Dwight Schultz Movies
Though a fifteen-year show business veteran, Dwight Schultz was largely unknown until 1983. That was the year that the TV Addicts of America were introduced to Captain H. M. "Howling Mad" Murdock, the asylum-escapee airplane pilot for The A-Team. It is to Schultz's credit that he was able to portray a certifiable looney while still remaining personable and even lovable. On both sides of his A-Team obligations, Schultz appeared in films like The Fan (1981, as Broadway actress Lauren Bacall's director) and Fat Man and Little Boy (1989, as J. Robert Oppenheimer). In the late 1980s, Dwight Schultz could be occasionally seen as Lieutenant Barclay in TV's Star Trek: the Next Generation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1990
Whenever there's a TV movie about a "lone holdout" juror, you can bet that reality will be left behind at the front door. Killer Among Us is no exception. A Different World's Jasmine Guy plays a doubting jury member on a homicide case. She not only believes the defendant innocent, but suspects that the foreman of the jury, played by Dwight Schultz, is the guilty party. To make a long story short, which the scriptwriter didn't, Guy ends up being stalked by the real murderer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This is a very enjoyable tongue-in-cheek horror film about some homicidal maniacs who break out of an asylum and terrorize a psychiatrist's family on a dark and stormy night. Martin Landau and Jack Palance are particularly funny, but there are some genuine scares as well. One scene, in which a frightened woman is menaced on her bed by a maniac thrusting a butcher-knife up through the mattress, is a clever send-up that will nevertheless linger in the memory. The coda, in which the crazy Palance has a bizarre encounter with a spaced-out punk chick in a nightclub, is a real gem. Recommended. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Palance, Donald Pleasence, (more)
- 1994
Garibaldi is forced to arrest Amis (Dwight Schultz), an unhinged war veteran who insists that Judgement Day is approaching. Amis is especially agitated when Earth woman Mariah Cirrus (Anne-Marie Johnson) is awakened from a 100-year cryonic slumber. Things take an even more frightening turn as Mariah likewise begins experiencing visions of doom. Originally broadcast on November 30, 1994, "The Long Dark" was written by Scott Frost. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, (more)
- 1981
Ron Howard plays a young farmer and family man whose dairy herd is being decimated by illness. As if this weren't enough, Howard's young son falls seriously ill. The state's agricultural officials could do something about Howard's plight, but red tape and bureaucracy rules the day. Based on a book by Frederick and Sandra Halbert, this caustic indictment of governmental indifference was nominated for four Emmies. Made for television, Bitter Harvest debuted May 18, 1981. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ron Howard, Art Carney, (more)
- 1992
A terrible secret is uncovered in a child's past in this made-for-cable drama. Based on a true story, Ashley Peldon stars as 7-year-old Catherine, the newly adopted child of the Tylers. When Catherine turns increasingly violent towards her new parents and her natural brother, the Tylers try everything in their power to uncover the mysterious root of her anger. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Harris, Dwight Schultz, (more)
- 1981
This second film version of Frederick Knott's suspense play stars Christopher Plummer as a wealthy Londoner, who works out a meticulous scheme to murder his wife (Angie Dickinson) and escape undetected. The plan goes awry when the wife fights off the man hired to commit the murder, killing her attacker with a pair of scissors. Thinking quickly, Plummer manages to convince the police that his wife is guilty of premeditated murder. The woman is sentenced to hang for her "crime", but a diligent police inspector (Anthony Quayle) has second thoughts about her guilt. A serviceable made-for-TV job, the 1981 Dial 'M' for Murder suffers only when compared to Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 filmization of the same play. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
The name of Enola Gay will be forever remembered as that of the B-29 bomber that deployed the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, causing the immediate death of 70,000 civilians, bringing an end to World War II, and ushering in the nuclear age. This documentary tells the complete story of the dropping of weapons of mass destruction, from the planning and development of the bomb at the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos, New Mexico, to the end game in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There are fascinating biographical sketches of the scientists involved. Interviews with the men actually participating in the mission , gives the film an unprecedented feel of immediacy and authenticity. Archival photographs, as well as never before seen film footage by the Army Air Corps, provide a graphic account of the bombings that changed the course of history. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
"Fat Man" and "Little Boy" were the nicknames given the atomic bombs that were dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the waning days of World War II. This elaborately assembled film is the story of the events leading up to the dawn of the atomic age. Paul Newman plays General Leslie Groves, a hard-nosed career soldier who in 1942 finds himself the reluctant "nursemaid" to a group of idealistic scientists in Los Alamos, New Mexico. As the military head of the top-secret Manhattan Project, Groves intends to have the operation run by the book--and failing that, to have things his way at all costs. The film's storyline narrows down to a battle of egos between Groves and atomic scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Dwight Schultz), in his own way as contentious and childishly single-purposed as the general. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Newman, Dwight Schultz, (more)
- 1997
If there is any doubt that this made-for-TV movie is the authorized biography of singer Barbara Mandrell, the fact that the singer plays "herself" in the wraparound sequences should settle all bets. Otherwise, former Brady Bunch regular Maureen McCormick is seen as Barbara, whose life is chronicled from her early years as a musical prodigy (she played the accordion) to her first blush of TV stardom in the company of her sisters Irlene (played by Mandrell's real-life daughter Jaime Dudney) and Louise (Portia Dawson), moving ever forward to her solo superstardom and climaxing with her near-fatal 1984 car accident. The remainder of the drama details Barbara's spectacular post-crash comeback, which involved not only intense physical rehabilitation but also extensive spiritual therapy. Also showing up as themselves are Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. Coproduced by Mandrell's husband Ken Dudney (herein played by Greg Kean, Get to the Heart: The Barbara Mandrell Story made its CBS network bow on September 28, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
In this feature-length episode of the popular, long-running detective series, Jennifer and Jonathan fly to Germany so she can save a leukemia patient's life with her bone marrow donation, but once there, a case of mistaken identity endangers her life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Wagner, Stefanie Powers, (more)
Based on an autobiography by Betty Rollin, this is a heart-tugger which finds a woman with cancer seeking the assistance of her daughter in fulfilling her last wish--a wish to die with dignity. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1994
We'd rather not rehash the sordied Menendez murder case in this space; besides, it isn't necessary, inasmuch as no fewer than two TV movies were produced on the subject in 1994. The first was Fox's Honor Thy Father and Mother; the second, telecast less than a month later, was Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills. Two hours longer than the first film, Menendez spends half of its running time recounting the events leading up to the Menendez brothers' murder of the parents, while the second half devotes itself to their overpublicized trial. Lyle and Eric Menendez are played, respectively, by Damian Chapa and Travis Fine. Edward James Olmos and Beverly D'Angelo costar as the ill-fated parents, while Margaret Whitton is cast as attorney Leslie Abramson. Once past the most lurid aspects of the case-notably the Menendez boys' insistence that their crime was motivated by extreme parental abuse-this 4-hour wallow gets pretty tiresome. Menendez was originally telecast in two parts, on May 22 and 23, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward James Olmos, Beverly D'Angelo, (more)
- 1989
In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Perry Mason and his assistant help a stage manager who is the prime suspect in the murder of the director who recently fired him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1987
In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Perry Mason takes the case of a publisher implicated in the strange murder of a horror novelist. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
The first "Trek" film to feature the cast of the Star Trek: The Next Generation TV series without any of the members of the original series, this action-packed hit was well received at the box office. The Federation comes under attack by its ongoing enemy, the Borg, a cybernetics-enhanced race that once kidnapped Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), "assimilating" him into a drone. As a former prisoner of the Borg, Picard is ordered to stay out of the new battle, but he cannot resist and orders the brand-new starship Enterprise into the fray. The Enterprise follows the only surviving Borg ship through a time tunnel, where they intend to conquer Earth in an earlier era. The Borg have targeted the work of Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell), inventor of warp drive, the device that makes interplanetary travel possible. As the Enterprise crew attempts to stop the Borg from interrupting the work of Cochrane and his assistant, Lily (Alfre Woodard), Borg drones invade the Enterprise and take it over piece by piece, while Data (Brent Spiner) is captured and seduced by the Borg Queen (Alice Krige). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, (more)
- 1994
