Patricia Stich Movies
- 1979
Fred Astaire guest stars as Chameleon, an intergalactic con artist on the run from the Boralean's Nomen henchmen. Hoping to find refuge on Galactica, Chameleon poses as Captain Dmitri--the long-lost father of Lt. Starbuck (Dirk Benedict). But others on board are doubtful of "Dmitri's" claims. . .and the Nomen are rapidly approaching. "The Man With Nine Lives" was later combined with the Battlestar Galactica episode "Baltar's Escape" and reissued as the two-hour "TV movie" Space Prison. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict, (more)
- 1979
The 8-hour TV miniseries Blind Ambition was originally telecast May 20 through 23, 1979. This 105-minute feature-film version, prepared in 1982, seems a bit rushed at times, but overall does a credible and coherent job of storytelling. Based on John Dean's book Blind Ambition, with elements of Maureen Dean's Mo woven in by screenwriter Stanley R. Greenberg, this is the saga of the Watergate affair, as experienced by Dean (Martin Sheen) and hia wife Maureen (Theresa Russell). As the Nixon administration goes down in flames, the Deans' marriage is sorely tested-as is Dean's success-at-any-price credo. Rip Torn plays Nixon like something out of a Greek Tragedy; some viewers accepted his interpretation, others found it jarringly inaccurate. Others in the cast of "usual suspects" include Michael Callan as Charles Colson, Lonny Chapman as L. Patrick Gray, William Daniels as G. Gordon Liddy, Fred Grandy as Donald Segretti, Christopher Guest as Jeb Magruder, Lawrence Pressman as H. R. Haldeman, William Windom as Richard Kleindienst, James Greene as E. Howard Hunt, Logan Ramsey as J. Edgar Hoover, and Al Checco as judge John Sirica. Also known as The John Dean Story, Blind Ambition earned two Emmy nominations. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Sheen, Theresa Russell, (more)
- 1979
Starbuck (Dirk Benedict) is charged with the murder of rival Viper pilot Ortega (Frank Ashmore). With the full weight of evidence against him, Starbuck finds few that are willing to believe his protestations of innocence. One of those few, however, is his best friend Apollo (Richard Hatch), who doggedly sets about to prove that the authorities have arrested the wrong man--and in the process, Apollo uncovers an unusually vicious blackmail scheme. "Murder on the Rising Star" was later combined with the Battlestar Galactica episode "The Young Lords" and reissued as the two-hour "TV movie" Murder in Space. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict, (more)
- 1978
After a two-month hiatus, Laverne and Shirley resumed its third season with this classic episode. Laverne (Penny Marshall) and Shirley (Cindy Williams) are somewhat surprised when they're invited to attend a royal debutante ball. Even more surprising is the fact that they've been invited by Lenny (Michael McKean), who is now himself "royalty" by virtue of the news that he's 89th in line for the Polish throne. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Why is someone using violence to force Rocky (Noah Beery Jr.) to sign away his lease to Parcel 334, a supposedly worthless piece of property in Coulter County? And what does this have to do with the case of a missing oil driller? That's what Jim (James Garner) wants to find out before he ends up behind bars on a phony murder rap which is tied in with both the land and the missing person. Perhaps that old codger (John Anderson) living in a bomb shelter near Rocky's property can come up with the answers--and then again, perhaps not! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
A group of radical student protestors intend to stage a spectacular demonstration against the use of bacteriological weapons. In preparation, they steal a cache of high-powered weapons. The next step: taking over a nuclear reactor and grabbing several hostages. The SWAT team must defuse the situation without triggering a nuclear holocaust. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Forrest, Rod Perry, (more)
- 1972
A riddle posed by Gloria sparks a major brouhaha on the topic of Women's Lib. Gloria knows the answer to the riddle, and so does Edith -- but Mike and Archie are stumped. Archie, of course, reacts with his usual bombast, while Mike begins to question the validity of his own liberal sentiments. Allan Melvin, who showed up as a cop in the second-season episode "Archie in the Lock-Up," makes his first appearance in the role of Archie's pal Barney Hefner. First aired on October 7, 1972, "Gloria and the Riddle" was written by Don Nicholl. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
- 1970
- PG
White students are bussed into an all black school in this powerful drama. Quincy Davis (Calvin Lockhart) is the dedicated black English teacher who leaves an all white school to teach in the inner city. Lloyd Wilkerson (John McLiam) is the disciplinary principal who manages the institution like a prison. He tells Quincy point blank that his main job is to keep the peace in a potentially explosive situation. Sherry (Patricia Stich) is stripped in the locker room while Douglas (Jeff Bridges) is repeatedly beaten up but refuses to give up or give in to the mob. The white minorities are constantly harassed by the mob lead by the militant J.T. Watson (James A. Watson Jr.). Lerone (Dewayne Jesse) is helped with his reading by Lloyd, and improves his skills by reading Lady Chatterly's Lover. The after-school reading program soon becomes popular to the students, who find new appreciation for literary pursuits. Watch for an early appearance from Rob Reiner, later to achieve sitcom stardom as Meathead on All in the Family and become one of Hollywood's best directors. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Calvin Lockhart, Janet MacLachlan, (more)
