Wayne Rogers Movies
The son of a Rhodes Scholar, Wayne Rogers attended Princeton University and acted with the college's Triangle Club players, then forgot all about performing for several years. After navy service, Rogers headed to New York to learn the intricacies of the world of finance. But with aspiring actor Peter Falk as his roommate, it was only a matter of time before Rogers would again yearn for the smell of greasepaint. He took classes at the Neighborhood Playhouse while supporting himself as a busboy and lifeguard. During these lean years, Rogers amazed Falk and his other friends with his uncanny ability to invest his meager earnings into winning propositions. Even after making it as an actor, Rogers continued dispensing wise financial advice to his show-biz buddies, earning the affectionate soubriquet "The Wizard." After Broadway, film, and daytime soap opera experience, Rogers landed his first prime time TV starring role, playing hard-riding Luke Perry on the 1960 series Stagecoach West. During a lull in his acting career in the mid-1960s, Rogers suddenly turned producer, bankrolling a horror quickie called The Astro Zombies, from which he earned back a 2000% profit on a $47,000 investment. In 1972, Rogers was cast as irreverent army surgeon "Trapper John" McIntyre on a new sitcom called M*A*S*H. Three years later, he abruptly stopped showing up on the set. Claiming that the producers had promised him that he'd be the star of M*A*S*H, Rogers was incensed that Alan Alda had emerged as top dog, so he quit the series cold. The producers slapped on a $2.9 million breach of contract suit, whereupon Rogers countersued; these legal volleys went back and forth for over a year before an amenable settlement was ironed out. Like many other M*A*S*H bailouts, Rogers had difficulty finding success as a solo TV performer: of his three subsequent starring series, City of Angels, House Calls and High Risk, only House Calls (1979-82) lasted beyond its first season. Wayne Rogers has had better luck as the star of such made-for-TV movies as Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan (1975), It Happened One Christmas (1977), The Girl Who Spelled Freedom (1986) and American Harvest (1987). The founder of the Wayne Rogers & Company investment firm, the veteran film and television actor was given his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The family friendly animal movie Miracle Dogs concerns a boy who befriends a three-legged dog. Soon his relationship with the canine deepens to the point that the boy is attempting to find new homes for a variety of homeless animals. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kate Jackson, Ted Shackelford, (more)
An aspiring filmmaker learns that success in Hollywood doesn't come as easy as she suspected as she attempts to discover the formula to success in this satirical comedy from director William Tannen. When the guidance of her helpful has-been uncle (Michael Lerner) fails to pave the way, Sarah Wilder (Alannah Ubach) must seek the advice of such Hollywood heavies as Mike Meyers, Ben Stiller, and Fred Willard -- only to discover that the old adage is true and Nobody Knows Anything about how to succeed in the cutthroat world of Los Angeles. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alanna Ubach, Michael Lerner, (more)
- 1999
Bo Derek stretches her acting muscles in the role Katherine Sullivan, an agoraphobic who has not set foot out of her house in three years. Witnessing what she thinks is her husband's murder on the porch of her home, the terrified Katherine alerts the authorities. Shortly afterward, a detective shows up to investigate--only to completely vanish from sight. It is at this point that private investigator Jack Mize (Stephen Shellen) tries to figure out what has happened--and if Katherine has been telling the truth. Complicating matters is the sudden reappearance of the "dead" husband (Wayne Rogers), who calmly behaves as if nothing has happened. It is the first of a steady progression of strange and inexplicable events, leading to shattering climax. Originally produced for theatrical release under the title Jack Mize, this film was first seen in the US over the Lifetime cable network under the title Frozen with Fear, and has since been exhibited under a third title, Web of Deceit. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
This is a long-awaited film telling the story of the trials of Medgar Evers' killer. Medger Evers (James Pickens, Jr.) was a black civil-rights activist in Mississippi who was shot to death in 1963. Despite very persuasive evidence that Byron De La Beckwith (James Woods) was indeed his killer, the all-white juries hearing his case at that time acquitted him (he was tried twice). In this film, with the aid of Ever's widow Myrlie (Whoopie Goldberg), Bobby DeLaughter (Alec Baldwin), a young lawyer, gathers enough new evidence to bring Beckwith in for a third trial. Woods' performance as a wise-cracking bigot is one of the film's highlights. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alec Baldwin, Whoopi Goldberg, (more)
- 1995
Once again, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) joins forces with Chicago P.I. Charlie Garrett (Wayne Rogers), this time at a New York cultural museum. At first, Jessica and Charlie are on opposite sides as they bid against each other during an auction for a rare manuscript allegedly written by "Sherlock Holmes" creator Arthur Conan-Doyle. Before long, however, the two sleuths are following the clues surrounding the murder of a notorious art forger suspected of copying a stolen Degas painting. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1995
Jessica (Angela Lansbury) heads to the resort community of Aspen, Colorado, where dwells her old friend Laney Boswell (Leigh Taylor-Young). In time-honored Murder, She Wrote tradition, Laney's husband Grant turns up murdered, and a mountain of evidence points to the poor woman as the culprit. Also in Aspen is Chicago PI Charlie Garrett (Wayne Rogers), who curiously turns down Jessica's offer to help solve the case. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1994
Wayne Rogers returns as Chicago PI Charlie Garrett, who journeys to Martinique in search of a missing woman. What follows for Charlie is an unanticipated romance--and a murder charge. Coincidentally, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is also in Martinique, and she offers to help Charlie clear his name and solve the mystery...partly out of friendship, and partly because she feels responsible for the victim's death. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1994
A Chicago mobster is ticked off when he loses $900,000 to a petty burglar. In fact, the mobster is so angry that he dispatches a hit man to bump off the thief--except that the hit man is himself killed. Suspected in this murder is a friend of Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), who in turn joins forces with Chicago private eye Charlie Garrett (Wayne Rogers) to find out who's really guilty. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1994
Hank (Jeffrey Tambor) must choose between his dedication to the show and his dedication to his marriage when his first wedding anniversary falls around the same time as the seventh anniversary of The Larry Sanders Show. After inviting Larry to his and Margaret's (Leah Lail) anniversary dinner, Margaret breaks the news to Larry that she's going to file for divorce. She cities Hank's dedication to Larry over her as the source of her frustration, and Hank ultimately decides that his loyalties lie firmly with the show. Special guest stars include Leah Lail, Joan Embery, Wayne Rogers, and Jeopardy stalwart Alex Trebek. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 1993
Having solved many another murder case in the past, Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) is finally given a crack at the JFK assassination! It seems that a Dallas private eye disappeared at the same time that Kennedy was shot, and now, thirty years later, there is positive proof that the P.I. was also murdered. Jessica suspects that the two killings may have been connected--and as a bonus, both may be linked to a current case that she is working on. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1993
- G
Goodbye Bird is the story of a boy accused by his principal of stealing her treasured talking parrot. With the help of a veterinarian, the boy attempts to discover the true identity of the thief. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cindy Pickett, Christopher Pettiet, (more)
- 1990
Miracle Landing is a quickly but carefully made TV movie dramatizing an actual near-disaster in the air. The tale begins with Aloha Airline's Flight 737 making a routine trip between Hilo and Honolulu. As the plane reaches an altitude of 24,000 feet, the top portion of the fuselage suddenly strips off, depressurizing the cabin and exposing the passengers to flying debris and deadly winds. The film then concentrates on the cool professionalism of the flight attendants and 3-person crew, as they calm down the 89 passengers and bring the severely damaged plane for a safe landing. Miracle Landing is cut-and-dried for the most part, but isolated moments are impossible to forget--notably a shot of an anguished passenger with a shard of metal grotesquely fused to his face! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The four-hour TV movie Passion and Paradise traces the rise and fall of real-life British playboy Alfred de Marigny (Armand Assante). Little better than a gigolo, de Marigny finds himself in the Bahamas during World War II, where he romances the daughter (Catherine Mary Stewart) of fabulously wealthy Sir Harry Oakes (Rod Steiger). None of the "right people" can stomach de Marigny, but they're stuck with him once he marries Oakes' daughter. During the next few years, de Marigny manages to antagonize the Duke of Windsor (Andrew Ray), who is governor of the Bahamas; he also alienates local businessmen and infuriates a group of mobsters who want to set up a gambling casino in Nassau. As Part One of Passion and Paradise draws to a close, Sir Harry Oakes is murdered--and Alfred de Marigny is the most convenient (though not most likely) suspect. Part Two opens with the murder of Oakes in 1943. The higher-ups of the Bahama Islands sincerely hope that de Marigny is the killer, if only to get rid of the dreadful man. So anxious are certain parties to hang de Marigny that an official conspiracy to cover up vital evidence takes shape. De Marigny's only hope for salvation is an American private eye (Wayne Rogers). Filmed in Jamaica, Passion and Paradise painted so damning a portrait of Bahaman high society that several scenes (including most of those featuring the Duke of Windsor) had to be rewritten and reshot before the film's British television release. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Armand Assante, Catherine Stewart, (more)
Hume Cronyn and Vincent Gardenia star as two retirement-home residents, longtime friends who possess wildly diverse temperaments. - John Cooper (Cronyn) is crotchety and physically frail, but his brain is sharp as a tack. Michael Aylott (Gardenia) is easygoing and in excellent health, but his mind is slowly deteriorating. The two men form an "us against the world" bond, which crumbles when Michael's memory further fails him and John is advised to move back in with his family. Adapted by Bob Larbey from his Broadway play A Month of Sundays, Age Old Friends was first telecast over the HBO cable service on December 16, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Hume Cronyn, Vincent Gardenia, (more)
- 1988
Bluegrass was a two-part TV movie that resurrected virtually every "racetrack" cliche known to man. Widowed Cheryl Ladd heads to Kentucky to start up a horse farm. Her wicked neighbor is Wayne Rogers who seeks Ladd's downfall. Faithful farm manager Brian Kerwin won't let Rogers stand in the way of Ladd's dream. Anthony Andrews hangs around as a Harlequin romance-style Irish rake with a Dark Secret. And what would a horse-farm movie be without Mickey Rooney? Part One of Bluegrass raised a stir upon its February 28, 1988 debut, with a brief shot of horses mating. But it was the foaling sequence in Part Two that really made the headlines. All tangled plotlines knot together in the second half of Bluegrass. Part Two, first telecast on Leap Year day in 1988, Ladd literally bets the ranch on the Kentucky Derby, while mysterious Irish stranger Anthony Andrews reveals his (gasp!) terrible secret. One of the film's highlights was the genuine birth of a foal. The poor animal looked so shaky that the network issued an official statement insisting that the newborn horse survived. When the truth came out (the foal didn't make it), the producers were heartily condemned by animal activist groups--which may be why all current films bear the closing disclaimer about no animals being injured during shooting. Bluegrass was directed by Simon Wincer, who later helmed the epic miniseries Lonesome Dove. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cheryl Ladd, Brian Kerwin, (more)
- 1988
The first new TV-movie of 1988 (it debuted January 1st), Drop-Out Mother is a belated follow-up to the 1983 Dick Van Dyke vehicle Drop-Out Father. Valerie Harper plays a busy executive who decides one day to turn her back on the business world to become a full-time mom. Problem is, her husband and kids have pretty full lives, thus they can't quite accommodate her. Wayne Rogers plays hubby, Danny Gerard and Alyson Court are the kids, and Carol Kane is the obligatory Best Friend. Drop-Out Mother passes the time, but it's a far cry from its consistently entertaining 1983 predecessor. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1987
Made for television, American Harvest is set in the heartland of Kansas. Two proud, stubborn families have not spoken to one another because of an incident in the distant past. Wayne Rogers, the patriarch of one of the families, is in danger of losing his wheat farm. He knows that his land will be saved if he patches things up with rival farmer Earl Holliman, but such a reconciliation is out of the question--at least, until the film's final twenty minutes. American Harvest premiered on January 16, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1987
- R
A pair of homicidal lovers is forced to match wits with an inventive psychopath who has assumed the identity of a small, coastal-town sheriff's deputy in a film noir tale of the perfect crime gone wrong starring Kiefer Sutherland, Beau Bridges, Joe Don Baker, and Michael Madsen. A mysterious stranger has killed a man who was en route to assume the role of deputy sheriff in a close-knit California coastal town, but his deadly ruse is about to lead him into murderous trap. Soon-to-be promoted sheriff Sam Wayburn (Bridges) and his mistress, Laura Winslow (Camelia Kath), have set into motion a devious plan to murder Laura's wealthy husband, Jake (Wayne Rogers), and pin the killing on the newly appointed deputy. As the incognito maniac arrives in the remote village only to realize he's not the only one harboring a deadly secret, sex, suspense, and death hang heavy over the heads of the scheming trio, leaving no way out but to fight for their very lives. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Beau Bridges, Kiefer Sutherland, (more)
- 1986
In this teen drama, a courageous high school girl accuses her well-respected coach of improper conduct. Despite severe ostracism from her peers and the faculty, the brave girl refuses to back down until justice is done. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1986
Based on a true story, Disney's The Girl Who Spelled Freedom is a made-for-television film about a teen-aged Cambodian refugee who arrives in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1979. As she adjusts to American culture, the girl becomes an excellent speller and, a mere four years after she arrived in the US, she competes in and wins a national spelling bee. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
- 1985
In this made-for-TV drama, a Vietnam vet's family life is shattered when the child he fathered during wartime suddenly appears on his doorstep. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
- Starring:
- Wayne Rogers, Bonnie Bedelia, (more)
- 1985
Every week, six men from various walks of life get together to play music for their own satisfaction. Trombonist Wayne Rogers is a used-car dealer; drummer Daniel Nalbach is a mother-dominated dentist; clarinetist Jerry Matz is a somewhat self-centered music teacher; trumpeter Warren Vache could have been a professional musician, but opted for a socially convenient wealthy marriage; and bass violinist Stan Lachow prefers to keep to himself the rest of the week. What happens to this informal aggregation when the opportunity arises for a paying gig at a Catskills resort forms the heart of this picture. Dissention in the ranks comes about when Lachow can't make the engagement, and is replaced by veteran musician Cleavon Little, who is disdainful of being surrounded by amateurs. The Gig is a model "small" picture, a clear labor of love for writer/ director Frank D. Gilroy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Wayne Rogers, Cleavon Little, (more)
- 1985
In this comedy, a revival of the popular TV-series from the mid-60s, the wedded bliss of astronaut Tony Nelson and his magical djin and wife Jeannie is endangered when Jeannie desires to become more independent. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1984
This by-the-numbers comedy stars Wayne Rogers and Karen Valentine as Alex and Annabelle Grier. Alex is a well-paid ad executive who is laid off during an economic downswing. In order to continue living in the manner to which she he is accustomed, Alex's wife Annabelle decides to look for work. Unfortunately, her practical experience is nil, so Alex labors behind the scenes, training his wife to become a top-drawer copywriter. Inevitably, when Annabelle finally does land a job, it turns out to be a major blow to Alex's ego. Initially titled Paper Castles, this made-for-TV movie was first shown December 18, 1984. TV Guide/Marrill ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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