Bruce Boxleitner Movies
The first time that American actor Bruce Boxleitner set foot on stage, it was with a total of four hours' preparation. While in high school, Boxleitner was forced to jump into the role of My Fair Lady's Henry Higgins when the young man originally cast in the part came down with mononucleosis the day before the show. The applause that greeted Boxleitner's debut was enough to inspire him to continue studying drama at the Goodman Theatre. His first Broadway play flopped, but he managed to secure steady work in a series of villainous supporting roles in Hollywood. With the help of fabled super-agent Jay Bernstein, Boxleitner climbed to stardom, reaching a particularly lofty rung with his four season-stint (from 1983 to 1987) as government agent Lee Stetson on the TV series Scarecrow and Mrs. King. More recently, Bruce Boxleitner was seen as fictional ballplayer "Jumpin' Joe Dugan" in the 1992 Babe Ruth biopic The Babe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1978
Capitalizing on her sudden Three's Company-engendered superstardom, Suzanne Somers topped the cast of this innocuous made-for-TV comedy. Somers is cast as Mattie, a backwoods girl with big-city ambitions. Mattie is in love with fellow mountaineer Jack (Bruce Boxleitner), but she also craves stardom as a country-western singer. Things come to a head when Mattie is given her big showbiz chance in Las Vegas. In the course of things, Somers belts out a duet with co-star John Rubinstein, "You Made a Believer Out of Me." Happily Ever After first aired September 5, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
A kidnapping plot includes 5 women along with the last 2 games of the baseball World Series. ~ All Movie Guide
Originally titled D.A.'s Investigator, Kiss Me Kill Me stars Stella Stevens as Stella Stafford, "leg woman" for the LA district attorney's office. The case at hand is the murder of a young, highly respected schoolteacher. Stella is certain that she has the killer dead to rights--but this is before she learns the down-and-dirty about the murder victim's secret life. Supporting Ms. Stevens is an impressive guest cast, including Dabney Coleman, Pat O'Brien, Bruce Boxleitner and Robert Vaughn. First telecast May 8, 1976, Kiss Me Kill Me was the pilot for an intended TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
In order to bring a vicious motorcycle gang to justice, undercover detective Tony Baretta (Robert Blake) needs the testimony of one of the gang members. Unfortunately, the intractable Assistant District Attorney (Alan Mandell) refuses to plea bargain with the witness. As a result, Baretta is forced to infiltrate the gang to save his inside informant. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Blake, Edward Grover, (more)
- 1976
The Macahans is a two-hour TV movie utilizing characters originally created for the 1962 Cinerama extravaganza How the West Was Won. In his first post-Gunsmoke project, Zeb Macahan stars as frontiersman Zeb Macahan, who in the early 1860s returns to Virginia to visit his family. It takes only the slightest encouragement for Zeb's brother (Richard Kiley) to agree to bring his family along with Zeb on another westward trek. Eva Marie Saint, the brother's wife, isn't keen on leaving her cozy Southern household, but neither is she anxious to be in Virginia when the Civil War breaks out. Narrated by William Conrad (who had coincidentally starred on the radio version of Gunsmoke) and jam packed with action, The Macahans served as the pilot for the subsequent James Arness TV series How the West Was Won, which ran from 1978 to 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
- R
A proud old Southern woman struggles to keep her popular diner afloat in this interesting character study. The little cafe is a popular community meeting place and its closing would create a great hole in the town. Though her devoted daughters assist, their help is not enough. Unfortunately, the woman refuses to ask for outside help. In desperation, the woman decides that she needs herself a "sugar daddy," and so heads for Miami. There she meets all kinds of men, ranging from a mental patient to a wealthy but married Texan. Unfortunately, she cannot raise the money she needs. Somehow, the money is raised at the last moment and her restaurant is finally saved. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lindsay Bloom, Jana Bellan, (more)
- 1975
A Cry for Help (working title: End of the Line) stars Robert Culp as an acerbic, Don Imus-like radio talk show host. When one of his callers, an anxious young woman, threatens to kill herself, Culp laughs it off. Later, however, he realizes that the girl wasn't kidding, and mounts a frantic effort-with the help of his loyal audience-to locate the would-be suicide. Richard Levinson and William Link's script stretches the tension level to the snapping point, and you'll love every minute of it. Made for television, A Cry for Help originally aired February 12, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
My Three Sons star Fred MacMurray once more finds himself the paterfamilias of an extended family. MacMurray plays Ned Chadwick, a newspaper publisher on a tiny California offshore island. Ned and his wife (Kathleen Maguire) have three daughters and one son, who in turn have provided the elder Chadwicks with numerous grandchildren. The "racial balance" so common to TV-movies of the 1970s is maintained by the Chinese/American fiance (Frank Michael-Liu) of the youngest Chadwick daughter. By the time we're introduced to everyone, the film is half over. Chadwick Family was the pilot film for a potential Fred MacMurray TV series; the networks passed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
