William Bast Movies

Beauty and Power tells the sordid tale of Judith Exner (Natasha Henstridge), who claimed to have dated Frank Sinatra (John Ralston) and to have been the mistress of Jack Kennedy (Kevin Anderson, who played also Bobby Kennedy in Hoffa). The story is told in flashback, from Exner's point of view. In voice-overs, Exner breaks her life down into three critical mistakes -- the three major romantic relationships in her life. The first, she explains, was marrying Billy Campbell (Grant Nickalls), who was more concerned with his acting career than with their marriage, and who cheated on her frequently. Her friendship with an L.A.-based mobster leads to an affair with Sinatra, which she breaks off after he tries to involve her in a ménage a trios. She remains friends with Sinatra, and then meets Kennedy while he's just beginning his primary campaign for the presidency, and she soon falls in love with him. At around the same time, she meets Chicago gangster Sam Giancana (Peter Friedman), who falls in love with her and is jealous of her romance with Kennedy. Eventually she becomes a liaison between the presidential candidate and the mob, carrying briefcases of Kennedy money to Giancana for his help with the election. Kennedy professes his love for her and tells her that his marriage is just for show, and that he'll get a divorce if he doesn't win the presidency. Of course, things don't work out the way Exner might have hoped. The FBI begins harassing her, and she grows frustrated with her arrangement with the president. Beauty and Power debuted on Showtime in July 2002. It was directed by Susan Seidelman (Desperately Seeking Susan). ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

In the 1988 documentary Forever James Dean, we see Dean in his first appearance on film, in a Pepsi Cola commercial. We see a color vignette from the 1951 religious TV special Hill Number One, with Dean as a Biblical apostle describing the Resurrection. We watch Dean honing his craft in clips from such network TV dramas as "I'm a Fool" and "The Unlighted Road". We are treated to choice selections from his trio of starring films: East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant. And we are invited to cringe at Dean's ominous "Drive carefully" warning during a staged interview with Gig Young. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

It was not unusual in the 1980s for a British TV miniseries to resurface in America in the form of a re-edited feature-length "movie." The Master of Ballantrae, based on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, offered a unique reversal on this process. Originally telecast in the United States as a three-hour TV film on January 31, 1984, the production subsequently aired on Scottish television as a six-part miniseries, 25 minutes per episode. On this occasion, the roles of rival siblings Henry and James Durrie were played by Richard Thomas and Michael York. The basic story remained the same: In 18th century Scotland, a toss of the coin determined that Henry would enlist in the service of Bonnie Prince Charlie, while James would stay behind as temporary master of Ballantrae Hall. Reported killed in battle, Henry spent the next several years trying to reclaim his birthright from his covetous brother. The "series" version of The Master of Ballantrae was broadcast in 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The infamous casting couch is the center point of this Hollywood behind-the-scenes drama that chronicles the exploits of a movie mogul and the actresses he turns into stars. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

"Lizzie Borden took an axe/And gave her mother forty whacks/When she saw what she had done/She gave her father forty-one". New England spinster Lizzie Borden was acquitted of the charge of murdering her father and stepmother in 1892, but this made-for-TV movie, like most recreations of the murders and subsequent trial, adheres to the popular consensus that Borden was guilty. Elizabeth Montgomery takes a break from playing victims to portray the enigmatic Borden. The trial scenes are lifted directly from the original court records; scripter William Bast's speculation as to what really happened the night the elder Bordens were hacked to death is pure (but credible) conjecture. Accompanied by a "parental guidance suggested" tag, The Legend of Lizzie Borden was first broadcast February 10, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This uneven spy saga finds secret agent Charles Hood (Vince Edwards) on the trail of the criminal master spy Hammerhead (Peter Vaughan). He tries to discover some NATO secrets in between his hobby of collecting antique erotica from around the world. Hood must stop the evil Hammerhead before he uses the secret information to spark an incident of international terrorism. In order to stop Hammerhead's sordid plan, he poses as a courier delivering erotica to the spy. Distaff interests are provided by Diana Dors and Judy Geeson in this feature that fails to take advantage of some beautiful scenes of Portugal. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

A curious cross-section of humanity is entombed by a mine cave-in. Among those trapped are two American privates, a pair of German officers, a French girl (played by former child star Margaret O'Brien) and her German-deserter lover, and an embittered Resistance fighter. As Hanley (Rick Jason) and his squad race against time in a rescue effort, the "prisoners" must somehow agree to pull together for their common survival. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Now calling himself "Joe Taft", Kimble agrees to drive Peggy Franklyn (Suzanne Pleshette) and her daughter Nancy (Debi Storm) to California. What he doesn't know is that Peggy's ex-husband, biological scientist Dean Franklyn (Liam Sullivan), has not given his consent for the westward journey; even worse, Nancy has taken along a pet rabbit that her father has injected with a highly contagious strain of meningitis. Ultimately, Kimble must reveal his true identity--and risk immediate arrest--to save Nancy's life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Police sergeant Dave Wolfe (Skip Homeier) has already ordered Joe Oliver (Dale Van Sickel) to stay away from Dave's sister Susan (Chris Noel). Heading to Joe's apartment for a final showdown, Dave hears a woman's scream and breaks down the door. Several shots later, Joe lies on the floor dead, while the badly beaten Susan stands by in mute horror. In order to defend Dave on a murder charge and to find out whether or not Joe was really Susan's assailant, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) must break through the wall of stony silence which surrounds the six people who may have witnessed the crime--but who claim to have seen and heard nothing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In Volume 24 of a collection culled from the 1963-1965 science fiction anthology television series, the researchers on a military base on the Moon find a living organism. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide