Telly Savalas Movies
American actor Telly Savalas was born into a transplanted Greek family in Garden City, New York. After dropping out of Columbia University, Savalas served in World War II, from which he was discharged with a Purple Heart disability. Though not a performer himself, Savalas remained active in show business via the Information Services of the State Department, which led to a news director post at the ABC network. Savalas was often called upon to help producers locate foreign-speaking actors for the various live TV dramatic series of the era. In 1959, Savalas attended an audition for the CBS anthology series Armstrong Circle Theatre, intending to prompt an actor friend who was up for a role. Instead, the casting director took Savalas's sinister demeanor (and bald head) into account and cast him in a character part, which led to other TV assignments. The 1960-61 CBS television anthology Witness, though not a ratings success, brought the novice actor a great deal of acclaim for his portrayal of racketeer Lucky Luciano, gaining attention from audiences, producers, and even a few of Luciano's old associates (who liked the show). More TV and movie roles of a slimy-villain nature followed, and then Savalas was cast as Burt Lancaster's fellow Alcatraz inmate in The Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) -- a performance that earned an Oscar nomination. Many in the industry felt that Savalas had what it took to be a leading man; Imogene Coca, with whom Savalas worked on an episode of Coca's TV series "Grindl," announced publicly that the actor was one of the funniest men she'd ever met (this from an actress who once costarred with Sid Caesar). Still, producers continued to use Savalas as a supporting bad guy. Even in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), Savalas incurred audience hisses as Pontius Pilate. In 1973 Savalas starred as police lieutenant Theo Kojak in The Marcus-Nelson Murders, a TV movie based on a real-life homicide. The actor's fully rounded interpretation of the sarcastic, incorruptible, lollipop-sucking New York detective earned him a full time TV job as the star of the series Kojak (which ran from 1973-78 on CBS, and, in a brief revival, 1989-90 on ABC). Now a genuine, 14-carat celebrity, Savalas assumed a great deal of creative control on Kojak, which included full script approval, choice of directors, and the insistence upon casting Savalas's brother George (professionally named "Demosthenes") in the role of Detective Stavros. Kojak lasted until 1978, during which time Savalas became a fixture of TV variety shows, where he frequently demonstrated his questionable singing talents. After the series, the actor embarked on a globe-trotting existence involving numerous forgettable European films and a sumptuous bon vivant lifestyle (which included the squiring of several attractive and much-younger ladies). Savalas periodically revived the character of Kojak in a few 1980s TV movies and profited from the (brief) revival of the Kojak series itself, but for the most part he was seen on the tube as spokesman for a high-priced credit card company. In the early 1990s, Savalas developed prostate cancer, ultimately succumbing to the disease at the age of 72. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
- Add Remembering Ellis Island: Everyman's Monument to QueueAdd Remembering Ellis Island: Everyman's Monument to top of Queue
As a second-generation Greek immigrant whose parents migrated to New York at the turn of the Twentieth century, the late Telly Savalas was an inspired choice to host the hour-long historical documentary Remembering Ellis Island: Everyman's Monument. This marks one of the most detailed filmic examinations to date of the legendary monument, which in the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth century became the chief immigration port for those twelve million who traveled to the U.S. with plans of residency and citizenship. The film begins in the proverbial "Old World," and from there traces common migratory routes, cinematically, to the still-open Ellis Island museum and the now-defunct ruins of the immigration port itself. The program contrasts the current setting with vintage photographs, to convey how the once-thriving medical examination offices, the baggage room, the railroad ticket office, and immigrant wall of honor eventually fell out of use and now seem to be haunted by the spirits of old settlers and the ghosts of memory. This marked one of the last film projects for Savalas, who died in January 1994. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Telly Savalas
- 1995
Lionel Rose was an aborigine who emerged from humble beginnings to be one of the world's greatest prize fighters. This inspirational sports biography tells his story. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Williams, Telly Savalas, (more)
- 1994
- PG13
Backfire! aspires to the tradition of Jim Abrams and brothers Jerry and David Zucker with this chaotic spoof of Ron Howard's Backdraft (1991). Set in New York, the story centers on the attempts of Jeremy Jackson to join the city's all-female fire department. Finally making it onto the force, he finds himself constantly victimized by his curvaceous but concrete tough colleagues. Meanwhile, someone begins setting toilets ablaze all over the Big Apple. Fire Marshal Marshall investigates. Back at the firehouse, Jackson encounters his former sweetheart, Jessica Luvintryst, a close personal secretary of the Mayor. Matters heat up when Jackson accidentally discovers that the bathroom arsonist is using jet fuel to burn his bowls. This clue in turn leads Jackson and company to the mysterious Most Evil Man, a villain behind a horrific plan. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kathy Ireland, Mary McCormack, (more)
- 1993
- R
From the evidence at hand, it seems apparent that the inexpensive Mind Twister was the last cinematic stand for the late Telly Savalas. There's a wacko killer at large, murdering at random. A courageous cop offers himself as bait to stop the murderer. This proves difficult, as who knows where the killer will strike next? Richard Roundtree and Suzanne Slater also show up in this garish Fred Olen Ray concoction. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Flowers for Matty was one of a smattering of 2-hour Kojak TV dramas presented on the 1989-90 series The ABC Saturday Mystery Movie. Theo Kojak, now a police inspector, takes on the case of a murdered author. The dead man was just about to publish an inflammatory book about mob activities. There's an overabundance of suspects, chief among them guest star Angie Dickinson. Dickinson plays a TV talk show hostess and the wife of the murdered man. She also happens to be the former love of Theo Kojak. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Telly Savalas
- 1990
Assistant D.A. Crocker, Kojak's former partner, is certain that Kojak is the killer of a call girl. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1990
A rich businessman, his wife and son are involved in illegal transactions as Kojak investigates. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Telly Savalas
The demented Dr. Flamand (Helmut Berger) and his beautiful but deadly assistant Nathalie (Brigitte Lahaie) lure unsuspecting victims in this horror feature. The doctor uses the young skins of his victims to perform plastic surgery on his disfigured sister. Telly Savalas is Hallen, the New York businessman who hires private detective Sam Morgan (Chris Mitchum) to find his missing fashion model daughter Barbara (Caroline Munro). A sadistic Nazi doctor (Anton Diffring) and a chainsaw/power tool psychosexual tormentor are called in by the devious Dr. Flamand to join in the fun. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helmut Berger, Brigitte Lahaie, (more)
- 1989
When a man was murdered following his expose on organized crime, Kojak investigates and meets up with a former lover and the dead man's wife. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1989
Telly Savalas stars as the washed-up star of a Kojak-like TV series who agrees to investigate a real-life kidnapping case. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Kojak is sidetracked by a lovely girl while investigating the activities of a corrupt drug lord. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Telly Savalas
- 1988
Made for television, this is the third sequel to the popular war adventure. This time, a group of rag-tag soldiers must somehow shape up and take on a group of Nazi soldiers who are riding the Orient Express to Istanbul to establish their latest empire. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1987
The second television film to capitalize on the classic original, The Deadly Mission concerns another team of convicts, this time assigned to rescue Nazi scientists working on a chemical-weapons project. Telly Savalas plays a different role than he did in the original (unlike Ernest Borgnine). ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1987
When a woman is suspected of killing her 2 young sons, New York police inspector Theo Kojak is called in to investigate. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1985
This animated Sinbad classic features the voice of Telly Savalas as Sinbad. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1985
This fast-paced, animated action feature zoomed into theaters with characters developed from a popular TV cartoon series. The GoBots can morph into mechanical contrivances like land rovers or spaceships and are divided between good GoBots and evil ones (called Renegades). As these two factions combat each other, the Rock People have their own problems. They are humans who can become literally petrified if danger approaches. In their boulder form, it's no problem at all to roll down a mountainside and get away from pursuers. But the evil Rock Lords are oppressing the poor Rock People, and it's high time the GoBots rolled in to do something about it. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Margot Kidder, Roddy McDowall, (more)
- 1985
Seven years after the cancellation of the CBS TV series Kojak, the network attempted to revive the property with this adaptation of John Loftus' novel The Bellarus Secret. Telly Savalas returns to the role of lollipop-sucking New York police detective Lt. Theo Kojak, with George Savalas, Vince Conti, and Mark B. Russell likewise reprising their Kojak characters of Stavros, Rizzo, and Saperstein (conspicuous by his absence was Kevin Dobson as Bobby Crocker, who had by this time signed on as a regular on Knot's Landing). This time around, Kojak tried to solve the murders of three elderly Russians, who may or may not have been Nazi war criminals. The answer to the mystery lay in "The Belarus File," a top-secret document in the possession of the State Department. At first stymied by the government's lack of cooperation, Kojak receives unexpected assistance from compassionate bureaucrat Dana Sutton (Suzanne Pleshette). Originally telecast February 16, 1985, Kojak: The Belarus File (aka The Return of Kojak) did not immediately spark a wholesale Kojak revival, though the property did return to TV on an irregular basis as a component of the ABC "Mystery Movie" in 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Telly Savalas, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1985
After a seven-year absence from the small screen, NYPD detective Theo Kojak (Telly Savalas) made a comeback in the TV-movie The Belarus File (originally Kojak: The Belarus File). Adapted from John Loftus' best-selling spy novel The Belarus Secret, the film teams Kojak with federal agent Dana Sutton (Suzanne Pleshette). Following a labrynthine trail of evidence, the two investigators uncover a conspiracy that dates back to the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in the early 1940s. Max Von Sydow and Herbert Berghof guest star. Though Kojak himself is largely superfluous to the proceedings, the producers hoped that The Belarus File (premiere date: February 16, 1985) would serve as the launching pad for a weekly Kojak revival. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
(Burt Reynolds) as J.J. McClure takes off across the country again in this rickety sequel to Cannonball Run. A sheik has offered $1,000,000 to the first driver to reach a destination in Connecticut from Redondo Beach, California, inspiring J.J. and others to go for the gold. With cameos from more name performers than any dozen films together, (Frank Sinatra and the rat pack, Telly Savalas, Susan Anton, Shirley MacLaine, Jackie Chan, Sid Caesar, Marilu Henner, Catherine Bach, etc., etc., etc.), the movie becomes a pastiche and is executed as though no rehearsals were required, or ever happened. A disparate group of people racing to get a lot of money was first successfully exploited in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, a much better film, and with just as many cameos, in fact. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, (more)
- 1984
Joan Collins and David Hasselhoff star in this made-for-TV comedy caper, in which a con artist who has just gotten out of jail. Curt Taylor (Hasselhoff) finds himself back in business when he becomes an assistant to glamorous film star Cartier Rand (Collins). Curt's primary interest in working with Cartier is the opportunity to get his hands on her world famous and highly-valuable collection of jewelry. In time, however, Curt finds himself attracted to Cartier, which will take a bit of explaining, since he informed Cartier's jealous fiancée that he was gay in order to win the job. The Cartier Affair also stars Telly Savalas, Charlies Napier, and Ed Lauter. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
This 1982 made-for-TV version of the Lewis Carroll classic Alice in Wonderland features an all-star cast. Such celebrities as Donald O'Connor, Maureen Stapleton and Eve Arden struggle to perform while buried under mounds of makeup and tons of eccentric costuming as Carroll's alternate-world loonies. Alice in Wonderland was first telecast Oct 3, 1983, on PBS' Great Performances. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
A Greek-American businessman returns to his homeland with his teenage American-born son and finds that he has little in common with his family's simple life. ~ Steve Huey, All Movie Guide
