Larry Hagman Movies
The son of Broadway actress Mary Martin, Larry Hagman was born in Fort Worth, Texas. After his parents divorced, he lived with his grandmother in California until the time of her death. Hagman, 12 years old at the time, then returned to his mother who was working on the Broadway stage. After attending Bard College in Anandale-on-the-Hudson for one year, his own early efforts at breaking into showbiz began at the Margo Jones Theatre-in-the-Round in Dallas, and soon after in The Taming of the Shrew at the New York City Center. While working as a cast member on his mother's hit show South Pacific, Hagman took up residence in England and ended up staying there for five years. During that time he joined the U.S. Air Force where he found time to produce and direct several theater productions. It was also during that time that he met and fell in love with Maj Axelsson, a young Swedish designer. They were married in December of 1954.Back in the U.S., Hagman began to make progress in his career, tallying up several TV guest-star appearances (including, presciently, a smiling villain on an episode of Sea Hunt), a regular role as lawyer Ed Gibson on the daytime soap opera The Edge of Night, and a beautifully played supporting role as a Russian/ English interpreter in the nuclear nailbiter Fail Safe. In 1965, Hagman received his most prominent acting assignment to date as eternally flustered astronaut Tony Nelson on the TV sitcom I Dream of Jeannie. After five years of Jeannie, Hagman took a few film and TV-movie parts, co-starred with Donna Mills on the 1971 sitcom The Good Life, co-starred with Lauren Bacall in the TV rendition of the Broadway musical Applesauce, acted and directed in the low-grade horror spoof Beware! The Blob. Hagman's best-ever TV stint was as the charming but conniving J. R. Ewing on the nighttime TV serial Dallas, a role he played from 1978 through 1990. At first reluctant to accept the role, Hagman acknowledges that it was his wife Maj's encouragement that convinced him to do the series. Proof of Hagman's drawing power as J.R. came when, at the end of the 1979-80 season, the character was shot down by a mysterious assailant--setting the stage for the "Who Shot J.R.?" episode, one of the highest-rated telecasts of all time.
After the cancellation of Dallas, Hagman was forced to slow down his busy schedule due to an ongoing battle with liver cancer, and in August of 1995 he was the recipient of a liver transplant, a procedure that saved his life. Hagman's public life has always included a variety of civic and philanthropic undertakings. A staunch non-smoker, Hagman acted as the chairperson of the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout for nine years, and since his 1995 surgery, he has become the National Spokesperson for the 1996 U.S. Transplant Games sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation and has been recognized by the foundation for his role in increasing public awareness in regards to organ donation. In 1997, Hagman had recovered sufficiently to make a television comeback as the Honorable Judge Luther Charbonnet in the critically acclaimed CBS series Orleans. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
The regular stars of the TV series Name of the Game (Gene Barry, Robert Stack, Tony Franciosa) keep a low profile in this episode, titled A Capitol Affair. The emphasis is on Howard Publications journalist Suzanne Pleshette, who labors long and hard to win her politician boyfriend Monte Markham a presidential appointment. But Pleshette's efforts are threatened by vitriolic gossip columnist Mercedes McCambridge. For reasons left unknown until the end of the episode, McCambridge conducts a one-woman campaign to thoroughly discredit Markham. A Capitol Affair first aired February 12, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Initially telecast September 9, 1978, A Double Life was the pilot film for the weekly TV series Sword of Justice. Dack Rambo stars as Jeff Cole, who has just spent three years in prison after being framed on an embezzlement charge. Swearing vengeance against the actual crook -- who was also responsible for his father's death -- Cole devotes his post-prison life to bringing to justice criminals beyond the reach of the life. Having learned a great deal about such underhanded activities as electronic bugging and lock-picking while in stir, Cole utilizes these talents for good rather than evil (shades of It Takes a Thief--and no wonder, since Glen A. Larson produced both series). Aiding Cole in his mission is his ex-cellmate Hector Ramirez (Bert Rosario), while federal agent Arthur Woods (Alex Courtney) spends most of his time trying to second-guess the elusive hero. Sword of Justice remained on the NBC prime time schedule until August 11, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Although advertised as a "reunion" of former I Dream of Jeannie stars Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman, the made-for-TV A Howling in the Woods is actually a vehicle for Eden, with Hagman contributing a glorified cameo role. The scene is a remote wooded area in Nevada, where disillusioned housewife Liza Crocker (Eden) has arrived for a solitary camping trip. It so happens that Liza's "sanctuary" is located near the small and cloistered town where she was born -- a town that does not necessarily want to have her back. As Liza's husband, Eddie (Larry Hagman), searches for her in hopes of a reconciliation, the heroine is terrorized by the mournful sound of a howling dog, which triggers painful and frightening memories that she had hoped were long, long buried. Based on a novel by Velda Johnston, the underrated and almost unbearably suspenseful A Howling in the Woods debuted November 11, 1971, on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Singer Trini Lopez proved he could act in The Dirty Dozen. He went on to show that he could carry a picture in Antonio, though precious few filmgoers got the chance to see it. Lopez plays a poverty-stricken potter in a South American village. Enter Larry Hagman, an American oilman on the lam from his divorce lawyer. Rather than have his expensive car fall into the hands of his ex-wife, Hagman gives the vehicle to Lopez. The gift unduly complicates Lopez' life, compelling him to travel over hill and dale to return the car to Hagman. This charming little morality play was directed by Claudio Guzman, who'd previously helmed several I Dream of Jeannie episodes costarring Hagman in the 1960s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Cashing in on director Larry Hagman's fame as star of Dallas, a canny distributor reissued Beware! the Blob (aka Son of Blob) with the come-on line "The Film That J.R. Shot!" Picking up where the original Blob (1958) left off, the film begins as the pudding-like goo thaws out and begins wreaking havoc on the civilized world. Steve McQueen, star of the first Blob, is understandably absent; this time the heroics are handled by Robert Walker Jr., who takes on the Blob himself when the local authorities fail. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Stahl, Godfrey Cambridge, (more)
- 1973
Bloodsport began life under the less alluring title Poetry in Motion. Gary Busey and Ben Johnson star as, respectively, a high-school football quarterback and his "winning is the only thing" father. The more his dad pushes him, the less Busey truly wants to be an athlete. The inter-family hostility comes to a head during an excitingly filmed climactic gridiron battle. Made for TV, Bloodsport was initially telecast on December 5, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Johnson, Gary Busey, (more)
- 1978
- R
In this chase movie (also titled "Crash") greedy and desperate race car drivers must rip through a thousand miles of the Phillippine jungle to win $100,000 dollars. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Don Baker, Susan Sarandon, (more)
- 1976
- PG
This early effort from producer/director Charles Band stars Jose Ferrer and Sue Lyon as an unlikely married couple. Insanely jealous, Ferrer tries to murder Lyon. His weapon: an antique car, possessed by a demonic spirit. Lyon retaliates with a strange device that dispenses black magic. Just one big happy family. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Dallas begins its original five-week trial run as Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy), youngest son of Texas oil millionaire Jock Ewing (James Davis), shows up at Southfork, his family's estate, with new bride Pamela Barnes (Victoria Principal) in tow. "Your folks are gonna throw me off the ranch" worries Pam, and not without good reason: her father is former wildcatter "Digger" Barnes (David Wayne), once the partner of Jock Ewing, but now his bitterest enemy. It seems that years ago, Jock had bamboozled Digger out of his share of the valuable strike that would serve as foundation for the Ewing Oil empire -- and worse still, Jock had married Digger's girl, Ellen Southworth (aka "Miss Ellie," played by Barbara Bel Geddes). Carrying on the family vendetta is Pam's politically ambitious brother, lawyer Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval), who has made it his mission in life to destroy the most ruthless and disreputable members of the Ewing clan: namely, the infamous J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman), Jock and Miss Ellie's eldest son. Meanwhile, J.R. wheels and deals to force Lucy Ewing (Charlene Tilton), daughter of his seldom-seen brother Gary, out of Southfork, lest Gary return and claim his share of the Ewing millions. All the while, J.R.'s long-suffering wife, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), seeks shelter from her husband's connivances and extramarital peccadillos by crawling deeper and deeper into a booze bottle. Lurking in the background like a man carrying a deep, dark secret is the Ewings' ranch foreman Ray Krebbs (Steve Kanaly), with whom Lucy has one of her many sexual flings. Quite a lot happens in those first five Dallas episodes beyond the traditional maneuvering and backstabbing, including an unexpected hostage crisis and a season-ending family barbecue that abruptly culminates in tragedy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, (more)
Having proven itself as a viewer magnet during its five-episode trial in the spring of 1978, the multi-plotted prime-time serial Dallas launched its second season (and its first "full" one) in the fall of that same year, though it would not be until the series was moved from Saturday to Friday night that it would begin its rapid upward climb in the ratings. Already established as the series' antihero is the charming but thoroughly untrustworthy J.R. Ewing, eldest son of Texas oil millionaire Jock Ewing (Jim Davis) and his wife, Miss Ellie (Barbara Bel Geddes). Throughout the second season, J.R. carries on a two-pronged battle, not only feuding with the politically ambitious Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval), the son of Jock's hated rival Digger Barnes (played briefly by David Wayne before the role is taken over by Keenan Wynn), but also engaging in a fierce power struggle over control of Ewing Oil with his honest younger brother, Bobby (Patrick Duffy) -- who happens to be married to Cliff's sister, Pam (Victoria Principal). This season marks the first appearance by J.R. and Bobby's other brother, Gary, played in the first three episodes of the year by David Ackroyd, who would be replaced by Ted Shackelford when it was decided to spin Gary and his wife, Valene (Joan Van Ark), into their own series, Knots Landing.
Perceiving Gary as a threat, J.R. connives to get Gary's daughter Lucy (Charlene Tilton) to move out of the family mansion, Southfork; however, many of his schemes come a cropper, such as his plan to marry off Lucy to millionaire Kit Mainwaring (Mark Wheeler) -- who turns out to be gay. J.R. also does his best to undermine Bobby by trying to break up his marriage to Pamela. This may not be too difficult, inasmuch as Bobby is considerably put out when he discovers that Pam was married before, to Vietnam veteran Ed Haynes (Robin Clarke). Meanwhile, J.R.'s troubled wife, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), worried that Pam will bear a child before she will, embarks upon a "conception race" with her sister-in-law. Also, the viewer is introduced to Pam's mother, Patricia (Martha Scott), and her younger sister Kristin, played in two episodes this season by Colleen Camp (the role would be taken over on a permanent basis by Mary Crosby in season three). Almost immediately upon arrival, Kristin makes a play for Bobby -- which of course delights the devious J.R. In other developments, Morgan Fairchild makes her one and only appearance as Bobby's old flame Jenna Wade, a role that would ultimately be played, as a "regular," by Priscilla Presley. Miss Ellie faces a crisis when her presumed-dead brother, Garrison (Gene Evans), shows up, insisting that he is rightful owner of Southfork; Susan Howard is introduced as the politically well-connected Donna Culver, who proceeds to cheat on her husband with Southfork's sullen and secretive manager, Ray Krebbs (Steve Kanaly); and after facing political ruin at the hands of J.R., Cliff Barnes steps up his vendetta against the "man you love to hate." As the season rushes to a close, a pregnant Sue Ellen is rushed to the hospital to bear a son, John Ross Ewing III -- but J.R., who doesn't trust his wife any farther than he can throw her (he's already tried to have her locked away in a sanitarium), is convinced that his rival Cliff is the baby's father! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Perceiving Gary as a threat, J.R. connives to get Gary's daughter Lucy (Charlene Tilton) to move out of the family mansion, Southfork; however, many of his schemes come a cropper, such as his plan to marry off Lucy to millionaire Kit Mainwaring (Mark Wheeler) -- who turns out to be gay. J.R. also does his best to undermine Bobby by trying to break up his marriage to Pamela. This may not be too difficult, inasmuch as Bobby is considerably put out when he discovers that Pam was married before, to Vietnam veteran Ed Haynes (Robin Clarke). Meanwhile, J.R.'s troubled wife, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), worried that Pam will bear a child before she will, embarks upon a "conception race" with her sister-in-law. Also, the viewer is introduced to Pam's mother, Patricia (Martha Scott), and her younger sister Kristin, played in two episodes this season by Colleen Camp (the role would be taken over on a permanent basis by Mary Crosby in season three). Almost immediately upon arrival, Kristin makes a play for Bobby -- which of course delights the devious J.R. In other developments, Morgan Fairchild makes her one and only appearance as Bobby's old flame Jenna Wade, a role that would ultimately be played, as a "regular," by Priscilla Presley. Miss Ellie faces a crisis when her presumed-dead brother, Garrison (Gene Evans), shows up, insisting that he is rightful owner of Southfork; Susan Howard is introduced as the politically well-connected Donna Culver, who proceeds to cheat on her husband with Southfork's sullen and secretive manager, Ray Krebbs (Steve Kanaly); and after facing political ruin at the hands of J.R., Cliff Barnes steps up his vendetta against the "man you love to hate." As the season rushes to a close, a pregnant Sue Ellen is rushed to the hospital to bear a son, John Ross Ewing III -- but J.R., who doesn't trust his wife any farther than he can throw her (he's already tried to have her locked away in a sanitarium), is convinced that his rival Cliff is the baby's father! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, (more)
Steadily building up its viewership during its first few seasons, Dallas certainly gives its fans their money's worth during season three, which begins as the newborn son of the delightfully demonic oil tycoon J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) and his wife, Sue Ellen (Victoria Principal), is kidnapped. Though this crisis is soon resolved, it is clear that the J.R.-Sue Ellen marriage is in big trouble, mainly because J.R. thinks that the baby's real father is his sworn enemy, attorney Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval). In other developments, Mary Crosby makes her first appearance as Sue Ellen's younger sister Kristin Shepard, with whom J.R. has an affair. While cheerfully manipulating Asian politics in order to control more overseas oil fields, J.R. still finds time to continue trying to sabotage the marriage between his younger brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy) and Bobby's wife (and Cliff Barnes' sister), Pamela (Victoria Principal). In the same spirit of bad will, lawyer Alan Beam (Randolph Powell) is hired to dig up enough dirt on J.R.'s niece Lucy (Charlene Tilton) so that she will be forced to leave the family's Southfork estate -- but Alan ends up proposing to Lucy, the better to get his mitts into the Ewing fortune. Elsewhere, Sue Ellen has a romantic fling with rodeo rider Dusty Farlow (Jared Martin), the son of a wealthy Texan. The affair between Southfork's secretive manager, Ray Krebbs (Steve Kanaly), and influential socialite Donna Culver (Susan Howard) intensifies. And J.R. and Bobby's mother, Miss Ellie (Barbara Bel Geddes), is diagnosed with breast cancer. The season concludes with one of the most famous "cliffhangers" in TV history, as the wheeling-dealing J.R., hanging around his office after working hours, is shot down and left for dead by an unseen assailant! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, (more)
"Who shot J.R.?" Those were the words on the lips of Dallas fans throughout the world as the popular prime-time serial launched its fourth season on CBS. Speculation ran high over the identity of the person who, at the tail end of season three, had pumped several slugs in the chest of the sublimely unprincipled Texas oil tycoon J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman). It was one of the best-kept secrets in the annals of popular entertainment; indeed, not even the cast members knew "who dun it" (to cover their bets, the producers filmed scenes of every member of the cast pulling the trigger -- including Larry Hagman). During the fifth episode of the season, which became the second highest-rated show in TV history, the culprit is exposed -- and it is giving nothing away at this late date to reveal that J.R.'s would-be assassin was his cast-off mistress Kristin (Mary Crosby), younger sister of his own wife, Sue Ellen (Linda Gary). Upon his recovery, J.R. resumes his power struggle with younger brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy), who in J.R.'s absence has assumed control of Ewing Oil. Almost immediately upon returning to his office, J.R. hires sharkish PR agent Leslie Stewart (Susan Flannery) to promote his "new" image as "The All-American Businessman" -- even as he tries to undermine his own country's foreign affairs by engineering a political coup in a faraway country in order to increase his wealth!
Meanwhile, Sue Ellen's lover, Dusty Farlow (Jared Martin), urges her to leave J.R. and take her son, John Ross (now played by Tyler Banks) with her. After numerous dead-end love affairs, J.R.'s niece Lucy (Charlene Tilton) decides to marry Mitch Cooper (Leigh McCloskey), a poor medical student who is troubled by the Ewing's affluence; J.R. doesn't think much of Mitch, but he develops a hankerin' for his sister, Afton (Audrey Landers), a professional singer. And in one of the season's most momentous developments, Southfork manager Ray Krebbs (Steve Kanaly) is revealed to be the illegitimate song of J.R. and Bobby's dad, Jock Ewing (Jim Davis) -- whereupon Ray further increases his influence in the community by wedding the politically powerful Donna Culver (Susan Howard). In an effort to whip up audience interest in the same manner as the previous season's cliffhanger, season four of Dallas closes as attorney Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval), sworn enemy of J.R. Ewing, finds the body of a woman floating in the Ewings' swimming pool. Even if this contrivance hadn't occurred, CBS had no fear that Dallas would lose its audience; as of the end of its fourth season, the series was America's top-rated series -- the first dramatic program to pull off this coup since Marcus Welby, M.D. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Meanwhile, Sue Ellen's lover, Dusty Farlow (Jared Martin), urges her to leave J.R. and take her son, John Ross (now played by Tyler Banks) with her. After numerous dead-end love affairs, J.R.'s niece Lucy (Charlene Tilton) decides to marry Mitch Cooper (Leigh McCloskey), a poor medical student who is troubled by the Ewing's affluence; J.R. doesn't think much of Mitch, but he develops a hankerin' for his sister, Afton (Audrey Landers), a professional singer. And in one of the season's most momentous developments, Southfork manager Ray Krebbs (Steve Kanaly) is revealed to be the illegitimate song of J.R. and Bobby's dad, Jock Ewing (Jim Davis) -- whereupon Ray further increases his influence in the community by wedding the politically powerful Donna Culver (Susan Howard). In an effort to whip up audience interest in the same manner as the previous season's cliffhanger, season four of Dallas closes as attorney Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval), sworn enemy of J.R. Ewing, finds the body of a woman floating in the Ewings' swimming pool. Even if this contrivance hadn't occurred, CBS had no fear that Dallas would lose its audience; as of the end of its fourth season, the series was America's top-rated series -- the first dramatic program to pull off this coup since Marcus Welby, M.D. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, (more)
Having closed its fourth season with the unidentified body of a young woman floating in the Ewing family swimming pool, Dallas launches its fifth season by casting suspicion of murder on both of the series' chief antagonists: the cunning, consciousless Texas oil tycoon J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) and J.R.'s lifelong enemy, attorney Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval). For a while, it appears as though J.R. is the guilty party, since he had the most motive. The dead girl turns out to be Kristin Shepard (Mary Crosby), the same person who had shot J.R. full of holes at the end of season three. Once this matter is settled, there are plenty of other crises to dwell upon. On the verge of breaking up her marriage with J.R., Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) sues for custody of her son, John Ross, at the behest of her current lover, Dusty Farlow (Jared Martin). This results in a confrontation between J.R.'s mother, Miss Ellie (Barbara Bel Geddes), and Dusty's millionaire dad, Clayton Farlow (Howard Keel) -- though this adversarial relationship will eventually dissolve in a surprising matter. Meanwhile, J.R. schemes to get even with Sue Ellen by temporarily shacking up with Serena Wald (Stephanie Blackmore)and scheming to financially ruin the Farlows; but at the end of the day, he relents and embarks upon a campaign to win Sue Ellen back (not for her sake, but so that he can wrest away custody of his son).
Elsewhere, the marriage between J.R.'s niece Lucy (Charlene Tilton) and medical student Mitch (Leigh McCloskey) comes to an end. Unable to have children of their own, J.R.'s brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy) and his wife, Pam (Victoria Principal), adopt a child named Christopher -- without revealing the fact that the child's biological parents are the late Kristin Shepard and her blackmailing paramour Jeff Farraday (Art Hindle). Cliff Barnes goes to work for his entrepreneur mother, Rebecca Barnes Wentworth (Priscilla Pointer), hoping to beat J.R. at his own game in the marketplace -- and in the process becoming almost as greedy and duplicitous as his rival! Conspicuous by his absence this season is Miss Ellie's husband, Jock Ewing. Although actor Jim Davis had died the previous season, the producers decided not to completely write out Davis' character of Jock Ewing, instead contriving a scenario whereby Jock is in South America on a mission for the government. Ultimately, Jock perishes in a helicopter crash, whereupon a grieving Miss Ellie finds solace in the arms of her former enemy, Clayton Farlow. In the series' traditional cliffhanger ending, Cliff Barnes, financially ruined and in disgrace thanks to the machinations of J.R., tries to commit suicide -- and if he dies, it will mean disaster for several of the main Dallas characters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Elsewhere, the marriage between J.R.'s niece Lucy (Charlene Tilton) and medical student Mitch (Leigh McCloskey) comes to an end. Unable to have children of their own, J.R.'s brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy) and his wife, Pam (Victoria Principal), adopt a child named Christopher -- without revealing the fact that the child's biological parents are the late Kristin Shepard and her blackmailing paramour Jeff Farraday (Art Hindle). Cliff Barnes goes to work for his entrepreneur mother, Rebecca Barnes Wentworth (Priscilla Pointer), hoping to beat J.R. at his own game in the marketplace -- and in the process becoming almost as greedy and duplicitous as his rival! Conspicuous by his absence this season is Miss Ellie's husband, Jock Ewing. Although actor Jim Davis had died the previous season, the producers decided not to completely write out Davis' character of Jock Ewing, instead contriving a scenario whereby Jock is in South America on a mission for the government. Ultimately, Jock perishes in a helicopter crash, whereupon a grieving Miss Ellie finds solace in the arms of her former enemy, Clayton Farlow. In the series' traditional cliffhanger ending, Cliff Barnes, financially ruined and in disgrace thanks to the machinations of J.R., tries to commit suicide -- and if he dies, it will mean disaster for several of the main Dallas characters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, (more)
Season six of Dallas opens with the resolution of the cliffhanger that ended season five, as Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval), hated rival of conniving oil tycoon J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman), recovers from his suicide attempt. Though ostensibly ruined and disgraced through J.R.'s machinations, Cliff rises from the ashes to become president of Barnes/Wentworth, the oil company owned by his mother. Rebecca Barnes Wentworth (Priscilla Pointer) -- who, incidentally, will not survive the season. More so than ever before, Cliff is determined to beat J.R. at his own game in the open marketplace. Meanwhile, back at Southfork, J.R. has reconciled with his wife, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), and despite the impassioned intervention of Sue Ellen's lover, Dusty Farlow (Jared Martin), she remarries J.R. in early December. At this point, Dusty disappears from view, not to be seen again for several more seasons. At the same time, J.R. again tangles with younger brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy), the bone of contention being their late father's will. Also, Donna Krebbs (Susan Howard), wife of J.R.'s half brother, Ray (Steve Kanaly), tries to expose J.R.'s questionable business practices with the help of the Texas Energy Commission. In retaliation, J.R.'s deft manipulates the media, stirring up public sympathy for himself -- even as he secretly embarks upon an illegal financial deal in Cuba! Throughout all this intrigue, J.R. finds time to attempt to "conquer" attractive rival oil executive Holly Harwood (Lois Chiles). And there's more!
As the marriage between Bobby and Cliff Barnes' sister, Pam (Victoria Principal), slowly unravels, wealthy Mark Graison (John Beck) tries his best to win Pam's love. Later on, Pam divorces Bobby and has a nervous breakdown, much to the delight of the manipulative J.R. -- yet she still manages to gain custody of her adopted son, Christopher. Plus, the romance between J.R.'s widowed mother, Miss Ellie (Barbara Bel Geddes) and Dusty Farlow's millionaire father, Clayton (Howard Keel), heats up. And in another development, J.R.'s divorced niece Lucy (Charlene Tilton) takes up with Ray Krebbs' ne'er-do-well cousin Mickey Trotter (Timothy Patrick Murphy), a fling that ends violently when Mickey is paralyzed in a car accident that may or may not have been caused by an inebriated Sue Ellen. Season six ends with the traditional Dallas cliffhanger, as a fistfight between J.R. and Ray Krebbs results in a fire that threatens to consume all of the Southfork mansion, with J.R., Sue Ellen, and their son, John Ross, trapped inside! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
As the marriage between Bobby and Cliff Barnes' sister, Pam (Victoria Principal), slowly unravels, wealthy Mark Graison (John Beck) tries his best to win Pam's love. Later on, Pam divorces Bobby and has a nervous breakdown, much to the delight of the manipulative J.R. -- yet she still manages to gain custody of her adopted son, Christopher. Plus, the romance between J.R.'s widowed mother, Miss Ellie (Barbara Bel Geddes) and Dusty Farlow's millionaire father, Clayton (Howard Keel), heats up. And in another development, J.R.'s divorced niece Lucy (Charlene Tilton) takes up with Ray Krebbs' ne'er-do-well cousin Mickey Trotter (Timothy Patrick Murphy), a fling that ends violently when Mickey is paralyzed in a car accident that may or may not have been caused by an inebriated Sue Ellen. Season six ends with the traditional Dallas cliffhanger, as a fistfight between J.R. and Ray Krebbs results in a fire that threatens to consume all of the Southfork mansion, with J.R., Sue Ellen, and their son, John Ross, trapped inside! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, (more)
The fire that trapped J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman), his wife, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), their son, John Ross (now played by Omri Katz), and J.R.'s half-brother, Ray (Steve Kanaly), in the Southfork mansion at the end of Dallas' sixth season is still raging as season seven begins. Fortunately, J.R. et al. are rescued at the last minute by his younger brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy). And speaking of Bobby, he has been divorced by his wife, Pam (Victoria Principal), who then takes up with Mark Graison (John Beck). Meanwhile, Pam's half-sister, Katherine Wentworth (Morgan Brittany), has set her sights on Bobby, making it clear that if she can't have him, no one will. But Bobby prefers the company of his old flame Jenna Wade, played by Priscilla Presley (in previous episodes, Jenna was portrayed by Morgan Fairchild and Francine Tacker). J.R. encourages Bobby to pursue a relationship with Jenna, if only to strike out at J.R.'s hated rival Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval) -- who of course is Pamela's brother. J.R.'s own marriage is on the rocks again, thanks to the arrival of his son John Ross' camp counselor Peter Richards (Christopher Atkins), whose schoolboy crush on Sue Ellen rapidly develops into something far more serious. As J.R. deals with this, he must also reconcile himself to the fact that his mother, Miss Ellie (Barbara Bel Geddes), is dead set on marrying millionaire Clayton Barlow (Howard Keel), the father of Sue Ellen's former (and now missing) lover Dusty Farlow. And in another branch of the Ewing family, J.R.'s half-brother, Ray (Steve Kanaly), disposes of his troublesome cousin Mickey (Timothy Patrick Murphy) -- who the previous season had been canoodling with J.R.'s niece Lucy (Charlene Tilton) -- in a dramatically direct fashion. As the season comes to an end, a double wedding is planned involved Ellie and Clayton and Bobby and Jenna -- but events conspire to keep the couples apart. And in the cliffhanger finale, yet another stalker fires another shot in the office of J.R. Ewing -- but this time it is Bobby who falls wounded to the ground! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, (more)
As season eight of Dallas gets under way, Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) painfully convalesces from the gunshot wound that felled him at the end of season seven. The most likely suspect would seem to be Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval), the brother of Bobby's ex-wife, Pam (Victoria Principal), but in fact the would-be killer is Cliff and Pam's obsessive half-sister, Katherine (Morgan Brittany), who was incensed that Bobby had spurned her in favor of his fiancée, Jenna (Priscilla Presley). Had Katherine but waited a while, she could have saved a bullet; Bobby breaks up with Jenna, who ends up wedding a former lover, Renaldo Marchetta (Daniel Pilon) -- and is then accused of Marchetta's murder! In other romantic developments, despite all of the evil J.R. Ewing's (Larry Hagman) efforts, his mother, Miss Ellie (Barbara Bel Geddes), has tied the matrimonial knot with Clayton Barlow (Howard Keel), millionaire father of Dusty Barlow, the former lover of J.R.'s wife, Sue Ellen (Victoria Principal). But is it really Miss Ellie who walks down the aisle? Well, technically, it is -- but it isn't the same actress who has been playing the character since Dallas began. Citing illness and exhaustion, Barbara Bel Geddes had left Dallas at the end of its seventh season. Her replacement is Donna Reed, light years removed from the innocuous 1950s sitcom that bore her name in the title. Getting back to the Miss Ellie-Barlow nuptials, all is not peach blossoms and roses. It turns out that Clayton has a demented sister named Jessica (Alexis Smith) -- who very nearly commits wholesale murder before she's caught and institutionalized.
Newcomers to the cast this season include Joshua Harris as Christopher Ewing, Bobby and Pamela's adopted son; Jenilee Harrison as cousin Jamie Ewing, who is destined to wed Cliff Barnes after aligning with him to wrest a piece of Ewing Oil from J.R.; and Deborah Shelton as Mandy Winger, who arouses the libido of both J.R. and Cliff, but who definitely prefers one over the other. Conversely, two of Dallas' stalwart leading players make their exits this season: Charlene Tilton as Lucy Ewing (though she'd eventually return), and more spectacularly, Patrick Duffy as Bobby Ewing. Honoring Duffy's insistence that he wanted to leave the series to pursue different roles, the writers contrived to have Bobby get killed while trying to save Pamela from a deranged hit-and-run driver (Katherine Wentworth again!). Thus, the season ends with the hospitalized Bobby "flatlining" -- thereby setting the stage for the series' notorious "dream" season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Newcomers to the cast this season include Joshua Harris as Christopher Ewing, Bobby and Pamela's adopted son; Jenilee Harrison as cousin Jamie Ewing, who is destined to wed Cliff Barnes after aligning with him to wrest a piece of Ewing Oil from J.R.; and Deborah Shelton as Mandy Winger, who arouses the libido of both J.R. and Cliff, but who definitely prefers one over the other. Conversely, two of Dallas' stalwart leading players make their exits this season: Charlene Tilton as Lucy Ewing (though she'd eventually return), and more spectacularly, Patrick Duffy as Bobby Ewing. Honoring Duffy's insistence that he wanted to leave the series to pursue different roles, the writers contrived to have Bobby get killed while trying to save Pamela from a deranged hit-and-run driver (Katherine Wentworth again!). Thus, the season ends with the hospitalized Bobby "flatlining" -- thereby setting the stage for the series' notorious "dream" season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, (more)
The infamous ninth season of Dallas begins with Pamela Ewing (Victoria Principal) grieving over the death of her ex-husband Bobby, who was killed saving Pamela from her vengeful half-sister, Katherine Wentworth. To Pamela, the whole situation seems like one horrible nightmare -- and as it turns out, she may be right! In other developments, Barbara Bel Geddes returns to the role of Miss Ellie, mother of the redoubtable J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) -- a bit of retrospective casting that prompted Donna Reed, who'd taken over as Miss Ellie during Bel Geddes' absence in season eight, to sue the series' producers. Also back is Dusty Barlow (Jared Martin), whose millionaire father, Clayton (Howard Keel), has become Miss Ellie's husband. Now an embittered paraplegic, Dusty becomes deeply involved in a custody battle between his former lover Sue Ellen Ewing (Linda Gray) and her husband, J.R., over their son, John Ross. In the midst of this courtroom intrigue, J.R. pulls strings to have the alcoholic Sue Ellen committed to a sanitarium, but her mom, Patricia (Martha Scott), bails her out. Another returnee to the series is Mark Graison (John Beck), who hopes to offer love and comfort to his disconsolate ex-sweetheart Pamela. Newcomers to Dallas include Dack Rambo as cousin Jack Ewing, to whom Bobby's onetime inamorata Jenna (Priscilla Presley) turns after Bobby's death; Barbara Carrera as ruthless shipping magnate Angelica Nero, who aligns herself with J.R.'s sworn enemy Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval) -- who in turn is romancing Jack's sister Jamie (Jenilee Harrison); and Marc Singer as Matt Cattrell, a childhood friend of Pamela who talks her into financing a dangerous mining venture in South America. That the viewers sorely missed Patrick Duffy was painfully evidently in the fact that Dallas ratings were rapidly plummeting. Both the series' producers and star Larry Hagman approached Duffy, offering him all sorts of attractive incentives to get him to return to the show. The results of their entreaties are revealed in the season finale, when, after a horrific explosion that apparently kills half the cast, the action suddenly shifts to Pamela, who is aroused from her slumbers by a familiar voice emanating from her bathroom.... ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, (more)
At the tail end of Dallas' ninth season, Pamela Ewing (Victoria Principal) was awakened from her troubled slumbers by the sound of a familiar voice in her bathroom. Investigating, she peeked past the shower curtains -- and was astonished to find her ex-husband, Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy), who had presumably been killed at the end of the series' eighth season, alive and well! How could this be? Well, the opening scene of season ten explains all. Bobby was never killed -- and the entire ninth season was all a nightmare, dreamed up by poor Pamela! Thus, the writers have blithely negated everything that has happened during the previous season, and from this point forward, not even the most loyal of the series' fans will ever be able to take Dallas entirely seriously again. Be that as it may, season ten does offer a few interesting plot developments, as well as a handful of new characters. Having been humiliated time and again by her ruthless oil-tycoon husband, J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman), Sue Ellen (Linda Gray) gets even by setting up her own lingerie business, using J.R.'s erstwhile mistress Mandy Winger (Deborah Shelton) as his star model.
Meanwhile, Southfork is invaded by April Stevens (Sheree J. Wilson), former wife of J.R.'s cousin Jack Ewing, who like everyone else in the family is determined to carve out her own piece of the Ewing millions, by hook or by crook. (April will eventually marry J.R.'s brother Bobby, though he is blissfully unaware of this now.) Also making his first appearance is Ben Stivers (aka Wes Parmalee, played by Steve Forrest), who throws a monkey wrench into the connubial bliss of Miss Ellie Ewing (Barbara Bel Geddes) and her second husband, Clayton Barlow (Howard Keel), by posing as Miss Ellie's presumed-dead first husband, Jock. And in another development, the marriage between J.R.'s half-brother, Ray Krebbs (Steve Kanaly), and his ambitious wife, Donna (Susan Howard), totally collapses when Donna attaches herself to the influential Senator Dowling (Jim McMullan). Getting back to Pamela and Bobby, the couple decides to celebrate his "return from the grave" by getting married all over again. Alas, a happy ending is not in the cards: at the end of season ten, Pamela is seriously injured in an auto accident. Since Victoria Principal had announced her intention to leave the series, viewers braced themselves for the likelihood that Pamela has been killed -- and at the same time, they cynically awaited another likelihood, that the whole thing was yet another "Bobby in the shower" hoax! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Meanwhile, Southfork is invaded by April Stevens (Sheree J. Wilson), former wife of J.R.'s cousin Jack Ewing, who like everyone else in the family is determined to carve out her own piece of the Ewing millions, by hook or by crook. (April will eventually marry J.R.'s brother Bobby, though he is blissfully unaware of this now.) Also making his first appearance is Ben Stivers (aka Wes Parmalee, played by Steve Forrest), who throws a monkey wrench into the connubial bliss of Miss Ellie Ewing (Barbara Bel Geddes) and her second husband, Clayton Barlow (Howard Keel), by posing as Miss Ellie's presumed-dead first husband, Jock. And in another development, the marriage between J.R.'s half-brother, Ray Krebbs (Steve Kanaly), and his ambitious wife, Donna (Susan Howard), totally collapses when Donna attaches herself to the influential Senator Dowling (Jim McMullan). Getting back to Pamela and Bobby, the couple decides to celebrate his "return from the grave" by getting married all over again. Alas, a happy ending is not in the cards: at the end of season ten, Pamela is seriously injured in an auto accident. Since Victoria Principal had announced her intention to leave the series, viewers braced themselves for the likelihood that Pamela has been killed -- and at the same time, they cynically awaited another likelihood, that the whole thing was yet another "Bobby in the shower" hoax! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, (more)
Although Victoria Principal had left Dallas at the end of season ten, by the time the series' 11th season rolled around, Principal's character, Pamela Ewing, was still lingering about, swathed in bandages after being seriously injured in a car accident. As if to lead viewers to the conclusion that Pamela would suddenly make a complete recovery in the tradition of her husband Bobby Ewing's (Patrick Duffy) "return from the dead" at the outset of season ten, the ultimate fate of Pamela was left unresolved for several weeks -- and further complicated when the poor girl suddenly vanished from her hospital bed. Elsewhere, it appears as though ruthless oil tycoon J.R. Ewing will finally get his comeuppance when he loses control of Ewing Oil to his brother Bobby after proof of J.R.'s illegal maneuverings are made public. Setting up another oil firm, J.R. works hand and glove with Casey Denault (Andrew Stevens) to undercut Bobby and regain his power, which also involves our "hero" secretly buying up the stock of a rival firm, Westar Oil. At the same time, Casey has a brief fling with J.R.'s niece Lucy (welcome back, Charlene Tilton). In other developments, Bobby is tormented by Lisa Alden (Amy Stock), who claims to be the mother of his adopted son, Christopher. Meanwhile, Bobby's old flame Jenna Wade (Priscilla Presley) marries his half brother, Ray Krebbs (Steve Kanaly) -- a union that seems doomed from the start when Ray has a fling with a certain Connie Hall (Michelle Scarabelli). Newcomers to the cast include the aforementioned Andrew Stevens and Amy Stock, as well as Jack Scalia as banker Nicholas Pearce, who has an affair with J.R.'s estranged wife, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), after helping her get her lingerie business off the ground -- and who turns out to have a hidden agenda that only April Stevens (Sheree J. Wilson) is fully aware of. Finally, this season marks the first appearances of recurring characters Harrison "Dandy" Dandridge (Bert Remsen) and Kay Lloyd (Karen Kopkins). In an echo of the celebrated "Who shot J.R.?" season finale of 1980, the 11th season of Dallas ends with another burst of gunfire -- and this time, it is Sue Ellen who is taking aim at J.R. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, (more)
Having avoided getting shot by his frustrated wife, Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), at the end of Dallas' 11th season, ruthless oil tycoon J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) decides to relax a bit as season 12 gets under way. Embarking on a hunting trip to Arkansas, serial philanderer J.R. has brief tryst with hillbilly gal Cally Harper (Cathy Podewell) -- which turns out to be a major mistake when Cally's brothers, in cahoots with a crooked sheriff, contrive to have J.R. arrested and sentenced to a work farm! In order to save himself, J.R. agrees to divorce Sue Ellen and marry Cally -- who isn't quite as vacuous and guileless as she looks. Once J.R. and Cally are hitched, the vengeful Sue Ellen purchases a movie studio for the express purpose of collaborating with screenwriter Don Lockwood (Ian McShane) on a shocking filmed exposé of J.R. and his highly questionable business practices. (This collaboration reaps unexpected benefits when Sue Ellen and Lockwood are married!) Season twelve marks the exit of two longtime Dallas regulars: Steve Kanaly and his character, J.R.'s half brother, Ray Krebbs, bid farewell early in the season; and by mid-year, Linda Gray (aka Sue Ellen) is also gone. Conversely, Audrey Landers as Afton Cooper, former sister-in-law of J.R.'s niece Lucy (Charlene Tilton), returns after an absence of several seasons. Newcomers to the cast include George Kennedy as rival oil man Carter McKay, who after purchasing Ray Krebbs' ranch takes over Westar Oil and mounts a range war (both literal and figurative) against the Ewing family, hoping not only to destroy J.R. but also to remove Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) as head man of Ewing Oil. The McKay-Ewing conflict would spread far beyond the boundaries of Texas and extend into the wilds of Washington, D.C., Austria, and Russia! Along with Carter McKay, Carter's unhappy wife, Rose (Jeri Gaile), and his profoundly troubled children, Tommy (J. Eddie Peck) and Tracy (Beth Toussaint), make their first appearances this season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, (more)
- 1989
As Dallas enters its 13th season on the air, only actors Larry Hagman and Ken Kercheval, cast respectively as ruthless oil tycoon J.R. Ewing and his lifelong enemy, attorney-executive Cliff Barnes, have been seen in every season. Though rumors occasionally spread that Hagman was poised to leave the show, the fact that he had been appointed one of the executive producers pretty much put the kibosh on such talk. The season opens as a Ewing Oil tanker collides with a tanker from rival Westar Oil, thereby laying the groundwork for a full-scale government investigation of the Ewing empire, spearheaded by the vengeful Cliff Barnes. With the assistance of high-pressure PR agent Stephanie Rogers (Lesley-Anne Down), Barnes is elected United States energy czar -- all the more reason for J.R. to spite Cliff and step up his efforts to bring about his enemy's downfall. Meanwhile, J.R.'s brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy), reconciled to the fact that his wife Pamela is dead (Victoria Principal had long since exited the series), proposes to April Stevens (Sheree J. Wilson). This turn of events permits the writers to introduce a new character, April's younger sister Michelle, played by Kimberly Foster. Also making their first appearances this season are Gayle Hunnicutt as J.R.'s former lover Vanessa Beaumont, and Sasha Mitchell as James Richard Beaumont, J.R. and Vanessa's illegitimate son. A true chip off the old block, 20-year-old James bids fair to be even more conniving, underhanded and untrustworthy than his father. But even as "new blood" is pumped into Dallas, we lose an old favorite: namely, J.R.'s mom, Miss Ellie, played by Barbara Bel Geddes. As the season rushes to a close, James conspires with J.R.'s new wife, Cally (Cathy Podewell), to gain full control of Ewing oil -- while J.R., having fraudulently committed himself to a mental institution in order to get a controlling interest in Westar Oil from Jessica Montford (Alexis Smith), the insane sister of J.R.'s stepfather, Clayton Barlow (Howard Keel), finds that he is unable to leave the institution, and may spend the rest of his life in a padded cell! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, (more)
- 1990
The 14th and final season of Dallas finds ruthless oil executive J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) escaping from a mental institution, then resuming his Herculean efforts to wrest control of Ewing Oil from his brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy). It turns out that poor Bobby may well be vulnerable to J.R.'s conniving: his new wife, April (Sheree J. Wilson), has just been kidnapped and killed during their Parisian honeymoon by the insane Sheila Foley, alias Hillary Taylor (played by daytime-drama diva Susan Lucci). Even so, Bobby is determined to keep Ewing Oil out of J.R.'s hands, and to that end his sells his interests to billionairess LeeAnn De La Vega (played by Larry Hagman's onetime I Dream of Jeannie co-star Barbara Eden!), who is determined to get even with J.R. for seducing and abandoning her back in college. LeeAnn in turn sells the business to April Stevens' sister Michelle (Kimberly Foster), now the wife of J.R.'s illegitimate son, James Beaumont (Sasha Mitchell). After murdering Sheila Foley to avenge her sister's death, Michelle breaks up with James, but not before selling half-interest in Ewing Oil to J.R.'s lifelong enemy, Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval). With startling rapidity, J.R.'s world falls apart. First, Cliff gains full control of Ewing Oil; next, J.R. fails in his efforts to regain his fortune by purchasing Ewing Oil; then, his beloved son, John Ross (Omri Katz), abandons him to live in Europe with J.R.'s ex-wife, Sue Ellen; and James Beaumont likewise relocates abroad with his new bride, Debra Lynn (Deborah Tucker). J.R. doesn't even own the Southfork estate any more -- it's in the hands of Bobby, who generously but contemptuously doles out an allowance to his once-swaggering brother. Besotted with alcohol, J.R. contemplates ending it all -- -whereupon a rather odd-looking "angel" (Joel Grey) appears to show J.R. what life in Dallas would have been like if he'd never been born. And it is with this perverse spin on It's a Wonderful Life, capped by another "cliffhanger," that the 14-year saga of Dallas comes to an end. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, (more)
