David Susskind Movies
Considered a key figure in the development of television talk shows, distinguished talk-show host/moderator David Susskind started out as a press agent for Warner Bros. studios. Before founding Talent Associates in 1948, Susskind was a talent agent for MCA. In the early '50s, Susskind became a television producer and became known for producing some of the decade's finest television plays. In 1958, he began his career as a talk show host on an innovative local New York broadcast called Open End. The show began at 11 p.m. every night and would not end until the participants were exhausted. The show was known for its intelligent guests and stimulating, sometimes controversial, and often confrontational conversations. Over the years, Susskind conversed with many famous people. His most notorious exchange occurred in 1960 when he spoke to visiting Soviet leader Khruschev. Over the years, Susskind earned 27 Emmys and three Peabody awards. In addition to his work as a host and television producer, Susskind also produced a few high-quality feature films including A Raisin in the Sun, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and Simon. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
It could be said that without the incredible success of the ABC miniseries Holocaust in 1978, CBS might have thought twice before greenlighting the ambitious, three-hour TV docudrama The Wall four years later. Adapted by Millard Lampell from his own 1960 Broadway play, which in turn was inspired by John Hersey's 1950 novel, The Wall is the heartbreaking but inspiring story of the heroic Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943. When it becomes obvious that every Jew in Poland is doomed to be shipped off to the Nazi work and death camps, some 650 members of the newly formed Jewish Fighting Organization mount a last, brave stand against nearly 3000 German soldiers. The story is told through the eyes of Warsaw Jew Dolek Benson (Tom Conti, in his first American TV appearance), who is a passive observer of the atrocities all around him until he learns the truth about the Nazi's "resettlement" program. Rachel Roberts, cast as a former schoolteacher, made her final appearance in this film; she passed away shortly after production ended. Filmed on location in Sosnowiec, Poland and first telecast February 16, 1982, The Wall earned a Peabody Award the following year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
Based on Jane Adams' book of the same name, the made-for-TV Sex and the Single Parent stars Susan Saint James as Sally and Mike Farrell as George. Newly divorced from their respective spouses, both Sally and George intend to celebrate their independence by throwing sexual caution to the wind. But the couple's romance is complicated by their sense of obligation to their children. Accompanied by a raunchy ad campaign that promised much more than the film delivered, Sex and the Single Parent was first seen over CBS on September 19, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This exhaustive (and exhausting) 3-hour TV movie dramatizes the last three months of Adolph Hitler's life, spent in his bunker in Berlin. Anthony Hopkins is repulsively riveting as Hitler, while Piper Laurie is even more frightening as fanatical Frau Goebbels. Joseph Goebbels (Cliff Gorman) feeds the Fuehrer's ego as the Nazi empire crumbles, while Albert Speer (Richard Jordan) defies him. The day before his suicide, Hitler legalizes his relationship with mistress Eva Braun (Susan Blakely). The film's plot extends beyond the suicide, with the triumphant allied forces arguing over who has proprietary rights to Hitler's remains. First telecast January 27, 1981, The Bunker was based on Joseph O'Donnell's best seller, which in turn was based on first-hand accounts. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
After learning that his ex-wife has died, a man must assume custody of his two sons, whom he hasn't seen in several years. All three find much trouble adjusting to the awkward and painful situation. This moving made-for-TV drama is based on a young-adult novel by Richard Peck. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1980
Based on the book by Norman Klein, Mom, the Wolfman & Me stars Patty Duke, David Birney and Danielle Brisebois. Ms. Duke plays a free-lance photographer, the single mother of 11-year-old Brisebois. Both mother and daughter are "liberated" in the anything-goes-1980s sense. But Duke finds herself questioning her values (or lack of values) when she meets Brisebois' English teacher Birney, an uptight conservative save for his bushy beard (hence his nickname). Co-starring are Keenan Wynn and Viveca Lindfors as Patty's parents, and John Lithgow in a pivotal supporting role. Produced for TV's Operation Prime Time series, Mom, the Wolfman and Me was released for syndication starting October 20, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
This made-for-TV drama produced by David Susskind preceded the release of Silkwood by three years, but tells basically the same story. Janet Margolin is the nuclear plant employee who blows the whistle on hazardous conditions and finds herself intimidated, harassed and finally targeted for elimination by her superiors. Powers Boothe and Bo Hopkins are among the supporting cast of this well-directed telefilm, which -- although not as brave as its theatrical counterpart -- still makes for interesting viewing. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- 1979
In this drama, an ambitious executive must decide whether or not to have a much needed heart transplant. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1979
A middle-aged husband must choose between his wife and family, and the younger woman he is having an affair with in the made-for-TV movie. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1979
The 8-hour TV miniseries Blind Ambition was originally telecast May 20 through 23, 1979. This 105-minute feature-film version, prepared in 1982, seems a bit rushed at times, but overall does a credible and coherent job of storytelling. Based on John Dean's book Blind Ambition, with elements of Maureen Dean's Mo woven in by screenwriter Stanley R. Greenberg, this is the saga of the Watergate affair, as experienced by Dean (Martin Sheen) and hia wife Maureen (Theresa Russell). As the Nixon administration goes down in flames, the Deans' marriage is sorely tested-as is Dean's success-at-any-price credo. Rip Torn plays Nixon like something out of a Greek Tragedy; some viewers accepted his interpretation, others found it jarringly inaccurate. Others in the cast of "usual suspects" include Michael Callan as Charles Colson, Lonny Chapman as L. Patrick Gray, William Daniels as G. Gordon Liddy, Fred Grandy as Donald Segretti, Christopher Guest as Jeb Magruder, Lawrence Pressman as H. R. Haldeman, William Windom as Richard Kleindienst, James Greene as E. Howard Hunt, Logan Ramsey as J. Edgar Hoover, and Al Checco as judge John Sirica. Also known as The John Dean Story, Blind Ambition earned two Emmy nominations. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Sheen, Theresa Russell, (more)
- 1978
Written by Loring Mandel, Breaking Up stars Gena Rowlands as a middle-aged housewife who, after 16 years of marriage, is asked for a divorce by husband Granville van Dusen. Once overcoming the shock and the bitterness, Rowlands must determine the future course for herself and her two children. Her efforts to set up her own fashion design business and to enter the dating pool are almost as traumatic as the initial separation. Adding to the dilemma is an increasingly large rift between Rowlands and her teen-age daughter, who holds her mom responsible for the marital discord. Breaking Up was telecast January 2, 1978 as an ABC Theatre presentation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Set in Illinois (and filmed in Canada), Home to Stay stars Henry Fonda as an aging farmer who resists the notion of moving into a nursing home. Fonda's son Michael McGuire would like to honor his father's wishes, but realizes that the old man is becoming increasingly unable to care for himself. Conversely, McGuire's teen-aged daughter Kristen Vigard feels that her grandpa is being unfairly shunted away. Together with her friend David Stambaugh, Vigard contrives to "kidnap" Grandpa and drive off to Chicago, there to get financial and emotional support from Kristen's aunt and uncle. Directed by television vet Delbert Mann, the made-for-TV Home to Stay was originally broadcast May 2, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Lovey: A Circle of Children, Part Two is that TV movie rarity: a sequel that is every bit as terrific as the original. Jane Alexander repeats her role from 1977's A Circle of Children as a volunteer teacher specializing in autistic and emotionally disturbed children. Hannah (Kris McKeon) is an 11 year old child nicknamed "Lovey." The girl is given to loud, unexpected and quite violent tantrums, and for a long time it looks as though Ms. Alexander will never get through to her. The social worker's efforts to help Lovey put a severe strain on her off-hours love life. Despite the soap-opera trappings, Lovey: A Circle of Children shines with the light of truth from first frame to last, with Jane Alexander matching the brilliance of her earlier performance in the same role. Like A Circle of Children, this sequel was based on the autobiographical novel by Mary MacCracken. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Made for television, Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye is based on the bestseller by Kenneth P. O'Donnell, David F. Powers and Joe McCarthy. The film is set in 1946: Paul Rudd plays 29-year-old John F. Kennedy, fresh out of the Navy and preparing for his first campaign for public office in Boston. He insists that he is running on the issues, but is hoping that his war record will do him some good as well. Kennedy's biggest hurdle is overcoming the perception that he's just another rich boy "slumming" with the Boston poor in order to win votes. Also appearing in Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye are William Prince as Papa Joe Kennedy, Burgess Meredith as "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald, and Kevin Conway as Dave Powers. The film was first telecast January 27, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
The superb made-for-TV drama Goldenrod invokes vivid memories of television's Golden Age of the 1950s. Tony LoBianco heads the cast as Jess Gifford, a former rodeo champion permanently sidelined by a crippling accident. Things get worse when Jess' wife Shirley (Gloria Carlin) walks out on him, leaving him to raise his two sons alone. Jess undergoes a great deal of soul-searching until, with the help of eldest son Ethan (Will MacMillan), he finally discerns a light at the end of the tunnel. Produced by David Susskind and filmed in Canada, Goldenrod debuted June 1, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Valerie Mahaffey plays a 19-year-old girl who nervously knocks at the door of middle-aged housewife Barbara Barrie. Barrie had given Valerie up for adoption at birth, and the girl wants to know why. By her mere presence, Mahffey threatens to tear apart Barrie's family, most of whom have no knowledge of her earlier indiscretion. Arthur Hill costars as Barrie's husband, while Barnard Hughes appears as her uncle, who is the only one who shares her secret. Tell Me My Name was originally telecast as a 90-minute GE Theater Special on December 20, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
James Herriot wrote several well-loved books about his experiences as a small-town veterinarian in the Yorkshire countryside of Britain in the 1930s. One of them gave its title to the film All Creatures Great and Small. That family movie was so successful that this movie It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet, or All Things Bright and Beautiful was made. All the stories told explore the richness of the interactions between humans and animals and the quirky wisdom which a young country veterinarian develops under the wise and eccentric tutelage of his senior in practice, Siegfried Farnon. These stories later inspired a popular BBC television series. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Alderson, Colin Blakely, (more)
- 1976
- Add Eleanor and Franklin: The Early Years to QueueAdd Eleanor and Franklin: The Early Years to top of Queue
The winner of 11 Emmy awards, the made-for-TV Eleanor and Franklin stars Edward Herrmann as Franklin D. Roosevelt and Jane Alexander as Eleanor Roosevelt. The film traces the first four decades of the lives of cousins Franklin and Eleanor, beginning with their marriage in 1905. Conflicts loom in the form of FDR's domineering mother (Rosemary Murphy) and Eleanor's discovery of an affair between her husband and artist Lucy Mercer (Linda Kelsey). After Franklin is stricken by polio in 1921, Eleanor emerges as a formidable and influential public figure. James Costigan wrote the teleplay for Eleanor and Franklin, which first aired as a two-parter on January 11 and 12, 1976. The film was followed several months later by a multipart sequel, Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward Herrmann, Jane Alexander, (more)
- 1975
William Devane stars as John Henry Faulk, a popular radio and TV entertainer of the 1950s. In 1956, Faulk is blacklisted on the basis of an attack from the self-appointed anticommunist group AWARE. Fired by CBS, Faulk decides to sue AWARE for libel. His attorney Louis Nizer (George C. Scott) warns him that such a case will take several years to get to court, thus Faulk reluctantly takes a series of low-paying jobs to sustain himself during his "down period". In 1962, the case is finally brought before a judge, with several witnesses pointing out the idiotic iniquities of the Blacklist mentality (one child actor was prohibited from working because he had a name that sounded like that of an adult blacklistee). Appearing as themselves during the courtroom scenes are actress Kim Hunter, herself a blacklist victim, and producers David Susskind and Mark Goodson. Faulk wins his case, though his original award of $3.5 million in damages is later reduced to $550,000, and he is never able to completely return to his pre-blacklist prominence. Like several other filmic recreations of the "witch-hunt" era, Fear on Trial was first presented in the mid-1970s (October 2, 1975, to be exact), long after the most zealous of the 1950s anti-Red groups had fallen by the wayside. The film earned an Emmy award for screenwriter David Rintels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Devane, George C. Scott, (more)
- 1974
This feature-length dramatization of James Herriot's best-seller was issued by EMI as a big-screen theatrical release in England, but debuted on NBC as a telemovie in the United States, February 4, 1975. It stars Simon Ward as Herriot in his early days as a veterinarian. The story picks up in 1937, with Herriot's first assignment as assistant to eccentric Yorkshire vet Siegfried Farnon (Anthony Hopkins). The film's highlight is the strenuous delivery of a newborn colt; its most poignant moment is the mercy killing of a seriously ill dog. In between "cases," Herriot courts pretty farmer's daughter Helen (Lisa Farrow). The film eventually spawned a television series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Hopkins, Simon Ward, (more)
- 1970
William Popper (Michael Sarrazin) is the son of a stockbroker and is thoroughly disenchanted with "the system." So much so that even though he can prove that he ran over a woman in his car entirely by accident, he accepts a sentence for manslaughter. His participation in some prison violence motivates him to attempt to escape, though he has only a week to go on his sentence. Having escaped, he and his old girlfriend (Barbara Hershey) make a run for Canada. The story is adapted from the novel The Pursuit of Happiness by Thomas Rogers. As William's starchy grandmother, Ruth White, notable for her work in To Kill a Mockingbird and Midnight Cowboy makes her last film appearance. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
Lovers and Other Strangers became a "sleeper" hit, based on a play by Renée Taylor and Joseph Bologna. The story is essentially a series of vignettes and anecdotes, unified by an impending marriage. Father of the bride Hal (Gig Young) has problems with his long-suffering mistress, Cathy (Anne Jackson), who spends much of the film sitting on the toilet, crying her eyes out; Wilma (Anne Meara), the bride's sex-starved sister, can't wrest her husband, Johnny (Harry Guardino), away from the TV; and Frank (Richard S. Castellano), as the groom's father, slips comfortably into Bartlett's Familiar Quotations with his oft-repeated query "So what's the story?" Twelfth-billed Diane Keaton makes her film debut as a garrulous wedding guest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bea Arthur, Bonnie Bedelia, (more)
- 1963
A seven year old and his mother cope with his father's death in an auto accident. His grieving mother is in denial, and the rush of well-meaning relatives fails to help the situation. The boy observes the reaction of adults to the death of his father, taking refuge in the world and games of children to escape the sadness. Mary (Jean Simmons) slowly accepts her husband's death and begins to adjust to the devastating loss. The story is based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by James Agee. Robert Preston plays the friendly, ill-fated husband whose brother Ralph (Pat Hingle) is the local undertaker in this dramatic tear jerker. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Simmons, Robert Preston, (more)
- 1958
Previously filmed twice in Hollywood, Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey was brought to television in this lavish, live, star-studded DuPont Show of the Month adaptation. The story essentially begins at the end -- July 20, 1714 -- when the famous San Luis Rey bridge near Lima, Peru, collapses, plunging five people to their deaths. The victims were the wealthy but embittered Marquess de Montemayor (Judith Anderson); the Marquess's young maid, Pepita (Sandra Whiteside); Uncle Pio (Hume Cronyn), mentor of the celebrated Peruvian actress La Perichole (Viveca Lindfors); Jaime (Miko Oscard), Pio's youthful traveling companion; and Esteban (Steven Hill), a talented young scribe who left behind a twin brother, Manuel (Clifford David). Investigating the tragedy, Captain Alvarado (Theodore Bikel), an intimate of one of the victims, tries to figure out how it came to be that the unfortunate five were all brought together on the same disastrous day. Also in the cast is the celebrated actress/director Eva Le Gallienne as Madre Maria, and Kurt Kaznar, with whom Theodore Bikel would later co-star in the Broadway production The Sound of Music. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judith Anderson, Hume Cronyn, (more)
