Unnatural Causes (1986 Film)
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Unnatural Causes (1986 Film)
''Unnatural Causes'' is an American television film directed by Lamont Johnson and with a teleplay by John Sayles and story by Martin M. Goldstein and Stephen Doran & Robert Jacobs that is based on the true story of Maude DeVictor; a United States Department of Veterans Affairs counselor who worked to expose the government coverup of the dangers of Agent Orange. The film premiered on NBC on November 10, 1986. The film stars Alfre Woodard as Maude DeVictor, John Ritter as Frank Coleman, Patti LaBelle as Jeanette Thompson, John Vargas as Fernando 'Nando' Sanchez, Belinda Lang as Helen Cassady, and Richard Yearwood as Vincent. For their work, Woodard was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and Johnson was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special. Plot Frank Coleman is a Vietnam War veteran dying from cancer caused by Agent Orange. Maude DeVictor is Co ...
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Television Film
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for initial showing in movie theaters, and direct-to-video films made for initial release on home video formats. In certain cases, such films may also be referred to and shown as a miniseries, which typically indicates a film that has been divided into multiple parts or a series that contains a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Origins and history Precursors of "television movies" include ''Talk Faster, Mister'', which aired on WABD (now WNYW) in New York City on December 18, 1944, and was produced by RKO Pictures, and the 1957 ''The Pied Piper of Hamelin'', based on the poem by Robert Browning, and starring Van Johnson, one of the first filmed "family musicals" made directly for television. That film was made in Technicolor, ...
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John Vargas
John Vargas is an American actor best known for his role in the films ''Primary Colors'' and '' Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan''. "Seduced By Evil" 1994. Early life John Vargas was born in the Bronx and moved to Puerto Rico when his father Juan A. Maldonado was killed in Laos during the Vietnam war Upon finishing high school he was accepted to the Drama Department at Carnegie Mellon University, becoming the first Puerto Rican to graduate from its drama dept. Upon graduating, Vargas moved to Los Angeles. Career John Vargas was cast in Neil Simon's film '' Only When I Laugh'', with Marsha Mason and James Coco. The following year, he featured in the film '' Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'' in the role of Jedda, and then joined the cast of ABC's ''At Ease'', becoming one of the first Latino actors to star in an American television sitcom. Vargas also appeared as Oliviera in '' The Hanoi Hilton''. Vargas joined the ensemble cast of the film ''Primary Colors'', directed by Acade ...
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1986 Television Films
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 **Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal enter the European Community, which becomes the European Union in 1993. *January 11 – The Gateway Bridge in Brisbane, Australia, at this time the world's longest prestressed concrete free-cantilever bridge, is opened. *January 13– 24 – South Yemen Civil War. *January 20 – The United Kingdom and France announce plans to construct the Channel Tunnel. *January 24 – The Voyager 2 space probe makes its first encounter with Uranus. *January 25 – Yoweri Museveni's National Resistance Army Rebel group takes over Uganda after leading a five-year guerrilla war in which up to half a million people are believed to have been killed. They will later use January 26 as the official date to avoid a coincidence of dates with Dictator Idi Amin's 1971 co ...
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Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large national audience. Daily broadsheet editions are printed for D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. The ''Post'' was founded in 1877. In its early years, it went through several owners and struggled both financially and editorially. Financier Eugene Meyer purchased it out of bankruptcy in 1933 and revived its health and reputation, work continued by his successors Katharine and Phil Graham (Meyer's daughter and son-in-law), who bought out several rival publications. The ''Post'' 1971 printing of the Pentagon Papers helped spur opposition to the Vietnam War. Subsequently, in the best-known episode in the newspaper's history, reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein led the American press's investigation into what became known as the Watergate scandal, ...
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Tom Shales
Thomas William Shales (born November 3, 1944) is an American writer and retired critic of television programming and operations. He was a television critic for ''The Washington Post'' from 1977 to 2010, for which Shales received the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1988. He also writes a column for the television news trade publication ''NewsPro'', published by Crain Communications. Life and career Shales was born in Elgin, Illinois, the son of Hulda Louise (née Reko) and Clyde LeRoy Shales. Shales's first professional job was with radio station WRMN/ WRMN-FM in Elgin at the age of 18. He served as the station's disc jockey, local news reporter, writer and announcer, on both the AM and FM bands. He later worked with Voice of America as a producer of broadcasts to the Far East. Shales graduated from American University in Washington, D.C., where he was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, ''The Eagle'', for the 1966–1967 academic year, as well as the paper's movie critic. ...
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Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The north was supported by the Soviet Union, China, and other communist states, while the south was United States in the Vietnam War, supported by the United States and other anti-communism, anti-communist Free World Military Forces, allies. The war is widely considered to be a Cold War-era proxy war. It lasted almost 20 years, with direct U.S. involvement ending in 1973. The conflict also spilled over into neighboring states, exacerbating the Laotian Civil War and the Cambodian Civil War, which ended with all three countries becoming communist states by 1975. After the French 1954 Geneva Conference, military withdrawal from Indochina in 1954 – following their defeat in the First Indochina War – the Viet Minh to ...
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Primetime Emmy Award For Outstanding Directing For A Limited Series, Movie, Or Dramatic Special
This is a list of the winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Chronology of category names Over the years, the scope of this award has evolved and the name with which it has been presented reflects those changes: * 1975: Director of the Year – Special * 1976: Outstanding Directing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy * 1977: Outstanding Directing in a Special Program * 1978–1979: Outstanding Directing in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy * 1980–1986: Outstanding Directing in a Limited Series or Special * 1987–1992: Outstanding Directing in a Miniseries or Special * 1993–1996: Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing for a Miniseries or Special * 1997–1998: Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Special * 1999–2000: Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Movie * 2001–2002: Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special * 2003–2015: Outstanding Directing f ...
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Primetime Emmy Award For Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Series Or Movie
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie is an award presented annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role on a television limited series or television movie for the primetime network season. The award was first presented at the 7th Primetime Emmy Awards on March 7, 1955, to Judith Anderson, for her performance as Lady Macbeth on the ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'' episode "Macbeth". It has undergone several name changes, with the category split into two categories at the 25th Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Special Program – Drama or Comedy; and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series. By the 31st Primetime Emmy Awards, the categories were merged into one, and it has since undergone several name changes, leading to its current title. Since its inception, the award has been given to 54 ...
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Richard Yearwood
Richard Yearwood is a British-Canadian actor, television host, director and producer, who is best known for providing the voice of Donkey Kong in ''Donkey Kong Country''. Career Yearwood began his acting career in 1980, in the television series ''The Littlest Hobo'' as Danny McLean. His other recurring roles include, Special Agent Bush in '' Due South'', Mr. Smith in '' Once a Thief'', Jor in '' Relic Hunter'', Nestov in '' Tracker'' and Benjamin N'Udu in ''InSecurity''. He also acted in several feature and television films, such as Vincent in '' Unnatural Causes'', Wilson Carlisle in ''X-Rated'', Marco in ''Down in the Delta'', Habersham in '' Enslavement: The True Story of Fanny Kemble'', Randy Benson in '' Bojangles'' and Lucius in ''Blizzard''. Yearwood had also provided occasional voice over work in animated television shows and video games, most notably the Nintendo character Donkey Kong in the Canadian animated television series ''Donkey Kong Country'', he also voiced R ...
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Belinda Lang
Belinda Lucy Lange (born 23 December 1953), known professionally as Belinda Lang, is an English actress. She is known for playing Liza in the ITV sitcom '' Second Thoughts'' (1991–94), and Bill Porter in the BBC sitcom '' 2point4 Children'' (1991–99). Her theatre credits include London productions of the Noël Coward plays, ''Present Laughter'' (1981), '' Blithe Spirit'' (1997), and ''Hay Fever'' (2006). Her radio/audio credits include voicing narrator Madeleine in the podcast ''Wooden Overcoats''. Early life Lang was born in Marylebone, London, in 1953, the daughter of actors Jeremy Hawk and Joan Heal. Career Television Lang is perhaps best known for her starring roles in three sitcoms – as Kate in '' Dear John'', as Bill Porter in '' 2point4 Children'' and as Liza Ferrari in '' Second Thoughts''. After a small part as 'Girl in Bath' in ''Play for Today'' in 1980 she appeared in the 1980 miniseries ''To Serve Them All My Days'', following this she had several one-off a ...
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Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul". She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singer and frontwoman of the vocal group Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. Following the group's name change to Labelle in the 1970s, they released the popular number-one hit "Lady Marmalade". As a result, after the group split in 1976, LaBelle began a successful solo career, starting with her critically acclaimed debut album, which included the career-defining song, "You Are My Friend". LaBelle became a mainstream solo star in 1984 following the success of the singles "If Only You Knew", "Love, Need and Want You" (later sampled for 2002's "Dilemma"), " New Attitude" and "Stir It Up". Less than two years later, in 1986, LaBelle scored a number-one album ''Winner in You'' and its number-one duet single, " On My Own", with Michael McDonald. I ...
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Lamont Johnson
Ernest Lamont Johnson Jr. (September 30, 1922 – October 24, 2010) was an American actor and film director who has appeared in and directed many television shows and movies. He won two Emmy Awards. Early years Johnson was born in Stockton, California, the son of Ruth Alice ( née Fairchild) and Ernest Lamont Johnson, who was a realtor. He attended Pasadena Junior College and UCLA and was active in theatrical productions at both schools. Acting When he was 16, Johnson began his career in radio, eventually playing the role of Tarzan in a popular syndicated series in 1951. He also worked as a newscaster and a disc jockey. Johnson was also one of several actors to play Archie Goodwin in ''The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe'', opposite Sydney Greenstreet on NBC Radio. He then turned to films and television, first as an actor, then as a director. Directing Johnson's directing debut came in 1948 with the play ''Yes Is For a Very Young Man'' in New York. His television ...
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