Ralph Wilcox Movies
- 1997
Just before all three of them are to be wed to the men of their dreams, longtime friends Monique (Connie Sellecca, Eve (Twiggy) and Teri (Shawnee Smith) flying off to Australia for a pre-nuptual photo shoot. To fully appreciate the episodic events that follow, it should be noted that Monique is a magazine editor engaged to a control freak; Eve is a model whose trail is being dogged by a psychotic ex-suitor; and Teri is a bewitching lass who has not told her fiancé everything he should know about his past. Amidst a sea of romance-on-the-rebound, tense melodrama and deep dark secrets, the audience is afford a few islands of relief vis-à-vis the performance of Dina Merrill as Monique's ailing "old-money" mom. Adapted from the novel by Jillian Karr and Karen Katz,the made-for-TV Something Borrowed, Something Blue made its initial CBS network appearance on March 11, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Sydney Carpenter (Vanessa Marcil) has just learned that her husband is a low-down crook. Not long afterward, both Sydney's husband and her son are lost at sea. Though she grieves for her son, there is clearly an air of relief about Sydney whenever she discusses her hubby. Even so, when evidence surfaces that the deaths have been faked and that at least one of the two "victims" may still be alive, Sydney engages the services of a police detective, Jim Sanders (James Wilder), to uncover the truth--this despite the fact that the FBI has ordered Sanders and his department to steer clear of the case. To Love, Honor and Deceive first aired December 15, 1996 on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vanessa Marcil, James Wilder, (more)
In this made-for-TV movie, a former lap dancer befriends a well-off young man who's investigating the murder of his family and the disappearance of his father. When Ivy Leaguer Tim Faulkner (Patrick Muldoon) finds his sister and mother dead, he can't locate his father. He soon learns that his dad may have been involved with the Mob. But despite eyewitness testimony that his father drowned, Tim skips town to look for him anyway. He soon meets Meredith (Tori Spelling), a bubbly good-time girl who helps him stay one step ahead of the authorities who are also trailing his father. Meanwhile, violent crook Mariano (Richard Belzer) keeps tabs on the boy, hoping Tim will lead him to Mr. Faulkner, who owes him a large sum of cash. As Tim's search continues, he gets closer to the truth -- and grows closer to Meredith. So why is she behind his back taking phone calls from Mariano? Originally broadcast on NBC in 1996, Deadly Pursuits aired again in 1999 and subsequently joined several other Spelling vehicles in frequent rotation on the Lifetime cable channel. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 1996
The bane of the existence of city attorney Elizabeth Gates (Shelley Long) is the jovial, widowed former barber (Bruce Kirby) who has chosen to be a year-round Santa Claus, transforming his house into a permanent "North Pole" village and giving away free presents to needy children. Unfortunately, "Santa" is operating out of a residential zone, and thus is technically running an illegal commercial business. Elizabeth's problem is to evict the would-be Kris Kringle without endangering her mayoral campaign -- and to hide from her impressionable son Tommy (Nathan Lawrence) the real reason behind her dislike for "Santa." Meanwhile, a cynical big-city reporter (Barry Bostwick) follows the case with interest (his interest is mainly in Elizabeth, of course), and a local land developer goes into "Scrooge" mode as he schemes to tear down a landmark train station. Based on an actual 1989 court case, A Different Kind of Christmas was made for cable, airing originally over the Lifetime network on December 9, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shelley Long, Barry Bostwick, (more)
- 1995
Sociopathic Rae Phillips (Kate Vernon) lives only to avenge the past wrong in her life that made her the monster she is today. Stealing the identity of a woman named Kelly Richards, our "heroine" persuades Kelly's wealthy Southern in-laws that she is the genuine article, and is invited to move in with them permanently. What follows is a steady progression of lies, betrayals and suspicious "suicides", the like of which give a whole new meaning to the phrase "blood relative." Filmed on location in North Carolina, the surprisingly sanguine cable movie The Sister-in-Law made its first USA network appearance on July 12, 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kate Vernon, Shanna Reed, (more)
- 1994
The full title of this made-for-TV film was In the Best of Families: Pride and Madness. Based on a true story, the film details the bitter divorce between overly idealistic Keith Carradine and emotionally disturbed Kelly McGillis. Caught in the middle are the couple's sons, played by Erik Von Detten and Ira David Wood Jr. The crisis erupts into violence, resulting in a triple homicide. Roundly criticized for its lurid and sensationalistic aspects, In the Best of Families was originally telecast in two parts on January 16 and 18, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kelly McGillis, Keith Carradine, (more)
- 1994
Based on a well-publicized 1991 Dallas murder case, the made-for-TV Death in Small Doses begins with the death of architect Nancy Lyon (Glynnis O'Connor), who has succumbed to arsenic poisoning. The prime suspect is Nancy's frequently estranged husband Richard (Richard Lyon), who stands to collect an enormous insurance policy. Nancy's family pressures the local authorities to prosecute Richard--and never mind that virtually every person in that family also seems to have had substantial reason to wish Nancy dead. But Richard plays a trump card when he supplies evidence indicating that his wife actually committed suicide--a move that proves to be a thrown gauntlet to relentless Assistant DA Jerri Sims (Tess Harper). Filmed in 1993, Death in Small Doses did not air on ABC until January 16, 1995. The film was directed by actress Sondra Locke, best known at the time for her long association with Clint Eastwood. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Thomas, Tess Harper, (more)
China Moon is a slick noir thriller, nice to look at, well-acted and directed, but ultimately predictable, even to its "surprise" ending. Kyle Bodine (Ed Harris) falls in love with Rachel Munro (Madeleine Stowe), the unhappily married wife of a drunken Southern aristocrat Rupert (Charles Dance). One night, tired of his beatings and abuse, Rachel kills Rupert, apparently in self-defense. Kyle helps her cover-up the crime and establish an alibi. However, Kyle's young partner Lamar (Benecio Del Toro) suspects Rachel of the murder and begins an investigation. In fairly predictable plot twists reminiscent of the far superior Body Heat Kyle finds his life falling apart. While the plot is contrived, the performances are convincing, particularly that of Madeline Stowe as the treacherous Rachel. Ed Harris gives the character of Kyle depth and complexity. Cinematographer-turned-director John Bailey gives the film a great, dark, rain-slicked noir look and feel and lingers on details which take an otherwise predictable mystery/thriller and make it seem like a game of wits. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Harris, Madeleine Stowe, (more)
- 1993
Melissa Gilbert-Boxleitner and Mel Harris star as two female police officers fighting the police force in this made-for-TV movie about sexual harassment in the workplace. After Miranda Berkley (Harris) breaks up with her boyfriend/superior officer, she and her partner find themselves on-the-job without any support from fellow officers. They lodge a formal complaint against their superiors and are then forced to suffer the consequences from their angry male colleagues. Based on a true story, this made-for-TV movie debuted on May 11, 1993. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Harris, Melissa Gilbert, (more)
When an eight-year-old black youth (Norman D. Golden II) witnesses a mob hit, he orders the police to make him a cop for a day before he will help identify the killer. Detective Nick McKenna (Burt Reynolds) is the unfortunate assigned to the case. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Norman D. Golden II, (more)
- 1992
- R
Silent Victim is the true story about a troubled pregnant wife (Michelle Greene) who attempts suicide, but is only successful in killing her unborn child, not herself. Following her failed attempt, her husband (Kyle Secor) sues her for murdering the unborn child, while a district attorney petitions the state to charge her with an illegal abortion. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ely Pouget, Kyle Secor, (more)
- 1992
Originally aired on CBS in 1992, Stompin' at the Savoy was produced and directed by Broadway choreographer and actress Debbie Allen. Set in New York City during the late '30s, the story concerns the economic survival of four young women trying to achieve their dreams at the end of the Harlem Renaissance. Pop star Vanessa Williams stars as Pauline, a domestic worker trying to make it as a singer. After work, she frequents the happening Savoy Ballroom along with Esther (Lynn Whitfield), Alice (Jasmine Guy), and Dorothy (Vanessa Bell Calloway). Eventually, fame and WWII come between the four friends. Though nominated for several Emmy awards for choreography and costume design, Stompin' at the Savoy has never been released on home video. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lynn Whitfield, Vanessa Williams, (more)
- 1991
In White Lie, a drama based on Samuel Charters' novel Louisiana Black, Gregory Hines plays Len Madison Jr., a New York-based mayoral press secretary who learns that his father was lynched in the South three decades earlier. Madison returns to the South, where he is intent on learning the truth about his father's death. Along the way, he is helped by a doctor (Annette O'Toole), the daughter of the white woman whom Madison's father allegedly raped and killed. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregory Hines, Annette O'Toole, (more)
- 1982
- PG
A crack military team led by pilot Ace Hunter (Barry Bostwick) is called in to save democracy in a small nation threatened by tyranny. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barry Bostwick, Persis Khambatta, (more)
- 1982
- R
Off the Wall is a moderately funny comedy about two young men who end up in a Tennessee jail and then find romance and/or adventure from there. Randy (Patrick Cassidy) and Rico (Billy Hufsey) are hitchhiking through the South when they are picked up by the pretty daughter (Rosanna Arquette) of the governor of Tennessee. Through no fault of their own, the young woman abandons them after a car accident, and the two are put in jail for six months, where Randy falls for the warden's daughter Jennifer (Brianne Leary), and Rico comes to the attention of the jail's top wrestler. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Sorvino, Rosanna Arquette, (more)
Returning from the original American Graffiti are Debbie Dunham, Steve Bolander, John Milner, Carol/Rainbow, Terry the Toad and Laurie Bolander (Candy Clark, Ron Howard, Paul LeMat, Mackenzie Phillips, Charles Martin Smith and Cindy Williams), but Richard Dreyfuss is missing and Harrison Ford shows up in a gag cameo. The sequel brings its principles into the more radical end of the 1960s, with Steve and Laurie, now married, on the fringes of the protest movement. Debbie and Carol have been lured into the flower-power milieu by rocker Newt (Scott Glenn). And John has parlayed his love of hot rods into a drag-racing career. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Candy Clark, Bo Hopkins, (more)
- 1977
In Florida's absence, the Evans kids throw a wild party. Among the guests is J.J.'s old high school chum Robert (Ralph Wilcox), a once-promising athlete and scholar who has just flunked out of college. Things take an even grimmer turn when Robert OD's on drugs, transforming J.J. (Jimmie Walker) into a literal lifesaver. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
River Niger is a Tony Award-winning play turned to a movie. It features James Earl Jones as a house-painter/poet who struggles to support his cancer-plagued wife (Cicely Tyson). This is a realistic portrayal of the difficulties encountered in the poverty-stricken ghetto. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cicely Tyson, James Earl Jones, (more)
- 1974
- R
"Batman and Robin" are the principal characters in the fact-based The Super Cops. Well, not the real Batman and Robin; these just happen to be the nicknames of two irrepressible New York City cops, Dave Greenberg (Ron Leibman) and Bob Hantz (David Selby). Flying in the face of departmental procedure and protocol, Greenberg and Hantz use bizarre (and often amusing) extreme methods to rid the streets of drug merchants. The two gonzo cops find an unexpected ally in the form of a prostitute named Sara (Sheila E. Frazer). Adapted by Lorenzo Semple Jr. (who coincidentally wrote the Batman TV pilot episode) from the best-selling book by L. H. Whitemore, The Super Cops features the genuine Dave Greenberg and Bob Hantz in minor roles...as cops, naturally. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ron Leibman, David Selby, (more)
- 1974
- R
This graphically violent crime drama follows the relatively brief career of the notorious racketeer Crazy Joe Gallo, who formed an alliance with all of New York City's African-American gangs while serving time in Attica. Once he got out, he used that alliance to try and take over the Mafia, an act that resulted in his brutal murder in a restaurant in Little Italy, 1972. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Claudine (Diahann Carroll) is an impoverished African-American Harlem resident. Unmarried, Claudine supports herself and her six children by working as a maid--albeit secretly, so she can still qualify for welfare. Garbageman James Earl Jones falls in love with Claudine, and after strenuous effort manages to win the affections of her suspicious kids. Just when it seems as though there's a marriage in the offing, Jones runs off. Claudine's kids hunt him down and shame him into returning to their mother. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diahann Carroll, James Earl Jones, (more)
- 1973
- R
In this incredibly violent actioner, a soldier returns from the war in Vietnam and finds that his Harlem neighborhood has become a drug-filled war zone of its own. The final straw comes when his wife overdoses. The grief-stricken vet quickly assembles a group of vigilantes to clean up the streets and exact vengeance upon the drug dealers who sold his wife the bad stuff. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
