David Greene Movies
David Greene entered show business as an actor, spending several seasons with the Old Vic. Though he never achieved the heights of an Olivier or Guinness, Greene worked steadily and with distinction on stage; he can also be seen in a brace of films, playing "Johnny" in Golden Madonna (1948) and "Bennett" in The Wooden Horse. Coming to North America in the early 1950s, Greene settled in Canada, where he became a TV director for the CBC. He later worked in American television, directing both live and filmed installments of the many anthology series of the 1950s and 1960s. His first big-screen directorial effort was the 1967 thriller The Shuttered Room; his best was the 1973 cinemadaptation of the Broadway musical Godspell, which he also co-scripted. Returning to television, he helmed several episodes of the innovational weekly series Hill Street Blues, as well as a preponderance of TV-movie remakes of earlier theatrical features: Count of Monte Cristo (1975), Inherit the Wind (1988), Night of the Hunter (1991) and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane (1991). Other notable TV-movie and miniseries to his credit include The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (1978), World War III (1983; taking over from Boris Sagal, who was killed in a freak mid-production accident) and Liberace: The Man And His Music (1989). Over the course of his career David Greene won Emmy awards for the TV features The People Next Door (1969) and Friendly Fire (1979), and for his direction of individual installments of the miniseries Rich Man Poor Man (1976) and Roots (1977). Working steadily in television throughout the 80s and 90s, workhorse Greene averaged two made-for television efforts a year including such highlights as Vanishing Act (1986) and A Season in Pergatory (1996). Though frequently taking the helm for television remakes of classic films, Greene's affinity for real-life drama could be seen in such efforts as Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story (1992) and Beyond Obsession (1994).In early April of 2003, David Greene died of pancreatic cancer in his Ojai, CA home. He was 82. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1998
In this made-for-TV psychodrama, Annie Nolan falls in love with the handsome, charming Officer Craig Mitchell. The trouble is that he is married. However, Craig convinces Annie to murder his wife so they can be together. Two years pass and Annie lives with Craig, but she cannot forget her crime. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tracey Gold, Sharon Gless, (more)
- 1997
Lynda La Plante (Prime Suspect) scripted this TV miniseries about the family life surrounding a Mafia don. Sicilian magnate Don Luciano (Dennis Farina) and his wife Graziella (Vanessa Redgrave) live comfortably at Villa Rosa in Palermo, Italy. Their son Michael (Michael Hayden) has an affair with Sophia (Nastassja Kinski), leaving her pregnant but unmarried. After Luciano refuses to traffic drugs, angry U.S. mob boss Carolla (Tony Lo Bianco) retaliates by having Michael killed. When Sophia secretly gives birth to Luka, her child by Michael, she then marries another Luciano brother and bears twins. Later, Carolla unwittingly adopts the teenage Luka (James Marsden), who is unaware of his own past. Carolla's vengeance continues through the years, and he passes the hatred on to Luka -- who sees that all males in the Luciano family are eliminated. Despite the slaughter, Luca charms the unsuspecting Luciano widows when he arrives at Villa Rosa, claiming to be the son of a wealthy, concerned American. How long before they learn the truth? Film director Peter Bogdanovich is seen in the role of Luciano's American contact, Giancamo. Bella Mafia first aired 11/16/97 and 11/18/97 on CBS. The feature-length video version was edited down to 117 min. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Vanessa Redgrave, Dennis Farina, (more)
- 1997
- PG13
- Add Breach of Faith: A Family of Cops II to Queue Add Breach of Faith: A Family of Cops II to top of Queue
A priest has been murdered in the neighborhood of Inspector Paul Fein's youth, and it's up to the seasoned cop to crack the case in director David Greene's entry into the tense Family of Cops series. It's not going to be easy going back to the streets of his childhood, but despite the demons that linger in the shadows of every corner, this is one case he's not willing to let slip through the cracks. With all evidence pointing to the Russian Mafia as being responsible for the crime, Inspector Fein searches desperately for a witness who's willing to talk. As fear tightens its grip on the scared Russian community of Milwaukee, bodies continue to pile up and an unspoken code of silence threatens to stonewall the investigation. Now, with both his life and the lives of his family hanging in the balance, Inspector Fein must make the decision to pull back, or press forward and pray that the killer won't get to him before he gets to them. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Angela Featherstone, (more)
The sad end of one of the great real-life love stories of the 20th century is recounted in this made-for-TV drama. When Prince Charles (Christopher Bowen) wed Lady Diana Spencer (Julie Cox), their romance was seen by many as the stuff of fairy tales. However, as time wore on, the prince and his princess began to drift apart, and Diana found a confidante in Capt. James Hewitt (Christopher Villiers), a Guards officer who had been assigned to give her riding lessons. Their friendship grew into infidelity, but when the truth about Diana and Hewitt's relationship became known, it led to the painful discovery that Charles had also been unfaithful. Princess in Love was based on the book by Anna Pasternak. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 1995
Friendship and racism in 1880s America is explored in this made-for-television drama. Sidney Poitier stars as Gypsy Smith, a bounty hunter who, much to the chagrin of the local white population, leads a group of black settlers to Oklahoma to form their own free community. The film shows how racial tensions erupt between the black and white homesteaders. The Native American experience of racism is intertwined into the plot as well, with the story of a young Cheyenne boy who has lost his roots. Sidney Poitier and Regina Taylor were nominated for Image awards for their performances. Based on the novel by Clancy Carlile, the film originally aired in two parts. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sidney Poitier, Michael Moriarty, (more)
In this drama, a teenaged girl and her boyfriend fight back after they are accused of murdering the girl's overbearing, but socially prominent mother. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Victoria Principal, Emily Warfield, (more)
- 1992
Do not confuse this fact-based feature with the more tongue-in-cheek cable TV version, The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader Murdering Mom. This one looks seriously at the story of a Texas mother who was willing to kill to ensure her daughter's place on the cheerleading squad. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1992
Although his Mother denies his involvement in a brutal attack that left her critically injured and her husband dead, a college student is forced to deal with his guilt. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sharon Gless, William McNamara, (more)
Robert Urich stars as a self-involved computer executive who becomes inadvertently involved in a crime. He witnesses the kidnapping of a 3 year old girl, an event that shakes him out of his aloofness and insensitivity. Feeling partially responsible, Urich determines to aid in the rescue of the child, working together with the victim's mother (Megan Gallagher). Even though we can see the happy ending a mile off, Urich's conscience-stricken performance sustains audience involvement in this superior entry. And Then She Was Gone was first telecast September 29, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1991
"Remake fever" spread in 1991 to the producers of the TV-movie Night of the Hunter. 36 years earlier, writer James Agee, director Charles Laughton and stars Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters and Lillian Gish combined their considerable talents to create the original Night of the Hunter, a first-rate allegorical suspenser involving stolen funds, a homicidal phony preacher, and two innocent but resilient children. The 1991 remakes stars Richard Chamberlain in the old Mitchum role as Harry Powell, the bogus preacher with the words LOVE and HATE tattooed on his knuckles. In pursuit of stolen money hidden by an old prison cellmate, "Reverend" Powell ingratiates himself with the cellmate's widow (Diana Scarwid), then kills her. The woman's children seem to know where the money is, so Powell pursues them through the woods, nearly catching up with them before they are taken in by a kindly old woman. The 1991 Night of the Hunter couldn't come up with an adequate substitute for Lillian Gish, so the new script altered the ending, thereby diminishing most of the property's inherent value. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Chamberlain, Diana Scarwid, (more)
- 1991
Whoever hit upon the idea that What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? would make a good TV movie remake forgot one essential fact. The original 1962 Baby Jane was at best a ludicrous melodrama, which only reached the level of art thanks to the bravura performances of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. This time around, real-life sisters Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave play, respectively, invalid former film star Blanche Hudson and her insanely jealous sister "Baby" Jane Hudson. As before, Jane launches a campaign of terror against her helpless sister, all the while planning her own show business comeback with a smarmy musician (John Glover). Part of the problem with this misfire remake, beyond its overall lack of tension, is the character makeup: With her head shaved, Vanessa looks more like Susan Powter than a former cinema queen, while Lynn, decked out in garish "little girl" makeup, resembles Bozo the Clown. The 1991 Whatever Happened to Baby Jane should be seen at least once just to satisfy the curiosity. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1990
In the Best Interest of the Child was not based on a true story. That's the official line adopted by producer Robert A. Papazian, even though the plot of this made-for-TV movie would seem to be inspired by the exploits of the real-life Dr. Elizabeth Morgan. True or no, there's plenty of conviction in this story of a young woman (Meg Tilly) who risks imprisonment for the sake of her daughter. Having learned that her ex-husband is molesting the child, Ms. Tilly "kidnaps" the girl and heads off to parts unknown. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Meg Tilly, Ed Begley, Jr., (more)
- 1989
A wealthy woman (Robin Givens) is stalked by her ex-boyfriend, who escaped from an asylum. He traps her in her penthouse. ~ Rovi
- 1989
