Valerie Bertinelli Movies
During her nine-year (1975-1984) tenure as Barbara Cooper on TV's One Day at a Time, Valerie Bertinelli grew from a chubby, awkward 15-year-old with only a smattering of bit-part credits into a polished actress and bona fide sex symbol. When Bertinelli "married" her One Day co-star Boyd Gaines in a 1982 episode, the ratings went through the roof, while many a male viewer's heart sank. One year earlier, Bertinelli had been a bride for real; her marriage to rock star Eddie Van Halen was kept under wraps by the series' producers for fear of damaging the actress' "Little Miss Perfect" image. Bertinelli's son by Van Halen was named Wolfgang, as in Mozart. While still a One Day regular, Bertinelli made the first of many TV-movie starring appearances in 1979's Young Love, First Love; later small-screen projects -- most of them packaged by Bertinelli's own production company, Bertinelli Inc. -- included The Princess and the Cabbie (1981), I Was a Mail Order Bride (1982), Shattered Vows (1984), The Seduction of Gina (1984), Silent Witness (1985), and Pancho Barnes (1988). Conversely, her theatrical-feature credits are limited, consisting only of C.H.O.M.P.S. (1979) and Ordinary Heroes (1985). In the years since One Day at a Time, Valerie Bertinelli has starred in two short-lived TV series, Sydney (1990) and Café Americain (1993). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
In this made-for-TV movie, a young girl (Valerie Bertinelli) is stuck in a dilemma when her insistent boyfriend wants to have sex, and she isn't sure whether she should give in or hold out. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
Brian Foster (Wesley Eure) is a young inventor who creates a mechanical dog as part of a home protection system. When he falls out of favor with his boss Ralph Norton (Conrad Bain), the boss' pretty daughter Casey (Valerie Bertinelli) uses her pull to save the company and Brian's job. Mr. Gibbs (Jim Backus) is the rival company president who covets the mechanical mutt. He sends double agent Ken Sharp (Larry Bishop) to do his bidding, and Ken in turn hires a pair of bumbling crooks (Red Buttons), (Chuck McCann) to steal the dog. The real star of this family-oriented comedy is the mechanical dog Chomps. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wesley Eure, Valerie Bertinelli, (more)
In this drama, a young woman gives up college and marries her boyfriend, a Marine. Unfortunately, he is killed in Vietnam. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1981
In this touching drama, an heiress with dyslexia is assisted by a self-taught taxi driver. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1982
Determined to prove that the men who answer advertisements for mail-order brides are nothing more than jerks and lechers, Chicago magazine writer Kate Tosconi (Valerie Bertinelli) places a typical "object matrimony" ad and awaits the inevitable drooling replies. Meanwhile, L.A. lawyer Robert Fitzgerald (Ted Wass) has bet his practical-joking friends that if he were to answer such an ad, he could easily remain celibate for two weeks after meeting his "bride." Anyone who can't guess what happens next should be drummed out of the TV room in shame. A fascinating example of what passed for "feminism" and "male compassion" back in the early '80s, the made-for-TV I Was a Mail Order Bride was first broadcast by CBS on December 14, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
The made-for-TV Shattered Vows stars Valerie Bertinelli as a young nun named Mary Gilligan. Though she tries to honor the edicts of her calling, Mary falls in love with a handsome priest (David Morse). Her overwhelming desire to marry and raise a family culminates in her leaving her order before taking final vows. The real-life Mary Gilligan Wong eventually became a clinical psychologist. Her autobiography Nun: A Memoir served as the basis for Shattered Vows, which first aired October 29, 1984 ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
The title of The Seduction of Gina is the most tawdry of come-ons: this TV movie was better served (though perhaps not as attractive to the casual viewer) under its original title, Another High Roller. Gina (Valerie Bertinelli), married to a feckless intern, is shy and withdrawn. Upon receiving a $30,000 inheritance, Gina decides to vacation in Tahoe. While at the casino's gaming tables, Gina finds she really enjoys gambling. As the evenings wear on, she also discovers that she can't stop; she has been "seduced" by the gambling bug. In keeping with the film's steamy title, Seduction of Gina was advertised with the full-page image of Valerie Bertinelli in the arms of Michael Brandon, who plays the casino's lawyer (and Gina's erstwhile lover). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Valerie Bertinelli, Michael Brandon, (more)
- 1984
Robert Carradine portrays Aladdin, the foolish boy who finds himself at odds with an evil magician (Leonard Nimoy), in love with a princess (Valerie Bertinelli), and in luck with the discovery of a mysterious lamp. James Earl Jones portrays the daunting genie in the lamp. This installment of Faerie Tale Theatre was directed by a then relatively unknown Tim Burton, who later went on to direct such imaginative and stylistic films as Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands. ~ Carrie Downes, All Movie Guide
- 1985
A young wife and her husband witness the brutal barroom rape of a young woman and now must decide whether or not to testify against the culprits or remain quiet in this made-for-TV drama that exploits an actual Massachusetts case. Compounding her difficulties is the fact that one of the rapists is her brother-in-law. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1985
The direct-to-video Ordinary Heroes stars Richard Dean Anderson as a blinded Vietnam veteran. Returning from the war with his spirit in tatters, Anderson tries to reassemble his pre-military life. He rekindles his relationship with former girl friend Valerie Bertinelli, an alternately painful and tender experience for them both. An all-but-forgotten film, Ordinary Heroes is worth at least a second look, if only for its intelligent, non-sensational treatment of the subject matter. In addition, the film contains what may well be Valerie Bertinelli's best performance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This glitzy miniseries based on the Judith Krantz novel is a wicked soap opera about sex, power, and betrayal. Valerie Bertinelli stars as Maxi, whose mother (Francesca Annis) marries her father's hated brother Cutter (Perry King) after his death. Cutter had sworn to destroy everything his late brother valued and proceeds to run his publishing empire into the ground. Maxi, who has already been through three husbands by age 29, turns over a new leaf by gathering her family and making a commitment to save the business, which she does by becoming the editor of a successful fashion magazine. Maxi lives in the Trump Tower, whose famed real-life owner appears as himself. It has some unintentionally campy moments, but King is quite good as the villainous Cutter, and fans of this sort of high-gloss '80s melodrama will want to put it on their lists. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Valerie Bertinelli, Francesca Annis, (more)
- 1987
- R
Detective Berzak (Robert Carradine) and his suave partner Hazeltine (Billy Dee Williams) combine forces to track down a notorious drug lord in this routine action feature. Captain Ferris (Peter Graves) monitors the progress of the decidedly different detectives. The trail leads to Dacosta (Barry Sattels) a respected member of the social elite and the community. Valerie Bertanelli plays Berzak's daughter Teresa, who is pumped for information by her father about his ex-wife (Doris Roberts). ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Carradine, Billy Dee Williams, (more)
- 1987
This 1987 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Valerie Bertinelli and features musical guests Eddie Van Halen and Robert Cray. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Valerie Bertinelli, Eddie Van Halen, (more)
- 1988
A made for TV movie in which Valerie Bertinelli portrays Florence Pancho Barnes, a bored socialite who decides to learn to fly. After receiving her pilot's license, even though her ambitions get in the way of her love life, she becomes a stunt pilot, barnstormer, and even forced Howard Hughes to change his mind about unions. Her career spanned such varied activities as racing against Amelia Earhart and training army pilots. Fine portrayal of one of the more interesting of the independent women from the 1920s. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Coproduced by Marlo Thomas, the made-for-TV Taken Away was a curiosity: a Valerie Bertinelli film not based on a true story. Bertinelli plays a young, divorced mother, unjustly charged with neglecting her 8-year-old daughter Juliet Sorcey. The motives behind the charge soon become clear: some well-meaning but misguided bureaucrat wants to take Sorcey out of Bertinelli's hands and place the child in the foster-parent pool. With few friends and no money, Bertinelli is nonetheless determined to take on the system and regain custody of Sorcey. Seldom bothering with subtlety, Taken Away hammers away relentlessly at the viewer's tear ducts. The film premiered on November 5, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
