Robert Vaughn Movies
To hear him tell it, Robert Vaughn has spent most of his acting career getting very well paid for being artistically frustrated. Born in Manhattan and raised in Minnesota, Vaughn went straight from college drama classes to his first film, the juvenile delinquent opus No Time to Be Young (1957). Ever on the search for "meaningful" roles, Vaughn signed to play a survivor of a nuclear apocalypse in what he assumed would be a serious, politically potent drama: the film was released as Teenage Caveman (1957). Though Oscar-nominated for his performance as a crippled, alcoholic war veteran in The Young Philadelphians (1959), Vaughn didn't rise to full stardom until 1964, where he was signed to play ultra-cool secret agent Napoleon Solo in the TV espionage series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (1964-1968). He swore at that time that he'd never, ever subject himself to the rigors of another television series, but in 1972 he was back to the weekly grind in the British series The Protectors. In films, Vaughn has been most effective as an icy, corporate heavy, notably in Bullitt (1968) and Superman III (1982). On-stage, Vaughn has exhibited a special fondness for Shakespeare (Hamlet in particular); he was given an excellent opportunity to recite the Bard's prose on film when he played Casca in Julius Caesar (1970). A dyed-in-the-wool liberal activist, Vaughn worked on his Masters and Ph.D. in political science at L.A. City College during his U.N.C.L.E. years; his doctoral thesis was later expanded into the 1972 history of the HUAC, Only Victims. Robert Vaughn has been the host of many a late-night infomercial -- no doubt expressing frustration all the way to the payroll office. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1994
- R
When a power struggle between a greedy Texas mayor and a sympathetic lawyer threatens to render a band of desperate orphans homeless, a notorious gunslinger is called in to resolve the matter in this Western starring Robert Vaughn and Willie Nelson. As a powerful railroad company sets its sights on the small community of Brambles, the pressure on Mayor Sampson Moses (Robert Vaughn) to acquire the prosperous land of orphan Billy (Shaw Jones) threatens to bring the situation to a head. Though lawyer Neil Morris (Nelson) does his best to negotiate a peaceful solution to the stand-off, the desperate mayor soon calls in a fearsome gunslinger to rid Brambles of its stubborn residents and clear the path for western expansion by deadly force. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Vaughn
- 1992
President Abraham Lincoln leads the Union in the fight to end the awful bloodshed of the Civil War. The year is 1863. The president had a continuous struggle with the commanders of his army, and the bloodshed from the fighting at Antietam and Fredericksburg distressed him greatly. 1863 was the year of his Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address. Listen to the story of the events that led to the amazing address at Gettysburg. Actor Jason Robards brings to life the voice of President Lincoln. PBS originally aired this program, the second of a four-volume set narrated by actor James Earl Jones. ~ Linda J. Shriver, Rovi
- 1992
A shrewd politician, Abraham Lincoln had the intelligence, ambition, and principles to grow into his job as president. This is the first of four videos in the Lincoln series, which originally aired on PBS. Produced and directed by Peter W. Kunhardt, this program is narrated by renowned actor James Earl Jones, and features award-winning actor Jason Robards reading from letters, speeches, and diaries. Highlights include period photographs. The other three programs in the series are titled Lincoln: The Pivotal Year, 1863, Lincoln: I Want to Finish This Job, 1864, and Lincoln: Now He Belongs to the Ages, 1865. ~ Steve Blackburn, Rovi
- 1992
This video is the fourth installment of the Lincoln series, originally aired on PBS. This volume focuses on the last days and hours of Abraham Lincoln's life. Viewers watch as Lincoln's enemies plot their final revenge on the man they believed had dishonored their heritage. The video also reveals how Lincoln's own dreams foreshadowed his murder and how the series of public funerals, following his death, helped fuel his legendary status that has only grown with time. ~ Karla Baker, Rovi
- 1992
By the third year of the Civil War, personal and national tragedy had worn down President Lincoln. However, he focused on his job tenaciously, having a strong sense of history. This is the third of four programs in the Lincoln series, which originally aired on PBS. Produced and directed by Peter W. Kunhardt, this program is narrated by renowned actor James Earl Jones and features award-winning actor Jason Robards reading from letters, speeches, and diaries. Highlights include period photographs. The other three programs in the series are titled Lincoln: The Making of a President, 1860-1862, Lincoln: The Pivotal Year, 1863, and Lincoln: Now He Belongs to the Ages, 1865. ~ Steve Blackburn, Rovi
- 1992
The community players of Cabot Cove have chosen to stage a play about a 17th century witch who had placed a curse on the town just before her execution. Cast in the lead role is Mariah Osborne (Mary Crosby), a newcomer to the town. Before long, strange things begin happening, convincing the townsfolk that Mariah is not merely acting, but is in truth the reincarnation of the notorious witch. Assisting Jessica (Angela Lansbury) in her investigation of the inevitable murder is the town's new deputy Dave Anderson, played by Louis Herthum--who in his previous series appearance was known as "Deputy Andy Bloom." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1991
- PG
In this Navy spoof, a mismatched bunch of sailors are sent to sea as the incompetent crew of the U. S. S. Substandard, a faulty, unfinished submarine. Little does the crew of the Substandard know that the government doesn't intend for them to make it back to shore, as they encounter all kinds of crazy problems. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi
- 1991
Shuki Levy, best known for his work on behalf of the Saban Entertainment animated-cartoon firm, directs a group of "live" performers in Blind Vision. Lenny Von Dohlen stars as nerdish mail clerk, who worships Deborah Shelton from afar. Emulating Hitchcock's Rear Window (or is it DePalma's Body Double?), Von Dohlen watches his dream girl through a highpowered lens. When one of Shelton's boyfriends turns up dead, Von Dohlen is sucked into a vortex of intrigue. Don't be lulled into the sense of deja vu in the early reels; this one's got quite a few tricks up its sleeve. Written by Levy and his frequent Saban collaborator Winston Rickard, Blind Vision costars Robert Vaughn (as "Mr. X"!), Ned Beatty, and Louise Fletcher; the film was lensed on location in Norfolk, Virginia. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
In this adolescent-oriented, loose remake of Some Like It Hot, a lovestruck teenage boy is so desperate to be near his new beloved that he dresses up like a girl and joins the women's tennis team. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Chad Lowe, Gail O'Grady, (more)
- 1990
In this drama, a highly moral judge becomes a secret avenger in the war against crime after his face is disfigured during an assassination attempt. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1990
In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Perry Mason listens to the pleas of a 13-year-old girl and helps her father who was falsely accused of murdering a gambler. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1990
- R
This jungle adventure features an extremely complicated plot that involves a megalomaniacal Nazi doctor who continues to perform inhuman experiments in the Amazon jungle and helms the Lost City of the Nazis, a mecca for war criminals and new followers. He is pursued by three vengeful people: a former colleague whom he double-crossed near the end of the war, a young woman who saw him murder her father, and an angry American physician, whose daughter the doctor kidnapped after they came to the jungle to help the ailing Indians who are dying from a mysterious disease. In addition to coping with each other, the searchers must also deal with the usual Amazon dangers, including ferocious cannibals, before they can make it to the hidden city and get their revenge. The plot is an adaptation of an Alistair McLean novel. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Dudikoff, Robert Vaughn, (more)
- 1989
- R
The Canadian Brutal Glory is based on a true story. Set in World War I-era New York City, the film stars Timothy Brantley as a boxing champ named Kid McCoy, aka "The Real McCoy". Ambitious to the point of ruthlessness, McCoy will mash anyone flat-inside and outside the ring-to get ahead. The era is superbly recaptured, as are the grimy working conditions in the fight game of the era. The supporting cast include Robert Vaughn (in yet another untrustworthy characterization) and Leah Pinsent. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1989
- R
Fans of movie industry satire will want to see That's Adequate, an all-star production which spoofs the popular series of documentary films honoring MGM's musical comedies, That's Entertainment. Narrated by Tony Randall, this mock-history chronicles the film output of the second-rate "Adequate Film Studios" during its six precarious decades of existence. At times the humor gets very broad, including a fair amount of vulgarity. We see clips from such Adequate Studios monstrosities as "Singing in the Synagogue," and "Sluts of the South." Some of the stars enlivening these parodies are Bruce Willis, Robert Downey, Jr., James Coco, Anne Meara, Professor Irwin Corey, Jerry Stiller and Robert Vaughn. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tony Randall, James Coco, (more)
- 1989
- R
Originally conceived as a Return of the Living Dead sequel and later inexplicably re-titled (despite the highly questionable marketing value of a C.H.U.D. franchise) this clunky attempt at a horror satire involves a pair of teenage do-nothings who abscond from a military base with a corpse who turns out to be a zombie, the by-product of a backfired military experiment. Despite the C.H.U.D. (Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dweller) references, Bud (Gerrit Graham) is really a zombie of the George Romero variety, chomping down on human flesh and spreading the virulent zombie plague to those unfortunate enough to be onscreen long enough. Eye-rolling Graham is fun to watch, as always, and Robert Vaughn puts in a goofy performance as a rabidly gung-ho general, but they provide scarce gems of humor in a morass of reconstituted horror plot elements and lame jokes. The end product is more C.R.U.D. than C.H.U.D. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brian Robbins, Bill Calvert, (more)
- 1989
The death of Jessica's role model, Agatha Christie-like mystery novelist Lady Abigail Austin (June Havoc), sets Jessica (Angela Lansbury) to thinking of an incident back in 1947 in which Lady Abigail was involved in a real-life murder case. In an extended flashback, the action takes place on board the luxury liner "Queen Mary", where an ex-Gestapo officer has been stabbed to death--and Lady Abigail is the primary suspect. The presence of a father-son team of detectives (played by John Karlen and Gary Kroeger) suggests that this episode may have actually been intended for an earlier Richard Levinson-William Link TV mystery series, Ellery Queen. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1989
- R
The Emissary is a second-echelon knock-off of The Ambassador (1984), itself a reworking of Elmore Leonard's 52 Pick-Up. While in Africa on a goodwill tour, an American politician and his wife are victimized by Soviet spies. Threatening to reveal horrible secrets about the politician's past, the Russians insist that he turn over top-secret documents. But this could trigger a nuclear war, so a lot of heavy soul-searching is in order. Robert Vaughn is the biggest "name" in the largely European and South Africa cast. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ted Le Platt, Terry Norton, (more)
This action-adventure film is based on a novel by Edgar Wallace. In the story, Colonel Smith (Ernest Borgnine) is an aging military man whose son is a CIA agent. His son has been captured by a bevy of iron-curtain bad-guys involved in a civil war in the African country of Angola, and Col. Smith is determined to rescue him. He puts together a group of military types to effect the rescue, and runs afoul of all sorts of nefarious characters in the process, including an East German military advisor (Robert Vaughn) and a shady diamond company security chief (Oliver Reed). Lovely Sam (Nancy Mulford) adds visual interest to the rescue team, and manages some dandy hand-to-hand combat moves. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ernest Borgnine, Robert Vaughn, (more)
- 1989
In the first episode of a three-part story, Hunter (Fred Dryer) and McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) are ordered to participate in a police task force to curb a recent upsurge in urban violence. McCall goes undercover as a phy-ed instructor at a tough neighborhood school, replacing a teacher who has been murdered. Though it would seem that the killing has something to do with the various unsavory intrigues within the school itself, the real culprit is an escaped murderer who intends to eliminate all of her enemies in chronoligical order--with Hunter at the top of her list. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1989
In the conclusion of a three-part story, the various intrigues at a violence-ridden high school come to head as McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) settles accounts with a gang leader and a philandering teacher. At the same time, Deputy Chief Moorehead (Robert Vaughn) clashes with McCall's boss Devane (Charles Hallahan) over the matter of a self-styled urban vigilante. And Hunter (Fred Dryer) prepares for a showdown with escaped murderess Iris Smith (Cec Verrell) on the "anniversary" of the day he sent her to prison. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1989
In the second episode of a three-part story, Hunter (Fred Dryer) continues his search for a serial killer who preys on authority figures, beginning with a phy-ed teacher at a violence-ridden high school. Meanwhile, a mysterious neighborhood vigilante has been targetting those whom he regards as criminals who have slipped through the cracks of justice. And while working undercover as a teacher, McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) is exposed by the leader of a teenage gang which uses high-tech weaponry. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1989
- PG
In Transylvania Twist, producer Roger Corman and director Jim Wynorski make Mel Brooks movies look like Noël Coward drawing-room comedies. The film begins with nubile innocent Patty (Monique Gabrielle) being chasing through the woods by the Greatest Horror Hits of the 1980s --with Jason, Freddy Krueger, and Leatherface all vying for a piece of her. Robert Vaughn has the hammiest role as a vampire named Lord Byron Orlock. His ravishing niece Marissa (Teri Copley), an American singing star, arrives at Lord Byron's castle in Transylvania after the death of her father. Accompanying her is Dexter Ward (Rick Altman), her wise-cracking Donald O'Connor-inspired sidekick. What happens next involves a frantic search for a mysterious book that will raise "the evil one" from the dead. The flimsy plot serves as a handy clothesline on to which to hang self-referential parodies of the horror film genre, with time out for some clever editing of an appearance by long-dead Boris Karloff. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Vaughn, Teri Copley, (more)
- 1989
- R
Although this bloody, relentlessly weird South African production purports to be a modern-day treatment of the works of Edgar Allan Poe (most promotional materials list the author's name above the title), it actually bears so little relation to Poe's writing that it makes Roger Corman's Poe "adaptations" seem meticulously loyal by comparison. The story involves a young psychologist whose arrival at the creepy Ravenscroft Institute for troubled girls is followed by the disappearance of several students. Tormented by a series of grotesque nightmares involving a deranged killer, the heroine eventually learns of the bizarre goings-on within the school's hallowed halls. Some oddball touches and outlandish performances from Robert Vaughn and Donald Pleasence (in a bad wig) make this film just campy enough to be entertaining. Alert viewers can spot John Carradine in his final role. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
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