Cliff Robertson Movies

Narrated by Anjelica Huston, this cable-TV documentary offered an up-close and personal look at the life and career of quintessential movie queen Joan Crawford. From her humble beginnings as MGM contract starlet Lucille LaSeuer, Crawford climbed to the top with a heady combination of talent, tenacity, glamour, hard work -- and obsessive, manipulative ruthlessness, both onscreen and off. Written off as "box-office poison" in the early '40s, Crawford confounded her detractors by changing studios and staging a spectacular comeback, winning the Academy Award for her performance in Warner Bros.' Mildred Pierce. She managed to hold on to her stardom well into the 1970s, plunging headlong into the horror genre with such masterworks as What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? -- not to mention such dogs as Berserk! and Trog. In private life, Crawford married several times (her union with Pepsi Cola executive Alfred Steele briefly but memorably transformed her into a high-pressure businesswoman) and enjoyed the favors of dozens of men along the way. She also "enjoyed" a reputation as a domestic tyrant, allegedly insisting upon an immaculately clean home and holding her children in the grip of horrified fascination. In addition to excerpts from Crawford's classic (and not-so-classic) films, the documentary includes interviews with such interested parties as the actress' first husband, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., her directors (George Cukor and Vincent Sherman), her costars (Anita Page and Cliff Robertson), her biographer Bob Thomas -- and, inevitably, her stepdaughter, Christina Crawford, whose warts-and-all biography Mommie Dearest yielded one of the most campily outrageous biopics in movie history. Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star debuted August 1, 2002 over the Turner Classic Movies cable service. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A secret project turns out to not have been so secret after all as an air disaster threatens to become an international incident in this action thriller. Peter Stanton is an aviation engineer who is asked by the United States military to design a new super-sized stealth aircraft. Since Stanton's project is officially off the government's books (though the Pentagon is indeed footing the bill), his sponsors create a cover story that the new craft is actually a civilian airline carrier being jointly developed by NASA and three major airlines. In order to give the new jet a proper test and support their cover story, the plane, known as FALCON, will carry a group of special passengers for its first flight, a hop from New York to Paris that will take less than two hours. However, Stanton finds out the hard way that not everyone on his team is honest and idealistic when a team of Serbian terrorists take over the plane, intending to land it on the arctic ice cap. The Serbs miscalculate, and soon Stanton has two major problems on his hand: bringing the FALCON up out of the ocean, and saving the passengers from the terrorists before the Serbs can make use of the jet's sophisticated weapons systems. Falcon Down stars William Shatner, Judd Nelson, Cliff Robertson, Jennifer Rubin, and Dale Midkiff. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Robert Mitchum's is seen in one of his last performances in this Norwegian drama about four lifelong friends. After Carl (Espen Skjonberg) collapses in an Oslo street, he awakens in the hospital to the grins of his buddies Ernest (Mitchum), Ted (Cliff Robertson), and August (Erland Josephson). The dying Carl's last wish is to hear opera sung by the sister of a dead friend. The four head for Heidelberg where they all went to 1937 medical school. As they seek the singer, revelations surface from the pre-WWI Nazi era, including a plot none knew about 60 years ago. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

This first episode of the series The Story of the Gun: The Complete History of Firearms probes the earliest history of the weapon with a lively discussion of who actually invented gunpowder and an examination of the earliest cannon and handheld weapons. Narrated by actor Cliff Robertson, this program explores the mysteries of the earliest days of humanity's love affair with firearms and lays the groundwork for issues raised by later episodes in the series. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide

This episode of the series The Story of the Gun: The Complete History of Firearms examines the effects of the Industrial Revolution on the manufacture of firearms. Particular attention is paid to the innovations of American gunsmiths, which led to the mass adoption of firearms as the weapon of everyday people, not just as the intricate and expensive toys of the landed elite. Actor Cliff Robertson hosts and narrates this episode. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide

Based on a popular novel by Judith Krantz, this sudsy romantic drama features a prominent photographer who heads to Gay Paree, unaware that greedy family members are plotting to bilk her father out of his valuable ranch land. Love blossoms in the City of Light when she encounters a fellow picture taker. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In the 1860s, many Irish Catholics struggled at the bottom of the American economic heap. One hundred years later, a descendant of Irish immigrants fought his way to the top of the political heap. Yet even as John F. Kennedy was winning his race for the presidency, there were those who claimed that if elected, his loyalty to the Pope in Rome would outweigh his loyalty to the United States. Narrated by award-winning actor Cliff Robertson, who himself has played the role of JFK, this Document Associates release profiles the competitive Kennedy clan and discusses how its ambitious and ruthless patriarch, businessman Joseph P. Kennedy drove his family to achieve prominence on the national stage. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide

Cliff Robertson hosts this excellent look at the lives of ten of the most influential of the Founding Fathers whose hard work and debate created a document still powerfully influential after more than 200 years. The American Constitution: The Ghosts of '87 provides a thorough exploration of the brilliance and idiosyncrasies of these men whose foresight in creating the Constitution has allowed America to develop into the most powerful country in the world. ~ Sean Hurley, All Movie Guide

Hollywood Collection: William Holden - The Golden Boy takes a comprehensive look at an unconventional actor, who frequently chose untraditional projects. William Holden appeared in more than 70 films, generally as the leading man, including Love in the Afternoon, Sunset Boulevard, Sabrina, Golden Boy, and The Country Girl. This biographical video features one-on-one interviews with actors Stefanie Powers, Robert Wagner, Robert Mitchum, and Cliff Robertson. The interview footage, alongside clips from some of Holden's more memorable film performances, offers an insider's look at a legendary celebrity. Featured film footage is in technicolor and black-and-white. ~ Betsy Boyd, All Movie Guide

Made for cable TV, Dead Reckoning concerns a deadly love triangle aboard a cruise ship. A plastic surgeon discovers that the ship's captain is his wife's lover, and as the seas grow stormy, so does their relationship. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

Cliff Robertson stars as automobile mogul Henry Ford in this 2-part TV biopic. Ford's single-minded determination to put every driver in America into a Model T exacts a tragic price in his personal life. The one who suffers most is Ford's son Edsel (R. H. Thompson), who though the figurehead president of the Ford Motor Company is little more than a hired hand, asking "How high?" when his father tells him to jump. Ford's archaic attitudes towards his fellow man-manifested in his rabid anti-semitism-are not glossed over in this presentation. Hope Lange costars as Ford's wife, while Elizabeth Thompson plays his inconvenient mistress. Originally aired as part of the syndicated "Operation Prime Time" series, Henry Ford: The Man and the Machine debuted in May of 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The real-life Mel Fisher was considered a mercenary by some, a visionary by others. Whatever the case, Fisher was a famous treasure hunter, who spent nearly decades searching for a Spanish Galleon which sank off the Florida Keys in the 17th century. Against all odds, Fisher and his crew were able to retrieve a fortune in gold from the galleon in July of 1985. The made-for-TV Dreams of Gold: The Mel Fisher Story first aired November 15, 1986, not long after a drawn-out court battle between Fisher and the U.S. government over ownership of the treasure had come to a conclusion. Cliff Robertson stars as Mel Fisher, while Loretta Swit is cast as his wife, Deo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide