Tony Roberts Movies
Those who heard the voice of actor Tony Roberts on the 1970s dramatic series "The CBS Radio Mystery Theater" may not have been aware that by performing before a mike, he was maintaining a family tradition. Roberts was the son of announcer Ken Roberts and the cousin of actor Everett Sloane, both alumni of such golden age radio endeavors as "The Mercury Theatre of the Air" and "The Shadow." After studying acting at Northwestern University, the lanky, curly headed Roberts struck out for New York, working in commercials ("Boss, you've got bad breath! Bad breath!") before landing a regular stint on the TV soap opera The Edge of Night. His long-term friendship and professional relationship with comedian/writer/director Woody Allen began when Roberts was cast as Diane Keaton's husband in Allen's Broadway production Play It Again, Sam in 1969. Since that time, Roberts has appeared in such Allen efforts as Annie Hall (1977), Stardust Memories (1980), A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982), and Radio Days (1987). On prime time TV, Roberts co-starred in the 1977 adventure series Rossetti and Ryan. In 1995, Tony Roberts co-starred on Broadway with Julie Andrews, playing a flamboyant homosexual cabaret entertainer in the musical version of Andrews' 1981 movie vehicle Victor/Victoria. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A trio of troubled suburbanites attempts to come to grips with the personal issues that surface following the tragic death of one of their own in this introspective adolescent drama from L.I.E. screenwriter/director (Michael Cuesta). In the months following the death of Jacob's (Conor Donovan) likeable, athletic twin brother, Rudy (also Donovan), Jacob and friends Malee (Zoe Weizenbaum) and Leonard (Jesse Camacho) struggle to make sense of the unfortunate youth's fiery demise at the hands of local bullies. As Jacob quickly loses himself to revenge fantasies and sets into motion a series of destructive plans designed to destroy the kids responsible for his brother's death, Malee focuses her attention on a dejected patient of her psychotherapist mother, and obese Leonard struggles about weight and health issues with his equally obese mother. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conor Donovan, Zoë Weizenbaum, (more)
On his 81st birthday, grandpa George Burns, bemoans the fact that he's wasted his life, and wishes he had it to do all over again. He gets his wish when he and his 18-year-old grandson Charles Schlatter are involved in an auto accident. When he awakens, Burns' personality has been transferred to Schlatter's body, and vice versa! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Burns, Charlie Schlatter, (more)
- 1982
- PG
- Add A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy to QueueAdd A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy to top of Queue
Woody Allen brings a diverting whimsy and a hopeful innocence to this period roundelay, based upon Ingmar Bergman's Smiles of a Summer's Night and Jean Renoir's Rules of the Game. Allen plays Andrew, a Wall Street broker and eccentric inventor who is having frigidity problems with his wife Adrian (Mary Steenburgen). Adrian and Andrew are the hosts, at their summer house in the country, of a wedding party for Ariel (Mia Farrow) and Leopold (Jose Ferrer), a famed academic who is Andrew's cousin. Over the weekend, another couple converges at Andrew's summer home -- the sly, lady-killer of a doctor Maxwell (Tony Roberts) and his date, the deliciously ditzy nurse Dulcy (Julie Hagerty). Through the course of the weekend, sexual partners are exchanged and magical fairy tale moments are shared. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, (more)
- 1981
The made-for-TV A Question of Honor was based on Point Blank, a novel by former cop Sonny Grosso and Philip Rosenberg. Ben Gazzara plays Joe DeFalco, a 15-year veteran of the NYPD who'd like to end his career in a blaze of glory. This leads him to act upon a tip intended for another officer, which will enable him to arrest a notorious dope dealer named Danzie (Paul Sorvino). Unbeknownst to DeFalco, Danzie is working hand-in-glove with the Feds in an effort to weed out crooked cops. Before he can absorb what's happening, DeFalco is being blackmailed to do Danzie's "dirty work." This is a tale of misguided ambition: DeFalco's lust for fame and fortune, and the Feds' overzealous desire to uncover police corruption-which, at least according to the events depicted herein, has the effect of forcing honest cops into dishonesty. Both the novel and the film were based on an actual incident, which culminated in the 1972 suicide of DeFalco's real-life counterpart. A Question of Honor debuted on April 28, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Gazzara, Paul Sorvino, (more)
The third installment in the haunted-house saga discards any pretense of being based on actual events in order to provide the requisite cheap thrills sought by audiences during the short-lived 3-D revival of the early '80s. When a skeptical reporter (Tony Roberts) with a penchant for debunking phony psychic hoaxes moves into the Long Island house to disprove its nightmarish legend, he and his family are set upon by all manner of supernatural beasties. Many such manifestations leap wildly out at the screen to fully exploit the 3-D effect, making the cheap gags all too obvious in the "flattened" video and cable prints (often released under the title Amityville 3: The Demon). Remarkably violent for a PG-rated film (those with an intense fear of fire might want to fast-forward through Candy Clark's death scene), Amityville 3-D has a certain cheesy appeal for anyone who likes touring Halloween spook-houses. Look closely to spot a young Meg Ryan in a small doomed-teen role. This 3-D version was followed by even more sequels, including Amityville: The Evil Escapes, Amityville 1992: It's About Time, The Amityville Curse, and Amityville: A New Generation. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Roberts, Tess Harper, (more)
Woody Allen's romantic comedy of the Me Decade follows the up and down relationship of two mismatched New York neurotics. Jewish comedy writer Alvy Singer (Allen) ponders the modern quest for love and his past romance with tightly-wound WASP singer Annie Hall (Diane Keaton, née Diane Hall). The twice-divorced Alvy knows that it's not easy to find a mate when the options include pretentious New York intellectuals and lifestyle-obsessed Rolling Stone writers, but la-di-dah-ing Annie seems different. Along the rocky road of their coupling, Allen/Alvy weigh in on such topics as endless therapy, movies vs. TV, the absurdity of dating rituals, anti-Semitism, drugs, and, in one of the best set pieces, repressed Midwestern WASP insanity vs. crazy Brooklyn Jewish boisterousness. Annie wants to move to Los Angeles to find that fame that finally does in the relationship -- but not before Alvy gets in a few digs at vacuous, mantra-fixated California. Originally entitled Anhedonia (the inability to enjoy oneself), Annie Hall blended the slapstick and fantasy from such earlier Allen films as Sleeper (1973) and Bananas (1971) with the more autobiographical musings of his stand-up and written comedy, using an array of such movie techniques as talking heads, splitscreens, and subtitles. Within these gleeful formal experiments and sight gags, Allen and co-writer Marshall Brickman skewered 1970s solipsism, reversing the happy marriage of opposites found in classic screwball comedies. Hailed as Allen's most mature and personal film, Annie Hall beat out Star Wars for Best Picture and also won Oscars for Allen as director and writer and for Keaton as Best Actress; audiences enthusiastically responded to Allen's take on contemporary love and turned Keaton's rumpled menswear into a fashion trend. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, (more)
- 1993
This made-for-cable version of Arthur Miller's play The American Clock was adapted for television by Frank Galati. Inspired partly by Studs Terkel's oral history Hard Times, and partly by Miller's own recollections, the film is set at the beginning of the Depression. When the stock market crashes, the well-to-do Baumler family (John Rubinstein, Mary McDonnell, Loren Dean) loses everything. The Baumlers are forced to move from their plush penthouse apartment to the less-attractive Brooklyn digs of Mrs. Baumler's sister (Joanna Miles). Twelve-year-old Lee Baumler (Dean), the Arthur Miller counterpart, hits the road to find out how others are coping with the Long National Nightmare. The alternately depressing and uplifting storyline moves along briskly to a surprisingly abrupt climax. Kelly Preston, David Strathairn, Eddie Bracken, Darren McGavin, and Estelle Parson co-star in The American Clock, which premiered over the TNT Cable Network on August 23, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
On the cusp of stardom, standup comic Maija DiGiorgio suffered an emotional breakdown while performing before a room packed with a number of the comedy industry's head honchos -- whom were on the receiving end of DiGiorgio's obscenity-laced outburst -- at the Aspen Comedy Festival. Subsequently faced with a nearly industry-wide blacklisting as a result, the comic (and film school graduate) came upon the idea of creating a film journal to document her struggles within the industry, as well as within her own psyche. The result is Bitter Jester, DiGiorgio's 2003 film that started as a document of self-examination and evolved into an examination of success and achievement within the standup circuit. Greatly assisted by the contacts and prestige of executive producer Richard Belzer -- a friend and former employer of DiGiorgio's boyfriend and co-conspirator Kenny Simmons -- DiGiorgio proceeds to gain access to a surprising berth of comedy legends, including Chevy Chase, Richard Pryor, Phyllis Diller, Whoopi Goldberg, and George Carlin, all of whom dispense insightful and sometimes surprising opinions about their individual achievements. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide
The potential witnesses to a mysterious murder all become suspects when a determined detective fails to crack the case in a hard-boiled mystery directed by Edward Vilga and starring Jill Hennessy, Paul Sorvino, and John Glover. When gunshots pierce the black stillness of the night and a body plunges into the icy depths of a deserted pier, an unidentified call to 911 sets into motion a curious series of chilling events. Though a subsequent murder outside of the Polite Persistence debt collection agency adjacent to the pier leads detective Sam (John Glover) to sense a connection between the two crimes, the tight-lipped employees of the agency seem to be taking extra caution to hide something big. Someone has to hold the key to this mystery, and whether it's the mob-connected Harvey (Sorvino), agency black sheep James (Justin Theroux), short-fused Frankie (Patricia Scanlon), anal-retentive Walter (Tony Roberts) or once-shady single mom Kate (Hennessy), Sam vows to crack the tough case even if it costs him his life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Sorvino, John Glover, (more)
- 1987
Anne Archer stars in the made-for-TV movie A Different Affair--and, surprise, she doesn't play a long-suffering victim. Anne is cast as a chic radio psychologist who has lived alone and liked it since the death of her husband. All this changes when the plot requires that she take in a troublesome 12-year-old foster child, played by Bobby Jacoby. Tony Roberts fills the standard best friend/lover/severest critic role, while other parts are essayed by Stuart Pankin and Alan Fudge. Filmed in 1985, A Different Affair didn't land an airdate until March 24, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Archer, Tony Roberts, (more)
- 1979
In this drama, a suburban housewife shows great inner strength when she must suddenly keep the family together after her husband suffers a complete breakdown and falls into an irreversible catatonic state. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Suzanne Pleshette, Tony Roberts, (more)
- 1980
- R
In this Sidney Lumet romantic comedy, Max Herschel (Alan King) is a powerful businessman who keeps a bevy of beauties for pleasure to escape his alcoholic wife, Connie (Dina Merrill). His main minx is Bones Burton (Ali MacGraw), a successful television producer who is tiring of Max's lack of commitment. When she takes up with Steven (Peter Weller), Max does everything in his power to win her back. Silent screen star Myrna Loy plays Max's faithful secretary, in her last big-screen role, and steals the show. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan King, Ali MacGraw, (more)
- 1985
- R
Based on a play by Kevin Wade, this comedy stars Brooke Adams as a television producer who demands commitment from her free-spirited lover (Ben Masters). ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Masters, Brooke Adams, (more)
- 1991
A young aspiring actress is killed by a lethal drug overdose. At first glance, it seems the girl was driven to her death by her mother, the proverbial "stage mom from hell." But as the detectives and the D.A.'s office pursue the investigation, it becomes painfully clear that both mother and daughter are inextricably linked with the sleazy producer of porno films. This episode offers an interesting change-of-pace role for frequent Woody Allen co-star Tony Roberts. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Investigating the stabbing death of a psychologist, the detectives find themselves in the middle of a bitter domestic dispute between a man and wife, Catholics both. The key to the investigation is the fact that the victim worked closely with the Archdiocese to arrange annulments. Once all the evidence is in, the DA's office must fence with an extremely resourceful defense attorney. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Sam Waterston joins the cast as Executive Assistant D.A. Jack McCoy in Law & Order's fifth-season opener. The case at hand is a "revolutionary" breast-cancer treatment that may have caused a woman's death. The D.A.'s office pursues the woman doctor who developed the treatment -- and who may very well be the "quack" that her colleagues have claimed her to be. In his pursuit of the accused, Jack McCoy demonstrates early on that his zeal for justice does not always adhere to the letter of the law. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
In this romantic adventure comedy from French writer/director Jean-Paul Rappeneau, Catherine Deneuve stars as Nelly, a young French bride who gets cold feet and flees the altar with her irate Italian groom Vittorio (Luigi Vannucchi in hot pursuit. While she is on the run in Venezuela, Nelly carries with her a priceless stolen painting and meets Martin (Yves Montand), a financially and personally troubled middle-aged French perfume maker who is fleeing both his marriage and his failing business. Together the unlikely pair from a bond upon finding themselves in need of each other's assistance. Also starring Tony Roberts and Bobo Lewis, La Sauvage was released in the United States under the English-translated title, The Savage. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Catherine Deneuve, Yves Montand, (more)
In $1,000,000 Duck, the titular duck is exposed to radiation and begins laying golden eggs, which brings it under the scrutiny of the treasury department, the FBI, and a gang of comic-opera crooks. The cast includes Disney perennials Dean Jones and Joe Flynn, with Sandy Duncan taking over the part usually assumed by someone like Michele Lee or Stefanie Powers. $1,000,000 Duck was directed by Vince McEveety. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sandy Duncan, Dean Jones, (more)
