December 31 - While You Were Sleeping

Today’s movie is a romantic comedy with a scene that happens on December 31. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING   

Lucy Moderatz is a young woman who works as a ticket taker for the Chicago Transit Authority, and gradually develops a crush on an attractive guy who passes through her ticket booth everyday.  The guy comes through her booth and while standing on the platform two punks try to mug him. He falls onto the tracks and is knocked out. Lucy keeps him from being run over by the train. At the hospital a nurse mistakenly thinks Lucy is the fiancée of the unconscious man.  When his family arrives, they like Lucy, so she decides not to tell them that she is not Peter’s fincee, as she thinks this might cause his grandmother to have a heart attack.  Lucy goes to the delayed Christmas celebrations with the family of Peter Callaghan. Peter’s brother Jack goes to Lucy’s apartment house. The obnoxious son of the owner lies and tells Jack that he is dating Lucy. Lucy, who learns Peter has a cat goes to his apartment to feed it and runs into Jack. Jack is suspicious of her relationship with Peter, but when Lucy tells them that Peter only has one testicle, a fact that she accidentally learned from a co-worker of Peter, they naturally believe her. Saul, Peter’s godfather who has learned the truth tells her not to tell the family yet. Lucy goes with Jack to deliver a sofa to Peter’s apartment and learns Jack no longer wants to work with his father in the estate furniture business, but wants to make furniture.  Lucy and Jack are attracted to each other, but don’t want to acknowledge it. Lucy has to fight off the unwanted attentions of the landlord’s son and Peter’s family gets the mistaken idea Lucy is pregnant. On December 31, 1994 [59:36 to 1:06:46] Jack follows Lucy to a New Year’s Eve party. Then Peter wakes up, but when he doesn’t know Lucy, they think he has amnesia. Jack finally tells his father how he fells about the business. Saul persuades Peter to propose to Lucy. Then Ashley shows up. Peter had proposed to her, but she said no and moved to Portugal. Peter rejects Ashley and proposes to Lucy who accepts. Jack visits Lucy, but when she asks if he can giver her any reason why she should not marry Peter, he says he can’t. Just as the wedding is about to begin, Lucy stops it. She confesses all and says she loves Jack. Ashley arrives and objects to the wedding, while Lucy sneaks out. Later Jack slides an engagement ring into her token tray. He comes into her booth and with the entire Callaghan family watching he proposes. They get married and honeymoon in Florence, her favorite city.

A wonderful romantic comedy. Just quirky enough to get out of the usual track of such films. Jack Warden and Glynis Johns steal the show with their performances.    

Sign at 1:02:31 says “Happy New Year” 

Screenplay - Daniel G. Sullivan and Fredric LeBow              

Producer - Roger Birnbaum and Joe Roth              

Director - Jon Turteltaub        

Runtime – 1 hour 43 minutes                

Released - April 21, 1995                    

                                  

Starring -

                                                                                   

Glynis Johns as Elsie  

Peter Gallagher as Peter Callaghan                                                                                                
Bill Pullman as Jack Callaghan

Jack Warden as Saul

Peter Boyle as Ox Callaghan

Monica Keena as Mary Callaghan

Sandra Bullock as Lucy Moderatz

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.

December 30 - The Deliberate Stranger

Today’s movie is a crime drama with a scene that happens on December 30. Watch this film tonight.

THE DELIBERATE STRANGER     

       

In 1974 Ted Bundy is a handsome law student living in Seattle with his girlfriend. Meanwhile the police are investigating a series of disappearances of young women. Witnesses come forward saying they had been approached by a young man who called himself ‘Ted’ who drove a VW bug. Ted leaves Seattle for law school in Utah. The police start to find the bodies of the missing girls  and Ted’s girlfriend starts to suspect him. Ted continues killing girls. Then a girl escapes from Ted. The Seattle police use a new innovation, a  computer, to look for links in the cases and the Great Basin police forces start to work together on the case. Ted is arrested for evading arrest. The girl who he tried to kidnap identifies him. We learn that Ted was  illegitimate.  Ted is convicted of kidnapping. He is indicted for murder in Colorado. Ted escapes from the courthouse, but is recaptured. On December 30, 1977 Ted escapes again from the county jail where he was being held pending trial. [2:40:33 to 2:44:39] He is arrested a month later in Florida after he had killed several more girls. Ted is convicted of murder and sentenced to death.

                   

A very scary movie. Mark Harmon did an excellent job of portraying Ted. He conveyed the surface ordinariness of Ted while hinting at the evil beneath. .

                     

The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule (Signet, New York, 2001) at page 271 and the film at 2:41:13 give the date of his successful escape

Producer - Marvin J. Chomsky

Director - Marvin J. Chomsky

Screenplay - Hesper Anderson

Running Time - 3 hours 5 minutes

Released - May 4, 1986

Starring -         

Mark Harmon as Ted Bundy

M. Emmett Walsh as Sam Davies

Frederic Forrest as Robert Keppel

George Grizzard as Richard Larsen

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

December 29 - Marley and Me

Today’s movie has a scene that happens on December 29. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.  

MARLEY AND ME                       

John Grogan had a dog while growing up. After his marriage to Jenny they move from Michigan to Miami and get jobs at competing newspapers. Jenny soon gets major stories, while he gets stuck with obituaries and such. When Jenny hints about wanting to have kids, John’s friend Sebastian suggests he get her a dog to take care of. They adopt a Labrador retriever and name him Marley. He soon turns out to be a disobedient dog. John is pressured into writing a twice-weekly column, even though he really wants to write hard news. Marley is so poorly behaved that he is expelled from a dog obedience school and also almost kills himself and the Grogans by leaping out of the car on the way to be neutered. Marley’s antics provide much of the material for John’s increasingly popular column. Jenny gets pregnant, but loses the baby early in her pregnancy. They go to Ireland on a second honeymoon, but Marley terrifies the dog sitter, who can’t control him during the thunderstorms that occur frequently in south Florida. Jenny gets pregnant again and has two boys in succession. After a neighbor is stabbed in a robbery they move to a more expensive and safer  neighborhood. John reluctantly agrees to write a daily column to get his salary doubled. Jenny gets  postpartum depression and feels overwhelmed. She insists they give Marley away, but later relents. Sebastian meanwhile lands a job with the New York Times, the apex of a newspaper reporter’s career as far as John is concerned. With Jenny’s blessing he takes a news reporter’s job in Philadelphia, but soon realizes he’s a better columnist than reporter. Marley, who is 14 by this time, has an attack of gastric dilation volvus and almost dies. When he has a second attack the vet says he would not survive surgery. John decides to have Marley euthanized on December 29, 2003 [1:40:08 to 1:48:24]. The family buries him in their front
yard.

