Dick O'Neill Movies
American character actor Dick O'Neill began showing up in films in 1961. Most of O'Neill's movie roles were in the supporting category, e.g. his portrayal of Sol Zuckermann in The Buddy Holly Story. His extensive TV credits include recurring roles on at least four weekly series. Dick O'Neill was seen as Judge Praetor D. Hardcastle in Rosetti and Ryan (1977), street-smart Malloy in Kaz (1978), corporate vice president Arthur Broderick in Empire (1984), and Fred Wilkinson in the 1987 episodes of Falcon Crest. Fans of the detective series Cagney and Lacey will remember O'Neill for playing Charlie Cagney. Before entering film and television, O'Neill was a well established supporting actor on the New York stage where he appeared on and off Broadway. In the early '50s, O'Neill was a charter member of the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. For the last seven years of his life, O'Neill served on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Screening Committee. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A vigilante judge administers final justice to crooks in this crime drama that is comprised of a trio of episodes from a television action series of the same title.
- 1998
- PG13
This updated remake of the 1958 sci-fi cult classic I Married a Monster from Outer Space closely adheres to the same basic plotline as the original. On the eve of his wedding to Kelly Drummond (Susan Walters), good ol' boy Nick Farrell (Richard Burgi) wanders into the woods, where he is promptly abducted by aliens. Despite this ordeal, Nick shows up at the church on time and the wedding proceeds. But Kelly cannot help but notice that there is something "different" about her husband. Whereas previously all Nick cared about was drinking and carousing with his buddies, now he is serious, well-spoken, and curiously insistent that he and Kelly begin making babies as soon as possible. When all of Nick's drinking companions undergo similar character transformations, it becomes obvious to Kelly that the man she married isn't the man she intended to marry, but instead the "host" for an impending invasion from beyond.. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Walters
- 1997
Filmed in Vancouver, this Hallmark Hall of Fame takes place during the '70s in the U.S. After the death of her mother, Charlotte (Glynis O'Connor), 10-year-old Ellen Foster (Jena Malone, who narrates) suffers abuse from her alcoholic father (Ted Levine) and is ill-treated by her maternal aunts Nadine (Debra Monk) and Betsy (Barbara Garrick) and also by Nadine's mean daughter Dora (Kimberly Brown). Ellen is sent to live with her grief-stricken grandmother Leonora (Julie Harris), but her problems continue since the mean-spirited Leonora blames Ellen for Charlotte's death. Harry Nilsson's song, "Remember Christmas," is featured. This TV movie premiered December 14, 1997 on CBS. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Harris, Jena Malone, (more)
- 1996
Even though it has taken Alan (William Russ) twenty years to decide to give up the grocery business, wife Amy (Betsy Randle) chastizes him for making a "rush decision" by quitting his job. With this in mind, no one is more surprised than Amy when she chooses to change the course of her life as well--and that, ladies and gentlemen, is how Mr. and Mrs. Matthews decide to purchase a camping-supply store and go in business for themselves. Meanwhile, Eric (Will Friedle) makes a concerted effort to improve his chances of eventually entering college. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Made for television, The Unspoken Truth is the factual story of Brianne Hawkins (Lea Thompson), who after enduring a lifetime of abuse at the hands of her family marries the even more abusive Clay Hawkins (James Marshall). Given to beating his wife at the slightest provocation, Clay finally goes completely over the edge when he shoots and kills a man who had the temerity to speak to Brianne without Clay's permission. Thinking quickly for a change, Clay persuades Brianne to take the rap for the killing, whereupon she complicity (if not willingly) concocts an elaborate story as to how she shot the man accidentally. Not only do the authorities refuse to swallow this fabrication, but they end up sending both Clay and Brianne to prison for life! Only when the future of her daughter, Lily (Karis Paige Bryant), is jeopardized does the long-suffering Brianne finally work up the courage to fight for her freedom and her long-denied fundamental rights as a human being. A shocking mid-film revelation elevates this story from the usual battered-wife TV-movie syndrome. Filmed on location in Austin, TX, The Unspoken Truth originally aired September 24, 1995, on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lea Thompson, Patricia Kalember, (more)
- 1994
In a savage spoof of the "Barney the Dinosaur" craze, Will (Will Smith) takes little Nicky (Ross Bagley) to a kids' concert so the youngster can meet his TV idol, Dougie the Whale. Unfortunately, the costumed actor (Monty Hoffman) playing Dougie is a surly jerk who hasn't exactly got a handle on the characters' perennially sunny, optimistic disposition. Confronting "Dougie" for his bad attitude, Will ends up punching the actor...thereby becoming "persona non grata" so far as Nicky is concerned. Meanwhile, it is Hilary (Karyn Parsons) vs. Leeza Gibbons over a highly coveted parking space. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
My Summer Story is the video title for It Runs in the Family. Based on the writings of humorist/raconteur Jean Shepherd, the film was the long-awaited sequel to the 1984 "sleeper" A Christmas Story. Set in the 1940s, the story is told from the point-of-view of Ralphie Parker (Kieran Culkin), who watches in bemusement as "The Old Man" (Charles Grodin) carries on a long-running feud with their hillbilly neighbors, the Bumpus family. Mary Steenburgen is cast as Ralphie's ditsy mom. Also appearing is yet another celebrity sibling, Christian Culkin. Jean Shepherd himself narrates, as he did in the earlier film, while the direction is in the hands of A Christmas Story's Bob Clark. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Grodin, Mary Steenburgen, (more)
- 1994
While cleaning out their apartment, Paul (Paul Reiser) and Jamie (Helen Hunt) come across a bundle of WWII-era love letters written by the former tenants. Sentimental Jamie believes that the story told in these tender missives has a spiritual connection with the relationship between herself and Paul. But Jamie is in for a surprise when she tracks down the now-elderly authors of the letters. Jerry Adler makes his first series appearance as apartment superintendent Mr. Wicker (though the actor had previously shown up in different roles). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
The third and final season of Dark Justice finds ex-cop Nick Marshall (Bruce Abbott) continuing to lead his double life as a respected judge by day, and a leather-jacket vigilante by night. Using an admirably variety of stings and scams, Marshall and his team of "Night Watchmen"--Moon (Dick O'Neill), Gibs (Clayton Prince), Kelly (Janet Gunn) and sometimes Kari-Lynn (Joanne Haas)--succeed in tracking down and trapping criminals who have otherwise escaped prosecution via legal technicalities and loopholes. Added to the cast this season is sexy Samantha "Sam" Collins (Elisa Heinsohn), replacing Tara McDonald (who departed the show in Season Two to relocate to Boston) as Mitchell's super-efficient secretary and researcher. In addition to offering the series' first two-part episode, "In Cover of Darkness", the series also follows traditional lines by pitting the Night Watchmen against such adversaries as a crooked doctor, a homicidal novelist, and a game-playing serial killer. Guest stars this season include Erik Estrada, Mary-Margaret Humes, Peter Haskell, Edward Albert, Kent McCord and Anne Francis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Abbott, Dick O'Neill, (more)
- 1993
This made-for-cable version of Arthur Miller's play The American Clock was adapted for television by Frank Galati. Inspired partly by Studs Terkel's oral history Hard Times, and partly by Miller's own recollections, the film is set at the beginning of the Depression. When the stock market crashes, the well-to-do Baumler family (John Rubinstein, Mary McDonnell, Loren Dean) loses everything. The Baumlers are forced to move from their plush penthouse apartment to the less-attractive Brooklyn digs of Mrs. Baumler's sister (Joanna Miles). Twelve-year-old Lee Baumler (Dean), the Arthur Miller counterpart, hits the road to find out how others are coping with the Long National Nightmare. The alternately depressing and uplifting storyline moves along briskly to a surprisingly abrupt climax. Kelly Preston, David Strathairn, Eddie Bracken, Darren McGavin, and Estelle Parson co-star in The American Clock, which premiered over the TNT Cable Network on August 23, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Moving its production unit from Spain to Hollywood for its second season, Dark Justice serves up 22 new episodes in which the benevolent vigilante group The Night Watchman, secretly commandeered by Judge Nick Marshall, mete out punishment to criminals who have otherwise evaded capture by using the intricacies of the legal system for their own advantage. This year, Bruce Abbott replaces Ramy Zada in the leading role of Judge Marshall, though Dick O'Neill and Clayton Prince return as the Judge's versatile operatives Moon and Gibs. Also carried over from season one is Carrie-Ann Moss as Marshall's faithful "Girl Friday" Tara, though she would only appear in a handful of episodes. New to the Night Watchman team is sexy private eye Kelly Cochrane (Janet Gunn), who tumbles to Marshall's secret identity but who joins his team after he tracks down the "dirty cops" who have ganged-raped her right outside the Federal courthouse. Another new face is that of Joanne Haas as Kari-Lynn, a toothsome waitress who occasionally assists the Night Watchmen in their various schemes and scams. The move from Spain to Tinseltown enables the producers to hire more easily recognizable actors for guest-star appearances. Among those showing up in Season Two of Dark Justice are Elyssa Davalos,Erin Gray, andahl Bergman, David Groh, Joseph Campanella, Priscilla Barnes and Lauren Tewes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Abbott, Dick O'Neill, (more)
- 1992
Based on a true story, this is the tale of three women who join forces to get revenge on the handsome con man whose investment scheme cost them thousands of dollars. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1991
A Spanish-American coproduction, the 60-minute action-adventure series Dark Justice was initially filmed in Barcelona, Spain, but set in a large Manhattan-like American metropolis. Ramy Zada originally headed the cast as Nicholas Marshall, a youthful ex-cop turned judge who had lost faith in the legal system after his family was killed in a car bombing meant for him. Determined to make criminals who'd slipped through the fingers of the law via legal loopholes and technicalites (many of them in his own courtroom), Judge Marshall led a double life: Distinguished jurist by day, leather-jacketed, motorcycle-riding vigilante by night. Working in concert with his covert "Night Watchman" team, Marshall entrapped a number of "untouchable" criminals, not so much by violence but by concocting elaborate sting operations in which the greedy villains would be foiled by their own gullibility. He was assisted in his mission by two super-efficient (and gorgeous) secretary-researchers, Tara McDonald (Carrie-Ann Moss) and Samantha "Sam" Collins (Elisa Heinsohn). Though Marshall and his Night Watchmen risked being arrested themselves for their nobly motivated by underhanded tactics, their results proved quite satisfactory to crusading DA Ken Horton (Kit Kincannon), who of course was totally ignorant of Judge Marshall's dual identity. During Season One, Marshall's team of confederates included Dick O'Neill as ex-forger and counterfeiter Arnold "Moon" Willis and Clayton Prince as special-effects maestro Jerico "Gibs" Gibson. Begona Plaza was seen in the first seven episodes as female adventuress Catalina "Cat" Duran, and when Cat was killed her place in Marshall's team was taken by the equally voluptuous Vivian Vives as Maria Marti. Dark Justice moved production from Barcelona to Los Angeles beginning with Season Two, at which point Bruce Abbott took over from Ramy Zada as Nicholas Marshall. Of the supporting cast, all but Vivian Vives were carried over in the American version: New additions to the Night Watchman roster were beauteous private eye Kelly Cochran (Janet Gunn) and versatile waitress Keri-Ann (Joanna Haas). In the United States, the 66-episode Dark Justice was seen as part of CBS' late-night "Crime Time in Prime Time" rotation from April 5, 1991 through April 14, 1994. The series was created by Jeff Freilich, who also served as executive producer and also wrote the theme music. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ramy Zada, Dick O'Neill, (more)
Loose Cannons may be a wacky buddy-cop comedy, but it starts with a chilling premise. It seems that a film is discovered that depicts the final moments of Adolf Hitler's life. The climax features young German officer Von Metz, who is seen putting Hitler to death. Von Metz (Robert Prosky) is now running for chancellor of West Germany. If this film gets out, his political career is finished, so Von Metz has arranged for the murder of anyone who has seen the film. The killings have taken place in the Washington area and Mac (Gene Hackman) and Ellis (Dan Aykroyd) are sent to investigate the crimes. Mac is a middle-aged veteran of the force, a professional who gets things done. But Ellis is a different ball of wax. Suffering from a multiple personality disorder, he has spent two years in a Benedictine monastery to recover from his problems. But he is far from cured -- as Mac discovers, whenever Ellis is confronted by violence, he blacks out and begins to assume the characters of popular culture icons like Popeye, Captain Kirk, and the Road Runner. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Hackman, Dan Aykroyd, (more)
Director Stan Dragoti, whose forte is plumbing the depths of the male psyche, plumbs those depths once again in She's Out of Control. Tony Danza stars as Doug Simpson, a broadcasting executive who has trouble adjusting to the fact that his fifteen-year-old daughter Katie (Ami Dolenz) is blossoming into a sexual being. This realization kicks in after his fiancee Janet (Catherine Hicks) takes Katie for a makeover; suddenly she appears before Doug looking like a sultry super model. Now Doug is unable to look at his daughter as anything other than as a sexy chick, and he spends his time fending off packs of horny suitors while dictating morality to Katie. It finally gets to the point where Doug consults with television psychiatrist Dr. Fishbinder (Wallace Shawn), who recommends that Doug read a book he has written for single fathers, advising him, "If you're a slow reader, you better put your daughter on the pill." ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Danza, Catherine Hicks, (more)
