Dennis Dugan Movies
American comic actor Dennis Dugan did quite well for himself trading on a bumbling-but-huggable screen image. On screen at least since 1972, Dugan established his screen persona in brief doses in such films as Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976) and Norman Is that You? (1976). In 1979, he was ideally cast as the time-displaced hero in Unidentified Flying Oddball, Disney's updated remake of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Television has always held out a welcome mat for Dugan: he was the star of the short-lived series Richie Brockelman, Private Eye (1977), Empire (1984) and Shadow Chasers (1984), and was a semi-regular as an erstwhile "caped crusader" on Hill Street Blues (when Dugan's character was killed off, many disconsolate viewers wrote in to warn that they'd never watch the show again). Dennis Dugan's film credits of the '80s have been plentiful if not distinguished, including Can't Buy Me Love (1987) and The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (1988). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1978
Richie Brockelman, the intellectual but naive 23-year-old private eye played by Dennis Dugan, was introduced in the 1976 TV movie Richie Brockelman: The Missing 24 Hours. He was revived for a 2-hour episode of James Garner's The Rockford Files, telecast February 24, 1978. Three weeks later, Richie Brockelman: Private Eye premiered on NBC as a five-week replacement for Rockford Files. The Diary of Richie Brockelman is a 2-hour syndicated TV "movie" comprised of highlights from the series and narrated by Dennis Dugan. Richie's case load includes suspected embezzlement, a stolen classic car, industrial espionage, a gambling ring, and a missing accident victim. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
A new detective is hired to find out why an amnesia victim is being targeted by 2 gunmen. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1976
More ambitious and expensive than ABC's first "novel for television" miniseries QB VII, the eight-episode, 12-hour Rich Man, Poor Man was the one that truly put the genre on the map, its phenomenal success in the ratings making possible the even more spectacular Roots. Adapted from the mammoth novel by Irwin Shaw, the miniseries covers the years from WWII to the 1960s, detailing the vacillating fortunes of the immigrant Jordache brothers. "Rich Man" Rudy Jordache (Peter Strauss) is determined to use his hard-earned education -- and his inherent ruthlessness -- to carve out a business and political empire not unlike that enjoyed by Joseph P. Kennedy and his progeny. "Poor Man" Tom Jordache (Nick Nolte), a quick-fisted hothead, goes an entirely different route, first as a professional boxer, then as a functionary of the evil gangster chieftain Falconetti (William Smith). Naturally, both brothers become entangled in romance along the way, with Julie Prescott (Susan Blakely) ending up as Rudy's benighted spouse. Originally telecast on February 1, 2, 9, 16, 23, and March 1, 8, and 15 in 1976, Rich Man, Poor Man earned 20 Emmy nominations and led to a weekly sequel, Rich Man, Poor Man -- Book 2, in the fall of 1976 (this version necessitated a title change for the original, which was rebroadcast as Rich Man, Poor Man -- Book 1 in the spring of 1977). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Strauss, Nick Nolte, (more)
- 1976
- PG
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Harry and Walter Go to New York was born of the theory that, the more stars and money that you throw into a film, the better the film will be. The theory has seldom been proven true, and it certainly wasn't in this case. Harry (James Caan) and Walter (Elliot Gould) are a third-rate vaudeville team, playing tank towns in turn-of-the-century USA. Thrown into the hoosegow on a petty-theft charge, our heroes make the acquaintance of big-time crook Adam Worth (Michael Caine). Once they're sprung, Harry and Walter follow Worth to New York, with the intention of pulling off a huge bank robbery. Lissa Chestnut (Diane Keaton), a bird-brained suffragette, is also mixed up in the proceedings though she never seems certain of who or what her character is from one scene to the next. The film's one tangible asset is its meticulous re-creation of 1890s New York, courtesy of art director Harry Horner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Caan, Elliott Gould, (more)
- 1976
