Alfie Scopp Movies

An ex-convict turned sheriff's deputy must face his guilty conscience, which is obsessed with his identity change following a million-dollar heist. With a notoriously troubled production history, this Canadian picture was shot in 1979 and sat on the shelf for half a decade, until Orson Welles had died. In the credits, the name of the director -- Selig Usher -- is a pseudonym for both George McCowan and Zale Magder. ~ All Movie Guide

Based on the novel by Belva Plain, the three-part NBC miniseries Evergreen covered a time span from 1909 to 1959. The story begins in New York's Lower East Side with the arrival of Polish-Jewish immigrant Anna (Lesley Ann Warren). At first employed as a humble seamstress, Anna is whisked into a whole new world when she becomes the wife of the enterprising Joseph Friedman (Armand Assante), who eventually becomes a wealthy Westchester contractor. Even so, Anna's heart belongs to Paul Lerner (Ian Shane), the son of the prosperous Fifth Avenue family which employs her relatives. In 1918, Anna gives birth to Paul's daughter, allowing Joseph to believe that he is the father. The secret surrounding Anna's child will lead to a daunting and frequently heartbreaking chain of events, culminating decades later in the newly formed state of Israel, where Anna's grandson Eric hopes to "find himself" -- and ends up finding more than he bargained for. Also in the cast was Richard Burton's daughter, Kate Burton, as the wealthy Gentile wife of Anna and Joseph's son Maury (Tony Soper), a woman whose very presence causes a near-irreparable rift in an already fragmented family unit. Running a total of six hours, Evergreen originally aired on February 24, 25, and 26, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This two-part cartoon adaptation of Jules Verne's fanciful adventure novel Around the World in 80 Days was a coproduction of Canada's Rankin-Bass and Japan's Mushi Productions. The familiar story of how Phileas Fogg and his manservant Passepartout undertake to circle the globe in 80 days is retold with remarkable fidelity, even though the scenes in which the two protagonists are seen flying in a balloon cannot be found in the Verne original, but were invented for the 1956 movie version of the same property. Not to be confused with the concurrently produced TV cartoon series of the same name, Around the World in 80 Days was first syndicated in November of 1972, as part of the 18-episode Festival of Family Classics anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

As if inventing a time machine weren't enough to enshrine him in the pantheon of great minds of history, in this puppet cartoon, professor Rasputin von Rotton is planning on using it to claim credit for the achievements of the greats of history, from the cavemen to Buffalo Bill. The professor's monkey has been following the development of this plan with great concern and manages to escape and turn over the plans to Willy McBean, who is charged with the task of saving history. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Re-discover a long lost Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass classic as the wondrous tale of Dorothy and the Land of Oz comes to life through the vivid animation of the filmmaking duo who brought audiences Frosty's Winter Wonderland and Rudolph's Shiny New Year. The first of many network specials produced by the pair, Return to Oz finds Rankin and Bass returning the fantasy land formerly visited in The Tales of the Wizard of Oz to tell the tale of young Dorothy's ongoing adventures with Socrates the Strawman, Rusty the Tinman, Dandy the Lion, and, of course, her beloved dog Toto. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Every baby boomer worth his salt is familiar with the classic NBC puppet series Howdy Doody, which ran from 1947 to 1960. But how many of those "boomers" outside the continental United States are aware that a second version of Howdy Doody existed, this one produced in the Toronto, Ontario studios of the CBC. Telecast three times a week beginning November 15, 1954, the Canadian Howdy Doody bore a few similarities to the American original, with its own Clarabell the clown (played by veteran voice-over artist Alfie Scopp) and the familiar puppet lineup of Howdy and Heidi Doody, Mayor Phineas T. Bluster, Dilly Dally, the Flubadub, and Captain Scuttlebutt. What set this version apart was its uniquely Canadian setting (the "great north woods," courtesy of a studio backdrop) and such above-the-border characters as Papa La Touke and Princess Haida (human) and Percival the Parrot (marionette). And instead of the American version's Buffalo Bob Smith, the Canadian Howdy Doody was emceed by a quasi-Mountie character named Timber Tom -- who, at one juncture, was portrayed by future Star Trek stalwart James Doohan. The CBC edition of Howdy Doody was telecast until June 26, 1959; the American version remained on the air only one year longer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide