Jay Varela Movies
American character actor Jay Varela appeared on stage, television, and in a few feature films of the '70s and '80s. He was typically cast as a Native American or someone of Spanish descent. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1987
- PG13
This romantic comedy is based on a true story that happened in California in 1944. Sonny Wisecarver (Patrick Dempsey) is 15 year old who has an affair with his older neighbor Judy (Talia Balsam). The two run off and get married, but a stern judge has the union annulled. Sonny is hauled before the same judge when he gets involved with another older woman (Beverly D'Angelo), and the publicity makes him the object of affection for millions of young women who believe Sonny has something special. Michael Constantine and Betty Jinnett play Sonny's concerned parents. Carl Reiner is the uncredited narrator, and the real-life Elliott "Sonny" Wisecarver has a cameo appearance as a mailman. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Dempsey, Beverly D'Angelo, (more)
- 1983
Elizabeth Montgomery, the queen of the TV-movie "victims," plays a more take-charge role in Missing Pieces. Cast as a private detective, Montgomery has to deal with an unpleasant memory, a near-insoluble mystery, and a pursuing murderer. Drugs and political corruption are also part and parcel of this Chandleresque puzzler. In true noir fashioned, the story is narrated by Montgomery throughout. Based on a novel by Karl Alexander, Missing Pieces originally came together on May 14, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, Ron Karabatsos, (more)
- 1983
Billy Warlock stars in this ABC Afterschool Special as a 16-year-old boy who is desperate to impress his peer group. This leads him to break every rule in the book and to make as much trouble as possible, much to the dismay of his family. When the boy's misbehavior finally earns him a weekend in jail, the time has clearly come to shock him to his senses -- and to not-so-gently divest him of the mindset that, no matter what happens, "It's not my fault!" ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Warlock, Jay Varela, (more)
- 1981
Virtually overnight, the remote Mexican village of San Remos has become a religious shrine thanks to the "sacred relics" unearthed by a young woman named Jacinta (Eugenia Wright). People from all over the world are crowding into the tiny community, hoping to be cured of catastrophic illnesses by Jacinta and her holy artifacts. At the request of Archbishop Vallejo (Rene Enriquez), Quincy (Jack Klugman) and Sam (Robert Ito) join an international medical team to determine if the ancient religious icons are genuine--and the results are quite astonishing for all concerned. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
Condominium is a two-part, four-hour TV adaptation of the novel by John D. McDonald. The setting is a hastily constructed Florida high-rise, assembled at the least possible cost by its greedy owners. An oncoming hurricane threatens to topple the structure and its residents into the ocean. Various degrees of greed, lust, terror and concern are displayed by stars Steve Forrest, Dan Haggerty, Ralph Bellamy, Barbara Eden, Stuart Whitman, Jack Jones and Pamela Hensley. Produced for the syndicated "Operation Prime Time" series, Condominium was first made available to local stations on November 20, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
The new, pro-American president of the island nation of San Christos is on the verge of breaking off diplomatic relations with the U.S. At the core of the crisis is a new Diptheria vaccine produced in American and sent to the children of San Christos. It appears as though the vaccine is tainted, and has caused several deaths. Quincy (Jack Klugman) and Sam (Robert Ito) are dispatched to San Christos in hopes of learning all the facts--and, in the process, avoiding a devastating international incident that would greatly benefit the new president's political enemies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
At the height of a four-day torrential downpour, a mudslide unearths a body in a mountaintop cemetary. Peforming lab tests on the corpse, Quincy (Jack Klugman) discovers that the death may have been due to typhoid--and that this body and several others were buried illegally. In his frantic efforts to determine the truth behind this mystery, and to avoid a widespread epidemic, Quincy once again runs up against the brick wall of bureaucracy (to say nothing of that old municipal ritual popularly known as "C.Y.A.") ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
A Martinez heads the guest cast in this episode as Hispanic SFPD officer Jimmy Vega. Outraged that his old neighborhood is in the grip of elusive drug pusher Roberto Perez (Lloyd Battista), Jimmy is willing to do anything to bring Perez to justice--even if it means planting false evidence. Once again, detectives Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) are placed in the ethical dilemma of ruining the career of a fellow cop in order to protect the rights of a scurrilous piece of scum like Perez. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
This episode was designed as the pilot for a proposed Kojak spinoff, starring Vincent Gardenia) as Lt. Kojak's former NYPD colleague Vince LaGuardia. Now working in Las Vegas, LaGuardia alerts Kojak (Telly Savalas) of his plan to extradite an elderly counterfeiter (Jeff Corey) to Manhattan. When the old man suddenly dies in his jail cell, Vince suspects foul play and launches a search for an unknown hitman. All the while, the veteran cop endeavors to balance his professional life with his personal responsibilities as surrogate father to his nephew Nick (Mike Darnell). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Telecast April 17, 1974, Nakia was the pilot film for the shortlived ABC drama series of the same name. In the tradition of Billy Jack, Native American deputy sheriff Nakia Parker (Robert Fortier) tries to protect his people from the machinations of villainous whites. In this instance, Nakia stands up against an insensitive city council which plans to sell a historic mission to an evil land developer (is there any other kind on TV?) Nakia was filmed on location in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as was the weekly series itself, which ran from September 21 to December 28, 1974. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
- PG
This romantic western drama, based on the best-selling novel by Marilyn Durham, stars Burt Reynolds as Jay Grobart, an outlaw married to an Indian woman named Cat Dancing. When Cat is raped and murdered, a distraught Grobart kills the man responsible for the crime; he soon pulls a robbery with the help of his friends Dawes (Jack Warden) and Billy (Bo Hopkins), and is now on the run from the law. While in transit, Grobart and his partners run across Catherine (Sarah Miles), a woman running away from her abusive husband Crocker (George Hamilton). Catherine is abducted by Dawes and Billy, but Grobart protects her from their violence and threats of rape. As Grobart and Catherine get to know each other, they find themselves falling in love, and despite his lawless past, she admires him for avenging the death of the woman he loved. Grobart, Catherine, and the men travel to the Indian village where Grobart lived with Cat Dancing and their son; however, Lapchance (Lee J. Cobb), a bounty hunter hired by Crocker, is on their trail to bring Catherine back to her husband. The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing was one of Burt Reynolds' first major starring roles after Deliverance elevated him to full-fledged film stardom following years in television and low-budget pictures. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Sarah Miles, (more)
- 1973
- PG
In this western set at the turn-of-the-century, an outlaw finds himself at one of life's crossroads as he must decide whether to go straight or continue a life of crime. After bungling a train robbery he decides he should go straight and settle down. He chooses the town of Dime Box, Texas. There he undertakes a series of simple jobs under the watchful, ever-suspicious eye of the town sheriff. Try as he might, the outlaw cannot resist the lure of robbery. He ends up stealing a local factory's Christmas payroll and taking off into the desert with some renegade Indian pals. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1972
- R
Claudia Jennings stars as Karen Walker, a woman who sets her sights for roller derby success. Released a few months after Raquel Welch's Kansas City Bomber, Unholy Rollers gives the Welch film a run for its money, despite its exploitation budget, by adding nudity and lesbianism. After being sexually harassed by her loutish boss at the factory, Karen walks out of her job and tries out for the roller derby. She quickly wins a spot on the team and rises to the top, intent on ignoring the violence and grandstanding and concentrating on winning games. Although her teammates dislike her, Karen becomes a hit with the roller derby fans. But soon, her desire for victory becomes an obsession and she ends up losing not only her cool but also most of her clothes. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claudia Jennings, Louis Quinn, (more)
