A Night At The Cinema With: Gary Coleman...

This is a new segment in which I highlight three films of a great actor of our time. This way, you'll have an easy reference for when you want to stay in and really delve into the works of a particular artist. I think there can be little dispute that no actor during the 1980's had the sort of box office gravitas that Gary Coleman did. He was a pint-sized blockbuster factory, churning out one boffo smash after the next. Here are three that I think demand your immediate attention:

• The Kid From Left Field (1979), Notable co-stars include: Robert Guillaume, Ed McMahon, and Gary Collins. A feel-good tale that portrays young Gary as Jackie Robinson (J.R.) Cooper, the son of ex-baseball great Guillaume. He is tasked with managing the last place Padres (never mind the fact that he's pre-pubescent), in all their shit-brown-and-urine-yellow glory, and taking them into first, all while trying to keep authorities from separating him from his cash-strapped dad. Make sure you have a box of Kleenex ready.
• On The Right Track (1981), Notable co-stars include: Maureen Stapleton, Norman Fell, and Bill Russell. A feel-good tale about a kid who lives in a locker in Grand Central Station. It's not just any kid, but a kid that has an incredible knack for picking racehorses. The film plays up the fact that Mr. Coleman is diminutive in stature and, thus, can tolerate living in such a confined space. The film is heavy on laughs...and tears. Better bring some Kleenex.
• The Kid With The Broken Halo (1982), Notable co-stars: Robert Guillaume (again), Corey Feldman, and Kim Fields. Here, in this feel-good tale, Coleman plays Andy LeBeau, a misfit angel who is given one more chance to earn his wings. He is charged with keeping a family from breaking up, cheering up a grumpy old woman, and showing a workaholic family the error of their ways. Along the way all sorts of funny shit happens, but there is plenty of raw emotion. I hope you have some of that Kleenex left!