Jayne Meadows Movies
The daughter of Episcopal missionaries, Jayne Meadows was born in China; she spoke nothing but Chinese until her parents returned to America in the early 1930s. Meadows began her film career in the mid-1940s as a contract player at MGM. Her velvety voice and self-confident bearing ruled out her being cast as simpering ingenues: Meadows excelled as cold-blooded "other women", vitriolic divorcees, and neurotic murderesses. Her best screen role was the double- and triple-crossing Mildred Haveland in Lady in the Lake (1946). For nearly five decades, Jayne has been harmoniously married to her second husband, TV personality Steve Allen, with whom she has co-starred on dozens of variety programs and game shows, as well as Steve Allen's memorable PBS miniseries Meeting of Minds. More recently, both she and her husband were nominated for Emmy Awards for their joint guest appearance on the TV series LA Law. Her more regular TV work has included the third-billed role of Nurse Chambers on Medical Center (1969-73) and the part of Ken Howard's mother on the 1983 "dramedy" It's Not Easy. Meadows made an indelible impression through the power of her voice alone as Billy Crystal's gushing, unseen mom in the two City Slickers film comedies of the 1990s. Jayne Meadows was the sister of the late Honeymooners co-star Audrey Meadows. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1998
Honored at a testimonial by her fellow medical examiners, Julianna Cox (Laura Ballard) relates the curious tale of Mr. and Mrs. Cochran (Steve Allen, Jayne Meadows), who, during one of their violent arguments, may very well have spared their son the trouble of committing suicide -- by killing him themselves. Back at the homicide unit, Georgia Rae Mahoney (Hazelle Goodman), sister of the late, unlamented drug kingpin Luther Mahoney, slaps a 60-million-dollar wrongful-death lawsuit against the detectives who were present when Luther was killed. And outside their usual jurisdiction, Ballard (Callie Thorne) and Gharty (Peter Gerety) pursue a pair of murderers into the backwoods of Western Maryland. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Belzer, Andre Braugher, (more)
- 1989
In this entry in the Parent Trap series, the triplets, their newlywed father, his bride, and her twin head for Hawaii where mayhem ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hayley Mills, Barry Bostwick, (more)
- 1989
When a wealthy homosexual man (Wlad Cembrowicz) turns up missing, his sister (Debra Sandlund) convinces her ex-husband (Sam Behrens) to investigate the legion of suspects. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Behrens, Shari Belafonte, (more)
- 1986
Jessica (Angela Lansbury) attends a cosmetics convention, where her nephew Grady (Michael Horton) has landed a job with supremely bitchy perfume manufacturer Lila Lee Amberson (Jayne Meadows). Also present is Liz Gordon (Ann Dusenberry), who had been one of Jessica's most promising writing students before she abruptly dropped from sight. When Liz turns up murdered, Jessica takes a personal interest in tracking down the culprit--and also learning the terrible secret that Liz was so obviously covering up at the time of her death. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Bob Hope makes his first starring film appearance in 14 years in this made-for-TV movie. Hope stars as a seedy private eye, hoping to get one last good case before calling it quits. Don Ameche, a retired art thief reduced to working as a chauffeur, teams with his old friend Hope to solve the mystery of a missing painting. The unknown criminal has a murderous streak, resulting in a few close calls for the octogenarian heroes. Masterpiece of Murder is murder, all right, but definitely no masterpiece. Bob Hope appears to be sleepwalking, while Don Ameche does his utmost to breathe life in the tiresome proceedings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Interwoven with scenes that are meant to grab attention by their stunning composition, this biographical look at Finland's violinist Arto Arsi is not so much a narration of his childhood and early years, as an attempt to artistically show what was happening inside his psyche during that time. Literally sold to a master teacher, Sergei Rippas (Tarmo Manni) by his mother when he was still a child, the violin prodigy was forcefully and strictly raised to practice, practice, and perfect his technique. Once an adult, Arsi finds a way to escape the rigors of a U.S. tour and drowns his overworked self in drink, or seeks out one-night stands, or otherwise lets off steam. The tightly-wound spring that has been coiled since he was forced into his grueling training and work sessions -- shown through symbolic images -- eventually snaps in a healthy way, freeing Arsi at last to continue on, simply for the love of music. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Raimo Karppinen, Jan Soderblom, (more)
- 1984
Made for cable television, The Ratings Game was directed by Danny DeVito, who co-starred in the film with his wife Rhea Perlman. DeVito plays the owner of a New Jersey trucking firm who yearns for a televison career. He offers several TV-series ideas to a receptive network programming head. On the verge of being fired, the network exec decides to have his revenge on his ex-bosses by selecting the very worst of DeVito's concepts. The "born to fail" series becomes a hit, and soon DeVito is the hottest programmer in the industry! More truthful than many of us are willing to admit, The Ratings Game premiered with astonishingly little fanfare over The Movie Channel cable service on December 15, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, (more)
This 1982 made-for-TV version of the Lewis Carroll classic Alice in Wonderland features an all-star cast. Such celebrities as Donald O'Connor, Maureen Stapleton and Eve Arden struggle to perform while buried under mounds of makeup and tons of eccentric costuming as Carroll's alternate-world loonies. Alice in Wonderland was first telecast Oct 3, 1983, on PBS' Great Performances. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
This TV-movie features a Texas beauty-queen contestant (Diane Lane) who is trying to earn money for college. A pianist, she learns a bit of self-respect during the competition. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1980