- 1992
The set of a popular daytime drama proves to be rife with intrigues that go far beyond the script. At the center is the show's temperamental star Joanna Rollins (a pre-Star Trek: Voyager Kate Mulgrew), whose millionaire husband turns up murdered. In her efforts to solve the case, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) receives assistance from a surprising source: Joanna's former costar and ex-lover, whom she had fired from the show. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Julie Andrews and Ann-Margaret combine their not inconsiderable talents for Our Sons. In her TV-movie debut, Ms. Andrews plays a San Diego businesswoman and self-styled liberal whose open-mindedness is put to the test when she discovers that her son (Hugh Grant) is homosexual. This brings Andrews in reluctant contact with Ann-Margaret, a brash Arkansas cocktail waitress whose own son (Zeijko Ivanek) is Andrews' son's lover. The occasion for the meeting between the two mothers is the revelation that Ann-Margaret's son has AIDS. Andrews and Ann-Margaret go through a lengthy period of self-denial and self-blame before coming to grips with the tragedy now facing them. William Hanley's screenplay for Our Sons was supposed to spotlight the mothers, but the strong rapport between the sons throws the emphasis off at times. The director was John Erman, whose previous successful collaborations with Ann-Margaret included Who Will Love My Children and A Streetcar Named Desire. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
In this serio-comic made-for television adventure, an L.A. family gets more than it bargained for when it abandons the smog and hubbub for the peace of rural Oregon. Unfortunately, instead of finding a violence-free environment, they discover that they are surrounded by ultra-right-wing survivalists. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Herbert Ross directed this adaptation of Woody Allen's hit Broadway play concerning a shy film critic who has trouble with women. Woody Allen plays Allan Felix, a writer for Film Quarterly consumed by movies, particularly his favorite film of all time, Casablanca. At the start of the film, Allan's wife Nancy (Susan Anspach) has just left him and is applying for a divorce. Unable to deal with this emotional turmoil, Allan seeks solace in the movies he loves, imagining Humphrey Bogart (Jerry Lacy) has dropped by his apartment to offer Allan advice on dealing with the ladies ("Dames are simple. I never met one that didn't understand a slap in the mouth or a slug from a forty-five"). Helping Allan meet new women are his good friends Dick (Tony Roberts) and Linda Christie (Diane Keaton). Dick and Linda fix him up with a succession of dates, all of which end disastrously because of Allan's nervousness and insecurity. Finally, Allan realizes that he has been spending more time with Linda than anyone else and he is becoming attracted to her -- she's the only woman he truly feels comfortable around. Linda proves unexpectedly receptive to Allan's advances, since Dick's workaholic ways leave Linda neglected and ignored. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, (more)
In this off-beat horror outing, a band of film students decide to scare up some cash by holding a film festival celebrating horror films from the '50s. Its all great fun until they discover that the projectionist is a homicidal maniac. Gory violence ensues as audience members begin dying in horrible ways. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jill Schoelen, Tom Villard, (more)
Woody Allen's gentle and nostalgic tribute to the glory days of radio and coming-of-age during World War II plays like Fellini's Amarcord filtered through Neil Simon. The nominal star is Seth Green as Joe, a teenage Jewish boy, growing up with a house full of relatives in Brooklyn. Allen cuts between Joe's working class neighborhood of Rockaway Beach, Queens, and the glittery and glamorous world of radio in Manhattan. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mia Farrow, Seth Green, (more)
- 2001
- Add Richard Rodgers: The Sweetest Sounds to QueueAdd Richard Rodgers: The Sweetest Sounds to top of Queue
Richard Rodgers was one of the finest and most influential composers the American musical theater ever produced; with such distinguished collaborators as Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II, Rodgers crafted such classics as Oklahoma, The Sound of Music, Pal Joey, Carousel, South Pacific, Babes in Arms, The Boys From Syracuse, and Cinderella. Richard Rogers: Sweetest Sounds is a documentary produced for the PBS series American Masters which examines Rodgers' remarkable career, which spanned six decades, as well as his often troubled personal life, which was clouded by spells of alcoholism and depression. Richard Rogers: Sweetest Sounds includes interviews with composers Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Rodney Bennett, vocalists Julie Andrews and Maureen McGovern, jazz artist Billy Taylor, actress Celeste Holm, and critic John Lahr. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
