LaWanda Page Movies

Hoping to impress his future grandson (Ed Crawford), Fred (Redd Foxx) weaves an incredible tale of his "heroic" exploits during WWII. Casting himself as the Patton-like "Major Fred G. Sanford," Fred concocts an unbelievable account based on every war movie cliché ever minted, culminating in a top-secret mission to sabotage a Nazi guided-missile plant. Naturally, Fred's contemporary cronies appear in his fabrications, among them "Lieutenant Lamont," "Fingers Rollo," and "Bubbaface Bexley." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Unable to pay his back rent, a tenant of the Sanford Arms leaves his sole possession as collateral. Unfortunately for Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx), that possession turns out to be an elephant. Hoping for a quick turnover, Fred stages a spectacular advertising gimmick, with the pesky pachyderm as the main attraction -- and before long our hero is facing a lawsuit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Reconciled to the romance between his son Lamont (Demond Wilson) and Janet Lawson (Marlene Clark), Fred (Redd Foxx) gives his blessing to the couple's engagement. Soon, however, he tries to revoke that blessing when he learns that Lamont and Janet don't intend to live with Fred after their marriage. Frank Nelson, the "Eeeeeyesss?" man of The Jack Benny Show fame, makes a cameo appearance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Beginning its fifth successful season on Friday, September 12, 1975, Sanford and Son was essentially the mixture as before with most of the familiar regulars firmly in place. His well-publicized contract disputes more or less receding into memory, Redd Foxx was back as cantankerous Watts junk dealer Fred Sanford, with Demond Wilson as his long-suffering son and reluctant business partner Lamont. Also returning were LaWanda Page as Fred's explosively prudish sister-in-law Aunt Esther, Lynn Hamilton as Fred's sometimes fiancée Donna Harris, Don Bexley and Nathaniel Taylor as family friends Bubba and Rollo, and Hal Williams and Howard Platt as police officers Smitty and Hoppy. Conspicuously absent from the fifth-season roster were three actors who had departed for other sitcoms: Gregory Sierra (Julio Fuentes), who had moved to Barney Miller; Pat Morita (Ah Chew), who had transferred to Happy Days; and, most notably, Whitman Mayo (Grady Wilson), now starring in his own spin-off series, Grady. However, despite his new leading-man workload, Mayo would continue to make token Sanford appearances as Grady, returning to the series on a more or less regular basis after Grady (the series) folded in the spring of 1976. Additions and emendations to the Sanford format included the arrival of Marlene Clark as Janet Lawson, a widowed mother with whom Lamont would fall in love, and Edward Crawford as Janet's young son Roger. Also, Fred and Lamont Sanford would try to amplify their income by managing a boarding house, the Sanford Arms, which introduced as steady stream of recurring characters -- and also set the stage for the ultimate conclusion of Sanford and Son at the end of 1977. That denouement was still part of the distant future by the conclusion of the series' sixth season, during which Sanford ranked as America's seventh most popular weekly series. Fans were particularly gratified that NBC chose to rerun selected episodes on Wednesday evenings from April to August 1976, under the title The Best of Sanford and Son. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Donna Harris (Lynn Hamilton) is tired of being the erstwhile fiancée of Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx). When Fred again balks at the thought of matrimony, Donna issues an ultimatum: Either Fred marries her immediately, or she'll accept the proposal of another man. Can it be that Fred's hesitancy is due to reverence for his late wife Elizabeth, or is he merely suffering from that common malady known as "cold feet"? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this opening episode of Sanford and Son's fifth season, a team of Russian scientists announce that a seismic fault runs smack in the middle of the Sanfords' house. A series of small earthquakes subsequently sets Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx) a-tremble in more ways than one. Certain he will meet his doom in the inevitable "Big One," Fred packs his bags and heads off to Las Vegas -- where, of course, he runs smack-dab into an aggregation of celebrities. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Splitting up with her husband, Woodrow (Raymond Allen), after a row, Aunt Esther (LaWanda Page) moves in with Fred and Lamont Sanford (Redd Foxx, Demond Wilson). Fred tolerates Esther's presence when he believes that she only intends to stay the night. But when it becomes clear that she plans to remain in the Sanford home for six months, the better to establish separate residency for a divorce, Fred schemes to bring Esther and Woodrow back together -- and out of his hair. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this spoof of the popular daytime giveaway show Let's Make a Deal, Fred Sanford (Redd Foxx) and his pals Grady (Whitman Mayo) and Bubba (Don Bexley) attend a taping of the TV game-fest "Wheel and Deal." Dressed respectively as a fairy, a gorilla, and a Viking, our three heroes rack up a number of impressive and expensive prizes -- at least until Fred decides to gamble it all on "What's behind Curtain Number Two." What happens next profoundly affects the outcome of Lamont's (Demond Wilson) birthday party. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season four of Sanford and Son was launched with an episode heralding the return of series star Redd Foxx (Fred Sanford), who'd been absent from several second-season episodes due to a contract dispute. In this opener, Fred's son Lamont (Demond Wilson) and best friend, Grady (Whitman Mayo), prepare a surprise party honoring Fred's return from a trip to St. Louis. Alas, Fred spoils the festivities by arriving home too early, whereupon the revellers, hoping to retain the element of surprise, pretend that they aren't planning anything -- which in turn leads Fred to believe that he's no longer wanted. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season four of Sanford and Son was ushered in on Friday, September 13, 1974, with wonderful news for longtime fans of the series: after a well-publicized volley of recriminations between star Redd Foxx and the series' producers over Foxx's numerous (and somewhat bizarre) contractual demands, the actor was back to stay in the role of irascible Los Angeles junk dealer Fred Sanford. Before long, it was "business as usual," with Fred ruling the roost over his backyard junk business and his long-suffering son Lamont seeking out better means of making a living. Likewise, Fred resumed his ongoing war of words with his Bible-quoting, purse-swinging sister-in-law Esther (LaWanda Page), and his hot-and-cold engagement to nurse Donna Harris (Lynn Hamilton). Having more or less replaced Fred as head of the Sanford household during the waning months of season three, Whitman Mayo was back as Fred's oldest friend Grady Wilson, though by the end of season four Mayo would himself temporarily exit the series to star in his own spin-off sitcom, the short-lived Grady. Other regulars returning to the Sanford fold during the 1974-1975 season were Hal Williams and Howard Platt as police officers Smitty and Hoppy, Don Bexley as Fred's shifty pal Bubba, Nathaniel Taylor as Lamont's crony Rollo, and Gregory Sierra as rival junk dealer Julio Fuentes. Only one character of significance joined the series during this season: Pat Morita as Japanese-American restauranteur Ah Chew. The return of Redd Foxx performed wonders for Sanford and Son's ratings. Ranked third among America's most popular series during season three, the program was restored to the coveted "Number Two" spot during season four. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Thanks to the generosity of Lamont (Demond Wilson), Grady (Whitman Mayo) must pay host to wimpy, whiny Uncle Woodrow (Raymond Allen), who has been kicked out of his own house by his wife, the redoubtable Aunt Esther (LaWanda Page). To get rid of Woodrow, Grady plies the man with booze and tells him to go back and "stand up" to his domineering spouse. As a consequence, Aunt Esther herself soon arrives at the Sanford home -- and she refuses to leave. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Fred (Redd Foxx) is taken aback when he is reunited with his college-coed niece Elizabeth (Tina Andrews). It seems that the girl has grown up to become the living image of her namesake, Fred's late wife. At first nervously avoiding the younger Elizabeth like the plague, Fred suddenly becomes a "surrogate father," obnoxiously interfering with the girl's private life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A reluctant Fred (Redd Foxx) accompanies his son Lamont (Demond Wilson) and Lamont's new girlfriend Sandra (Janee Michelle) on a visit to an art museum. Unexpectedly inspired by the splendor of a modern-architecture exhibit, Fred vows to raise the aesthetic level of his own neighborhood. The result is a brand-new "Watts Tower," constructed out of the junk in Fred's backyard. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide