Darren McGavin Movies
A versatile leading and character actor who is equally adept at comedy as he is with drama, Darren McGavin has spent the bulk of his time on television and only occasionally appears in feature films. He also has extensive stage experience. McGavin attended a year of college and then moved to New York to study acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse and the Actor's Studio. He made his film debut in 1945 playing small supporting roles in such movies as A Song to Remember, Kiss and Tell, and She Wouldn't Say Yes. His film career did not really take flight until he appeared in Otto Preminger's The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell, The Man With the Golden Arm, and David Lean's Summertime (all 1955). In 1957, he played the title role in the television detective drama Mike Hammer. In feature films, McGavin averaged a film or two per year; by 1967, he had switched to television movies like The Outsider (1967) and The Challengers (1968). In 1971, he played vampire-hunting investigative reporter Carl Kolchak in The Nightstalker, a popular television movie that successfully blended humor, suspense, and horror. McGavin's wise-cracking character then appeared in a sequel and in 1974 starred in the short-lived television series Kolchak: The Nightstalker. While with the show, McGavin directed a few episodes. He had already directed and produced Happy Mother's Day, Love George (aka Run, Stranger, Run) (1973). In 1983, McGavin played one of his most memorable roles, that of the foul-mouthed, somewhat discombobulated, but well-meaning father in the uproarious A Christmas Story. McGavin earned an Emmy in 1990 for his recurring role as Murphy Brown's father on the popular sitcom Murphy Brown (1988-1998). Throughout the '90s, McGavin slowed down and only occasionally performed. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1998
Three small-time hoods are sent off into the desert to deliver a supply of drugs to a distributor and get the distributor's cash. Only the place of the transaction and the amounts involved are set. They do not know exactly when their counterparts will be sent by the distributor. In the meantime, they try to kill time in the corrugated shed they find at the site. They drink beer, quarrel, and, in a truly self-destructive mode, use their cellular phone to arrange for some prostitutes to entertain them. In the course of their liaison with the prostitutes, they use up a fair amount of the drug supply they were to deliver. Will they be lucky enough, or ingenious enough to survive their own stupidity and the wrath of their bosses? ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- 1997
Monica (Roma Downey) is transformed into an eighty-year-old woman to gain the trust of a bitter, self-loathing, desperately lonely WW2 veteran named George Zarko (Darren McGavin), aka "The Colonel". Our heroine's efforts to help Zarko succeed only in incurring the wrath of Stefanie Hancock (Christina Pickles), the martinet head nurse at the retirement home where the elderly soldier resides. Worse still, Monica's elderly roommate Lorraine (Gwen Verdon) insists upon playing matchmaker between the incognito angel and "The Colonel", even though Tess (Della Reese) has explicitly warned Monica not to get too close to the old man. The various crises are alleviated only when "The Colonel" reveals an embarrassing secret about his past. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1997
This video is one in a five-part series hosted by Darren McGavin that looks at some of the extraordinary, but true stories that have been termed miracles. In this volume, several remarkable stories are recounted by individuals who viewed the events as miracles in their lives. Their stories are re-enacted in the video to provide viewers with visual and aural impact aimed at awakening and enhancing their faith in the unseen forces at work in people's lives. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1996
Miracles and Other Wonders presents intriguing and entertaining true-life accounts of mysterious, yet factual events that suggest there is a friendly force guiding our way along the journey of life. In volume three of the eight-tape series, an elderly couple helps a young mother with her sick child, then mysteriously vanishes; a war hero's medal leads a man back to his family; and a woman returns from the dead to rescue her neighbors from a fiery blaze. Darren McGavin hosts this look at contemporary "miracles."
~ Sally Barber, Rovi
~ Sally Barber, Rovi
- 1996
Hosted by Darren McGavin, the video is part of a series dealing with extraordinary events that have changed the lives of people. None of the individuals discussed are in any way remarkable, yet they have all experienced unexplained events that changed their lives. While the events recorded are mysterious, they are also based on fact. The video suggests a greater power that stepped in to guide these people at pivotal moments in their lives. The general tone of the video is positive and designed to entertain while promoting a feeling of hope and faith in the unexplained. ~ Michael McGrath, Rovi
- 1996
Though people live in a world ruled in many ways by technology and science, a number of events continue to occur that cannot be easily explained away by either. This series of videos uses reenactments and interviews to capture the mystery and hope present in the stories of people whose lives were forever changed by inexplicable interventions in their daily lives. This particular volume features a story about a fireman who dreamed about an event ahead of time that proved critical to many. It also retells the story of an event that took place in the Sierra Nevadas. Another bizarre event involves the ghost-like help that was provided when the subjects' lives were in danger. ~ Elizabeth Smith, Rovi
- 1996
This video is part of an inspirational television series, which explores the world of the miraculous. Hosted by Darren McGavin, the shows present stories of people and the amazing events that have happened to them, which they feel are miracles. The show's compelling nature comes partly from the believable nature of the everyday, ordinary people who tell their stories so earnestly, with such conviction. Each episode is a combination of interviews, interspersed with docu-dramatizations of their amazing stories. The reality of the events cannot be refuted or explained away by ordinary analysis. Rather, the hopeful message is that the events are evidence of unseen forces guiding our lives and actions. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1996
This documentary asks the question, "Do you believe in miracles?" Would you believe a deceased father communicated with his dead child; or a man who answered a plea for help issued over a CB radio that did not exist; or a rancher who had a dream that helped the authorities to locate a lost child; or how about a weeping picture of Jesus aiding a boy with leukemia? This 50-minute presentation, part of a television series hosted by actor Darren McGavin, uses dramatization to explore some of life's extraordinary events and unexplained phenomena, and how these miracles or interventions changed people's lives. It's an upbeat documentary that asks the question, "Do you believe in miracles?" ~ Forrest Spencer, Rovi
- 1995
A parade of old sitcom stars appear in this made-for-television adaptation of the book by Judy Blume. Peter Hatcher has to suffer through a summer with his worst enemy, Sheila Tubman. Much to his chagrin, his brother Fudge (Luke Taristano) announces that he wants to marry her. The two-hour movie is part of the Fudge television series. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi
Master of infantilism Adam Sandler stars as the title character, an overgrown rich kid who wiles away his days poolside, swilling kegs of beer and appreciating fine nudie magazines such as "Drunk Chicks" -- that is, until his father (Darren McGavin) decides to test his mettle as future head of the family business by posing a challenge: retake and pass grades K-12 in 24 weeks or watch control of the business pass to the requisite conniving underling (Bradley Whitford). Forced into action, Billy vows to change his drunken ways. He enrolls in kindergarten, makes new friends, pelts pint-sized kids with playground balls and develops a love interest in a pretty teacher (Bridgitte Wilson). The action culminates in an academic showdown between Billy and the purportedly Harvard-educated underling for the future of the family enterprise -- no small feat for a man fresh out of the first grade. There's gross, moronic, off-color low humor galore in Billy Madison, particularly in one subplot involving a romantically forward elementary school principal (Josh Mostel, son of theater great Zero Mostel) and his secret former life as a professional wrestler; another scene includes the hypertense school bus driver (Chris Farley, in a typical over-the-top cameo) lying in the meadow with a hallucinatory penguin. As one might suspect, Billy Madison is not for every taste; Sandler fans will laugh from start to finish; others beware. ~ Jeremy Beday, Rovi
- Starring:
- Adam Sandler, Darren McGavin, (more)
- 1994
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In this sudsy adaptation of a popular Danielle Steel novel, a beautiful young wife experiences waves of guilt when she finds herself increasingly distracted from caring for her dying, elderly and rich husband by the attentions of a virile stranger named Alex. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Urich, Stacy Haiduk, (more)
- 1994
Mysteries of the Ancient World presents several religious and spiritual mysteries which continue to baffle science today. The four volumes include Mysteries of the Ancient World, The Discovery of Noah's Ark, Ancient Secrets of the Bible, and Ancient Secrets of the Bible, Part Two. Darrin McGavin, Dennis Weaver, and William Devane host the series. Mysteries of the Ancient World, the first part in the series, discusses the pyramids, Nostradamus, and the Shroud of Turin. Viewers learn something about the pharaohs for whom the monumental pyramid tombs were built. The program attempts to determine whether Nostradamus could see the future. Analysts consider the material evidence surrounding the artifact alleged to be the burial shroud of Jesus Christ. ~ Betsy Boyd, Rovi
- 1993
This made-for-cable version of Arthur Miller's play The American Clock was adapted for television by Frank Galati. Inspired partly by Studs Terkel's oral history Hard Times, and partly by Miller's own recollections, the film is set at the beginning of the Depression. When the stock market crashes, the well-to-do Baumler family (John Rubinstein, Mary McDonnell, Loren Dean) loses everything. The Baumlers are forced to move from their plush penthouse apartment to the less-attractive Brooklyn digs of Mrs. Baumler's sister (Joanna Miles). Twelve-year-old Lee Baumler (Dean), the Arthur Miller counterpart, hits the road to find out how others are coping with the Long National Nightmare. The alternately depressing and uplifting storyline moves along briskly to a surprisingly abrupt climax. Kelly Preston, David Strathairn, Eddie Bracken, Darren McGavin, and Estelle Parson co-star in The American Clock, which premiered over the TNT Cable Network on August 23, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Music bridges a gap between two cultures in this made-for-TV drama. In 1957, Derek Sanders (Peter Scolari) is hired to teach music and direct the choir at Blanton Academy, a private school in South Carolina. Integration has not yet come to Blanton, and a number of students display an open hostility towards African-American in the community, most notably Taylor Bradshaw (Justin Whalin), one of the school bullies who makes no secret of his dislike of people of color. As Sanders tries to impress a more open-minded attitude upon the boys in his choir, he introduces a new vocalist to the group -- Landy Allen (Eugene Byrd), the teenaged son of Zeke (Moses Gunn), the school's black caretaker. Despite his initial enmity, Bradshaw strikes up a friendship with Allen based on their shared love for music, and as Allen teaches Bradshaw about the blues, he also finds himself learning about a people and a community he previously know almost nothing about. Noted folk-blues Richie Havens also appears in the film's supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 1993
The final installment of the Mysteries of the Ancient World four-volume series, this documentary about the biblical Noah's Ark takes an in-depth look at the history and ambiguity of this biblical symbol that is said to have rescued two of every animal during a great worldwide flood. Hosted by Darren McGavin, the video presents researchers, historians, and scientists who analyze the information and speculation about this ancient vessel and the flood for which it was built. The program examines the validity of Ark sightings and the presence of certain fossils and ocean formations that might determine the possibility that a flood at one time covered the surface of the Earth. ~ Cecilia Cygnar, Rovi
A pointless and ill-advised return to the slasher movie formula -- which had long since worn out its questionable welcome by the mid-'80s. This silly endeavor begins with a hazing stunt perpetrated by pledges of the Phi Delta fraternity, who try to break into a local insane asylum to take a photograph of the homicidal Father Malius (Charles Cragin). Malius, we're told, was responsible for the deaths of several college students nearly 30 years before, and is merely biding his time until he finds the opportunity to kill again. The foolish pledges set off a chain of events allowing Malius to make his escape, whereupon he makes a beeline for his former killing grounds with pickax in hand. From this point forward we're treated to an amalgam of every tired slasher cliche in the book. The only noteworthy element of this dismal production is the brief presence of Darren McGavin, who looks rather disinterested until his lively "surprise" death scene. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- 1992
- PG13
Transformed into a superhero during a secret World War II military experiment, Captain America (Matt Salinger) awakens from suspended animation forty years later to face his old enemy, the Nazi warrior Red Skull (Scott Paulin). This low-budget adaptation of the Marvel comic book series received very little attention upon its delayed release. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
- Starring:
- Matt Salinger, Melinda Dillon, (more)
- 1992
Jessica (Angela Lansbury) heads to Carmel, California, to console her old friend, playwright Martin Tremaine (Darren McGavin), whose wife has recentlhy committed suicide. Before long, an attempt is made on Tremaine's life--but another member of his family ends up as the victim. Can it be that the late Mrs. Tremayne has arisen from her grave to exact revenge against her husband? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1992
Soon it will be the very first Christmas for baby Avery, and Murphy (Candice Bergen) has planned a very quiet, simple ceremony, inviting only Eldin (Robert Pastorelli) and her "FYI" colleagues to the event. All this changes when Murphy's bombastic father Bill (Darren McGavin) and her wealthy Aunt Brooke (Marian Seldes) sweep into Washington laden with presents for Avery. There's only one teeny-tiny problem: Bill and Brooke intensely despise one another. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1991
This episode is dedicated to the memory of the late Colleen Dewhurst, the actress who played Avery Brown, mother of Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) on two memorable occasions. Much to the surprise of the "FYI" staff, Murphy exhibits no emotion over the death of her mother, but this is because of a promise made that Avery would "return" once more so long as Murphy held back the grief. During a wake for Avery at Phil's place, Murphy makes an effort to mend fences between herself and her father Bill (Darren McGavin), but nothing much happens until the climactic sequence, wherein we realize that Avery's spirit has indeed made a return appearance--but not in the anticipated manner. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1990
- R
Billy Zane stars in this direct-to-video gem as a spectacularly unsuccessful car thief. Hoping to reform by leaving LA, Zane must scare up $400 worth of exit money. He decides to pull off one last job, stealing a TV from William Bastiani. An ill-tempered criminal, Bastiani stabs Zane, who then runs off blindly into a cemetary ("Blood" and "Concrete": get it?) Weaving around the tombstones, Zane makes the acquaintance of would-be suicide Jennifer Beals. Love blooms, but it might be too late for both of them: Bastiani is found murdered, and Zane is suspect number one-forcing him to hide out from both the cops and the mob. Luxuriating in its tawdriness and cheapness, Blood & Concrete: A Love Story actually has an offbeat charm all its own. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Billy Zane, Jennifer Beals, (more)
- 1990
In this made-for-TV mystery a troubled psychologist must somehow reach a traumatized 8-year old boy who witnessed a family murder. The trouble is the boy cannot distinguish between reality and fact. According to him, the killer is Captain Hook from Peter Pan. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
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