Robert Morse Movies
Puckish comic actor Robert Morse had studied with Lee Strasberg before his film debut in 1956's Proud and the Profane. This bit role led to a Paramount contract, though this early attempt to make Morse a movie star went no further than his re-creation of his stage role in The Matchmaker (1958). He went on to show up on TV in a variety of roles (he was a juvenile delinquent on Hitchcock), but was more successful on Broadway, co-starring in the musicals Say Darling and Take Me Along. In Frank Loesser's 1961 Pulitzer Prize-winning musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Morse, as the ambitious J. Pierpont Finch, entered Broadway Valhalla when he sang the show's big romantic song "I Believe in You" -- while looking at himself in a mirror. Morse won a Tony award for this performance, and in 1967 reprised the role for the film version. One year later, he co-starred with E.J. Peaker in the experimental weekly TV musical-comedy series That's Life. His best post-How to Succeed film role was the philandering best friend of Walter Matthau in A Guide for the Married Man (1967). In the early '70s, Morse starred in another long-running Broadway effort, Sugar, a musical version of Some Like It Hot. Morse had some difficulty maintaining a starring career into the 1980s, but in 1990 made a triumphant return to Broadway (and won another Tony in the bargain) for his one-man Truman Capote-show Tru. In later years, Robert Morse starred on Broadway and the road as Captain Andy in Harold Prince's glittering revival of Show Boat, and was seen as Grandpa Munster on the 1995 "retro" TV movie Here Come the Munsters.He did not appear on screen again for twelve years, but his return was in one of the most respected TV programs of its time. He was cast as Bert Cooper, one of the men who gave their name to the advertising agency that was the focus of Mad Men, a show that set a record by winning the Emmy for Best Drama series each of its first four seasons. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2010
- PG13
- Add RED to Queue Add RED to top of Queue
A group of former government assassins fights back against the CIA after they're targeted for knowing too much in this adaptation of Warren Ellis' acclaimed DC Comics graphic novels. Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) used to be a hired gun for the CIA. Along with Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich), and Victoria (Helen Mirren), Frank's specialty was carrying out contracts that the government didn't want the public to know about. These days, Frank and his old gang are all retired, but the powers that be are still concerned that they know too much, and dispatch a team of top assassins to ensure their silence. Now, Frank and his former team members realize that their only hope for survival is to break into CIA headquarters and expose the truth. But once they're in, the group uncovers evidence of a massive cover-up that promises to rock the very foundation of our government. Karl Urban, Brian Cox, Richard Dreyfuss, and Ernest Borgnine co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, (more)
- 2010
This food-themed travel release offers a rich look at the cooking of Tuscany, with illustrative information about the traditional foods and dishes of the Italian region, as well as step-by-step instructions for preparing meals like Basil Pasta with Pesto, Beans and Sausage, and more. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi
- Starring:
- Natalie Wallace, Robert Morse, (more)
This culinary themed program offers 12 live cooking demonstrations, teaching both newcomers and seasoned kitchen veterans how to prepare traditional dishes of Thailand, exemplifying the country's distinctive flavors. The program also includes short guided travel scenes of Thailand's most popular destinations. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sompon Nabian, Robert Morse, (more)
Returning for its third season, the two-time Golden Globe-winning series for Best TV Drama bursts with one scandalous surprise after another. Jon Hamm and the rest of the award-winning ensemble continue to captivate us as they contend with a world on the brink. Welcome to "Mad Men" - a shocking portrait of a time that was anything but innocent. Nothing is as sexy. Nothing is as provocative. Nothing is as it seems. "Mad Men": Where the Truth Lies.
- Starring:
- Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, (more)
Following a first-season finale in which housewife Betty Draper (January Jones) comes to the realization that her ad-exec husband, Don (Jon Hamm), may be having an affair, Season 2 dives headlong into the couple's marital strife. Professionally, Don is flying high as a junior partner and creative director at the Sterling Cooper ad agency, but his home life is rapidly deteriorating. After Betty kicks him out for apparent infidelity, Don moves into a hotel and is only able to see his children with Betty's permission. At Sterling Cooper, the long-simmering power struggle between Don and Herman "Duck" Phillips (Mark Moses) reaches a boiling point, as the impetuous director of account services negotiates a deal with a British firm that he believes will finally give him the upper hand. A subtler power play is made by Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), who seems to have recovered nicely from the shocking birth of her child by married account exec Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser). The product research that Peggy conducted while serving as Don's secretary during Season 1 eventually leads to her promotion as the agency's first female copywriter, and even her own office. Other employees also confront emerging social issues of the day: Creative copywriter Paul Kinsey (Michael Gladis) breaks social taboos by dating a black woman, while art director Salvatore Romano (Bryan Batt) secretly struggles with his homosexuality. And romance remains tricky for secretary Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks) -- whose doctor fiancé proves controlling and abusive-and her ex, Sterling Cooper partner Roger Sterling (John Slattery), who embarks on yet another extramarital love affair with yet another young secretary. ~ Todd Thatcher, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, (more)
The debut season of Matthew Weiner's intense and stylish drama follows the lives of Madison Avenue advertising executives (so-called "Mad Men") in 1960. The series centers on Don Draper (Jon Hamm), the dashing and brilliant creative director for ad agency Sterling Cooper (Season 1 accounts include Richard Nixon's presidential campaign and, appropriately, Lucky Strike, given the cigarettes are smoked in nearly every scene). Don's charms extend well outside of the boardroom and into the bedroom: The married man has a free-spirited lover, Midge Daniels (Rosemarie DeWitt), who's his polar opposite, and a second mistress, Rachel Menken (Maggie Siff), a client whose independence challenges Don's views on women. Don's wife, Betty (January Jones), meanwhile, dutifully fulfills her role as housewife. But when she develops a mysterious ailment that causes her to lose feeling in her hands, she's sent to a psychiatrist to work through her problems. Over at Sterling Cooper, new secretary Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) tries to adjust to life in the boys club with guidance from seen-it-all bombshell secretary Joan Holloway (Christina Hendricks). Young account exec Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) also has his eyes on Peggy and quickly begins pursuing her, despite his upcoming nuptials. There's even more bad behavior at the office from skirt chasers Ken Cosgrove (Aaron Staton) and Paul Kinsey (Michael Gladis), loving but imperfect Harry Crane (Rich Sommer) and stuck-in-the-closet art director Sal Romano (Bryan Batt). Partner Roger Sterling (John Slattery) does little to set an example for his employees as he happily indulges in an array of vices and an affair with Joan. Senior partner Bertram Cooper (Robert Morse) is mostly out of touch with the staff, preferring to remain within the sanctuary of his giant office. In the midst of this workplace frivolity, Don learns that the picture-perfect life he's created for himself could be threatened by a secret from his past. ~ Brie Hearn, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, (more)
- 1995
In this made-for-TV comedy adapted from the once-popular TV series The Munsters, Herman Munster (Edward Herrmann) and his wife Lily (Veronica Hamel) learn that they are no longer welcome in Transylvania, so they relocate to California with their children Eddie (Matthew Botuchis) and Marilyn (Christine Taylor), as well as Grandpa (Robert Morse). As the Munsters try to adjust to their new life in laid-back, sunny Los Angeles, they're faced with a crisis -- Marilyn not only discovers she's adopted but that her biological father has disappeared. Here Come the Munsters first aired on Halloween in 1995. Keep an eye peeled for cameo appearances by Yvonne De Carlo, Al Lewis, Butch Patrick, and Pat Priest, all of whom played Munster family members in the original series.
~ Mark Deming, Rovi
~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Edward Herrmann, Veronica Hamel, (more)
Just after the turn of the 21st century in L.A., Harry (Belushi) works for a television station that uses a revolutionary technology, virtual reality projected for at-home viewers with 3-D holographic programs. A sinister group known as the Fathers, headed by Senator Kreutzer (Loggia), has a scheme to use it for mind-control. ~ Rovi
- 1989
The idea of a real buried treasure has Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton very excited when he discovers a special map in this episode about treasures. The featured book of the program is Sunken Treasures, written by Gail Gibbons and read by Robert Morse. Burton discusses methods used to locate the sunken Titanic with its finder, Dr. Robert Ballard of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute of Massachusetts. The program also looks at another sunken ship that originated in Spain over 300 years ago. ~ Alice Day, Rovi
This witty version of Hans Christian Anderson's moral tale of a king whose vanity makes him an easy mark for con artists, features Sid Caesar and Art Carney. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sid Caesar, Clive Revill, (more)
Bradley Brinkman (Steve Levitt) is a computer nerd who makes a deal with the Devil (James Coco) in this teen comedy. He is transformed into Hunk Golden (John Allen Nelson), the muscular blonde-haired, blue-eyed California heartthrob. She-devil O'Brien (Deborah Shelton) threatens to change the popular Hunk back into the anemic Bradley if he refuses to serve the Devil on Earth. Rebecca Bush plays psychologist Sunny Graves and co-stars with Robert Morse, Constantine Constapopolis, and Avery Schreiber. James Coco, who died a few weeks before the debut of this film, gives memorable comic portrayals of a pirate, a Nazi, and a caveman in addition to a delightful devil. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Allen Nelson, Steve Levitt, (more)
- 1985
Celebrated Broadway musical star Vivian Blaine is cast as--what else?--a celebrated Broadway musical star, named Rita Bristol. Headling a new production costarring her daughter Patti (Lorna Luft) and produced by her son Barry (Gregg Henry), Rita is among those expressing concern when an aspiring actress is seriously wounded by an apparent mugger. Likewise on the scene is Jessica (Angela Lansbury), who suspects that the mugging is a set-up job--and who ends up going into her sleuth act when a murder occurs. Also on the call-sheet in this episode are a couple of show-biz newcomers named Milton Berle and Robert Morse. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1984
Though Boss Hogg's crooked nephew Hughie is nowhere to be found in this episode, he is amply compensated for by his equally crooked brother Dewey (Robert Morse). Arriving in Hazzard County, Dewey announces that he is dying of an unknown illness, and hopes to establish his own memorial clinic before he cashes in his chips. What Uncle Boss (Sorrell Booke) doesn't know is that Dewey is actually in perfect health--and that he intends to cheat the county out of $100,000 and pin the blame on Jesse Duke (Denver Pyle). Except for a brief phone-call scene, John Schneider (Bo Duke) does not appear in this episode. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Just guess what this TV movie is about. Yes, that's right, someone is killing the centerfolds of a certain prominent girlie mag. Poor Miss March went out like a lion and now cops are trying to keep disaster from raining down on Miss April. One of the glamour girls in Calendar Girl Murders is none other than Sharon Stone, billed second in the film (but not at all in the print ads!) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1984
This performance video is a tribute to the American musical theatre. Includes a collection of memorable songs from various Broadway shows. ~ Rovi
- 1984
Featuring an all-star cast, this episode from the cable-television series Faerie Tale Theatre tells the tale of how a vain king gets his comeuppance. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
The 1979 Rankin/Bass production Jack Frost is a made-for-TV stop motion animation feature. Buddy Hacket narrates the story as the voice of groundhog Pardon-Me-Pete. The spirit of winter, Jack Frost (voice of Robert Morse) falls for a young woman named Elisa (voice of Debra Clinger). He asks Father Winter to make him into a human so he can win her love. However, she is already engaged to the brave knight, Sir Danny. When the villianous King Kubla Kraus (voice of Paul Frees) kidnaps her, Jack has to turn back into his spirit form in order to use his powers to save her. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Morse, Buddy Hackett, (more)
- 1978
Walter Matthau gives voice to Scrooge in this animated version of A Christmas Carol. Other noted voices include Tom Bosley, Theodore Bikel, Robert Morse and Dennis Day. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1971
The Day They Hanged Kid Curry is the syndication title for the 90-minute second-season opener of the TV series Alias Smith and Jones. This Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid derivation stars Peter Deuel as Hannibal Heyes and Ben Murphy as Kid Curry, a pair of handsome and lovable old-west bandits who've never killed anybody. The governor promises Heyes and Curry a pardon if they can stay out of mischief for one year; the boys agree, adopting the aliases of Joshua Smith and Thaddeus Jones. This "backstory" was well established when The Day They Hanged Kid Curry was telecast on September 16, 1971. The adventure at hand involves a trumped-up murder charge which finds the hapless Curry facing the gallows. His only salvation is a slick con man played by Walter Brennan, who goes to the sheriff and pleads for the Kid's release. Oh, almost forgot: Brennan shows up in female drag, passing himself off as Curry's doting grandma. Now you want to see this thing, don't you? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The inept Ensign Garland (Robert Morse) battles a trio of jewel thieves in this Walt Disney comedy. Garland starts by spilling paint on the lovely Kate Fairchild (Stephanie Powers). Harry (Phil Silvers), Max (Norman Fell) and Charlie (Mickey Shaughnessy) try to recover the jewels accidentally dumped by Garland into a picnic basket. Garland's superior is Commander Taylor (Don Ameche), who hounds the harried ensign for being a constant bumbler. Jason Bennett (Wally Cox) is the playboy who has replaced his yacht engine with a wine cellar. Character actors Joe E. Ross and Al Lewis witness the sight gags and react to the seafaring shenanigans. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Morse, Stefanie Powers, (more)
