Lee H. Katzin Movies

A lawyer is involved in a criminal proceeding he can't argue his way out of in this action-packed drama. Robert Woodfield (Eric Roberts) is a lawyer who grew up walking a tightrope between both sides of the law; after the death of his parents, he was raised by Charlie Mason (Dean Stockwell), a union representative who wants to do the right thing for his men, but who also has one foot in organized crime. Woodfield finds himself defending Martin Ritter (Hannes Jaenicke), who has been accused of murder, and even though Ritter is guilty, Woodfield is not only able to bring in an innocent verdict, but is able to persuade a judge to issue a restraining order that would prevent police from harassing him. But soon Woodfield discovers that he's succeeded too well in court; he witnesses Ritter committing another murder, finding himself caught up in a dizzying and dangerous web of blackmail, deception, and corruption. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In this mystery, based on a novel by L.A. Morse, retired L.A. detective Jake Spanner enlists the aide of a group of senior citizens to help him find an ex-mobster's daughter. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this post-apocalyptic film, a lack of rain has made water the most valuable thing in existence, and when an evil gang led by Derek Abernathy (Adam Ant) threatens to take over the spring-fed community of Lost Wells, the peaceful residents must find the means to protect themselves and their resource. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi

Based on a series of suspense novels by Robert B. Parker, the weekly, hour-long Spenser: For Hire starred Robert Urich as the title character. The TV series was filmed on location in Boston, the home-based of private investigator Spenser (no other name), who in addition to being wily and resourceful was also highly principled and scrupulously honest: In other words, he had no qualms about turning the legal tables on his own clients if he found out they were actually guilty or lying to him. No matter what the situation, Spenser meant what he said and said what he meant, even if he framed his responses in the form of philosophical quotations. Backing Spenser's words was his tactiturn African American street contact and "enforcer", the likewise single-named Hawk (Avery Brooks), who though he always carried a giant Magnum gun seldom needed weaponry to cow the villains into submission (this character was later spun off into his own series, A Man Called Hawk). In the series' first and third seasons, Spenser's lady friend was guidance counselor Susan Silverman, played by Barbara Stock; during Susan's absence in Season Two, Spenser kept time with a former enemy turned friend, assistant district attorney Rita Fiori (Carolyn McCormick). Our hero's contacts at the police department were hard-nosed Lt. Martin Quirk (Richard Jaeckel), who liked Spenser, and slovenly Sgt. Frank Belson (Ron McLarty), who didn't. The 66-episode Spenser: For Hire was broadcast by ABC from September 20, 1985 through September 3, 1988, followed by four made-for-TV "Spenser" movies, filmed between 1993 and 1995. A sixth such film was scheduled for 2000,but was cancelled upon the death of star Robert Urich. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based on a story by Jimmy Breslin, The Neighborhood takes place in an all-white, blue collar neighborhood in an unspecified big city. A "blockbuster" real estate agent begins selling houses to black families (among the new neighbors is recent Oscar nominee Howard Rollins Jr.), resulting in mixed emotions (most of them leaning towards hostility) from the white residents. There are isolated incidents of terrorism, including a burning cross, before wiser heads prevail and the neighbors learn to live together in harmony. The nicer white residents include Christine Belford and Ron Masak, playing the sort of altruistic types that seem to exist exclusively in TV movies. The contrived upbeat ending of The Neighborhood is a sure giveaway that the film was intended as the pilot for a weekly series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Racism is explored in this drama that chronicles the attempts of an African-American family to buy a home in a white suburb. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Lee Cantrell (Joe Penny) is a half-Asian, half-Anglo assistant district attorney in San Francisco. By day he helps to prosecute criminals through the justice system, but at night he straps on his samurai sword and does battle with the underworld in his own way. His main enemy is a power-crazed businessman who has built an "earthquake machine" with which he intends to destroy San Francisco. ~ Brian Gusse, Rovi

Produced for the syndicated "Operation Prime Time" series, The Bastard is the first of John Jakes' "Kent Family Chronicles" (followed by The Rebels and The Seekers). Presented in two parts, the story begins in 1771, with 17-year-old French commoner Philippe Charboneau (Andrew Stevens) discovering that he is the illegitimate son of a British Duke. He goes on a long journey, girdling several countries, to claim his birthright, with his mother (Patricia Neal) along for the ride. Settling in America in 1772, our hero--now known as Phillip Kent--becomes involved with the American Revolution. The all-star cast includes Buddy Ebsen, Barry Sullivan, Harry Morgan, Lorne Greene, Donald Pleasence, Tom Bosley (as Ben Franklin), William Shatner (as Paul Revere) and William Daniels (as Samuel Adams). Distributed nationally beginning May 22, 1978, The Bastard was re-titled Kent Family Chronicles in the more conservative TV markets. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A high-school boy's ho-hum summer at the beach turns into a dream-come-true when he is befriended by a beautiful but depressed singer whose career is on the wane. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Native American actor Will Sampson is top-billed as an Arizona state trooper, known to his companions as "Relentless" because of his dogged determination in bringing in lawbreakers. Sampson is on the trail of a gang of well-armed bank bandits, who have murdered his uncle and taken a woman (Marianna Hill) hostage. Encamping in the mountains during a raging blizzard, and keeping their hostage in full view of their pursuers as a human shield, the robbers are certain that they'll be allowed to escape. But they've reckoned without Sampson, who knows the mountain country better than any man in the state. Adapted from a novel by Brian Garfield, Relentless was the pilot film for a never-sold series starring Sampson, who'd recently attained celebrity for his costarring role in the Oscar-winning One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Alien Attack is a jerry-built feature film comprised of two episodes from the TV sci-fi series Space: 1999. Martin Landau stars as John Koenig, commander of Moonbase Alpha, a futuristic research colony. Landau's then-wife Barbara Bain co-stars as the base's chief medical officer Dr. Helena Russell, while Barry Morse is on hand as Prof. Victor Bergman. The first half of Alien Attack consists of the inaugural Space 1999 episode "Breakaway," wherein a huge atomic-waste explosion hurls the moon-and of course Moonbase Alpha-out of the Earth's orbit (thereby establishing the series' premise). This episode is arbitrarily coupled with #22 in the series, "War Games"; in this one, Koenig and Russell plead with warmongering aliens Anthony Valentine and Isla Blair to spare Alpha from destruction. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Andy Griffith goes from good guy to bad, in this thriller. He plays a murdering lawyer who chases his hunting guide across the desert because the guide witnessed him murder an old miner. ~ Rovi