Dolph Sweet Movies

Casting a pall over the proceedings in season four of Gimme a Break is the serious illness of co-star Dolph Sweet, whose appearances as Glen Falls, CA police chief Carl Kanisky are for the most part limited to walk-ons, with very little dialogue. In the earliest episodes of the season, The Chief is conspicuous by his absence, resulting from Sweet's stomach surgery. When he finally returns to the cast, he seems wan and distracted, literally phoning in his performance on several occasions. Reportedly, the series' producers, aware of Sweet's condition, offered the actor the opportunity to retire from the series, but Sweet valiantly insisted upon sticking it out until season's end -- a few weeks after production closed down, the 65-year-old actor was dead of stomach cancer. On a brighter note, Telma Hopkins is now a full regular in the role of Dr. Addy Wilson, lifelong friend of The Chief's outspoken housekeeper Nell Harper (Nell Carter), thereby permitting both characters ample opportunity to show off their musical skills. Nell in particular in is in splendid voice this season, joining in duets with such guest stars as Sammy Davis Jr. and Ray Parker Jr. Meanwhile, The Chief's three daughters are growing apace. After briefly attending junior college, oldest daughter Katie (Kari Michaelsen) drops out to open a boutique; youngest daughter Sam (Lara Jill Miller) has long since passed the tomboy stage and is dating regularly; and middle daughter Julie (Lauri Hendler) has fallen in love with Jonathan (Jonathan Silverman), a young archeologist introduced in the episode "Jonathan's Lie." By the end of season four, Julie and Jonathan have run off to Las Vegas to get married -- on Julie's 18th birthday! Flashing back to the season opener, the two-part "New Orleans" finds Nell and the Kaniskys' foster son Joey (Joey Lawrence) visiting the titular metropolis during the 1984 World's Fair, where Joey is reunited with his father and Nell nearly marries a man whom she's only known for 24 hours. Later on, Addy is likewise reunited with her long-lost dad, but only after the aging roué has tried to make time with Nell! Still later, another two-parter, "Alabamy Bound," introduces Rosetta Le Noire as Nell's hyper-judgmental mother Maybelle. And on February 23, 1985, the episode "Cat Story" was telecast live in the Eastern and Central Time Zones -- a rare occurrence for prime time television of the period. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

First telecast March 2, 1981, The Acorn People was adapted by director Joan Tewksbury from the book by Ron Jones. Ted Bessell plays a no-nonsense children's counselor who takes a job at a summer camp for severely handicapped children. The kids jokingly refer to themselves as "the acorn people"--a reference to the acorn necklaces that they've made for themselves, and to the fact that they'd never blossomed into full-grown "trees." Bessell is determined to remain detached from his charges, but with the help of nurse Cloris Leachman and assitant LeVar Burton, Bessell emerges from the two-week camp a compassionate, caring person, as fully concerned with the lives of the Acorns as the year-round staff. The Acorn People was filmed on location in Dallas, with several of the area's genuine handicapped children playing supporting roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jaclyn Smith trades the flimsy costumes of Charlie's Angels for the pink pillbox hat and white gloves of the former First Lady of the Land in the made-for-TV Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. The daughter of socialites "Black Jack" Bouvier (Rod Taylor) and Janet Lee (Claudette Nevins), Jackie spends her early adulthood at the posh Newport estate of her stepfather, Louis Auchincloss (Donald Moffat). In 1953, 24-year-old Jackie marries Senator John F. Kennedy (James Franciscus), himself a child of privilege. The film follows the King and Queen of "Camelot" through Kennedy's 1960 election as President, the tragedy of Jackie's highly publicized miscarriage in the summer of 1963, and the JFK assassination in the fall of that year. All things considered, Jaclyn Smith does a pretty creditable job capturing the "public" Jackie Kennedy, even if the "private" Jackie remains as elusive as she was in real life. (Sidebar: Though "Camelot" is heard on the soundtrack, the real Jackie Kennedy would later note that it was not her husband's favorite song, never mind the legend-weavers in the Kennedy camp). Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy was first broadcast October 14, 1981. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this drama, an ex-hooker reluctantly accepts an undercover assignment for the cops and returns to her old stomping grounds. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Waitress Regina Baff would do anything to escape her go-nowhere existence. And by "anything", that means she'd be willing to risk life and limb in the wrestling ring, disguised as "The Mexican Spitfire" (never mind that she's Polish). Trained by veteran lady wrestler Mildred Burke (playing herself), Baff seeks fame and fortune on the Midwest grappling circuit, finding neither but having a high old time in the process. Based on Rosalyn Drexler's novel To Smithereens, Below the Belt was mostly filmed in 1974, but not released until after the Rocky pictures took hold. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Adapted from the once-notorious trilogy of novels by James T. Farrell, the three-part miniseres Studs Lonigan isn't quite as earthy and explicit as its source, but is lot more faithful to the original than the 1960 film version. Set in Chicago and covering the years from 1916 to 1931, this is the story of a brawling, braggadocio young Irish-American lad named Studs Lonigan (played as a child by Dan Shor, and as an adult by Harry Hamlin in his first major TV role). Despite his rough veneer, Studs is sensitive and concerned about his future, though he doesn't want to follow the values set forth by his tradition-bound parents (Charles Durning, Colleen Dewhurst). Hanging around with his childhood buddies, Studs gets into all sorts of scrapes and becomes involved with a number of women, notably the decent, demure Catherine (Diana Scarwid) and the lusty, libidinous Lucy (Lisa Pelikan). Though he grows in age and size, Studs has trouble maturing emotionally, surrounded by the pressures of a rough, prejudice-ridden neighborhood and the increasing hooliganism of his cronies. As the Depression crashes heavily upon the scene, Studs finds himself "trapped" in the very sort of middle-class quagmire that he'd always hoped to avoid. Earning an Emmy Award for art/set direction, the 6-hour Studs Lonigan originally aired March 7, 14 and 21, 1979, as part of NBC's Novels for Television anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This TV movie stars Jean Stapleton as the real-life "Aunt" Mary Dobkin, a physically handicapped woman living in the Baltimore of the 1940s. Concerned that juvenile delinquency is destroying her neighborhood, Aunt Mary organizes the "Dobkin Dynamiters", a baseball team comprised of disadvantaged and minority children. As she fights to have her biracial team officially sanctioned by the highly segregated Baltimore power structure, Aunt Mary is further challenged by the amputation of her left leg and right foot. Nonetheless, she perseveres over the next two decades, providing nearly 35,000 disenfranchised boys the opportunity to escape the streets and play ball. Sportscaster Ernie Harwell, who'd once called the shots for the Baltimore Orioles, makes a cameo appearance in this 1979 Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This made-for-television biography spans the life of boxer Rocky Marciano, the only heavyweight to remain undefeated during his career. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

King: The Martin Luther King Story originated as a three-part miniseries, first telecast February 12, 13 and 14, 1978. Paul Winfield is starred as Martin Luther King, with Cicely Tyson as Coretta Scott King. The film covers the years 1954 through 1968, taking Rev. King from his first peaceful protests against segregation in Montgomery to his murder in Memphis. Scenarist/director Daniel Mann came under fire in 1978 for his adaptation of King's life, and for once the critics were right. Despite Winfield's masterful and accurate portrayal of King, the rest of the 6-hour drama compromises the truth with the hokiest of fabrications. Just a few examples: Sheriff "Bull" Connor's men walk out on him en masse when he threatens to hose down black schoolchildren; Mayor Daley warns King against protesting in Chicago, saying "We have a reputation to protect; this is the home of Al Capone"; King has a friendly meeting with Malcolm X in 1966, a full year after Malcolm X was killed....and so it goes. Martin Luther King certainly deserved a superior mini-series. Perhaps some day he'll get one. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Impressive production values can't disguise the painfully dated premise of this TV movie which stars Robert Foxworth as an over-stressed advertising executive whose doctor prescribes a lengthy period of rest and recuperation. Foxworth decides to voyage to Hawaii -- where his grandfather once worked as a missionary -- and soon finds himself the victim of an island curse which the natives first placed upon his grandfather, who then passed it to his son, and so on... until, before he can say "Larry Talbot," Foxworth begins developing an unsightly hair-growth issue by the next full moon. Despite the exotic setting and a rather daring abundance of skin for a TV movie, this is a stodgy and completely unnecessary throwback to low-grade monster films of yore, complete with slow-dissolve transformations and rubber-teeth monster effects. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

With Charles (Michael Landon) out of town on a job and her siblings elsewhere occupied, little Carrie Ingalls feels lonely and neglected. Her solution: to create an imaginary lookalike friend named Alyssa, and to embark on a series of thrilling adventures. In this special 90-minute episode, the role of Carrie, normally shared by twins Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush, is played by Lindsay alone, while Sidney is portrayed by Sidney -- the first time that both sisters ever appeared together onscreen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The misfit kiddie baseball team from the first film is given the opportunity to play in a Junior League match between double-header games at the Houston Astrodome. Two obstacles stand in their way: beloved teammate Timmy Lupus (Quinn Smith) has broken his leg, and the team has no adult coach. Attempting to change their luck, star player Kelly Leak (Jackie Earle Haley) tries to talk his estranged dad (William Devane) into coaching and locates a self-proclaimed hotshot pitcher named Carmen Ronzonni (Jimmy Baio). Watch for quickie cameos by real-life Houston Astros members Robert J. Watson, Enos Cabell, Roger Metzger, James Richard, Joe Ferguson, Ken Forsch, William Virdon, and Cesar Cedeno. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ingredients essential to this made-for-TV movie are a famous former pro football player, an interracial romance, and a brutal murder. Yes, the football player is O.J. Simpson, but the film was made a full 17 years before the death of Nicole Brown Simpson. In A Killing Affair, Simpson is cast as police detective Woody York, who is partnered with white female cop Viki Eaton (Elizabeth Montgomery) to solve a mysterious killing. In the course of the assignment, Woody and Viki fall in love. Also known as Behind the Badge, A Killing Affair premiered September 21, 1977, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide