Jack Sheldon Movies

Portly comedian Dom DeLuise was beloved for his jovial nature and comic delivery. This intimate documentary captures DeLuise shortly before his 2009 death with a collection of footage shot inside his home and featuring casual interactions with celebrity friends such as Burt Reynolds, Ruth Buzzi, Charles Durning, and Dick Van Patten. ~ All Movie Guide

It's Opening Day for the Boston Red Sox, so Peter (voice of Seth MacFarlane) decides to keep the kids out of school and take them to Fenway. He calls in sick to work, telling Mr. Weed (voice of Carlos Alazraqui), "I was in a terrible plane crash. My entire family was killed and I am a vegetable. See you tomorrow." Later, he runs into Mr. Weed at the ballpark, and expects to be fired, but the next day, the El Dorado Cigarette Company buys out the toy company, and Weed loses his job. The cigarette guys turn out to be poodle-shooting evil madmen who are using toys to get children addicted to their cigarettes. When Peter brings home a "Baby Smokes-A-Lot," Lois (voice of Alex Borstein) expresses her disapproval. When Peter confronts his new bosses, they make him president of the company to keep him quiet. Peter gets an executive parking space and his own personal yes man. The company hires an ugly girl to hang out with Meg (voice of Mila Kunis) at school, so she'll look prettier by comparison. They even hire Martha Stewart to help Lois out around the house. Lois is so enamored of all the perks that she forgets about her moral qualms. When an anti-smoking bill comes before Congress, a tobacco exec suggests, "They're all idiots in Washington. Instead of a smart guy, we should send a moron they can relate to." Thus, Peter becomes a tobacco industry lobbyist. Alyssa Milano makes an appearance in this episode, with the episode's writer, Ricky Blitt, playing her attorney. There's also a parody of the theme from That Girl, and Jack Sheldon, who worked on the original Schoolhouse Rock shorts, plays the bill. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

A blend of screwball farce and whodunit murder mystery, this madcap period piece was the brainchild of executive producer George Lucas. In 1939, Penny Henderson (Mary Stuart Masterson) is the harried general secretary and de facto manager of a new fourth radio network, WBN. On the night that the Chicago station goes live on the air, a mysterious voice interrupts, and a series of murders soon follows, each one described by the same sonorous phantom. While Penny and her staff desperately try to keep WBN's roster of shows afloat during the unfolding crisis, her estranged husband Roger (Brian Benben), a staff writer, becomes the chief suspect. Roger is forced to dodge a detective, Lieutenant Cross (Michael Lerner), find the real killer, win Penny back, and perform last-minute script rewrites for an unhappy sponsor. As the backstage hysteria reaches a fever pitch, the show goes on with real-life radio-era pros such as George Burns and Rosemary Clooney. Although never explicitly pointed out in the film, Radioland Murders (1994) was a pseudo-prequel to an earlier Lucas feature -- Roger and Penny are the future parents of Curt Henderson (Richard Dreyfuss) from American Graffiti (1973). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Jack Sheldon in New Orleans features the great trumpeter performing in a city rich with music history. The eight song setlist includes "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," "I Was Ready," "Corcovado," and "The Joint Is Jumpin'." ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Let's Get Lost is a penetrating Oscar-nominated documentary on the life of jazz trumpeter Chet Baker (1929-1988). After a generous amount of screen time devoted to Baker's American career, from his days with Charlie "Bird" Parker and Gerry Mulligan to the formation of his own combo, the film dwells upon Baker's lengthy tenure in Europe. Of particular interest are the clips culled from Baker's appearances in Italian films of the 1960s. In-depth interviews with Baker's friends and co-workers paint a portrait of a troubled genius, whose drug addiction and womanizing gradually eroded his talent. Much of the terminal footage is literally that, showing in harsh detail what Chet Baker had become in his last year on earth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Pro wrestler H.B. "Hardboiled" Haggerty is but one of many colorful characters appearing in this episode. Summoned to break up a disturbance in a bar, Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) end up trying to subdue a patricularly violent patron (Haggerty, of course)--who happens to be confined to a wheelchair. This incident does not, however, deter the two cops from conducting an ongoing robbery investigation. Also making cameo appearances are such reliable Hollywood character actors as Allen Jenkins, Stubby Kaye, Robert Emhardt and the unforgettable Pedro Gonzales-Gonzales (of whom Groucho Marx once quipped that it was the first time he'd ended up getting third billing after one person). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Comic musician Jack Sheldon appears as self-styled fundraiser Freddie Kirby, who breezes into Hooterville with plans to raise money for a new church organ. The townsfolk eagerly agree to participate in Kirby's scheme to stage a benefit show, little suspecting that he intends to skip town with the dough the minute the final curtain falls. Steve (Mike Minor and the Bradley girls (Linda Kaye Henning, Meredith MacRae and Lori Saunders) sing "While Strolling Through the Park". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jo Stafford, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Charlie Barnet and Freddie Slack are among the performers featured in this collection. ~ All Movie Guide