Charles Frank Movies
Lead actor Charles Frank first appeared onscreen in the late '70s. ~ All Movie Guide
- 2003
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American history is turned on its head in this bitterly satirical mockumentary from writer and director Kevin Willmott. Taking the form of a BBC documentary about slavery in America, C.S.A. traces the history of the Confederate States of America, beginning in 1863 as the Southern States turned the tide in the War of Northern Aggression when, with the help of British and French troops, they won a decisive victory at the Battle of Gettysburg. Two years later, Ulysses S. Grant surrendered to Robert E. Lee as the Confederacy emerged victorious against the United States of America. As Abraham Lincoln and many other supporters of the Abolitionist cause fled to Canada, the Northern States were gradually absorbed into the Confederacy, and the right to own slaves became the uncontested law of the land. Over the course of the next 150 years, the Confederate States of America grew to become the most powerful nation on Earth, and persevered through wars in Spain and Latin America that expanded Confederate territories, and stood tall against Japan thanks to an alliance with German leader Adolf Hitler. In the present day, the Confederate States of America remain a power to be reckoned with, despite foreign pressures to eliminate the slavery programs that are the economic backbone of the country, a long simmering "cold war" with Canada, and the ongoing conflict against the Muslim Menace. Featuring staged interviews with "noted historians," mock newsreel footage, and inside-out versions of present-day news and entertainment programming, C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America received an enthusiastic reception in its screenings at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rupert Pate, Evamarii Johnson, (more)
- 1996
Aspiring TV journalist Sally McCormick (Suzanne Somers) can't get anyone to hire her--and the reason, she concludes, is that she is simply too chubby for the small screen. Although her boyfriend Andrew Burns (William Katt) tells her that eventually her talent will be judged separate from her weight, Sally would give anything to be thin; in fact, she would even sell her soul. Enter Seymour Kecker (Dabney Coleman), a somewhat diabolical spokesman for a popular weight-loss product. Entering into the standard Faustlike deal with Seymour, portly Sally becomes a sylphlike "Size Six" literally overnight, and before long she is anchoring the news at top-rated WPKV-TV. Of course, there's a price to be paid for this success--and the devilish Seymour intends to be paid in full! Produced for the Lifetime cable network, Devil's Food debuted September 2, 1996, originally shown in tandem with Devil's Diet, a documentary about the famous "full-figured" women of history. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
The life of Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor is told in this made-for-television drama. Sherilyn Fenn stars as Oscar-winning actress Liz Taylor, whose career began when her mother pushed her into acting as a child in the 1940s. Her tumultuous career ups and downs, and her turbulent personal life are chronicled in the film, which was based on the book by C. David Heymann. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
In this made for TV movie based on Danielle Steele's novel, Cheryl Ladd portrays a successful New York television anchorwoman. When she marries a successful surgeon in Los Angeles, romance becomes difficult with their careers on opposite ends of the country. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cheryl Ladd, Michael Nouri, (more)
- 1991
Jessica (Angela Lansbury) decides to retire her trusty typewriter and signs up for a computer course. While deep in study, she stumbles across a case of illegal computer hacking--which of course leads to murder. The victim this time out is one of the two men in charge of the computer school, while the suspects include the dead man's wife, his mistress, and the elusive hacker (or at least, the hacker was elusive until Jessica entered the scene!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
As indicated by the title, this made-for-TV movie is a remake of the 1954 theatrical feature Three Coins in the Fountain. It's the mixture as before: three pretty American tourists head to Rome, looking for romance. Replacing the original film's Dorothy McGuire, Jean Peters and Maggie McNamara are Loni Anderson (who coproduced the remake), Stepfanie Kramer, Shanna Reed. Also appearing is Anthony Newley, reprising the waspish character played in the 1954 version by Clifton Webb. The Oscar-winning title song, performed by Frank Sinatra in the original, is here rendered by Jack Jones. Filmed on location, Coins in the Fountain debuted September 28, 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Loni Anderson, Stephanie Kramer, (more)
In this black comedy about cannibalism, an overweight man (Joe Alaskey) is thrilled when a beautiful woman (Donna Dixon) invites him to her family's home for Christmas dinner. Little does he know that he's slated to be the main course. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donna Dixon, Joe Alaskey, (more)
- 1988
In this comedy, a widow who works as a newspaper columnist tries to marry off her four strong-willed daughters. The widow is assisted by a good friend. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
This children's movie is set in sunny Key West during a Fourth of July celebration. Three buddies sneak off to their secret fort and to their surprise discover a Russian sailor hiding there. He is Mischa, who with two shipmates was assigned to sneak into the town military base to steal certain computer parts. Unfortunately, a rafting accident left him stranded and alone. The boys eventually decide to help poor Mischa make it back to his home. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whip Hubley, Leaf Phoenix, (more)
- 1986
Randy Quaid avoids caricature and cliché in his multifaceted portrayal of Lyndon Baines Johnson in LBJ: The Early Years. This made-for-TV film chronicles the years 1934 through 1963, tracing the beginnings of Johnson's public career, chronicling his reputation for down-and-dirty politicking, and following his progress from congressman to senator to majority leader to vice president. Staunchly at LBJ's side through thick and thin is faithful-wife Lady Bird (Patti LuPone), whose fidelity remains unshaken even while Johnson dallies with other women. Charles Frank co-stars as John F. Kennedy, whose assassination catapults the reluctant Johnson into the presidency that he'd always wanted to win on his own merits. Less than six days before LBJ: The Early Year premiered on February 1, 1987, author Larry L. King picked apart the film's inaccuracies in a TV Guide article. Audiences cared not for absolute truth, and had a grand old time watching Randy Quaid impersonate the amazing Mr. Johnson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry was especially written by playwright James Prideaux for Katharine Hepburn. It would have been impractical to attempt a live staging, so the script was committed to a TV movie, under the direction of Hallmark Hall of Fame veteran George Schafer. Hepburn plays another variation on the indomitable elderly lady that has become her forte in the past decade. Here she is Margaret Delafield, a wealthy WASP widow who falls in love with the divorced Jewish doctor (Harold J. Stone) who has saved her life. The clucking tongues of both her family and the doctor's will not dissuade her: Mrs. Delafield stands her ground in a climactic scene reminiscent of the actress' earlier Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (67). Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry is formula all down the line, but every latter-day Katharine Hepburn performance deserves to be treasured (though the film itself hardly warranted the three-page TV Guide article written by Ms. Hepburn herself). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Christmas Eve was actually first telecast on December 22, 1986, but nobody cared about the "error" then, so why should we? Making her first television appearance in 23 years, Loretta Young (her ageless beauty undimmed by her silvery hair) plays a wealthy New York matriarch who learns that she is dying. This strengthens her determination to be reunited with her three grandchildren, whom she hasn't seen in 16 years thanks to a bitter argument with her avaricious son Arthur Hill. As Hill wages a court campaign to have Young declared incompetent and thus get his mitts on her millions, private eye Ron Leibman races against time to locate her lost grandkids before Christmas. Do you honestly think you'll get through Christmas Eve without a box of Kleenex handy? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
The word for That Secret Sunday would seem to be "irresponsible." Two party girls are horribly murdered, and the police handle the investigation irresponsibly. The reason is that the four investigating cops are guilty of the murder, which stemmed from their own irresponsible behavior. Investigative reporter James Farentino might have been able to nail the cops, but his newspaper behaves with irresponsibility. Made for television, That Secret Sunday was responsible only in prompting viewers to change the channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
In this drama, a woman is tried and convicted of murder. Though she swears her innocence, the judge sentences her to life in a mental institution. Ten years pass and she doesn't change her story. This causes a sympathetic psychiatrist to believe her and begin fighting for her release. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Retreating to a placid Maine lake resort in order to finish her latest novel without distractions, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) decides to go birdwatching one fine morning. During this pursuit, Jessica witnesses what seems to be a struggle between a man and a woman in a boat on the lake, ending with the woman falling overboard. The man is accused of murder, but Jessica believes that the victim was not pushed in the water but instead jumped on her own accord--and the mystery deepens when it turns out that the drowned woman was a champion swimmer! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Made for television, A Letter to Three Wives is a modernized version of the classic 1949 theatrical film of the same name. While on a charity picnic, the wives of three well-to-do men each receive a letter from a fourth woman, a flashy divorcée named Addie (who is never seen). With calculated sweetness and sympathy, Addie informs the ladies that she is about to run off with the husband of one of them. In flashback, each wife recalls her marriage, wondering if it is she who is about to be divested of her husband (and simultaneously asking herself why this might be happening). Loni Anderson, Michele Lee, and Stephanie Zimbalist star in the roles played by Linda Darnell, Ann Sothern, and Jeanne Crain (respectively) in the 1949 film. Ann Sothern herself is seen as the mother of Anderson's character, a part originally essayed by Connie Gilchrist. Johnny Mandel earned an Emmy nomination for his musical score, which is virtually the only real improvement on the 1949 version. A Letter to Three Wives first aired December 16, 1985, on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
In this horror film an influential family, whose wealth comes from Nazi gold, in San Francisco must preserve an ancient evil rite that enables them to keep a supernatural power under their control. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Covering some 15 years, The Right Stuff recounts the formation of America's space program, concentrating on the original Mercury astronauts. Scott Glenn plays Alan Shepard, the first American in space; Fred Ward is Gus Grissom, the benighted astronaut for whom nothing works out as planned; and Ed Harris is John Glenn, the straight-arrow "boy scout" of the bunch who was the first American to orbit the earth. The remaining four Mercury boys are Deke Slayton (Scott Paulin), Scott Carpenter (Charles Frank), Wally Schirra (Lance Henriksen) and Gordon Cooper (Dennis Quaid). Wolfe's original book related in straightforward fashion the dangers and frustrations facing the astronauts (including Glenn's oft-repeated complaint that it's hard to be confident when you know that the missile you're sitting on has been built by the lowest bidder), the various personal crises involving their families (Glenn's wife Annie, a stutterer, dreads being interviewed on television, while Grissom's wife Betty, angered that her husband is not regarded as a hero because his mission was a failure, bitterly declares "I want my parade!"), and the schism between the squeaky-clean public image of the Mercury pilots and their sometimes raunchy earthbound shenanigans. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, (more)
- 1979
The Chisholms was a three-part miniseries adapted by Evan Hunter from his own novel. Covering the years 1842 through 1844, the dramatization follows the westward trek of the Chisholm family. Patriarch Robert Preston is driven from his midwestern homestead by a feud. Starting down the Ohio river, Preston and his family head for the greener pastures of Oregon. In Part Two, a romantic angle is introduced thanks to young lovers Stacey Nelkin and Charles Frank, while the Chisholms' safety is threatened by thieves and hostile lawmen. Several deaths impede the family's progress in Part Three, which brings the pilgrims to Wyoming. Spread out over four weeks (from March 29 through April 19, 1979), this miniseries version of The Chisholms served as the precursor to a weekly TV series, which did without the services of Robert Preston (who was unceremoniously knocked off in the first episode). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
This light-hearted western was a spinoff of the 1957-1962 series Maverick, and recounted the adventures of legendary gambler/troublemaker Brett Maverick's young Harvard-educated cousin, Ben Maverick. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Frank, Susan Blanchard, (more)
- 1978
- PG
This tear-jerking sequel chronicles the further struggles and triumphs of former Olympic-hopeful downhill skier Jill Kinmont who was paralyzed in 1956 after a mishap during a race. This story picks up after she recovers from the death of the daredevil pilot who helped her come to grips with her quadriplegia. Though it has been difficult, Kinmont works hard to live a productive life. Things get even better when she begins a gentle romance with a loving truck driver. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marilyn Hassett, Timothy Bottoms, (more)
Brash young Andy Schmidt (Henry Winkler) can't make a go of it as an actor in the early 1950s. Still, he wins the hand of Mary Crawford (Kim Darby), and the two of them try to make ends meet in New York City. Andy is on the verge of starvation when he befriends wrestling-promoter Sidney Seltzer (Gene Saks). At last, Andy has found the perfect outlet for his overbaked performing style: he becomes "The One and Only," a Gorgeous George-like professional wrestler. Though his ring career skyrockets, Andy's private life suffers until his wife Mary lets him know (with a mean uppercut!) who's going to be boss. Like many of director Carl Reiner's directorial efforts, the real strength in The One and Only lies in its impeccable supporting cast, ranging from Polly Holliday as Darby's mother to Herve Villechaize as a horny midget "rassler." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Winkler, Kim Darby, (more)
- 1978
The made-for-TV Guide for the Married Woman was conceived by screenwriter Frank Tarloff as an "answer" to his frolicsome 1968 theatrical feature Guide for the Married Man. If the sequel isn't quite as much fun as the original, it may be because what was deemed "risque" in 1968 was kid's stuff in 1978. In her TV-movie debut, Cybill Shepherd plays a bored housewife who yearns for romance and excitement. With the help of a steady stream of celebrity guest stars, Shepherd is able to fantasize about extramarital hijinks to her heart's content. The supporting cast includes such luminaries as Peter Marshall, Eve Arden, John Beradino, John Byner, Bill Dana, Bonnie Franklin, George Gobel, Tom Poston, Barbara Feldon and Chuck Woolery (the guest-star list of the original Guide for the Married Man included Art Carney, Jack Benny, Lucille Ball, Carl Reiner, Terry-Thomas, Joey Bishop and Jayne Mansfield: guess which film had the bigger budget?) Guide for the Married Woman originally aired October 13, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Margaret (Loretta Swit) thinks she's pregnant, and demands that the doctors conduct a test to make sure. Alas, this procedure requires the death of a rabbit, and the only available bunny is Radar's (Gary Burghoff) beloved pet Fluffy. Elsewhere, a gun-wielding patient (Kurt Andon) demands to be relieved from duty, or else Fluffy won't be the only "casualty" in the O.R. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
The most surprising aspect of the made-for-TV Ski Lift to Death is that it wasn't produced by Irwin Allen. Two ski-lift gondolas derail, hanging perilously close to destruction. Among the passengers are a former gangster and the hit man assigned to kill him. Also on board are a pair of champion skiiers who've been linked in a publicity-generated romance. Real-life ski champ Suzy Chaffee plays Maureen; the rest of the cast includes such TV stalwarts as Deborah Raffin, Howard Duff, Don Galloway, Don Johnson, Veronica Hamel and Clu Gulager. Ski Lift to Death was originally telecast March 3, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
