Norman Rosemont Movies

Although Frances Hodgson Burnett did not feel the need to write a sequel to her classic fantasy novel The Secret Garden, this did not prevent producer Norman Rosemont from commissioning just such a sequel. Set in 1946, Back to the Secret Garden finds Mary Lennox, the youthful heroine of the original novel, all grown up and far removed from her beloved enchanted garden in Yorkshire's Mistlewaith Manor. Now living in New York, Mary comes in contact with Lizzie (Camilla Belle), a feisty Brooklyn-born orphan. It is Lizzie who tries to save the day by heading off to England and endeavoring to save Mary's secret garden, which has been literally dying in its caregiver's absence. Joan Plowright, George Baker, Cherie Lunghi, and Leigh Lawson co-star in this German-British co-production, which was originally intended for theatrical release. The American premiere of Back to the Secret Garden appeared on the Showtime Cable Network on September 2, 2001 -- nearly two years after the film's completion. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Previously and brilliantly filmed by director Jack Clayton as The Innocents in 1961, Henry James' classic psychological-horror novel The Turn of the Screw was remade 34 years later in the form of this TV movie, which changes the original locale and several character names. American governess Helen Walker (Valerie Bertinelli) arrives at an ornate English country estate, there to take charge of two orphaned siblings, Flora (Florence Hoath) and Mile (Aled Roberts). That the children are rude and ill-mannered does not unduly rattle Helen, who expects this sort of behavior in children of privilege. What is disturbing is that the youngsters' game-playing often takes on an unsavory sexual subtext far beyond their tender years. This, and a few strange "sightings", leads Helen to the startling conclusion that the children are under the power of the ghosts of their former caregivers--a sadistic handyman and an evil governess who died despising one another, and intend to "resolve" their kinky carnal issues using the youngsters as their pawns! Though handled with surprising subtlety and austerity, The Haunting of Helen Walker somehow falls short of the eerie brilliance of the 1961 The Innocents, and without being unduly cruel, it can be said that Valerie Bertinelli is no Deborah Kerr. Filmed on location near Readling, England, the TV movie premiered December 3, 1995 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Long Road Home evokes memories of The Grapes of Wrath, though it doesn't quite reach the same heights as the earlier film. Mark Harmon heads up a family of migrant workers, toiling in California's San Joaquin Valley in 1937. Harmon's brood is obliged to face down not only the Depression but also exploitive farm owners. When one too many human rights is trampled upon, a union movement takes shape amongst the migrants. Though distinctly American in subject and tone, The Long Road Home was produced by Britain's Norman Rosemont. Unfortunately, this made-for-TV film premiered during an unusually cluttered February "sweeps week" in 1991; there was so much competition that Long Road Home was not even warranted the standard full-page TV Guide ad. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this holiday drama, a widowed architect tries to mix business with pleasure when he takes his daughter on a business trip to a strange town in Colorado. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Another of the many Sidney Sheldon novels given the TV-miniseries treatment in the 1970s and '80s, Master of the Game yielded a three-part, nine-hour extravaganza, with enough corporate and romantic intrigue to fill an entire television season. Covering nearly 100 years, the story (which remained astonishingly faithful to the book) begins in the late 19th century, when ruthless young Scottish entrepreneur Jamie McGregor (Ian Charleson) emigrates to South Africa, in hopes of accumulating enough wealth and power to get even with his longtime enemy, Dutch merchant Van der Merwe (Donald Pleasence). Thanks to an extremely prolific diamond mine, the money comes quickly -- as does vengeance, when McGregor deflowers Van der Merwe's convent-educated daughter, Margaret (Cherie Lunghi). The result of this indiscretion is a daughter named Kate (Dyan Cannon), who turns out to be the "Master" of the title. Upon attaining adulthood, Kate assumes control of her father's vast financial empire, ruling her inherited international conglomerate, and her husband, David Blackwell (David Birney), with an iron fist. The story continues into the next several generations, with Kate's lily-livered son, Tony (Harry Hamlin), giving birth to twin daughters, Eve and Alexandra (both played by Liane Langland). One is good, the other evil; the evil twin threatens threaten to destroy everything that Kate has so painstakingly built up. Eventually, they both become the victims of a sneering, malevolent gigolo (Fernando Allende) with a penchant for beating young women senseless. Told in flashback, the narrative comes to a head during Kate's 90th birthday celebration, an event tainted by the efforts of a mysterious killer to wipe the domineering matriarch and her family from the face of the earth. Largely filmed on location, Master of the Game was telecast by CBS from February 19 to 22, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

While most people are familiar only with the Lon Chaney Sr. and Charles Laughton versions of Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, this 1982 TV adaptation was the fourteenth filmization of the Hugo novel. Anthony Hopkins, barely recognizable under mounds of disfiguring body makeup, plays Quasimodo, the deformed 15th-century bellringer of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. Leslie-Anne Down plays Esmerelda, the gypsy girl who wins Quasimodo's unswerving loyalty when she offers him water after he is publicly flogged. And Derek Jacobi plays Dom Claude Frollo, the hypocritically pious archdeacon of Notre Dame, who'll do anything to claim Esmerelda for himself. Produced by Norman Rosemont, The Hunchback of Notre Dame originally aired February 4, 1982, as a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this romantic made-for-television comedy, a womanizing, handsome gambler tangles with the feisty female owner of a large casino and ends up falling in love. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Chris Sarandon does the "far, far, better thing" when he tackles the dual role of Syndey Carton and Charles Darnay in this Anglo-American TV adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. The ubiquitous producer/screenwriter combination of Norman Rosemont and John Gay was responsible for this lavish, faithful cinemazation of Dickens' multiplotted account of the French Revolution. Featured in the huge cast are Peter Cushing as Dr. Manette, Alice Krige as Lucie Manette, Billie Whitelaw as the vengeful, eternally knitting Madame DeFarge and Barry Morse as the odious aristocrat St. Evremonde. Poignantly, the film also offers the late Kenneth More, making one of his last appearances as Jarvis Lorry, and the magnificent Flora Robson, taking her final bow in the role of Miss Pross. An Emmy nomination went to Olga Lehmann's costume design. A Tale of Two Cities debuted December 2, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The 1979 TV movie Les Miserables was advertised as the 12th feature film to be based on the 1862 Victor Hugo novel (and that was a modest estimate). This time, Richard Jordan is the persecuted French ex-convict Jean Valjean, and Anthony Perkins is the relentless police officer Javert, who dogs Valjean's trail for forty years. Screenwriter John Gay does a nice compression job on Hugo's mammoth novel, including most of the familiar episodes ("The Bishop's Candlesticks" etc.) and reintroducing several vignettes that had been ignored by earlier adaptations. Norman Rosemont produced Les Miserables on a lavish scale in both England and France, populating the cast with several of Europe and America's best actors (including veteran Claude Dauphin, in his last screen appearance). Les Miserables debuted as a three-hour "IBM Special" on December 27, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This fifth film version of A.E.W. Mason's "Sun Never Sets" adventure novel The Four Feathers was adapted for television by Gerald DiPego. Following the death of British general "Chinese" Gordon at Khartoum, 19th-century gentleman officer Harry Favershem (Beau Bridges) is summoned to active duty in the Sudan. Though not a coward, Favershem fears that he'll turn coward in the heat of battle, thereby costing the lives of his comrades; thus, he opts to stay in England. Three of his disgruntled fellow officers each send Favershem a white feather, the symbol of cowardice. When a fourth feather is handed to Favershem by his fiancee (Jane Seymour), Favershem vows to prove himself in battle--and to personally hand back the four feathers to his accusers. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Betty Smith's best selling novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn inspired an Oscar-winning 1945 film, a play and a Broadway musical; this 1974 73-minute telefilm - a pilot for a weekly series drama -- represents the fourth incarnation. Cliff Robertson plays Johnny Nolan, a bibulous waiter living in turn-of-the-century Brooklyn. When Nolan dies, it is up to his widow Katie (Diane Baker) to carve out an existence for herself and her children Francie (Pamelyn Ferdin) and Neely (Michael James Wixted). Ultimately, Katie marries kindly Brooklyn cop McShane (James Olson). Nancy Malone costars as Katie's promiscuous sister Sissy. First telecast March 27, 1974, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn failed to generate high enough ratings for a regular series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Richard Chamberlain stars in this lavishly appointed adaptation of the classic Alexandre Dumas adventure story. When Count Edmond Dantes (Richard Chamberlain) is stripped of his wealth and sent to prison for crimes he did not commit, he swears to get revenge against those who wronged him. With the help of Abbe (Trevor Howard), a fellow prisoner, the Count escapes and sets forth to see that justice is done. The supporting cast includes Tony Curtis as Mondego, Louis Jourdan as De Villefort, and Donald Pleasance as Danglars. This seventh of eight film versions of The Count of Monte Cristo was produced for American television but received a theatrical release in Europe. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Cesare (Alex Cord) is the foreign car dealer who caters to the jet set. A previous favor by a mobster who saved his life has him indebted to the mafia to repay the kindness. With a stiletto, he kills three enemies of the organization, but is hung out to dry when the gang refuse to acknowledge his actions or even admit they know him. As the police close in on the auto dealer, he is caught between the law and the mob with no protection from either side. Britt Eklund and Barbara McNair are the main female leads. Roy Scheider has a small part in this violent and erotic crime drama. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi