Joseph Wiseman
- 1996
The detectives investigate when Richard Spiegel, chief financial officer for an upscale family owned department store, is found murdered. As usual, the case is top-heavy with likely suspects. Eventually the field narrows to two women, the dead man's widow (Anne Twomey) and his possible mistress (Jean de Baer) -- both of whom are daughters of the store's owner Seymour Bergreen (Joseph Wiseman). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Soap opera queen Susan Lucci stars as an orphan adopted by a mobster family who grows up to be a star attorney, but still dreams of getting revenge on the killers who murdered her parents. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Crime Story was a valiant attempt by Miami Vice producer Michael Mann to present a compelling police drama series in a serialized fashion. Introduced as a two-hour TV movie on September 18, 1986, the weekly, hour-long series was initially set in Chicago in 1963. Dennis Farina, a former cop in real life, starred as Lt. Mike Torello, head of the windy city's Major Crime Unit (MCU), who carried on a blood feud with young, ambitious gangster Ray Luca (Anthony John Denison). Assisting Torello in his efforts was prosecuting attorney David Abrams (Stephen Lang), a mobster's son who had "seen the light" and switched sides. Others on Torello's team included Sgt. Danny Krychek (Bill Smitrovich), and detectives Nate Grossman (Steve Ryan), Joey Indelli (Bill Campbell), and Walter Clemmons (Paul Butler), while Luca was backed up by his faithful but dangerously stupid henchman Paulie Taglia (played by John Santucci, who, in a perverse spin of the Dennis Farina situation, had been a genuine criminal before turning to acting).
Halfway through season one, Luca and Paulie moved to Las Vegas, only to be closely followed by Torello and his men, who had become federal agents. The season ended with literal bang, as Luca and Paulie took refuge in a small house in the Nevada desert that turned out to be smack-dab in the middle of a nuclear testing site. Miraculously, the two gangsters managed to survive an atomic explosion with nary a scratch, and spent the series' second and final season playing a game of hide and seek with the Torello forces. Ultimately, the "good guys" bearded their prey in Mexico. In the course of events, Torello's marriage to his wife, Julie (Darlanne Fluegel, broke up, whereupon he entered into a relationship with Inga Thorson (Patricia Charbonneau). Also, both the cops and the robbers had brief encounters with the mob's "big boys," portrayed by such diverse actors as Joseph Wiseman and Andrew Dice Clay. Although the ratings for Crime Story were mediocre, NBC had faith in the series and kept it alive for two years. Like many other Michael Mann productions, the series was rich with authentic period detail, and came equipped with wall-to-wall vintage music, including the theme tune "Runaway", re-recorded (and recreated) by its original artist, Del Shannon. But for all of NBC's promotional skills and Michael Mann's production expertise, the series never caught on (more's the pity), and last aired on May 10, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Halfway through season one, Luca and Paulie moved to Las Vegas, only to be closely followed by Torello and his men, who had become federal agents. The season ended with literal bang, as Luca and Paulie took refuge in a small house in the Nevada desert that turned out to be smack-dab in the middle of a nuclear testing site. Miraculously, the two gangsters managed to survive an atomic explosion with nary a scratch, and spent the series' second and final season playing a game of hide and seek with the Torello forces. Ultimately, the "good guys" bearded their prey in Mexico. In the course of events, Torello's marriage to his wife, Julie (Darlanne Fluegel, broke up, whereupon he entered into a relationship with Inga Thorson (Patricia Charbonneau). Also, both the cops and the robbers had brief encounters with the mob's "big boys," portrayed by such diverse actors as Joseph Wiseman and Andrew Dice Clay. Although the ratings for Crime Story were mediocre, NBC had faith in the series and kept it alive for two years. Like many other Michael Mann productions, the series was rich with authentic period detail, and came equipped with wall-to-wall vintage music, including the theme tune "Runaway", re-recorded (and recreated) by its original artist, Del Shannon. But for all of NBC's promotional skills and Michael Mann's production expertise, the series never caught on (more's the pity), and last aired on May 10, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Farina, Anthony John Denison, (more)
The PBS series Great Performances first presented the made-for-TV feature Seize the Day. The time is the success-driven '50s; Robin Williams plays Tommy Wilhelm, a middle-ager who has just lost his salesman's job. Margaret, his wife (Katherine Borowitz), is on the verge of divorce and fully intends to take him to the cleaners whether he has an income or not. Doctor Adler (Joseph Wiseman), Tommy's judgmental father, cannot abide having a failure in the family and refuses to lend his son a single penny. In desperation, Tommy heads to New York City, where his old wheeler-dealer pal Dr. Tamkin (Jerry Stiller) has promised him a job. Even there, however, Tommy is defeated by the cold-shoulder treatment afforded him by the people whose opinions he values most. Seize the Day was adapted by Ronald Ribman from the novel by Saul Bellow. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Williams, Jerry Stiller, (more)
- 1984
The "Bells" are an all-female singing group who once attended St. Mary's Orphanage with Face (Dirk Benedict; in fact, the lead singer is Face's sister. When the girls are threatened with violence by their former record label unless they sign a binding contract, the A-Team steps in to help out. Joseph Wiseman, the sinister "Dr. No" in the James Bond film of the same name, appears as the evil billionaire who is calling the shots at the record company; and in another development, can it be true that Murdock (Dwight Schultz) has chosen B.A. (Mr. T) as his personal hero??? This episode was originally scheduled to air on October 12, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Ghostwriter was based on the 1979 Philip Roth novel, part of his unofficial "Zuckerman trilogy". Based loosely on an incident in Roth's own youth, the story, set in 1956, centers around 23-year-old novelist Nathan Zuckerman (Mark-Lynn Baker). Nathan's insistence upon writing about the Holocaust brings forth a warning from his father that too much dwelling on the past might rekindle anti-Semitism. In response, Judge Leopold Wapter (Joseph Wiseman) advises Nathan to see the Broadway production of Diary of Anne Frank. Nathan is so impressed with the story that he begins to fantasize that Anne Frank is still alive. Later, during a visit to the New England farm of his idol, author E. I. Lonoff (Sam Wanamaker), Nathan meets a gamin-like stranger (Paulette Smit) whom he imagines to be Anne Frank in the flesh. Philip Roth adapted his own novel (with director Tristam Rogers) for the made-for-TV Ghostwriter. Originally slated for telecast over the BBC, the film eventually became a coproduction of the BBC and America's Public Broadcasting System, and had its American debut on PBS' American Playhouse on January 17, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
Sylvia Sidney guest stars as Elizabeth Barrett, the literary mentor of Magnum's boss Robin Masters. Elizabeth arrives in Hawaii ostensibly to interview Dr. Albert Tessa (Joseph Wiseman), a reclusive bird expert who has been living in hiding ever since the abortive 1956 Hungarian revolt. What Magnum (Tom Selleck) doesn't realize is that Elizabeth actually plans to kill Tessa, thereby capping a complex revenge scheme involving an "Attack Macaw"! Jacqueline Ray, in real life the former spouse of series star Tom Selleck, appears in a secondary storyline involving Magnum's futile efforts to collect an overdue fee. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
Another two-part TV movie from the pen of novelist Sidney Sheldon, Rage of Angels stars Jaclyn Smith as attractive lawyer Jennifer Parker. While working as assistant D.A., Parker is targeted for persecution by organized crime, but she perseveres and emerges as one of the most successful defense attorneys in America. She is, however, not quite so lucky in matters of the heart, becoming simultaneously entangled with charismatic mob lawyer Michael Moretti (Armand Assante) and married U.S. Senate aspirant Adam Warner (Ken Howard). Serving up everything but the kitchen sink in plot complications and sinister conspiracies, Rage of Angels was telecast on February 20 and 21, 1983, garnering excellent ratings and an Emmy award for musical composer Billy Goldenberg. The film spawned a two-part sequel in 1986, Rage of Angels: The Story Continues, again with Jaclyn Smith in the lead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
