David Birney Movies
Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Cleveland, David Birney was the son of an FBI agent, a fact kept from him until he was ten years old. A short, underweight kid, Birney built up his confidence by playing football and participating in school plays. Entering Dartmouth as a literature major, Birney transferred to the U.C.L.A. theater department. Drafted during the Vietnam War, he sang and danced in a special-services troupe. After his tour of duty, Birney made his professional acting debut at Virginia's Barter Theater in 1965. Two years later, he was working with Joe Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival, and shortly thereafter starred in the Broadway production Summertree. His first steady TV work was as a regular on the daytime serial Love Is a Many Splendored Thing. In 1972, Birney broke into prime-time as Jewish cabdriver Bernie Steinberg in the popular sitcom Bridget Loves Bernie. While the series was withdrawn due to protests from religious groups who frowned upon its mixed-marriage premise, Bridget Loves Bernie was hardly a total loss so far as Birney was concerned; in 1974, he married his B Loves B co-star, Meredith Baxter, a union that endured for nearly two decades. Though he preferred stage work (his favorite parts included Hamlet and Henry Higgins), Birney continued making TV and film appearances so that he could afford to accept the occasional high-prestige but low-salaried theatrical role. David Birney's series-TV assignments have included The Adams Chronicles (1976, as John Quincy Adams), Serpico (1977, in the title role), Glitter (1984), St. Elsewhere (1982-1983 season, as Dr. Ben Samuels), and Master of the Game (1987). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1971
Frequent F.B.I "guest villain" Louis Jourdan returns, this time in the role of enemy spy Henry Dulac. Determined to smash Dulac's espionage ring, Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) goes undercover as another Red agent. Erskine subsquently finds himself caught in the crossfire when two warring spy factions clash over some top-secret tapes. Also in the cast is David Birney, who'd achieve TV stardom one year later in the sitcom Bridget Loves Bernie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
This alleged feature film actually consists of two hour-long TV pilots, both produced by Screen Gems in 1972. The first, "Movin' On," stars Patrick Wayne and Geoffrey Deuel as a stock-car driver and cyclist, respectively. David Soul and Kate Jackson guest-star in this action-filled entry, which was originally telecast July 24, 1972. The title and play-date of the second pilot is currently unavailable though sources say that it stars Barbara Parkins, and that it takes place in a house haunted by the victim of a hanging. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
In this made-for-television comedy, a young woman gets herself into trouble when she begins fulfilling her man-craving with a string of married men. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Tyne Daly is the star of the 90-minute thrill piece The Haunting of Penthouse D. She plays the tenant of a luxury apartment plagued by mysterious occurrences. It's the sort of story wherein the heroine shuts the door to those who can really help her, but welcomes with open arms those who'd do her dirt. Ms. Daly really isn't the ideal "woman in peril", but she brings a great deal of intelligence and perception to her two-dimensional character. The Haunting of Penthouse D was thriftily videotaped and first telecast in October of 1974 on ABC's late-night anthology Wide World Mystery. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Made for television in 1974, a doctor (Melvyn Douglas) is accused of murdering his terminally ill wife. The defense receives a shot in the arm when a famed lawyer returns from retirement to help the case. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1974
- R
This glossy Alistair MacLean action programmer concerns the machinations involved in smuggling an Eastern European scientist out of France and into the United States while being pursued by gang of international pirates, who want the scientist for themselves so that they can grab the secrets that the scientist holds and sell them to the highest bidder. The film deals with Neil Bowman (David Birney), a carefree American who is hired by French land baron the Duc de Croyter (Michel Lonsdale) to make sure that the scientist finds his way safely aboard a jet bound for America. Lila (Charlotte Rampling), a svelte British photographer, happens upon the scene and snuggles up to Neil, right before barriers are throw in their way by the pirate-kidnappers. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlotte Rampling, David Birney, (more)
- 1975
Jack Palance portrays undercover cop Lt. Alexander Bronkov, or "Bronk" for short. Bronk has a short fuse and an oversupply of compassion, which is not the best of all combinations when dealing with his rulebound higher-ups. In this made-for-TV movie, Bronk is assigned to bust up a drug ring, an assignment that puts him on the trail of corrupt officials in the government...and the police force. Bronk was the pilot for a weekly series starring Jack Palance, which ran from September 1975 to July 1976. Many viewers agreed with Palance's own public assessment of this short-lived project: "Stupid". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
A former policeman investigates a series of murders by centering on an organization which re-creates medieval battles. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1976
In an intriguing change of pace, gimlet-eyed SFPD detective Mike Stone (Karl Malden) dons the greasepaint, red nose and floppy shoes of a circus clown. It's all part of an undercover assignment to ferret out the murderer of two retired circus riggers whose deaths occur just before a gala Big Top performance at San Francisco's Cow Palace. Featured in the cast as "Sparky" is former Sugarfoot star Will Hutchins, who in real life had retired from acting to pursue a career as a professional clown. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
This police drama is the pilot episode of the Serpico television series and follows the straight arrow New York undercover cop Frank Serpico as he investigates racketeers and drug smugglers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1977
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, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Originally titled Stories from the Bible, Greatest Heroes of the Bible was designed as a seven-part TV miniseries; evidently the specter of low ratings forced the network execs to telescope the presentation into four installments. The series began with the story of David (Roger Kern) and Goliath (Ted Cassidy). Next we were offered the tale of Samson (John Beck) and Delilah (Ann Turkel). The Flood was next on the agenda, with Lew Ayres as Noah. This was followed by Joshua (Robert Culp) at the walls of Jericho. Moses (John Marley) was the central character in the next chapter, followed by Solomon (Tom Hallick) and Bathsheba (Carol Lawrence). The story of Joseph (Sam Bottoms) and his Brethren rounded out the presentation. While other miniseries prided themselves on being lensed in Europe and the Mid-East, Greatest Stories of the Bible declared itself as an "All American Production;" for example, Canyon City, Utah, stood in for Jericho. This miniseries was telecast November 19, 20, 21 and 22, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Hot on the heels of his theatrical-feature megahit Halloween, writer-producer John Carpenter concocted this nailbiting made-for-TV suspenser. Lauren Hutton stars as stylish career girl Leigh Michaels, who lives in an ultra-modern, glassed-in high rise apartment. Leigh's relatively tranquil existence is shattered when she begins receiving disturbing phone calls--and ostentatious gifts--from a man living in the high-rise next to hers. Despite the increasingly threatening tone of her mystery caller, Leigh is unable to get any help from the police, simply because there's no real evidence that she's in danger. Rest assured, however, that she is--and that, in traditional "John Carpenter heroine" fashion, she will ultimately deal with her tormentor all by herself. Filmed under the title High Rise, Someone's Watching Me! first aired November 24, 1978, on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
- R
Bye, See You Monday is a wistful French/Canadian comedy of romance. Miou-Miou and Carole Laure star as a pair of attractive young housemates. Both ladies are involved with married men; both approach these delicate relationships in different fashion; and both learn a little something about what happens when one plays with fire. David Birney costars in this clever concoction. Bye, See You Monday, originally titled Au Revoir a Lundi, was filmed in 1979, but withheld from general release until 1981. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
Two francophones have become roommates in Montreal. One is from France, the other is from Quebec. Their love-lives revolve around affairs with married men who leave them on the weekends for their families in the countryside. Nicole thinks she has finally found a "live one" when she discovers that the doctor she has met is single and American. She returns with him to the U.S., but soon returns to her friend Lucie, who has had yet another affair with a married man. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carole Laure, Claude Brasseur, (more)
- 1979
Though tenuously based on fact, High Midnight is the sort of TV movie that could only have been made in the fuzzy-headed 70s. David Birney is a blue-collar type whose wife and daughter are killed in a no-knock drug bust. Nasty narcotics officer Michael Connors refuses to admit that he's made a mistake. Connors tries to cover up his own ineptitude, and eventually targets Birney for elimination. With the help of sympathetic cop Christine Belford, Birney avenges his family's murder. It's not likely that a TV movie in which a narcotics cop is the villain will get much play in the 1990s, but High Midnight is a nonetheless fascinating time capsule. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
Based on the book by Norman Klein, Mom, the Wolfman & Me stars Patty Duke, David Birney and Danielle Brisebois. Ms. Duke plays a free-lance photographer, the single mother of 11-year-old Brisebois. Both mother and daughter are "liberated" in the anything-goes-1980s sense. But Duke finds herself questioning her values (or lack of values) when she meets Brisebois' English teacher Birney, an uptight conservative save for his bushy beard (hence his nickname). Co-starring are Keenan Wynn and Viveca Lindfors as Patty's parents, and John Lithgow in a pivotal supporting role. Produced for TV's Operation Prime Time series, Mom, the Wolfman and Me was released for syndication starting October 20, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this mild sequel to the 1977 appearance of George Burns as God, the Heavenly Father shows up again, this time to talk to Tracy (Louanne), a young girl whose earthly father (David Birney) is in the advertising business. God's intention is to promote himself among the children first. Tracy comes up with a way to further awareness of the Supreme Being with posters and graffiti that say "Think God." She and her classmates set out on this campaign, but Tracy ends up facing a phalanx of psychiatrists for talking to an invisible God. Being who He is, God decides to finally make an appearance for the benefit of everyone. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Burns, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1981
Historically, most multiple-personality cases have been women. Based on the autobiographical book by Henry Hawksworth, The Five of Me centers on a rare male victim of this bizarre syndrome. David Birney plays Hawksworth, who for his first 36 years lived with four separate personalities. When a fifth manifested itself, the other four displayed reactions ranging from petulant to sadistic. Dee Wallace co-stars as Hawksworth's wife Ann ("Ann is married to five men!" screamed the insensitive ad copy for this film). Made for television, The Five of Me was first broadcast on May 12, 1981. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
This is the made-for-TV version of the romantic drama that chronicles the exploits of a group of glamorous women caught up in the entertainment industry. This version contains material author Jacqueline Susann omitted from her original novel. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Originally produced for television, this adaptation of William Shakespeare's historical tragedy stars David Birney as Richard II, who gains a fearsome enemy in his cousin Bolingbroke (Paul Shenar) when he seizes his land. Outraged Britons and rebellious Irishmen eventually turn against the king, and in time, Henry is forced to step down from the throne, with his rival Bolingbroke seizing power and taking revenge. The cast also includes Peter McIean as York and Mary Joan Negro as Anne. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