- 1968
This light romantic comedy is set during the November 9th power outage of 1965 that darkened New York and much of the East Coast. Margaret (Doris Day) is a theater actress who storms out on her architect husband, Peter (Patrick O'Neal), when a pretty female reporter spends too much time interviewing him for Margaret's liking. Later, Waldo Zane (Robert Morse), an embezzling business executive, has car trouble while fleeing his company. Margaret's house is nearby, so he sneaks in, and, after taking a drink of her elixir, he falls asleep beside her by mistake. Naturally, her husband soon appears, and comedy ensues in cases of mistaken identity and scheduling mix-ups. Columnist Earl Wilson makes a cameo appearance as does director Hy Averback. Steve Allen plays the radio announcer, Jim Backus a car dealer, and Pat Paulsen deadpans his usual facade in his role as a train conductor. Though this romantic comedy came out a couple years after the infamous New York City-wide blackout, it is based on French playwright Claude Magnier's production Monsieur Masure, which was written in the '50s. The actual power failure resulted in a population explosion exactly nine months later, and over double the average number of kids started school in 1971 as a direct result of the darkness. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Doris Day, Robert Morse, (more)
Ed Stander (Robert Morse), with the help of an all-star cast, teaches Paul Manning (Walter Matthau) the fine art of philandering in A Guide for the Married Man. Paul, happily married to sexy Ruth (Inger Stevens), has no burning desire to cheat, but Ed makes the prospect sound very attractive. Finally taking the "big step" with a glamorous brunette after months of careful preparation, Paul finds that he loves his wife way too much to betray her -- while the ever-careful Ed ends up in divorce court. Among the myriad of "advisors" peppered throughout Guide for the Married Man are Art Carney, Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Jayne Mansfield, Terry-Thomas, and Carl Reiner. The best guest-star vignette features Joey Bishop as a man caught in bed with another woman by his wife -- whereupon he calmly puts on his clothes, straightens up the room, and quietly responds to his wife's outrage by saying "What bed? What girl?" Adapted by Frank Tarloff from his book of the same name, Guide for the Married Man was directed by Gene Kelly, who makes a cameo "appearance" of his own as a voice on a TV set. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Walter Matthau, Robert Morse, (more)
- 1967
A domineering mother and her sheltered son fly face first into love, murder, and the meaning of family in this black comedy based on Arthur Kopit's Broadway play. Wealthy Madame Rosepettle (Rosalind Russell) and 25-year-old Jonathan (Robert Morse) arrive at the Port Royal Hotel on a tiny Caribbean island with the man of the family in tow, literally; he's been dead for many years and his stuffed corpse travels with them in a coffin. Madame is the kind of woman who keeps piranhas and Venus Flytrap plants as pets, and controls her son's life down to deciding what meal he'll have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (a hamburger and a maraschino cherry). Jonathan is kept indoors at all times and isn't allowed to mix with the outside world, though the hotel "babysitter," Rosalie (Barbara Harris), slips in through the window and flirts with the easily rattled young man. Madame is being courted by drunken millionaire Commodore Roseabove (Hugh Griffith), and while she welcomes his advances, her attention is diverted by trying to make sure that her son stays "pure." Rosalie isn't one to be put off by the meddling matriarch, so she doubles her efforts to get at Jonathan, who wants Rosalie too but might be pushed over the edge by the attention. ~ Fred Beldin, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rosalind Russell, Robert Morse, (more)
- 1967
- Add How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying to Queue Add How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying to top of Queue
Robert Morse recreated his Tony-winning stage role in this 1967 film version of Frank Loesser's Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical. A humble window washer at the New York offices of World Wide Wickets, J. Pierpont Finch applies the lessons he's learned from a book called How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying to wangle his way to the top of the executive heap. Though advised by the mailroom supervisor (Sammy Smith) to keep a low profile and play things "The Company Way," Finch follows his own skewed set of rules, endearing himself to bombastic company president J. B. Biggely (Rudy Vallee) by posing as a graduate of Grand Old Ivy, Biggely's alma mater. As he climbs to the top, Finch manages to dispose of an over-amorous rival by arranging a tryst between that rival and curvaceous secretary Hedy LaRue (Maureen Arthur)--who happens to be Biggely's live-in girlfriend. Finch also gets rid of the troublesome Mr. Ovington (Murray Matheson) by exposing the latter as an alumnus of Old Ivy's hated rival university. Graduating to vice-president, Finch feels secure enough to sing the show's one genuine love song "I Believe In You"--to himself! Actually, he's really in love with true-blue secretary Rosemary (Michele Lee), but won't admit to this until he suffers a career setback. Most of Loesser's songs survived the transition from stage to screen, with the exception of "Paris Original," which is heard merely as background music. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Morse, Michele Lee, (more)
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