Fionnula Flanagan Movies
Educated in Switzerland and England, Irish actress Fionnula Flanagan studied for her trade at Dublin's Abbey Theatre. With her portrayal of Gerty McDowell in the 1967 film version of Ulysses, Flanagan established herself as one of the foremost interpreters of James Joyce. She made her 1968 Broadway bow in Brian Friel's Lovers then appeared in such Joycean theatrical projects as Ulysses in Nighttown and James Joyce's Women (1977). The last-named project earned her "Critic's Circle" awards in Los Angeles and San Francisco; it was subsequently committed to film in 1988, with Flanagan repeating her portrayal of Harriet Shaw Weaver. A familiar presence in American television, Flanagan has appeared in several made-for-TV movies, among them The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975), Mary White (1977), The Ewok Adventure (1984) and A Winner Never Quits (1986). She won an Emmy for her work as Clothilde in the 1976 network miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man. Fionnula Flanagan's weekly-series stints have included Aunt Molly Culhane in How the West Was Won (1977), which earned her a second Emmy nomination; Lt. Guyla Cook in Hard Copy (1987) and Kathleen Meacham, wife of police chief John Mahoney (another transplant from the British Isles) in Help (1990). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This Dan Curtis made-for-TV effort was the seventh screen version of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. This time, newcomer Shane Bryant plays the debauched 19th-century nobleman who makes an unholy pact permitting him eternal youth and good looks. His multitudinous sins--and his actual age--are reflected in his portrait, which Gray keeps locked up in his attic. Nigel Davenport co-stars as Gray's elegantly corrupt mentor Sir Harry Wotton, while future Lou Grant star Linda Kelsey plays Dorian's unwitting sweetheart Beatrice Hallward, niece of the man who painted the cursed portrait. Originally videotaped and then transferred to film, the two-part Picture of Dorian Gray was first telecast April 23 and 24, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
The Godchild is the seventh and (thus far) the last film version of Peter B. Kyne's Saturday Evening Post story "Three Godfathers." The threesome is herein played by Jack Palance, Jack Warden and Keith Carradine. Instead of bank robbers (as they were in most previous filmizations of the Kyne story), the trio are escaped Civil War POWS, eluding both the Confederates and the Apaches by hightailing it to the desert. They come upon a dying woman, who makes them promise to deliver her newborn child to safety. All three men lose their freedom and their lives in keeping this promise, but kept it is. The Godchild is fine as TV movies go; the only question is, why this story once again? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Palance, Jack Warden, (more)
- 1972
Robert Lansing guest-stars as Dundee, an ex-convict determined to prove that he spent five years in prison as the result of a frame-up. Ben Cartwright's efforts to help Dundee adjust to his new-found freedom are thwarted by the coldness of Dundee's wife Elizabeth (Fionnula Flanagan), and the casual betrayal perpetrated by the man's so-called friends. Written by Don Ingalls, this episode was largely filmed on location at Sonora. "Heritage of Anger" was first broadcast on September 19, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1969
- PG
Davey Haggart (John Hurt) wishes to follow his father's footsteps and become a highway robber. He also wishes to avoid his father's fate -- which was death by hanging at the tender age of 21 after a botched robbery of the Duke of Argyle (Robert Morley). Davey commits a daring robbery in broad daylight with the help of two henchmen (Ronald Fraser and Fidelma Murphy) and heads for the highlands of Scotland to hide out. The local Constable (Nigel Davenport) warns young Davey he will end up just like his father but helps him escape the fate of dancing on the end of a rope. Annie (Pamela Franklin) is the kind-hearted farm girl who tries to make sweet Davey give up a life of crime and settle down. This comedy was taken from the autobiographical diary"The Life Of David Haggart." ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Hurt, Pamela Franklin, (more)
Based on the classic novel by James Joyce, this drama deals with the life of an impotent married Jewish man, his wife and a student/poet in Dublin. Focusing more upon the characters' thoughts and fantasies than upon their actions, it features some of Joyce's previously banned prose. This drama was filmed in Ireland with a largely Irish cast and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Jefford, Milo O'Shea, (more)
