Lori Loughlin Movies
Well known as a TV sitcom actress, Lori Loughlin has also appeared in numerous features and TV movies. The Queens-born and Long Island-raised brunette entered show business as a model and TV commercial actress in her early teens. Loughlin was cast on the daytime drama Edge of Night at age 15, staying with the show from 1979 to 1982. Moving on to films, Loughlin appeared in the horror sequel Amityville 3-D (1983), the romantic comedy Secret Admirer (1985), the thriller The New Kids (1985), and the Frankie Avalon-Annette Funicello retro-romp Back to the Beach (1987). Loughlin, however, became a primetime TV celebrity as one of the stars of the long-running family sitcom Full House. While she was on the show from 1987 to 1995, Loughlin also starred in several TV movies, including the critically praised drama Doing Time on Maple Drive (1992) with a pre-Ace Ventura Jim Carrey. After she finished Full House, Loughlin continued to appear on TV, starring in the single-season show Hudson Street (1995-1996), and several telefilms, including Abandoned and Deceived (1995), In the Line of Duty: Blaze of Glory (1997), and Tell Me No Secrets (1997). Loughlin also appeared in the straight-to-video sequel Casper, A Spirited Beginning (1997) and indie film Suckers (1999). Taking time off in the late '90s to start a family, Loughlin is married and has two children. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Made for television, A Place to Call Home is based on fact, incredible as it seems from first scene to last. Linda Lavin stars as a Houston mother of eleven children, whose husband decides to move one and all to an Australian sheep ranch in 1970. Lavin drags her kids the requisite 17,000 miles to the Aussie outback--but when she arrives, her husband is nowhere to be found. In fact, except for a couple of fleeting appearances, we never see Lavin's spouse again; she is obliged to forge a life for herself and her huge brood in this forbidding new environment. The woman upon whose life A Place to Call Home is based eventually had herself ensconced in a cloistered convent--and we're hard pressed to blame her. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Linda Lavin, Lane Smith, (more)
- 1995
When the state of Ohio refuses to help a poor single mother get her child's father to pay support, she launches a statewide campaign to enact newer, better child-support laws. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lori Loughlin, Brian Kerwin, (more)
The third installment in the haunted-house saga discards any pretense of being based on actual events in order to provide the requisite cheap thrills sought by audiences during the short-lived 3-D revival of the early '80s. When a skeptical reporter (Tony Roberts) with a penchant for debunking phony psychic hoaxes moves into the Long Island house to disprove its nightmarish legend, he and his family are set upon by all manner of supernatural beasties. Many such manifestations leap wildly out at the screen to fully exploit the 3-D effect, making the cheap gags all too obvious in the "flattened" video and cable prints (often released under the title Amityville 3: The Demon). Remarkably violent for a PG-rated film (those with an intense fear of fire might want to fast-forward through Candy Clark's death scene), Amityville 3-D has a certain cheesy appeal for anyone who likes touring Halloween spook-houses. Look closely to spot a young Meg Ryan in a small doomed-teen role. This 3-D version was followed by even more sequels, including Amityville: The Evil Escapes, Amityville 1992: It's About Time, The Amityville Curse, and Amityville: A New Generation. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Roberts, Tess Harper, (more)
Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello not only starred in the delightfully "retro" Back to the Beach, but also served as executive producers. Appropriately set 25 years after such drive-in faves as Beach Blanket Bingo, the film finds Frankie and Annette as husband and wife, living far from the surf 'n' sand in Ohio. Heading to California to visit their daughter Lori Loughlin, Frankie and Annette are appalled to learn that she has been keeping time with punker Tommy Hinkley. In time-honored fashion, our hero and heroine set about to make the beach safe for funlovers everywhere by driving out Hinkley's unsavory pals. Along the way, Frankie nearly bollixes up his marriage by dallying with Connie Stevens-one of several pop-culture icons appearing in Back to the Beach, including Don Adams, Bob Denver, Jerry Mathers, Tony Dow, Dick Dale & the Del-Tones , Stevie Ray Vaughan, and even Pee-wee Herman! Back to the Beach is fun for a while, but its six-person writing team can't figure out a logical way to wind it all up. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, (more)
Billed as a prequel to the 1995 family film Casper, which in turn is based on an enduring Harvey cartoon character "Casper the Friendly Ghost," this direct-to-video entry is aimed at younger kids (though some of the scenes may be inappropriate for really young children). The story begins as Casper, who is new to the ghostly plane, rides a death train towards Ghost Central Station where he is to attend a camp to train him to scare people. Instead, he irritates another passenger and is tossed off the train. The bewildered little spirit lands in Deedstown where he becomes friends with 10-year-old Chris Carson, a troubled boy whose mother is gone and whose work-obsessed father ignores him. Chris sees that Casper is troubled too and so decides to show him how to be a real ghost by taking him to Applegate Manor, the town's haunted house, and introducing him to the riotous Ghostly Trio. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Guttenberg, Lori Loughlin, (more)
In this made-for-TV drama, a New England family's secrets all come tumbling out at once as they spend a weekend together to celebrate the engagement of their youngest son. Lisa Carter (Bibi Besch) and her military husband, Phil (James B. Sikking), couldn't be happier when their youngest son, Matt (William McNamara), brings his rich bride-to-be, Allison (Lori Loughlin), home from Yale. Col. Carter views Matt as the perfect son, especially given the way his other children have turned out. Tim (Jim Carrey) has sunk into alcoholism after dropping out of college, while Karen (Jayne Brook) must support her husband, Tom (David Byron), a struggling art photographer who wants to start a family despite his father-in-law's financial misgivings. As Allison gets acquainted with the Carter clan and its dysfunctions, her fiancé's artfully constructed facade of perfection begins to crumble, ultimately threatening his family's reputation, his impending nuptials, and his very life. Doing Time on Maple Drive debuted March 16, 1992, as a "Fox Night at the Movies" feature on the Fox network; it was later nominated for several Emmy awards. Directed by thirtysomething star Ken Olin, the film features a number of additional television staples among its cast, from Loughlin, star of Full House, to Carrey, then best known as Fire Marshal Bill on In Living Color. Two additional TV personalities from the cast -- Hill Street Blues actor Sikking and Northern Exposure actress Besch -- both share the distinction of being Star Trek vets, Besch in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Sikking in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James B. Sikking, Bibi Besch, (more)
- 1993
This made-for-television thriller tells the story of an unstable woman who goes to bizarre lengths to keep her drifting lover. Kate Jackson stars as Rita Donohue, a nurse who believes that she can re-ignite her disinterested lover's passion by having a child. Unable to have a child of her own, Rita plots to snatch an infant from her hospital's maternity ward to later pass off as her own. She feigns a pregnancy, switches records on a stillborn and healthy child, and then steals a baby from new mother Jane Morgan (Lori Loughlin) in order to support her charade. The plan goes sour though, when Jane refuses to accept the hospital's claim that her child died, and she investigates the unsettling clues on her own. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kate Jackson, Lori Loughlin, (more)
- 1989
While attending a charity event with her family, DJ (Candace Cameron) meets her very first boyfriend, a 6th grader named Michael Montfort (Jonathan Brandis). Alas, the boy is merely using her to meet another girl, and before long our 13-year-old heroine is nursing a broken heart. Fortunately, DJ can count on her family to rally together and cheer her up in an amusingly unorthodox fashion (and this despite a time-consuming subplot involving a "bachelor auction.") ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Though she's not even ready for kindergarten, little Michelle (played by the Olsen twins) has fallen in love. The object of the girl's affections is Howie Anderson (Kara Albright), nephew of her dad Danny's TV partner Becky Donaldson (Lori Loughlin). Unfortunately, the romance turns out to be star-crossed when Howie has to return to Nebraska. Meanwhile, visions of an Izuzu-driving werewolf dance in the head of Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) after she watches a horror movie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
When "Wake Up San Francisco" goes on location to a horse farm, host Danny (Bob Saget) brings daughter DJ (Candace Cameron) along. Upon arrival, DJ is enchanted by an elderly horse named Rocket. Determined to have Rocket for herself, DJ and her friend Kimmy (Andrea Barber) secretly make arrangements to earn enough money to buy the horse; then, and only then, will she tell her dad about the purchase. Unfortunately, this requires DJ to spin a web of falsehoods to prevent Danny from finding out what she's up to. Nathan Nishiguchi makes his first series appearance as Stephanie's friend Harry Takyama, who insists upon calling her "Chief." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
After several days of working himself to a frazzle to honor several commitments at once, Jesse (John Stamos) books his band into a San Francisco bar which is frequented by an influential music critic. Only after the deal is made does Jesse remember that he'd already scheduled the band for a performance in Sacramento that very same night. Feeling that they've been taking advantage of Jesse's generosity of late, the Tanner family tries to bail him out of his double-headed dilemma. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Urged by Danny (Bob Saget) to take a tougher stance with the Tanner children, Joey (Dave Coulier) surprises even himself when he grounds DJ (Candace Cameron) for bad behavior. The question is, can Joey be both a "parent" and "pal" without adversely affecting his relationship with the kids? Meanwhile, Jesse (John Stamos) thinks he has it made when he and his band are booked on "Wake Up San Francisco"--but the studio audience has other ideas. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
When a sweater she'd received for Valentine's Day is accidentally damaged, DJ (Candace Cameron) rushes to the mall for a replacement. Unfortunately, DJ hasn't enough money, so her little sister Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), misinterpreting a "Buy Now,Pay Later" sign at the store, appropriates a new sweater without paying for it. Now DJ is accused of shoplifting--and will dad Danny (Bob Saget) believe the truth of the situation, or jump to the obvious conclusion? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
In the first episode of a two-part story, the Tanners head to Nevada when "Wake Up, San Fransisco" is booked for a remote broadcast in Lake Tahoe, cohosted by Danny (Bob Saget) and Becky (Lisa Loughlin). Not surprisingly, the various family members get into various misadventures, such as DJ winning a huge amount of money at the casino even though she's legally barred from admittance. As for Jesse (John Stamos), he doesn't like the fact Becky is getting chummy with movie actor Robin Masters (Steve Bond). This of course leads to a heated argument between Jesse and Becky--capped by a surprise proposal of marriage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
In the conclusion of a two-part story set in Lake Tahoe, Jesse (John Stamos) has proposed marriage to Becky (Lisa Loughlin), and she has accepted. To make sure that neither he nor Becky will change their minds, Jesse insists upon being wed within the hour, and without informing the rest of the Tanner household. But DJ (Candace Cameron) and Steph (Jodie Sweetin) find out what's afoot, whereupon the family does its darnedest to persuade Jesse and Becky to think things over before jumping head-first into the sea of matrimony. This is the final episode of Full House's second season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Having flown to Denver for a Yuletide family reunion, the Tanners are stranded in an airport waiting room by bad weather. This proves to be an unpleasant experience for most of the family members, and a particularly traumatic one for Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin). After all, it's only a few hours before Christmas, and Stephanie is terrified that Santa Claus won't be able to find her. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Season three of Full House finds Lori Loughlin matriculating from "recurring" to "regular" status in the role of Becky Donaldson, co-host of Danny Tanner's (Bob Saget) San Francisco TV show and sweetheart of Danny's brother-in-law, Jesse Cochran (John Stamos). No, Becky and Jesse did not get married at the end of season two, but that doesn't mean they aren't still considering it. Elsewhere, the widowed Danny continues functioning as both father and mother to his three growing daughters -- 12 year old D.J. (Candace Cameron), seven-year-old Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), and three-year-old Michelle (played by twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) -- with the assistance of both Jesse and Danny's aspiring-comedian buddy Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier). Also, future Everybody Loves Raymond star Doris Roberts takes over from season one's Alice Hirson in the role of Danny's mother, Claire. Kicking off with a riotous Hawaiian vacation, the series' third season includes such highlights as D.J.'s first kiss (at her 13th birthday party); Joey's "big break" on Star Search, hosted by Ed McMahon (playing -- who else? -- Ed McMahon); the girls getting a new puppy named Comet; Jesse's foolhardy acceptance of a life-risking dare from his old buddy Pete (Scott Baio); Stephanie's traumatic reaction to a typical Frisco earthquake; Stephanie and D.J. suffering the consequences when they teach little Michelle how to throw insults; a visit from Becky's former professor (and boyfriend), played by Barry Van Dyke of Diagnosis Murder fame; Stephanie's "wild ride" as she accidentally backs her dad's car into the family kitchen; Joey and Danny's female disguise during their tenth college-frat reunion; and in the final episode of the season, a gala TV telethon in which everyone in the cast shows off his or her hitherto untapped talents. After three years on the air, Full House finally broke through the Top 30 highest-rated programs, coming in at number 22 for the 1989-1990 season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Saget, John Stamos, (more)
Season four of Full House opens with a visit from the Greek grandparents of rock star wannabe Jesse Cochran (John Stamos). In fact, Jesse is center of attention in several episodes this season, notably when he and his longtime girlfriend, Becky Donaldson (Lori Loughlin), finally get married; and, in the season finale, when Becky's pregnancy test comes back positive. Additionally, Jesse decides to be true to his Greek roots, thus he reverts to his family name of Katsopolis. This doesn't mean that the series' other regulars are ignored. There is still plenty of time left over for widowed San Francisco TV personality Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) and his efforts to raise his three growing daughters: 13-year-old D.J. (Candace Cameron), eight-year-old Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin, who this season shows up with her new straight hairdo); and four-year-old Michelle (played by twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen). Also provided with ample screen time is Danny's best buddy, aspiring comedian Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier), especially in the episodes wherein Joey reluctantly chaperones Stephanie's slumber party, and when he gets another "big break" as a regular on a TV sitcom starring former beach movie stalwarts Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. In other fourth season highlights, Wayne Newton guests in an episode set in Vegas; D.J. and Kimmy go to press with their school's newspaper; Danny tries to attend Michelle's birthday party, D.J.'s school play and Stephanie's science fair -- all at once; and in the "crossover" episode "Stephanie Gets Framed," Jaleel White shows up in his familiar Family Matters role as the geeky Urkel. Having ended its third season as the 22nd highest-rated network program in the U.S., Full House climbed to the number fourteen slot for season four. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Saget, John Stamos, (more)
The recurring role of 14-year-old Kimmy Gibbler graduates to co-star status as actress Andrea Barber is finally billed among the regulars at the beginning of each episode as Full House enters its fifth season. In other major developments, widowed dad Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) falls in love with Vicky Larson (Gail Edwards), who is filling in as substitute host on Danny's TV show "Wake Up San Francisco" while Becky Donaldson (Lori Loughlin), the wife of Danny's brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis (John Stamos), is on maternity leave. As for Becky, she gives birth to twins during a two-part episode, going into labor during the birthday party of Danny's youngest daughter, Michelle (played by twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen). The babies are named Alex and Nicky, but the infants playing the roles are not yet afforded screen credit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Saget, John Stamos, (more)
Season six of Full House is jam-packed with incident for the Tanner household: widowed San Francisco TV host Danny Tanner (Bob Saget); his three daughters Stephanie (Candace Cameron), D.J. (Lori Loughlin), and Michelle (played by twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen); his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis (John Stamos), Jesse's wife, Becky (Lori Loughlin) and their twin babies, Alex and Nicky (now played by real-life twins Blake and Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit); and Danny's comedian pal Joey Gladstone (Dave Coulier). The season opens as D.J. returns from a summer study program in Barcelona -- with a new boyfriend, the slightly older Steve Hale (Scott Weinger), in tow. Meanwhile, Jesse continues touring America and the world with his singing group "The Rippers," capitalizing on his surprise song hit, "Forever." And Danny and his girlfriend Vicky Larson (Gail Edwards) are still weighing the option of making their relationship permanent. In other sixth-season highlights, Mark Linn Baker guest stars as Becky's snooty millionaire cousin Dick Donaldson; little Michelle goes to great lengths to prevent her best friend, Teddy (Tahj Mowry), from moving to Amarillo; Stephanie's homemade ear-piercing job ends in disaster; Jesse graduates from night school, but a comedy of errors results in a sparse turnout for the ceremony; and Danny's daughters inadvertently wreck an expensive museum exhibit. The season ends with its traditional two-part finale, set in Disney World -- where Michelle wanders off and gets lost, and where Danny finally pops the question to Vicky. Though Full House lost a bit of its audience during the 1992-1993 season, the series remained comfortably in tenth place in the overall ratings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Saget, John Stamos, (more)
Season six of Full House had ended with widowed dad Danny Tanner (Bob Saget) proposing marriage to his longtime girlfriend, Vicky Larson (Gail Edwards). But during the summer hiatus, the series' producers had second thoughts about tinkering with the series' "single parent" premise, thus by the middle of season seven, Danny and Vicky have come to an amicable parting of the ways. Meanwhile, Danny's three daughters -- D.J. (Candace Cameron), Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), and Michelle (played by twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) all grow a little older and a lot more independent-minded. As for Alex and Nicky (Blake and Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit), twin children of Danny's brother-in-law, Jesse Katsopolis (John Stamos) and his wife, Becky (Lori Loughlin), they are now undergoing "the terrible twos" -- with chaotic results. So what else happens during the series' sixth year on the air? Well, D.J. breaks up with her college film student boyfriend, Steve (Scott Weinger); Jesse inherits "The Smash Club," which he hopes to transform into Frisco's trendiest nightspot; Jesse's grandfather (Jack Kruschen) pays a visit -- and promptly drops dead; Danny's daughters learn a valuable lesson when a much-vaunted toy action figure proves to be less than was advertised; and in the guest-star department, Vanna White plays a dual role in the episode "The Test," while in another installment, singer Little Richard is revealed to be the uncle of series semi-regular Denise Frazer (Jurnee Smollett). As the season ends, there is the distinct possibility that the main characters will be moving out of their familiar San Francisco townhouse. Full House closed out its sixth season as the 16th most popular series on American network TV. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Saget, John Stamos, (more)
Season eight of Full House was supposed to have been the occasion that one of the two Olsen twins (Ashley and Mary-Kate) was to take over the role of Michelle Tanner, youngest daughter of San Francisco TV host Danny Tanner (Bob Saget), on a full-time basis. Previously, both girls had shared the role, but now the time had come for one girl to remain and another to leave the series. But thanks to the intervention of co-star John Stamos (who played Danny's brother-in-law, Jesse Katsopolis), both Olsen girls continued alternating in the role of Michelle -- and both were given special billing at the beginning of each episode. This was the major event of Full House's eighth and final network season, though there were plenty of other highlights. In the season opener, rock-star wannabe Jesse is unceremoniously fired by his own back-up band -- and later replaced by Brady Bunch regular Barry Williams. Also, Jesse's twin children, Nicky and Alex (Blake and Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit), are poised to begin pre-school, provided their over protective parents allowed this rite of passage. Danny continues fretting over his oldest daughter D.J. (Candace Cameron) and her choice of dates, notably the well-named Viper (David Lipper); meanwhile, middle daughter Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) is just as boy-crazy, at one point auditioning for the lead role in a school play in hopes of getting her handsome co-star to kiss her on-stage. On a more serious note, D.J. and her friend Kimmy (Andrea Barber) are crestfallen when they aren't accepted by the college of their choice; the audience learns for the first time what caused the death of Danny's wife, Pam; and in the two-episode series finale, Michelle suffers a serious injury which causes her to lose her memory. This final predicament, is, however, resolved long before the episode's warmhearted and sentimental fadeout, in which the cast bids an affectionate goodbye to Full House's legions of fans. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Saget, John Stamos, (more)
- 1988
A party held by DJ (Candace Cameron) in honor of Kimmy's 12th birthday degenerates into a shouting match which may completely destroy DJ's lifelong friendship with Kimmy (Andrea Barber). Elsewhere, Danny (Bob Saget) is removed from his sportscasting job in order to cohost the morning talk show "Wake Up San Francisco" with a very attractive--and highly unpredictable--young woman. Lori Loughlin makes her first series appearance as Danny's new coworker Rebecca "Becky" Donaldson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