The Gossip Columnist is a rare one-part offering from Operation Prime Time, the TV-syndication service responsible for such miniseries as The Kent Family Chronicles. Fourth-billed Kim Cattrall plays the title character, journalist Dina Moran. Instructed by her boss (Dick Sargent) to take over the gossip column previously written by Hedda Hopper-clone Alma Llewellyn (Sylvia Sidney), Dina becomes a veritable Rona Barrett (why, one would think that scenarist Michael Gleason had purposely based the character on Barrett). In the course of 2 hours, our heroine makes and breaks several celebrities. Martha Raye plays a character not far removed from herself: a formerly big star hoping for a comeback. The cast includes such TV perennials as Robert Vaughn, Bobby Vinton, Bobby Sherman, Richard Deacon and Lyle Waggoner, along with such guest stars as Steve Allen, Jim Backus, Jack Carter, Allen Ludden, Jayne Meadows, Rip Taylor and Betty White. The Gossip Columnist first aired during the third week of March, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
Tenspeed and Brown Shoe was a "cult" comedy adventure series created by Stephen J. Cannell, which ran from January to June of 1980. Ben Vereen played E. L. "Tenspeed" Turner, a silver tongued African-American con artist. Jeff Goldblum costarred as staid stockbroker Lionel Whitney, whom Tenspeed nicknamed "Brown Shoe." This oil-and-water combination teamed up to form a detective agency. Just how this came about is explained in the 2-hour pilot for Tenspeed and Brown Shoe, which aired on January 27, 1980. In addition to uniting the stars, the pilot's storyline included a murdered gang leader, a Marathon Man style ex-Nazi diamond fence, and a suitcase full of hot mob money. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Sex and the Married Woman stars Joanna Pettet as a housewife and Barry Newman as her liberal-minded husband. Encouraging his wife to find her "inner self," Newman has no notion that Pettet will translate this invitation into writing a book based on the sex habits of her friends and neighbors. The book becomes a best-seller, Pettet becomes a celebrity, and Newman seethes with envy. When first telecast in 1977, Sex and the Married Woman was advertised on the basis of its large cast of celebrity cameos (Jayne Meadows, Keenan Wynn, etc.) Virtually ignored was the fourth-billed F. Murray Abraham, seven years away from his Oscar win as Salieri in 1984's Amadeus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
This made-for-TV biography, based on the memoirs of onetime James Dean roommate William Bast, stars Stephen McHattie in the title role of the Hollywood rebel. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Season Six of Adam-12 begins with the first of several "remote" assigments for LAPD mobile officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner]). On this occasion, the two cops are assigned to the city's harbor and waterfront, where they run up against a credit-card forger and a besotted sailor. Jayne Meadows guest stars as a literally starry-eyed traffic violator who issues a verbose lecture to Jim and Pete on the subtleties of astrology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
In his only starring made-for-TV movie, comedian Jonathan Winters plays an art expert engaged by an insurance company. Winters is assigned to protect a valuable Rembrandt, on loan from the Louvre to a major New York gallery. The Rembrandt disappears and passes through several hands (including the pudgy paws of an Arabian shiek) before Winters can save the day. Now You See It, Now You Don't is overloaded with guest stars (Steve Allen, Jayne Meadows, Jack Weston), as though the producers didn't think Winters could carry a film by himself. The best moment is a restaurant scene in which Jonathan Winters is permitted a few precious moments of improvisational fancy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
An expose on campus sex provides the basis of this bizarre film made in 1960. A college professor is taking the survey which focuses upon the sexual habits of the students. Unfortunately, some people object and bring him up on charges of indecency. The film climaxes with his trial. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Allen, Jayne Meadows, (more)
Doris Day stars in a true-to-type performance as Jane Osgood, a spunky, pretty, wronged widow with two children. She manages her own lobster business, and the railroad has just trashed a shipment, killing them off before they could ever be properly boiled to death for someone's dinner. Jane commissions her lawyer (and potential romantic partner) George Denham (Jack Lemmon) to take on the railroad and its nefarious owner, Harry Foster Malone (Ernie Kovacs). Thus, the battle between the unjustly treated Jane and the arrogant railroad boss begins. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Doris Day, Jack Lemmon, (more)
- 1951
The popular radio detective series The Fat Man was brought to the screen in 1951, with the series' original star J. Scott Smart retained in the title role. Smart plays porcine sleuth Brad Runyon, who tackles the mystery surrounding the murder of a Los Angeles dentist. With the assistance of general factotum Bill Norton (Clinton Sundberg), Runyon follows the trail of clues all the way to a three-ring circus. Famed Barnum & Bailey clown Emmett Kelly makes his screen debut as one of the suspects; others essential to the action are such up-and-comers as Rock Hudson, Julie London and Jayne Meadows. The film's flashback-within-flashback structure helps to enliven its more verbose passages. For the most part, The Fat Man plays more like a radio show than a movie--at least until the exciting climax, inventively staged by director William Castle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Smart, Julie London, (more)
David and Bathsheba is a respectable, slightly stodgy cinematic adaptation of the Old Testament story. King David (Gregory Peck), much beloved by his subjects and a war hero of long standing, falls victim to the sins of the flesh when he falls in love with Bathsheba (Susan Hayward), the wife of Uriah (Kieron Moore), one of David's most trusted soldiers. His downfall begins when David orders Uriah into a suicidal battle, knowing that this will clear the way for his relationship with Bathsheba. His infatuation leads him to neglect his kingdom and his people, and invokes the wrath of God. Only after his land has been devastated by God's hand does David offer atonement. The film's lavish production values compensate ever so slightly for the long-winded script. David and Bathsheba was the last major "flat-screen" Biblical epic; it was filmed in 1951 B.C. -- Before Cinemascope. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, (more)
