Ben Vereen Movies
Effervescent African-American entertainer Ben Vereen attended New York's High School of the Performing Arts and Emerson College. Vereen was 18 when he made his New York stage bow in Prodigal Son; shortly thereafter, he was cast in the touring company of Sweet Charity, eventually making his 1969 screen debut in the film version of that Cy Coleman-Dorothy Fields musical. He joined the cast of Hair in 1969, at various junctures playing both Claude and Berger. The following year, he won the Theatre World Award for his portrayal of Judas in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar. After a season with the National Shakespeare Company, Vereen was cast as "The Leading Player" in the Broadway musical Pippin, a performance that earned him a Tony Award. While he seemed destined to appear in naught but film musicfests like Funny Lady (1975) and All That Jazz (1979), Vereen proved his dramatic mettle with his unforgettable portrayal of Chicken George in the landmark miniseries Roots. While he didn't win the Emmy for this role (as many expected), his 1978 TV special Ben Vereen...His Roots copped the gold statuette. Vereen has also been honored with the American Guild of Variety Artists' George M. Cohan award, and with the NAACP's Image Award. In 1980, he co-starred with Jeff Goldblum in the Steven Cannell-produced TV series Tenspeed and Brownshoe. Though the series failed, Vereen reserved a warm place in his heart for his wheeler-dealer "Tenspeed Turner" character, reprising the role on the 1987 TV weekly J. J. Starbuck. His additional TV credits include the 1975 summer series Ben Vereen...Comin' at Ya, the recurring role of Uncle Phillip on Webster (1986), and the hosting chores for the syndicated talent contest You Write the Songs (1986) At the height of his fame, Vereen ebulliently attributed his success to "Jesus." His faith was sorely tested in the late 1980s; enduring the death of his son, Vereen began contemplating suicide, at one point deliberately standing in the middle of a busy Los Angeles street, allowing himself to be struck down by a passing car. Happily, Vereen recovered both emotionally and professionally; his recent credits include the Broadway musical Jelly's Last Jam and the recurring role of Captain Hutchinson in the TV cop series Silk Stalkings (1991- ). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1985
Filmed in Tunisia on a budget of 30 million dollars, the five-part, 12-hour miniseries A.D. was the final installment in a historical trilogy which included Moses the Lawgiver and Jesus of Nazareth. Covering the years 30 to 69 A.D., the teleplay, co-written by Anthony Burgess, chronicled the political intrigue which plagued the Roman Empire, with such key players as the emperors Tiberius (James Mason in his final role), Caligula (John McEnery), Claudius (Richard Kiley), and Nero (Anthony Andrews) calling the shots. Meanwhile, the death of Jesus Christ (played by Michael Wilding, son of Elizabeth Taylor) not only sparked a widespread monotheistic religious movement, but also resulted in devastating factionalism amongst the various Jewish sects of the era. Offsetting the true events are a number of fictional subplots, among them the romance between Jewish slave girl Sarah (Amanda Pays) and Roman soldier Valerius (Neil Dickson), and the tempestuous relationship between male and female gladiators, Caleb (Cecil Humphreys) and Corinna (Diana Venora). The huge cast included Ava Gardner, making her TV-movie debut as the scheming Agrippina. The winner of an Emmy award for Best Film Editing, A.D. was broadcast by NBC from March 31 through April 4, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Andrews, Colleen Dewhurst, (more)
"It's showtime!" In this part film à clef, part musical phantasmagoria, director/choreographer Bob Fosse takes a Felliniesque look at the life of a driven entertainer. Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider, channeling Fosse) is the ultimate work (and pleasure)-aholic, as he knocks back a daily dose of amphetamines to juggle a new Broadway production while editing his new movie, not to mention ex-wife Audrey (Leland Palmer), steady girlfriend Kate (Ann Reinking), a young daughter, and various conquests. Joe cannot, however, avoid intimations of mortality from white-clad vision Angelique (Jessica Lange) that lead him to look back at his life as he heads for a near-inevitable coronary and his departure from this mortal coil with the appropriate razzle-dazzle. Taking his cue from Federico Fellini's 8 1/2 (1963), Fosse moves from realistic dance numbers to extravagant flights of cinematic fancy, as Joe meditates on his life, his women, and his death. Following a similarly dark revisionist vein as Martin Scorsese's New York, New York (1977), Fosse shows the stiff price that entertaining exacts on entertainers (among other things, he intercuts graphic footage of open-heart surgery with a song and dance), mercilessly reversing the feel-good mood of classical movie musicals. Critics praised Fosse's daring even as they damned his self-indulgence, while Scheider was lauded for giving the best performance of his career. Though not a disastrous failure, All That Jazz came nowhere near the popularity of 1978's Grease, as late '70s audiences increasingly turned away from "difficult" movies. For all its excesses, Fosse's fiercely personal approach turned All That Jazz into another striking work from one of the few directors able to make, and experiment with, movie musicals after the 1960s. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange, (more)
By conceiving a child via artificial insemination, hip, modern and thoroughly independent magazine writer Julie Davidson (Vanessa Williams) managed to trim the messy nuptial relationship strings so often attached to starting a family. Imagine her shock, then, when her now-six-year-old son, Jason, demonstrates his growing need for a paternal role model by misbehaving in school. Thus begins Richard Schenkman's gentle romantic comedy And Then Came Love. Julie soon sets out on a quest to find the original sperm donor - youngish, self-effacing actor Paul (Kevin Daniels) - hoping he will take some responsibility for Jason's awry behavior. Father and son do indeed forge a strong relationship; but in Julie's wildest imagination, she never expected to fall in love with this new acquaintance. And Then Came Love reached theaters (in extremely limited release) circa mid-June 2007, and received video distribution almost immediately after. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vanessa Williams, Kevin Daniels, (more)
- 1988
- R
After he is framed by his senior partner and sent to jail, Herbie Altman Robert Carradine sets up a lucrative investment company "Con Inc." with the assistance of the other convicts, sympathetic guards, and a well-intentioned prison reformer Lise Cutter. Lame, predictable story which wastes a talanted cast . ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Carradine, Michael Winslow, (more)
- 1983
The seven-hour TV miniseries Ellis Island was adapted from a novel by Fred Mustard Stewart. Per its title, the film is a mosaic of subplots involving several European immigrants who passed through New York's Ellis Island before taking up residence in the Big Apple. Most of the characters are based on real people, notably the Irving Berlin-like musician played by Peter Riegert. Co-stars Faye Dunaway, Richard Burton (in his last film role) and Ann Jillian were honored with Emmy nominations. Ironically, this essentially American saga was largely filmed in London. Originally telecast November 11, 13, and 14, 1984, Ellis Island was re-edited and re-telecast in the summer of 1986, just in time for the Statue of Liberty Centennial. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Ben Vereen stars as the clever title character in this delightful episode of Shelley Duvall's made for cable series Faerie Tale Theatre. A quick-witted talking cat dons boots, a cloak, and a hat in order to carry out his plan to turn his master -- a poor peasant played by Gregory Hines -- into a nobleman. In the process, the cat and his master must defeat an angry ogre and win the heart of a beautiful princess Alfre Woodard. ~ Carrie Downes, All Movie Guide
This Broadway stage tribute to the man behind the brilliant, seductive choreography of Cabaret, Chicago, Sweet Charity, and Damn Yankees took Broadway by storm in January of 1999 and racked up several awards. Ann Reinking and Ben Vereen head an all-star cast performing Fosse standards "Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries," "Steam Heat," "Mein Herr," and "Big Spender," demonstrating why Bob Fosse's physically exuberant choreography still sets the standard for the musicals today, ten years after his death. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
Funny Lady, the follow-up to the 1968 Funny Girl which made a movie star of Barbra Streisand, picks up the character of Fanny Brice in the 1930s. Although she is a tremendously famous Broadway star, she has suffered from the stock market crash and needs to boost her finances. Even Ziegfeld, who soon will pass away, is having a hard time raising money for a show. Into this scene bursts brash young Billy Rose (James Caan), an egotistical lyricist with unrestrained ambition. He cajoles and charms Fanny into linking up with him, convincing him that he can produce a revue that will showcase her to their mutual advantage. Out of town, the show is an unmitigated disaster, and Fanny uses her professional know-how to whip the show into shape. It arrives in New York a hit -- and Fanny and Billy arrive an item. Both of their careers blossom, but even though they marry, their relationship suffers. Fanny still carries a torch for first husband Nick (Omar Sharif), and Billy, partially because of insecurities caused by Fanny's feelings for Nick, has a roving eye. In California working on a lucrative radio show, Fanny and Nick connect again -- and Fanny realizes that she is finally over him. Thrilled, she flies to Cleveland, where Billy is working on a new show, ready to commit herself totally to him -- only to find him in bed with another woman. The two part, but years later they meet again to discuss a new show, and it's clear that the chemistry between them is still there. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbra Streisand, James Caan, (more)
- 1970
They used to say "don't trust anyone over 30," but there's no one over 30 left to distrust in this loosely plotted satirical comedy directed by Roger Corman. During the opening ceremonies for a chemical and biological weapons facility in Alaska, an experimental gas is accidentally released which has an unusual effect -- it rapidly advances the aging process of those over 25, while those under 25 are left untouched. Soon, the world's elders are dead, with the planet left to the youth. Wisecracking hippy Coel (Robert Corff) and his girlfriend, Cilla (Elaine Giftos), discover that rookie cops and conservative frat rats have taken over their hometown of Dallas, TX, so they hit the road in his vintage Ford Edsel in search of a friendly commune in New Mexico. Along the way, they pair up with music-obsessed Marissa and her radical boyfriend, Carlos (Ben Vereen), and as they look for their new home, they encounter Hell's Angels-turned-country club members, a neo-fascist football team, a pack of painfully shy would-be sexual predators, rock star and self-proclaimed "godhead" A.M. Radio (Country Joe McDonald), and Edgar Allen Poe (Bruce Karcher), who roams the highways on his motorcycle. Gas-S-S-S! (aka Gas-s-s-s...or, It May Become Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It) proved to be the last of Roger Corman's many projects for American International Pictures; according to Corman, AIP subjected the film to severe prerelease cutting without his consent, and the interference was one of the factors that inspired him to start his own company, New World Pictures. The film also provided early supporting roles for Bud Cort and Talia Shire, the latter billed as Tally Coppola; psychedelic rock band Country Joe & the Fish appear in a concert sequence and provide the film's musical score. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Corff, Elaine Giftos, (more)
- 2000
Intended primarily for African-American audiences, this animated retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears uses modern hip-hop and jazz references to spice up an otherwise timeless children's story. The HBO series was known for its celebrity voices; vocal talents in this episode include the likes of Ben Vereen, David Alan Grier, Alfre Woodard, and Lou Rawls. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
Former Hal Hartley collaborator Adrienne Shelly directs her second feature about a blind date gone horribly horribly awry. Still thoroughly depressed after his girlfriend dumped him three months ago, Bill (Reg Rogers) is coerced by his sister (Shelly) into going on a blind date with Bernice (Ally Sheedy). Bill is immediately underwhelmed by his cheerless date, and as the night grinds on, he bluntly tells her what he thinks. Instead of ending things, Bernice becomes obsessed with the man, telling him at one point that since the date, he has "taken something away." After trying more standard means to worm her way into his life, she takes drastic action; she pulls a gun on Bill and ushers him to her vintage Mercury. Soon Bill finds himself the unwilling accomplice to Bernice's serial gunpoint robberies of boutiques. Meanwhile, she lambastes him for not being adequately respectful. Before long, Bill finds himself in upstate New York and out of his rut. I'll Take You There was screened at the 1999 Telluride Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ally Sheedy, Reg Rogers, (more)
OutKast duo André "Andre 3000" Benjamin and Antwan Andre "Big Boi" Patton star as two Prohibition-era performers determined to fend off the vicious gangsters currently attempting to gain a stake in the pair's lucrative club in this musical drama directed by longtime collaborator Bryan Barber and featuring choreography by three-time Tony award winner Hinton Battle. In the 1930s, Idlewild was the hottest speakeasy in the South thanks to the impressive showmanship of flamboyant manager/lead performer Rooster (Patton) and the notable talents of introverted pianist Percival (Benjamin). Everything changes, however, when a powerful gangster and his ruthless henchmen move in on the scene with every intention of landing a healthy portion of the club's considerable profits. Ving Rhames, Terrence Howard, Faizon Love, Patti LaBelle, Macy Gray, Ben Vereen, and Cicely Tyson co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- André Benjamin, Antwan Andre Patton, (more)
- 1992
Hypnotic regression prompts a pair of sisters to recognize that they've been abducted by aliens. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Crenna, Mare Winningham, (more)
- 1985
Diminutive Webster star Emmanuel Lewis is virtually the whole show in this made-for-TV update of Oliver Twist. Upset when his divorced fashion-designer mother (Lynne Moody) relocates to London, 8-year-old Davey Williams (Lewis) runs away. Soon thereafter, he joins up with a group of orphaned "buskers" (street entertainers), who are actually pint-sized pickpockets, the disciples of Faginlike Leo Porter (Freddie Jones). How long will it be before Davey reforms the urchins and orchestrates a reconciliation between his mom and dad (Ben Vereen)? Filmed on location, Lost in London premiered courtesy of CBS on November 20, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
In his TV dramatic debut, Ben Vereen stars as legendary jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong. The teleplay dramatizes a single incident in 1931, when Armstrong, still struggling for recognition, was playing a small Chicago bistro. Local gangsters catch Louis' act and offer him a huge salary increase to move to their nightspot, but our hero doesn't want to get anywhere near organized crime. Alas, Louis' white manager Red Cleveland (Red Buttons) is not above taking a bribe to frame Armstrong on a phony marijuana charge, thereby forcing the trumpeter into the hands of the Mob. But Louis emerges triumphant through the simple expedient of retreating to Europe, where superstardom is at last bestowed upon him. Louis Armstrong-Chicago Style originally aired January 25, 1976, on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
An all-star cast is included on this children's adventure that follows a search for Mother Goose by her son (Dan Gilroy) and Little Bo Peep (Shelley Duvall). ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
Set in a charming forest wonderland, this ecologically-conscious animated adventure tells the tale of a badger who inhales toxic fumes and nearly dies. Fortunately, her pals, a mouse, a hedgehog, and a mole are willing to risk their lives to find a cure. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Crawford, Ben Vereen, (more)
This made-for-television movie is a filmed version of the Bob Fosse musical hit of the same name. William Katt stars in the title role of this fictionalized story of Pippin, the son of Charlemagne who sets out to find meaning in life and discovers his true self along the way. Ben Vereen appears in his Tony Award-winning role. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Rock to the sounds of the Muppets and their special musical guests as they perform titles such as "Rock Around the Clock," "Call Me," "Rainbow Connection" and "Disco Frog." ~ All Movie Guide
This award-winning six-part historical epic was one of the first examples of the miniseries format and one of the highest-rated television programs in broadcasting history. Based on the best-selling novel by author Alex Haley, Roots chronicles the progress of Haley's own family across many generations, from the kidnapping of an African warrior by American slave traders to eventual post-Civil War freedom. Kunta Kinte (LeVar Burton) is a young tribesman of coastal Africa who has passed the rituals marking his transition into manhood. Searching for wood to build a drum, he is set upon by slavers who sell him in the United States after a nightmarish Atlantic crossing. Defiant, Kunta refuses to consider himself a slave, despite some sage advice from his mentor, the more mature Fiddler (Louis Gossett Jr.). As the years pass, the aging Kunta (John Amos) is hobbled for his repeated escape attempts. Realizing he'll never return to Africa, Kunta settles down, becoming husband to Bell (Madge Sinclair) and father to Kizzy (Leslie Uggams), a girl infused with her father's independent spirit. Sold and then raped by her new master, Kizzy has a son, Chicken George (Ben Vereen), a happy go lucky cockfighting expert who uses his skills to buy his freedom. George paves the way for his children, the great-grandchildren of Kunta Kinte, who finally become free in the aftermath of the Civil War. Roots (1977) was followed by a sequel miniseries, Roots: The Next Generations (1979), and a made-for-television feature, Roots: The Gift (1988), as well as another telefilm based on the family history of the Haley clan, Queen (1993). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- LeVar Burton, Louis Gossett, Jr., (more)
- 1983
Funnyman Bobby Bittman (Eugene Levy) quits showbiz after being upstaged by his opening act, Ben Vereen -- but he makes a comeback upon realizing that nobody cares that he's gone. Former "Sammy Maudlin Show" sidekick William B. (John Candy) disastrously launches his own talk show, and is coached in the fine art of telling a McLean Stevenson joke by venerable songwriter Irving Cohen (Martin Short) of "Gimme a C, a bouncy C!" fame. Bernadette Peters (Andrea Martin) blows up real good for Billy Sol (Candy) and Big Jim (Joe Flaherty). "Masterpiece Theater" offers a full palate of "alternative lifestyle" dramas, all starring butchy Dutch Leonard (Martin). And it's episode nine for "Days of the Week." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Vereen, Mary Charlotte Wilcox, (more)
- 1982
Nicky (Benthe Forrer) and her father (Rijk de Gooyer) go for a vacation (her) and for business (him) to Aruba, the Dutch island just off the coast of Venezuela, with the added twist that they have not really known each other all the while Nicky was growing up (she is now a buxom young 15 year old). Nicky's ambivalent feelings for her father churn up almost immediately, and she indirectly asks him (employing her invented alter-ego, Sabine) if it is okay for a teenager to fall in love with an older man - wanting to see what his reaction might be. Nicky is conflicted: possessive, jealous, and upset when her father sees no reason to change his style of living just because she is there with him - and he continues to stay out late with one woman or another. Nicky vows "revenge" and carries through by taking up with the piano player (Mike Burstyn). Meanwhile, the father has had problems with his business dealings, partly caused by Nicky's demanding presence, and partly because of a good friend, now a competitor. Nicky's relationship with the piano player starts to develop in earnest, and not surprisingly liberates her from the tempestuous feelings that dominated her relationship with her father - perhaps now the two can get along as normal people. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rijk de Gooyer, Ben Vereen, (more)
