Jay Sandrich Movies

The Man Who Came to Dinner, written by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, has been one of the more enduring comedies in American theater. Apart from being filmed most successfully in 1941 at Warner Bros. with Monty Woolley and Bette Davis in the lead roles, it has enjoyed some 500 productions in the six decades since its premiere, despite the fact that few theatergoers remain who know or recognize the figures being satirized by the two authors. In the film, Woolley recreated his performance from the original Broadway production, and knowledge of the existence of that movie does somewhat mute the early impact of Nathan Lane's performance as Sheridan Whiteside, which must inevitably be compared with Woolley's blustery original. This production predated Lane's success in The Producers, and there are times when one must remember that Max Byalistock was in Lane's immediate future. As it is, there are moments where he recalls Orson Welles' performance in the role from a 1972 television adaptation, but after about 23 minutes Lane does get out from behind the shadow of Woolley and Welles, and simply becomes Whiteside. None of the work here is exactly heavy lifting for the talents involved, though one does tend to recall William Duell (an actor best known to television viewers for his role as the tipster on Police Squad) as the literary-minded doctor, and Lewis J. Stadlen -- who has carved a big corner of his career out of resurrecting the Marx Brothers -- portraying Banjo, the play's Harpo Marx stand-in. Directed by Jay Sandrich, a longtime expert at televised comedy (best known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Cosby Show), the video production at its best is spirited in the manner of a French farce, with lots of people running in and out of doors to great comedic effect. The period setting is evoked not just by the costumes and hairstyles but also by newsreel footage and vintage newspaper headlines (some referring to Whiteside), which bridge the gaps between the scenes and acts. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

Crafted in the mold of his classic play-cum-films Plaza Suite and California Suite, the legendary Neil Simon authors London Suite, a made-for-television movie that took its first bows in September 1996. As in the prior films, Simon presents a series of couplets that unfold in and around a single hotel, this one in the city of Big Ben and Westminster. Of the four sketches, the first stars Julie Hagerty (Lost in America) and Michael Richards (Seinfeld) as husband-and-wife Mark and Anne Ferris, who journey to Wimbledon for the matches, only to suffer gravely when they lose their tickets and Mark injures his back; matters go from difficult to unbearable when Mark takes a trip through comic hell at the hands of a sadistic chiropractor. Episode two features Seinfeld's Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Weekend at Bernie's star Jonathan Silverman as Debra and Paul Dolby, honeymooners who lose track of their suitcases and then each other. In episode three, Frasier's Kelsey Grammer and Far From Heaven's Patricia Clarkson portray divorcees Sidney and Diana Nichols, who meet up in London town, where Diana hopes to promote her new television program and Sidney schemes to wheedle money out of his ex, to pass it along to his gay lover, Max. In the final segment, the late Madeline Kahn (Blazing Saddles) plays Sharon Semple, an American on a London shopping spree with her daughter, who meets and falls in love with Dennis Cummings, "The Snorting Scotsman," (Empty Nest's Richard Mulligan), only to contend with his penchant for Ferraris and his obnoxious laugh. London Suite is helmed by Jay Sandrich, veteran director of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, and Laverne and Shirley. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Just after finding out that he has been accepted to grad school, Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) attends a corporate recruting dinner--not really to scope out his future job prospects, but to gorge himself on the free food. Be that as it may, Theo so impresses an attending executive that he is offered a $30,000-per-year job in San Francisco! While Theo's parents are delighted that their son has come so far so quickly (or maybe not so quickly, considering his less than stellar high school record), the prospect of his departure proves distressing to Eugene (Eugene Byrd), one of the kids at the community center. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the first half of The Cosby Show's now-legendary series finale (originally shown as a single, hour-long special), Cliff (Bill Cosby) insists upon inviting everyone he knows to his son Theo's graduation--much to the dismay of Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), who is allowed only two commencement tickets. At the same time, Cliff's step-granddaughter Olivia (Raven-Symone) prepares to move to Singapore with her parents Denise and Martin. And there is a remote possibility that Vanessa will get back together with her much-older fiance Dabnis (William Thomas Jr.). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Olivia (Raven-Symone) comes down with a bad case of laryngitis just before she is to sing for her grandparents' 55th anniversary. When none of the family's exotic "home remedies" prove successful, Olivia retreats to her bedroom, refusing to attend the anniversary party because she feels she's let everyone down. At the last moment, Cliff (Bill Cosby) and Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam) come up with a solution to Olivia's plight--a solution involving a spirited lip-synch rendition of Koko Taylor's "I'm a Woman". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

With his parents' guarded permission, Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) arranges to have a dinner date with Cheryl (Vanessa Williams) in the Huxtable home. Just before the big event, in walks Ellen (Troy Beyer), the girl friend of Theo's pal Denny (Troy Winbush), who wants to discuss Denny's upcoming birthday party with Theo. Inadvertently mixing wines with her antihistamines, Ellen ends up falling asleep in Cliff and Clair's bedroom. As a nervous Theo tries to hide the unconscious Clair from both his parents and Denny, Cheryl finally shows up--and she's no mood for explanations! Previously slated to air on two separate occasions in the fall of 1990, this episode marks the last regular appearance of Joseph C. Phillips as Martin Kendall. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the first episode of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single one-hour special), Slide (Mushond Lee) is pressuring Pam (Erika Alexander) to prove her love by having sex with him: "We both know how we feel about each other, now's the time we did something about it." In his efforts to prove that "everybody's doing it," Slide gets his friend Lance (Allen Payne) in hot water; it seems that Lance has been bragging about sleeping with his own girlfriend Charmaine (Karen Malina White)--which is news to her! Back at the Huxtable household, Cliff (Bill Cosby) and Clair (Phylicia Rashad) try to keep their cool while counseling Pam, but are unable to hide their shock and dismay when she asks permission to take birth-control pills. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cliff (Bill Cosby) makes plans to attend an auction so he can be against his friendly rival Dr. Harmon (Sullivan Walker) for an original Charlie Parker recording. Unfortunately, Denise (Lisa Bonet) is unable to fulfill her obligation to supervise Olivia's preschool class, forcing Cliff to take over the assignment. Undaunted, Cliff continues the bidding over the phone--little realizing that the person who is most arduously bidding against him is NOT Dr. Harmon but instead his own wife Clair (Phylicia Rashad)! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Finding a pair of female undergarments in Theo's laundry, Cliff (Bill Cosby) and Clair (Phylicia Rashad) arrive at the conclusion that their son has moved in with his girlfriend Justine (Michelle Thomas). Admitting to this, Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) insists that he has done so merely to save on rent, but his parents are outraged, and tell him that he and Justine must separate immediately, else they will cut off all financial support. In desperate need of a sympathetic ear, Theo turns to Justine's parents, with surprising results. Meanwhile, another story arc is introduced as Denise (Lisa Bonet) decides to become a special-ed teacher. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single one-hour special), Pam (Erika Alexander) is still being pressured by her boyfriend Slide (Mushond Lee) to begin having sex with him. When Slide gets angry over Pam's insistence upon using birth control, he blurts out that it's "no big deal" if she gets pregnant--and instantly loses himself a girlfriend. Turning to her family for advice, Pam has a heart-to-heart with cousin Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), who assures her that Slide will one day grow up and take responsibility for his actions, just as Theo himself has (we hope!). And in a separate development, little Olivia (Raven-Symone) tries to pin the blame for her own mischief on an invisible dog. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Not only has new mom Sondra (Sabrina LeBeauf) been worn to a frazzle caring for the twins, but she is also sore that her med-school student husband Elvin (Geoffrey Owens) seems to be taking her for granted. As for Elvin, his efforts to convince Sondra that he's as caring and concerned as ever fail dismally. Ulitmately, the couple's female relatives figure out how to get Sondra and Elvin back on track--but not before Cliff (Bill Cosby), in his zeal to castigate Elvin for his lack of consideration, is shown to be even LESS considerate than his son-in-law! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cliff (Bill Cosby) braves a terrific rainstorm to purchase a few extra ingredients for the Huxtables' Thanksgiving dinner--only to be forced back into the deluge time and again because he keeps forgetting one "little" item after another. To top off the situation, Martin's ex-wife Paula (Victoria Rowell) shows up unexpectedly. How will Denise (Lisa Bonet) react upon meeting her matrimonial predecessor face-to-face? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide