Roy Thinnes Movies
During his formative years, Roy Thinnes had wanted to become a doctor or football player--or, if one wants to believe his early press releases, both. Having made his professional acting debut as a teen-aged firebug in a 1957 pilot for the never-sold TV series Chicago 212, Thinnes spent several lean years "between engagements," working as a hotel clerk, vitamin salesman and copy boy to Chicago Sun Times columnist Irv Kupcinet. His first regular TV work was as Phil Brewer on the daytime soap opera General Hospital; during this period, the young actor became the television equivalent of a matinee idol, sparking a barrage of protest mail when he briefly left GH in pursuit of other acting jobs. Aggressively campaigning for the starring role of Ben Quick on the 1965 weekly-TV version of the 1958 film Long Hot Summer, Thinnes won the part, as well as a whole new crop of adoring female fans. While Summer was unsuccessful, Thinnes enjoyed a longer run as David Vincent on the Fugitive-like sci-fi series The Invaders (1967-68). Though he'd occasionally show up in such theatrical features as Hindenburg (1975), Airport 75 (1975) and Blue Bayou (1990), Thinnes would remain essentially a TV star for the rest of his career. Among Roy Thinnes' post-Invaders TV-series roles was Dr. James Whitman on The Psychiatrist (1971), Capt (and later Major) Holms on From Here to Eternity (1979-80), Nick Hogan on Falcon Crest (who, in 1983, married Victoria Gioberti [Jamie Rose] in a highly-rated ceremony) and the dual role of Roger Collins and Reverend Trask in the 1991 prime-time revival of Dark Shadows. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1999
A car dredged out of the Hudson River yields the remains of a human male. This gruesome discovery reopens a 30-year-old murder case involving a campus protestor. The D.A.'s office is met with a great deal of "brass resistance" from the NYPD in prosecuting the case -- perhaps because a security guard named Darryl Grady (Michael Higgins) is one of the key players. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
A group of party cruisers is besieged by a gunman, resulting in several fatalities. The subsequent investigation leads to a man who is leading a double life. When D.A. Adam Schiff (Steven Hill) refuses to seek the death penalty, he is removed from the case, leading to a tense judicial showdown between Schiff and the Governor of New York. This final episode of Law & Order's seventh season culminates in a devastating personal tragedy for the beleaguered Adam Schiff. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Workaholic Secret Service operative Marty Dillard (Heidi Swedberg) makes no secret of her resentment when rookie agent Monica (Roma Downey) is assigned to protect Presidential candidate Hammond (Roy Thinnes), who has been threatened with assassination. Meanwhile, Angel of Death Andrew (John Dye) joins Marty's team as a forensic specialist--but contrary to expectations, he has not been assigned to "collect" the beleagured Hammond. A climactic medical crisis involving an "insignificant" old fisherman named Ulysses (Ben Vereen) reveals the true purpose of Monica and Andrew's Heavenly mission. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
When a private detective takes on a missing person assignment trying to find an Italian aristocrat's uncle, she discovers a conspiracy of murder and drugs. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cybill Shepherd, Robert Beltran, (more)
- 1992
A private detective becomes involved in a new cast when her partner's guardian is murdered. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Crystal Bernard, Annabeth Gish, (more)
- 1991
Just outside of St. Louis sits the main factory for Edna's Pies, a baking concern run by Edna Hayes (Phyllis Newman), an old friend of Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury). When the IRS swoops down on Edna demanding a fortune in back taxes, Edna concludes that she has been betrayed by her ex-husband Nolan (Macon McCalman)--who, sure enough, is the government's key witness. Inevitably, Nolan is murdered and Edna is accused of the crime...and it is at this point that Jessica takes a hand in matters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
An Inconvenient Woman, an excellent television mini-series based on the novel by Dominick Dunne, which is loosely based on the Alfred Bloomingdale scandal, tells the story of the mistress of a famous man who he has murdered when she threatens his security. Jules Mendelson (Jason Robards) and his socialite wife Pauline (Jill Eikenberry) have a marriage of convenience that is threatened by the existence of Jules cast-off mistress Flo (Rebecca De Mornay) who knows too much and can cause them all too much trouble. So, Jules plans to have her eliminated. The fine cast all give good performances in their roles, and the subject matter, while potentially lurid and tasteless, is treated with sophistication and tact in this excellent adaptation of the best-selling novel. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- 1990
When a councilman is mugged, detectives Greevey (George Dzundza) and Logan (Chris Noth) follow a trail of evidence leading to Anthony Scalisi (Paul Guilfoyle), a prominent mobster. Typically, this is not the end of the case -- not when the D.A.'s office decides to use Scalisi as bait to trap some supposedly "respectable" city officials. The fact that assistant D.A.'s Logan (Michael Moriarty) and Robinette (Richard Brooks) are shown meeting for the first time, not to mention the conspicuous absence of series regular Steven Hill as D.A. Adam Schiff, is proof enough that "Everybody's Favorite Bagman" was the pilot episode for Law & Order -- though it was not the first episode to be telecast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Alfre Woodard plays a Los Angeles DA who moves back to her home town of New Orleans. She does this so that her teenaged son (Keith Williams) can be nearer to his estranged dad (Mario van Peebles). No sooner has Woodard arrived in "The Big Easy" than she is swept up in a local sex scandal. While the main plot is resolved, several secondary story lines are left unresolved, suggesting that Blue Bayou was the pilot film for an unsold series. The film was written by LA Law's Terry Louise Fisher and directed by Cagney and Lacey's Karen Arthur. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
This drama, based on a true story, chronicles the terrifying experiences of an American divorcee who went on vacation to Turkey. As she tried to leave she found herself wrongfully accused of smuggling antiques. To her horror, she is sent to a dreaded Turkish prison. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1987
When Mary Rose Welch (Joan Caulfield) is injured in a car accident, she prevails upon Jessica (Angela Lansbury) to travel to the town of Eden, where Mary's sister has recently died under mysterious circumstances. Figuring that the best way to get to the truth is to adopt a guise, Jessica poses as Mary and shows up in Eden for the funeral. It doesn't take her long to determine that this "idyllic" community is hardly Edenlike, and that skeletons in the closet abound! Among the suspects on this occasion are Sheriff Landry (Roy Thinnes), Dr. Lynch (MacDonald Carey) and realtor C.J. Dobbs (Stuart Whitman)--all of whom knew Mary a little more intimately than they're willing to reveal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Jessica (Angela Lansbury) pays a visit her niece Tracey (Linda Grovenor), an up-and-coming jockey. After winning a race, Tracey has a confrontation with the horse's owner, indicating that she was supposed to have thrown the race. Not long after, the owner turns up murdered--and Tracey is the prime suspect. Naturally, Jessica isn't about to let her niece take the rap for a crime she didn't commit...and besides, she has a pretty good idea "whodunit" (especially since the revelation of the actual culprit follows the most reliable of the Murder She Wrote guidelines!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
