David Ogden Stiers Movies
In contrast to the insufferably intellectual characters he has played so often and so well, David Ogden Stiers wasn't much of a student while growing up in Eugene, Oregon. Like many another "underachiever," Stiers excelled at the things he was truly interested in, such as music (he played piano and french horn) and acting. After flunking out of the University of Oregon, Stiers stepped up his amateur-theatrical activities, and at age 20 was hired by the California Shakespeare Festival at Santa Clara, where he spent the next seven years performing the Classics. After briefly working with the famous San Francisco improv group The Committee, Stiers attended Julliard, in hopes of improving his vocal delivery. Evidently his training paid off: in 1974, Stiers co-starred with Zero Mostel in the Broadway production Ulysses in Nighttown, then went on to appear opposite Doug Henning in the long-running musical The Magic Show. Despite his success, Stiers detested New York, and at the first opportunity he "ran screaming" back to the West Coast. He was cast in the short-lived sitcom Doc in 1975, and the following year played an important role in the 90-minute pilot for Charlie's Angels, though he passed when offered a regular assignment in the Angels series proper. Stiers' performance as a stuttering TV executive in a 1976 Mary Tyler Moore Show episode led to his being cast as the overbearing Major Charles Emerson Winchester on the ever-popular M*A*S*H; at first signed to a two-year contract, Stiers remained with the series until its final episode in February of 1983. Before, during and after his tenure on M*A*S*H, Stiers kept busy in made-for-TV films, lending his patented authoritativeness to such real-life characters as Dr. Charles Mayo (in 1977's A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story), critic and social arbiter Cleveland Amory (1984's Anatomy of an Illness) and President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1987's J. Edgar Hoover). He was also seen as pontificating DA Michael Reston in several of the Perry Mason TV-movies of the late 1980s. Disney animation devotees will remember Stiers for his voiceover work as Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast (1988) and Lord Ratcliffe in Pocahontas (1995). Parlaying his lifelong love of classical music into a second career, David Ogden Stiers has served as guest conductor for over 70 major U.S. symphony orchestras. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2008
Originally produced as part of the "American Experience" documentary series, this in depth- look at the life and career of the 41st President of the United States draws on new scholarship and recently-conducted interviews with those closest to George H.W. Bush to highlight how an increasingly sluggish economy combined with a broken oath not to raise taxes ultimately prevented him from being elected to a second term in the Oval Office. While a decisive military victory in the Persian Gulf did well to boost Bush's popularity for a short while, the president's subsequent slip in popularity found him looked upon as something of an irrelevant relic of the Cold War era. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Ogden Stiers
- 2007
- Add Together Again for the First Time to QueueAdd Together Again for the First Time to top of Queue
Seven years after bringing their two large families together in marriage, a devoted couple invites their entire extended family over for the holidays with predictably disastrous results. Audrey Wolders-Frobisher (Julia Duffy) and her husband Max (David Ogden Stiers) have been happily married for nearly a decade, and all that time, their large family has never come together to celebrate the holidays under one roof. What better excuse for a reunion than to invite everyone over for a Christmas celebration? While it may have sounded like a good idea at first, Audrey and Max soon find their plan backfiring when they realize everyone has someplace else that they'd rather be. When an ex-boyfriend arrives unexpectedly and an unannounced television broadcast makes an already tense situation virtually unbearable, a sensitive family secret quickly boils to the surface. Now, the family that can't even sit down at the table together for a peaceful holiday meal will discover the importance of getting along despite the fact that they can't seem to agree on anything. Joey Lawrence and Patty Duke co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julia Duffy, David Ogden Stiers, (more)
- 2005
- Add Biography: John and Abigail Adams to QueueAdd Biography: John and Abigail Adams to top of Queue
John Adams and his wife Abigail shared a vision of American independence when they married in 1764 that would make for a dynamic partnership. This biography of the couple, as told through historian commentary and surviving letters between the two, examines the role they played in the American revolution. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
This documentary chronicles Louis Blériot's 1909 flight across the English Channel as well as his earlier struggles to successfully create and maintain his Model XI monoplane. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Ogden Stiers
- 2005
- Add American Experience: Fidel Castro to QueueAdd American Experience: Fidel Castro to top of Queue
In 1959, when Fidel Castro led a ragtag revolutionary army which miraculously overthrew the corrupt regime of Fulgencio Batista, he was hailed as a hero around the world, though many of the same people who praised him soon became his enemies when Castro installed a Communist government and entered into an alliance with the Soviet Union. Castro seemed to particularly enjoy baiting the United States of America (with his island only 90 miles from the Florida coast), but despite attempts on his life by the CIA, the enmity of a number of American presidents, the fall of the Soviet Union, and an economic stranglehold that threatens to starve his people, Castro remains a tenacious and charismatic leader who rules Cuba with an iron hand, though the man behind the image is known to only a trusted few. The American Experience: Fidel Castro is a documentary produced for PBS which profiles both the public leader and the private man, featuring interviews with family members, friends, political associates, writers, and activists who offer their perspectives on one of the most controversial leaders of the 20th century. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2005
- Add American Experience: Victory in the Pacific to QueueAdd American Experience: Victory in the Pacific to top of Queue
Victory in the Pacific documents the ending of the fighting in World War II's Pacific Theater. The film shows how the brutality and fatalities increased, and lays out the timeline of the various choices that led to the dropping of the atomic bomb -- the act that led most directly to the end of WWII. This video is part of the American Experience series. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 2004
- Add Winnie the Pooh: Springtime With Roo to QueueAdd Winnie the Pooh: Springtime With Roo to top of Queue
Walt Disney Pictures presents this straight-to-video animated feature starring Winnie the Pooh and friends. It's Easter and the whole gang is excited because that means Rabbit will be playing the Easter Bunny as he has in years past. Unfortunately for Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, and Roo, Rabbit isn't interested in partaking in any festivities and would rather spend the day focusing on spring cleaning. After some unsuccessful attempts to rouse Rabbit into the spirit, Roo has an idea that just might save they day. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Cummings, Ken Sansom, (more)
The third-season opener of The Dead Zone not only clarifies the presence of the mysterious futuristic stranger (Frank Whaley) who had been stalking psychic Johnny Smith (Anthony Michael Hall) throughout the closing episodes of season two, but also helps Johnny fill in the memory gaps resulting from his six-year coma -- the same coma from which he had awakened at the beginning of the series, to discover that he had gained the ability to read people's thoughts and predict their futures simply by touching their hands. In a more disturbing development, Johnny is accused of murdering a pretty young campaign worker for ruthless politician Greg Stillson (Sean Patrick Flanery), whom our hero knows will destroy the world if he, Stillson, is ever elected president. Once Johnny is cleared of the murder charge, he dedicates himself to proving that Stillson was the killer, with the assistance of a new recurring character, Rebecca Caldwell (Sarah Wynter), the sister of the dead woman. Elsewhere, series star Anthony Michael Hall makes his directorial debut in the episode "Cold Hard Truth," in which young J.J. Bannerman (Spencer Achtymichuk) finally discovers that Johnny is his biological father, and not Walt Bannerman (Chris Bruno), the current husband of Johnny's former fiancée, Sarah (Nicole de Boer). The season ends with part one of a two-part cliffhanger, "Tipping Point," in which Johnny courts a nervous breakdown while trying to bring the elusive Greg Stillson to justice; also in the finale, flamboyant televangelist Gene Purdy (David Ogden Stiers), whom Johnny has long suspected to be the murderer of his mother, makes a shocking confession. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Michael Hall, Nicole deBoer, (more)
- 2004
The fascinating tale of the structure often called one of the "Seven Wonders of the Modern World" comes to the screen in a documentary that originally aired as part of PBS's American Experience series. Before the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, harried hustler and energetic self-promoter Joseph Strauss had never designed or even overseen the construction of such a structure, though after 13 years of political red tape and damaging lawsuits, it was finally time to break ground and put his comprehensive plans to the ultimate test. Thanks to a dedicated crew of designers and construction workers, Strauss was finally able to realize his lifelong dream of constructing one of the most massive suspension bridges ever conceived. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2003
In the first half of Touched by an Angel's series finale, Heavenly caseworker Monica (Roma Downey) is at long last on the verge of being promoted to supervisor. First, however, she is required to pass one last test--and it's a formidable one indeed. Monica must somehow restore hope and faith to the profoundly grief-stricken citizens of Ascention, where all the children have been killed in a school explosion. Curiously, several of Monica's former "clients" have apparently settled in Ascention, including mentally challenged Joey (Paul Wittenberg), the sole witness to the tragedy. And what exactly is the story of happy-go-lucky handyman Zack (Scott Bairstow), who shows up in town just in time to be accused of setting off the explosion? Guest star Randy Travis sings "When Mama Prayed". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Roz (Peri Gilpin) cannot help but be amazed how much Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) has in common with his late mother's research assistant Leland Barton (David Ogden Stiers). Can it possibly be that Leland and not Martin (John Mahoney) is Frasier's father? Roz investigates and gets some unsettling information from Martin that seems to confirm her suspicions. But as things turn out, Leland has a different surprise for everyone. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Ogden Stiers, Linden Chiles, (more)
- 2003
In the conclusion of Touched by an Angel's two-part series finale, it appears as though Monica will fail her final test to become a Heavenly Supervisor. The town of Ascention remains entrapped in the grip of bitterness and hatred following a schoolhouse boiler explosion which killed all of the town's children. Worse still, genial handyman Zack (Scott Bairstow), the only person in town with a positive outlook on life, has been accused of deliberately causing the tragedy and put on trial for his life. Even with Monica's fellow angel Gloria (Valerie Bertinelli) and her old friend Mike (Patrick Duffy) handling his defense, the cards are obviously stacked against Zack--especially since the prosecuting attorney is really Satan in disguise. But what seems to be a hopeless situation takes a unexpected turn in the final moments...and there is a startling revelation at the very end. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Upon the death of his clergyman father, David Lewis (Louis Gossett Jr.), Bruce (John L. Adams) heads to Indianapolis for the funeral, bringing along his friend Johnny (Anthony Michael Hall) for emotional support. Brushing past the body of Pastor Lewis, Johnny experiences a strange vision which he inadvertently passes along to Bruce. Suddenly, Bruce is hurtled into a whole new existence -- precipitated by a completely revised past life, with events radically changed, but the principal characters remaining the same. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John L. Adams, Nicole deBoer, (more)
- 2003
Still recovering from the death of a close friend, Johnny (Anthony Michael Hall) goes on a vacation with the Bannermans and Bruce (John L. Adams). Before long, Johnny experiences another of his disturbing psychic visions -- this one of a tornado that bids fair to be the storm of the century. Despite his own fears of death, Johnny must confront the tornado head-on to save the lives of his loved ones. The first Dead Zone episode filmed in the letterbox format, "The Storm" was intended as the inaugural episode of the series' third season, but was included instead in season two. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John L. Adams, Nicole deBoer, (more)
- 2003
In a non-comic variation of the 1993 film Groundhog Day, Johnny (Anthony Michael Hall) meets an attractive insurance adjuster named Natalie Connor (Reiko Aylesworth) at a bar. Touching her hand, Johnny foresees a romantic future for himself and Natalie -- but the visions quickly take a grim turn, and before long he is witnessing Natalie's death and the events leading up to it, over and over and over again. Even worse, in his efforts to warn Natalie of her fate, Johnny succeeds only in heaping additional disaster upon her. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John L. Adams, Chris Bruno, (more)
- 2003
Filmed under the title "The Hunt for Osama," this episode finds Johnny (Anthony Michael Hall) joining the ranks of other psychics like himself in a covert U.S. counter-terrorist organization. For his first assignment, Johnny joins a "remote-viewing" operation to track down a dangerous fugitive terrorist, who though not identified by name bears a striking resemblance to a certain Afghanistan-based Muslim extremist leader. Originally scheduled to air on March 30, 2003, "The Hunt" was bumped back to July 27, presumably (and ironically) by cable TV's round-the-clock coverage of the Iraq war. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John L. Adams, Nicole deBoer, (more)
- 2003
While on a camping trip with the Bannermans, Johnny (Anthony Michael Hall) has a vision of a crashed plane with two million dollars on board. Sure enough, that amount has recently been stolen, and Johnny is invited to join a search party headed by mountain ranger Randy Truman (Scott William Winters). Also participating in the search are Mark and Pauline Dionne (Ian Tracey, Krista Rae), the owners of a local boat shop -- who happen to be the thieves who stole the loot, and who do not intend to leave any witnesses to their crime. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicole deBoer, Chris Bruno, (more)
- 2003
Envisioning the death of his prizefighter friend Danny Avila (Greg Serano) during an upcoming heavyweight title bout, Johnny (Anthony Michael Hall) goes public with his psychic premonitions. Alas, Johnny's announcement does not cancel the match as he had hoped; instead, the value of the fight has been enhanced as a big-time, pay-per-view attraction, and even the boxing commission has succumbed to the greedy excitement. Desperately, Johnny tries to figure out a way to allow Danny to go through with the fight and survive -- and to do this, he needs the unwitting assistance of Danny's opponent (Jay Winston Kramer). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John L. Adams, Nicole deBoer, (more)
- 2003
Who is the facially scarred "man in black" who has been stalking Johnny (Anthony Michael Hall) throughout the past few episodes? It turns out that the mystery man, Christopher Wey (Frank Whaley), has an important message from the future -- one that will profoundly alter the future of humanity. But Wey refuses to reveal the particulars of his prophecy unless Johnny agrees to prevent the seemingly unpreventable murders of Wey's wife (Ione Skye) and daughter. This final episode of The Dead Zone's second-season closes with the traditional cliffhanger, this time incorporating an ominous magazine cover. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John L. Adams, Nicole deBoer, (more)
