Jo Ann Worley Movies

The comedienne who shot to stardom as "the world's worst housewife" offers an intimate look at her life and career on the eve of her farewell stand-up performance. Phyllis Diller has been keeping her fans in stitches for nearly half-a-century. A gleefully self-depreciating comic whose outlandish sense of style always set her apart from the pack, Diller not only recollects her rise to stardom, but also allows viewers into her home to show just what life is like behind the scenes. A press conference leading up to her final performance showcases the quick-witted Diller at her unscripted best, with additional rehearsal and dressing room footage showing just what an incredible impact she has had on the world of show-business. Additional appearances by Rip Taylor, Don Rickles, Roseanne Barr, Red Buttons, and Lily Tomlin offer a chance for some of Diller's best known fans to reflect on their fondest memories of the star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Celebrating his new job with the Explorer Channel, Paul (Paul Reiser) talks wife Jamie (Helen Hunt) into joining him in an exotic wild-game feast. As a consequence, both Paul and Jamie experience bizarre and colorful dreams, causing them both to re-assess their relationship. Highlights include a number of imaginary interpolations courtesy of the cast of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, capped by Henry Gibson's stirring poem-and-a-half "Ostriches Are Not Clumsy." ~ All Movie Guide

Beauty and the Beast is widely considered the best animated Disney feature of the studio's 1980s/1990s renewal of the form. Based on the classic French fairy tale, it tells the story of Belle (voiced by Paige O'Hara), an intelligent young woman scorned by her townspeople for being a bookworm, weary of fighting off the advances of the arrogant Gaston (Richard White), and dreaming of escape. When her father gets lost in the woods and captured by the forbidding Beast (Robby Benson), a once-handsome prince turned into a monster by a witch, Belle goes off to rescue him. Taken with her, the Beast agrees to release Belle's father if she agrees to stay with him forever. Initially repulsed, Belle soon finds much to appreciate in the Beast's hidden, tender nature. The Beast's servants -- a clock (David Ogden Stiers), a teapot (Angela Lansbury), and a candlestick (Jerry Orbach) -- see Belle as their salvation: if the Beast and a woman fall in love before his 21st birthday, he will be free from the curse. The songs are first-class, the tale is told with sincerity but not sentimentality, and the characters of Belle and the Beast, complex individuals who defy stereotyping and change over the course of the story, are more three-dimensional than in most live-action movies. The eye-popping animation is beautifully rendered, and Beauty and the Beast certainly deserves its place amongst Disney's animated classics. In 2002, a special 89-minute edition of the film was released in IMAX theaters with the addition of a newly animated song, ""Human Again."" ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

Pamela Crane (Belinda Montgomery), the recenty widowed niece of Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), goes on a relaxing ocean cruise in hopes of overcoming her husband's sudden death. This, however, proves impossible, as Pamela is systematically terrorized by the appearance of several personal artifacts which only her late husband could have known about. Can it be that Pamela's husband is still alive? That's the question Jessica hopes to answer as she unofficially takes over investigation of the case. (Incidentally, the full character name of Jessica's niece is Pamela MacGill Crane--and by a curious coincidence, the mother of star Angela Lansbury was character actress Moyna MacGill). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The two-part TV movie Through the Magic Pyramid stars Chris Barnes as a contemporary youngster who is whisked back to the days of King Tut. Neither the Egyptian ruler nor his minions are any match for the Yankee resourcefulness of Master Barnes, as he wriggles in and out of various misadventures. Among the people who cross Chris' path in Days Gone By are Hans Conried, Vic Tayback, Gino Conforti, and (as Nefertiti) Elaine Giftos. Ron Howard executive-produced and directed, while Ron's dad Rance Howard coproduced and wrote the script. Through the Magic Pyramid was originally offered in two one-hour helpings, which first aired December 6 and 13, 1981. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An animated adventure that features the Pound Puppies when they try to rescue their friends from the pound! ~ All Movie Guide

Robert Stevenson, Walt Disney Productions' house director, cobbled together his 19th family film for the organization with this slapstick sequel to the Disney comedy The Shaggy Dog (produced 17 years after the fact). Dean Jones plays Wilby Daniels, a lawyer running against the villainous John Slade (Keenan Wynn) for district attorney. His campaign is cast into doubt when he comes upon an ancient ring that transforms him into a fat sheepdog. But the campaign progresses on a level playing field when the unscrupulous Slade finds himself also turned into a canine -- a disgruntled bulldog. Another sequel, The Return of the Shaggy Dog, followed. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

When a patient (Harry Townes) accuses them of stealing his money, Roy (Kevin Tighe) and John (Randolph Mantooth) play detective to trap the real thief. Other more pressing emergencies involve a daring rescue from a plane about to explode, and a car crash that results both in blindness and a premature birth. Former Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In regular Jo Ann Worley) has a riotous cameo role as a neurotic woman who believes in "scream therapy". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

With a title like The Feminist and the Fuzz, the TV-movie comedy could only have been produced in the swinging' seventies. Barbara Eden forsakes her "I Dream of Jeannie" obsequiousness to play dedicated feminist Dr. Jane Bowers. While engaging in a protest rally, Jane comes in contact with chauvinistic cop Jerry Frazer (David Hartman). The plot then contrives to force these two opposites to become roommates. The Feminist and the Fuzz debuted in 1971--January 26, to be exact. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Moon Pilot is an engaging Disney sci-fi comedy that manages to shoot off a few neat and surprisingly satirical barbs at the hypertense US/Russia "space race" of the era. Tom Tryon plays an astronaut who is ordered to keep his upcoming moon flight a secret, even from his family. While on a plane, Tryon is approached by lovely Dany Saval, who seems to know all about the astronaut's hush-hush mission, and who warns him about possible defects in his spacecraft. Despite the diligence of his FBI guards, Tryon is confronted time and again by Saval, who eventually reveals herself to be a visitor from the planet Beta Lyrae. A friendly alien, Saval merely wants to offer Tryon a special coating formula that will safeguard his rocket. Enchanted by the girl, Tryon plays hookey on his guards to spend more time with her, leaving the FBI, NASA, the CIA and the local constabulary to chase their own tails. When his rocket is launched, Tryon discovers that Saval has stowed away. The two sing a romantic song about Beta Lyrae while mission control (personified by Brian Keith at his most bombastic) expresses confusion over the bizarre transmissions emanating from Tryon's capsule. The release of Moon Pilot was heralded by a "preview" on Disney's Wonderful World of Color TV series, titled "Spy in the Sky." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide