the wife of an airline pilot (Doug Sheehan), who is killed along with 127 other people in a mysterious crash. The authorities, egged on by a gonzo newsman, rush to judgment and chalk up the tragedy to pilot error. Ladd can't go along with this, and insists that the investigation be reopened. Were this made-for-TV film an episode of Charlie's Angels, Ladd would be force to endure a last-act showdown with the real culprit. But Crash: The Mystery of Flight 1501 is based on fact, and is reasonably faithful to the truth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Drawn from the novel by Kate Wilhelm, this made-for-cable thriller stars Melissa Gilbert as a grieving young mother who doubts her sanity after seeing the daughter she lost in a car accident. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1990
The Girl Who Came Between Them is still another "torn from today's headlines" TV movie. Anthony John Denison plays a Vietnam veteran, who is happily married to Cheryl Ladd and comfortably settled in a medium-sized American town. One morning, 13-year-old Vietnamese girl Melissa Chan shows up on Denison's doorstep. Convinced that Chan is his illegitimate daughter, Denison allows her to move into his home, driving a deep wedge between himself and his wife. The Girl Who Came Between Them debuted on April 1, 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Based on a novel by LaVyrle Spenser, this made-for-TV drama was originally titled The Fulfillment of Mary Gray. Cheryl Ladd stars as Mary, a farm woman living in 1910 Minnesota. Mary's husband (Ted Levine) is not only neglectful, but impotent. Anxious to have an heir, he suggests that she allow his brother (Lewis Smith) to impregnate her! Needless to say, love blossoms between Mary and her fertile brother-in-law. Filmed in Texas (which looks like Minnesota if you squint a lot), The Fulfillment of Mary Gray was first telecast February 19, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Bluegrass was a two-part TV movie that resurrected virtually every "racetrack" cliche known to man. Widowed Cheryl Ladd heads to Kentucky to start up a horse farm. Her wicked neighbor is Wayne Rogers who seeks Ladd's downfall. Faithful farm manager Brian Kerwin won't let Rogers stand in the way of Ladd's dream. Anthony Andrews hangs around as a Harlequin romance-style Irish rake with a Dark Secret. And what would a horse-farm movie be without Mickey Rooney? Part One of Bluegrass raised a stir upon its February 28, 1988 debut, with a brief shot of horses mating. But it was the foaling sequence in Part Two that really made the headlines. All tangled plotlines knot together in the second half of Bluegrass. Part Two, first telecast on Leap Year day in 1988, Ladd literally bets the ranch on the Kentucky Derby, while mysterious Irish stranger Anthony Andrews reveals his (gasp!) terrible secret. One of the film's highlights was the genuine birth of a foal. The poor animal looked so shaky that the network issued an official statement insisting that the newborn horse survived. When the truth came out (the foal didn't make it), the producers were heartily condemned by animal activist groups--which may be why all current films bear the closing disclaimer about no animals being injured during shooting. Bluegrass was directed by Simon Wincer, who later helmed the epic miniseries Lonesome Dove. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cheryl Ladd, Brian Kerwin, (more)
- 1987
The made-for-TV Deadly Care stars Cheryl Ladd as an intensive-care nurse. The pressures of her job, coupled with problems at home, lead Cheryl to resort to desperate "coping" measures. She develops an addiction to drugs and liquor, a deadly combination for anyone in the medical profession. Only after a near-disaster during a delicate heart transplant operation does she realize she needs help, and needs it fast. Written by Lane Slate, Deadly Care was originally telecast March 22, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
A six-hour adaptation of Danielle Steel's best-selling novel, the ABC miniseries Crossings began on board a transatlantic ocean liner in 1938. In the course of a truly eventful sea voyage, a torrid romance developed between powerful American steel magnate Nick Burnham (Lee Horsley) and Liane DeVilliers (Cheryl Ladd), the wife of French ambassador Armand DeVilliers (Christopher Plummer). This indiscretion would ultimately embroil both characters in the political intrigues leading up to WWII, with a rousing denouement in Nazi-occupied France just after America's entry into the war. To give the project a semblance of verisimilitude, several prominent historical figures flitted in and out of the action, notably Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Delano Roosevelt and France's Marshal Petain. Even so, most of the audience's interest was focused on the antics of Nick Burnham's hot-to-trot wife Hilary, played by Jane Seymour. Billed near the bottom of the huge cast was future Cheers and Frasier star Kelsey Grammer as "Craig Lawson." Partially filmed on the old British liner Queen Mary (then dry-docked as a tourist attraction), Crossings originally aired from February 23 to 25, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cheryl Ladd, Lee Horsley, (more)
- 1986
Previously filmed in 1950, John Patrick's play The Hasty Heart was restaged 33 years later as a cable-TV special. Set in a British military hospital in 1944 Burma, Patrick's story concentrates on three people: dedicated Red Cross nurse Sister Margaret, insouciant American officer "Yank," and a bitter, standoffish Scottish soldier. Deliberately inflicting his "porcupine disposition" on his fellow patients, the Scot can't understand why everyone is suddenly being so nice to him. The audience, however, knows what Sister Margaret and the other patients know: the Scot has only a few months to live. Gregory Harrison and Perry King deliver well-rounded performances as The Scot and The Yank, but both are outshone by Cheryl Ladd, who is excellent in the difficult role of Sister Margaret. The Hasty Heart was originally offered in a 150-minute time slot over the Showtime Cable service on September 12, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
In this prison drama, two adolescent girls are incarcerated with adults by an obsessive judge. There they are terribly exploited and abused. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
