One of my favorite Made-For-TV movies ever is DEADMAN'S CURVE from 1978. Richard Hatch and Bruce Davison starred as the legendary surf rock duo Jan & Dean. Really terrific, and I think it's available on DVD.
This clip is from a reunion concert that Jan & Dean performed, along with Hatch & Davison a few years after the film was produced. It's important to note that back in 1966 Jan Barry was in a near fatal car crash that left him permanently disabled. Over time he was able to regain some of his motor skills (please excuse the unintentional pun) but of course, he never fully regained his immense talent or his career. Sadly, he passed away last year.
[youtube][/youtube]
Made for TV Movies You should see
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movieman1957
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Gideon's Trumpet stars Henry Fonda as a Florida man who fought all the way to the Supreme Court for the right to be represented by a lawyer.
Based on a true story Gideon was forced to defend himself when he couldn't afford a lawyer for his case when he was charged with burglary.
Later in the film the Supreme Court justices are played by the likes of Jose Ferrer, John Houseman, Sam Jaffe and Dean Jagger. Heck, even Fay Wray is in it.
First rate film.
Based on a true story Gideon was forced to defend himself when he couldn't afford a lawyer for his case when he was charged with burglary.
Later in the film the Supreme Court justices are played by the likes of Jose Ferrer, John Houseman, Sam Jaffe and Dean Jagger. Heck, even Fay Wray is in it.
First rate film.
Chris
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
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Lzcutter
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Let's see:
Brian's Song
My Sweet Charlie
The Neon Ceiling
That Certain Summer
The Execution of Private Slovick
QB-VII
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
Some of the most memorable were penned by the writing team of Levinson and Link.
It was a great era for TV movies and mini-series. There's probably more I could name if I could just remember them!
Brian's Song
My Sweet Charlie
The Neon Ceiling
That Certain Summer
The Execution of Private Slovick
QB-VII
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
Some of the most memorable were penned by the writing team of Levinson and Link.
It was a great era for TV movies and mini-series. There's probably more I could name if I could just remember them!
Lynn in Lake Balboa
"Film is history. With every foot of film lost, we lose a link to our culture, to the world around us, to each other and to ourselves."
"For me, John Wayne has only become more impressive over time." Marty Scorsese
Avatar-Warner Bros Water Tower
"Film is history. With every foot of film lost, we lose a link to our culture, to the world around us, to each other and to ourselves."
"For me, John Wayne has only become more impressive over time." Marty Scorsese
Avatar-Warner Bros Water Tower
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feaito
Thanks for the link and information about the film being available on You Tube. I did not know!!! And yes, although I do not recall Miss Darby's performance, Liz Montgomery excelled in everything I ever saw her in, either sitcom, comedy or drama. She was a great actress and a wonderful human being.JohnM wrote:<b>Don't Be Afraid of the Dark</b> only suffers from the miscating (imo) of Kim Darby, in a role which Elizabeth Montgomery would have excelled. Anyway, the entire film can be found on Youtube.
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jdb1
Has anyone mentioned the "Lonesome Dove" mini-series? ONLY the original, with Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones. From Anne's post on another thread, I don't think I want to "wade" thru the new one.
But Duvall and Jones were superb, as was the movie. I have never seen a better movie for creating a time and place that seemed so real.
But Duvall and Jones were superb, as was the movie. I have never seen a better movie for creating a time and place that seemed so real.
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movieman1957
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"Lonesome Dove" is one of the greats. I have also seen the second "Lonesome Dove" miniseries and "The Streets of Laredo." The complication in the others is ever time you have somone different playing Jones' part. That's not to say they weren't enjoyable but it's keeping them straight and comparing them. (Kind of like with James Bond.)
Since we brought him up, has anyone seen Duvall's other westerns and do you think he plays them all like he did McCrae?
If anyone wants to throw miniseries into the mix my favorite was the colossal "Centennial." 26 hours of fictional history I thought made for gripping television. Only when it got to the 1930's and later did it lose any steam. Anybody who was anybody in 1978 was there. I thought it was great. Now if only if were available in an affordable format.
Since we brought him up, has anyone seen Duvall's other westerns and do you think he plays them all like he did McCrae?
If anyone wants to throw miniseries into the mix my favorite was the colossal "Centennial." 26 hours of fictional history I thought made for gripping television. Only when it got to the 1930's and later did it lose any steam. Anybody who was anybody in 1978 was there. I thought it was great. Now if only if were available in an affordable format.
Chris
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
Hi movieman Chris:
Don't ask me why, but I've never seen the original Lonesome Dove. I might have been working nights when it was on or, it was on opposite something we were faithful to, so I can't compare Duvall to it. I loved him in last years mini Broken Range, and in the movie Open Range. He plays that scruffy old sidekick/teacher/confidant in just the right stages. He's never overbearing, in his intelligence, or advice, he just tells his little parables and lets the other guy take it from there.
As for Centennial, I agree that when it came to the modern era, it slowed down to a whimper, but then, how exciting can you be when all the hard stuff has been overcome? By hard stuff I mean, no more Indians, the rail road is a done deal, the car is an everyday item, and people are already starting to fly in airplanes. By the 30's the new discoveries were in electronics, and it's difficult to make that exciting. TV, radio, telephones, movies. Big deal, movies could talk, and be done in color. So although big strides had been made, it couldn't compare with a good "Circle the wagons, don't shoot til you see the whites of their eyes!"
But, yes, until that modern era, I was glued to the TV for every episode.
Anne
Don't ask me why, but I've never seen the original Lonesome Dove. I might have been working nights when it was on or, it was on opposite something we were faithful to, so I can't compare Duvall to it. I loved him in last years mini Broken Range, and in the movie Open Range. He plays that scruffy old sidekick/teacher/confidant in just the right stages. He's never overbearing, in his intelligence, or advice, he just tells his little parables and lets the other guy take it from there.
As for Centennial, I agree that when it came to the modern era, it slowed down to a whimper, but then, how exciting can you be when all the hard stuff has been overcome? By hard stuff I mean, no more Indians, the rail road is a done deal, the car is an everyday item, and people are already starting to fly in airplanes. By the 30's the new discoveries were in electronics, and it's difficult to make that exciting. TV, radio, telephones, movies. Big deal, movies could talk, and be done in color. So although big strides had been made, it couldn't compare with a good "Circle the wagons, don't shoot til you see the whites of their eyes!"
But, yes, until that modern era, I was glued to the TV for every episode.
Anne
Anne
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Sue Sue Applegate
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- Location: Texas
Well, Anne, I must encourage you to see Lonesome Dove. It is fantastic. I know someone who worked on the set here in Texas, and am still envious. It was a congenial, lively place, and the film is superb.
Please don't deny yourself this pleasure!
As for the sequels, I tend to agree with movieman 1957 and the James Bond comparison. Centennial was also another favorite.
As for Duvall repeating his "Augustus McCrae" role, I'd stand in line to watch it again. I think he will forever dip into that well whenever forced to emote in westerns. Who woulda thunk that about Boo Radley all them years later? Or the crazy character he played in Captain Newman, M.D.?
But I'm with Lynn on The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman, Leon Uris' QBVII, My Sweet Charlie, and Brian's Song.
jdb1, I also enjoyed Elizabeth Montgomery as The Legend of Lizzie Borden, with Royal Dano playing her father, as I recall. It was a great departure from her other roles up to that point.
Plus, anyone recall Elizabeth Montgomery and Hal Holbrook in a great TV film called something like "The Awakening Land" where Montgomery's character saves her husband, Holbrook's character, with a concoction called lemon moss tea? I really enjoyed that one!
And Trish Van Devere, George C. Scott's wife, was in a great self-discovery movie with Melvyn Douglas and Monte Markham called "One is a Lonely Number." Great showcase for the elderly Douglas at the time.
Please don't deny yourself this pleasure!
As for the sequels, I tend to agree with movieman 1957 and the James Bond comparison. Centennial was also another favorite.
As for Duvall repeating his "Augustus McCrae" role, I'd stand in line to watch it again. I think he will forever dip into that well whenever forced to emote in westerns. Who woulda thunk that about Boo Radley all them years later? Or the crazy character he played in Captain Newman, M.D.?
But I'm with Lynn on The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman, Leon Uris' QBVII, My Sweet Charlie, and Brian's Song.
jdb1, I also enjoyed Elizabeth Montgomery as The Legend of Lizzie Borden, with Royal Dano playing her father, as I recall. It was a great departure from her other roles up to that point.
Plus, anyone recall Elizabeth Montgomery and Hal Holbrook in a great TV film called something like "The Awakening Land" where Montgomery's character saves her husband, Holbrook's character, with a concoction called lemon moss tea? I really enjoyed that one!
And Trish Van Devere, George C. Scott's wife, was in a great self-discovery movie with Melvyn Douglas and Monte Markham called "One is a Lonely Number." Great showcase for the elderly Douglas at the time.
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Lzcutter
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Anne,
You must see Lonesome Dove! You would love it. Robert Duvall at his finest and Tommy Lee Jones (well, before he became the Tommy Lee Jones we have loved since The Fugitive).
It was directed by Simon Wincer before he did Quigley Down Under and featuring an all star cast that includes Angelica Houston (heartbreaking as Gus' true love), Robert Urich, Danny Glover (before he broke out in Lethal Weapon), Rick Schroeder, Chris Cooper, William Saunderson (who proved that he was much more than Larry, Darryl and Darryl), Fredric Forrest (why that boy didn't have more of a career is a mystery to me) and Diane Lane among a host of character actors with great faces.
The Western as a genre had been written off long ago but this wonderful miniseries served to remind us of all that could be possible with the genre.
With a wonderful script by Larry McMurtry and William Witlff and a rousing score by Basil Poledouris, Lonesome Dove helped resurrect the Western genre and made Dances With Wolves possible.
The story is the tale of two life long friends who are retired Texas Rangers who decide to go on one more adventure and run cattle to Montana to start a ranch there.
In between Texas and Montana, they become the stories of that make legends.
There is not a dry eye in the house by the time the story finally finishes.
Duvall should have won the Emmy that year as Best Acttor but was bested by James Woods for his role in "My Name is Bill W".
While Woods did not play the lead role of Bill W (that was fellow nominee James Garner) , the speculation was that there were enough Hollywood actors in AA that was what tipped the scale to Woods surprise win.
If you love Centennial, you will love Lonesome Dove.
They are very different mini-series with very different stories but each is memorable in their own right.
You must see Lonesome Dove! You would love it. Robert Duvall at his finest and Tommy Lee Jones (well, before he became the Tommy Lee Jones we have loved since The Fugitive).
It was directed by Simon Wincer before he did Quigley Down Under and featuring an all star cast that includes Angelica Houston (heartbreaking as Gus' true love), Robert Urich, Danny Glover (before he broke out in Lethal Weapon), Rick Schroeder, Chris Cooper, William Saunderson (who proved that he was much more than Larry, Darryl and Darryl), Fredric Forrest (why that boy didn't have more of a career is a mystery to me) and Diane Lane among a host of character actors with great faces.
The Western as a genre had been written off long ago but this wonderful miniseries served to remind us of all that could be possible with the genre.
With a wonderful script by Larry McMurtry and William Witlff and a rousing score by Basil Poledouris, Lonesome Dove helped resurrect the Western genre and made Dances With Wolves possible.
The story is the tale of two life long friends who are retired Texas Rangers who decide to go on one more adventure and run cattle to Montana to start a ranch there.
In between Texas and Montana, they become the stories of that make legends.
There is not a dry eye in the house by the time the story finally finishes.
Duvall should have won the Emmy that year as Best Acttor but was bested by James Woods for his role in "My Name is Bill W".
While Woods did not play the lead role of Bill W (that was fellow nominee James Garner) , the speculation was that there were enough Hollywood actors in AA that was what tipped the scale to Woods surprise win.
If you love Centennial, you will love Lonesome Dove.
They are very different mini-series with very different stories but each is memorable in their own right.
Lynn in Lake Balboa
"Film is history. With every foot of film lost, we lose a link to our culture, to the world around us, to each other and to ourselves."
"For me, John Wayne has only become more impressive over time." Marty Scorsese
Avatar-Warner Bros Water Tower
"Film is history. With every foot of film lost, we lose a link to our culture, to the world around us, to each other and to ourselves."
"For me, John Wayne has only become more impressive over time." Marty Scorsese
Avatar-Warner Bros Water Tower
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feaito
I saw it when I was a kid, without my parents' permission, because I recall that there was a murder with an axe and Liz was in one scene covered with blood. I remember it was really a powerful, honest, very well told film. Besides, Elizabeth Montgomery is a favorite in everything I've seen her in.jdb1 wrote:How about Montgomery in The Legend of Lizzie Borden. That was the best retelling/speculation of that story I've ever seen.
A Two-part film I enjoyed quite a lot in this decade, is "Feast of All Saints", set during the early XIXth Century in Louisiana & Haiti. It deals with the Free People of Color and the placage, things I did not know that existed until I saw this film.
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jdb1
And actually, Nando, the first time I saw Lizzie Borden I saw it in Spanish, in Puerto Rico (La Leyenda de Lizzie Borden). Even with my decreased comprehension, I thought it excellent. I'm not familiar with Feast of All Saints. It sounds interesting. Do you know if it was shown in the US?feaito wrote:I saw it when I was a kid, without my parents' permission, because I recall that there was a murder with an axe and Liz was in one scene covered with blood. I remember it was really a powerful, honest, very well told film. Besides, Elizabeth Montgomery is a favorite in everything I've seen her in.jdb1 wrote:How about Montgomery in The Legend of Lizzie Borden. That was the best retelling/speculation of that story I've ever seen.
A Two-part film I enjoyed quite a lot in this decade, is "Feast of All Saints", set during the early XIXth Century in Louisiana & Haiti. It deals with the Free People of Color and the placage, things I did not know that existed until I saw this film.