Series regular Gates McFadden, aka Dr. Beverly Crusher, made her directorial debut with this episode, which originally aired March 26, 1994. The Enterprise is held in thrall by a strange disease, causing the crew members to de-evolve into prehistoric creatures. The only two immune to this phenomenon are Picard and Data, who have just returned from a mission. Figuring prominently in the episode's outcome is guest star Dwight Schultz, recreating the role of hypersensitive crewman Reg Barclay. "Genesis" was written by Brannon Braga. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Dwight Schultz, formerly the near-psycho "Howling Mad" Murdock on The A-Team, guest stars as the equally "disturbed" Enterprise crewman Lt. Reg Barclay. Feeling persecuted by his superiors, Barclay acts out his frustrations in the Holodeck, all the while neglecting his usual duties. Barclay's self-indulgence has serious consequences when a cannister containing a dangerous element seeps into the warp engines. Written by Sally Caves, "Hollow Pursuits" originally aired May 5, 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Lt. Reg Barclay (Dwight Schultz), the hypersensitive crew member introduced in the third-season episode "Hollow Pursuits," is the focus of attention in this fourth-season installment. On this tour of duty, the shy, withdrawn Barclay is suddenly endowed with super-human intellegence. Testing his new mental skills, he interfaces with the Enterprise's computer, whereupon the starship is hurtled deep into uncharted space. Joe Menosky wrote the script for "Nth Degree," which originally aired April 6, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Once again, overly sensitive engineer Reg Barclay (Dwight Schultz) unwittingly creates havoc for the rest of the Enterprise crew. This time, Barclay is terrified at the thought of being transported to an away team rescue vehicle. Hoping to confront his fear, he goes through with the transportation process, only to undergo an incredible experience which causes him to doubt his sanity. Written by Branson Braga, "Realm of Fear" originally aired October 3, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Sherlock Holmes' perennial nemesis Professor Moriarty (Daniel Davis), previously created on an released from the holodeck in the second season's "Elementary, Dear Data," is again at large in this episode. Though he'd previously insisted that he wasn't the villain everyone assumes him to be, Moriarty's subsequent behavior is anything but benign. He takes over the Enterprise, refusing to relinquish command until his holodeck-generated sweetheart is likewise made "real." Originally telecast January 30, 1993, "Ship in a Bottle" was written by Rene Echevarria. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
The Voyager crew tests out Operation Watson, a method of transmitting live messages to Starfleet on Earth. The crew's family members back home are gratified to communicate with their loved ones after so many years. But joy degenerates into confusion and resentment when the Doctor's (Robert Picardo) ongoing holographic novel begins insinuating itself into the transmissions. Dwight Schultz makes a return appearance as Reginald Barclay. "Author, Author" first aired on April 18, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roxann Dawson
- 2001
The seven-year saga of Star Trek: Voyager ended with the two-part "time-straddling" adventure "Endgame." "Endgame, Pt. 1" begins some ten years after Voyager was able to return to earth, having spent 23 long years in the Delta Quadrant. Presiding over a reunion with her surviving crew, an elderly, white-haired Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), now a Starfleet Admiral, seems strangely unhappy and distant -- especially when someone brings up the name of Seven of Nine. "Borrowing" some downloaded information from Cmdr. Barclay (Dwight Schultz), Janeway travels back in time to help her younger self return home via a quicker route than the Delta Quadrant -- and, she hopes, to spare several of her colleagues from their ultimate dismal fates. Hopscotching between the future and the present, "Endgame, Pt. 1" originally aired on May 23, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roxann Dawson
- 2000
Renewed hope for a quick return to Earth arrives at the Voyager in the form of a "special delivery" from the Alpha Quadrant. A hologram of liaison officer Reginald Barclay (Dwight Schultz) is brought on board for the avowed purpose of leading the crew back home through a geodesic fold. Meanwhile, the real Barclay finds out that his hologram has been sabotaged and the Voyager is headed for disaster! "Inside Man" was originally telecast on November 8, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roxann Dawson
- 2000
In this follow-up to the earlier episode "Pathfinder," Robert Picardo plays the dual role of the holographic Doctor and the Doctor's creator, Lewis Zimmerman. With the help of a transmitter rigged by Reginald Barclay (Dwight Schultz), the Doctor is transported to the Alpha Quandrant, in hopes of saving the life of the mortally ill Zimmerman. Alas, Zimmerman turns down this help, on the grounds that the Doctor is a mere Mark One Hologram, and thus dreadfully outdated. Co-written by actor Picardo, "Life Line" first aired on May 10, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roxann Dawson
- 1999
Dwight Schultz reprises his Next Generation role of hypersensitive officer Reg Barclay. Now stationed at Starfleet's San Francisco Yards, Barclay becomes obsessed with contacting the long-lost Voyager. Enlisting the aid of the reluctant Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Barclay succeeds in getting them both in hot water with their superiors, but that doesn't stop him from hatching a bold and dangerous plan to carry out his self-appointed mission. The final first-run Voyager episode of the millennium, Pathfinder originally aired December 1, 1999; it was written by David Zabel and Kenneth Biller, from a story by Zabel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roxann Dawson