Based on the factual book by Ann Rule, Small Sacrifices was original telecast in two parts. Farrah Fawcett continues to successfully obliterate the Charlie's Angels onus in the role of real-life US postal worker Diane Downs. Part One of the film was set in Willamete Valley, Oregon, in 1983. Mrs. Downs drives her three children to the local hospital's emergency entrance: one child is already dead, and the other two have been seriously wounded. Diane claims that the killer was a man who'd tried to steal her car. But in Part Two, prosecutor John Shea rips apart Diane's story in court. What comes to surface is a tawdry tale of a neurotic, narcissistic woman who is pushed over the edge when spurned by her lover (played by Ms. Fawcett's offscreen companion Ryan O'Neal). As difficult as Small Sacrifices was to watch during its initial telecast in November 1989, it has since been rendered doubly disturbing by the more recent tragic events surrounding South Carolina housewife Susan Smith. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1989
The ads for Red Earth, White Earth ballyhooed the soap-opera aspects of the made-for-TV film, particularly the fact that the young protagonist's (Tim Daly) best friend was shacking up with the boy's mother. Played down in the ads was the central crisis of the film: A battle between a white farm family and the Native Americans who have recently acquired the political pull to claim the family's land. The farmers are flummoxed not only by the ethnic issue but also by their long-standing personal and financial woes. Given the high-charged political atmosphere of Red Earth, White Earth, it's ironic that its originally scheduled 1988 telecast was moved to early 1989--bumped off the air by one of the Bush-Dukakis debates. The film was based on a novel by Will Weaver. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1988
This courtroom drama was inspired by the notorious Scopes trial of 1925 concerning the teaching of Darwinism in public schools. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1988
Someone in the upper echelons of network television must have been enamored of or obsessed with French playwright Robert Thomas' Trap for a Lonely Man, since the property was adapted to television no fewer than three times. The 1986 version, Vanishing Act, stars Mike Farrell as a honeymooning husband. When his new bride turns up missing, Farrell angrily demands that the authorities drop everything to find her. Imagine his surprise when Margot Kidder, a total stranger, arrives on the scene, insisting that she is Farrell's wife. Earlier versions of Trap for a Lonely Man included Honeymoon with a Stranger (1969) and One of My Wives is Missing (1976). Originally telecast May 4, 1986, Vanishing Act was cleverly adapted by Richard Levinson and William Link, who slavishly retained Robert Thomas' by-now-familiar final plot twist. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
This was the "unofficial" Liberace biopic, as opposed to the error-ridden "official" Liberace (telecast one week earlier in October of 1988). The star of Liberace: Behind the Music is Broadway actor Victor Garber, who later scored a personal triumph as the devilish Mr. Applegate in the revival of Damn Yankees. Behind the Music is an unauthorized TV movie based on the recollections of the pianist's business manager, giving scriptwriter Gavin Lambert far more leeway in delineating the title character, warts and all. The closing sequences delve much deeper into the AIDS question than was possible in the family-approved Liberace starring Andrew Robinson (who, to be fair, looks more like the real entertainer than does Victor Garber). Liberace: Behind the Music could have descended into tabloidism ("Behind the rumors and the secrets" read the advertising copy), but emerges as a work of conspicuous dignity and (reasonably) good taste. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Victor Garber, Maureen Stapleton, (more)
- 1987
Mark Harmon plays an itinerant Depression-era carpenter in the made-for-TV After the Promise. When his wife dies, Harmon is declared an unsuitable parent purely on the basis of his financial situation, and his four children are made wards of the Court. Fighting against the seemingly invulnerable legal system of the era, Harmon struggles to regain custody of his children-a struggle that drags on for eight years. Robert W. Lenski's teleplay was inspired by a true story. Because of the time-span of the plotline, Harmon's four children are portrayed by 13 different juvenile actors. After the Promise debuted October 11, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mark Harmon
- 1987
Gena Rowlands won an Emmy for her towering portrayal of former first lady Betty Ford. After surviving breast cancer, the feisty Ford earns the love and admiration of the entire country. This makes it all the harder for her to keep private her biggest personal battle -- against alcohol and prescription-drug addiction. Josef Sommer and Nan Woods co-star respectively as Gerald and Susan Ford in this sensitive but candid adaptation of Betty Ford's autobiography The Times of My Life. Made for television, The Betty Ford Story was first telecast on March 3, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gena Rowlands, Josef Sommer, (more)
- 1987
This independently-produced feature concerns a New York woman (Mila Burnette) who's fed up with her marriage and her life. Leaving her comfortable mid-town environs, she takes up residence in the far less attractive South Bronx. Here she falls in love with a Puerto Rican attorney (Joaquim de Almeida) and becomes swept up in social activism. Jose Ferrer is the most recognizable cast member, at least so far as American audiences are concerned; in Portugal, Joaquim de Almeida was considered a much bigger star than Ferrer -- or practically anyone else. Director Kevin Conway shows up in a brief supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mila Burnette, Joaquim de Almeida, (more)
- 1987
- R
This low-budget actioner is set in a world gone mad with the fear that WW III is imminent and centers on a survivalist who has stashed away a veritable armory of high-tech weapons to protect his family. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Railsback, Marjoe Gortner, (more)
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.