                       

A sweet and funny story. It functions both as the story of a marriage and a dog movie. Both Anniston and
Wilson give very natural performances here.

Marley: A Dog Like No Other by John Grogan (Collins, New York, 2007) at page 178 gives his death date

Producers - Karen Rosenfelt and Gil Netter

Director - David Frankel                               

Screenplay - Scott Frank and Don Roos                        

Runtime – 2 hours 1 minute                                           

Released – December 25, 2008

Starring –

Owen Wilson as John Grogan

Jennifer Aniston as Jenny Grogan

Eric Dane as Sebastian Tunney

Alan Arkin as Arnie Klein

Haley Hudson as Debbie

Kathleen Turner as Ms. Kornblut

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.

December 28 - The Amityville Horror (1979)

Today’s motion picture is a horror film with a scene that happens on December 28. Watch this film tonight.

        

THE AMITYVILLE HORROR   

In a house in Amityville, New York a family of six is murdered. A year later the Lutz family looks at the house and buys it. While they are cleaning their priest arrives to visit. Flies appear in the room he’s in and a voice tells him to “Get Out!”. When he tries to call the Lutzs to tell them about this the phone line is all static and the phone burns his hand.  The father, George Lutz feels cold in the house, their son falls downstairs and light bulbs explode. George starts waking up every morning at 3:15 a.m. (which he later learns is the time of the murders) and finds lights on and closed windows are now up.   Objects move themselves and black muck appears in the toilets. When a nun visits, she senses evil. Mrs. Lutz has a nightmare and on the way to see the Lutzes, the priest’s car malfunctions. When Mrs. Lutz’s brother gets married $1500 of his money disappears and a babysitter is trapped in a closet. Their priest’s superiors think he’s nuts to be suggesting a supernatural cause of these problems. On December 28, 1975 a couple visit the Lutzs and the wife, Carolyn feels fear. [58:14 to 1:03:22] A window tries to crush the son’s hand. George wakes up at 3:15 again and sees flies in the room. Windows and the front door are blown off their hinges. The police are called. Mrs. Lutz tries to call the priest, but only gets static. Mrs. Lutz has a vision of a man and then of eyes in the window. George goes to a bar and uncharacteristically for him almost gets in a fight. Their friend Carolyn says the house was built by a witch from Salem. She identifies a spot in the basement where their dog digs. They find a red room and have a vision of the killer. Carolyn gets possessed briefly. The Lutzes try blessing the house themselves. The priest is blinded and the Lutzes fight about the house. Mrs. Lutz reads about the murders. George is apparently possessed by the killer’s spirit and the walls start to bleed. They flee, but George goes back to save the dog. He almost drowns in a pool of muck that appears in the basement, but the dog saves him. They all leave.

I remember the buzz this film generated at the time.  However, it now seems kind of a yawner. The story seems kind of over the top and told with a “can you believe this’ kind of style. Actually, no I can’t but if you like horror films you might be interested in one of the first in the genre. 

The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson (Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1977) at page 5 gives the date they moved in as December 18, which is day one, so day 11 as given at 58:33 is December 28.

Awards- Lalo Schifrin's musical score was nominated for an Academy Award, but lost

Director - Stuart Rosenberg      

Runtime - 1 hour 57 minutes        

Released - July 27, 1979

Starring - James Brolin as George Lutz, Margot Kidder as Kathy Lutz, Rod Steiger as Father Delaney, Don Stroud as Father Bolen, Murray Hamilton as Father Ryan , Helen Shaver as Carolyn

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.

December 27 - Behind Enemy Lines

Today’s movie is an action/adventure film with scenes that happen on December 27. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.

       

BEHIND ENEMY LINES 

Lieutenant Chris "Longhorn" Burnett and his pilot Lieutenant Jeremy "Smoke" Stackhouse are assigned to fly a photo recon mission on Christmas day by Rear Admiral Leslie McMahon Reigart after Burnett annoys the Admiral by announcing he plans to resign his commission. Burnett talks Stackhouse into veering off-course over the demilitarized zone where they photo Serb Bozniack forces burying massacred civilians in mass graves. The Serbs shot down the plane, but both Burnett and Stackhouse eject. The Serbs find Stackhouse and execute him. The French Admiral commanding NATO forces refuses to let the admiral launch a rescue mission. The admiral leaks the story of Burnett’s shootdown to the press. On December 27, 1995 [1:02:32 to 1:38:58] Burnett is picked up by Bosniak guerillas. The Serbs attack, but Burnett changes uniforms with a dead Bozniak soldier and flees. The Serbs present the dead body wearing his uniform as Burnett’s, which  causes a NATO rescue mission to be aborted.  Burnett returns to his ejection seat and activates the beacon, notifying the Navy and the Serbs of his location. The admiral, in defiance of orders leads a rescue mission. Burnett kills the sniper tracking him, finds the disk with the photos of the mass graves and escapes with the rescue force. The Admiral is retired while Burnett stays in the Navy.   

                       

Producer - John Davis

Director - John Moore

Screenwriters - David Velez and Zak Penn

Runtime – 1 hours 46 minutes

Released – November 30, 2001

Starring –

Owen Wilson as Lieutenant Chris "Longhorn" Burnett

Gene Hackman as Rear Admiral Leslie McMahon Reigart

Gabriel Macht as Lieutenant Jeremy "Smoke" Stackhouse

Charles Malik Whitfield as Captain Glen Rodway, USMC

David Keith as Master Chief Tom O'Malley

Aleksander Krupa as General Miroslav Lokar

Joaquim de Almeida as Admiral Juan Miguel Piquet

Vladimir Mashkov as Sasha the tracker

Marko Igonda as Colonel Viktor Bazda

Eyal Podell as Petty Officer Kennedy

Geoff Pierson as Admiral Donnelly

Aernout Van Lynden as Himself

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

December 26 - The Crossing

Today’s motion picture is a war movie with scenes that happen on December 26. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.   

THE CROSSING            

The Continental Army retreats to the Delaware River and crosses into Pennsylvania to escape the British. They barely get away and their condition is very bad. Washington makes a personal reconnaissance towards Trenton. The other two-thirds of the army arrive. Washington proposes and organizes an attack across the river against the Hessians at Trenton.  They cross the river, but it takes longer than anticipated. In spite of being two hours late, on the morning of December 26, 1776 they surprise and defeat the Hessians. [57:00 to 1:26:27]  The Continental army then retreats across the river.

        

A matter of fact film about this famous event. It’s not quite as heroic as myth would have it. This film does show that it was Washington’s refusal to lie down and die that saved the revolution. Everyone else is totally pessimistic about this plan.

General George Washington by Edward G. Lengel (Random House, New York, 2005) at page 185 gives the date

Producer - Robert W. Christiansen, Delia Fine and Rick Rosenburg

Director - Robert Harmon

Screenplay - Howard Fast

Awards – Nominated for the Outstanding Sound Editing for a Movie, Miniseries or a Special Emmy.  

Running Time - 1 hour 29 minutes

Released - January 10, 2000

                       

Starring -         

Jeff Daniels as George Washington

Roger Rees as Gen Hugh Mercer

Sebastian Roche as Col. John Glover

David Ferry as Gen, Nathaniel Greene

Nigel Bennett as Gen. Horatio Gates

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.
             

December 25 - Toy Story

Today’s motion picture is a fantasy adventure film with scenes that happen on December 25. Watch and enjoy this movie tonight.  

TOY STORY      

                       

In a world where toys are alive when people aren’t around, Woody, a pull string cowboy toy is the leader of the toys of Andy Davis.  At his birthday party, which has been moved up, since the family is getting ready to move, Andy gets a Buzz Lightyear space ranger toy. Buzz believes he is a real space ranger and not a toy. When Andy can only take one toy on a trip to Pizza Planet, Woody’s efforts to ensure he gets taken results in Buzz accidentally getting knocked out the window, causing the other toys to turn on Woody. Buzz climbs in the car and on the way to Pizza Planet he and Woody fight and end up having to stow away on a delivery truck to try and get back to Andy. However at Pizza Planet they both end up being taken by Andy’s toy abusing neighbor, Sid. While at Sid’s house Buzz learns he is a toy and becomes depressed, until Woody tells him he can have purpose by bringing happiness to Andy as his toy. With the help of Sid’s toys Buzz and Woody escape just in time to reach the truck carrying Andy’s toys but Sid’s dog causes Buzz to be left behind. Woody tries to save him with Andy’s remote control car, RC, but at first the other toys refuse to help him, until they see Woody and Buzz together.  RC’s batteries die, but Woody lights the rocket Sid had taped to Buzz. They take flight and Buzz uses his wings to cut the rocket free before it explodes and they float down into the Davis’s car. At their new home on December 25, 19__ [1:12:00 to 1:13:25] Andy gets a puppy for Christmas.

                    

The first installment in the fantastic Toy Story franchise.

                     

Producers - Ralph Guggenheim and Bonnie Arnold

                       

Director - John Lasseter

Screenwriters - Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow

Awards – The film won a Special Achievement Oscar. It was also nominated for the Best Original Score, Best Original Song and Best Original Screenplay Oscars at the 68^th Academy Awards

                

Runtime – 1 hour 21 minutes

Released – November 22, 1995

Voice Cast - Tom Hanks as Sheriff Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, Jim Varney as Slinky Dog, Wallace Shawn as Rex, John Ratzenberger as Hamm, Annie Potts as Bo Peep, John Morris as Andy Davis, Laurie Metcalf as Andy's mother, Erik von Detten as Sid, R. Lee Ermey as Sarge, Sarah Freeman as Hannah, Joe Ranft as Lenny

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.

December 24 - The Polar Express

Today's motion picture is a fantasy film with scenes that happen on December 24. Watch and enjoy this movie tonight. 

THE POLAR EXPRESS       

On December 24, 195_ [00:27 to 1:15:55] a boy, who is starting to have doubts about whether Santa Claus is real, is awakened by a train outside. He learns it is the Polar Express that is heading to the North Pole to see Santa. On board the boy meets a girl, a know-it-all kid and poor boy Billy. After a series of adventures and difficulties they reach the North Pole.  There Billy, the boy, and the girl end up separated from the other children and in Santa’s magical toy bag. Santa gives the boy a bell that only makes a sound he can hear after he decides he believes in Santa. He loses the bell on the way home, but it turns up as one of his Christmas presents under the tree.

The date is given in the film at 00:43

Producers - Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis, Gary Goetzman and William Teitler

Director - Robert Zemeckis

Screenwriters - Robert Zemeckis and William Broyles, Jr.

Awards – The film was nominated for the Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Original Song Oscars at the 77^th Academy Awards.

Runtime – 1 hour 40 minutes

Released – October 21, 2004

Voice Cast –

Tom Hanks as Hero Boy's father, Conductor, Hobo, Santa
Claus, and Narrator

Daryl Sabara as Hero Boy

Isabella Peregrina as Sarah

Eddie Deezen as Know-It-All Kid

Nona Gaye as Hero Girl

Jimmy Bennett as Billy

André Sogliuzzo as Smokey and Steamer

Chris Coppola as Gus the Toothless Boy and an Elf

Julene Renee as the Red Head Girl and an Elf

Steve Tyler as elf singer

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

December 23 - Mercy Mission: The Rescue of Flight 771

Today’s film is a drama with a scene that happens on December 23. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.  

MERCY MISSION: THE RESCUE OF FLIGHT 771     

Jay Parkins and his partner Frank are free wheeling seasonal crop dusters. Jay’s pregnant wife wants him to get a steady job. Jay and Frank take a job to fly two cropduster planes across the Pacific to Australia. On December 23, 1978 [12:13 to 18:40]they leave San Francisco, bound for Honolulu. Franks crashes on  takeoff from Pago Pago, but escapes unharmed. Jay heads on to Norfolk Island, his next stop. Jay realizes after he doesn’t reach the island that he is off course and his automatic direction finder doesn’t work. Air  traffic control contacts the only plane in the area, an Air New Zealand airliner piloted by Gordon Vette. After determining that Jay is to the west of them, he turns and flies directly at the airliner. After failing to make a contrail with the engines, Gordon dumps some fuel to make a contrail. Jay flies in a circle while the airliner flies on the edge of his VHF radio coverage zone. By comparing when the sun sets at his plane and at  Auckland they zero in on his location. Gordon relays a conversation between Jay and Ellen. The passenger plane finds Jay and leads him into Auckland and in spite of a thunderstorm manages to bring him in for a safe landing.

Based on a true story.

The date is given in the film at 12:27

Producer – Derek Kananagh

Director – Roger Young

Screenwriter – George Rubino and Robert Benedetti

Runtime – 1 hour 35 minutes

Released – December 13, 1993

Starring –

Scott Bakula as Jay Parkins

Robert Loggia as Gordon Vette

Rebecca Rigg as Ellen

Alan Fletcher as Frank

Michael Bishop as First Officer Mann

Kit Taylor as Warren Banks

       

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

December 21 - Beautiful Creatures

Today’s movie is a romantic fantasy with a scene that happens on December 21. Watch and enjoy this film  tonight (if you can).

BEAUTIFUL CREATURES 

Ethan Wates dreams of a girl then sees Lena Duchannes, who resembles her. She and her family are accused of Satanism and witchcraft. Lena and Ethan become close and she tell him she and her family are ‘casters’, who can perform magic. When sixteen she will have to choose between light and dark. Lena wants to choose light, but her cousin Ridley and her mother Sarafine arrive to force Lena to dark, as they believe she will be so powerful that she can use her magic to eliminate all humans and leave only casters. Ethan and Lena learn their ancestors were in love and when her ancestor used a forbidden spell to resurrect Ethan’s ancestor this put a curse on all the women in her family, steering them to dark. The only way to end the curse is for someone Lena loves to die. Not wanting it to be Ethan, Lena erases his memories of her.   On December 21, 2013 [1:40:43 – 1:53:17] during a re-enactment of the Civil War Battle of Honey Hill, Ridley gives a bullet to Ethan’s fellow reenactor “Link”. When they shoot each other Ethan is mortally wounded. Ridley and Sarafine tell a grieving Lena to use her grief to go dark. However, it is revealed that her uncle Raven had transformed himself into Ethan’s image and he is the one loved by Lena who died. Lena, with the curse broken defeats Ridley and her mother and chooses light.  

The date is given in the film at 7:57

Producers - Andrew Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Erwin Stoff and David Valdes

Director - Richard LaGravenese

Screenwriter - Richard LaGravenese

Runtime – 2 hours 4 minutes

Released – February 14, 2013

Starring –

Alden Ehrenreich as Ethan Lawson Wate

Alice Englert as Lena Duchannes

Jeremy Irons as Macon Melchizedek Ravenwood

Viola Davis as Amarie Treadeau "Amma"

Emmy Rossum as Ridley Duchannes

Thomas Mann as Wesley Jefferson Lincoln "Link"

Emma Thompson as Mavis Lincoln / Sarafine Duchannes

Margo Martindale as Delphine Duchannes "Aunt Del"

Eileen Atkins as Emmaline Duchannes "Gramma"

Zoey Deutch as Emily Asher

Tiffany Boone as Savannah Snow

Kyle Gallner as Larkin Kent

Rachel Brosnahan as Genevieve Katherine Duchannes

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

December 18 - Family of Spies

Today’s movie is a drama with a scene that happens on December 18.  Watch and enjoy this film tonight.

FAMILY OF SPIES  

John W. Walker, Jr. is a cryptologist with the US Navy on a sub. While he is away at sea his wife learns he has been unfaithful to her. He convinces her to stay with him and transfers to a shore post. On December 18, 1967 [19:48 to 26:02] Walker goes to the Soviet Embassy and agrees to become a spy for cash. He starts stealing secrets, but his wife becomes suspicious and learns what he’s doing.  The Navy also becomes suspicious because of the increased number of suspicious encounters between Soviet and American subs. Walker goes on a tour at sea and upon his return his wife threatens to shoot him. The Navy fakes a nuclear accident, which establishes that the Soviets are indeed getting inside info from inside the US Navy because of the way they react. When a Marine officer starts to get suspicious of him, Walker retires from the Navy. Walker recruits Jerry Whitworth, a navy radio operator into spying; telling him the info is going to Israel. Walker and his wife separate. John Walker’s daughter joins the army and he tries to recruit her as a spy, but she gets married, becomes pregnant and leaves the service. Walker becomes a private detective. Walker’s son joins the Navy. Whitworth delivers a blurry role of film because he wants more money.  The Soviets think he has been turned and they try to kill Walker. Eventually Walker repairs his relationship with the Soviets.  Walker recruits his son in the Navy as a spy. His ex-wife blackmails him into paying more so she won’t tell. However, she finally calls the FBI and Walker’s daughter confirms he tried to recruit her. After a lengthy investigation Walker, his son and Whitworth are arrested and sentenced to lengthy jail terms.

Powers Boothe once again does a fantastic job of humanizing a despicable character. This film deviates somewhat from the actual historical facts. However, it is still an engaging and enjoyable movie.

.     

Date given in film at 20:19

Awards – This film won the Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries or Special. It was also nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special (Warren) and the Outstanding Miniseries Emmy at the 42^nd Primetime Emmy Awards.

Producer – Jonathan Bernstein              

Director - Stephen Gyllnhaal                           

Screenplay - Richard DeLong Adams                    

Runtime – 2 hours 55 minutes

Released – February 4, 1990

          

Starring –

Powers Boothe as John A. Walker, Jr.

Lesley Ann Warren as Barbara Walker

Lili Taylor as Laura Walker

Graham Beckel as Jerry A.Whitworth

John Wesley as Capt. Lennox

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

December 17 - The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser

Today’s motion picture is a biography with scenes that happen on December 17. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.  

THE ENIGMA OF KASPAR HAUSER                   

A boy is kept locked in a room by himself with no human contact except for a man in a top hat and overcoat who feeds him. One day the man takes him out of his cell and leaves him in Nuremburg. The former prisoner, whose name is Kaspar Hauser is an object of curiosity and is exhibited in a circus until he is taken in by Professor Daumer who teaches him to read and about music. Then he is attacked by the man in the overcoat. The second attack is a stabbing that causes Kaspar’s death on December 17, 1833. [1:40:19 - 1:46:01]

Producer - Werner Herzog

       

Director - Werner Herzog

Screenwriter - Werner Herzog

Runtime – 1 hour 50 minutes

Released – November 11, 1974

Starring –

Bruno Schleinstein as Kaspar Hauser

Walter Ladengast as Professor Daumer

Brigitte Mira as Kathe, Servant

Reinhard Hauff as Farmer

Herbert Fritsch as Mayor

Florian Fricke as M. Florian

Henry van Lyck as Calvary Captain

Willy Semmelrogge as Circus director

Michael Kroecher as Lord Stanhope

Hans Musäus as Unknown Man

Gloria Doer as Frau Hiltel

Volker Prechtel as Hiltel the prison guard

Wilhelm Bayer as Taunting Farmboy

Johannes Buzalski as Police Officer

Helmut Döring as Little King

Enno Patalas as Pastor Fuhrmann

Clemens Scheitz as Registrar

Alfred Edel as Logic Professor

Andi Gottwald as Young Mozart

Kidlat Tahimik as Hombrecito 

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.

December 16 - Capote

Today’s movie is a biographical drama with a scene that happens on December 16.  Watch and enjoy this film tonight.

CAPOTE        

                       

Truman Capote reads about the murder of the Clutter family in Kansas and decides to write about the killings. He travels there with his childhood friend Nelle Harper, and due to the fact that Marie Dewy, the wife of the lead detective on the case is a fan he gets entrée into the investigation. Capote meets with the convicted killers and develops a friendship with Perry Smith. Capote helps Smith file an appeal and the case drags on. He finally convinces Smith to tell him what happened the night of the killings. Capote becomes frustrated as his book’s ending can only come with the execution of Smith. Meanwhile, Nelle Lee has written a hugely successful novel. On December 16, 1962 [1:31:42 to 1:34:38] Truman Capote attends the world premiere of the film To Kill a Mockingbird in New York City, based on her book.  Eventually, Smith is executed, with Capote as a witness and he finishes his book, In Cold Blood, which makes him famous.           

                       

The date is given in the film at 1:31:45. 

           

Producers - Caroline Baron, William Vince and Michael Ohoven

Director - Bennett Miller

Screenwriter - Dan Futterman

Awards – Hoffman won the Best Astor Oscar. The film was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Keener) and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 78^th Academy Awards.

Runtime – 1 hour 54 minutes

Released – September 2, 2005

Starring –

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote

Catherine Keener as Nelle Harper Lee

Clifton Collins, Jr. as Perry Smith

Chris Cooper as Alvin Dewey

Bob Balaban as William Shawn

Bruce Greenwood as Jack Dunphy

Katherine Shindle as Rose

Amy Ryan as Marie Dewey

Mark Pellegrino as Richard "Dick" Hickock

Allie Mickelson as Laura Kinney

Marshall Bell as Warden Marshall Krutch

Araby Lockhart as Dorothy Sanderson

Robert Huculak as New York Reporter

R. D. Reid as Roy Church

Copyright by Ivan Walters  in 2015.

December 14 - Helter Skelter (1976)

Today’s motion picture is a crime drama film with a scene that happens on December 14. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.

HELTER SKELTER      

                       

Early one summer morning the maid arrives to discover five people have been brutally murdered at the home of film director Roman Polanski, including his wife, actress Sharon Tate. The caretaker William Garrison is arrested, but later released. Two detectives investigating the Hinman case point out that there ‘political piggie’ was written in blood and ‘pig’ was written in blood at the Polanski house. First mention of Charles Manson. Then Nino and Rosemary LaBianca are found murdered. Police id the murder weapon as a .22 buntline revolver.  Investigating auto thefts, police raid Spahn ‘ranch’ where Bobby Bozelay, who’s been arrested for killing Hinman stayed. The police arrest ‘the family’. Kid finds revolver and turns it over to police. Family released due to insufficient evidence. Detectives on the Hinman murder suggest LaBianca investigators talk to ‘Shorty’ Shea, who works at Spahn ranch, but he’s vanished. The family moves to the Barker ranch in Inyo County and get arrested for arson. Two girls from the family say Sadie Glutz (Susie Adkins) helped Bozelay kill Hinman. Sadie confesses. In jail Sadie tells Ronnie Howard that she killed Sharon Tate. De Carlo arrested and says Manson ordered Hinman killed. Decarlo says the .22 revolver was Manson’s gun.  Ronnie Howard calls the police to make a deal. Bugliosi goes to the Barker Ranch, searching for physical evidence and has the family moved to LA. DeCarlo tells Bugliosi that Manson wanted the killings to be blamed on African-Americans in order to start a race war that whites would lose, but when African-Americans discovered they couldn’t run the world they’d turn to Manson. Sadie says she, Tex Watson, Katie Krenilwith, and Linda Casabian went to the Polanski house and while Linda stayed in car they killed everyone. The police find prints of Tex and Katie at the crime scene. Sadie testifies to the grand jury about the murders at Polanski’s house and that Manson tied up the LaBiancas and then left with Linda. Then Sadie, Tex, Katie and Leslie killed the LaBiancas. On December 14, 1969 Bugliosi is upset to read the details of Sadie’s grand jury testimony in the papers. [1:27:41 to 1:28:18] A news crew finds the clothes the killers dumped after leaving the Polanski house. Leslie Van Houten, Sadie, Tex, Katie, Linda and Manson are indicted. The man who found gun calls police and the gun is tested and found to be the weapon. Manson moves to represent himself and the DA bluffs Manson into requesting a continuance. When Sadie renounces her testimony the DA makes deal with Linda Casabian.  Judge Ohler takes over. Scoville becomes Manson’s attorney. The DA subpoenas the whole family so they can be excluded from court as potential witnesses. Linda Casabian testifies as to what happened in the Tate-LaBianca murders. Manson threatens the Judge and Bugliosi. Manson tries to cause a mistrial and to attack judge. Defendants barred from the courtroom. The defense wants to present no evidence. They are convicted and sentenced to death.

A good docudrama. Shows the dark side of the “Age of Aquarius”, where lack of self-control causes big problems. Too bad Manson couldn’t have been tried where I live. We’d have run up a power bill and taken care of him, instead of letting him lounge around for forty years. . 

Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi (W. W. Norton & Company, New York, 1974) p.262 and in film at 1:28: 09 –12

Producer - Tom Gries

Director - Tom Gries

Screenplay - Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry and J.P. Miller

Awards - Nominated for 1977 Emmy Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Special. Outstanding Directing in a Special Program and Outstanding Film Editing for a Special

Runtime - 3 hours 14 minutes

Released - April 1, 1976

Starring -

George DiCenzo as Vincent Bugliosi

Steve Railsback as Charles Manson

Nancy Wolfe as Susan Atkins

Marilyn Burns as Linda Kasabian

Christina Hart as Patricia Krenwinkel

Cathey Paine as Leslie Van Houten

Alan Oppenheimer as Aaron Stovitz

Rudy Ramos as Danny DeCarlo

Jon Gries as William Garretson

Marc Alaimo as Phil Cohen

Paul Mantee as Sergeant O'Neal

David Clennon as Harry Jones

Eileen Dietz as Family Girl

Carole Ita White as Big Sal

Larry Pennell as Sergeant White

Bruce French as Officer Ocher

Howard Caine as Everett Scoville

Adam Williams as Terrence Milik

Jonathan Goldsmith as Hank Charter

Robert Ito as Drees Darrin

Bart Braverman as George Brewer

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

December 13 - The Battle of the River Plate

Today’s motion picture is a war movie with scenes that happen on December 13. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.

THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE     

The German ship Admiral Graf Spee operates as a commerce raider at the start of the Second World War. The British finally get info on her location and send a task force to attack her. On December 13, 1939 [36:25 to 1:08:45] HMS Ajax, HMS Exeter and HMNZS Achilles battle the German ship Admiral Graf Spee in the River Plate. The damaged German ship sails to the neutral port of Montevideo, Uruguay. British
disinformation leads the captain of the Graf Spee to think a powerful British fleet is on the way. He takes the ship out and scuttles her.

                

The Encyclopedia of Military History from 3500 b.c. to  the Present by R. Ernest Dupuy & Trevor N. Dupuy (Harper & Row, New York, 1977) at page 1053 and the film at 36:30 give the date of the battle. 

Producers - Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

Directors -  Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

Screenwriters - Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger

Runtime – 1 hour 59 minutes

Released -  October 29,  1956

Starring –

 John Gregson as Captain Frederick "Hookie" Bell

Anthony Quayle as Commodore Henry Harwood

Ian Hunter as Captain Charles Woodhouse

Jack Gwillim as Captain Edward Parry

Bernard Lee as Captain Patrick Dove

Peter Finch as Captain Hans Langsdorff

Lionel Murton as Mike Fowler

Anthony Bushell as Eugen Millington-Drake

Peter Illing as Dr Alberto Guani

Michael Goodliffe as Captain Henry McCall

Patrick Macnee as Lieutenant Commander Ralph Medley

John Chandos as Dr Otto Langmann

Douglas Wilmer as M. Desmoulins

William Squire as Ray Martin

Roger Delgado as Captain Varela

Andrew Cruickshank as Captain William

John Le Mesurier as the Chaplain of HMS ''Exeter''

Christopher Lee as Manolo

Copyright by Ivan Walters  in 2015.

December 11 - Young Sherlock Holmes

Today’s motion picture is a mystery film with a scene that happens on December 11. Watch and enjoy this movie tonight.

YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES    

On December 11, 1875 [00:26-7:13] an accountant named Bentley Bobster unexpectedly apparently commits suicide, after being shot with a dart by a hooded figure.  John Watson transfers to Brompton Academy and is befriended by the super-intelligent Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is in love with Elizabeth Hardy, niece of retired schoolmaster Rupert Waxflatter, and thus a foe of her other admirer, Dudley. Reverend Nesbitt is killed by the same hooded figure, while Holmes bests Dudley in a battle of wits.  Inspector Lestrade denies that the two deaths are connected. Dudley plants evidence that Holmes has been cheating on exams and Holmes is expelled. Then Professor Waxflatter is killed by another dart, but Watson finds the blowgun at the crime scene, and the dying professor whispers “Eh-tar” to Holmes. Holmes traces a piece of cloth Elizabeth’s dog had pulled from the hooded figure to a warehouse where Rame Tep, an Osiris cult is conducting human sacrifices. The trio barely escape with their lives after being shot with the poisoned thorns used by the cult and experiencing terrible hallucinations. Holmes traces a fourth potential victim, who explains he and the three others, while building a hotel in Egypt accidentally uncovered Rame Tep’s pyramid, leading to a native uprising that was put down by British troops. A local named Ehtar and his sister vowed revenge. Ehtar is actually Professor Rathe and his housekeeper, who is his sister. They kidnap Elizabeth and plan to sacrifice her. Holmes and Watson use Waxflatter’s primitive airplane to reach the temple. There they stop the sacrifice, rescue Elizath and kill Eh-tar’s sister. Elizabeth sacrifices herself to save Holmes when Rathe shoots at him. After a duel Holmes apparently kills Rathe. Elizabeth dies. Holmes transfers to a new school, while an injured Rathe adopts the name “Moriarity”.    

                   

The date is given in the film at 17:32 in a newspaper the day after the crime dated Sunday, December 12, 1875.

Producers - Mark Johnson and Henry Winkler

Director - Barry Levinson

Screenwriter - Chris Columbus

Runtime -  1 hour 49 minutes

Released – December 4, 1985

Starring – Nicholas Rowe as Sherlock Holmes, Alan Cox as John Watson, Sophie Ward as Elizabeth Hardy, Anthony Higgins as Professor Rathe/Eh-Tar, Susan Fleetwood as Mrs. Dribb, Freddie Jones as Chester Cragwitch, Nigel Stock as Rupert Waxflatter, Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Inspector Lestrade, Earl Rhodes as Dudley, Brian Oulton as Master Snelgrove, Patrick Newell as Bentley Bobster, Donald Eccles as Rev. Nesbitt, Matthew Ryan as Dudley's Friend, Walter Sparrow as Ethan Engel, Nadim Sawalha as Egyptian Tavern Owner, Roger Brierley as Mr Holmes, Vivienne Chandler as Mrs Holmes

Copyright by Ivan Walters
in 2015.

December 10 - Operation Petticoat

Today’s motion picture is a military comedy with a scene that happens on December 10. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.

OPERATION PETTICOAT

Rear Admiral Matt Sherman boards his old submarine before it is scrapped. As he reads his old log, he flashes back. On December 10, 1941 [4:57 to 6:16] the Sea Tiger is sunk by the Japanese when they bomb Cavitie Naval Base in the Phillipines.  Repairs are begun.  Lt. j.g. Nick Holden is assigned to the ship. Unlike Sherman, a career officer, Holden joined the Navy to marry a rich wife and he is now engaged to a wealthy girl. Holden turns out to be a first rate scrounger, always finding a way to locate the materials needed to repair the sub.  The sub sets sail for Australia with five US army nurses on board. The ship stops at Cebu, where not having enough red or white primer the crew has to mix it to create enough pink primer, with which they paint the sub. The crew has many hilarious adventures including sinking a truck, opening a casino to get supplies and Holden being accused of pig rustling. Due to a Japanese air raid the Sea Tiger has to leave before a grey coat of paint can be put on. When Tokyo Rose mocks the American’s pink sub, the US Navy thinks the sub is Japanese and orders it sunk on sight. They are attacked by a US destroyer, but when they shoot a well endowed nurse’s bra out of the torpedo tube, the destroyer captain concludes the sub can’t be Japanese. Back in the present Commander Holden arrives. Both he and Sherman married one of the nurses. The Sea Tiger sails off to be scrapped. 

                 

This is a funny movie. Grant and Curtis play off each other to create an amusing film.

 Date given in film at 4:35

Awards – The film was nominated for the Best Original Screenplay Oscar at the 32^nd Academy Awards.

Screenplay - Paul King, Joseph B. Stone, Stanley J. Shapiro and Maurice Richlin

Producer - Robert Arthur

Director - Blake Edwards

Runtime – 2 hours 4 minutes

Released  - December 5, 1959

Starring –

Cary Grant as Lieutenant Commander (later Rear Admiral)
Matthew T. "Matt" Sherman

Tony Curtis as Lieutenant JG (later Commander)  Nicholas "Nick" Holden

Joan O'Brien as Second Lieutenant Dolores Crandall

Dina Merrill as Second Lieutenant Barbara Duran

Dick Sargent as ENS Stovall

Arthur O'Connell as Chief Machinist's Mate Sam Tostin

Virginia Gregg as Major Edna Heywood, the nurses' commander

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.

December 9 - The Borrowers(2011)

Today’s motion picture is a fantasy adventure film with scenes that happen on December 9.  Watch and enjoy this movie tonight.

THE BORROWERS                        

       

A young boy, James Hellman lives with his grandmother, Mrs. Driver. He thinks she’s nuts for believing in the existence of “little people”, until he captures and befriends Arrietty Clock, a teen-aged little person who has gone borrowing in defiance of her father’s wishes.  On December 9, 2011 [14:12 – 26:23] Professor Mildeye lectures about little people to wide spread derision. James’s Grandmother is hiding the fact that their house is near to foreclosure. After she discovers their hiding place the Clock family of borrowers flee with their possessions, including a gold sovereign that once belonged to James’ grandfather.  Mrs. Driver meets with Professor Mildeye and tells him about the little people. The Clock family arrives at a little people city and hire Spiller with the gold coin to take them to a new home. The professor capture Arrietty’s parents, but she and Spiller get James to assist in a rescue plan. With his help they all escape from Mildeye’s lab. Mildeye is disgraced when he can’t produced the promised little people at a news conference he had called. James discovers his grandfather’s sovereign is a rare coin and its sale enables the mortgage arrears to be paid off. Arrietty and Spiller return to the borrower city together.

Date given in film at 15:55

Director - Tom Harper

Screenwriter - Ben Vanstone

Released – December 26, 2011

Runtime – 1 hour 30 minutes

Starring –

Christopher Eccleston as Pod Clock

Sharon Horgan as Homily Clock

Aisling Loftus as Arrietty Clock

Robert Sheehan as Spiller

Francis Chouler as Spiller's Mate

Charlie Hiscock as James Hellman

Victoria Wood as Mrs Driver

Shaun Dooley as Robert Millmanock

Stephen Fry as Professor Mildeye

Anne Hirsch as Jenny

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015

December 8 - No Man Is An Island

Today’s motion picture is a war movie with a scene that happens on December 8. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.

NO MAN IS AN ISLAND       

 On December 8, 1941 [6:34 to 10:07] Guam is bombed by the Japanese. Sailor George Tweed and five companions initially escape the Japanese occupiers. Eventually the others either die of injuries or are caught and killed by the Japanese, leaving Tweed alone. The Chammoros hide him at the risk of their own lives. Eventually, after thirty months,  Tweed makes contact with the American force sent to retake the island

In Racing the Sunrise: Reinforcing America’s Pacific Outposts 1941-1942 by Glen M. Williford (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, 2010) we are told at page 208 that that the Japanese started bombing Guam at 8:30 a.m. on December 8.

Producers - Richard Goldstone and John Monks Jr.

Directors - Richard Goldstone and John Monks Jr.

Screenwriters - Richard Goldstone and John Monks Jr.

Runtime – 1 hour 54 minutes

Released – September 20, 1962

Starring –

Jeffrey Hunter as George R. Tweed

Marshall Thompson as Jonn Sonnenberg

Barbara Perez as "Joe" Cruz

Ronald Remy as Chico Torres

Paul Edwards Jr. as Al Turney

Rolf Bayer as Chief Schultz

Vicente Liwanag as Vicente

Fred Harris II as Roy Lund

Lamberto V. Avellana as Mr. Shimoda

Chichay as Mrs. Nakamura

Antonio de la Mogueis as Florecito

Vic Silayan as Major Hondo

Bert La Fortesa as Comdr. Oto Harada

Eddie Infante as Sus Quitugua

Nardo Ramos as Tumon

Rosa Mia as Primera Quitugua

Mike Anzures as Santos

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015. 

December 7 - Flying Tigers

Today’s motion picture is a war movie with a scene that happens on December 7. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.

FLYING TIGERS         

Jim Gordon commands the AVG, a group of American mercenaries who fly P-40 fighters against the  Japanese on behalf of the Chinese government. His friend “Woody” Jason joins the group, but Jason’s freewheeling flying style eventually causes the death of two other AVG pilots. On December 7, 1941 [1:13:20 to 1:22:49] Woody is bawled out by Gordon. However, the US is now in the war and orders come down to destroy a vital bridge that is so heavily defended it is a suicide mission. Gordon flies the mission, but Woody goes along as co-pilot. The bridge is destroyed but the plane is hit. Gordon bails out. Woody, who has been wounded crashes the damaged plane into an important Japanese supply train.  

The date is given in the film at 1:22:45

Producer - Edmund Grainger

Director - David Miller

Screenwriters - Kenneth Gamet and Barry Trivers

Runtime – 1 hour 42 minutes

Released – October 8, 1942

Starring –

John Wayne as Capt. Jim Gordon

John Carroll as Woodrow "Woody" Jason

Anna Lee as Brooke Elliott

Paul Kelly as Hap Smith, Pilot

Gordon Jones as "Alabama" Smith

Mae Clarke as Verna Bales

Addison Richards as Col. R.T. Lindsay

Edmund MacDonald as "Blackie" Bales, Pilot

Bill Shirley as Dale

Tom Neal as Reardon, Pilot

Malcolm "Bud" McTaggart as McCurdy, Pilot

David Bruce as Lt. Barton, Pilot

Chester Gan as Mike, Mechanic

Jimmie Dodd as "Mac" McIntosh, Pilot

Gregg Barton as "Tex" Norton, Pilot

Richard Loo as Dr. Tsing

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.

December 6 - The Final Countdown

Today’s motion picture is a science fiction film with scenes that happens on December 6. Watch and enjoy this movie tonight. .

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN  

In 1980, the U,S, S, Nimitz a takes on a passenger Warren Laskey at the request of his boss, Mr. Tideman, who designed the ship. The ship encounters a strange storm at sea and passes through it to emerge at the same spot, but on December 6, 1941 [18:31 to 1:12:49]. After Japanese Zeros destroy a civilian yacht, planes from the carrier shoot down the Zeroes and the Nimitz takes the survivors, Senator Samuel Chapman, his secretary, Laurel Scott and a captured Japanese pilot on board.  The Japanese pilot temporarily holds hostages and demands that he be allowed to contact his fleet, before he is killed. The captain of the Nimitz decides to stop the attack on Pearl Harbor. Chapman’s attempts to warn the army and navy of the attack aren’t believed. The captain sends his CAG Owens to take Chapman and Scott to an isolated island. Chapman tries to divert the helicopter to Pearl Harbor but accidentally destroys the helicopter, stranding Owens and Scott.  The Nimitz launches a strike to take out the Japanese fleet, but the time storm returns, so the strike is recalled and the ship returns to 1980, where they find “Mr. Tideman” is actually an older CAG Owens, who has married Miss Scott.

The date is given in the film at 38:23

Producer – Peter Douglas

Director - Don Taylor

Screenwriters - Thomas Hunter, Peter Powell, David Ambrose and Gerry Davis

Released - August 1, 1980

Runtime – 1 hour 43 minutes

Starring –

Kirk Douglas as Captain Matthew Yelland

Martin Sheen as Warren Lasky

Katharine Ross as Laurel Scott

James Farentino as Richard T. "Dick" Owens / Richard Tideman

Ron O'Neal as Cmdr. Dan Thurman

Charles Durning as Senator Samuel Chapman

Jim Coleman as Lt. Perry

Soon-Tek Oh as Simura

Joe Lowry as Cmdr. Damon             

Alvin Ing as Lt. Kajima

Mark Thomas as Marine Cpl. Kullman

Harold Bergman as Bellman

Dan Fitzgerald as Navy doctor

Lloyd Kaufman as Lt. Cmdr. Kaufman        

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.

December 5 - Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years

Today’s movie is a biographical drama with a scene that happens on December 5. Watch and enjoy this film tonight.

ELEANOR AND FRANKLIN: THE WHITE HOUSE YEARS 

Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt visit the White House on the day before her uncle Theodore Roosevelt’s inauguration for his second term. We jump ahead to FDR’s first inauguration where he gives his famous “Fear Itself” speech. In his first Hundred Days FDR pushes an extraordinary amount of progressive legislation through Congress, while Eleanor is his eyes and ears touring the country to gauge public opinion. On December 5, 1933 [30:28 to 36:43] the President and his staff celebrate the end of Prohibition. FDR creates Social Security and is elected to a second term, but has to drop his court-packing plan to circumvent Supreme Court opposition to his agenda. His son James has to undergo major surgery, which causes Eleanor to think back to the death of her infant son Franklin, Jr. When the DAR refuses to let African-American Marian Anderson sing in their Constitution Hall, Eleanor resigns from the organization and arranges for Anderson to give a concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. When the war breaks out in Europe FDR decides to run for an unprecedented third term in office and wins. FDR’s personal secretary, Missy LeHand has a stroke. FDR meets Winston Churchill and together they issue the Atlantic Charter. The FDR’s mother who had been living in the White House with them dies. After Pearl Harbor FDR asks Congress to declare war on Japan in his famous “Day of Infamy” speech. He is a tireless war leader, including traveling to the Casablanca Conference where a policy of unconditional surrender was decided on in regards to the Axis powers. Eleanor often visited wounded troops and FDR runs for and wins a fourth term as President. Only three months into it, FDR dies of a stroke. After his death Eleanor learns her own daughter betrayed her by allowing FDR’s mistress to dine at the White House while her mother was away. FDR is buried at Hyde Park.

This is a movie that tells a story with great historical accuracy.

FDR by Jean Edward Smith (Random House, New York, 2007) at page 316 gives the date Prohibition ended

Producers - Harry R. Sherman and David Susskind

Director - Daniel Petrie

Screenplay - James Costigan and Joseph P. Lash

Awards – The film won the Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for a Drama Special, Outstanding Achievement in Make-Up, Outstanding Art Direction or Scenic Design for a Dramatic Special, Outstanding Directing in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy, Outstanding Film Editing for a Special, Outstanding Individual Achievement in Any Area of Creative Technical Crafts and Outstanding Special - Drama or Comedy Emmys. It was also nominated for the Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing for a Special, Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Mixing, Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Special (Dramatic Underscore), Outstanding Cinematography in Entertainment Programming for a Special, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama or Comedy Special (Herrmann), Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama or Comedy Special (Alexander), Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Special (Harmon), Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Special (McGinn), Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Special (Murphy) and Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Special Emmys at the 29^th Primetime Emmy Awards.


Runtime – 3 hours

Released – March 13, 1977

Starring –

Edward Herrmann as Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)

Jane Alexander as Eleanor Roosevelt

Priscilla Pointer as Marguerite Missy LeHand

Walter McGinn as Louis Howe

Rosemary Murphy as Sara Delano Roosevelt

Blair Brown as Anna Roosevelt Halsted

David Healy as Theodore Roosevelt

Peggy McCay as Grace Tully

Donald Moffat as Harry Hopkins

Toni Darnay as Malvina Thompson

Barbara Conrad as Marian Anderson

Morgan Farley as William Plog

Mark Harmon as Robert Dunlap

Anna Lee as Laura Delano

Linda Kelsey as Lucy Page Mercer Rutherfurd

Colin Hamilton as Irwin "Ike" H. Hoover

Ray Baker as James Roosevelt

Brian Patrick Clarke as John Aspinwall Roosevelt

Don Howard as Elliot Roosevelt

Joseph Hacker as Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr.

Charles Lampkin as Irvin McDuffie

Arthur Gould-Porter as Sir Winston Churchill
Robert Karnes as United States Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes

David Lewis as United States Supreme Court Justice Melville Weston Fuller

Gregory Koontz as Curtis Roosevelt

Davy Muxlow as John Roosevelt Boettiger

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015