Bert Parks Movies
Former emcee and television game show host Bert Parks was an American icon during the 25 years he hosted the Miss America Pageant and is best remembered for his affability, ever-present smile, and for singing "There She Is, Miss America," at the end of every pageant. Parks got his start at age 19 when he began working on the New York-based "Eddie Cantor Show" on radio as a singer and straight man. From there, he became an announcer for CBS Radio and during the late '40s became the host of such radio quiz shows as "Break the Bank." When television became generally available, Parks took to hosting game shows during the day and night as well as hosting variety shows. He began his long stint with the annual beauty pageant in 1955 and continued in that position through 1980 when he was replaced by younger host Ron Ely. Audiences didn't much like the change and thanks to a letter writing campaign sponsored by Johnny Carson, Parks returned to Miss America in 1990 to sing his famous song. Audiences were pleased, but the producers weren't and he never returned to the pageant. In addition to emcee work, Parks has occasionally appeared as an actor on-stage and in 1975 appeared in the film That's the Way of the World. In 1990, he played himself in The Freshman. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1991
Dan is suffering the torments of the damned--not to mention several sleepless nights--because he has been misappropriating the funds for the Phil Foundation. When the late Phil Sanders (William Utay) and the un-late Bert Parks begin showing up in Dan's nightmares, it's obviously time for an epiphany...or is it? And back in the real world, Bull (Richard Moll) shows up wearing a new, ego-boosting toupee called "The Shatner 2000". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this farcical comedy, Matthew Broderick plays Clark Kellogg, an aspiring director who arrives in New York City to attend film school. However, moments after he arrives in the city, he's robbed by Victor Ray (Bruno Kirby), leaving him no money for the $700 in books required by his instructor, Arthur Fleeber (Paul Benedict). A few days later, Clark runs into Victor and demands his money back, but Victor has already lost it (on a horse race in which he wasn't entirely sure the animal he bet on was a horse). Instead, he offers to fix Clark up with a job with his boss, an "importer and exporter" named Carmone Sabatini (Marlon Brando), who bears a stunning resemblance to Don Corleone in The Godfather. Clark's adventures with Sabatini are just beginning when he's instructed to pick up a package from the airport. Clark is expecting it to be contraband, and he's right, but not in the way he figured -- it turns out he's accepting delivery of a komodo dragon, which is to be served at a "gourmet club" specializing in dishes prepared from endangered species. Marlon Brando's hilarious comic variation on one of his best-known roles is the highlight of this film, but Bruno Kirby and Paul Benedict also deliver fine comic turns, and Matthew Broderick copes nobly with his role as the film's lone normal person. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew Broderick, Marlon Brando, (more)
This cult favorite from director/producer Sig Shore featured the music of Earth, Wind and Fire and had a #1 soundtrack album, but went belly-up at the box-office. That's a shame, because what other film offers viewers Harvey Keitel as a record producer who skates at an all-black disco rink, Bert Parks as a child molester, and squeaky-clean singer Jimmy Boyd ("I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus") as a hardcase junkie? Other treats on hand include the manager of a Christian pop band threatening to stick an ice pick in Keitel's ear and appearances by noted disc jockeys Murray the K and Frankie Crocker. Amidst all of this insanity, Cynthia Bostick's female-lead turn as a Joplin-like junkie singer named Velour is lost. The film ends with a number of Earth, Wind and Fire songs, but by that point most viewers will be in bad-movie shellshock. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harvey Keitel, Ed Nelson, (more)
