Paul Lambert Movies
For over 30 years, Paul Lambert played character roles on stage, screen, and television. He started out on the Manhattan stage in the early '50s. He also launched his television career around that time, appearing in series through the '80s ranging from Playhouse 90 to Hogan's Heroes to Doogie Howser, M.D.. Lambert died of cancer on April 27, 1997, at age 74. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1991
The Devil himself makes one of his rare TV appearances in this Emmy-nominated Next Generation episode, or does he? Apparently cloaked in the guise of the beautiful Ardra (Marta Dubois), the Dark Prince (or, in this case, Princess) lays claim on the planet of Ventaxia in accordance with a bargain made ten centruies earlier. But Captain Picard, who regards Ardala as a mere trickster and charlatan, isn't about to let that happen. Written by Philip Lazebnik and William Douglas Lansford, "The Devil's Due" (originally written for the aborted Star Trek TV revival of 1978) was first shown on February 9, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Though technologically advanced far beyond most other worlds, the planet Aldea is populated by a sterile race in danger of extinction. Hoping to repopulate their world, the Aldeans kidnap a group of Enterprise children, including Wesley Crusher. It is up to Wesley's mother, the Enterprise's medical officer, to solve the Aldeans' dilemma and reclaim the stolen children. Written by Hannah Louise Shearer, "When the Bough Breaks" made its syndicated debut on February 20, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Dan (John Larroquette) runs for the state assembly, causing a rift amongst the Night Courters when an infuriated Christine (Markie Post) discovers who Harry (Harry Anderson) voted for. On the night of the election, Dan hopes to watch the returns on the courtroom TV, but a fire forces the staff to huddle in the basement--specifically, in the morgue. Telecast one day after the 1988 Presidential election, this episode manages to include the actual results of that race for the purpose of a climactic punchline. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Billionaire Boys Club is the two-part TV adaptation of a book by Sue Horton (unpublished at the time of the film's first telecast). In flashback form, the story recounts the murder of Beverly Hills con artist Ron Levin (Ron Silver). The culprit is yuppie Joe Hunt (Judd Nelson), a sharp young commodities trader who has organized an investment firm with several of his prep school buddies, known as the Billionaire Boys Club. Part one, originally telecast November 8, 1987, traces Hunt's meteoric rise to wealth and power, and the means by which Levin worms his way into Hunt's confidence. In part two, shown the next evening, Hunt has already murdered Levin and carefully disposed of the body. The next step of the scheme is take over where Levin left off by conning an Iranian millionaire out of a huge sum of money. Meanwhile, other members of the Club begin to have qualms over Hunt's finagling. Their whistle-blowing leads to Hunt's arrest and convinction for murder. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judd Nelson, Ron Silver, (more)
This drama concerns a Vietnam vet who suffers at the hands of the people around him when he returns from the war. Frank Morgan (John Savage) is villified by the townsfolk because he exposed an American massacre of a Vietnamese village. When an offer comes up to pilot a plane carrying weapons to a Latin American nation in the throes of a civil war, Frank takes on the job. Coming with him is the woman who hired him, Beatriz (Maria Socas). After landing the plane, Frank and Beatriz are arrested by one of the fighting factions, and their further involvement in the civil war is guaranteed from then on. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Savage, Maria Socas, (more)
- 1985
Betsy Russell takes over as part-time prostitute Molly Stewart in this disappointing sequel to the surprisingly good Angel (1984). Old pals Rory Calhoun and Susan Tyrrell are along for the search for the killer of the cop who saved Molly's life in the first film, joined by street magician Johnny Glitter (Barry Pearl). More brutal and hard-edged than the original, this installment is just another violent action movie, despite some slick camerawork and a fast pace. One peculiar touch is the frequent use of Bronski Beat's savage dance hit "Why?" which, although it has appropriately exciting music, it concerns gay-bashing and has no relation whatsoever to the storyline. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Betsy Russell, Rory Calhoun, (more)
- 1983
Grace Kelly, the high-society beauty who became an Oscar-winning actress and then a European princess, is the subject of this TV biopic. Cheryl Ladd has the looks and poise of the original Grace, though she isn't quite as charismatic. The early portion of the film retraces the stormy relationship between Grace and her gruff Philadelphia millionaire dad, Jack Kelly. The script suggests that Grace went through life looking for a strong father figure, finally finding one in Prince Rainier of Monaco (Ian McShane), whom she weds. Several "celebrity look-alikes" parade through the film, pretending to be the film personalities with whom Ms. Kelly worked during her brief Hollywood career. Grace Kelly tones down the darker aspects of its subject, and the film is infinitely more tasteful than most other TV biographies of the same period, even when dealing with Princess Grace's untimely death. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
After the mysterious death of seven-year-old Christopher Reano, Quincy (Jack Klugman) checks into reports that a foster group home called Green Springs is endangering its charges with brutal treatment and unsanitary conditions. Pediatrician Dr. Curtis (played by former Leave It to Beaver cotar Tony Dow) hopes that Quincy will help him close Green Springs down: trouble is, the youngsters will then be shipped off to a reformatory that is even worse. It is up to Quincy's psychologist wife Elaine (Anita Gillette) to come up with a radical--but compassionate--solution to the problem. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
While driving under the influence of alcohol, wealthy and influential attorney Preston Claymore (Charles Aidman) strikes and kills a pedestrian (Chevi Colton). Even though he has attempted to cover up his crime, the worst that Claymore will receive in court is a nominal fine and a slap on the wrist. Quincy (Jack Klugman) is outraged, but can do nothing: that's the way the legal system operates. Ultimately, outrage gives way to astonishment when, after performing an autopsy on the victim, Quincy uncovers evidence that this is something far more sinister than a mere drunk-driving accident. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
An airliner crashes into the icy waters of Santa Monica Bay, killing several passengers. Investigating, Quincy (Jack Klugman) comes to the conclusion that many of the victims died needlessly, due to an insufficient supply of inflatable lifeboats. Thus begins another crusade for the feisty medical examiner, as he lobbies for stronger safety measures during over-the-water airline flights--and as usual, he meets with stiff opposition from the insensitive powers-that-be. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
It's a personal matter for Quincy's boss Dr. Astin (John S. Ragin) when his teenage niece Melody (Karlene Crockett) is charged with vehicular homicide. An alcoholic who suffers from lapses of memory, Melody may have been behind the wheel in the car crash that claimed the life of her best friend. Making matters worse, Astin himself is obliged by law to make a ruling on the case. Reluctant to pass judgment on his own flesh and blood, Astin asks Quincy to temporarily switch places with him, leading to some surprising complications. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke) picks up a fast $10,000 by renting the Hazzard County Jail to mob kingpin Big Jack Bender (Paul Lambert), who intends to use the facilities for a secret Appalachin-style gangster conference. Noticing the amount of "artillery" in the cars parked around the jailhouse, Bo (John Schneider) and Luke (Tom Wopat) figure they'd better alert the authorities--providing they live long enough to do so. With this episode, Hogg's dimwitted nephew Cletus (Rick Hurst) is promoted to deputy in the absence of Enos Strate (series regular Sonny Shroyer had to bow out temporarily due to illness). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
While being held in a small-town jail for a minor traffic infraction, Qiuincy (Jack Klugman barely escapes with his life when the jail catches fire--but four other prisoners aren't so lucky. Though Quincy's autopsy indicates that at least one of the four dead inmates was the victim of foul play, the local authorities insist that all the deaths were accidental. Convinced that a cover-up is in the works, Quincy sets out to prove his theory by teaming up with town doctor Carl Jessup (Duncan Gamble)--who suffers mightily for his cooperation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
In the short-lived TV series Mulligan's Stew, high school football coach Michael Mulligan (Lawrence Pressman) and his wife Jane (Elinor Donahue), already the parents of three children, suddenly find their family unit increased from five to nine. This occurs when Michael's sister and brother-in-law, whose name was Friedman, perish in a plane crash, whereupon the dead couple's four youngsters move into the already crowded Mulligan manse in Birchfield, California. Much of the drama (and humor) revolve around the culture clashes between the laid-back Mulligan kids and their three urban "step-siblings"--not to mention Kimmy (Sunshine Lee), a Korean war orphan adopted by the late Mr. and Mrs. Friedman. Add to this the fact that Michael's salary can hardly cover the needs of his "real" family, and the viewer has a stew indeed. The pilot for Mulligan's Stew aired June 20, 1977, on NBC; the series proper was broadcast by the same network from October 25 to December 13, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lawrence Pressman, Elinor Donahue, (more)
- 1977
The Coroner's Office is in a bit of a quandary when Quincy (Jack Klugman) does not show up for work. In his absence, celebrated pathologist Dr. Hiro (Yuki Shimoda) prepares to perform an autopsy on a woman who may have been hiding contraband (namely, stolen gems) on her body. When the "corpse" turns up to be very much alive, Dr. Hiro launches an investigation--and if Quincy's colleagues thought that Hiro would be any easier to deal with than our harranguing hero, they are sorely mistaken. (Incidentally, this is the only Quincy, M.E. episode in which star Jack Klugman does not appear). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
This TV movie delves into the unhappy later years of novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald (here played by Jason Miller). Broke and virtually written-out by the late 1930s, Fitzgerald is compelled to accept screenwriting work in Tinseltown where he is frustrated that his work is extensively rewritten and revised -- if not rejected altogether. On a personal level, Fitzgerald must deal with his wife Zelda (Tuesday Weld), now sequestered in a North Carolina mental institution. Seeking some reason for living, Fitzgerald inaugurates an affair with Hollywood columnist Sheila Graham (Julia Foster). Not all that incisive, and saddled with an unsympathetic drunkard as a central character, F. Scott Fitzgerald is still superior to Hollywood's previous version of the Fitzgerald/Graham romance, Beloved Infidel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Elizabeth Ashley guest stars as Laura Keyes, who after suffering a heart attack crashes her car into Ironside's van. Laura is rushed to a hospital, where the doctors discover that the woman had had a bullet lodged near her heart for years. Ironside (Raymond Burr) is amazed to discover that, not only is Laura unconcerned about her wound, but she doesn't even remember being shot! His curiosity further aroused when Laura refuses to let the doctors remove the bullet, Ironside launches an investigation...and ends up reopening a cold murder case. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
After a routine heist, two-bit car thief Artie Fowler (Mark Alaimo) is killed in cold blood. Kojak suspects that there's something bigger than a standard robbery going on--especially after Artie's girlfriend Maria (Lara Parker) lets slip that an upcoming "caper" will make fools of the authorities. It turns out that a $500,000 heist is in the works, masterminded by mob leader Hugh Jellicoe (Paul Lambert) and an unknown party whose theatrical bravado astonishes even the professional crooks. Future Dallas costar Ken Kercheval appears in a significant role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
After housesitting for a friend, Fran (Elizabeth Baur) begins receiving obscene phone calls at her own home. It doesn't take long for the caller to escalate to death threats--and when a murder occurs nearby, Fran takes it upon herself to find out if there's a link between her unseen tormentor and the killing. Meanwhile, Ironside sets a trap for the murderer...with Fran as bait. This episode was written by Star Trek veteran Margaret Armen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Play It As It Lays offers what is probably the harshest view of Hollywood to be given a major production up to the time of its release; it depicts a world of narcissistic egotists who will do anything to inflate their own sense of importance. Based on the novel by Joan Didion, it tells of the rise and fall of one woman's acting career. Maria Wyeth (Tuesday Weld), a model, began her acting career in a Warhol-like film, and moved "up" to perform in a biker film. The director of both films, Carter Lang (Adam Roarke), discovered her, and soon afterwards, marries her. As Carter's career moves ahead, he pays less and less attention to Maria. She has a number of affairs to try to brighten her world, but nothing much works. When she gets pregnant by one of them, Lang divorces her. Then, her best friend (Anthony Perkins), who tried to bring about a reconciliation between Lang and her, commits suicide. Her world in tatters, she has a nervous breakdown. The film's story is told in flashbacks while she is in recovery. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Can it be that Hogan has gone to the other side? It sure seems that way when he agrees to accompany Klink on an underground mission to England to steal a revolutionary new American plane. In truth, however, Hogan merely pretends to go along with the scheme, the better to expose a Nazi spy ring operating in London. Cynthia Lynn, who played Klink's secretary Hilda in several first-season episodes, is here cast as Eva; also in the cast is a pre-Police Academy George Gaynes as the General. Written by Laurence Marks, "Easy Come, Easy Go" originally aired on January 10, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, (more)
- 1969
A young wife and her insurance-salesman husband arrive at a suburban party thrown by the man's boss. The poolside party quickly turns into a wife swapping free-for-all, but the woman is reluctant. Her husband urges her to join in, saying it will be good for business and his career advancement. The once-reluctant wife joins in to become the life of the party as the revelers do the horizontal bop and other erotic dances. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Blake, Lynn Cartwright, (more)
- 1969
Beautiful British traitor Lady Valerie Stanford (Karen Steele) has designed an anti-aircraft weapon for the Nazis. Hogan is ordered to sabotage the weapon, and to do this he must trick Klink into revealing Lady Valerie's whereabouts. But is the lady really the turncoat that she seems to be? Also appearing are frequent Hogan's Heroes supporting players Paul Lambert (as General Riker) and Laurie Main (as Woodhouse). Written by Ben Gershman, "The Big Dish" made its first network appearance on March 8, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, (more)
- 1968
Joe Cartwright, Candy and Kate Kelly (Celeste Yarnell) form a partnership to establish an ore-stamping mill. Though Joe and Candy know next to nothing about running the mill, they have no trouble courting Kate, with both partners showing up at the lady's doorstep on alternate evenings. But it isn't all fun and games: The boys must also contend with rival mine owner Miles Renfro (Paul Lambert), who doesn't cotton to the competition and has the guns to back up his objections. Dabney Coleman appears in the supporting role of Ivar Peterson. Originally shown on December 1, 1968, "Queen High" was written by Michael Fessier. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1967
This episode is dominated by the superb performances of two African-American performers: Series regular Ivan Dixon as Kinchloe, and singer Barbara McNair as American-born chanteuse Kumasa. Sneaking into Paris, Hogan and Kinchloe hope to convince Kumasa, who has become disillusioned with America's treatment of her people, to extract vital information from her German protector, General Von Hammerschlag (Paul Lambert). The plan hinges upon Kinchloe's prior friendship with Kumasa when they both attended the same high school. Written by Richard M. Powell, "Is General Hammerschlag Burning?" first aired on November 18, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Crane, Werner Klemperer, (more)