Archival footage, old newsreels, home movies, and other material here provide a rich history of the unique geographic slice of Americana known as the "Borscht Belt" -- an area of the Catskills about 100 miles northwest of New York City that thrived between 1910 and the early 1950s as a getaway for city-weary New Yorkers. Throughout the region, live entertainment was as good as the food (including borscht, a beet and cabbage soup). There were 1200 Jewish families here in 1910, and they began to convert old barns and other structures into summer inns and hostels for New Yorkers who wanted a weekend or week-long escape. While the paterfamilias sweated out the week at his job in the city, his wife and kids would be running their boarding house or bed and breakfast. From this modest beginning, fabulous hotels sprung up, and soon entertainers the likes of Eddie Fischer, Sid Caesar, Jerry Lewis and others were bringing laughs and songs to an appreciative audience. Alas, when television became the bridge to stardom in the early 1950s, entertainers were lured away to the small screen and the Borscht Belt was no more. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- 1979
- PG
Karate champion Joe Lewis stars as a special agent on a worldwide mission to put the skids on a drug cartel. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Lewis, Christopher Lee, (more)
- 1979
Gil Gerard plays Buck Rogers, an American astronaut who awakens after 500 years in space to find a Draconian princess scheming to take over planet Earth. Of course, he is mistaken for a spy and must not only save himself but the galaxy as well. This sci-fi feature was intended as a pilot for the television series. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gil Gerard, Pamela Hensley, (more)
Based on the novel by Harold Robbins, this is the story of Loren Hardeman, Sr., a Midwestern automobile manufacturer (Lord Olivier) who pins his future on The Betsy, a "wonder car" named after his daughter (Kathleen Beller). The Betsy is designed to last practically forever, which doesn't rest well with the "planned obscolence" mindset of the auto industry. Flashbacks cover his career from his 40s to the present, when he is in his 90s. Hardeman, Sr. has a weak-willed son, Hardeman, Jr., (Robert Duvall) who is forced into taking charge of the family business. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurence Olivier, Robert Duvall, (more)
This documentary is narrated by James Mason and Joseph Wiseman, and explores the life of the famous Russian ex-patriate artist, Marc Chagall (1889-1985). The film includes lively interviews with him and his wife, as well as photographs of the majority of his works. At the time of this film, Chagall, who lived in France, was preparing for a retrospective exhibition of his works to be held in the Louvre, the first such exhibit ever put on for a living artist. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1976
The two-part opener of Streets of San Francisco's fifth and final season marks a major transition, as SFPD homicide detective Mike Stone (Karl Malden) loses his longtime partner Steve Keller (Michael Douglas) and gains a new one, athletic young inspector Dan Robbins (Richard Hatch). But before Keller can leave the force to launch a teaching career, he and Stone are faced with the daunting task of rescuing a busload of jurors who have been kidnapped by a "family" of dangerously misguided revolutionaries, who demand the release of their imprisoned cohorts. This two-parter is clearly inspired by the Patty Hearst kidnapping, with former Partridge Family regular Susan Dey delivering a shockingly powerful performance. As a publicity ploy, the season opener features fourteen guest stars, including Marion Ross (then appearing regularly on Happy Days, Barry Sullivan, Dick Van Patten, Norman Fell and Doris Roberts--not to mention such stars-to-be as Anthony Geary and Ron Glass. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
An interesting study of a rabbi's struggle against religious persecution in post-Stalin Russia, this movie was based on an Elie Wiesel story. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1974
- R
This remake of the Orson Welles film stars Sam Waterston as a researcher who finds himself entangled in intrigue and danger in Turkey. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Filmed in Hong Kong, Men of the Dragon was the pilot film for a modern-day Kung Fu derivation. The leading characters are three crimefighting karate experts. American Jared Martin, his sister Kati Saylor and his "oriental blood brother" Robert Ito operate a self-defense school in downtown Hong Kong. Their mission at present is to root out and chop up a white slavery ring. Men of the Dragon costars Jared Martin and Kati Saylor would later be reteamed for the brief 1976 TV series Fantastic Journey. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
- PG
Richard Dreyfuss put himself on the map with his performance in this movie about how ambition and greed can drive someone at the expense of his own happiness. Duddy Kravitz (Dreyfuss) is an 18-year-old Jewish kid from Montreal whose mother is dead, and whose father drives a cab and does a little pimping on the side to pay the bills and send Duddy's older brother to medical school. Duddy has bigger dreams, and he does everything from producing films of bar mitzvahs to attempting to buy real estate to (unknowingly) smuggling heroin in order to strike it rich. Along the way, however, he alienates his girlfriend, drives his grandfather to despair, loses all his friends, and even paralyzes his best employee, while making himself more and more miserable. Duddy's desire to be a success is easy to understand, which makes this potentially unlikable character forgivable, and the film's gallery of details and characters adds realism and energy to the story. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Dreyfuss, Micheline Lanctôt, (more)
- 1973
This multiplotted (and unsold) TV pilot was inspired by the classic 1932 film of the same name. Like the earlier film, the various storylines are sparked by a wealthy philanthropist (Peter Kastner) who chooses names at random from a phone book, then bestows one million tax-free dollars upon those chosen. Also like the 1932 picture, each of the four short playlets are scripted by four different writers (or writing teams). In one episode, a syndicate chauffeur (John Schuck) is afraid to tell his suspicious mob employers that he's come into money. In another episode, an old lady (Ruth McDevitt) breaks away from her selfish family to find romance. In still another episode, Ken Mars doesn't know whether to share his good fortune with his wife or his mistress. The last installment, titled "First the Tube, and Now You Darling", stars perennial game show contestant Brett Somers as the lucky (?) recipient. If I Had a Million ran only one hour, thus it hasn't made the syndication rounds as a TV movie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Earl Holliman guest stars as Frank Otten, a Federal witness in a Mob trial. When the hired thugs representing the defendant offer Frank a bribe to vote "Not Guilty", he jumps at the opportunity to finance a new start in life--and, he hopes, to repair his fractured relationship with his family. Unfortunately, the Mob has already decided that Frank knows far too much to keep on living. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
In this off-beat drama, a group of gamblers bet their lives that they will win the game. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
This crime action movie is based on Peter Maas' best-selling book The Valachi Papers. That book, in turn, is based on prison conversations and the actual U.S. Senate testimony of Joseph Valachi, a high-ranking figure in the Mafia. The book, which tells precisely who did what to whom, when and why, electrified the nation. This film had to be made in Italy, because attempts to shoot in the U.S. were stymied by mob-arranged "accidents" and protests. The story is told in flashback as Valachi (Charles Bronson) tells a Federal agent about his activities from 1929 to 1961, when he worked for the Capo of Capos, Vito Genovese (Lino Ventura). Though his tale necessarily takes place in a number of episodes, it never fails to have lots of drama and action. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Lino Ventura, (more)
In this thriller, adapted from the novel Binary by John Lange and directed by Michael Crichton, a federal agent played by Ben Gazzara must stop a madman before he can unleash a toxic nerve gas upon an unwitting political convention. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
In Lawman, Burt Lancaster is Jered Maddox, a dedicated marshal with an inflexible adherence to upholding the law at all costs. Riding into a nearby town to pick up a group of local carousers who, during a drunken spree, killed an old man, Maddox meets up with Vincent Bronson (Lee J. Cobb). Bronson is the local town boss, and Maddox discovers that the men he is looking for work for him. Unlike most western heavies, Maddox, although he is powerful and unscrupulous, abhors violence. But violence is something Maddox cultivates. A major confrontation between the reluctant Bronson and the intransigent Maddox builds -- particularly when Maddox enlists the help of weak-willed local sheriff Cotton Ryan (Robert Ryan). ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, (more)
- 1971
Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) and Colby (William Reynolds) go undercover as dockworkers during a bitter fisherman's strike. It is obvious that the Mob is stirring up all the trouble, the better to take over the fisherman's union. A key player in the intrigue is ruthless labor leader Big Julio, played by veteran movie heavy Joseph Wiseman (Dr. No). Much of this episode was filmed on location at Inyo Habor near Fort Bragg, California. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
