Judy Pace Movies
African American actress Judy Pace made a formidable screen debut as a blonde bar pickup in Billy Wilder's The Fortune Cookie (1966). Pace's cinematic high point was her portrayal of street-smart Iris in Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970), for which she received many of the film's best reviews. She went on to play law student Pat Walters on the 1971 TV series The Young Lawyers. Her TV-movie credits include the role of Gale Sayers' wife Linda in Brian's Song (1969). Judy Pace was married to actor Don Mitchell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1975
Hoping to celebrate his 20th wedding anniversary in style, James (John Amos) borrows his friend's hideaway cabin. Unfortunately, upon arriving in the cabin, Florida (Esther Rolle) is too worried about her kids back in Chicago to relax and enjoy herself. Equally unfortunate is the fact that Florida's vexations are only one of the many interruptions and frustrations which plague the anniversary couple's "getaway" weekend. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
After murdering the son of a retired hit man known as The Angel, ex-con Al Williams (William Elliott) leaves his own son (Jarrod Johnson) in the care of Chief Ironside (Raymond Burr). At first, the Chief is unaware of the child's identity, but a bit of adroit detective work reveals all. Now Ironside must search the length and breadth of San Francisco to locate Williams before "The Angel" wreaks his own brand of vengeance. Radio deejay Casey Kasem appears as a lab technician. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
To get out of proposing to his new girlfriend Judy (Judy Pace), Lamont (Demond Wilson) claims that he needs permission from his father to wed -- and, fortunately, his father is out of town. Undaunted, Judy makes a beeline to Lamont's godfather Grady (Whitman Mayo), cozying up to him so he will grant his consent. As a result, Grady is convinced that Judy has fallen in love with him! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Demond Wilson, Whitman Mayo, (more)
- 1972
This is a remake of The Asphalt Jungle with an all black cast. In it a paroled convict plans to steal $3 million work of jewels, sell them, and use the bread to start a bank to back black businesses. He is assisted by two pals, his half-brother, and a preacher who also works as a thief. The operation is ultimately backed by a man who cheats on his wheelchair-bound wife with a sexy woman. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
The slimy denizens of the Everglades organize a particularly nasty rebellion in this enjoyable entry from the "nature-run-amok" horror subgenre which favored drive-in venues of the mid-'70s. The story takes place amid the festivities honoring the birthday of crotchety, wheelchair-bound Southern patriarch Jason Crockett (Ray Milland), a chemical-industry magnate whose pesticides are responsible for much of the toxic pollution found in the swamplands. The revelry ends quickly, however, when thousands of local fauna decide to crash the party. Under the apparent telepathic guidance of the less-than-menacing swamp bullfrogs, armies of snakes, insects, and snapping turtles tear their way through the cast. Competent direction, great use of swampland ambience, and spooky sound effects help provide a suitably large dose of the creepy-crawlies. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Milland, Sam Elliott, (more)
One of the best known and most enthusiastically reviewed made for television films of the 1970's, this drama was based on the true story of football greats Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo. Sayers (Billy Dee Williams) and Piccolo (James Caan) both joined the Chicago Bears the same year, and while it was obvious from the start Sayers had the talent and drive to be a great player, Piccolo seemed destined to be an also-ran on the team. However, Sayers and Piccolo struck up a friendship which brought out the best in both players, and coach George Halas (Jack Warden) chose them for a special assignment -- they became the first interracial roommates in the history of the NFL. When Sayers suffered a knee injury that threatened to end his career, Piccolo took it upon himself to help his friend through rehabilitation so he could rejoin the team. But when Piccolo began having heath problems, it was a problem too great for Sayers to handle -- his close friend had developed cancer. Adapted from Sayers' autobiography I Am Third, Brian's Song also features Chicago Bears legend Dick Butkus as himself. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Caan, Billy Dee Williams, (more)
- 1970
A light, almost beach-party atmosphere pervades this comedy, based on The Late Boy Wonder, a novel by Angus Hall. Larry Hagman plays a college president with political aspirations who flunks out a college student (Wes Stern) and then has the temerity to save the boy from committing suicide. In revenge, the boy decides to bed the three women most important to the nefarious college head, including his wife (Joan Collins). Though he is a real bumbler, somehow he succeeds in wooing the man's wife, daughter, and secretary. This is one place where two of the more successful stars of America's night-time soap operas from the 1980s (Dallas and Dynasty) can be seen working together. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Collins, Larry Hagman, (more)
