MovieChat Forums > A Cold Night's Death (1973) Discussion > Greatest American TV Movie?

Greatest American TV Movie?

posted 15 years ago by marshall266
9 replies | jump to latest

I believe this movie to be the greatest American TV movie i have ever seen. I live in the UK and i remember they used to show alot of 1970s US TV Movies late at night back in the 80's. The vast majority were decidedly mediocre, and some were downright tripe, but this movie really stood out. Incredibly atmospheric with great acting (particularly Eli Wallach, a criminally underatted actor who is generally remembered for his portrayal of Tuco in Good,Bad & the Ugly). I also thought the score was genuinely spine-tingling and memorable. I finally managed to get hold of a bootlegged copy on dvd(after a great many years of waiting in vain for it to be shown on telly again) and it really is as good as i remembered. I recall another great tv movie from the same period called The Old Man Who Cried Wolf starring Edward G. Robinson. Can anyone remember any others of this standard?

[–] Poisoned_Dragon1964 14 years ago

There's a number of made-for-television treasures from the 70's that should be seen. ABC made quite a few of these for its Mystery Movie Theater.

Disney currently owns ABC, and IMO, it's sitting on an untapped gold mine of shows. They're perishable; in another ten-twenty years, their nostalgic appeal to a specific market (the aging Boomers) will have diminished. Someone at Disney should think about releasing these gems.

Have you ever seen the following?

Something Evil (1972)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069298/

You'll Never See Me Again (1973)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070943/

Crowhaven Farm (1970)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065594/

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069992/

Bad Ronald (1974)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071186/

Where Have All the People Gone? (1974)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072400/

The Questor Tapes (1974)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070585/

The UFO Incident (1975)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073834/

The Two Worlds of Jennie Logan (1979)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078430/

Murder By Natural Causes (1979)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079593/

Great films, all; all made for television, and none of them have ever seen an official release.

§« The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters. »§

[–] rich56 14 years ago

Considering Spielberg directed 'Something Evil' I'm amazed this has never seen a DVD release. I remember seeing many of those you listed and some were pretty good. Don't know why they seem to be sitting on them. It's not like you ever see them on TV anymore.

[–] SuCue 8 years ago

I remember most of those - many are on YouTube.

[–] snowleopard 7 years ago

Great thread. I'm surprised I didn't see this before. There are plenty more very good TV movies from that era. ABC, and the other networks too, put a lot of creative energy trying to create full movies that were almost as good as what you'd see in a theater, with not quite the budget, and in many, many cases they succeeded. Here are a few more.

A Short Walk to Daylight - James Brolin plays a cop trying to help rescue people from a subway under the ground after an earthquake. Somewhat inspired by Poseidon Adventure, this is an excellent, gripping film. The Stallone film Daylight had to be inspired by this: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069263/

Dying Room Only - Cloris Leachman and her husband go into a remote diner. When she returns from the restroom, her husband has vanished, and no one recalls seeing him. Inspired the later film Breakdown with Kurt Russell. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070012

Salem's Lot - David Soul starred in this vampire movie that had fantastic atmosphere written by a young Stephen King, and directed by Tobe Hooper at the height of his game. It was remade in 2004 with Rob Lowe. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079844

The Blue Knight - William Holden is an aging cop in a gritty realistic performance that won him an Emmy, Geore Kennedy was also in this. Written by Joseph Wambaugh. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069806

The Execution of Private Slovik - Gripping and emotional tale about a cowardly American soldier played by Martin Sheen, facing execution for desertion during WWII.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071477

Sybil (1976) Yes, that Sybil.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075296

Brian's Song (1971)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068315

All Quiet on the Western Front (1979)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078753

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071175

The Connection (1973)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069915

Too many more to list, some of these easily could have been released in theaters, or even contended for Oscars. Love Among the Ruins for example starred Katherine Hepburn and Lawerence Olivier, and was directed by George Cukor! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073310

[–] tommyuk 14 years ago

Duel
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067023/

[–] Poisoned_Dragon1964 14 years ago

Duel is available on DVD.

§« The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters. »§

[–] tommyuk 14 years ago

Yeah the special edition comes in a nice metal Box with lots of extras

[–] liscarkat-2 9 years ago

This was from the period before TV movies deteriorated into "My Husband Is Evil!" and "My Child Has a Disease!".

[–] SuCue 8 years ago

Yep I remember The Old Man Who Cried Wolf. It's on YouTube now. Directed by Walter Graumann who also did Lady in a Cage, Daughter of the Mind, and Crowhaven Farm. "Wolf" has a tremendous cast, with Ed Asner, Diane Baker, Martin Balsam and Ruth Roman all appearing in addition to EGR. The last three are all alums of classic Hitchcock films: Baker for Marmie, Balsam for Psycho and Roman for Strangers On a Train.