Ralph Manza Movies

While taking a magazine health quiz to determine how long she and Cory (Ben Savage) are expected to live, Topanga (Danielle Fishel) is distressed to discover that, if the results are accurate, Cory is already dead and buried! Her anxiety is compounded when Cory pays a visit to a doctor, who actually does find something wrong. Meanwhile, Eric (Will Friedle) joins the family business, and does surprisingly well, at least so far as Alan (William Russ) is concerned. This results in a fit of anger from Amy (Betsy Randle), who is miffed that Alan should be surprised by his son's success. This episode marks the final appearance of veteran character actor Ralph Manza, who died on January 31, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Paul and Jamie Buchman (Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt) have decided to hold off telling everyone that Jamie is pregnant until the couple can make a formal announcement at their Thanksgiving dinner. This plan is undermined by a number of "security leaks" in the office of gynecologist Joan Golfinos (Suzie Plakson). The ending offers six degrees of surprises thanks to an unheralded guest star. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The ghost of Frank Capra must have smiled when he saw Dave, an amusing and effective update of one of Capra's favorite themes -- the scrupulously honest little guy who becomes a force for good against a corrupt system. Dave Kovic (Kevin Kline) runs an employment agency and seems to genuinely enjoy finding work for people who need it. He also bears a striking resemblance to the president of the United States, Bill Mitchell (also played by Kline) and occasionally gets work as a Bill Mitchell impersonator. One day, Dave gets a call from the Secret Service -- for security purposes, they want to hire him to act as a decoy for an upcoming appearance by the president. All goes well, but later that evening President Mitchell suffers a massive stroke while in bed with his mistress. Wanting to keep the matter a secret, two of the president's top advisors appeal to Dave to stand in as Bill Mitchell until he regains his health. One of the men behind this scheme, Bob Alexander (Frank Langella), hopes to use Mitchell's absence to promote his own right-wing political agenda, but after a few weeks "in office," Dave decides it's time to promote some changes of his own that will help increase employment and keep homeless shelters open. Dave also finds himself growing fond of Ellen Mitchell (Sigourney Weaver), the President's wife, while Ellen sees in Dave the idealism her husband left behind years ago. Dave features numerous cameo appearances by politicians, Washington insiders, and journalists; Oliver Stone also appears to explain a conspiracy theory regarding sudden changes in Bill Mitchell's behavior. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

While his parents are out of town, enterprising Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) rents out the Banks' mansion to the singing group Bell Div DeVoe (Ronnie DeVoe, Ricky Bell and Michael Bivins) for a music-video shoot. At the end of the session, the house is in a shambles, but the kids are certain that they can clean up the place before mom and dad get home. Unfortunately, Philip (James Avery) and Vivian (Janet Hubert-Whitten) arrive back in town earlier than expected! Bell Div DeVoe performs "Do Me". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Some sources list John Morrissey as director of 9 1/2 Ninjas, while others credit Aaron Worth. There's no confusion, however, as to whom the "one-half" is. That honor goes to leading lady Andee Gray, who joins an all-male Ninja training group. Gray gets a big kick out of her lessons (no pun intended), until she realizes that she's been followed. It seems that a rival contingent of ninjas intends to assassinate her. And that's only one of the many surprises in store for the viewers of 9 1/2 Ninjas; this is no run-of-the-mill chopsocky effort, but a dizzy plunge into near-surrealism. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A suicidal artist tries to end his miserable life on Halloween night and fails after jumping off the roof of a ramshackle LA boarding house. After the fall, his soul has somehow become possessed by the spirit of a murderous criminal. This horror movie explains how and why. Now the poor bum finds himself haunted by terrible dreams of places he's never been and atrocities he could never think of committing. The dreams take an even darker edge when he begins reading about of a series of murders. Each victim was killed in exactly the same way he dreamed they were; he also learns that each was involved in the killing of the crook. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Hauled into court for stealing electronic communication components, a man (Kenneth Tigar) claiming to be from the planet Saturn pulls out a gun and holds the courtroom hostage. This proves to be most inconvenient for Dan (John Larroquette), who has finally managed to line up a date with his latest object of affection Sheila (Leslie Bevis). Things get worse when the wrong person consumes the drugged meat intended to incapactite the self-proclaimed Saturnian. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This science fiction thriller was inspired by a mythical real-life event, the WWII era disappearance of an entire naval vessel during a radar-cloaking test. In 1943, David Herdeg Michael Pare and Jim Parker Bobby DiCicco are sailors stationed aboard a Virginia battleship. Their vessel is undergoing an experiment conducted by brilliant scientist Dr. Longstreeet (Eric Christmas), who is attempting to render Allied craft invisible to radar. The ship becomes briefly invisible, but the test is a disaster and most of the crew are horribly killed. However, two crewmen are missing. In 1984, Herdeg and Parker emerge in the Nevada desert, having somehow traveled through time. Longstreet, still trying to perfect the device after 40 years, is running another experiment that pulls the missing sailors into the present. Realizing what's occurred, Herdeg and Parker flee, fearing for their lives. Fugitives, they befriend a skeptical modern woman, Alison Hayes (Nancy Allen). An effect of time pulls Parker back into 1943, leading to a bizarre reunion between Herdeg, still trapped in the future, and Parker, now a senior citizen. The film was followed by a sequel nine years later. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Screenwriter Walter Bernstein made his directorial debut with Little Miss Marker, a re-make of the Damon Runyon story that has been filmed many times before (most notably as Little Miss Marker with Shirley Temple, Sorrowful Jones starring Bob Hope, and the Tony Curtis vehicle 40 Pounds of Trouble). Here the cute little moppet is played by Sara Stimson, with Walter Matthau as the kid's nemesis Sorrowful Jones. The story concerns the relationship between the two when Little Miss Marker is left with Sorrowful as a down payment for one of her father's bets. Jones is involved with Blackie (Tony Curtis), who's trying to open an undercover casino in a mansion owned by Amanda (Julie Andrews). Jones and the kid find themselves in a number of dangerous scrapes as they try to keep one step ahead of the law -- and of Blackie. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Tim Conway and Don Knotts, mere supporting characters in the original Apple Dumpling Gang, are promoted to starring roles in the 1979 sequel The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again. Once more cast as clumsy, soft-hearted western outlaws, Conway and Knotts come to the rescue of cavalry private Tim Matheson. The villain, lieutenant Philip Pine, is undermining the authority of Matheson's commander Harry Morgan, and Matheson wants to find out why. Featured performers include Jack Elam as Big Mac and Ruth Buzzi as Tough Kate. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Brash young Andy Schmidt (Henry Winkler) can't make a go of it as an actor in the early 1950s. Still, he wins the hand of Mary Crawford (Kim Darby), and the two of them try to make ends meet in New York City. Andy is on the verge of starvation when he befriends wrestling-promoter Sidney Seltzer (Gene Saks). At last, Andy has found the perfect outlet for his overbaked performing style: he becomes "The One and Only," a Gorgeous George-like professional wrestler. Though his ring career skyrockets, Andy's private life suffers until his wife Mary lets him know (with a mean uppercut!) who's going to be boss. Like many of director Carl Reiner's directorial efforts, the real strength in The One and Only lies in its impeccable supporting cast, ranging from Polly Holliday as Darby's mother to Herve Villechaize as a horny midget "rassler." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A Cry for Help (working title: End of the Line) stars Robert Culp as an acerbic, Don Imus-like radio talk show host. When one of his callers, an anxious young woman, threatens to kill herself, Culp laughs it off. Later, however, he realizes that the girl wasn't kidding, and mounts a frantic effort-with the help of his loyal audience-to locate the would-be suicide. Richard Levinson and William Link's script stretches the tension level to the snapping point, and you'll love every minute of it. Made for television, A Cry for Help originally aired February 12, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide