Dennis FranzFilmography

Born:: October 28, 1944 in Maywood, IL
Occupation:: Actor
Biography:: Chicago-born Dennis Franz (originally Dennis Schlachta) spent 11 months in an airborne division during the Vietnam War. Afterwards, Franz became a postman -- and, by his own admission, not a very good one. Short, bald, overweight and scrappy, he decided to establish himself as a character actor...Read More

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The Untold Secrets of Television's Greatest Hits

Synopsis: The Untold Secrets of Television's Greatest Hits offers stories about the productions of eight famous programs. Among the shows discussed are Cheers, L.A. Law, Hill Street Blues, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, he Addams Family, The Munsters, and I Love Lucy. ~ Perry Seibert, All Read More

2005
This Old Cub

Actors: Joe Mantegna

Synopsis: On a baseball team not often cited for its great players, Ron Santo was a hero and a legend. As a third baseman for the Chicago Cubs, Santo played 14 seasons (1960 through 1974), made the All-Star team nine times, earned five Gold Gloves, and in 1965 became the team's youngest ever captain. While Read More

3/26/04
NYPD Blue: Season 10

Actors: Dennis Franz, Henry Simmons, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gordon Clapp, Esai Morales

Synopsis: As NYPD Blue entered its tenth season, there was a perception that the series had become flat and predictable, and that the leading characters were merely going through the motions. But the series had confounded its critics the previous season by retaining its popularity despite a change to an Read More

2002
NYPD Blue: Season 09

Actors: Dennis Franz, Henry Simmons, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Gordon Clapp, Esai Morales

Synopsis: At the end of NYPD Blue's eighth season, Danny Sorenson (Rick Schroder), the troubled young partner of the 15th precinct's Detective Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz), had disappeared under sinister circumstances after a botched undercover operation. It was not until season nine got under way that Read More

2001
America: A Tribute to Heroes

Actors: U2

Synopsis: Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Sheryl Crow, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Tom Petty, Al Pacino, and many more entertainment industry luminaries teamed up on September 21, 2001, for this live telethon raising funds for the families of the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks. The focus Read More

2001
NYPD Blue: Season 08

Synopsis: Season eight of NYPD Blue began minus the services of longtime executive producer David Milch, who left to develop a project of his own. Steven Bochco, who'd co-created the series with Milch, took full charge of the series. This was far from the only eighth-season personnel change. Andrea Thompson Read More

2001
NYPD Blue: Season 07

Synopsis: Although the seventh season of NYPD Blue was supposed to begin on November 9, 1999, a variety of backstage intrigues involving the ABC network and the series' producers (some of these revolving around NYPD's temporary Tuesday-night "replacement" Once and Again) pushed the debut date forward to the Read More

2000
The Heat: Behind the Badge

Actors: Dennis Franz

Synopsis: The Heat: Behind the Badge is an insightful look at the many dangerous aspects of being a police officer in various parts of the world. Viewers are also informed about law enforcement procedures that are still being used in many countries. Find out how exciting and yet draining this work can be. Read More

2000
City of Angels

Actors: Nicolas Cage, Meg Ryan, Andre Braugher, Dennis Franz, Colm Feore

Synopsis: An angel must decide if love is more important than eternal peace in this Americanized adaptation of Wim Wenders' modern classic Wings of Desire. Seth (Nicholas Cage) is an angel who hovers over the city of Los Angeles, listening to people's thoughts, observing their lives, and guiding them to the Read More

1998
NYPD Blue: Season 06

Synopsis: The big news attending NYPD Blue's sixth season was the imminent departure of series star Jimmy Smits, who played Det. Bobby Simone, the new husband of Det. Diane Russell (Kim Delaney). While the particulars of Simone's exit were kept secret from the public, it became obvious from the season Read More

1998
NYPD Blue: Season 05

Synopsis: As expected, the opening episode of NYPD Blue's fifth season resolved the cliffhanger established at the end of season four, with 15th precinct detective Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) returning to active duty after being cleared of all charges relating to the murder of late, unlamented mobster Jimmy Read More

1997
NYPD Blue: Season 04

Synopsis: The fourth season of NYPD Blue saw the introduction of two important new cast members: Andrea Thompson as Detective Jill Kirkendall, fearless crime-fighter, single mother, and potential threat to the burgeoning romance between Det. Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) and Det. Diane Russell (Kim Delaney); Read More

1996
American Buffalo

Actors: Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Franz, Sean Nelson

Synopsis: David Mamet's play about three losers planning a robbery is brought to the screen in an admirably simple, straightforward manner. Don (Dennis Franz) is the owner of an "antique store" (read: junk shop) who discovers that the buffalo head nickel he recently sold to a coin collector was a lot more Read More

1996
Texas Justice

Synopsis: It's Reversal of Fortune meets Jerry Springer in this made-for-TV miniseries, which concerns the true-life tale of a Texas oil magnate on trial for conspiring to murder his brassy ex-wife -- and for very successfully doing away with her lover and daughter. Texas Justice stars Peter Strauss as Read More

1995
NYPD Blue: Season 03

Synopsis: Like all good Steven Bochco projects, NYPD Blue continued to grow, evolve, and push the envelope throughout its third season. The year was a mixed one for the 15th precinct's most mercurial detective, Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz). Though he had found a measure of domestic tranquility with his new Read More

1995
Caught in the Crossfire: A Moment of Truth Movie

Crew: Producer

Synopsis: Originally telecast as part of NBC's off-and-on "Moment of Truth" series, the made-for-TV Caught in the Crossfire stars Dennis Franz as Louisiana journalist Gus Payne. Doing undercover work for the FBI, the innocent Payne is framed by a pair of federal agents who don't want the blunders they've Read More

1994
NYPD Blue: Season 02

Synopsis: The second season of NYPD Blue was transitional in every sense of the word, with a number of major cast changes and the deepening of characterizations within the people who remained. The big news during the 1994-1995 season was the defection of David Caruso as Detective John Kelly, the sensitive Read More

1994
Why My Daughter?: A Moment of Truth Movie

Actors: Dennis Franz, Linda Gray, Alley Mills, Daniel Roebuck, Antonio Sabato, Jr., James Eckhouse, Ray McKinnon, Alanna Ubach

Synopsis: This made-for-television drama is based on the true story of a mother's attempts to get her daughter out of the deadly world of prostitution. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide Read More

1993
NYPD Blue: Season 01

Synopsis: NYPD Blue seemed destined to end before it began, with leading character Det. Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) being gunned down in the very first episode. Andy would recover, but the person responsible for his wounds, mob boss Alfornse Giardella (Robert Costanzo), would prove to be the catalyst of Read More

1993
The Player

Actors: Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Gallagher

Synopsis: Robert Altman takes a scalpel to Hollywood ethics in the 1990s (or the lack thereof) in his acidic satire The Player, adapted from Michael Tolkin's novel. (Tolkin also wrote the screenplay.) The film concerns a sleek and smooth Hollywood studio executive who starts receiving death threats from a Read More

4/10/92
In the Line of Duty: Siege at Marion

Synopsis: This 1970s true story features a fanatically religious woman and her son-in-law who hold her children prisoner while waiting for her late husband's resurrection in Utah. ~ All Movie Guide Read More

1992
N.Y.P.D. Mounted

Synopsis: The New York Mounted Police division teams up a former rodeo cowboy and a veteran police officer. ~ All Movie Guide Read More

1991
Die Hard 2

Actors: Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, Bill Sadler, William Atherton, Franco Nero, Dennis Franz, John Amos

Synopsis: "Another basement, another elevator...how can the same thing happen to the same guy twice?" asks John McClane (Bruce Willis), in what is doubtless the key question of this film. A year after foiling the terrorist takeover of a high-rise office building in the first movie, McClane is waiting to Read More

7/4/90
Nasty Boys, Part 2: Lone Justice

Synopsis: When his son is killed in a drug-related incident, the father sets out to wreck his revenge on two Las Vegas law enforcers. (AKA Kill Or Be Killed) ~ All Movie Guide Read More

1990
The Package

Actors: Gene Hackman, Joanna Cassidy, Tommy Lee Jones, John Heard, Dennis Franz

Synopsis: The Package, a thriller involving political assassination and intrigue, is an excellent action feature using a familiar theme and providing good performances by the cast. Boyette (Tommy Lee Jones) is a prisoner entrusted to Gallagher (Gene Hackman) for transportation back to the United States. Read More

8/25/89
Kiss Shot

Actors: Whoopi Goldberg

Synopsis: Whoopi Goldberg stars in this TV movie as a single mother who begins paying the bills by hustling pool at a local billiards hall. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide Read More

1989
Christine Cromwell: Easy Come, Easy Go

Synopsis: In this drama, legal eagle Cromwell must protect her client who has been wrongly accused of killing a grifter. She is up against a crafty, and earnest police officer. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide Read More

1989
Matlock: The Mayor

Actors: Nancy Stafford, Julie Sommars, Kene Holliday, Don Knotts

Synopsis: An old flower child stands accused of murdering the mayor of Chicago. He says he is innocent, and attorney Ben Matlock believes him. During his investigation, the clever lawyer discovers several damning skeletons in the late leader's closet. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide Read More

1988
A Fine Mess

Actors: Ted Danson, Howie Mandel, Richard Mulligan, Stuart Margolin, Maria Conchita Alonso

Synopsis: Blake Edwards comes a cropper in this lunk-headed slapstick homage to Laurel and Hardy, Mack Sennett, and Jerry Lewis. Ted Danson and Howie Mandell play Spence Holden and Dennis Powell, a couple of idiots who find themselves involved with a pack of gangsters. Spence is a two-bit actor who is at a Read More

8/9/86
The A-Team: Beverly Hills Assault

Synopsis: A street artist named Speed (David Westgor) is being forced to paint forgeries of valuable works of art so that crooked dealer Steffan Shawn (Lloyd Bochner) can pass the phonies off as the real thing. When Speed is nearly beaten to death by Shawn's minions, his sister Peggy (Maylo McCaslin) turns Read More

1985
Hunter: The Snow Queen, Part 1

Synopsis: In the first episode of a two-part story, a reluctant Hunter (Fred Dryer) is teamed with sleazy Manhattan detective Jackie Molinas (Dennis Franz), who has allowed cocaine dealer Sally LaPone to escape from his custody during extradition from Los Angeles. While Hunter and Molinas scour the city in Read More

1985
Deadly Messages

Actors: Kathleen Beller

Synopsis: The messages referred to in the title are those conveyed on a Ouija board. The heroine (Kathleen Beller) conjures up these messages, which indicate that her future happiness is gravely in doubt. In point of fact, the words she spells out on the board are I-AM-GOING-TO-KILL-YOU. A mystery figure Read More

1985
Hunter: The Snow Queen, Part 2

Synopsis: In the conclusion of a two-part story, Hunter (Fred Dryer) steps up his search for escaped cocaine dealer Sally LaPone (Lydia Naff). This assignment morphs into a rescue mission when it becomes clear that Manhattan detective Jackie Molinas (Dennis Franz), Hunter's temporary partner, is a dirty Read More

1985
The A-Team: Chopping Spree

Synopsis: Tipped off by a friend of B.A. (Mr. T), the A-Team targets a "chop shop" run by a gang of elusive car thieves. To bring the villains out in the open, the Team offers Face's beloved Corvette as bait--but it is B.A.'s van which is stolen. Played almost exclusively for laughs, this episode boasts a Read More

1984
Body Double

Actors: Craig Wasson, Gregg Henry, Melanie Griffith, Deborah Shelton, Guy Boyd

Synopsis: In Body Double, director Brian DePalma pays homage to the Alfred Hitchcock movies Vertigo and Rear Window, adding a few grotesque touches all his own. Craig Wasson plays Jake, a struggling actor who keeps losing jobs because of his claustrophobia. To make matters worse, his girlfriend has walked Read More

1984
Psycho II

Actors: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, Meg Tilly, Robert Loggia, Dennis Franz

Synopsis: A sequel to one of the most popular horror films of all time, this psychological thriller received a pleasantly surprised, positive critical reception. Anthony Perkins returns as Norman Bates, who has just been released from an insane asylum after 22 years, having been judged clinically sane by Read More

1983
Bay City Blues [TV Series]

1983
Blow Out

Actors: John Travolta, Nancy Allen, John Lithgow, Dennis Franz, Peter Boyden

Synopsis: Brian De Palma's homage to Michelangelo Antonioni's classic art movie Blow-Up (1966) blends suspense and political paranoia when a Philadelphia soundman inadvertently records a murder. Former police technician Jack Terri (John Travolta) makes his living doing sound for slasher flicks. While Read More

1981
The Chicago Story

Synopsis: The Chicago Story was the two-hour pilot film for the subsequent TV series. The wounding of a 10-year-old girl by a sniper is seen through the eyes of three sets of Chicago professionals. Vincent Baggetta and Craig T. Nelson are the defense and prosecuting attorneys respectively (they'd been Read More

1981
Dressed to Kill

Actors: Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen, Keith Gordon, Dennis Franz

Synopsis: One of Brian De Palma's most divisive films, Dressed to Kill is a spine-chilling Alfred Hitchcock update for the late 1970s. Sexually frustrated wife and mother Kate Miller (Angie Dickinson) visits her New York psychiatrist, Dr. Elliott (Michael Caine), to complain about her unfulfilling erotic Read More

1980
Popeye

Actors: Robin Williams, Shelley Duvall, Ray Walston, Paul L. Smith, Paul Dooley

Synopsis: Based on the long-running comic strip created by E.C. Segar (and less on the animated cartoons created by Max Fleischer, which were decidedly different in tone and approach), Popeye follows the sailor man with the mighty arms (played by Robin Williams in his first major film role) as he arrives in Read More

1980
A Perfect Couple

Actors: Paul Dooley, Marta Heflin, Titos Vandis, Belita Moreno, Henry Gibson

Synopsis: Robert Altman cooled his "innovative" jets to make the innocuous romantic comedy A Perfect Couple. Marta Heflin plays a member of a boisterous rock group. Paul Dooley is a bashful bachelor from a tradition-bound Greek family. Heflin and Dooley meet via a computer dating service, whereupon all the Read More

1979
A Wedding

Actors: Carol Burnett, Mia Farrow, Paul Dooley, Lillian Gish, Amy Stryker, Howard Duff, Geraldine Chaplin, Dennis Christopher

Synopsis: Robert Altman's over-frenetic satire on American marriage rituals and hypocrisy concerns the upper-crust marriage between Dino Corelli (Desi Arnaz Jr.) and Muffin Brenner (Amy Stryker). As the film begins, a senile bishop forgets the lines to the wedding ceremony and Nettie Sloan (the groom's Read More

1978
Stony Island

Actors: Richard Davis, Edward "Stony" Robinson, George Englund, Gene Barge, Ronnie Barron

Synopsis: This independent project was originally released as My Main Man From Stony Island. Filmed in Chicago, the story involves a group of multiracial rhythm-and-blues performers, and how they're affected by the death of veteran blues musician (Gene Barge). As a bonus, the films takes excellent Read More

1978
The Fury

Actors: Kirk Douglas, John Cassavetes, Carrie Snodgress, Charles Durning, Amy Irving, Andrew Stevens

Synopsis: Brian De Palma returns to the mind-blowing potential of telekinesis in the follow-up to his 1976 horror hit Carrie. While vacationing with his psychic son, Robin (Andrew Stevens), and close associate Childress (John Cassavetes), government agent Peter Sandza (Kirk Douglas) survives a terrorist Read More

1978
Remember My Name

Actors: Geraldine Chaplin, Anthony Perkins, Moses Gunn, Berry Berenson, Jeff Goldblum

Synopsis: This disquieting domestic thriller from writer and director Alan Rudolph was produced by his long-time mentor Robert Altman. Anthony Perkins stars as Neil Curry, a construction worker living happily in suburbia with his wife Barbara (Berry Berenson) until their home becomes vandalized during the Read More

1978

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