Brock Peters Movies

Independent filmmaker James Slocum directs the romantic drama The Last Place on Earth, filmed in the Sierra Nevada mountain region of Northern California. Dana Ashbrook plays Rob Baskin, a businessman who travels to Lake Tahoe in order to spread the ashes of his late mother (Phyllis Diller). Along the way, he meets Ann Field (Tisha Campbell-Martin), a woman who's dying of a terminal illness. Featuring appearances by Billy Dee Williams and Mink Stole, The Last Place on Earth won several cinematography awards at the Marco Island Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

In the 1920s, the rights of American workers to join a labor union was still considered an open question, and African-Americans were routinely denied their civil and economic rights. So in 1925, when journalist and political activist Asa Philip Randolph and railway car porter Ashley Totten formed the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, it was a bold gesture which proved to have a major impact in both labor and race relations in America. 10,000 Black Men Named George is a made-for-cable feature which dramatizes the struggle of Randolph (played by Andre Braugher) and Totten (Mario Van Peebles) to organize railway porters -- a demanding and sometimes dangerous job which was held almost exclusively by black men, who were paid low wages for demanding hours -- against the staunch opposition of Barton Davis (Kenneth McGreggor), head of the Pullman railway company and a fierce opponent of both unionization and civil rights initiatives. 10,000 Black Men Named George (the title refers to the fact Pullman porters were often called "George" by white passengers, which was considered a racial slur) also features Charles S. Dutton as Milton Webster, a veteran porter who joined the fight to organize; Carla Brothers as Lucille Randolph, Asa's wife who would play a major role in the early years of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters; and Brock Peters as Leon Frey, an early member of the who would in time betray their cause. Directed by Robert Townsend, the film was produced for the Showtime premium cable network, where it first aired on February 24, 2002. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Adapted from the bestselling novel by Richard Paul Evans, the made-for-TV The Locket stars Vanessa Redgrave as Esther Huish, an elderly, embittered resident of a nursing home. Into Esther's life comes young attendant Michael Keddington (Chad Willett), who like Esther has been forced to live a life of self-sacrifice and shattered dreams. Ever since his father deserted the family, Michael has cared for his ailing mother, putting his chances for college on what seems to be permanent hold. Now that his mother is dead, Michael is facing another crisis over which he has no control: The domineering father of Michael's fiancée has refused to bless the approaching wedding. Even so, Michael makes it his mission in life to make Esther's final years as comfortable and rewarding as possible; thus, he dedicates himself to locating Esther's long-lost love, using only a faded picture in a locket as his guide. As it turns out, it is Esther who "saves" Michael when the young man is accused of murdering another nursing-home resident. A CBS "Hallmark Hall of Fame" presentation, The Locket first aired on December 8, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Quest team journeys to Cameroon, there to help harvest a medically beneficial sap from trees that are being threatened with extinction by an insensitive logging company. Before long, the plundering loggers are being menaced by an invisible but undeniably ferocious monster. Dr. Quest cannot help but feel that there is more to the pro-eco beast than meets the eye. Boasting an impressive cast of African-American voice actors, "Dark Sentinel" originally aired on February 10, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In Tanzania, Quest team members Jonny, Jessie, and Hadji receive a summons from "beyond" to protect a pachyderm named Ndovu as it makes its final journey to the elephant's graveyard. En route, our heroes run afoul of poachers who intend to rob the sacred burial site of its rich ivory deposits. Parent alert: There are several deaths in this episode, though the actual violence is held to a minimum. "Ndovu's Last Journey" was first telecast on August 30, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Picking up where the previous week's "Homefront" left off, this episode finds Sisko and Odo still in San Francisco, still preparing Earth for war against the dominion. The instigators of the hostilities appear to be a band of Changeling infiltrators. But upon further investigation, Sisko comes to the sobering conclusion that the real enemy may be a subversive faction within Starfleet itself. The pivotal character in this drama is Admiral Leyton (Robert Foxworth). First telecast January 8, 1996, "Paradise Lost" was written by Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe from a story by Ronald D. Moore. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In Secret, a Cape Cod businessman (Kirk Douglas) plans to run for political office until his grandson's battle with dyslexia force him to acknowledge that he suffers from the same disorder. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

A highly principled African-American independent filmmaker hides his early profession because his films never became popular. This Wonderworks drama chronicles what happens when the former filmmaker's niece finds his old films in a trunk and then begins researching her uncle's contributions. She then helps teach him to become proud of his refusal to make films that exploited his actors. The girl also learns the value of working on a team. The video comes with a handy viewer's guide to promote discussion after the film. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Based on a true story, this is the tale of three women who join forces to get revenge on the handsome con man whose investment scheme cost them thousands of dollars. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi

The superb, utterly convincing special effects in the two-part TV movie The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake cannot be faulted. Less convincing are the scenes in which the fictional TV reporters, demoralized and in tears, can't bring themselves to describe the extent of the destruction. Part One, telecast November 11, 1990, finds seismologist Joanna Kerns trying in vain to convince authorities that the entire LA basin will be shake-and-bake within a few days. This portion of the drama ends with "The Big One" wreaking havoc throughout Lala-land. Part Two, broadcast November 12, concerns itself with the aftermath, the rescues, the tragedies, and above all the effect the natural disaster has on Kerns and her friends and family. Also appearing in The Big One is Ed Begley Jr. as the one political official willing to listen to Kerns' warnings, and Richard Masur as one of those "I can't bear it!" TV journalists. The video version titled The Great Los Angeles Earthquake runs 106 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

There were those in 1989 who bellyached that Disney Television's Polly was a far from faithful adaptation of Eleanor Porter's classic novel Pollyanna. What they meant was that Polly did not resemble the 1960 Hayley Mills movie version of Pollyanna, which itself played fast and loose with the source material. In Polly, The Cosby Show's Keshia Knight Pulliam portrays the "Glad Girl" who brings along a satchelful of happiness and optimism when she visits her wealthy aunt one summer. Tranposing Porter's all-white story to a middle-class black community in the Alabama of the 1950s (Celeste Holm is the only white costar) isn't nearly as self-conscious or gimmicky as it seems on paper. Nor is any damage done to the original by adding musical numbers, especially when taking into consideration that the film was directed by renowned choreographer Debbie Allen (the sister of Phylicia Rashad, who plays Polly's aunt--and who in 1989 was costarring with Keshia Knight Pulliam on a weekly basis on The Cosby Show). Polly scored a boffo ratings hit, prompting Disney TV to assemble a 1990 sequel, Polly: Comin' Home! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi