Harry Shearer Movies
California native Harry Shearer was one of the busier child actors of the 1950s. He appeared in such films as The Robe (1953) (as the boy David) and Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953); he could be heard on such radio programs as Suspense, Lux Radio Theatre, and the Jack Benny Show; and among his many TV guest roles was the character who would evolve into Eddie Haskell in the 1955 Leave It to Beaver pilot. After attending U.C.L.A., Shearer flourished as a standup comedian and comedy writer. He was frequently employed on the writing staff for such TV laughspinners as Laverne and Shirley and America 2Night; he also worked both sides of the camera in the 1984 rockumentary parody This Is Spinal Tap, co-starring as rock idol Derek Smalls and co-writing the script with director Rob Reiner and fellow cast members Christopher Guest and Michael McKean. In league with another top satirist, Albert Brooks, Shearer concocted the screenplay for another faux documentary, 1979's Real Lampoon. During the 1984-1985 TV season, Shearer joined the Not Ready for Prime Time Players on NBC's Saturday Night Live. The soft-spoken, saturnine Harry Shearer has recently supplied his voice to the Fox Network cartoon series The Simpsons, and since 1992 he has hosted and co-written a weekly syndicated radio comedy potpourri, Le Show. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Devastated after being fired by director Woody Allen, actress Annabelle Gurwitch sets out on a soul-searching journey to discover whether getting the axe was the best or worst thing ever to happen in her professional career. Anyone who has been in the workforce for an extended amount of time has likely been there -- one minute you've got a good-paying job that you love, and the next minute you're standing in the unemployment line. When Annabelle Gurwitch got fired by the legendary director of such classics as Annie Hall and The Purple Rose of Cairo, she thought her career was over. Upon turning to her many showbiz pals for advice, however, Gurwitch quickly discovered that she was not alone. In this documentary, Gurwitch enlists the aid of filmmakers Chris Bradley and Kyle La Brache in traveling the country to interview such celebrities as Tim Allen, David Cross, Sarah Silverman, and Jeff Garlin to find out exactly how they dealt with the heavy hand of rejection. Additional interviews with GM workers in Lansing, MI, who were handed their pink slips offer some tales that are tragically comedic and others that seems to reinforce the old adage about one door closing and another door opening, while a visit to job fairs and "outplacement services" show just what the jobless endure on a day-to-day basis. Conversations with the downsizers as well as the downsized offer viewers a chance to explore the topic from both sides as host Gurwitch reminds viewers that sometimes the greatest success stories are born of failure. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Andy Borowitz, (more)
Actor and comedian Harry Shearer makes his directorial debut with this mock documentary about the slightly sordid pastimes of some of America's wealthiest and most powerful men. Zambesi Glen is a private resort in Northern California whose highly exclusive membership rolls includes high-echelon politicians, leaders of America's military, owners of the nation's biggest corporations, renowned and respected political thinkers, and a handful of celebrity guests; the club's membership is overwhelmingly white and exclusively male. Once a year, Zambesi Glen holds a week-long retreat for its members, and while this gathering features the occasional group discussion of political and economic issues, most of the week is devoted to swilling booze, staging comic skits, performing odd rituals not out of place at a Boy Scout camp, doing business with the prostitutes imported for the festivities, and generally carousing like frat boys on a bender. However, not all is well in this playground for the power elite; feminist groups are protesting Zambesi Glen's "men only" membership policy, and far more embarrassing, a television reporter has found a way to smuggle cameras into the well-guarded resort, giving the world a less than flattering look at what America's leadership likes to do for a good time. The revelers at Zambesi Glen are played by a top-shelf comic cast, including Michael McKean, George Wendt, Henry Gibson, Kenneth Mars, Fred Willard, Howard Hessman, and Bob Einstein; among the female interlopers are Morgan Fairchild, Joyce Hyser, and Ming-Na. Teddy Bears' Picnic was inspired by Harry Shearer's visit as a guest to Bohemian Grove, the real-life men's-only retreat whose members are said to include George W. Bush, Henry Kissinger, Dick Cheney, Malcolm Forbes, David Rockefeller, Casper W. Weinberger, and William F. Buckley, though the film's opening credits humorously disavows any resemblance between Zambesi Glen and Bohemian Grove. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
John Flansburgh and John Linnell are a pair of musicians who met when they were fellow junior-high misfits in the town of Lincoln, MA. Sharing a fondness for off-center pop music and absurdist humor, the pair decided to form a band, and later moved to Brooklyn, NY, in search of their big break. Adopting a rather unusual two-man lineup (guitar and accordion accompanied by a drum machine), the duo began performing as They Might Be Giants, and their shows were part concert, part performance art, and part edgy comedy. Slowly but surely, They Might Be Giants became one of the biggest bands on the alternative rock scene, and while they never threatened to break into the upper reaches of the Billboard charts, they've managed to develop a loyal cult following, and after nearly 20 years together, are still recording and performing their one-of-a-kind songs on their own terms. Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) is a documentary which looks at the long and sometimes strange history of They Might Be Giants, featuring extensive interviews with Flansburgh and Linnell; thoughts from fellow musicians Frank Black and Syd Straw; endorsements from noted authors Dave Eggers, Gina Arnold, and Michael Azerrad; and readings of the group's lyrics from actors (and fans) Harry Shearer, Janeane Garofalo, Michael McKean, and Annette O'Toole. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- They Might Be Giants, Frank Black, (more)
- 1999
The first large-format 3-D film to open simultaneously in all three IMAX theatres in Los Angeles, Encounters In The Third Dimension uses a visit to an eccentric inventor who has invented a new 3-D device, "Real-O-Vision," as a framework for a series of spectacular three-dimensional sequences, capturing both real life events and bizarre computer-animated fantasy worlds. The film also traces a brief history of 3-D in the movies, and features a guest appearance from Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (aka Cassandra Peterson). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stuart Pankin, Cassandra Peterson, (more)
The Simpsons: Season 11 includes all 22 episodes from the 11th season and bonus material on all 4 discs. Closed Caption; Contains the complete eleventh season with all 22 episodes; Special introduction from Matt Groening; Audio commentaries on every episode with executive producer Mike Scully, joined by writers, actors and directors; A Star on Hollywood Boulevard featurette; The Many Faces of Krusty featurette; Deleted scenes with commentary; Multi-angle animation showcases; Original sketches and more!
- Starring:
- Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, (more)
- 1998
It's April 15, and all over Springfield people are rushing to finish filing their taxes before the midnight deadline -- all except for Homer Simpson (voice of Dan Castellaneta), who reassures his wife Marge (voice of Julie Kavner) "I paid my taxes over a year ago!" When Marge convinces Homer that the Internal Revenue Service expects him to pay taxes every year, Homer files a return in a blind rush, and to no one's surprise he's called in for an audit. With a possible tax fraud conviction hanging over his head, Homer agrees to turn informant to the FBI on tax cheats, and ends up turning one of his co-workers over to the authorities. Convinced Homer is ready for something bigger, the FBI assigns him to take part in a sting operation to recover a one-of-a-kind trillion dollar bill, which they believe was stolen by craven energy magnate C. Montgomery Burns (voice of Harry Shearer) during an ill-fated goodwill mission to Europe in 1945. Homer discovers Burns does indeed have the valuable banknote, but Burns persuades Homer to help him flee the country with the cash, and with uber-friendly Ned Flanders (also voiced by Harry Shearer) in tow, Burns and Company seek exile in Cuba. "The Trouble With Trillions" aired for the first time ten days before tax day on April 5, 1998. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
When Homer Simpson (voice of Dan Castellaneta) makes the sobering discovery that his current age put him at the halfway point of a normal human life expectancy, he becomes deeply depressed and is convinced he's wasted his life. Hoping to lift Homer's spirits, his family puts together a reel of home movies documenting some of his more remarkable exploits; unimpressed, he asks who invented movies in the first place, and when he discovers Thomas Edison dreamed up moving pictures as well as the light bulb, the phonograph, and dozens of other useful items, Homer is inspired to become an inventor. Quitting his job, he sets up a workshop in the basement in hopes of creating useful new items. However, Homer's first batch of new products -- including a make-up gun, an electric hammer, and a combination toilet and easy chair -- fails to impress, and he thinks he's washed out again until he comes up with a chair that has extra hinged back legs which keep it from tipping over backwards. The family is convinced Homer's finally come up with a winner until someone spots a photo of Edison with just such a chair; determined to avoid being branded a failure again, Homer and Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) head to the Edison Museum in Michigan in order to destroy the great inventor's original chair so Homer can claim it as his own. Featuring a voice cameo from William Daniels (reprising his role as K.I.T.T., the car from Knight Rider), The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace first aired on September 20, 1998. Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, (more)
- 1997
Carol (Julianna Margulies) weighs her options as she decides to either pursue medical school or remain a nurse. Carter (Noah Wyle) wonders if he should turn in a fellow intern and former romantic rival for falsifying a patient's record. A couple who delights in concocting potentially dangerous "scenarios" plagues the ER staff. Ross (George Clooney) is determined to save the life of a two-year-old boy. And a genetically altered mouse is running loose in the hospital. This episode contains one of the most shocking and startling moments of ER's third season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Just as Homer Simpson (voice of Dan Castellaneta) has convinced himself he's the most popular guy in the neighborhood when he mans the microphone and moves much merchandise at a neighborhood garage sale, he discovers he has new competition as top dog in Springfield when former president George Bush (voice of Harry Shearer) moves in across the street. Homer and George don't quite hit it off, though Marge (voice of Julie Kavner) gets along just fine with one-time First Lady Barbara (voice of Maggie Roswell); the real trouble, though, comes when Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) starts showing up at the Bush household uninvited, usually causing trouble. One day, Bart accidentally destroys the manuscript to George's just-completed memoirs with an outboard motor, and George angrily gives the boy a spanking. Homer is outraged that Bush has taken away his "right to raise a disobedient, smart-aleky son," and soon it's all-out war between Homer and the former president. Meanwhile, Springfield Elementary School institutes a policy forcing the students to wear uniforms, and soon the kids are so mired in conformity that they begin blinking in unison. "Two Bad Neighbors" first aired on January 14, 1996; it also marked one of the very few times that a celebrity who was a significant character on the show did not provide his or her own voice (though given the numerous jokes at George Bush's expense, it's no great surprise he didn't participate in this episode). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Springfield energy tycoon C. Montgomery Burns (voice of Harry Shearer) has never been one to endear himself to his fellow citizens, but his public image sinks even lower than usual after oil is discovered on the grounds of the local elementary school. While Principal Skinner (also voiced by Shearer) plans massive improvements for the school -- including buying a new crystal slop-bucket for Groundskeeper Willie (voice of Dan Castellaneta) and hiring Latin jazz great Tito Puente as a music teacher -- Burns instead finds a way to tap into the oil well, adding to his already bulging bankroll and forcing massive cutbacks for the school. The after-effects of Burns' actions prove to be widespread -- the local retirement home collapses, leaving Grampa Simpson (also voiced by Castellaneta) with nowhere to go, while Moe (voice of Hank Azaria) is forced to close his tavern due to toxic fumes, and Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) is angry after his dog is injured by a blast of crude oil. Meanwhile, Homer (also voiced by Castellaneta) begins to snap when Burns is unable to remember his name, and the few citizens not already furious with Burns are out for his blood when he constructs a giant shield that prevents the sun from shining on Springfield. When Mr. Burns is shot after a town meeting, the question isn't "Who would want to kill the richest man in town?" but "Who wouldn't?" "Who Shot Mr. Burns (Part One)," the cliffhanging finale of the sixth season of The Simpsons, first aired on May 21, 1995. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Waylon Smithers (voice of Harry Shearer) awakes with a brutal hangover, convinced that in a drunken haze he attempted to kill C. Montgomery Burns (also voiced by Shearer), his employer, mentor, and secret love. However, after being taken in by the police, it's discovered that Smithers actually shot elderly eccentric Jasper (also voiced by Shearer) in his wooden leg. So who did attempt to take Mr. Burns' life? Jazz great Tito Puente (who provides his own voice) is let off the hook after he reveals his own revenge against Burns in the form of a "slanderous mambo," and all eyes turn to the Simpson family when a test of the bullet reveals evidence of the family's DNA. The likely suspects appear to be Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta), enraged that Burns could not remember his name; Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith), angry that Puente lost his teaching position after Burns stole oil reserves from the local elementary school; and Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright), who pledged to get revenge after Burns' oil put his dog in the animal hospital. Burns finally comes to his senses and reveals that a member of the Simpson family did indeed shoot him -- but not the one anyone expected. Answering the questions raised by the cliffhanging Who Shot Mr. Burns (Part One), which closed out the sixth season of The Simpsons, "Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two)" kicked off season seven when it first aired on September 17, 1995. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Someone has stolen Monica's (Courteney Cox) credit card -- and with it, her identity. As Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) try to track down the culprit (who's pretty nice as far as Fake Monicas go), Joey (Matt LeBlanc) tries to think up a new stage name ("Holden McGroin" probably won't fly, however). And Marcel the Monkey makes his farewell appearance as a regular (reportedly much to the relief of the cast), thanks to a sensitive Ross (David Schwimmer) and a discriminating zoo superintendent. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Semi-corrupt public official Mayor Joe Quimby (voice of Dan Castellaneta) is up for re-election, and radio talk-show host and Republican activist Birch Barlow (voice of Harry Shearer) is determined to put a more conservative candidate in office. Looking for the right man to run against Quimby, Barlow and his right-wing brain trust think they may have found their man in Sideshow Bob (voice of Kelsey Grammer), convicted felon, former children's entertainer, and nemesis of Bart Simpson (voice of Nancy Cartwright). After Barlow's radio campaign results in Sideshow Bob's early release, Bart and Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) help Mayor Quimby in his campaign against the charismatically evil Bob, but Quimby spoils his own campaign and Bob wins with a projected 100 percent of the vote. However, an anonymous tipster tells Bart and Lisa that something was not cricket with the election, and the kids make a shocking discovery as they examine Springfield's polling records. Sideshow Bob Roberts also features a guest voice-appearance by noted disc jockey and music archivist Dr. Demento as himself; the episode first aired on October 9, 1994. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1994
After sneaking away from a school field trip to a box factory, Bart Simpson (voice of Nancy Cartwright) makes his way to the television studio where his hero, Krusty the Clown (voice of Dan Castellaneta), tapes his show. When Krusty throws a star fit after not being served the Danish he demanded, Bart steals one for him from newsman Kent Brockman (voice of Harry Shearer), and the grateful clown gives Bart a job as his assistant. Bart soon discovers that being Krusty's assistant means doing the errands no one else is willing to do ("Now I need you to go clean out my toilet . . . Eew! I don't know what I was thinking last night!"), but when Sideshow Mel falls ill, Bart is given a small part in a sketch. Bart muffs his entrance, then tries to cover by saying "I didn't do it." The line gets a big laugh, and Krusty brings Bart back again to say the line several more times. Soon Bart is famous as "The I Didn't Do It Boy," but he grows tired of being known only for his catch phrase. He soon discovers, though, that his fans aren't all that interested in watching him expand his repertoire. "Bart Gets Famous" first aired on February 3, 1994. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Late October brings yet another trio of comic nightmares from The Simpsons. In The Shinning, Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) gets a job as winter caretaker at a resort hotel high in the mountains owned by Mr. Burns (voice of Harry Shearer). The maintenance man, Groundskeeper Willie (voice of Castellaneta), discovers Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) shares his psychic gift of "shinning" ("You mean 'shining'?" "Shh! You wanna get sued?!?"), which comes in handy when Homer snaps under the pressure after finding the hotel has no beer or television. Time and Punishment finds Homer trying to fix a toaster and somehow becoming unstuck in time, encountering any number of alternate histories as he zooms back and forth from the prehistoric age to the "present." And in Nightmare Cafeteria, Bart and Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) notice that students kept after school for detention are disappearing, as the cafeteria is suddenly serving an abundance of rich, meaty dishes, leading the quickly shrinking number of students to wonder if Principal Skinner (voice of Shearer) and Lunchlady Doris (voice of Doris Grau) are resorting to cannibalism. "Treehouse of Horror" first aired on October 30, 1994. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1993
After C. Montgomery Burns (voice of Harry Shearer) is found guilty of dumping toxic waste from the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant in a city park, he's fined $3 million, which he pays at once, in cash. With a sudden and unexpected budget surplus, the good people of Springfield are trying to decide what to do with the money when smooth-talking salesman Lyle Lanley (voice of Phil Hartman) convinces the town that what they need is a monorail system. Marge Simpson (voice of Julie Kavner), however, is against the idea and has reason to believe that Lanley is pulling a fast one on the city, even though Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) has already enrolled in monorail conductor's school. Marge discovers that the monorails Lanley constructed in other cities were not only faulty but dangerous, and she must race back to Springfield before someone gets hurt and before Lanley gets away with the money. Leonard Nimoy makes a guest appearance as a celebrity attending the monorail dedication (whom Mayor Quimby mistakes for one of the Little Rascals). "Marge Vs. The Monorail" first aired on January 14, 1993. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
The mock heavy-metal band Spinal Tap (actually comedians Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer) return to duty in this made-for-TV sequel to Rob Reiner's 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, filmed to promote the group's album Break Like the Wind. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, (more)
- 1992
Looking for something to break the monotony of her life as a housewife, Marge Simpson (voice of Julie Kavner) auditions for the Springfield Community Center's upcoming production of Streetcar! -- a musical adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire. The director, melodramatic Llewllyn Sinclair (voice of Jon Lovitz), isn't impressed at first by Marge's audition, but after hearing her talk to Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta), he's convinced she's just the woman to play Blanche DuBois opposite Ned Flanders (voice of Harry Shearer), who was cast because he looks better with his shirt off than anyone else who tried out. Homer doesn't think much of Marge's new interest in theater, and her anger at her husband gives her performance a keen emotional edge, but will this rift in their marriage prove irreparable? Meanwhile, since Marge is busy with rehearsals, she sends baby Maggie to a daycare center, the Ayn Rand School for Tots, where the staff is determined to keep the children away from their pacifiers; Maggie, however, isn't about to give it up without a fight. A Streetcar Named Marge first aired on October 1, 1992. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1992
It's Halloween again, and the Simpson family is having a party, with everyone trying to top each other with tales of terror. In Clown Without Pity, Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) forgets to buy a birthday present for Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright), and finds a talking Krusty the Clown doll at a strange little shop. Homer soon realizes, however, that he didn't get an ordinary toy; the doll threatens to kill him and chases him around the house with a knife when it isn't busy trying to convince the Malibu Stacy doll owned by Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) that she looks awfully warm in that cheerleader's outfit. Grampa passes along his own version of the classic monster epic King Kong -- King Homer -- in which Mr. Burns and Smithers (both voiced by Harry Shearer) set out to capture the giant ape King Homer, using aspiring starlet Marge Bouvier (voice of Julie Kavner) to lure the beast into their trap. And in Dial "Z" For Zombie, Bart learns the local library is a lot more interesting than he imagined when he finds a book of magic spells that can be used to reanimate the dead. Bart and Lisa use one of the incantations to resurrect their departed cat, Snowball I, but they make a few miscalculations, and soon Springfield is crawling with "the living impaired" who've passed on over the past two centuries. "Treehouse Of Horror III" was first aired on October 29, 1992. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1991
One morning Homer Simpson (voice of Dan Castellaneta) notices that his neighbor Ned Flanders (voice of Harry Shearing) is angrily shooing a man off of his property. Wondering what's going on, Homer learns that the man is an installer from a local cable TV service (voice of Phil Hartman) who offered to give Ned an illegal cable hook-up in exchange for a one-time, under-the-table payment. Lacking Ned's scruples, Homer asks the installer to give him a hook-up, and soon the Simpsons are basking in the glow of free cable programming. But after Reverend Lovejoy (also voiced by Shearer) gives a sermon on the evils of theft, Lisa begins having qualms about the ethics of stealing cable, and announces she'll no longer watch TV with the family unless they start paying for their cable service. Marge (voice of Julie Kavner) also wonders if having free cable is such a good idea, especially after she discovers Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) is charging his classmates to watch softcore adult movies shown on the "Top Hat" cable network. Lisa decides to stage a vigil outside the Simpson home to protest Homer's actions, just as he's invited over all of his friends to watch a championship boxing match on a pay channel he's receiving illegally. Phil Hartman also provides the voice of Moses in a biblical flashback sequence. "Homer Vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment" was first aired on February 7, 1991. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Homer Simpson (voice of Dan Castellaneta) has never much cared for his next-door neighbor, the aggressively cheerful, born-again Christian Ned Flanders (voice of Harry Shearer). But it's not in Homer's nature to turn down barbecue, so he grudgingly tags along when Ned invites the Simpsons to a cookout. As it turns out, Ned uses the occasion to announce he's given up his job as a pharmaceutical salesman to open his own business, a shop called the Leftorium that specializes in gadgets for southpaws. Homer wins a wishbone-pulling contest with Ned, and in a fit of pique wishes to himself that Ned's business becomes a dismal failure. However, when the Leftorium falls on hard times and the Flanders family is reduced to living out of their car, Homer wonders if Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) might have a point about the dangers of "shameful joy." Meanwhile, Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) begins taking karate classes, but loses interest when he learns he'll have to read a book rather than break stuff -- which becomes a problem when he tries to fool the family into thinking he's still attending class. "When Flanders Failed" was first aired on October 3, 1991. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1991
In the second annual Halloween spookfest from The Simpsons, Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) and Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) pig out on candy after trick-or-treating, against the advice of their mother Marge (voice of Julie Kavner). Soon the two kids are having nightmares, as is their father Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta), never one to stay away from sweets. In Lisa's Nightmare, a parody of the classic tale The Monkey's Paw by W. W. Jacobs, the Simpsons are vacationing in Morocco when Homer buys a monkey's paw that he is told can make wishes come true. The Simpsons, however, don't use it very responsibly (no great surprise there), leading to misery, disappointment, and an alien takeover. Bart's Nightmare is a take-off on the Twilight Zone episode "It's A Good Life," in which Bart is a monster-child who can make his every wish come true, which makes him hell to be around, especially for Homer after Bart transforms him into a Jack-in-the-Box. And in Homer's Nightmare, Homer is fired by C. Montgomery Burns (voice of Harry Shearer), but that's not the half of his problems -- Mr. Burns and his sidekick Smithers (voice of Shearer) then steal Homer's brain to use in a robot they imagine will be the perfect worker. Appropriately enough, "Treehouse of Horror II" first aired on October 31, 1991. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Bart Simpson (voice of Nancy Cartwright) is riding his skateboard home after a hard day at school when he falls down a flight of stairs and finds himself in "The Legitimate Businessman's Social Club," a meeting place for Fat Tony (voice of Joe Mantegna) and other kingpins of the Springfield Mafia. Forced to mix a Manhattan, Bart proves to be a pretty good bartender, and Fat Tony offers him a job after school. But Bart's duties at the Social Club take up more and more of his time, and when Principal Skinner (voice of Harry Shearer) makes Bart stay after school, Fat Tony is not amused. The next day, Skinner disappears and is soon presumed dead, and when Police Chief Wiggum (voice of Hank Azaria) confronts Fat Tony, he pins the blame on Bart. Soon Bart is on trial for murder, and the various members of the "Social Club" testify that the boy is actually the godfather of a vast criminal empire. "Bart The Murderer," which first aired on October 10, 1991, also features a voice performance from Neil Patrick Harris, who plays "Bart Simpson" in a made-for-TV movie, Blood On The Blackboard: The Bart Simpson Story. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1991
One day, while riding his skateboard, Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) is hit by a car, and after a near-death experience (during which he pays a brief visit to Heaven, only to descend into Hell after spitting over the railing) he regains consciousness in the hospital. Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) learns that the car was being driven by C. Montgomery Burns (voice of Harry Shearer), who offers to give the Simpsons $100 in compensation if they agree not to sue (which is at least an improvement over his thoughts immediately after the accident: "For crying out loud! Just give him a nickel and let's get going!"). Homer is outraged and hires sleazy lawyer Lionel Hutz (voice of Phil Hartman), who is certain he can get a one million dollar claim from Burns with the help of less-than-scrupulous physician Dr. Nick Riviera (voice of Hank Azaria). However, in order to clinch the case, several of the Simpsons will have to stretch the truth under oath, something that Marge (voice of Julie Kavner) is reluctant to do. Mr. Burns' legal team offers Homer $500,000 to settle out of court, which Marge urges him to accept; Homer decides to go for the full million, but Marge's testimony tips the case in Burns' favor. Crestfallen, Homer wonders out loud if he'll ever be able to love Marge again after she cost him a million bucks. "Bart Gets Hit By a Car" was first aired on January 10, 1991. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