- 1988
In this romantic comedy, a grocery store employee endeavors to attract the attention of a wealthy playboy by pretending to be a high society girl. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1988
In a film originally made for television, a detective accidentally involves himself with a female con artist who is planning a $12 million diamond robbery. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Ben's 12th birthday party is put on hold when Maggie (Joanna Kerns) goes into labor--two weeks overdue. As the family rushes to the hospital in eager anticipation, Ben (Jeremy Miller) feels more crowded and left out than ever. But in the end, he manages to reaffirm his importance in the Seaver household with the help of a man named Chris (Dick O'Neill). (Trivia alert: To keep the gender of the new Seaver baby a secret from the public, the series' producers filmed two different endings for this episode). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
It is said that the infamous Revolutionary War traitor Bendedict Arnold once stayed in a now-dilapidated Cabot Cove house. When the house's owner dies, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is named executor of the will. This proves to be a formidable task when rumors begin spreading that a valuable treasure--so valuable that someone is willing to commit murder--has been hidden somewhere in the house. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Christine (Markie Post) is miffed to learn that the Night Court staff has agreed to attend her anniversary party for Prince Charles and Princess Diana only because Harry (Harry Anderson) ordered them to. She much prefers the company of Bob (George DelHoyo), an affable fellow who is at the party on his own volition. Unfortunately, Bob turns out to be in the Federal Witness Protection Program--and the Mob has just caught up with him! The "best", however, is reserved for last, when a certain Prominent Person makes an unbilled--and unseen and unheard--cameo appearance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
In this melodramatic made-for-television romance, a Singapore financier falls in love with the daughter of a powerful smuggler. The film is a remake of a popular "B" movie from the '30s. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Boxleitner, Barbara Hershey, (more)
- 1986
In this drama, a formerly famous star returns from an insane asylum and tries to make a comeback. Despite the objections of her teen-age son, the woman embarks upon a risky romance with a dashing stranger. The story is based on a novel by James Kirkwood. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Harrison Ford delivers one of his most-acclaimed performances in Peter Weir's adaptation of Paul Theroux's novel (scripted by Paul Schrader). Ford plays Allie Fox, an inventor embittered by the blighted landscape of the contemporary United States. As he tells his oldest son, Charlie (River Phoenix), "Look around you. It's a toilet." He moves his wife (Helen Mirren) and kids -- Charlie, Jerry (Jadrien Steele), April (Hilary Gordon), and Clover (Rebecca Gordon) -- to the rain forests of Central America, where he plans to create a new civilization starting with his own nuclear family. Allie's family compliantly goes along with his scheme to build a free society, but slowly notices that his obsession has turned him into a tyrannical fascist. Rather than create a utopia, Allie's driving egomania demands total subservience from his downtrodden brood. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, (more)
This made-for-TV effort from horror director Wes Craven and Salem's Lot producer Richard Kobritz involves a case of cryogenic suspension gone horribly wrong. A wealthy industrialist (Michael Beck) arranges for his body to be kept on ice in a high-tech cryonic chamber with specialized instructions regarding his revival at a future date when medical science can restore him to life. Thanks to a computer malfunction, these instructions are not followed properly, and Beck emerges from the frozen crypt as an empty, soulless creature and a vessel of pure evil with an appetite for destruction. So evil, in fact, that his own mother (Beatrice Straight) decides he must be destroyed and sets out to do the deed herself. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Cliff's long-estranged father (Dick O'Neill) comes into Cheers with a vital message. Still seething over the fact that his dad abandoned him years earlier, Cliff (John Ratzenberger) refuses to identify himself. But the elder Clavin knows just the right buttons to push, and push them he does. Meanwhile, Sam (Ted Danson) tries to keep his new date from meeting Diane (Shelley Long). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
