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Viola Harris
Viola Harris (July 5, 1920 – August 23, 2017) was an American actress known for roles in television, theater and film from the 1950s to the 2010s. Career Harris appeared in a number of films including Woody Allen's ''Deconstructing Harry'' in 1997, '' Choke'' in 2008, ''The Other Guys'' in 2010, and ''Sex and the City 2'' in 2010. In 2010, she starred in the short film, ''The Secret Friend'', directed by Flavio Alves. Harris received positive reviews for her role in the film. Phil Hall of ''Film Threat'', who gave the film a positive score for example, argued that Harris "truly deserves to be in the center of the spotlight." On stage, Harris worked in summer stock theatre for a number of years. She also was a standby for the Broadway production of ''Zelda'' (1969). Family She was married to actor Robert H. Harris Robert H. Harris (born Robert H. Hurwitz; July 15, 1911 – November 30, 1981) was an American character actor. Stage A veteran of the Yiddish Art Theater fr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Secret Friend
''The Secret Friend'' is a 2010 comedy-drama film based on the 1997 short story of the same name by Brazilian writer João Silvério Trevisan. The film, directed by Flavio Alves, features Viola Harris and Siobhan Fallon in the major roles. The film differs substantially from the original short story, which initially created some tension between the writer and the director. Filming took place in early 2009, mainly in Brooklyn, New York, and debuted at the 2010 Palm Springs International Film Festival, where it was chosen as ''Best of the Fest''. The film centers around the character and life of Anna Marshall, a lonely, elderly widow living in a suburb of New York City, who develops a mysterious friendship with a silent caller. Although a screenplay for a feature version of the short film was written, as of 2011, it has not been officially greenlit. Plot An elderly widow, Anna Marshall (Harris), lives in isolation following the death of her beloved husband. With no friends and an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Newspapers
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports and art, and often include materials such as opinion columns, weather forecasts, reviews of local services, obituaries, birth notices, crosswords, editorial cartoons, comic strips, and advice columns. Most newspapers are businesses, and they pay their expenses with a mixture of subscription revenue, newsstand sales, and advertising revenue. The journalism organizations that publish newspapers are themselves often metonymically called newspapers. Newspapers have traditionally been published in print (usually on cheap, low-grade paper called newsprint). However, today most newspapers are also published on websites as online newspapers, and some have even abandoned their print versions entirely. Newspapers developed in the 17th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Noise (2007 American Film)
''Noise'' is a 2007 American comedy drama film written and directed by Henry Bean. It stars Tim Robbins and Bridget Moynahan. Robbins plays a successful lawyer in Manhattan named David Owen who is bothered by all the noise in the city, and who resorts to vandalism to put a stop to it, adopting the identity of "The Rectifier". His acts of vandalism provoke the mayor of the city, played by William Hurt. The film premiered October 22, 2007 at the Rome Film Festival. It was later shown at the AFI Film Festival on November 6, 2007. It opened in limited release in the United States on May 9, 2008. Plot David Owen, a New York lawyer, is constantly plagued by noise, particularly car alarms, but also burglar alarms and backup beepers. Despite putting up with the noise for years, including the formative years of his daughter, he finally breaks into a car to shut off its alarm, and is arrested by police. Owen and his family try living in the countryside for a weekend, but it only replaces ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sour Grapes (1998 Film)
''Sour Grapes'' is a 1998 American black comedy film written and directed by Larry David and starring Steven Weber, Craig Bierko, Viola Harris, Karen Sillas, and Matt Keeslar. It was released on April 17, 1998, by Columbia Pictures. Plot Richie Maxwell is down to his last quarter at a slot machine in Atlantic City, so he asks cousin Evan for two more coins for one more spin — a spin that wins a $400,000 jackpot. The joy of victory is quickly replaced by a fierce disagreement over who deserves what. Richie begins by offering Evan a very small percentage of his winnings. Evan didn't expect anything at first but now he is offended because he provided two-thirds of the money Richie sank into the machine. A bitter feud develops. Richie, a sneaker designer, hogs all the money and quits his job. Evan, a doctor, is so annoyed that, as a prank, he lets Richie believe he is dying. By the time he reveals the joke, Richie has done something drastic. The more rattled Evan gets, the more d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
That's Adequate
''That's Adequate'' is a 1990 mockumentary comedy film documenting a fictional Hollywood studio, Adequate Film Studios. Narrated and hosted by Tony Randall, the film features an all-star cast including James Coco (in his final film role), Robert Downey Jr., Anne Meara, Jerry Stiller, Bruce Willis and Ben Stiller. It was also the last movie for actress Ina Balin, who had appeared in Hurwitz's previous films such as ''The Projectionist ''The Projectionist'' is a 1970 American comedy film written and directed by Harry Hurwitz that was the first feature film with Rodney Dangerfield as an actor. The film employed the use of superimposition of older motion pictures, the first time ...'' and '' The Comeback Trail''. Premise ''That's Adequate'' is a documentary about a fictional Hollywood film studio. Cast References External links * * * 1989 films 1989 independent films American parody films American independent films American mockumentary films 1980s parody films ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Good Guys Wear Black
''Good Guys Wear Black'' is a 1978 American martial arts action film starring Chuck Norris and directed by Ted Post. This was the second film to feature Norris as the star, following ''Breaker! Breaker!'' (1977). However, this is the one that Norris considers his "breakthrough". Following years of kung fu film imports from Hong Kong action cinema during the 1970s, most notably Bruce Lee films followed by Bruceploitation flicks, ''Good Guys Wear Black'' launched Chuck Norris as the first successful homegrown American martial arts star, having previously been best known for his film debut as a villain in Bruce Lee's ''Way of the Dragon'' (1972). ''Good Guys Wear Black'' distinguished itself from earlier martial arts films with its distinctly American setting, characters, themes, and politics, a formula which Norris continued with the similarly successful '' Force of One'' (1979). The film featured a first screen appearance by Norris' brother Aaron Norris and final appearances by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fire Sale (film)
''Fire Sale'' is a 1977 American comedy film starring Alan Arkin (who also directed) as Ezra Fikus, Rob Reiner as his brother Russell, Vincent Gardenia as their father Benny, Sid Caesar as Benny's brother Sherman, Anjanette Comer as Marion (Ezra's wife), and Kay Medford as Ruth (Benny's wife). Plot Benny Fikus decides to cash in on his business' fire insurance by committing arson. Benny plans to have Sherman, who is in a mental hospital believing that World War II is still being fought, escape and burn down Benny's failing clothing store which he has made Sherman believe is a Nazi military headquarters. During a vacation trip with Marion, Benny has a heart attack, and his sons Ezra and Russell take over the store. The low self-esteemed Russell wants to expand the store and marry his girlfriend, while Ezra needs money to adopt an orphaned 6'8" African-American teenage boy named Booker T (Byron Stewart). Ezra needs Booker T. to play on the high-school basketball team he coaches b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Whiffs
''Whiffs'' is a 1975 comedy film directed by Ted Post and starring Elliott Gould, Eddie Albert, Harry Guardino, Godfrey Cambridge, and Jennifer O'Neill. It was produced by Brut Productions and released theatrically in the U.S. by 20th Century Fox. The film was released in the UK as ''C.A.S.H.'' Plot A group of gullible military private volunteers to be the subject of numerous military biological and chemical weaponry experiments, and later robs banks as a result. Cast * Elliott Gould as Dudley Frapper * Eddie Albert as Colonel Lockyer * Harry Guardino as Chops Mulligan * Godfrey Cambridge as Dusty * Jennifer O'Neill as Lt. Scottie Hallam * Don "Red" Barry as Sgt. Post * James Brown as State Trooper * Richard Masur as Lockyer's Aide * Howard Hesseman as Dr. Gopian * Jack Colley performing the stunt piloting maneuvers Production Development The film was made by Brut Productions, a short lived film production company that was an off-shoot of Faberge Cosmetics under George Barrie. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Funny Girl (film)
''Funny Girl'' is a 1968 American biographical musical comedy-drama film directed by William Wyler and written by Isobel Lennart, adapted from her book for the stage musical of the same title. It is loosely based on the life and career of Broadway and film star and comedienne Fanny Brice and her stormy relationship with entrepreneur and gambler Nicky Arnstein. Produced by Brice's son-in-law, Ray Stark (and the first film by his company Rastar), with music and lyrics by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, the film stars Barbra Streisand (in her film debut reprising her Broadway role) as Brice and Omar Sharif as Arnstein, with a supporting cast featuring Kay Medford, Anne Francis, Walter Pidgeon, Lee Allen and Mae Questel. A major critical and commercial success, ''Funny Girl'' became the highest-grossing film of 1968 in the United States and received eight Academy Award nominations. Streisand won Best Actress, tying with Katharine Hepburn (''The Lion in Winter''). In 2006, the Am ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Slender Thread
''The Slender Thread'' is a 1965 American drama film starring Anne Bancroft and Sidney Poitier. It was the first feature-length film directed by future Oscar-winning director, producer and actor Sydney Pollack. Poitier portrays Alan, a college student who is volunteering at Seattle's then-new Crisis Clinic, a suicide prevention hotline. Shortly after beginning his solo duty on the night shift, Alan receives a call from a woman named Inga (Bancroft) who says she has just taken a lethal dose of pills and wants to talk to someone before she dies. The story line follows the efforts of Alan, a psychiatrist (Telly Savalas) and a detective (Ed Asner) to locate Inga and her husband Mark (Steven Hill), who is on a local fishing vessel. Various flashback scenes depict the events that led Inga to make the attempt on her life. The film was inspired by a ''Life'' magazine article by Shana Alexander about actual events. The film is set in Seattle, and includes scenes shot on location, as wel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Don't Knock The Twist
''Don't Knock the Twist'' is a 1962 comedy musical film starring Lang Jeffries, directed by Oscar Rudolph and produced by Sam Katzman for release by Columbia Pictures. It is a sequel to the 1961 film ''Twist Around the Clock'', featuring musical artists including Chubby Checker. Plot summary A large group of twist dancers meet in preparation for a television variety show called ''The Twist''. While the program is still in its production stages, jealousy leads to problems. Cast * Chubby Checker as Chubby Checker * Gene Chandler as the Duke of Earl * Vic Dana as Vic Dana * Linda Scott as Linda Scott * The Dovells as the Dovells * Len Barry as Len Barry (of the Dovells) * Mike Dennis as Mike Dennis (of the Dovells) * Arnie Satin as Arnie Satin (of the Dovells) * Jerry Summers as Jerry Summers (of the Dovells) * The Carroll Brothers as the Carroll Brothers * Lang Jeffries as Ted Haver * Mari Blanchard as Dulcie Corbin * Georgine Darcy as Madge Albright * Stephen Preston as B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Lost Missile
''The Lost Missile'' is a 1958 American science fiction film written by John McPartland and science-fiction writer Jerome Bixby. It was to have been directed by William Berke, who was also the executive producer, but following Berke's sudden death, his son Lester Wm. Berke became the film's director. It stars Robert Loggia in one of his earliest roles. Production A low-budget film that relied heavily on stock footage of military forces and civil-defense exercises, ''The Lost Missile'' carried a Cold War-era message of the importance of the work performed by scientists and the military in protecting the nation from external threats. The concept of the atomic-powered cruise-missile doomsday weapon was similar to that of the U.S. Air Force's Supersonic Low Altitude Missile, which was under development at the time. Plot The appearance of an unknown "missile-like" object in nearby space leads a European nation (unnamed, but implied to be one of the countries behind the Iron Cu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
