Bernadette Peters Movies
American actress Bernadette Peters was a five-year-old performer on Horn and Hardart's kiddie-talent radio program, and by age 11 was appearing on Broadway in Most Happy Fella. Peters achieved national fame in 1968 with her campy performance as Ruby, the 1930s-style chorus girl protagonist of the off-Broadway musical pastiche Dames at Sea. The role demonstrated only one aspect of her talents, but nonetheless threatened to typecast her as a squeaky-voiced dumb blonde. Bernadette scuttled that stereotype herself as leading lady in the 1969 Joel Grey musical George M. The following year she played Mabel Normand opposite Robert Preston's Mack Sennett in the musical comedy Mack and Mabel, which, though a failure, has become a staple of community theatres. (The amateur Mabels have an ongoing tendency to imitate Bernadette Peters). In 1976, Peters costarred with Richard Crenna on All's Fair, a Norman Lear TV sitcom that showed neither star to best advantage. Reluctant to leave her native New York City, Peters has nonetheless occasionally travelled to Hollywood for an off-and-on movie career. Hilarious as a babaloo-ing cabaret entertainer in Silent Movie (1976), the actress was even better as the long-suffering wife of goony Steve Martin in The Jerk (1977). She was reunited with Martin in Pennies From Heaven (1981), an uneven but fascinating attempt to juxtapose the fanatasies of 1930s popular music with the grim realities of Depression life. Offscreen, her relationship with Martin was intensely romantic for several years. Feeling unfulfilled in Hollywood, Bernadette Peters returned to Broadway in the mid 1980s, reclaiming her Dames at Sea prominence tenfold in such musicals as Sunday in the Park With George, Song and Dance, and Into the Woods, nearly unrecognizable in the latter in her heavy makeup as the wizened witch of "Hansel and Gretel" fame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Director Dan Ireland adapts writer Robert Bazell's autobiographical novel Her-2 to the screen with this made-for-Lifetime drama concerning UCLA oncologist and researcher Dr. Dennis Slamon, creator of the promising breast cancer drug Herceptin. Convinced that his revolutionary drug could effectively switch off cancer cells for women with tumors of the Her-2+ (Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2-positive) without radiation treatment, Dr. Slamon raised funds for his research with the help of Ron Perelman, Lilly Tartikoff, and the extended Revlon family. Later, as Dr. Slamon attempted to cut through the bureaucratic red tape and get his drug approved, a number of brave patients who had volunteered for the clinical tests of Herceptin sadly succumbed to their cancer. But all hope wasn't lost, because in 1998 the FDA finally approved the use of Herceptin to treat breast cancer, giving hope to millions of women and their families across the country. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harry Connick, Jr., Bernadette Peters, (more)
- 2003
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Littlefoot the Dinosaur sets out on a spectacular journey and makes a very unexpected discovery in this, the tenth film in the Land Before Time series. Youthful brontosaurus Littlefoot (voice of Alec Medlock) has a vivid dream in which he imagines travelling to a far-away land where there are many of his kind, and when he tells the story to his grandparents (voices of Kenneth Mars and Mariam Flynn), they take it as a sign to set out and find this mysterious place. After days of travel, Littlefoot and his family do, indeed, discover a new world where longneck dinosaurs are plentiful, including one they never expected to see -- Bron (voice of Kiefer Sutherland), Littlefoot's father, who went missing before he was born. While Littlefoot is thrilled to be reunited with his father, now he must choose if he should stay with Bron, or the grandparents who have cared for him for years. The Land Before Time X: The Great Longneck Migration also features the voice talents of James Garner and Bernadette Peters; Olivia Newton-John sings the theme song. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2001
In the tradition of the theatrical film Sliding Doors, this episode of Frasier offers two alternatives to a single twist of fate for both Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Niles (David Hyde Pierce). In Frasier's case, we are given the opportunity to see what will happen to him if he decides to go out on Valentine's Day -- and what will happen if he stays at home (and taking things a step farther, we see two different methods of courtship involving Frasier and a cute but klutzy artist [Charlotte Ross]). Meanwhile, a similar "either-or" situation is played out for Niles and Daphne (Jane Leeves), who may or may not go on a Hawaiian vacation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
This live recording of Cameron Mackintosh's extravagant and ambitious revue features all the brightest stars of the musical stage. Hailed by critics and fans during its 1998 run at the Lyceum Theatre of London, the show includes old classics and new favorites by Sondheim, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Julian Slade, Lerner and Loewe, Cole Porter, Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil, Stephen Swartz, and Louis Jordan. Performers include Jonathan Pryce, Julie Andrews, Michael Ball, Bernadette Peters, Elaine Paige, Judi Dench, Colm Wilkinson, Hal Fowler, Brian Blessed, David Campbell, Lea Salonga, and Hugh Jackman. ~ Sarah Welsh, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Musical theater stalwart Bernadette Peters performs over two-dozen songs on this concert film. Included during the performance are renditions of "We're In the Money," "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight," "The Way You Look Tonight," and "I'll Be Seeing You." The DVD release of the concert contains a full biography for the performer. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bernadette Peters
- 1997
- Add Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella to QueueAdd Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella to top of Queue
Seen on ABC's Wonderful World of Disney, this $12-million production is the only musical Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote for television. The CBS-TV original, with 21-year-old Julie Andrews in the title role and Edie Adams as the Fairy Godmother, played on live television March 31, 1957 to TV's largest audience ever to that date (107-million viewers). That historic production, captured on kinescope, can still be seen today on library monitors at the Museum of Television & Radio in New York and Los Angeles. Hammerstein died in 1960 and did not get to see 18-year-old Lesley Ann Warren as Cinderella in the February 22, 1965 restaged production, repeated annually on CBS until 1977 and later made available on videotape from CBS/Fox Video and Facets Multimedia. Added to the 1965 show was "Loneliness of Evening", a song actually written for South Pacific but cut before the Broadway opening.
Running a half-hour longer, this third interpretation premiered November 2, 1997. Filmed over a 28-day period, it stars Brandy Norwood as Cinderella and Whitney Houston as the Fairy Godmother, with Bernadette Peters as the Stepmother, Whoopi Goldberg as the Queen (wearing $60 million worth of borrowed Harry Winston jewelry), Paolo Montalban as the Prince, and Jason Alexander as the Prince's steward, Lionel. Scripter Robert L. Freedman provided a rewrite of the original Oscar Hammerstein book, and three other Richard Rodgers songs were added to the existing score: "There's Music in You" (from the 1953 movie musical Main Street to Broadway), "The Sweetest Sounds" (a Brandy/Montalban duet), and "Falling in Love with Love". Originally set in motion as a follow-up to the highly successful TV Gypsy (1993) with Bette Midler, this 1997 multicultural version (sometimes referred to as the "rainbow Cinderella") was years in the making, since it was initiated in 1994 when Houston joined executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (the team responsible for the TV Gypsy). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
Running a half-hour longer, this third interpretation premiered November 2, 1997. Filmed over a 28-day period, it stars Brandy Norwood as Cinderella and Whitney Houston as the Fairy Godmother, with Bernadette Peters as the Stepmother, Whoopi Goldberg as the Queen (wearing $60 million worth of borrowed Harry Winston jewelry), Paolo Montalban as the Prince, and Jason Alexander as the Prince's steward, Lionel. Scripter Robert L. Freedman provided a rewrite of the original Oscar Hammerstein book, and three other Richard Rodgers songs were added to the existing score: "There's Music in You" (from the 1953 movie musical Main Street to Broadway), "The Sweetest Sounds" (a Brandy/Montalban duet), and "Falling in Love with Love". Originally set in motion as a follow-up to the highly successful TV Gypsy (1993) with Bette Midler, this 1997 multicultural version (sometimes referred to as the "rainbow Cinderella") was years in the making, since it was initiated in 1994 when Houston joined executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (the team responsible for the TV Gypsy). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whitney Houston, Brandy, (more)
Utilizing an exceptional international all-star cast and excellent special effects, Hallmark entertainment and American Zoetrope productions created this fun-filled adaptation of Homer's most-famous epic poem. It was originally broadcast as a four-hour miniseries on the NBC network. The story faithfully chronicles the many adventures of sailor Odysseus (Armand Assante), his colorful crew as they encounter a variety of mythical figures, including Odysseus's spiritual guide Athena (Isabella Rossellini), the seductive Calypso (Vanessa Williams) and the treacherous Eurymachus (Eric Roberts). Highlights include the Trojan Horse (made to original scale and filmed on location in the ruins of Troy) sequence. Much of the miniseries was filmed in Europe and on the Mediterranean, making it a feast for the eye. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Armand Assante, Greta Scacchi, (more)
- 1997
Country-western singer LeAnn Rimes plays herself in this made-for-TV adaptation of her autobiographical novel. The film charts LeAnn's Nashville childhood, her rise to fame on the nightclub and honky-tonk circuit, and the fulfillment of her lifelong dream: To sing at the Grand Ole Opry. Alas, on the eve of this triumph, LeAnn is forced to make a difficult decision: Should she perform at the Opry as scheduled, or should she remain at the bedside of her dying grandmother? It is up to legendary country vocalist Faith Shawn (Bernadette Peters to help LeAnn sort out this troublesome dilemma. Naturally, LeAnn Rimes does a lot of singing, including an unforgettable duet with Bernadette Peters. Also known as The LeAnn Rimes Story, Holiday in Your Heart first aired December 14, 1997, on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
As season three of The Larry Sanders Show begins, it appears as if Larry (Garry Shandling) has followed through on his promise to quit the show and move to Montana. Just as Larry has taken up life in a cabin by the river and begins settling into life as a miserable recluse, Artie (Rip Torn) appears at his doorstep to inform the former host that the network is suing Larry for breach of contract. Secretly eager to jump back into show business, Larry secretly hires back the entire staff against Artie's pleas to take things slowly. Though the network owner insists that he doesn't want Larry back on the air, an impromptu lie by Artie buys Larry a second chance. Guest stars include David Warner, Shashawnee Hall, Robin Williams, and Bernadette Peters. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1992
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Originally recorded in 1992, this star-studded evening was dedicated to the compositions of Stephen Sondheim and includes both new and classic renditions of traditional Sondheim favorites. Among the featured tunes are a medley of "Our Time" and "Children Will Listen" as performed by the Boy's Choir of Harlem, "Broadway Baby" with Daisy Eagan, as well as Harolyn Blackwell's interpretation of "Green Finch and Linnet Bird," and much more. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Terminally ill Bernadette Peters develops a deep friendship with psychologist Mary Tyler Moore in this drama. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1990
The Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker story was a "natural" for TV-movie adaptation, and Fall From Grace more than fills the bill. Bernadette Peters heaps on makeup by the trowel as Tammy Faye, the wife of televangelist Jim Bakker (here played with boyish fanaticism by Kevin Spacey). The Bakkers build up their "PTL" organization ("Praise the Lord") into a massive empire encompassing millions of dollars in donations, a cable-TV network, valuable land holdings and a garish religious theme park, Heritage USA. A North Carolina newspaper rocks the boat by investigating inequities in the Bakkers' financial setup. The whole enterprise falls apart when it's discovered that Jim has siphoned off funds to cover up an extramarital affair. Telecast in the spring of 1990 to coincide with the beginning of Jim Bakker's long, long prison sentence, Fall From Grace tries to be fair...for at least fifteen minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Originally broadcast as part of the American Playhouse series on PBS, this video captures a performance by the original cast of the popular Broadway musical. With songs and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine, who also directed the stage production, Into the Woods humorously combines a number of classic fairy tales into one over-arching narrative. A baker and his wife are assigned a number of tasks by a nearby witch; only after completing these duties will they be able to give birth. During their quest to fulfill the witches' demands, they encounter Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and numerous other fairy tale figures. The traditional stories are parodied and altered at will, yet the original fairy tales' sense of wonder and, at times, darkness remains intact. The score, winner of Broadway's Tony Award, includes such songs as Children Will Listen, Giants in the Sky, and No One Is Alone. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- 1988
In this above-average made-for-television drama, Bernadette Peters stars as a mother facing the greatest challenge of her life. Based a true story, Matthew Lawrence stars as David Rothenberg, a six year-old who was viciously set on fire by his jealous father. Severely burned and disfigured, David courageously clung to life despite the odds against him. Determined to see her son through the ordeal, the film shows how his mother Marie (Peters) tirelessly worked to help nurse him back to life. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
James Lapine directed this television adaptation of his acclaimed musical, which he created in collaboration with the great composer Stephen Sondheim. In the first act, artist Georges Seurat (Mandy Patinkin) is working on his latest painting with the woman he loves, Dot (Bernadette Peters), posing for him. The work is to become the impressionist masterpiece Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grande Jatte, and along with Dot, Georges interacts with the various people who happen through the park and become characters in his painting. In act two, Seurat's great grandson George (also played by Patinkin) and his grandmother Marie (also played by Peters) return to the place where Seurat had created his masterpiece 100 years earlier. George, a sculptor, is in dire need of inspiration, and the visit leads both him and Marie to ponder their ideas of what is art, and what is life. This performance of Sunday in the Park with George also features Charles Kimbrough, Barbara Byrne, and Brent Spiner (the latter before he gained fame as Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, (more)
- 1983
- Add Faerie Tale Theatre: Sleeping Beauty to QueueAdd Faerie Tale Theatre: Sleeping Beauty to top of Queue
Based on the beloved fairy tale, this installment of Shelley Duvall's "Faerie Tale Theatre" tells the well-known tale of a beautiful princess (Bernadette Peters) who is enchanted by an evil fairy and doomed to an eternal sleep unless she receives the kiss of a prince (Christopher Reeve). ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1981
This home video release captures singer and actress Bernadette Peters performing live at Edmonton's Jubilee Auditorium in 1981. Songs include "Broadway Baby" and "Thank You For Being A Friend." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1981
This 1981 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Bernadette Peters and features musical guests Billy Joel and the Go-Go's. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bernadette Peters, Billy Joel, (more)
Everyone who tuned into The Martian Chronicles during its three-day run in January of 1980 sincerely hoped that it would be the ne plus ultra of televised sci-fi/fantasy. That it fell short of this goal was not the fault of the actors but of the script, which reduced Ray Bradbury's complex original work into typical TV-movie banality. Further hurting the project were the special effects, which fluctuate between the heights of the original Star Trek and the depth of Lost in Space. All there parts of The Martian Chronicles have been amalgamated into one overlong feature film on videocassette.
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rock Hudson
- 1978
Dennis Weaver plays a retired mainland lawyer who becomes a hotel owner in Honolulu. Despite his most strenuous efforts, Weaver can't resist playing detective from time to time. You're absolutely right: The Islander was the pilot for an unsold TV series. Weaver's first and last case involves a runaway grand-jury witness, a mobster, and a senator suspected of murder. The mobster is played by Sheldon Leonard, as ideally suited for his role as Robert Vaughn is perfect in the part of the senator. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
Bernadette Peters guest stars as Linda Galloway, a sexy college student in need of special tutoring. Since Linda is one of Mike's students, he takes on the task of getting her through the finals. But Mike is not quite prepared for the fact that Linda finds him to be a very attractive man -- nor does this fact escape the notice of a jealous Gloria. The script, by Lou Derman and Milt Josefsberg, is so adroitly constructed that for a few moments, even the audience is convinced that Mike will plunge headlong into infidelity. "Gloria Suspects Mike" originally aired on November 17, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
Produced and directed by Glenn Jordan, this 1971 made-for-television movie features a performance of Clifford Odets' depression-era drama, Paradise Lost. Starring Eli Wallach, the play is a character study focusing on the lives of Leo and Clara Gordon, a middle-class husband and wife living in 1932 America. Also starring Bernadette Peters, Fred Gwynne, and Jo Van Fleet, the program was released as part of Kultur's Broadway Theatre Archive series. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
