Ellen Travolta Movies
Todd Robinson's Lonely Hearts features John Travolta and James Gandolfini as Elmer C. Robinson and Charles Hildebrandt, a pair of homicide detectives who are on the trail of lovers on a crime spree. The evil duo of Ray Fernandez (Jared Leto) and Martha Beck (Salma Hayek) take advantage of elderly widows, stealing as much money as they can after gaining the victim's confidence, and then murdering their mark. Robinson becomes drawn into the case too deeply in order to help him confront his feelings, as his wife has recently killed herself. The story is based on the real life "Lonely Hearts" killers of the late '40s, the infamous couple whom the director's grandfather played a large part in bringing to justice. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Travolta, James Gandolfini, (more)
- 2001
Three guys from New Jersey decide they need some male bonding with their fathers -- whether their fathers like it or not -- in this independent comedy. When his grandfather dies, Richie Gallo (Scott Baio) finds himself thinking about his relationship with his family, and realizes that he barely knows his aging father Jimmy (Dean Stockwell). Richie discusses his emotionally distant relationship with his dad with his pals Al (Carlo Imperato) and Philly (Thomas Calabro), and they confess they aren't much closer to their own fathers -- and their fractured family lives have had an impact on their less-than-stable relationships with women. Richie decides they should get closer to their dads before it's too late, so Richie, Al, and Philly fast-talk their fathers Jimmy, Charlie (Joe Viterelli), and Phil (Alex Rocco) into joining them for a long weekend getaway of family bonding, though the older men are hardly enthusiastic about the idea. Star Scott Baio co-wrote the screenplay for Face to Face, which was based on a story he wrote with Adam Ferrara and fellow cast member Carlo Imperato. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Stockwell, Alex Rocco, (more)
In this drama about intolerance and acceptance that takes place during World War I, a pair of German orphans, Helmut and Brigitta, are sent to a farming community in the Pacific Northwest after a stay in an internment camp. While they are welcomed by some in the town, many resent their presence, especially those who have lost family members in the war. However, a teacher at the school takes a liking to them, and Helmut discovers he has a talent for basketball. Eventually, Helmut gets a chance to prove his worth to the community by playing in a special basketball game; if the neighborhood team wins, it will mean a new harvesting machine for the local farmers. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote, Karen Allen, (more)
- 1989
This time, the spotlight is on a friend of Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury--namely, Bill Boyle (Ken Howard), a former football star turned detective. When Bill agrees to temporarily take care of a pal's valuable poodle, he ends up permanently saddled with the pooch when the owner is murdered, clutching three empty IV bags in his cold, dead fingers. It soon becomes clear that the murderers have now targeted both Bill and the poodle, plunging man and dog alike into a hotbed of international intrigue. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Although Charles in Charge fulfilled its mission to produce 100 episodes for daily strip syndication by the end of its fourth season on the air (one season on network, three in off-net), the series remained popular with young viewers, and thus was green-lighted for a fifth and final season of 26 half-hour installments. Most of the familiar cast remains intact: Scott Baio as college student and "male governess" Charles; Willie Aames as Charles' best friend Buddy; James Callahan and Sondra Kerns as Charles' employers the Powells; Nicole Eggert, Josie Davis and Alexander Polinsky as the three Powell children; and Ellen Travolta as Charles' freewheeling mom Lillian. Among the newer additions to the cast is Marlyn Mason as Julia, the steady lady friend of the Powell kids' crabby grandfather Walter Powell (Callahan). Also, several stars in the making appear in guest roles, including Tiffani Amber-Thiessen, Samantha Fox, and Pamela Anderson. The season -- and the series -- ends as Charles is accepted to Princeton's graduate school, and Ellen Travolta essays a dual role as Lillian and her twin sister Sally, who runs a car wash populated by attractive young actors. One might suspect that the series' final episode, depicting life in that car wash, was designed as a spin-off TV vehicle for the talented Ms. Travolta (though no such vehicle ever materialized). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Baio, James Callahan, (more)
- 1987
Charles in Charge begins its fourth season on the air -- and its third season in off-network syndication -- with the title character, a now-22-year-old college student, still earning his bread and board as male governess for the three Powell children: Jamie (Nicole Eggert), Sarah (Josie Davis), and Adam (Alexander Polinsky). Helping Charles perform his duties is his best friend Buddy (Willie Aames), while the Powell kids' mom Ellen (Sondra Kerns) and grandfather Walter (James Callahan) carefully watch over our hero to make sure he doesn't screw up (which he hasn't yet, at least not to any great extent!). A few changes are in store this season. First off, Charles' freewheeling mom Lillian (Ellen Travolta) purchases the cast's favorite hangout, Sid's Pizza Parlor, reconverting it into the '50s-themed Yesterday Café -- a move that does not assume full significance until the two-part episode "Charles Splits," in which a bump on the head transforms Charles into his favorite TV character, "the Fonz" from Happy Days. (Is it necessary to remind anyone that Scott Baio himself was a Happy Days alumnus?) Secondly, Justin Whelan is introduced in the role of Lillian's wise-guy nephew Anthony, who shakes things up in the Powell household for a handful of episodes. Thirdly, Charles meets the love of his life, Stephanie Curtis, played by none other than Erika Eleniak. And finally, we meet Commander Robert Powell (James O'Sullivan), long-absent husband of Charles' employer Ellen Powell, for the very first time. Guest stars this season range from veterans like Charles Nelson Reilly and Donny Most to comparative newcomers Kellie Martin and Tracey Gold. The most poignant guest appearances is that of Sally Struthers, playing a demure schoolteacher who turns out to be a fugitive '60s activist in the episode "Still at Large." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Baio, James Callahan, (more)
Having survived its freshman year in off-network syndication (following a desultory network run a few seasons earlier), Charles in Charge returns for a third season of 26 episodes, with Scott Baio returning as the title character, a 21-year-old college student who works as male governess to the three children of the Powell family. The season opens with two-parter in which Charles is reunited with Gwendolyn Pierce (Jennifer Runyon), the girl whom he had ardently pursued back during the series' brief tenure on CBS. In subsequent episodes, Charles' mother Lillian (Ellen Travolta), having left her hometown of Scranton far behind, takes over operation of Sid's Pizza Parlor, where the entire cast congregates on a regular basis; Charles proves his mettle by organizing a homecoming celebration for Commander Powell, the long-absent Naval officer husband of his boss Ellen Powell (Sondra Kerns) -- the Commander has not yet shown up on the series -- nor will he show up in this episode; and venerable character actor Dabbs Greer (he was the "older" Tom Hanks in the movie The Green Mile) guest-stars as the crusty seafaring father of Ellen's taciturn dad Walter (James Callahan). Other familiar actors making guest appearances this season include John Astin, Mindy Cohn, Jerry Van Dyke, Jack Riley, Vito Scotti, and a very young Mark-Paul Gosselaar. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Baio, James Callahan, (more)
- 1986
Abuse is the key word of this made-for-TV drama. This time, it is abuse levelled against ageing parents by their own children. As the title indicates, the violence grows from mounting frustrations. Tuesday Weld stars as an emotionally tattered woman who goes off the deep end when her husband Peter Bonerz leaves her. Weld vents her spleen upon her mother, heartrendingly portrayed by Geraldine Fitzgerald. Of special interest is the early appearance by River Phoenix as Weld's teenaged son. Filmed under the title A Family of Strangers, Circle of Violence: A Family Drama originally aired October 12, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
After the death of a Down's Syndrome Child, pediatrician Barbara Lubow (Colleen Dewhurst) asks Quincy (Jack Klugman) to perform an autopsy. Much to his dismay, Quincy determines that the child had been starved to death by his parents--at the encouragement of their family doctor. Appalled by this callous attitude towards Down's children, Quincy becomes involved in the trials and tribulations of a married couple (Tyne Daly, Clu Gulager), whose efforts to establish a group home for six handicapped youngsters is meeting with violent opposition from their bigoted neighbors. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
- G
The first volley in the never-ending "Presley movie" blitzkrieg, the made-for-TV Elvis: The Movie stars Kurt Russell as the King, Season Hubley as Priscilla, Pat Hingle as Col. Parker, Shelley Winters as Elvis' mom, and Bing Russell (Kurt's real-life father) as Elvis' dad. The film recounts Presley's life from age ten to his 1969 Vegas comeback. Presley imitator Ronnie McDowell expertly dubs in Kurt Russell's renditions of "Love Me Tender," "Heartbreak Hotel," et al. When first telecast on February 11, 1979, the ratings for Elvis: The Movie went through the roof, even beating out a competing telecast of Gone With the Wind. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kurt Russell, Shelley Winters, (more)
- 1979
- R
Country singer Rachel Foster (Linda Haynes) stumbles across the scene of a mass murder in this routine horror feature. She is arrested and charged with the murders and placed in prison. Psychiatric sessions are run by the sadistic and misogynist Dr. Kline (Geoffrey Lewis). His idea of mental health is to erase the patient's personalities and completely replace them with new ones through brainwashing. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Linda Haynes, Geoffrey Lewis, (more)
- 1978
Made for television, this little gem was based on a novel by Patrick Anderson. The title character, the sister of a government courier, barely has time to acquaint herself with the audience before she is murdered - leading us to wonder who did it, and if it is, in fact, true that the dead woman was a Soviet spy. Beau Bridges, Karen Grassle, Susan Blanchard, Larry Hagman, Don Porter and Gail Strickland are among those present. The President's Mistress was "World Premiered" on February 10, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Another of the many Arthur Hailey literary properties which were transformed into TV miniseries in the 1970s, the five-part, ten-hour Wheels took place in Detroit sometime in the late 1960s. Rock Hudson starred as Adam Trenton, executive in charge of project development at the fictional auto-manufacturing firm of National Motors. Ambitious and ruthless, Adam let nothing stand in the way of his development and production of a new, youth-marketed car known as the Hawk. Meanwhile, Adam's bored and neglected wife Erica (Lee Remick, who earned an Emmy nomination for her performance) drifted into an extramarital affair and a brief "career" as a shoplifter. Eventually, Adam himself acquired a mistress, who in turn fell in love with Adam's son Kirk (James Carrol Jordan). As if things couldn't get any seamier, Kirk's brother Greg (Howard McGillin) was plagued by a blackmailer, while crooked car dealer Smokey Stevenson (played by miniseries stalwart Anthony Franciosa) cooked up a sinister deal that threatened to destroy National Motors. Originally telecast from May 7 to 15, 1978 on NBC, Arthur Hailey's Wheels posted such disappointing ratings that, when it was later rebroadcast, the property was whittled down from ten hours to four -- with episodes three and four summarily dropped from the proceedings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rock Hudson, Lee Remick, (more)
- 1978
This is an average made-for-TV thriller about a high-school student (Kathleen Beller) with a psychotic secret admirer. The usual stalking and false scares pad the 96 minutes between commercials, until Beller finally confronts her assailant. On a positive note, there is a good supporting cast, with Blythe Danner, Tony Bill, Ellen Travolta, and Dennis Quaid along for the minimal chills. Fans of this sort of thing could find it a watchable diversion on a rainy day, but it's nothing special. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
"Grease," said the poster and the Barry Gibb song, "is the word." Transferring its setting from Chicago to sunny California, and adding a dash of disco to the ersatz '50s score, producer Allan Carr and director Randal Kleiser turned this long-running Jim Jacobs - Warren Casey Broadway smash into the biggest blockbuster of 1978. 1950s teens Danny (John Travolta) and Australian transfer Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) spend their "Summer Nights" falling in love, but once fall comes, it's back to Rydell High and its cliques. As one of the bad boy T-Birds, Danny has to act cool for best pal Kenickie (Jeff Conaway) and their leather-clad mates Sonny (Michael Tucci) and Doody (Barry Pearl, in the role Travolta played on stage). Despite befriending Frenchy (Didi Conn), one of the rebel Pink Ladies, virginal Sandy is "too pure to be Pink," as the Ladies' leader Rizzo (Stockard Channing) acidly observes. Declaring their devotion in such ballads as "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and "Sandy," Sandy and Danny split, reconcile, and split again amidst a pep rally, dances, drive-ins, and a drag race, before deciding "You're the One That I Want" at the climactic carnival. With Travolta white-hot from Saturday Night Fever (1977), Grease soundtrack singles climbed the charts and summer movie crowds poured in. With the presence of Joan Blondell, Eve Arden, Sid Caesar, Edd "Kookie" Byrnes and Frankie Avalon appealing to grown-up memories, Grease became the highest grossing film of 1978, the highest grossing movie musical ever, and the third most popular film of the new blockbuster '70s after Star Wars (1977) and Jaws (1975). Its sequel, Grease 2, did not exactly set the world on fire in 1982. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, (more)
- 1977
Cover Girls isn't really a Charlie's Angels rip-off. Honest! Look: there are three girls in Charlie's Angels and only two girls (Jayne Kennedy and Cornelia Sharpe) in Cover Girls. Besides, the Angels are private eyes, working on behalf of boss John Forsythe; the Cover Girls are fashion models, doubling as secret agents on behalf of boss Don Galloway. Just because Cover Girls premiered on May 18, 1977, six months into Charlie's Angels' fabulous first season, doesn't mean that there was any conscious copycatting. Does it? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jayne Kennedy, Cornelia Sharpe, (more)
- 1976
In the conclusion of a two-part story, an unemployed Archie continues to look for work. After landing a minimum-wage custodial job, Archie finds himself in the position of saving an unsuccessful applicant for the same job -- and a college graduate to boot -- from committing suicide. Gerald Hiken guest-stars as the hapless Frank Edwards. Written by Charles Stewart and Ben Starr, part two of "The Unemployment Story" originally aired on October 13, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, (more)