In this thriller, an amnesiac woman hires a young detective to investigate the two men who seem to be trying to kill her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Getting a head start on the 1976-1977 TV season, the movie-based sitcom Alice made its debut with a special airing of its pilot episode on August 31, 1976. After the death of her truck driver husband, Alice Hyatt (Linda Lavin) decides to resume her career as a piano-bar singer. First, however, she needs some ready money for herself and her young son Tommy (played in the pilot by Alfred Lutter, who originated the role in the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and thereafter by Phillip McKeon). And that is how Alice finds herself waitressing at a Phoenix, Arizona greasy spoon called Mel & Ruby's Diner, owned by the irascible Mel Sharples (Vic Tayback) (Trivia alert: "Ruby" was the name of Mel's late wife; she would seldom be referenced in future episodes, wherein the restaurant's name is streamlined to "Mel's Diner") ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
- PG
After wife Beatrice (Pearl Bailey) runs off to Mexico, a despondent Ben Chambers (Redd Foxx) travels to California to visit his son, Norman (Michael Warren). To Ben's dismay, Norman admits that he's gay -- and that his lover is a white man. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Redd Foxx, Pearl Bailey, (more)
Private eye Harry Moseby (Gene Hackman) is dedicated to his job, but his dedication does not make him happy or powerful in his personal life, and his wife (Susan Clark) is cheating on him. Aging actress Arlene Iverson (Janet Ward) hires Harry to find her trust-funded daughter Delly (Melanie Griffith), distracting Harry from his marital problems as he tracks the lascivious runaway teen to Florida. In the Keys, Harry has an affair of his own with Paula (Jennifer Warren), and he succeeds in locating Delly, even as he learns that finding her is only the beginning of a much larger case. As the "accidental" deaths multiply, Harry discovers that everyone has his or her own motives and that he cannot do much to stem the tide of deep-seated depravity. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Hackman, Jennifer Warren, (more)
The American beauty-contest ritual is skewered by screenwriter Jerry Belson and director Michael Ritchie in Smile. The film takes place during an annual pageant in Santa Rosa, CA. The event is supervised by local mover and shaker Brenda DiCarlo (Barbara Feldon), to whom the contest is the most important thing on earth. Nothing -- not even the violent backlash of her neglected husband, Andy (Nicholas Pryor) -- is allowed to interfere with her pet project. Choreographer Tommy French (Michael Kidd), outwardly nasty and cynical, takes money out of his own pocket to insure the safety of the contestants as they parade down a rickety stage runway; chief judge "Big Bob" Freelander (Bruce Dern) discovers that his son is a budding voyeur, information which leads to a silly "politically correct" consequence; and the various contestants scheme to upstage one another through a variety of means (one girl puts Vaseline on her teeth to assure a gleaming smile). Among the contestants are such stars-to-be as Colleen Camp, Denise Nickerson, Annette O'Toole, and Melanie Griffith. Though not a hit itself, Smile has developed a fervent cult following, which led to a Broadway musical version of the property in 1986, with songs by Marvin Hamlisch. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Dern, Barbara Feldon, (more)
- 1973
John Walton (Ralph Waite) is accused of stealing some valuable silver goblets from wealthy neighbor Mrs. Claybourne (Diana Webster). Her evidence? Well, for starters, John is the only visitor that Mrs. Claybourne has had in weeks--and even more damning, he has suddenly and inexplicably come into a large sum of money. Too angry and proud to defend himself, John is on the verge of a lengthy jail term until the truth is revealed in a surprising fashion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Lloyd Bridges' gloriously unconvincing German accent is but one of the guilty pleasures of Death Race. Set during the African campaign of World War 2, this made-for-TV nailbiter pits Nazi general Bridges against wounded American pilot Roy Thinnes. Manning the controls of a tank, Herr Bridges intends to blast Thinnes into eternity-but it ain't gonna be that easy. Billed third as "Stoeffer" is Eric Braden, who under his given name of Hans Gudegast was one of the stars of a previous desert-war TV series, The Rat Patrol (1966-68). Death Race first plotted its course on November 10, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
- R
A trio of toothsome psychiatric nurses tangle with a psycho killer and other travails in this third entry in Roger Corman's Nurses cycle of sex comedies. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
