Abe Vigoda Movies
Slouch-shouldered, basset-faced character actor Abe Vigoda was the son of a Lower East Side tailor. Making his first stage appearance at 17, Vigoda used his GI Bill allotment to study at the American Theatre Wing. He then toiled away in obscurity for nearly 20 years before he was "discovered" by the public in the role of John the Gaunt in Joseph Papp's 1961 staging of Richard II. Another decade would pass before Vigoda attained worldwide fame as the treacherous Tessio in The Godfather. In 1974, he was tested for the minor role of Grimaldi in the upcoming TV sitcom Barney Miller; instead, he landed the role of dour, droopy-eyed Inspector Fish (and a good thing, too; the Grimaldi character was written out after only a few weeks). Vigoda remained with Barney Miller from 1975 to 1977, then was spun off into his own Fish series, which lasted until 1978. Bedeviled with legal problems during the early 1980s, Vigoda nonetheless was able to keep busy as a supporting actor in films (Joe vs. the Volcano, Look Who's Talking) and television; he also periodically returned to the stage, frequently in the Boris Karloff role in Arsenic and Old Lace. Abe Vigoda's 1990s projects have included such roles as Gus Molino in Harlem (1993) and Alaskan Grandpa in North (1994), a voice over stint in the 1994 animated feature Batman: Mask of the Phantom, and a recurring role in the 1991 weekly-TV revival of Dark Shadows. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The directorial-debut of screenwriter Brad Mirman (Truth or Consequences, N.M.), Crime Spree stars Gerard Depardieu as Daniel, the head of a trio of French crooks who cross the pond for a job in Chicago. Unfortunately, what was to have been a routine heist turns ugly when Daniel and his cohorts realize that they've ripped off Zammeti (Harvey Keitel), the head of a powerful crime family. Before they know it, the threesome find themselves strangers in a strange land being hunted by both the mafia and the FBI. Co-starring Johnny Hallyday, Renaud, and Saïd Taghmaoui, Crime Spree had its premiere at the 2003 Valenciennes Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Depardieu, Johnny Hallyday, (more)
- 2001
The Griffins visit Toys 'R' Overpriced, where they buy Stewie (voice of Seth MacFarlane) his first tricycle. Later, when a teacher is arrested for teaching "crackpot theories" at Meg's (voice of Mila Kunis) school, a news team shows up, and Meg finds herself smitten with news anchor Tom Tucker (MacFarlane). She has a fantasy about him (a parody of the Phoebe Cates pool scene in Fast Times at Ridgemont High) and decides to apply for Channel 5's Young Anchor internship program. Thanks to co-anchor Diane Simmons' insecurity about picking a pretty girl, Meg is chosen for the internship, but unluckily, her partner intern is Neil (voice of Seth Green), the nerdy A/V guy who has a massive crush on her. Stewie learns to ride his tricycle, while Peter (MacFarlane) proudly videotapes, until he's distracted by the (American) beauty of a plastic bag blowing around in the wind. Stewie has his first encounter with the concept of bullying when Charlie (voice of Josh Peck) steals his new wheels. Later, when the infamous "Mass Media Murderer," known for killing newspersons, is spotted on top of Town Hall, Tom and Diane give Meg and Neil the story. When it seems like the hapless teens are going to be murdered, Meg gives Neil a kiss, which is captured on videotape. In the nick of time, a superheroic Hugh Downs (doing his own voice) comes to the rescue, and Meg has to deal with the ugly repercussions of that kiss. Soon, Neil is handing out T-shirts at school festooned with the image of their lip-lock, and bringing his parents over for dinner at the Griffins'. This episode features the voice talents of Michael Chiklis and Abe Vigoda, along with references to Mr. Sherman and Peabody and Quantum Leap. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
Actor and playwright Stephen Burrows makes his directorial debut with this independent comedy that takes a witty look at the downside of working in the movie business. Steve (Burrows) is a writer, actor, and comic who years ago left his hometown of Milwaukee, WI, for the bright lights of Hollywood and who, after years of struggling, has managed to get his foot in the door of show business thanks to his appearance in a widely seen commercial for a personal hygiene product called "Crotch Fresh." Steve decides to pay a visit to his friends in the Midwest, and while in Milwaukee he meets Sam (Traci Elizabeth Lords), an attractive woman interested in knowing more about his career in entertainment. As Steve and Sam get to know each other, he regales her with a number of remarkable stories about fascistic acting coaches, egocentric producers, and studio heads too young to hold a driver's license. Stephen Burrows was able to persuade a number of his well-known colleagues to appear in Chump Change, including Tim Matheson, Jerry Stiller, Anne Meara, Fred Willard, and Abe Vigoda. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Matheson, Traci Lords, (more)
- 1999
Paul and Jamie Buchman (Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt) agree to tend the rooftop garden maintained by building superintendent Mr. Wicker (Jerry Adler). And if that doesn't turn out to be a source of discord, there is always the toy belonging to a neighbor's child which is dearly coveted by baby Mabel. Or, perhaps, the central conflict in this episode is Jamie's dismissive reaction to Paul's latest film project. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1997
In this pivotal episode, Monica (Roma Downey) may lose her angelic powers after missing her evaluation-day appointment with her stern and unforgiving Heavenly supervisor Ruth (Cloris Leachman in her first series appearance). In an effort to cover for Monica, Tess ($Della Reese) and Andrew (John Dye) recall her previous triumphs as an angelic caseworker via film-clip flashbacks to earlier episodes. Meanwhile, Monica has a showdown with her longtime nemesis, fallen angel Kathleen--usually played solely by Jasmine Guy, but here portrayed by no fewer than two TV-sitcom favorites. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Thirty years after being convicted on a stabbing-and-rape charge, the accused may be able to get a new trial. This is the result of fresh evidence unearthed by diligent detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Logan (Benjamin Bratt). But the good news for the accused rapist is devastatingly bad news for his alleged victim, Cookie Costello (Anita Gillette), who is terrified that she will again be targeted for assault -- and possibly murder. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Joe (Tim Daly) and Brian (Steven Weber) find themselves back in charge of Sandpiper Air, just in time for Christmas Eve. To celebrate the occasion, Joe plans a surprise party for Helen (Crystal Bernard), who is out shopping with Fay (Rebecca Schull) and Casey (Amy Yasbeck). Unfortunately, the party may never come up thanks to a malfunctioning time-lock and a pair of feuding siblings (Phil Leeds, Abe Vigoda). Brooke Adams, the wife of series regular Tony Shalhoub, makes an amusing guest appearance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This stylish animated adventure is based on the '90s animated television series, which in turn is based on the original comics and Tim Burton's live action "Batman" films. Unlike the campy 1960s version of Batman, this version is half-mad from the superhero's obsession with justice. It is only his unusual sense of ethics that keeps him from becoming a full-blown psychotic. The story describes the origins of Batman as it follows the Dark Knight's attempts to capture the elusive, deadly Phantasm who kills a crime lord and makes it look as if Batman did it, causing a media smear campaign against the Caped Crusader. At the same time, millionaire Bruce Wayne holds a party at his mansion. There he meets Councilman Arthur Reeves, the man behind the accusations. Reeves derides playboy Wayne for allowing his college sweetheart Andrea Beaumont to leave him. Suddenly Wayne flashes back to his pre-Batman days. He remembers how he met her while visiting his parents' graves to renew his vow that he would spend his life fighting crime to avenge their wrongful deaths. He has already devised an early version of his alter-ego Batman, but that is nearly forgotten when he falls in love with Andrea. The story then jumps from past to present and back as the mysterious Phantasm strikes again. Batman continues his investigation and discovers a disturbing link between Andrea, who suddenly shows up after many years absence, and the villain. Meanwhile, the Phantasm, feeling that Batman is too close to learning his/her identity hires the Joker to kill him. But the Joker has his own agenda and much action ensues before the mystery of the Phantasm identity is solved, Batman clears his name, and justice is served. This film was originally made to go straight to video, Warner's studio liked it enough to release it theatrically. Some of the violence may be inappropriate for very young children. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Conroy, Dana Delany, (more)
- 1991
Long believed to be dead, bank robber Ned Jinks (Donnelly Rhodes) returns to Cabot Cove after twenty years in hopes of visiting his daughter Bonnie (Claudia Christian). Not only must Ned face the hostility of the local citizenry, but he is also slapped with a murder charge when one of his oldest enemies is knocked off. Exercising her prerogative as Bonnie's friend and neighbor, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) attempts to find out who is really the guilty party. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
If you know the Clement Clark Moore poem, you'll know that Prancer is one of Santa Claus' "eight tiny reindeer." When 9-year-old Rebecca Harrell, who still believes in Santa despite the remonstrations of her parents and the taunts of her peers, stumbles across the selfsame Prancer in a remote part of the forest, no one will believe the girl. Later on, Harrell's no-nonsense father Sam Elliot comes across a wounded reindeer, he feels it his duty to put the suffering animal out of his misery. The deer, of course, is Prancer, and it magically vanishes before Elliot's startled eyes. Harrell nurses the deer back to health in secret, with the help of kindly doctor Abe Vigoda and her troublesome older brother John Joseph Duda. Harrell is determined to contact Santa and let him know where Prancer is, but her efforts only result in public humiliation for her father. But this is a Christmas film, and the spirit of goodwill is contagious by fadeout time, even transforming town-recluse Cloris Leachman into a warm-hearted social animal. Filmed in Indiana, Prancer isn't quite a classic, but it's perfect midwinter videocassette entertainment. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Elliott, Rebecca Harrell, (more)
- 1980
In this made-for-TV farce, the urban phenomenon of the traffic jam and the effect it has on the lives of the participants is examined. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1979
Former stuntman Hal Needham employed several of his old professional comrades in his made-for-TV Death Car on the Freeway. Shelley Hack plays a TV reporter investigating a series of freeway murders. Some demented van driver is swerving around and about, killing female motorists. This being Los Angeles, Shelley has at least a million suspects-daily-to choose from. This otherwise standard thriller is pepped up by the presence of several TV veterans, including George Hamilton, Frank Gorshin, Peter Graves, Dinah Shore, Harriet Nelson, BarbaraRush and Abe Vigoda. Director Needham also turns up in a cute supporting role. Death Car on the Freeway first aired September 25, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Though Desi Arnaz Jr. gets star billing in How to Pick Up Girls, the film's true leading man is third-billed Fred McCrarren. He plays a clueless Nebraska boy whose efforts to score with chicks in the Big City come to naught. Finally he stumbles upon the "secret" to successful dating with the help of his superstud roommate (Desi Arnaz Jr.) McCrarren is transformed into a makeout king--much to consternation of the nice girl (Bess Armstrong) who likes him for himself. Based on the book by Eric Weber (which one supposes was supposed to have been taken seriously), How to Pick up Girls is a made-for-TV smarmfest. At that, it is a few notches above the standard "horny teenager" flick which glutted the market in the early 1980s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Rita Moreno returns as freewheeling prostitute Rita Capkovic, who wants again begs Jim (James Garner) to save her life. It seems that Rita's most recent "John", Dr. Neil Rosendahl (William Joyce), was murdered right before her eyes--but she herself has been charged with the crime. Among other things, Jim tries to figure out while Rita, who has recently inherited a fortune, refuses to hire a good attorney to get her off. The solution to the mystery rests with two other characters: one a doctor, and one a highly questionable "business associate" who suffers from a REALLY bad hip problem. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Jack Albertson stars as an old-time Borscht Belt comic who owns his own nightclub. Albertson's public has been dwindling for years, and his club is in danger of folding. He decides to renovate his business by changing his establishment into a Comedy Store-like operation, opening his doors to aspiring young comedians, then inviting show-biz biggies (including George Burns, playing himself) to watch the parade of new talent. Coincidentally, this film was originally telecast opposite another TV movie titled Telethon, in which a washed-up comic (Red Buttons) desperately tries to sign celebrities for an all-night fundraiser. Despite its title, this is pure drama in its staging, characterizations and resolution. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Originally screened as a mini-series on the NBC television network, this epic-length feature combines the entirety of The Godfather and The Godfather Part II with 15 minutes of outtakes from the two films, recutting the material into chronological order (clarifying the complex structure of The Godfather Part II, which jumped back and forth between events that occurred before and after the narrative of the first film). The Godfather 1902-1959: The Complete Epic tells the tale of the Corleone Family, from the arrival of Vito Corleone in the U.S. as a boy and his rise to criminal power as a young man (played by Robert DeNiro) to the decline of his empire decades later. While some of the original material was censored for television broadcast, when The Godfather 1902-1959: The Complete Epic was later released on home video, the altered footage was restored to its original content. However, this proved not to be the final and complete document of the Corleone saga, as Francis Ford Coppola added another chapter to the story nine years later with the release of The Godfather Part III. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, (more)
- 1976
Originally titled Giving Birth, Having Babies was the first of three pilot films for a TV series that eventually appeared under the title Julie Farr MD. In omnibus fashion, the film focuses in on four couples and their reactions to impending parenthood. Essentially, this is a feature-length "commercial" for the Lamaze method of natural childbirth. Adrienne Barbeau plays Lamaze-class supervisor Allie Duggin, while the mommies-to-be are portrayed by Karen Valentine (as tennis pro Beth Paterno), Jessica Walter (as middle-aged Sally McNamara), Linda Purl (as teenager Laura Gorman) and Vicki Lawrence (as unwed mother Grace Fontrell). Having Babies was originally telecast October 17, 1976. It was followed by Having Babies II in 1977, Having Babies III in 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Clyde Ware both scripted and directed this made-for-TV biopic. Martin Sheen stars as Floyd, a depression-era farmboy who (it says here) turns to crime to avoid starving to death. Sheen's real-life brother Joseph Estevez plays Floyd's younger brother in this 73-minute film. As an added fillip, the 92-year-old mother of the genuine Pretty Boy Floyd appears in the film's prologue. Originally titled The Story of Pretty Boy Floyd, this film was first telecast on May 7, 1974. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
The first "official" case for private detective Jim Rockford (James Garner)--that is, the first case on the TV-series version of The Rockford Files, rather than the 1974 TV-movie pilot--finds him typically championing the underdog. In this instance, that "underdog" is not some impoverished wretch, but instead the fabulously wealthy Larry Kirkoff (played by a pre-stardom James Woods), heir to a family fortune. Suspected of murdering his parents to get their money, Kirkoff hires Jimbo to prove his innocence, and to nail the guilty party, who may or may not have been the respective ex-lovers of his late mom and dad. Unfortunately, there are some extremely tough characters around and about who'd prefer that Larry remain under suspicion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Judge Philip Mackie (John Randolph), a man long suspected of allowing favoritism to sway his courtroom decisions, dies under mysterious circumstances. The evidence points to suicide, but Kojak (Telly Savalas) suspects otherwise. The solution to the case rests in the hands of Mackie's son (Walter Stocker), likewise a judge--who may soon have to set a known murderer free to cover up for his father's misdeeds. Appearing as the killer is future Barney Miller costar Abe Vigoda, while showing up in a supporting role is soap-opera stalwart John Aniston, father of Jennifer Aniston. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
The terror begins when dewey-eyed Peggy O'Malley (Lynne Marta) enters the United States after a flight from Canada, her leg encased in a plaster cast. But Peggy has not broken or even sprained anything: she is using the phony cast to smuggle a 20-dollar plate, stolen from the Canadian mint, past US customs. All the while, the hapless girl is pursued by the man who killed her boyfriend, and who will leave a trail of death in his wake while tracking her down. By the time Kojak (Telly Savalas) picks up the villain's trail, a doltish innocent bystander (Chuck McCann) has been swept up in the intrigue. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
The made-for-TV Toma was inspired by the real-life career of New Jersey plainclothes detective Dave Toma. Tony Musante stars as the detective, whose penchant for impenetrable disguises makes him indispensable to the undercover division of the Newark police department. Toma's fierce independence gets him in hot water with his superiors, who are forced to say "no" when he expresses a desire to get the goods on a numbers racketeer. Defying orders, Toma dons another clever disguise and infiltrates the gang. Tony Musante, Susan Strasberg (as Patty Toma) and Simon Oakland (Inspector Spooner) were all retained for the subsequent Toma series, which ran from 1973 until 1974, then resurfaced in altered form as the Robert Blake cop series Baretta. As he would so often on the weekly Toma, the real David Toma plays a cameo role in this 74-minute pilot film. The original Toma was first telecast March 21, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Jeannot Szwarc, the director responsible for so many episodes (both good and bad) of the Night Gallery TV series, was the helmsman of The Devil's Daughter. This small-screen Rosemary's Baby clone stars Belinda Montgomery as a young woman targeted by a group of Satanists. It seems that Belinda's soul was purchased from the Devil when the girl was born, with payment due when she reaches the age of 21. Shelley Winters is at her overbearing best as the head of the cultists, while horror-flick vets Joseph Cotten and Jonathan Frid do their utmost to create the proper demonic atmosphere. Colin Higgins, who moved on to such prestige projects as Silver Streak and Foul Play, conjured up the script for The Devil's Daughter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Belinda Montgomery, Shelley Winters, (more)
- 1970
Leticia (Nancy Barrett) finds the head of Judah Zachary (Michael McGuire) in Desmond's room. Later, Lamar Trask (Jerry Lacy) prevails upon Leticia to locate the body of his father, but Barnabas (Jonathan Frid) prevents Lamar from learning who was responsible for the elder Trask's death. And after being forced to reveal the whereabouts of Zachary's body, Otis Greene (Abe Vigoda), the Head's former "slave," drops dead. This episode first aired on October 15, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
