Ronnie Scribner Movies
- 1982
- R
Sure to generate conversation, this provocative drama tells the story of how a middle-class family is torn apart when their clean-cut high-achieving son, who has the potential of making it on the Olympic gymnast team, suddenly joins a religious cult. The parents become deeply worried and try to get him back. The twist is that, unlike other movie religious cults, the leader of this one is not terribly evil even though he does strongly indoctrinate his followers. The members of his group are good people who do good deeds for others. Unfortunately, the parents don't see it this way and so hire a free-lance deprogrammer to "rescue" their son and force him through a deprogramming process that traumatizes him more than the cult did. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael O'Keefe, Karen Allen, (more)
- 1981
The owner of the Institute of Equestrian Therapy, a horse farm catering to handicapped youngsters, is brutally murdered--and the only witness is a mute youngster named Gabe (Ronnie Scribner). Quincy (Jack Klugman) is brought on the scene by way of his boss Dr. Astin (John S. Ragin), whose physically challenged foster son Andy (Brian Andrews) is also a patron of the Institute. Slowly but surely, Quincy determines that the murder was committed by a relative who is determined to take charge of the Institute and close it down...but the only way to prove this is to break through the wall of silence surrounding young Gabe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
The seven stranded castaways find comical chaos when an insane scientist, his trusty sidekick and the title basketball tricksters, playing robots visit their tropic island nest in this third in a series of made-for-television films based on the enduring early '60s sitcom. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1981
Amy Medford (Jenny Agutter) is a dutiful housewife of the early 1900s. But when her husband objects to a wife with a career, Amy leaves her husband and comfortable lifestyle. She goes on to devote her life to teaching sight-and-hearing-impaired students at a tradition-bound special school. This film betrays its Disney-studio origins with an audience-rousing action climax, in which Amy's students take on a team of "normal" kids at a football game. Amy was produced by onetime Hollywood leading man Jerome Courtland. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jenny Agutter, Barry Newman, (more)
- 1980
In this made-for-TV sequel to When Every Day Was the Fourth of July, a Jewish family fights prejudice in their New England community in the years before World War II. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
When first telecast on April 8, 1980, this made-for-TV movie was titled Kenny Rogers as The Gambler. Jim Byrnes' teleplay is loosely inspired by Rogers' Grammy award-winning song. Rogers plays high-rolling gambler Brady Hawkes, who is en route from El Paso to Yuma to see the son he never knew. Along the way, Hawkes befriends Billy Montana (Bruce Boxleitner), feckless Eastern tinhorn. The twosome comes to the aid of reformed "lady of the evening" Jennie Reed (Lee Purcell), who is pursued by an unprincipled train baron. At the end, Brynes must stand up to his son's cruel stepfather (Clu Gulager). A huge ratings success, The Gambler inspired four sequels over the next two decades. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenny Rogers, Bruce Boxleitner, (more)
- 1979
When his sight is temporarily impaired in an accident, young Jordan (Ronnie Scribner) pretends to have been permanently blinded in order to keep his quarrelling parents from splitting up. At first disapproving of Jordan's charade, Laura Ingalls (Melissa Gilbert) decides to let him keep his secret, since he means no harm. Circumstances alter cases when Jordan endures a second concussion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, (more)
Novelist David Soul returns to his hometown of Salem, finding that things have changed a bit. More than a bit, in fact: the previously warm and friendly community is downright sinister. Soul suspects that the bizarre behavior of his onetime friends and neighbors is the handiwork of oddball antique dealer James Mason. We won't reveal here the secret of Salem; suffice to say that the action goes directly to the jugular, and that makeup artists Jack Young and Ben Lane won an Emmy nomination. Based on the best-selling novel by Stephen King, Salem's Lot was originally telecast in two parts on November 17 and 24, 1979; it was subsequently pared down to a single three-hour installment, which in turn was whittled down to about two hours for cable-TV play. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Soul, James Mason, (more)
- 1978
The year is 1947; the place, Brooklyn. Sammy is a shy 12-year-old white boy who has no father and few friends. Davy is a 60-year-old black cook, far from shy but also suffering from a variety of illnesses. These two very different but surprisingly kindred souls are ultimately bound together by their love of baseball in general -- and their fascination with rookie Brooklyn Dodgers player Jackie Robinson in particular. A sensitive tale of friendship and racial tolerance, A Home Run for Love is based on Barbara Cohen's novel Thank You, Jackie Robinson (which is also the title of the 30-minute VHS version of this ABC Afterschool Special). Watch for an early appearance by a young Felicity Huffman, here billed as Flicka Huffman. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ronnie Scribner, Charles Lampkin, (more)
