Richard Stahl Movies
To younger generations, the slightly diminutive and balding American character actor Richard Stahl was probably best known as Howard Miller, the deadpan, stone-faced chef (and indifferent receptor of Marian Mercer's affections) on the long-running syndicated sitcom It's a Living. Stahl inherited the position from fellow supporting player Bert Remsen, and sustained it for four seasons, until the program wrapped in September 1989. But Stahl's visage graced a much broader spectrum of films and television shows than his behind-the-counter presence at the Above the Top restaurant -- and if viewers have trouble making a list, this is only a reflection on Stahl's ability to blend in successfully with fellow cast members and settings. Such is the essence of a gifted character player. Stahl made his first bow in 1966, as Steve Parsons on the "Dear Sally Rogers" episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show (its final season). He subsequently became a mainstay on the television airwaves, and his resumé reads like a laundry list of '70s and '80s hit prime time series, including but not limited to: That Girl, The Partridge Family, Love American Style, Bonanza, Columbo, All in the Family, Good Times, The Odd Couple, Maude, Happy Days, The Facts of Life, Murder, She Wrote, Hill Street Blues, and a handful of particularly memorable turns on Newhart. He reinforced his small-screen presence (and audience familiarity) with feature film appearances in such motion pictures as Five Easy Pieces (1970), High Anxiety (1977), The Flamingo Kid (1984), The American President (1995), and The Ghosts of Mississippi (1996). Stahl landed his last role with a bit part in Garry Marshall's 1999 flop, The Other Sister. He spent his final seven years in retirement, battling Parkinson's Disease, and eventually succumbed to the illness on June 18, 2006. Stahl was seventy-four. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 1981
- R
Gene Hackman plays a disgruntled suburbanite who manages the Ultra-Sav, an all-night drugstore. He hates his job, hates his debts and responsibilities, and isn't overly fond of his wife (Diane Ladd) and son (Dennis Quaid). Partly as a form of protest, Hackman enters into an affair with Barbra Streisand, one of his wife's distant relatives (don't ask how she's related - it takes Hackman about thirty seconds to explain it to another character). Streisand doesn't belong in this picture at all, but she can be forgiven her acting excesses because she wasn't the first choice for the role anyway (Lisa Eichhorn dropped out just before shooting began). The best moments in All Night Long involve the steady stream of oddballs and losers who trickle into Hackman's establishment. There is also a cute Apocalypse Now parody involving a battery-operated toy helicopter. The principal attraction of All Night Long is Gene Hackman playing an endearingly recognizable modern type. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Hackman, Barbra Streisand, (more)
- 1974
The whole Bunker household is thrown into an uproar -- and the cause of it all is a dish of stew. Believing that he has eaten poison mushrooms, Archie is convinced he is at death's door. Richard Stahl and Jane Dulo head the supporting cast as Archie's doctor and nurse, respectively. Written by Michael Ross and Bernie West, "Archie Eats and Runs" first aired on February 16, 1974, a few weeks after series regular Jean Stapleton won a Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Comedy/musical Series." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1971
After getting into a minor fender-bender, Archie suffers a delayed case of whiplash. Hoping to collect a huge settlement from the other driver, Archie figures that his chances in court will improve if he hires a Jewish lawyer. But even Attorney Rabinowitz (Salem Ludwig) balks at suing a "van full of nuns." Also in the cast are George Furth as Fitzroy and Richard Stahl as Marshall. Written by Stanley Ralph Ross, "Archie's Aching Back" first aired on January 26, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
Cashing in on director Larry Hagman's fame as star of Dallas, a canny distributor reissued Beware! the Blob (aka Son of Blob) with the come-on line "The Film That J.R. Shot!" Picking up where the original Blob (1958) left off, the film begins as the pudding-like goo thaws out and begins wreaking havoc on the civilized world. Steve McQueen, star of the first Blob, is understandably absent; this time the heroics are handled by Robert Walker Jr., who takes on the Blob himself when the local authorities fail. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Stahl, Godfrey Cambridge, (more)
Actor/auteur Tom Laughlin created the character of Billy Jack in the motorcycle flick The Born Losers. Wandering Christlike through the Southwest, Native American Vietnam veteran Billy Jack -- soft-spoken, but well-versed in martial arts -- champions the cause of a progressive school run by Jean Roberts (Delores Taylor, Laughlin's real-life wife). The bigoted white townsfolk don't cotton to Jean's minority-group students, so they do everything they can to humiliate and physically abuse the kids. When one of her charges is cruelly coated with white flour, Billy Jack goes berserk. Thus begins an orgy of self-righteous violence, culminating with our hero being hunted down on a murder charge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor, (more)
- 1972
Three of the Cartwright men-Joe, Hoss and Jamie-head to the town of Upright to sell a rundown saloon. They decide to hold onto the property when it develops that a fortune in gold might be hidden on the premises. The boys' insistence upon retaining the saloon messes up Ben's business deal with Miss Frost (Anne Seymour), a leading light of the Temperance movement. A pre-MASH Loretta Swit appears as Ellen Sue. Written by Joseph Bonaduce, "A Visit to Upright" originally aired on March 26, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1970
Inheriting a fortune from an Indian benefactor, Candy fulfills his long-standing ambition to quit the Ponderosa. Before long, Candy has accepted an executive position with a prosperous-looking land promoter (Walter Brooke). But when he discovers that his boss is a crook, Candy enlists the aid of the Cartwrights to turn the tables on the duplicitious promoter. Written by John Hawkins, "The Big Jackpot" has seldom been aired since its original network playdate of January 18, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1978
Obviously inspired by The Wiz, Cindy is a musical adaptation of "Cinderella" with an African-American cast. In 1943 Harlem, Cindy (Charlaine Woodard), fresh from the south, is treated harshly by her stepmother (Mae Mercer) and nasty stepsisters (Nell-Ruth Carter, Alaina Reed). In a departure from most Cinderella stories, Cindy's dad (Scoey Mitchell) is around to provide comfort but not much help against the barrage of her new mother and step-siblings. While taking a precious night off at the Sugar Hill Ball, Cindy is swept off her feet by handsome marine Joe Prince (Clifton Davis). Substituting for the glass slipper in Cindy is a dirty sneaker, but the end result is the same. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
- R
Dirty Little Billy thankfully does not try to glorify its subject. Instead, Billy the Kid (Michael J. Pollard) is depicted as the homicidal mental defective that history has proven him to be. The film recounts Billy's formative years, exploding legends and myths all along the way. The Old West is not prettied up in the least; there seems to be mud everywhere, even in the houses. Dirty Little Billy was the last production to be supervised by legendary mogul Jack L. Warner, who had severed his ties with Warner Bros. in 1972 and was releasing through onetime arch rival Columbia Pictures. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A disaffected man seeks a sense of identity in one of the key films of Hollywood's 1970s New Wave. Once a promising pianist from a family of classical musicians, Bobby Eroica Dupea (Jack Nicholson, in his first major starring role) leads a blue-collar life as an oil rigger, living with needy waitress girlfriend Rayette (Karen Black) and bowling with their friends Elton (Billy "Green" Bush) and Stoney (Fannie Flagg). Feeling suffocated by responsibilities, Bobby seeks out his sister, Tita (Lois Smith), and, discovering that his father is gravely ill, he reluctantly heads back to the patrician family compound in Puget Sound with a pregnant Rayette in tow. After a road trip featuring a harangue from hitchhiker Palm (Helena Kallianiotes) about filth, and Bobby's ill-fated attempt to make a menu substitution in a diner, he tucks Rayette away in a motel before heading to the house. There Bobby seduces his uptight brother Carl's cultured fiancée, Catherine (Susan Anspach), but Rayette shows up unexpectedly. As Rayette's crassness collides with the snobbery of the Dupea circle, Bobby loses patience with both sides. After trying to reconcile with his mute father, Bobby departs, unwilling to give in to either destiny. Director Bob Rafelson and screenwriter Adrien Joyce (aka Carole Eastman) used the creative control afforded by the low budget to craft a European-influenced character study, catching a cultural mood of anomie and resentment as it was embodied in Bobby. Neither older generation nor hippie, Bobby fits in nowhere, and his desire for independence conflicts with his emotional emptiness. Nicholson's nuanced performance of simmering frustration resonated with 1970 audiences caught between Nixon's "silent majority" and the troubled counterculture; a substantial hit, Five Easy Pieces was nominated for several Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor, and established Nicholson as a star. Offering no "easy" answers to Bobby's existential crisis, Five Easy Pieces is one of the pre-eminent films in the early-'70s cycle of alienated American art movies, as even the fantasy of rebellion is reduced to merely running away. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, (more)
Fuzz treads the line between raucous comedy and gut-churning melodrama. Based on an "87th Precinct" novel by Ed McBain (aka Evan Hunter), the film stars Burt Reynolds and Jack Weston as, respectively, detectives Steve Carella and Meyer Meyer. Their current assignment is to bring in Deaf Man (Yul Brynner), a mad bomber who has been targeting politicians. A subplot concerning a couple of punks who get their kicks by setting fire to sleeping winos is dramatically justified by the main storyline, but it was this element that caused a lot of trouble for the producers of Fuzz when a pair of real-life teenagers decided to imitate the film. On a lighter note, Raquel Welch co-stars as Detective Eileen McHenry, who is obliged to go undercover -- and under covers -- with fellow officer Bert Kling (Tom Skerritt). And as a bonus, viewers are treated to Burt Reynolds' first "drag" scene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Jack Weston, (more)
This is a long-awaited film telling the story of the trials of Medgar Evers' killer. Medger Evers (James Pickens, Jr.) was a black civil-rights activist in Mississippi who was shot to death in 1963. Despite very persuasive evidence that Byron De La Beckwith (James Woods) was indeed his killer, the all-white juries hearing his case at that time acquitted him (he was tried twice). In this film, with the aid of Ever's widow Myrlie (Whoopie Goldberg), Bobby DeLaughter (Alec Baldwin), a young lawyer, gathers enough new evidence to bring Beckwith in for a third trial. Woods' performance as a wise-cracking bigot is one of the film's highlights. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alec Baldwin, Whoopi Goldberg, (more)
- 1974
In the second episode of a two-part story, the Evans family is relieved to learn that J.J. (Jimmie Walker) only suffered a flesh wound when he was shot down by street-gang leader Mad Dog (Oscar DeGruy). While J.J. recovers from his ordeal, an outraged James (John Amos) threatens "eye for an eye" vengeance against Mad Dog. When he calms down, James decides it would be best to go after the perpetrator in court -- but J.J. is not too keen about incurring any more wrath from the man who tried to kill him. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roger Aaron Brown, Lynn Hamilton, (more)
- 1991
A rude entrepreneur is transformed into an average Joe by his guardian angel in this comedy. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1977
- PG
This is Mel Brooks' spoof of over ten Alfred Hitchcock classics, including Psycho, Vertigo, and The Birds (Brooks actually used the bird trainer from that classic suspense movie in making his film). Brooks plays Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke, a renowned Harvard psychiatrist with a concealed fear of heights, or High Anxiety. Thorndyke takes over as the newest director of the PsychoNeurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous after the last director dies under suspicious circumstances. He soon finds himself to be in the company of some very strange colleagues, including longtime Brooks collaborators Cloris Leachman and Harvey Korman, with Madeline Kahn as Victoria Brisbane, the eccentric daughter of a patient at the institute and Thorndyke's love interest. Korman takes on the role of Dr. Charles Montague, a psychiatrist with a closeted habit of his own. Leachman plays Charlotte Diesel, a charge nurse with a dark sneer and tendency towards domination. As Thorndyke heads to a psychiatry conference, he is faced with saving the Institute, his reputation, and his own sanity. Although the film was not well-received by critics, it picked up a 1978 Golden Globe nomination for best picture (musical or comedy) and landed Brooks a nomination for best actor. The movie has a number of cameos, from a young Barry Levinson's spot as an unstable bellboy to a small part by Hitchcock's right-hand special effects man, Albert J. Whitlock, who plays Kahn's father. ~ Rachel Koetje, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, (more)
- 1985
Ned Beatty plays a dual role in this episode as insensitive banker and mayoral candidate J. Melvin Rich and happy-go-lucky hobo Willy the Waver. Hoping to cure Mr. Rich of his hostile attitude towards the homeless (he wants to transform a city park, the local hoboes' haven, into a car park), angel Jonathan Smith (Michael Landon) magically transfers Rich's brain into Willy's body, and vice versa. The fun really begins when the "bum" tries to apply his street smarts to the banking business, not to mention the uppermost reaches of high society. (Incidentally, film buffs should take note of the name of the character played by Martin Rudy!) ~ All Movie Guide
Steve Martin wrote and stars in this look at the promise and dreamtime of Los Angeles culture. Martin stars as Harris K. Telemacher, a light-hearted television weatherman who does wacky comedy in lieu of reports since, being in L.A., he has very little weather to report. He spends his time roller-skating through museums and spending time with California's beautiful people. But Telemacher is fired and discovers that his girlfriend Trudi (Marilu Henner) is having an affair. He walks away from the relationship and re-evaluates his life, getting advice from a friendly electronic highway road sign. The sign suggests that he call SanDeE (Sarah Jessica Parker), a sprightly and attractive Valley Girl he met in a clothing store. With SanDeE he experiences a liberating and carefree spirit. But Telemacher comes to realize that he has actually fallen in love with Sara (Victoria Tennant), a tuba-playing British journalist who is in California to do a feature on Los Angeles lifestyles. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, Victoria Tennant, (more)
- 1977
It isn't often that a popular sitcom serves up a "clip show" as early as its second season, but that's just what happens in this 27th episode of Laverne and Shirley. As the gang at the Pizza Bowl prepares to throw a party in the girls' honor, Laverne (Penny Marshall) and Shirley (Cindy Williams) are nowhere to be found--mainly because they've been stranded at a Canadian bus stop. While the girls and their friends sweat out the situation, everyone reminisces about past series highlights, courtesy of carefully chosen vignettes from earlier episodes. "Birthday Show" is also known as "Anniversary Wrap-Around", acknowledging the upcoming first anniversary of the series' January 27, 1977 debut. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
In the opening episode of Laverne & Shirley's eighth and final season, Shirley (Cindy Williams) surprises everyone--especially her erstwhile boyfriend Carmine (Eddie Mekka)--by announcing her engagement to an Army medic named Walter Meeney. Alas, Walter has come down with a terrible rash and has been rushed to a VA hospital, wrapped in bandages from head to toe (thus denying the audience even a tiny glimpse of the "mystery man"). But Cindy is still determined to become Mrs. Shirley Feeney Meeney--even if it means a bedside wedding with bridesmaid Laverne (Penny Marshall) dressed in a nurse's smock! This episode was designed to prepare viewers for the ultimate departure of series regular Cindy Williams, who was about to quit the show due to her pregnancy (among several other well-publicized reasons). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
Protesting an inordinately high utility bill (the result of a clerical error), Laverne (Penny Marshall) and Shirley (Cindy Williams) chain themselves to the wall of the local gas company. Unfortunately, a nutcase has planted a bomb in the same building, which is set to go off at any minute. The climax of the episode finds the girls getting huge laughs out of a situation that would otherwise generate shudders! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Laverne DeFazio (Penny Marshall) and Shirley Finney (Cindy Williams) are promoted from their memorable Happy Days guest appearance to their own spinoff series as Laverne and Shirley launches its first season. In the opener, the girls--lifelong friends and fellow "bottle-cap technicians" at Milwaukee's Shotz Brewery--have just settled down in their new apartment when Shirley is invited to a ritzy party held by the nephew (Richard Stahl) of their boss. Though Shirley is thrilled at the prospect, Laverne is upset that she wasn't invited as well. Of course, both girls ultimately show up at the facilities wearing gowns borrowed from a wax museum, courtesy of their wacky would-be suitors Lenny (Michael McKean) and Squiggy (David L. Lander). Happy Days' resident cool guy Fonzie, aka Henry Winkler, makes a guest appearance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
"The Episode You Thought You'd Never See"--mainly, an episode in which one of the Bundys' get-rich-quick schemes actually pays off--is how TV Guide heralded the opening of Married. . .With Children's ninth season. The moneymaking gambit adopted by Al Bundy (Ed O'Neill) and neighbor Jefferson D'Arcy (Ted McGinley) is triggered by the discovery of a cache of fashionable shoes from the 1970s. In a twinkling, Al's shoe store has been transformed into the "retro" establishment "Bundy's House of Sole." Elsewhere, Kelly (Christina Applegate), filming a commercial for "Pest Boys", is bitten by a rare insect, and as a result is capable of speaking only the truth! Hard Copy co-anchor Terry Murphy appears as herself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
All of Cabot Cove turns out for the funeral of Henry Vernon, the town's chief financial advisor. The ceremony is halted by the arrival of a woman claiming that Henry was murdered. Investigating, the local authorities open the coffin--only to find out that the occupant isn't Henry! Before the story is over, no fewer than two corpses have mysteriously vanished, then mysteriously reappeared, while Jessica (Angela Lansbury) conducts a thorough probe of the "late" Mr. Vernon's questionable business practices. Real-life husband and wife Robert Sterling and Anne Jeffreys, who'd once headlined the delightful fantasy sitcom Topper, appear as Ben and Agnes Shipley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Harry (Harry Anderson) joins Mac (Charlie Robinson) in trying to market "Mac Snacks", a culinary invention of Mac's wife Quon Le (Denice Kumagai). The product's slogan is "Good to the Last Gasp"--which unfortunately proves to be true in the case of potential investor Mini-Mart Marv (Cliff Emmich). Elsewhere, Christine (Markie Post) endures a visit from her pennypinching Uncle Floyd (Richard Stahl), and Dan (John Larroquette) tries to put the moves on Harry's new secretary Tracy (Gail Edwards). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Harry's courtroom docket this evening includes a man claiming to be Santa Claus (Jeff Corey) (red suit, white beard, the whole shootin' match) who's been hauled in for trespassing, and a pair of cynical teenage runaways, one of whom is played by Family Ties costar Michael J. Fox. In his usual off-the-wall fashion, Harry solves everyone's problems and gets a hug in the bargain. With this episode, Paula Kelly joins the cast in the role of combative public defender Liz Williams. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
