James McEachin Movies
African American actor James McEachin was a stage actor until signed to a Universal contract in the mid-1960s. Though relatively young, McEachin projected a middle-aged, "solid citizen" image that perfectly suited his title character in the Universal television series Tenafly (1973). McEachin was cast as private eye and loyal family man Harry Tenafly, one of the few TV detectives who relied more on brains than movie-star charisma. Since that time, James McEachin has usually been cast as a cop; he played Sergeant (and later Lieutenant) Brock on virtually every Perry Mason TV movie of the 1980s and 1990s-a notable exception being the 1987 entry The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel, in which he was cast as "Harry Forbes." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 2002
Hoping to utilize the Supreme Court in the same dramatic manner that West Wing utilized the White House, the weekly, 60-minute CBS series First Monday focused on the nine Justices who laid down the law for the United States. Joe Mantegna headed the cast as Joseph Novelli, the newest member of the nine-person Supreme Court. Entering a political arena that was evenly divided between Conservative and Liberal, the "moderate" Justice Novelli generally acted as the tie-breaker in matters of national jurisprudence (though supposedly noncommittal politically, Novelli's beard and pugnacious personality indicated that he was the "champion of the underdog" type). James Garner co-starred as staunchly conservative Chief Justice Thomas Brankin, who displayed his contempt for contemporary political correctness by puffing away on a cigarette in his "officially" smoke-free private office. Brankin's chief ally was the whimsical, womanizing Justice Henry Hoskins (Charles Durning), while on varying extremes of the political spectrum were Jewish jurist Esther Weisenberg (Camille Saviola) and black Justice Jerome Morris (James McEachin). Created by Jag's Donald P. Bellisario, First Monday premiered on Tuesday, January 15, 2002, before settling into its standard Friday-night slot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
The murder of a cosmetics company tycoon leads lawyer Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) into a strange case involving a new anti-aging concoction. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Television fans fed up with the state of TV talk shows might get a kick from the 1992 Perry Mason TV movie The Case of the Reckless Romeo. The title character, a video personality who's just written a tell-all autobiography, is played by none other than Geraldo Rivera. When the future O.J. Simpson-obsessed talk host is murdered, actress Amy Steel is accused of murder. Mason (Raymond Burr) sets about to prove her innocence. When first telecast on May 6, 1992, The Case of the Reckless Romeo was advertised with the tag line "Geraldo gets killed!" Reports of dancing in the streets remain unconfirmed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
When the invincible Perry Mason takes on the case of a photographer who is accused of murdering a famous artist, he discovers the case is complicated by forgery. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1992
The first "Perry Mason" TV movie of the 1992-93 season, The Case of the Heartbroken Bride was the 23rd such production. The wedding of pop star Heather McAdam is disrupted by a drunken interloper. When the party crasher is murdered, Heather is nabbed for the killing. Among the special guest suspects are Ronny Cox, Linda Blair and Diane Baker. Stephen Stills, of Crosby Stills, Nash and Young, has a cameo. As always, Perry Mason is played by Raymond Burr. The Case of the Heartbroken Bride first aired October 30, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Perry Mason takes the case for a TV reporter falsely accused of killing the station's ego-maniacal anchorman. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1991
In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Perry Mason proves that a famous illusionist is innocent of deliberately killing his assistant during a spectacular stage stunt. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1990
At last count, there were approximately eight million made-for-TV Christmas movies. Well, maybe not, but they sure are hard to tell apart. Guess Who's Coming for Christmas adds a soupcon of ET to the plum pudding by having Beau Bridges wander into a small, impoverished town and claim that he's an extraterrestrial. Bridges befriends town "character" Richard Mulligan, who enjoys his company even if he doesn't completely believe that Man From Mars talk. This being a whimsical concoction, there's all sorts of evidence that Bridges is telling the truth--which of course renews the Christmas spirit in everyone concerned. Incidentally, Beau Bridges is a mall operator on his home planet; hope he's brought along lots of gift coupons. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Mulligan, Beau Bridges, (more)
- 1990
In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Perry Mason begins representing an author who is accused of killing her conniving ex-husband at a mystery writers convention. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1990
In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Perry Mason represents a former student who is accused of murdering a singing star. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Perry Mason must help a wounded hockey star who has been accused of killing an important sports figure. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Perry Mason and his assistant help a stage manager who is the prime suspect in the murder of the director who recently fired him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Hunter (Fred Dryer) finds it impossible to believe that his former partner Frank Garriman (James McEachin) is mixed up with drug-dealing and murder. Actually, Frank's delinquent son Bobby (Kevin Best) was the catalyst for the man's troubles: while delivering cocaine for his street gang, Bobby was caught in a shootout in which his mother was seriously wounded. As bodies begin piling up all over LA, Hunter hopes against hope that his old friend Garriman has not allowed his desire for revenge to turn him into a cold-blood killer--but all the evidence points in this direction. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Perry Mason must prove that the man whose murder conviction he upheld when he was an Appellate Court judge is really innocent. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1987
The last of the four Perry Mason movies telecast in 1987, The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel rounds up veterans Raymond Burr (as Mason) and Barbara Hale (as Della Street), with comparative newcomers William Katt (as Paul Drake Jr.) and David Ogden Stiers (as the "Hamilton Burger"-style prosecutor). The accused murderer in this outing is Susan Wilder, a reporter for a sleazy tabloid. The victim is the rag's hateful publisher, Robert Guillaume. Other suspects include Guillaume's ex-lover, and a banker who was ruined by the tabloid's half truths. Unlike most of the Perry Mason TV movies of the 1980s, The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel doesn't play fair with the audience; vital clues and character motivations are withheld from the viewer, robbing us of the pleasure of trying to second-guess the methodical Mr. Mason. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Following the excellent ratings response to the 1985 "reunion" special Perry Mason Returns, producers Fred Silverman and Dean Hargrove quickly assembled a second two-hour Mason TV movie in 1986. Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun finds Mason (Raymond Burr), now a judge, briefly stepping down from the bench to defend a nun (Michele Greene) accused of murder. The victim was a handsome priest, with whom the nun was allegedly conducting an affair. William Katt plays private detective Paul Drake Jr., who in the tradition of his late father tracks down clues on Mason's behalf--nearly losing his life at every turn. Case of the Notorious Nun was followed in short order by Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star (86). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
"Not since Columbo has catching a killer been this clever!" That was the ad come-on for Diary of a Perfect Murder, a 1986 TV movie starring Andy Griffith as a homespun Georgia defense attorney. Griffith takes the case of a TV reporter (Steve Inwood) who has been accused of the murder of his ex-wife. In the tradition of Perry Mason, Matlock plays his cards close to the vest, then reveals the identity of the true murderer right in the courtroom. Sound familiar? It should: Diary of a Perfect Murder was the pilot film for Andy Griffith's still-running Matlock series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Jessica (Angela Lansbury is given a crash course in the nomenclature of football when she inherits a small percentage in a pro football team. She also stumbles upon a murder case (surprise!) when the team's much-hated owner is killed in the locker room . It's going to be tough to discern the murderer's identity this time, inasmuch as Jessica must first work her way through every member of the team--not to mention their wives and sweethearts! Former professional athletes Bruce Jenner and Dick Butkus appear in key supporting roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This belated sequel to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is directed by Peter Hyams. Roy Scheider plays the astronaut/skipper of a U.S.-Soviet space mission, sent to find out what happened to the missing Discovery flight that carried Keir Dullea into the beyond in the original 2001. Scheider's polyglot crew includes Americans John Lithgow and Bob Balaban (the latter a computer whiz, responsible for the notorious HAL 9000) and Russians Helen Mirren, Elya Baskin and Natasha Schneider. The reason for this international mixture is that the world is on the brink of nuclear war, and it is hoped that the space mission will assure east-west solidarity (in this respect, 2010 dates far more than 2001, given the collapse of the Iron Curtain). When the astronauts catch up with Dullea, still in orbit around Jupiter, producer/director/writer Hyams attempts to demystify the enigmatic climax of 2001. Arthur C. Clarke, author of the story upon which 2001 was based, appears in 2010 as a man on a park bench. Incidentally, the voice-over credited to Olga Mallsnerd is actually Candice Bergen. (The name Mallsnerd is a play on the name of one of the characters created by her ventriloquist father Edgar.) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Scheider, John Lithgow, (more)
In this fourth installment of the Dirty Harry series, Harry has been banished temporarily from San Francisco because his superiors are uncomfortable about his feud with a local crime boss. He goes to an oceanside small town for a little rest and recuperation but finds the town has been traumatized by a series of brutal murders. Harry meets and falls in love with Jennifer Spencer (Sandra Locke), a young artist. Jennifer and her sister were brutally raped a few years previously by a group of men, leaving her sister catatonic and Jennifer filled with a rage that is expressed in her disturbing artworks. Harry investigates the killings and the rapes, and one by one he dispatches Jennifer's rapists, one of whom is the son of the local police chief (which explains why the police have done little investigating). Finally, Harry finds out that Jennifer also dispenses her own brand of justice because she cannot rely on the criminal justice system. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, (more)
- 1979
Lee Cantrell (Joe Penny) is a half-Asian, half-Anglo assistant district attorney in San Francisco. By day he helps to prosecute criminals through the justice system, but at night he straps on his samurai sword and does battle with the underworld in his own way. His main enemy is a power-crazed businessman who has built an "earthquake machine" with which he intends to destroy San Francisco. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide
- 1979
While doing volunteer work at Willowdale, a sanitarium which houses convicted criminals who have been deemed mentally incapable of serving prison time, Quincy (Jack Klugman) hears rumors that some of the inmates are being forced to participate in illegal boxing matches. After the mother of a recently deceased inmate comes forward insisting that her son's "accidental" death was anything but, Quincy is all the more determined to find out what's really going on--and not surprisingly, imperils his own life in the process. This is one of a handful of fourth-season Quincy M.E. episode deemed worthy of three prime-time NBC telecasts. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
This socially conscious drama is set during the Civil Rights Movement and chronicles the endeavors of a black minister to run for sheriff in a Southern county. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
