Ric Mancini Movies

Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) is edgier than usual as his ailing partner, Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits), goes in for more medical tests. Back on the job, the squad investigates the murder of a Pakistani in Central Park. The sole eyewitness is distressingly inconsistent in her testimony -- not because she herself is guilty, but because she fears reprisals from the well-connected killer. Later, as his wife, Diane (Kim Delaney), waits nervously, Bobby is told that he needs a heart transplant. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An L.A. policeman (George Peppard) works with several partners to destroy the prostitution ring run by Chinatown's version of the Mafia. The film was originally produced for television. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

This week, the A-Team shows up at the Mission of Peace, a historic Texas tourist attraction maintained by a group of feisty senior citizens. The oldsters are being forced off the Mission by a greedy rancher named Ashton (Ric Mancini), compelling the unofficial head of the seniors, a guy named Rudy (David White), to ask for the Team's assistance. The plot thickens when Rudy turns out to have a secret--and that the "legend" of the Mission of Peace may be just a lot of hot air. As for the Team's perennial nemesis Gen. Fullbright (Jack Ging), he takes an unexpected trip to Australia--by crate! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ann Margret looks too healthy to portray Blanche DuBois, the physically and mentally fragile Southern-belle protagonist of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, but we forget this discrepancy five minutes into her marvelous performance. This TV-movie version of Streetcar costars Treat Williams as faded aristocrat Blanche's rude 'n' crude brother-in-law Stanley Kowalski; Williams is persuasive, though he tries so hard not to be Marlon Brando that he comes off as a bit mechanical. The 1984 Streetcar is more realistically staged than the near-impressionistic 1951 Vivien Leigh/Marlon Brando filmization. The storyline, concerning the battle of wills between the earthy, pragmatic Stanley and the delusional Blanche, remains the same in both films, as does the script's tendency to avoid the homosexual elements that were so important to Williams' original play. The newer film's photography is bathed in an ambler tint throughout, conveying both nostalgia for the era in which it is set (the late 1940s) and a visual literalization of Blanche's "yellowed with antiquity" former lifestyle. The 1984 Streetcar Named Desire is less a remake of the 1951 version than a companion piece--a praiseworthy alternate version of the same sturdy material. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Waitress Regina Baff would do anything to escape her go-nowhere existence. And by "anything", that means she'd be willing to risk life and limb in the wrestling ring, disguised as "The Mexican Spitfire" (never mind that she's Polish). Trained by veteran lady wrestler Mildred Burke (playing herself), Baff seeks fame and fortune on the Midwest grappling circuit, finding neither but having a high old time in the process. Based on Rosalyn Drexler's novel To Smithereens, Below the Belt was mostly filmed in 1974, but not released until after the Rocky pictures took hold. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this follow-up to the earlier episode "Ex-Con Job," Bob is reunited with the five paroled convicts whom he's counseled in prison. This time, the quintet is determined to become useful members of society by finding honest work. Taurean Blacque (of Hill Street Blues fame), Wyatt Johnson, Allen Case, Ric Mancini, and Bert Rosario reprise their roles as Tatum, Hawkins, Kopelson, Brolio, and Ortiz, respectively. Written by Emily Purdum Marshall, "Son of Ex-Con Job" was originally scheduled to air in February or March of 1978, but was moved up to January 21, due to Bob Newhart's absence from several other like-vintage episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Volunteering his services, Bob heads to the local slammer to counsel five men about to be paroled. His efforts to reach out to these lost souls is stymied by the most outspoken of the cons, who refers to Bob as a "suit that's fat-mouthin'." Trouble is, Bob is in complete agreement. Taurean Blacque, Allen Case, Ric Mancini, Wyatt Johnson, and Bert Rosario are cast respectively as Arthur Tatum, Steve Kopelson, Al Brolio, Richard Hawkins, and Reubin Ortiz, while H.B. Haggerty makes an appearance as "The Hammer." Written by Ziggy Steinberg, "Ex-Con Job" first aired on October 1, 1977; it was followed in January of 1978 by a sequel of sorts, "Son of Ex-Con Job." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Frank Burns (Larry Linville) blows his ultrapatriotic top when he finds out that wounded patient Pvt. Fitzsimmons (Brian Byers) has shot himself to get out combat. The reaction of Father Mulcahy (William Christopher) is rather different; eager to understand what motivated Fitzsimmons to injure himself, the good Father asks Radar (Gary Burghoff) to accompany him to the front, where he can experience the "shooting war" for the first time in his life. Ultimately, Mulcahy's ordeal by fire results in a lifesaving emergency tracheotomy--performed via radioed instructions from the 4077th. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Will Mackenzie makes the first of several series appearances as mercurial travel agent Larry Bondurant. The office is abuzz with speculation and trepidation when Carol announces her engagement to a man whom she met on a blind date -- 12 hours earlier. Others in the cast are Robert Casper as Judge Tanner, Pat Cranshaw as the Old Gentleman, and Vince Milana and Ric Mancini as the moving men. Written by Gordon and Lynne Farr, "Carol's Wedding" was the first Bob Newhart Show episode filmed for the 1975-1976 season, but was not shown until October 18, 1975, when the season was already six weeks old. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) is assigned to recover some stolen platinum and round up the thieves. To do this, he poses as the go-between for a notorious fence--then sets the stage for a major falling out amongst the criminals. An abundance of TV veterans show up in this episode, including Stefanie Powers in her one-and-only F.B.I. appearance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hollywood visionary Tim Burton pays homage to another Hollywood visionary, albeit a less successful one, in this unusual fictionalized biography. The film follows Wood (Johnny Depp) in his quest for film greatness as he writes and directs turkey after turkey, cross-dresses, and surrounds himself with a motley crew of Hollywood misfits, outcasts, has-beens, and never-weres. The real story, however, is his friendship with aging, morphine-addicted Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau), whom he tries to help stage a comeback. Landau's unforgettable Oscar-winning performance must be seen to be believed, as must Rick Baker's Oscar-winning makeup. While it would have been easy to make a film simply ridiculing the bumbling director, Burton instead focuses on his driving passion for filmmaking and his unwavering persistence in the face of ridicule and failure. Possibly the most surprising aspect of the film is the genuine sentiment with which Burton treats the relationship between Wood and Lugosi; his devotion to Lugosi is touching, as is Lugosi's final soliloquy -- an inane bit of dialogue from the hilariously bad Bride of the Monster that grows into a poignant metaphor for the actor's life and ultimate triumph of his spirit. Even the look of the film is right; it manages to preserve the air of one of Wood's own films while retaining a sense of artistry in much of the composition on screen (note the scene at the drug rehab where Lugosi endures a horrifying night of detox). In all, Ed Wood is a unique film -- at times side-splittingly funny; at others, tragic or even frightening -- and a heartfelt tribute to the love of movies, good and bad alike. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide