Ernest Borgnine Movies
Born Ermes Effron Borgnino in Hamden, CT, to Italian immigrants, Ernest Borgnine spent five years of his early childhood in Milan before returning to the States for his education. Following a long stint in the Navy that ended after WWII, Borgnine enrolled in the Randall School of Dramatic Art in Hartford. Between 1946 and 1950, he worked with a theater troupe in Virginia and afterward appeared a few times on television before his 1951 film debut in China Corsair. Borgnine's stout build and tough face led him to spend the next few years playing villains. In 1953, he won considerable acclaim for his memorable portrayal of a ruthless, cruel sergeant in From Here to Eternity. He was also praised for his performance in the Western Bad Day at Black Rock. Borgnine could easily have been forever typecast as the heavy, but in 1955, he proved his versatility and showed a sensitive side in the film version of Paddy Chayefsky's acclaimed television play Marty. Borgnine's moving portrayal of a weak-willed, lonely, middle-aged butcher attempting to find love in the face of a crushingly dull life earned him an Oscar, a British Academy award, a Cannes Festival award, and an award from both the New York Film Critics and the National Board of Review. After that, he seldom played bad guys and instead was primarily cast in "regular Joe" roles, with the notable exception of The Vikings in which he played the leader of the Viking warriors.In 1962, he was cast in the role that most baby boomers best remember him for, the anarchic, entrepreneurial Quentin McHale in the sitcom McHale's Navy. During the '60s and '70s, Borgnine's popularity was at its peak and he appeared in many films, including a theatrical version of his show in 1964, The Dirty Dozen (1966), Ice Station Zebra (1968) and The Wild Bunch (1969). Following the demise of McHale's Navy in 1965, Borgnine did not regularly appear in series television for several years. However, he did continue his busy film career and also performed in television miniseries and movies. Notable features include The Poseidon Adventure (1972) and Law and Disorder (1974). Some of his best television performances can be seen in Jesus of Nazareth (1977), Ghost on Flight 401 (1978), and a remake of Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front (1979). In 1984, Borgnine returned to series television starring opposite Jan Michael Vincent in the action-adventure series Airwolf.
That series ended in 1986; Borgnine's career continued to steam along albeit in much smaller roles. Between 1995 and 1997, he was a regular on the television sitcom The Single Guy. In 1997, he also made a cameo appearance in Tom Arnold's remake of Borgnine's hit series McHale's Navy.
At age 80 he continued to work steadily in a variety of projects such as the comedy BASEketball, the sci-fi film Gattaca, and as the subject of the 1997 documentary Ernest Borgnine on the Bus. He kept on acting right up to the end of his life, tackling one of his final roles in the 2010 action comedy RED. Borgnine died in 2012 at age 95. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
This religious drama stars Kelsey Sanders as Kerry Wells, a college student and aspiring journalist who also happens to be a Born Again Christian. She strikes up a budding romance with fellow undergrad Blake Truman (Logan Bartholomew), a collegiate hockey superstar and one of the most popular men on campus. As the two grow ever closer, however, Kerry learns that Blake is still reeling from a painful secret in his past. When Kerry suggests that Blake pray and ask God to relieve his emotional burdens, Blake - an atheist - scoffs at the suggestion, insisting that the miracles of modern science disprove the validity of the Bible. Meanwhile, Kerry finds her faith challenged from another source, and decides to weigh scientific discoveries against the account of creation in Genesis - with surprising results. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- 2010
- PG13
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A group of former government assassins fights back against the CIA after they're targeted for knowing too much in this adaptation of Warren Ellis' acclaimed DC Comics graphic novels. Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) used to be a hired gun for the CIA. Along with Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich), and Victoria (Helen Mirren), Frank's specialty was carrying out contracts that the government didn't want the public to know about. These days, Frank and his old gang are all retired, but the powers that be are still concerned that they know too much, and dispatch a team of top assassins to ensure their silence. Now, Frank and his former team members realize that their only hope for survival is to break into CIA headquarters and expose the truth. But once they're in, the group uncovers evidence of a massive cover-up that promises to rock the very foundation of our government. Karl Urban, Brian Cox, Richard Dreyfuss, and Ernest Borgnine co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, (more)
- 2009
- PG13
Four senior-citizens struggle to reconcile a lifetime of memories and a fierce sense of self-sufficiency against the fact that they're now living in the twilight of their lives. Every morning, nursing-home residents Frank (Ernest Borgnine), June (Piper Laurie), Alice (Doris Roberts), and Ella (Anne Meara) come together at the table for a game of cards. They may have their fair share of disagreements, though the love and support they offer each other serves as a shining light in uncertain times. When World War II veteran Frank realizes that he has forgotten what his beloved late wife looked like, he begins to fear that another stroke is on the way, and rues the thought of burdening his family. Shortly thereafter, he asks his son Jeffrey (Richard Schiff) to bring him his old pistol, a relic from the war that helps him to remember his old brothers in arms. Meanwhile, Alice and Ella begin to suspect that Frank has other reasons for wanting the gun, and clash while attempting to determine how to handle the situation. Though a Labor Day camping trip with his children Jeffrey and Vickie (Cybill Shepherd) and sensitive grandson Jack (Cameron Monaghan) offers Frank a brief escape from his highly-predictable daily routine, a trip back to the nursing home reminds him that those fleeting moments of pure joy will only get fewer and farther between as his health deteriorates, and leads him to make a decision that will prompt everyone around him to reassess their own values, and what it means to make a painful decision for purely unselfish reasons. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ernest Borgnine, Anne Meara, (more)
Casper Van Dien, Bruce Boxleitner and Oscar winner Ernest Borgnine star in this action-packed western about a town of old west settlers beset by a ruthless group of trigger-happy gunmen. They knew they were taking a risk by settling in uncharted territory, but the land was bountiful and the future looked bright. The one thing that these settlers didn't count on was the railroad. When the bullets start flying and the locals start dying, there's no sheriff to maintain the peace within a hundred miles. With no one to defend the peaceful pioneers but a retired gunslinger and an ageing rancher, this unlikely duo loads their pistols and prepares to become the only law this town has ever known. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Bruce Boxleitner, (more)
A pair of animal enthusiasts desperate to boost the ratings of their failing television series "Strange Wilderness" set out for the Andes in search of the elusive Bigfoot in this comedy directed by Fred Wolf and starring Justin Long, Steve Zahn, Kevin Heffernan, and Ernest Borgnine. Peter Gaulke (Zahn) and Fred Wolf (Allen Covert) are the energetic hosts of "Strange Wilderness" -- television's most unconventional nature show. When the ratings take a nosedive and they are confronted with cancellation, Peter finds himself resorting to desperate measures in order to stay on the air. Perhaps if the "Strange Wilderness" crew could somehow track down the most elusive creature ever to stalk the woodlands, they could keep their show on the air and go down in history as the adventurers who solved one of nature's greatest mysteries. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Zahn, Allen Covert, (more)
A retired showman and twenty-five year divorcee connects with the granddaughter he never knew in this warmhearted holiday film starring Earnest Borgnine, Katherine Helmond, Tracy Nelson, and Jamie Farr. Ever since his divorce twenty-five years ago, eighty year old bachelor Bert O'Riley (Borgnine) has grown rather accustomed to living by himself. When his estranged daughter Marie (Nelson) is hospitalized following a serious car crash, however, Bert readily agrees to take in her nine year old daughter Becca (Juliette Goglia). Trouble is, Bert's social skills aren't so sharp after living alone for over two decades, and Marie hasn't exactly given Becca the best impression of her estranged grandfather either. At first the air between Bert and his precocious new roommate is downright icy, though things gradually warm to a thaw after Becca announces that she'd like to perform in her school's upcoming Christmas pageant. Later, after recruiting fellow showbiz retirees Roxie (Helmond), Adam (Farr), and Karl (Richard Libertin) to give Becca a few helpful pointers, Bert is called on to take over the show. Perhaps by working together, Bert and Becca can finally bridge the gap that has divided their family for so many years. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ernest Borgnine
From Jan Kounen, the French director of the violent cult actioner Dobermann, comes this loose adaptation of Jean "Mobius" Giraud's comic series Blueberry. Vincent Cassel stars as Mike Blueberry, a lawman whose past comes back to haunt him when his town is invaded by the nefarious Blount (Michael Madsen), the man responsible for his first love's murder. Led by a German con man by the name of Prosit (an unrecognizable Eddie Izzard), Blount and his crew search for an ancient treasure buried deep within Indian tribal grounds, while Blueberry and his Indian friend Runi (Temuera Morrison) race to keep the land sacred and stop the thieves by any means possible. Featuring Juliette Lewis and her father, Geoffrey Lewis, in supporting roles, the film sports a solid American cast that boasts an additional performance by Colm Meaney and a rare appearance by none other than Ernest Borgnine. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Starring:
- Vincent Cassel, Juliette Lewis, (more)
An epic-Western in the grand tradition, the made-for-cable The Trail to Hope Rose stars Lou Diamond Phillips as Keenan Deerfield, a half-Indian outlaw just released from prison. Determined to start life anew, Keenan takes a grueling rock-mining job in a town controlled by the odious Driggers family, headed by flint-eyed patriarch Samuel Drigger (Warren Stevens), with the coldblooded Gerald Rutledge (Richard Tyson) as the family's chief henchman. Keenan's fellow workers are treated like slaves and forced to live in squalor, but none dare complain lest they meet with one of the many convient "accidents" that have befallen anyone who dares stand up to the Driggers. With stoic fortitude, Keenan waits for the right moment to strike a blow for justice, benefiting from the moral support of the town's honest but ineffectual Marshal Toll (Lee Majors) and good-natured farmer Eugene Lawson (Ernest Borgnine). The plot thickens when Keenan falls in love with Gerald's "woman," the pregnant Christine Beckford (Marina Black), and when one of Keenan's past associates, A.J. Foster (David Shackelford), rides into town intent upon stealing the Drigger mine's payroll. The rather endearing old-fashioned quality of the film is enhanced by the location-shooting at the Paramount Ranch, a reconstructed western town in Agoura, CA. The Trail to Hope Rose first aired July 4, 2004, on the Hallmark channel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ernest Borgnine, Lou Diamond Phillips, (more)
- 2003
- G
Academy Award-winner Ernest Borgnine stars in this children's fantasy film about a young boy who suddenly finds himself playing his favorite videogame from the inside. After making a wish, young Max (Noah Poletiek) is surprised when a magical fairy (Borgnine) appears offering to grant the boy's request. Soon, Max is thrust into the world of the video game Derek Sword and battling against demons in the adventure of a lifetime. The Blue Light also stars Eva Barda. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
Ernest Borgnine stars as an underdog farmer who stands up to a land developer in the stirring drama Barn Red. He is joined by a Native American former employee named Lydia (Kimberly Norris Guerrero), and the two take on the town to keep the land untouched. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ernest Borgnine, Kimberly Norris Guerrero, (more)
- 2002
An opera-obsessed Mafioso receives his comeuppance from the least likely of places in this crime comedy starring screen legend Ernest Borgnine. Godfather Mariano (Borgnine) is a mob boss accustomed to getting things his way, but when an indebted tenor, a widower, and a florist turn the tables on the powerful don, he finds himself singing to a whole other tune. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2002
Ernest Borgnine guest stars as veteran televsion director Max Blandish, a once-idealistic media pioneer who has become jaded and disillusioned during his 50 years in the business. If bitterness doesn't kill Max, his heavy smoking will, and thus there isn't a whole lot of time left for Monica (Roma Downey) and Tess (Della Reese) to persuade him to forsake his cynicism and keep the promises he made to himself at the outset of his career. This requires Max to confront an unpleasant incident in his past--specifically, 1954--when he buckled under to sponsor pressure and refused to allow a black female singer to appear on-camera for a performance of "God Bless America" (Need we reveal whom that singer turns out to be?) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2000
Alana Austin, Ernest Borgnine, and Frank Gorshin star in this action-packed adventure about a feisty teenage girl and a handsome young drifter on the run from the law in the Arizona desert. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2000
Ernest Borgnine stars in this one-man show as J. Edgar Hoover, the notorious former head of the F.B.I., who discusses his long and storied career on camera as he relives his triumphs and attempts to explain his career failings. Hoover discusses his battles against Communists, gangsters (especially John Dillinger), radical leftists, neo-fascists, and extremists of all political stripes, while also weighing in on latter-day allegations about the legalities of his working methods (especially his use of wiretaps) and his sexual preferences. The film also features Cartha D. "Deke" Deloach", onetime deputy director of the F.B.I., who worked with Hoover for 17 years and offers his own recollections of the man he considered both his friend and a great lawman. Hoover was shot in 1997, but wasn't shown theatrically until 2000, when it played a limited engagement in Los Angeles in order to quality for that year's Academy awards. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ernest Borgnine
- 1999
- PG
Reminiscent of David Lynch's acclaimed The Straight Story, this drama focuses on forgiveness, redemption, and a rider lawnmower. Ernest Borgnine stars as aging war veteran Hotis Brown, who learns that his brother -- to whom he has not talked in 50 years -- is dying. Too proud to accept a police escort from well-meaning local sheriff Bernie (James Morrison), Hotis points his lawnmower West and starts driving. In spite of the veteran's grumpy rebuffs, Bernie checks up on him and brings him food. Slowly Hotis begins to accept the sheriff's kindness, and the two develop an odd sort of friendship. Hotis confides in Bernie the terrible secret that ended his relationship with his brother, allowing the ornery old man to heal his wounds. Meanwhile, sister-in-law Emmeline (Kim Hunter) dutifully watches over her husband. Abilene was screened at the 1999 San Sebastian Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ernest Borgnine, Kim Hunter, (more)
- 1999
Joey Travolta directed this comedy-drama for the family. Two children from the city spend the summer at their grandfather's ranch where they make a new friend -- Mel, grandpa's giant turtle who can do tricks and loves pancakes. But while Grandfather and the kids are all very attached to Mel, one of his neighbors is opening a theme park and wants Mel as their official mascot ; he's willing even to steal him if Grandfather won't turn him over willingly. Julia Hagerty, Ernest Borgnine, Jack Scalia, and Greg Evigan star. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Scalia
- 1999
- PG
Danny Quinn is determined to find the pirate treasure at the bottom of Lake Michigan, which his father told him about before he died. His will is so strong, in fact, that the ghost of Picaroon visits him to encourage him in his quest and warn him of the foe that he will meet on his journey. Danny puts together a rag-tag crew and sets off-but they are not alone. Another treasure hunter is after the gold, and it may turn out to be the foe that Danny was warned of. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi
In this adventure story for the whole family, young Ian (Jeffrey Sharmat) has resigned himself to a boring vacation after he's told that he'll have to spend the summer with his Grandma Mimi (Eileen Brennan). After making friends with a neighborhood girl named Jules (Stephanie Sawyer), Ian and his new companion become curious about the legends surrounding the spooky old mansion at the end of their street. Upon sneaking into the house, they discover that Franklin Lyle (Ernest Borgnine), believed to have disappeared 40 years ago, is living inside, and that a con artist named Jimmy Murano (Jason Hervey) wants to lay claim to the house -- and the money he's convinced is hidden inside. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeffrey Sharmat, Stephanie Sawyer, (more)
The characters from the animated family favorite All Dogs Go to Heaven return for this yuletide story. The pooches at the Flea Bite Cafe are trying to make this Christmas a special one for Timmy, a puppy in need of an operation. But when the mean-spirited Carface decides to spoil Christmas for Timmy -- and the other dogs too -- Charlie and Itchy step in to save the spirit of the season. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steven Weber, Dom DeLuise, (more)
Johnny and Tanner are two brothers raised in a violently dysfunctional family, with a brutal psychopath for a father. One day, their father's abuse of their mother goes too far and tragedy strikes. Tanner winds up in jail, and Johnny is sent to a foster home, where he finally knows a stable life and a caring family. Years later, Johnny (Scott Waugh) is a college student with good marks and good prospects ahead of him, while Tanner (Sean Graham) is trying to dig himself out of a life of crime. Tanner calls Johnny and asks him for a favor -- he'd like his brother to vouch for him in a hearing with his parole officer in Hollywood. Johnny agrees, but then discovers that the hearing isn't in nearby Hollywood, CA, but on the other side of the country in Hollywood, FL. A promise is a promise, and Johnny and Tanner hop in Tanner's ancient Lincoln Continental with only 12 dollars to their name, hoping the fates will guide them safely to the East Coast. The supporting cast includes Ernest Borgnine, Jonathan Silverman, and Married With Children star David Faustino. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Scott Waugh, Sean Graham, (more)
David Zucker directed this slapstick sports comedy starring South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Competing two-on-two against some basketball jocks, goofballs Joe Cooper (Parker) and Doug Remer (Stone) attempt to win by devising new rules while they play. Thus is born the bizarre game of "BASEketball." Rules: Court position decides whether a sunk basket counts as a single, a home run, or whatever; the opposing team can retrieve missed shots. Verbal abuse is allowed. Ditto for gross-outs -- or anything to annoy the shooter. The game becomes popular in driveways, so sports promoter Ted Denslow (Ernest Borgnine) proposes a deal to form a pro league. Dallas Felons owner Baxter Cain (Robert Vaughn), hopes to increase revenues with product placements and pro endorsements, but he needs the okay of team owners. Ted dies during the season finals, leaving Cain to deal with his widow Yvette (Jenny McCarthy). However, Ted willed the team to Cooper, who must win the upcoming season or ownership goes to Yvette. Cameos by Bob Costas and Al Michaels. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Trey Parker, Matt Stone, (more)
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