Emma Samms Movies
American audiences first became aware of dark-eyed actress Emma Samms when she was cast as the heroine in the 1979 film Arabian Adventure. Her American TV bow was as Holly Sutton, temporary girlfriend of Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) and later full-time wife of ex-spy Robert Scorpio (Tristan Rogers), on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital. It was the beginning of a long association with soap operas, both daytime and prime time. In 1984, Samms went from the niceness of Holly Sutton to the deviousness of Fallon Carrington on the nighttime serial Dynasty. She carried this role over into the Dynasty spin-off The Colbys in 1985, then returned to Dynasty in 1986. In 1994, Emma Samms was brought in to "hypo" the flagging Fox series Models Inc., in yet another villainous characterization, as Grayson Louder. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1986
Agatha Christie's Murder in Three Acts represents Peter Ustinov's fifth appearance as Dame Agatha's brilliant, insufferable Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. The scene is Acapulco, where retired actor Tony Curtis hosts two separate parties--both of them were blighted by the fatal poisoning of a guest. The police think the butler did it (honest!), but Poirot activates his "little grey cells" to pinpoint the killer amongst a group of wealthy and eccentric suspects. Filmed in Mexico, Murder in Three Acts was the latest (and to some reviewers the least) in a long line of Agatha Christie TV-movie specials produced by Stan Marguiles. Ustinov was Poirot in three of these, having first essayed the role in the theatrical feature Death on the Nile (78). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Ustinov
- 1986
Although the ratings for Dynasty's seventh season were far below those of earlier years, the series still had plenty of "guilty pleasure" entertainment to offer its loyal fans. Much of the season's activities center around oil millionaire Blake Carrington (John Forsythe), who after thinking twice about murdering his ex-wife Alexis (Joan Collins) suddenly develops amnesia, imagining that he and Alexis are still married. Also in the course of things, spiteful Alexis boots Blake and his present spouse, Krystle (Linda Evans), out of their 48-room Denver mansion. Even so, things change for the better when Blake is finally able to wrest back his financial empire from Alexis' clutches. In other developments, Clay Fallmont (Ted McGinley) weds Krystle's mercurial niece Sammy Jo -- this despite the surprise return of the supposedly deceased Matthew Blaisdel (Bo Hopkins), who barges into the proceedings for the express purpose of abducting his former lover Krystle. (Matthew is not the only former cast member who pops up unexpectedly this season, not by a long shot!) Also on the domestic front, Blake's long-lost "son," Adam (Gordon Thomson), reveals that he is not actually related to the Carrington clan, just prior to his marrying series newcomer Dana Waring (Leann Hunley). Other new cast members include Jessica Player as Blake and Krystle's three-year-old daughter, Krystina, and Karen Cellini, taking over from Catherine Oxenberg in the role of Alexis' daughter Amanda. Finally, after a season away from Dynasty as regular on the spin-off series The Colbys, Emma Samms returns to the fold as Blake's rapacious daughter, Fallon. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Forsythe, Linda Evans, (more)
- 1984
Season four of Dynasty found the series enjoying the peak of its popularity; after that, things could only go downhill -- and alas, they did. On the docket for this season are the Herculean efforts by Denver oil tycoon Blake Carrington (John Forsythe) to regain his financial empire after being systematically undermined by his vengeful ex-wife, Alexis (Joan Collins). Elsewhere, Blake's sexually confused son, Steven (Jack Coleman), vacillates between his long-suffering wife, Claudia (Pamela Bellwood), and his new boyfriend, Luke Fuller (William Campbell). Meanwhile, Blake's oversexed daughter, Fallon (now played by Emma Samms, taking over from Pamela Sue Martin), disappears, prompting her lovesick ex-husband, Jeff (John James), to embark upon a nationwide search, leaving his present spouse, Kirby (Kathleen Beller), in the lurch. New to the series in season five are Billy Dee Williams as Brady Lloyd, the record-executive husband of Blake's half-sister, Dominique (Diahann Carroll); Ali MacGraw as high-profile photographer Lady Ashley Mitchell, with whom Blake briefly dallies; and in his last TV role, Rock Hudson as millionaire horse breeder Daniel Reece, whom Blake's wife, Krystle (Linda Evans), takes up with in her hubby's absence. The most prominent of the series' newcomers is Catherine Oxenberg as Alexis' long-lost daughter Amanda. It is Alexis' engagement to Prince Michael of Moldavia (Michael Praed) that sets the stage for Dynasty's fourth-season cliffhanger finale: the infamous "Moldavian Massacre." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Forsythe, Linda Evans, (more)
- 1983
Fashion designer Linda Dobbins (Karen Valentine) smells a rat when her salesman husband dies in a highly suspicous airplane explosion during a European business trip. To get some answers, Linda retraces her husband's sales route, only to discover that there was a lot she didn't know about her late spouse's activities. As if that revelation wasn't enough, her life is now in danger as well. Clearly inspired by the theatrical feature Charade (not to mention every other woman-in-jeopardy yarn ever filmed), the made-for-TV Illusions was first aired by CBS on January 18, 1983. (Incidentally, if France looks a lot like Quebec in the film, there's a good reason for it.) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
The seven-hour TV miniseries Ellis Island was adapted from a novel by Fred Mustard Stewart. Per its title, the film is a mosaic of subplots involving several European immigrants who passed through New York's Ellis Island before taking up residence in the Big Apple. Most of the characters are based on real people, notably the Irving Berlin-like musician played by Peter Riegert. Co-stars Faye Dunaway, Richard Burton (in his last film role) and Ann Jillian were honored with Emmy nominations. Ironically, this essentially American saga was largely filmed in London. Originally telecast November 11, 13, and 14, 1984, Ellis Island was re-edited and re-telecast in the summer of 1986, just in time for the Statue of Liberty Centennial. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
- PG
Though it strains credibility to the breaking point, the made-for-TV Goliath Awaits proved a ratings success when it was first syndicated via "Operation Prime Time" on November 16, 1981. Mark Harmon plays oceanographer Peter Cabot, who intends to salvage valuable treasures from the ocean liner Goliath, which was sunk by a German U-boat during World War II. Descending into the ocean depths, Cabot stares into one of the portholes of the Goliath--only to see someone staring back at him! Through a fluke, the submerged Goliath's air supply has remained intact for nearly forty years, and a tiny group of survivors (and their progeny) live in an idyllic society ruled by benevolent despot John McKenzie (Christopher Lee). But when Cabot announces that he intends to rescue the denizens of the Goliath, McKenzie's benevolence quickly evaporates. Originally telecast in two 2-hour installments, Goliath Awaits was also made available as a ten-episode miniseries. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
The second of two attempts to revive the 1960s TV series The Wild, Wild West (the first was Wild Wild West Revisited), More Wild, Wild West was telecast October 7, 1980. Robert Conrad is back as 19th- century secret-agent James West, while Ross Martin returns to the role of "man of many faces" Artemus Gordon. The principal heavy, played with tongue firmly in cheek by Jonathan Winters, is a mad scientist who plans to create an army of invisible supermen. Victor Buono, who was special guest villain on the very first Wild Wild West episode in 1965, plays a supporting role; carried over from Wild Wild West revisited are Harry Morgan and Rene Auberjonois. Several networks evinced interest in More Wild, Wild West, but Ross Martin's death in 1981 ended all plans for a weekly series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Conrad, Ross Martin, (more)
A valiant prince battles an evil sorcerer to rescue his true love in this colorful fantasy, which features high adventure and plenty of special effects. The hero must overcome a number of dangers, along the way receiving help from a beautiful street urchin and a magical rose. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lee, Milo O'Shea, (more)
