Theodore Bikel Movies

In the early '60s, revolutionary music producer and promoter Harold Leventhal's contributions to the American folk scene forever changed the face of modern music. In addition to being the man who gave Bob Dylan his first major concert hall performance, Leventhal also managed such folk legends as the Weavers, Peter, Paul, and Mary, and Arlo Guthrie. In this tribute film to Leventhal, named after director Jim Brown's 1982 documentary The Weavers: Wasn't That a Time!, filmmaker Brown weaves interview footage with Arlo Guthrie and other longtime folk specialists in with footage from Leventhal's 2003 Thanksgiving weekend concert at Carnegie Hall. In addition to offering live performance footage of Peter, Paul, and Mary and The Weavers, this tribute concert also features performances by Leon Bibb, Theodore Bikel, Tao Rodriguez-Singer, Sarah Lee Guthrie, and Johnny Irion. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The long-awaited "backstory" for the popular syndicated science-fiction saga Babylon 5 was provided some five years after the series premiered, courtesy of the two-hour movie special Babylon Five: In the Beginning. Set in the year 2278, the film takes a backward glance at the Earth-Minbari war, as seen through the eyes of Londo Mollari (Peter Jurasik), now the emperor of Centauri. Detailed for the first time are the tragic beginnings of the war, the involvement of the Minbari Delenn (Mira Furlan), and the death of Dukaht (Raynor Scheine). In addition to featuring most of the series' current regulars, the film also brings back such early defectors as Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Sinclair (Michael O'Hare) and Ambassador Kosh (Ardwright Chamberlain). As a bonus, Claudia Christian appears unbilled in her familiar role of Lt. Cmdr. Susan Ivanova, here depicted as an 18-year-old civilian. The film was written by series producer J. Michael Straczynski, and later novelized by Peter David. First telecast on January 4, 1978, Babylon 5: In the Beginning launched the two-year association between Babylon 5 and the TNT cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The scene is a writers' conference in Amsterdam, attended by (among many others) Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) and her British friend Nigel Allison (Joseph Maher). Things take a sinister turn when Nigel is kidnapped--whereupon the victim's so-called friend Collin Biddle (Marcus Gilbert) assures Jessica that there is nothing to worry about. Even investigating inspector Van Horn (Theodore Bikel) appears to be indifferent about the abduction, prompting Jessica to take a hand in matters. What follows is a maelstrom of intrigue involving espionage, illegal arms and illicit drugs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This video covers the customs and traditions of each Jewish holiday along with some historical background ~ All Movie Guide

In this suspense thriller, a woman wonders if she can trust her memory when her father returns from prison a very different man from the violent psychopath she remembers. Karen (Amy Irving) is a single mother who twenty years ago delivered the testimony that put her father Frank (Donald Sutherland) behind bars for the murder of her mother. While Karen has no doubts that Frank is guilty of the crime, the years have clouded her memory a bit and she doesn't recall all the events with complete clarity. Now that Frank has been released, he's returned to Karen's neighborhood and is going out of his way to ingratiate himself with Pete (Rider Strong), her son, and Dan (Christopher McDonald), her boyfriend. A furious Karen confronts Frank, but she discovers a father who is not the ogre she sent to prison but a calm, charming, well-spoken gentleman who seems to bear her no ill will. They discuss the death of Karen's mother and Frank begins to convince her that it was all a terrible accident. Frank begins to work his way back into Karen's life as he gradually cuts her off from her circle of friends; when Dan dies under mysterious circumstances, Karen thinks nothing of it, but Sheriff Calhoun (Graham Greene) wonders if Frank might have something to do with the crime. Benefit of the Doubt marked the feature debut for producer Jonathan Heap. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this political espionage thriller, a rookie CIA agent is unofficially assigned to keep a fanatical Lithuanian assassin from vengefully killing Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet leader whom the killer blames for the death of his own family. The film was made during the Eastern bloc political tumult of the early '90s and was shot on location in Germany, Bulgaria, and the former Soviet Union. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Len Cariou makes his first series episode in nearly two years in the recurring role of suave and slightly untrustworthy British secret agent Michael Hagarty (formerly "Haggerty", at least according to the TV Guide listings). This time Hagarty is in Washington at the same time that his old friend Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) is also paying a visit. Returning to her hotel room, Jessica discovers that the place has been ransacked and a KGB agent named Yuri Lermentov (Theodore Bikel) is lying dead on the floor. She has also unwittingly come into possession of a list compiled by Lermentov--a list that will result in her own demise unless Hagarty takes a hand in matters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Safely returned to his own self after briefly being possessed by the Borg, Captain Picard must face a another, more personal crisis. Returning to his home village during a repair stopover on Earth, Picard has an uncomfortable reunion with his envious older brother Robert (Jeremy Kemp). Meanwhile, Worf's adoptive parents, Sergey and Helena Rozhenko (Theodore Bikel and Georgia Brown), pay him a visit on the Enterprise, while Wesley Crusher comes across a hologram message recorded by his long-gone father (Doug Wert). First telecast October 6, 1990, "Family" was written by Ronald D. Moore. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This film is a somewhat contrived pairing of two divorcees who are giving it a second go. They're up against considerable odds, however, because the children of each are not too pleased with their new "parent." Jeff Bridges stars as the husband and Alice Krige plays his second wife. ~ All Movie Guide

Keith Michell returns in the role of Dennis Stanton, an ex-jewel thief turned insurance investigator. Jessica (Angela Lansbury) links up with her old friend Dennis when she arrives in San Francisco to attend the opening of a prestigious opera. Before long, things become "operatic" for real when a celebrated tenor, who had previously shot another man (in self-defense, he claimed) who'd been making overtures to the tenor's pretty protégée, succumbs to a suspicious heart attack. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Native American George Longbow (Bernie White), a member of the Algonquin tribe, shows up in Cabot Cove bearing a seemingly authentic land grant which states that Longbow owns the entire community. One of the locals is displeased by George's presence, threatening dire consequences if the Indian tries to lay claim to Cabot Cove. Shortly thereafter, the angry citizen is found murdered--with an Algonquin lance. An open-and-shut case? Not so far as Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) is concerned. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Never released theatrically, this sex comedy is set in an apartment in Moscow with one bathroom, one kitchen and 31 inhabitants. While this may make the rent affordable for everyone, it's no help when filming inside such a set. A few of the major characters are Vera (Lee Taylor Allen), whose mother Galina (Shelley Winters) is trying to match her up with her alcoholic boss Kiril (Paul Sorvino). Meanwhile, Vera is pretending to carry on a lesbian affair with a neighbor for no reason other than to drive their local gossips up the wall. The lack of privacy and overwrought slapstick make this a hard pill to swallow. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide