Paul Bogart Movies

Reeling with guilt after he accepts the healthy heart of his darling, deceased grandson, an elderly man lapses into a deep depression that does not abate until he hooks up with a troubled teenage runaway. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Harvey Fierstein's Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway hit was adapted for the screen by Fierstein himself. The playwright also repeats his stage role of female impersonator Arnold Beckoff, aka nightclub entertainer "Virginia Hamm." The three-part plotline, whittled down to accommodate the film's 117-minute running time, concerns Arnold's seriocomic efforts to find a lasting relationship. We first meet Arnold in 1971, when his heart is broken by his bisexual lover (Brian Kerwin). Next we find Arnold in 1973, enjoying short-lived happiness with his true love (Matthew Broderick). The final act takes place in 1980: Arnold, still grieving over Broderick's sudden death and struggling to raise the young boy that the couple had adopted, has a long-anticipated showdown with his uncompromising mother, superbly played by Anne Bancroft. A witty film that is by turns touching and outrageous, Torch Song Trilogy works well despite its somewhat soft-pedaled approach to the material. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

John Gielgud stars in this adaptation of Oscar Wilde's classic ghost tale. Simon de Canterville (Gielgud) becomes trapped in his family's estate after he runs away instead of engaging in a duel with another man. After he dies, his ghost haunts the mansion; his soul cannot rest until his descendents restore the honor of the family name. A few centuries later, a family moves into the estate and are a bit unnerved to realize that they aren't the only ones living there. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide

Legend has it that The Golden Girls, created by Susan Harris of Soap fame, was introduced to NBC's Saturday-evening lineup in the fall of 1986 to counter criticism that the network was ignoring its older viewers (that is, those over the age of 34) in favor of younger fans. Whatever the case, not one of the leading characters in The Golden Girls was under the age of 50 -- and none of them ever acted as if they were any older than 30. Sharing the same home in a placid Miami neighborhood were outspoken divorcée and substitute teacher Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur), timid, naïve widow Rose Nylund (Betty White), and another widow, the earthy, man-chasing Southern belle Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan), who owned the house. (The series waited until the last episode of season one to explain how these three extremely disparate personalities ended up under the same roof; without revealing too much, the key to the girls' strong bond was as simple as cheesecake.) In the opening episode, Blanche's eightysomething mother, Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty), moved in with the "girls" when her retirement home burned down. Having suffered a stroke which destroyed the "tact cells" in her brain, Sophia blithely said anything and everything that came into her mind, much to the embarrassment of her daughter, but to the great amusement of the viewers. During season one, several recurring characters were introduced. The most prominent of these was Dorothy's ex-husband, Stanley (Herb Edelman), who, despite having ditched Dorothy for a much younger woman, never tired of his efforts to worm his way back into her life. Also making their earliest appearances were Dorothy and Stanley's daughter, Kate (Lisa Jane Persky), and son-in-law, Dennis (Dennis Drake); Blanche's bombastic father, "Big Daddy" (Murray Hamilton), and her selfish younger sister, Virginia (Sheree North); Dorothy's wealthy kid sister, Gloria (Doris Belack); and Rose's fiercely independent (and recently blinded) sibling, Lily (Polly Holliday). Some of these characters would make repeat visits in future seasons, though not always played by the same actors. An unqualified hit from its first appearance onward (the series was tied for seventh place in the ratings with Dynasty during its inaugural season), The Golden Girls also garnered enthusiastic praise from the critics and earned four Emmys, for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing, Outstanding Technical Direction, and Best Lead Actress (Betty White). ~ All Movie Guide

This episode marks the first appearance of Dorothy's ex-husband, Stan (Herb Edelman), and daughter, Kate (here played by Lisa Jane Persky). Dorothy (Bea Arthur) is still angry that Stan left her for a much younger woman -- and intends to wreak vengeance upon her ex at the wedding of Kate and her podiatrist fiancé, Dennis (Dennis Drake). It is up to Rose (Betty White) and Blanche (Rue McClanahan) to prevent Dorothy from ruining the ceremony -- and, possibly, her daughter's happiness. ~ All Movie Guide

In the third and final film in the Oh, God! franchise, Bobby Shelton (Ted Wass) is a struggling musician who can't get a break, which bothers him all the more now that his wife, Wendy (Roxanne Hart), is about to have a baby. Desperate and depressed, Bobby announces that he'd sell his soul to get ahead. Suddenly, Harry O. Tophat (George Burns), Satan's earthly representative, appears and offers Bobby a deal -- seven years of unprecentented fame and fortune in exchange for his soul. Bobby cynically accepts and discovers that the devil is true to his word, but he finds that the trappings of fame and wealth are empty pleasures, and he loses Wendy along the way. When Bobby declares that he's made a horrible mistake, God (Burns), who has been watching over Bobby, offers to help get his soul back as the devil offers Bobby's place in eternity as the prize in a poker game. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In Fun and Games, a professional career woman is harassed by her boss, who then rejects her for promotion. The woman then sues her boss for sexual harassment ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

Archie rushes Stephanie to the hospital when she suffers an attack of appendicitis. Upon meeting Stephanie's doctor, however, Archie very nearly rushes Stephanie back home again. It turns out that Dr. Shapiro (George Wyner) was once the childhood playmate of Archie's daughter, Gloria -- and seemingly for this reason alone, he refuses to operate on Stephanie. Written by Phil Sharp and Milt Josefsberg, "The Appendectomy" first aired on January 21, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Blanche Hefner has walked out on husband Barney several times in the past, but this time it's permanent. As usual, Barney tries to drown his sorrows at Archie's bar, thoroughly depressing the other patrons. Hoping to divest himself of Barney, Archie tries fixes his pal up with a wealthy and hefty widow named Martha Birkhorn (Peggy Rea). Written by Bob Schiller, Bob Weiskopf, Phil Sharp, and Milt Josefsberg, "Barney the Gold Digger" was first telecast on February 5, 1979 (in a Monday-night slot, a brief departure from the series' customary Sunday-evening home). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Edith faces a crisis of conscience when she is assigned to care for Sunshine Home resident Mrs. Loretta Dillon (Angela Clarke), an 81-year-old woman who is dying of heart failure. Though the rest of the staff is determined to keep Mrs. Dillon alive, she is equally determined to die with dignity. When the old woman begs Edith to "hold my hand and don't let go" late one evening, Edith does so, whereupon Mrs. Dillon quietly passes into the next world. As a consequence of not summoning assistance, Edith is promptly fired, but she cannot convince herself that she did anything wrong. Written by Patt Shea and Harriet Weiss, "Edith Gets Fired" originally aired on February 25, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Much to Archie's discomfort, Edith insists upon rehearsing day and night for her singing duet with Stephanie at the annual PTA show. The night of the performance, Edith suffers from laryngitis. Reluctantly, and inevitably, Archie agrees to take Edith's place, making a musical debut that is truly one for the books. Written by Mel Tolkin and Larry Rhine, "A Night at the PTA" first aired on January 7, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Edith agrees to show Mike and Gloria's old house to potential renters. But Archie is outraged; The prospective tenants are a black family, and he remembers his far-from-pleasant relationship with the house's previous African- American occupants, the Jefferson family. Isabel Sanford makes a "crossover" appearance in her familiar role of Louise Jefferson; other cast members include Janet MacLachlan as Polly and Richard Ward as Ed. Written by Mel Tolkin and Larry Rhine, "The Family Next Door" first aired on March 18, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide