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, Rovi

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, Rovi

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

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, Rovi

Adaptation of Sidney Sheldon's novel features an amnesiac who works to recover her identity and the Greek billionaire who works to make sure that she never does. ~ Rovi

In this episode, defense attorney Cromwell investigates the case of a woman accused of killing her rich husband. She discovers an underlayer of greed and adultery. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A Stoning in Fulham County spends much of its screen time in a rural North Carolina Amish community. The tendency of the Amish to shun all modern convenience and to keep to themselves has fomented hostility from their neighbors. When the baby daughter of Amish couple Ron Perlman and Maureen Mueller is killed by a gang of rock-throwing teenagers, their anguish is virtually laughed off by the rest of the locals. Young county prosecutor Ken Olin tries to build a case against the assailant even though the grieving parents refuse to bring the case to court. He is also determined to press for conviction without calling to the stand the sole eyewitness--his own daughter (Olivia Burnette). A Stoning in Fulham County is distinguished by several top-rank acting performances, not the least of which is Ron Perlman's portrayal of a compassionate yet taciturn man who is spiritually incapable of adjusting his lifestyle for the convenience of others. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This pseudo-documentary on the life of President John F. Kennedy stars Robert Hogan as the President, James F. Kelly as Robert Kennedy, and Kenneth Mars as Lyndon Johnson, and includes some actual documentary footage intercut with the major dramatic events in Kennedy's Presidential career. Because the depictions of the Kennedys are not as strong as the real-life brothers, the actual footage and the factual accounting of well-known events are more convincing than the fictionalized time inventing private conversations in the Oval Office or elsewhere. Robert Guillaume as Martin Luther King, Jr. in the segment on the Cuban missile crisis presents a dignified and noble portrayal of the slain religious leader, and his performance stands out against the more mediocre portrayal of the private personae of the assassinated Kennedys. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Theodore Bikel returns as Bronx butcher Alvin Klemmer, the man who fell in love with Edith during All in the Family's eighth season. Insisting that he's gotten over his infatuation with Edith, Alvin introduces the Bunkers to his new fiancée, a mittel-European woman named Judith Klammerstadt. But even slow-on-the-uptake Archie realizes that Alvin's latest love bears an astonishing resemblance to Edith as well she should, since both Edith and Judith are played by Jean Stapleton (who, in her "other" role, is billed as Giovanna Pucci, an Italianized variation of the actress' married name, Mrs. Jean Putch). Written by Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf, "A Girl Like Edith" originally aired on January 14, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Walter Matthau gives voice to Scrooge in this animated version of A Christmas Carol. Other noted voices include Tom Bosley, Theodore Bikel, Robert Morse and Dennis Day. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The setting for this 2-hour Columbo TV drama is a club for geniuses. One of the members is Theodore Bikel, whose business partner Sorrell Booke has been embezzling funds to keep Bikel's wife (Samantha Eggar) in luxury. Murdering Booke, Bikel calls upon his reserves of brilliance to cover up all traces of his crime. But he hasn't reckoned with Lt. Columbo (Peter Falk), who may not exactly be in the genius category, but is certainly no slouch when it comes to using his little grey cells. The key prop in this outing is a phonograph. Bye-Bye Sky High IQ Murder Case first aired May 22, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The inaugural presentation of the syndicated "Operation Prime Time" anthology, the three-part, six-hour miniseries Testimony of Two Men was based on the 1968 best-seller by Taylor Caldwell; it originally aired in three separate two-hour installments. Sprawled over the course of several generations following the Civil War, this epic begins in 1865. It covers the saga of idealistic, straight-arrow Pennsylvania surgeon Jonathan Ferrier (David Birney) and his irresponsible, hot-headed and slightly effeminate younger brother Harald (David Huffman). The Ferrier boys battle over professional ethics (Jonathan campaigns for medical reforms, Harald is interested only a quick financial turnover) and personal peccadilloes. The drama heats up when the philandering wife of one of the Ferriers is charged with murder, precipating a scandal that threatens to rock the medical profession to its foundations. In the climax, a group of envious physicians try to destroy Jonathan when he lobbies for antiseptic operating conditions--and the truth comes out about Harald's dalliance with Jonathan's late wife. Made available for syndication in May of 1977, Testimony of Two Men was seen in most markets on May 9, 16 and 23. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi