Lesley Ann Warren Movies
Publicity notwithstanding, Lesley Ann Warren did not exactly burst fully grown into the world in 1966 to star in the Rodgers and Hammerstein TV special Cinderella. Trained at New York's Professional Children's School, Lesley Ann studied under Lee Strasberg before making her Broadway debut in 110 in the Shade, the 1964 musical version of The Rainmaker. On the strength of Cinderella, Lesley Ann was signed to a Disney contract; but after starring in The Happiest Millionaire (1966) and The One and Only Genuine Original Family Band, she rebelled against her studio-imposed sweetness-'n'-light image. Upon replacing Barbara Bain in the long-running espionage TVer Mission: Impossible in 1970, Warren publicly emphasized that her character, Dana Lambert, was a "now" person, wise in the ways of sex. She stayed with Mission for only a year, after which she established herself as a leading light in the made-for-TV movie field, frequently cast as an older woman involved romantically with a much-younger man. She earned an Academy Award nomination for her hilarious performance as bleach-blond gangster's moll Norma in Victor/Victoria (1981), then starred in a couple of intriguing Alan Rudolph-directed dramas, Choose Me (1984) and The Songwriter (1986). Her more recent roles include Molly, the homeless woman in Mel Brooks' Life Stinks(1991), who goes into a "death throes" act whenever she feels like it, and the barracuda booking agent for c-and-w star George Strait in Pure Country (1994). For nearly a decade, Lesley Ann Warren was the wife of producer/hairstylist Jon Peters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
Filmmaking duo Frank and Joe Ciota follow up 1997's The North End and 2001's Ciao America with this black comedy about an Italian-American funeral home struggling to remain afloat as an influx of young, healthy bodies into the neighborhood finds business slowing. Ragucci's the nation's oldest Italian-American funeral home, and owner Felix Ragucci (Joe Sicari) is determined to stay in business. At the heart of Frank's business is Frank Tramontana (Danny Aiello), a former public relations executive who now drives a hearse for a living. Frank is a handsome man who prides himself on both his spotless reputation and his remarkable ability to seduce young women like statuesque beauty Lauren (Heather Tom). Ragussi's holds a special place in Frank's heart, not only because so many people he knows received their final farewells there but also because it serves as a community center for the close-knit family that works there. When Frank learns that Ragucci's may finally be closing their doors, he recruits fellow employees John "The Prince" Monaco (Jon Polito) and Nino Degeneroso (Louis Vanaria) in concocting a scheme to keep the funeral home afloat. But Frank is about to find out that it isn't easy to save the day while attempting to keep up with a much younger girlfriend and negotiate your son's tuition with your demanding ex-wife, and when the gang's shady scheme draws the attention of local gossip writer Sid Buford (Frank Bongiorno), all three will be begging to bury the past. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Aiello, Jon Polito, (more)
Upon moving with his family to a new town and befriending a pair of magical mutts, a ten-year-old boy must choose between his love of animals and his desire to do the right thing in director Richard Gabai's affectionate family adventure. Like any young boy, Zack is nervous about moving to a new town. After happening across a pair of abandoned dogs with surprising magical powers though, Zack discovers that his new home may not be so bad after all. Now, with a pair of determined criminals struggling to steal the dogs for themselves and a growing determination to return his four-legged friends to their rightful owner, Zack sets out to thwart the thieves and ensure that his remarkable story has a happy ending. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Janine Turner, Patrick Muldoon, (more)
- 2005
What sinister scheme can George Williams (Roger Bart) have in mind to steal Bree (Marcia Cross) away from Rex (Steven Culp)? Will Lynette (Felicity Huffman) suffer from the presence of her husband Tom's former girlfriend Annabel Foster (Melinda McGraw) when Annabel is hired by Tom's firm? Does Susan's daughter, Julie (Andrea Bowen), have anything to fear from the increasingly obsessive Zach (Cody Kasch)? How will Edie (Nicollette Sheridan) explain away her illegal home invasion? And here's a question we can answer without any problem at all: will Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) be lonely during the eight months that Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) is in jail? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Edie (Nicollette Sheridan) is a far from disinterested witness when Bree (Marcia Cross) goes out to lunch with the charming but slightly sinister George Williams (Roger Bart). Meanwhile, Bree's husband, Rex (Steven Culp), continues to suffer from ill health (can there be a connection somewhere?). And in other developments, Susan (Teri Hatcher) forgives Mike (James Denton) for his fatal "indiscretion"; Felicia (Felicity Huffman) takes a hand in Zach's (Cody Kasch) problems; and Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) finds out that birth control is not 100 percent effective -- especially when it's been tampered with. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Lesley Ann Warren makes her first appearance as Sophie Bremmer, who descends upon her daughter, Susan (Teri Hatcher), after calling it quits with her current boyfriend, Morty (Bob Newhart). Elsewhere, Bree (Marcia Cross) enrages Lynette (Felicity Huffman) when she disciplines Lynette's incorrigible son Porter. Andrew (Shawn Pyfrom) has another shocking surprise for his parents. And Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) fiddles with his prenuptial contract while wife Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) burns. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
The devastating disappearance of a young girl haunts her grieving family in this fact-based tale feature debut from filmmaker Dionysius Zervos. Hungering for some quality alone time with her new boyfriend, Ray (Costas Mandylor), single mother Kaliope Harris (Izabella Miko) leaves her young daughter, Anna (Erika Shasho), in the care of loving grandmother Mrs. Harris (Lesley Ann Warren). An idyllic day at the beach turns to tragedy for the Harris family, however, when in the blink of an eye the precious young Anna seemingly disappears into the vast sand. While Mrs. Harris struggles to accept the startling disappearance, her enraged husband (Ben Gazzara) hounds the authorities to step up their search and Kaliope and Ray comb the beach in a desperate bid to retrace Anna's every step on that fateful and tragic day. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Gazzara, Lesley Ann Warren, (more)
A washed-up actor who is desperate for a comeback lures an unscrupulous A-list director into his home with a little help from cellular technology in directors Glen Scantlebury and Lucy Phillips' wicked showbiz satire. Bobby Devillin is a movie producer with more than his share of problems. Despite his string of high-profile hits at the box office, Bobby's disgruntled wife is getting tired of the producer's constant extramarital dalliances, and his pregnant mistress, Bonnie (Debi Mazar), has just flown into town to confront him about her current status as a mother-to-be. When Bobby's disgruntled girlfriend Karen angrily throws his cell phone into the bushes during a heated argument and the phone is subsequently discovered by a suicidal actor on the verge of ending it all, Bobby's already complicated life is thrown into a whole new world of chaos. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Comeau, John Heard, (more)
- 2003
For their 200th assignment together, Monica (Roma Downey) and Tess (Della Reese) were supposed to bring hope and faith into the heart of embitteredt DMV instructor Kelly (Lesley Warren). But when Tess is "disqualified", angel-in-training Gloria (Valerie Bertinelli) takes over. On surface, Kelly is a standard-issue assignment, a woman who has soured on life after spending 14 years caring for a streetwise orphan named Jessie (Edwin Hodge) in a crime-ridden Chicago neighborhood. But there is a whole different dimension to this case: Kelly is herself an angel, who since going AWOL from Heaven has evolved into a human being...with far more than her share of human failings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Only in a made-for-TV comedy would the owners of a fancy restaurant be out of town on the establishment's opening night. Thanks to an unforeseen mishap, Mr. and Mrs. Korda (John Larroquette, Lesley Ann Warren) are nowhere to be found when their eatery is scheduled to open its doors. It falls to the Korda children -- Rebecca (Margo Harshman), Sam (Andrew Allen), and Max (Andrew Allen) -- to hold down the fort in their parents' absence. Naturally, the big night is full of craziness, exacerbated by temperamental employees, snobbish customers, and a couple of unforeseen flies in the ointment. Recipe for Disaster made its first PAX network appearance on May 16, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Larroquette, Lesley Ann Warren, (more)
Local teens cruelly tease Tara (Victoria Sanchez), the intelligent but hairy wolf girl of Harley Dune's (Tim Curry) traveling freak show that has set up near a rural town. One of the young men is particularly vicious, throwing darts and feces at Tara during her performance, but Tara is helpless to defend herself as she spends much of her time isolated in a trailer or hanging out with the fat lady, dwarves, and other freaks. But she's befriended and taken into town by outcast teen Ryan (Dov Tiefenbach), whose mother (Lesley Ann Warren) happens to be a chemist working on an experimental depilatory treatment. Without telling anyone, Ryan begins injecting Tara with the chemical, and her hair gradually begins to fall out. But there are two side effects no one counted on -- the chemical makes Tara carnivorous and easily enraged. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
New Age masseur Poe Finklestein (Mario Van Peebles) has an appointment at the posh estate of widow Evelyn Heiss (Lesley Ann Warren), who lives with her gay stepson Dominique (Donovan Leitch) and her sister-in-law Alena Heiss (Louise Fletcher). The gardener (Melvin Van Peebles) is a bystander observing the con games, betrayals and schemes unleashed in this dysfunctional household. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mario Van Peebles, Lesley Ann Warren, (more)
- 1997
Two men return home from the Army to find that their attitudes on life, love, and the town where they grew up have changed in this bittersweet coming-of-age drama. Sonny Burns (Jeremy Davies) and Gunner Casselman (Ben Affleck) are two guys from Indianapolis who were drafted during the Korean War. In high school, Gunner was a football player and big man on campus, while Sonny was a social outcast who kept to himself. Sonny spent most of his hitch in the Army in Kansas City, while Gunner was stationed in Japan and found his perspectives changed by exposure to Asian philosophies. Gunner and Sonny run into each other on a troop train as they return to Indiana in 1954. While they were never close in school, Gunner finds himself reaching out to Sonny, believing that Sonny is a deep thinker, though Sonny spends a lot more time thinking about girls than his place in the universe. Sonny has a girlfriend, Buddy (Amy Locane), who would like to get married; Sonny's mother Alma (Jill Clayburgh) is almost as eager as Buddy to see her son head to the altar, but Sonny doesn't find Buddy very interesting, and he's not sure if he wants to settle in Indianapolis. He's far more attracted to Gail (Rose McGowan), an exotic looking brunette who appeals to his girly-magazine fantasies, but while he can make love to Buddy, he's struck with impotence when Gail offers to sleep with him. Meanwhile, Gunner has fallen in love with Marty Pilcher (Rachel Weisz), a sexy Jewish woman, but Gunner's mother Nina (Lesley Ann Warren), who seems inappropriately fond of her son, doesn't care for Marty and spouts anti-Semitic venom at her son in hopes of driving him away from his new girlfriend. Like Sonny, Gunner finds himself thinking that his destiny lies outside of his home town. Dan Wakefield wrote the screenplay for Going All the Way, based on his own novel. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1995
This television miniseries recounts the biblical story of Joseph, the 11th son of the Hebrew patriarch, Jacob. Joseph (Paul Mercurio) has an extraordinary gift: the ability to interpret dreams. He also enjoys the special favor of his father. One day, Jacob (Martin Landau) presents his son a splendid coat as evidence of his deep affection for him. Envious, his brothers sell Joseph into bondage to an Egyptian. But Joseph eventually rises out of slavery after he interprets a troublesome dream of Pharaoh (Stefano Dionisi) as a sign that Egypt will experience seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Impressed by Joseph's strange powers, Pharaoh elevates him to the highest government position in Egypt next to Pharaoh's. Then Joseph wisely directs Egypt to store grain during the years of plenty. Finally, after famine strikes, Egypt sets bountiful tables as before, but other lands suffer severe deprivation. Jacob sends Joseph's brothers to Egypt for grain. After gaining an audience with the esteemed Joseph, they do not recognize him. So much time has passed, after all. And who could imagine that their own brother, a mere Hebrew slave, could have cast off his yoke and ascended to such heights of power? As the film moves toward its conclusion, viewers wonder whether Joseph will hold his brothers to account for their wrongdoing -- or reconcile with them and renew familial relationships. ~ Mike Cummings, All Movie Guide
- 1995
This thriller was filmed on location in Bulgaria. The story centers on Nikolai as he makes his final confession and tells his story to a priest on the day he is to be executed. His tale of revenge is presented in flashback and begins while Nikolai was still a child. Back then he saw his father, a policeman, brutally shot by Griffith, an American smuggler of drugs and arms when the Communists were still in control. Nikolai spent the rest of his life plotting his revenge. He begins by seducing the smuggler's daughter, Kily, who has come to visit. He then tells the criminal that he has kidnapped her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Horrified and angered when she learns that the boy who brutally raped her daughter is free to do it again thanks to ineffectual laws and courtroom rigamarole, a mother vows to get her own kind of justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lesley Ann Warren, Bruce Davison, (more)
- 1992
Do not confuse this fact-based feature with the more tongue-in-cheek cable TV version, The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader Murdering Mom. This one looks seriously at the story of a Texas mother who was willing to kill to ensure her daughter's place on the cheerleading squad. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
When a single mother comes in to help take care of a man's ill wife, he becomes interested in her for more than the care she is rendering. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1991
"Saying 'no' to Melanie could lead to murder--and more." Thus did the CBS Network publicity department lure the viewer into watching the made-for-TV Seduction in Travis County. Based liberally on fact, the film stars Lesley Ann Warren as an accused murderer. Peter Coyote is the dynamic, married young attorney whom Warren twists around her little finger. He wins her acquittal, and also her eternal deadly vigilance. Coyote says "no" to Warren--and we all know where it will lead. With traces of the 1950 Barbara Stanwyck film The File on Thelma Jordon, Seduction in Travis County delivers a few chills but very little believable motivation for the characters' actions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lesley Ann Warren, Peter Coyote, (more)
- 1990
- Add Family of Spies: The Walker Spy Ring, Part 1 to QueueAdd Family of Spies: The Walker Spy Ring, Part 1 to top of Queue
The true story of American turncoat John Walker, Jr. is related blow-by-blow in this made-for-TV movie. Powers Boothe stars as Walker, a Navy petty officer who spends half of his career selling secrets to the Soviets. At first the soul of discretion, the hard-drinking, philandering Walker eventually becomes careless enough in his activities to arouse the suspicions of his in-the-dark wife Barbara (Lesley Ann Warren). With the skill and aplomb of the true sociopath, Walker also manages to convince his own son (Andrew Lowry) to join the "family business." The spy ring is ultimately smashed through the joint efforts of the FBI and Walker's embittered ex-wife. Based on the books Family of Spies by Pete Earley and I Pledge Allegiance by Howard Blum, Family of Spies: The Walker Spy Ring was originally telecast in two parts on February 4 and 6, 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Based on a 1983 novel by Dan Jenkins, Baja Oklahoma is set sometime in the 1950s. Texas barmaid Lesley Ann Warren wants more than anything to be a rich and famous country-western songwriter. Unfortunately, she spends most of her time sorting out her many dead-end romances. Just when she thinks she's ready for the big move to Nashville, along comes her erstwhile old flame Peter Coyote. Deftly stealing every scene she's in is Swoosie Kurtz as Warren's hot-to-trot best pal. Willie Nelson, who cowrote the film's title song with Dan Jenkins, makes a guest appearance, along with such other C&W favorites as Emmylou Harris and Bob Wills Jr. Actress Alice Krige is superb as songstress Patsy Cline-far better, incidentally, than Jessica Lange in Sweet Dreams. Playing the supporting role of Warren's daughter is Julia Roberts, who was later touted as the film's star when Baja Oklahoma was released to video. Made for the HBO cable service, the film debuted February 20, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lesley Ann Warren, Peter Coyote, (more)
- 1986
First telecast October 6, 1986, A Fight for Jenny is the compelling study of an interracial couple's struggle for happiness. White Kelsey Wilkes (Leslie Ann Warren) is married to African American David Caldwell (Philip Michael Thomas). Casting a shadow over the couple is Kelsey's first husband Ben (Drew Snyder). Using antiquated laws as his weapons, Ben demands custody of his daughter Jennifer (Jaclyn-Rose Lester), insisting that a mixed-marriage household is the wrong environment for the girl. A Fight for Jenny enjoyed a healthy second life in reruns, thanks to the Miami Vice-generated popularity of co-star Philip Michael Thomas. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
