James Olson Movies

Robert Conrad stars in One Police Plaza as a New York homicide detective. A case on which he's working, involving the murder of a beautiful woman, is ordered closed by Conrad's superiors. Refusing to give up, the detective probes deeper, and unearths a hotbed of crooked cops, dirty "brass" and illegal weapons. Made for television, One Police Plaza was initially telecast on November 29, 1986, easily outrating a Jack Paar "comeback" special. The film was based on the bestselling novel by William J. Caunitz. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A small Kansas town's preparations for its annual Fourth of July parade provide the backdrop of this drama that centers around the sudden turmoil experienced by three generations of women in a family when one of their husbands is released from a seven year sentence in prison and comes home looking for revenge. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

James Olson guest stars as "Reverend" Edward Danforth, a bombastic faith healer who descends upon Walnut Grove. So persuasive is Danforth's rhetoric and his laying-on-of-hands technique that soon both Rev. Alden (Dabbs Greer) and Doc Baker (Kevin Hagen) are shunned by the community as being hopelessly old-fashioned. But Danforth is exposed as a fraud when tragedy strikes in the home of a boy suffering from a ruptured appendix. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of a two-part story, the fate of the Galactica rests in the hands of an army of criminals and misfits, under the command of Apollo (Richard Hatch) and Starbuck (Dirk Benedict). This ragtag band must destroy the Cylon pulsar cannon mounted on the ice planet Arcta. Can they depend upon the help of a race of clone miners, who have as much reason to hate the Cylons as anyone in the universe -- but who may not be willing or able to fight? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This made-for-television thriller centers on a fat teenage girl who gets gruesome revenge upon her tormentors after she discovers that she has a special ability to cause terrible accidents with her mind. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Former Brady Bunch costar Maureen McCormick appears in the radically different guise in this episode as 16-year-old call girl Cindy Lawson. Stone (Karl Malden) and Robbins (Richard Hatch) are called in when several of Cindy's "johns" are methodically murdered. Only the audience knows that the murderer is Cindy's pathetically deranged father Vic Lawson (James Olson). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Man on the Outside was the pilot film for the weekly ABC TV series Griff. Lorne Greene stars as retired police captain Wade "Griff" Griffin, who is galvanized back into active duty when his police-officer son is murdered before his eyes, and his grandson is kidnapped by a mob functionary. None of the supporting cast of the subsequent series (Ben Murphy, Patricia Stich, Vic Tayback, et al.) was seen in this pilot episode; instead, future Jaws costar Lorraine Gary, cast as Griff's daughter-in-law, acted as his assistant. Curiously, Man on the Outside did not air until June 29, 1975, a full year and a half after the cancellation of Griff. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on a true story, The Family Nobody Wanted was one of the better ABC Movie of the Week entries of the 1970s. James Olson plays a minister whose main concern is society's outcasts, particularly the youngsters. With the loving help and support of his wife (Shirley Jones), the reverend takes in 12 unwanted children of various colors and creeds. Though it's very hard to find suitable lodging for all these kids, the couple provides a loving environment for their ersatz family. Adapted by Suzanne Clauser from a book by Helen Doss (who is portrayed in the film by Shirley Jones), The Family Nobody Wanted was first telecast February 19, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Betty Smith's best selling novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn inspired an Oscar-winning 1945 film, a play and a Broadway musical; this 1974 73-minute telefilm - a pilot for a weekly series drama -- represents the fourth incarnation. Cliff Robertson plays Johnny Nolan, a bibulous waiter living in turn-of-the-century Brooklyn. When Nolan dies, it is up to his widow Katie (Diane Baker) to carve out an existence for herself and her children Francie (Pamelyn Ferdin) and Neely (Michael James Wixted). Ultimately, Katie marries kindly Brooklyn cop McShane (James Olson). Nancy Malone costars as Katie's promiscuous sister Sissy. First telecast March 27, 1974, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn failed to generate high enough ratings for a regular series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Connie Stevens appears both with and without clothing in this made-for-TV a clef version of the Marilyn Monroe saga. The script, based on Alvah Bessie's novel The Symbol, contrives to have Stevens portray La Monroe in everything but name, right down to entering into a marriage with a famous sports figure (also given a fictitious name). ABC was threatened with legal action by several interested parties upon announcing plans to telecast Sex Symbol. The film was ultimately shown, albeit with several minutes of nudity and profanity trimmed (this was 1974, not 1994), though the missing footage was well documented in the press. The full "director's cut" version was shown theatrically in Europe, but has yet to be released on videotape. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A startled Ironside (Raymond Burr) is accosted by lawyer David Wills (James Olson), who claims to be suffering from amnesia. All Wills can recall from the last 72 hours is a fragmentary story of an unconscious man on a sinking boat. Racing against time, Ironside scours the streets and docks of San Francisco to find out which man, what boat--and where. But is Wills truly telling the Chief everything that he knows? Featured as the hapless attorney's wife is Lorraine Gary, two years shy of her film stardom vis-à-vis Jaws. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide