John D. MacDonald Movies
Prolific author John D. MacDonald wrote 77 mystery novels and many short stories during his four-decade career. His most popular character was Travis McGee, "a knight in slightly tarnished armor" who appeared in a series of 21 books. Several of MacDonald's books have been adapted into film, most notably his novel The Executioner, which has twice been filmed as Cape Fear. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Martin Scorsese's remake of Cape Fear provided the director with a box-office success to follow up the critical success of the previous year's Goodfellas. After serving a lengthy prison sentence for a sexual assault, Max Cady (Robert De Niro) comes calling on the man who served as his public defender, Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte). Max begins a campaign of harassment against the man and his family because Bowden buried a report that would have in all likelihood acquitted Cady of the charges against him. Bowden's shaky ethics continue in his personal life as he is considering beginning an extramarital affair with colleague Lori Davis (Illeana Douglas), since he and his wife, Leigh (Jessica Lange) have had a difficult time coming back together since he has admitted to previous indiscretions. Cady infiltrates the family most insidiously by cultivating a relationship with the Bowden's troubled teenage daughte, Danielle (Juliette Lewis), who is all the more susceptible to Cady's advances because of her parents' problems. Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck, the stars of the original film, have cameo appearances in this version of Cape Fear. De Niro and Lewis were both nominated for Academy Awards for their work in the film. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, (more)
- 1984
A John D. MacDonald novel was the source material for A Flash of Green. Ed Harris plays a reporter for a Florida resort-town newspaper. His best friend is shady county-commissioner Richard Jordan. When Harris shows signs of sympathizing with a local ecology group that is dead set against a new land-fill development, Jordan tries to keep the editor quiet with a bribe. At first, Harris acquiesces, but rapidly develops a conscience when Jordan enlists a local right-wing terrorist group to keep the ecologists in line. A secondary plot involves Harris' romance with Blair Brown, an affair tainted by the fact that Harris' wife lies comatose in the hospital. Thanks to its pro-eco stance, A Flash of Green was financed by and telecast as an edition of PBS' American Playhouse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Harris, Blair Brown, (more)
- 1984
In this contemporary comedy/drama, Anne (Laura Harrington) is a struggling photographer who decides to break up with her boyfriend Joey (Joe Mastroianni) to pursue other romantic opportunities. However, Anne's new-found freedom doesn't work out very well for her, and a new photographic project turns sour when a pimp she was secretly photographing discovers what she's doing and retaliates by trashing her apartment. The City Girl marked the feature debut of director Martha Coolidge, though the film was not released until after her second feature, Valley Girl, became a surprise hit. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura Harrington, Joe Mastroianni, (more)
- 1983
In this detective drama, ultra-macho investigator Travis McGee, based on a character by author John D. MacDonald, looks into the case of a seemingly drowned land developer. Along the way he meets a boozy old sailor, a high-strung pianist, and the dead developer's sister. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1980
Condominium is a two-part, four-hour TV adaptation of the novel by John D. McDonald. The setting is a hastily constructed Florida high-rise, assembled at the least possible cost by its greedy owners. An oncoming hurricane threatens to topple the structure and its residents into the ocean. Various degrees of greed, lust, terror and concern are displayed by stars Steve Forrest, Dan Haggerty, Ralph Bellamy, Barbara Eden, Stuart Whitman, Jack Jones and Pamela Hensley. Produced for the syndicated "Operation Prime Time" series, Condominium was first made available to local stations on November 20, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Bound to the ABC Saturday Suspense Movie 72-minute limitation, Linda could have benefitted from ten or twenty extra minutes' running time. The film, based on a novel by John D. McDonald, stars Stella Stevens as the woman scorned whom Hell hath no fury like. Stevens murders the wife (Mary Robin-Redd) of her lover (John Saxon), then plugs the lover. Stevens' husband Ed Nelson suspects that his wife is responsible for the killings. Stevens responds by framing hubby for the woman's death. John McIntyre plays the aptly named Marshall Journeyman, who methodically ferrets out the facts. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
- R
John D. McDonald was not altogether pleased with what Hollywood did to his novel Darker Than Amber, but audiences were generally satisfied. Private eye Travis McGee (Rod Taylor) and his cohort Meyer (Theodore Bikel) rescue the beautiful Vangie (Suzy Kendall) from drowning. Vangie has been targetted for death by a couple of disreputable types who, as it turns out, were her former partners in crime. When Vangie is murdered, McGee hires a lookalike (also played by Suzy Kendall) to corner the killers. As is usually the case in the ouevre of John D. McDonald, nothing is quite what it appears to be on surface. Jane Russell, reemerging from one of her period retirements, is fun to watch as "Alabama Tiger". Current prints of the R-rated Darker Than Amber have been modified to qualify for a "PG." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Taylor, Suzy Kendall, (more)
- 1968
Sam Moran (Richard Boone) is a Honolulu charter-boat captain who leads fishing expeditions in the tropical paradise. When his daughter is found murdered at the party of a wealthy young playboy, he seeks the truth about the murder. Convinced the playboy is guilty, he enlists the help of his friend Kittibelle (Joan Blondell), who runs an alcohol abuse treatment center. Sam runs into a wall of silence obviously built by hush money and islanders fearful of reprisals from the rich and powerful family. The determined dad fights to uncover the information that will land the murderer in jail as he avenges the death of his daughter. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Boone, Vera Miles, (more)
After an eight-year prison term for rape and assault, Max Cady (Robert Mitchum) is set free. Immediately making a beeline to Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck), the former prosecutor responsible for Cady's conviction, Cady laconically informs Sam that he intends to "pay back" the attorney for his years behind bars. Conducting a meticulous campaign of terror, Cady is careful to stay within the law. Sam, realizing that Cady intends to wreak vengeance by raping the attorney's wife (Polly Bergen) and daughter (Lori Martin), tries to put the ex-criminal behind bars, but has no grounds to do so. Chief Dutton (Martin Balsam) tries to help Sam with a few strong-arm tactics, but succeeds only in having the courts take Cady's side in the matter. Things come to a head when Sam moves his family to the "safety" of a remote houseboat on Cape Fear river. Cady shows up unannounced and is about to ravage Bowden's wife and daughter and when Sam turns the tables. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, (more)
- 1961
Edmond O'Brien became the latest actor to try his hand at directing in Man-Trap (he'd previous functioned as codirector on 1957's Shield for Murder). Jeffrey Hunter stars as an impressionable fellow whose old marine buddy (David Janssen) talks him into a questionable business venture. Hunter joins Janssen in a plot to hijack nearly four million dollars from the Mob. The results are far from beneficial, either for Hunter or his alcoholic, promiscuous young wife (Stella Stevens). Man-Trap was adapted from John D. MacDonald's novel Taint of the Tiger. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeffrey Hunter, David Janssen, (more)