Ossie Davis makes his directorial debut a smashing success in the trend-setting action crime comedy Cotton Comes To Harlem. Coffin Ed (Raymond St. Jacques) and Grave Digger Jones (Godfrey Cambridge), two plainclothesmen on the Harlem detail, are assigned to investigate the goings-on of suspicious local preacher Deke O'Malley (Calvin Lockhart), whose "Back to Africa" political movement turns out to be a scam to bilk the community of their hard-earned cash, with the scam-money hidden in a bale of cotton. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Godfrey Cambridge, Raymond St. Jacques, (more)
- 1968
A modern Don Juan pays the price when he "two-times" three different women. Paxton Quigley (Christopher Jones) is the campus Casanova who sleeps with Caucasian coed Tobey (Yvette Mimieux), the black beauty Eulice (Judy Pace) and the Jewish hippie girl Jane (Maggie Thrett). The three women discover the extra curricular activities of the man, and they seek revenge by locking Paxton in a attic where they feed him steak and try to kill him with sex. Soon Paxton goes on a hunger strike as the viewer is left to wonder whether or not a man's ultimate sexual fantasy can lead to his downfall -- or even death. What a way to go. Chad and Jeremy provide the music, which includes the title track in this feature plagued by lines like "Is it possible for a woman to be Jewish and psychedelic at the same time?" ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yvette Mimieux, Christopher Jones, (more)
Thomas Crown (Steve McQueen) is a self-made Boston millionaire who masterminds a bank heist in hopes of leaving it all behind. Tired of being part of the Establishment, he has hopes of pulling off the caper and flying to Rio. Erwin Weaver (Jack Weston) leads the cast of crooks who never actually meet Crown but manage to pull off the robbery without a hitch. Crown deposits 3 million in a Swiss bank account, pays off the crooks, and waits for the insurance company to repay the bank for the loss. Eddy Malone (Paul Burke) is the savvy detective who helps insurance investigator Vicky Anderson (Faye Dunaway) find the mastermind behind the heist. Thomas Crown Affair became one of the first films to employ many split-screen images throughout its running time, as devised by editor Hal Ashby. Michel Legrand's score was nominated for an Academy Award, and the song The Windmills Of Your Mind, written by Legrand with Alan and Marilyn Bergman took home the coveted Oscar. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway, (more)
- 1967
In this first episode of I Dream of Jeannie's third season, soft-hearted Jeannie (Barbara Eden) feels sorry for the chimpanzee who is slated to go on a NASA moon shot. To save the simian from this fate, Jeannie transforms him into a human being (hilariously portrayed by Larry Storch). Unfortunately, the spell backfires on Tony (Larry Hagman), who is turned into a chimp and slated to take the moon trip in the real monkey's stead. (Reportedly, the decision to name the chimp "Sam" was a deliberate slam against I Dream of Jeannie's rival "magical" sitcom Bewitched, which of course starred a beautiful witch named Samantha). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
In the first installment of a two-part story, Robert Strauss is cast as Charlie Leach, a sleazy private detective. Hired by one of Darrin's clients to do a background check on Samantha, Charlie discovers that Sam is really a witch. But instead of reporting to his boss, Charlie makes a beeline to Sam, threatening to tell all if she doesn't pay him off. Written by Bernard Slade, part one of "Follow That Witch" was originally telecast on April 14, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, (more)
The British title of Billy Wilder's classic comedy was Meet Whiplash Willie -- for, despite Jack Lemmon's star billing, the movie's driving force is Oscar-winning Walter Matthau as gloriously underhanded lawyer "Whiplash" Willie Gingrich. CBS cameraman Harry Hinkle (Lemmon) is injured when he is accidentally bulldozed by football player Luther "Boom Boom" Jackson (Ron Rich) during a Cleveland Browns game. Willie, Harry's brother-in-law, foresees an insurance-settlement bonanza, and he convinces Harry to pretend to be incapacitated by the accident. To insure his client's cooperation, Willie arranges for Harry's covetous ex-wife Sandy (Judi West) to feign a rekindling of their romance. Harry's conscience is plagued by the solicitous behavior of Boom Boom, who is so devastated at causing Harry's injury that he insists on waiting on the "cripple" hand and foot. Meanwhile, dishevelled private eye Purkey (Cliff Osmond) keeps Harry under constant surveillance, hoping to catch him moving around so the insurance company can avoid shelling out a fortune. Wilder and usual co-writer I.A.L. Diamond were at their most jaundiced and cynical here, even if, after a sardonic semiclimax, the last ten minutes succumb to the sentimentality that often marred Wilder's later movies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, (more)
- 1963
An international bevy of beautiful teenage girls represent their countries as the daughters of diplomats. The teenage temptresses use their feminine wiles to steal some top-secret files vital to the survival of freedom-loving nations everywhere. Produced and directed by William Castle, the drawbridge of the film's plot falls between suspense and comedy and ends up mired in a moat of demeaning international caricatures. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Murray Hamilton, Joyce Taylor, (more)
