ABC-TV Movies of the Week

[wayneklein]

I remember a lot of them that were well done including-
"Night Slaves", "The Astronaut", "Killdozer". Some such as "Duel" and "The Night Stalker", "The Night Strangler" have been released to DVD. I wonder who owns the rights to the rest of these minor classic b-movies? Many of them were terrific.

In "Night Slaves" James Franciscus plays Clay Howard and Lee Grant his wife Marjorie. They are stranded in a small town. At night the residents end up going out into the countryside on a mysterious project but have no recollection of the project nor seeing Clay when he greets them. Clay is immune to these night wanderings because of a metal plate in his head from an accident.They seem to be different people by night including Clay's wife. That's because they are! It seems that aliens are stranded on Earth and use the bodies of humans to do the repair work to their craft. Clay falls in love with one them who occupies the body of one of the residents played by Tisha Sterling.

It's directed by Ted Post and based on a great short story by Jerry Sohl.

"The Astronaut" was written by Harve Bennett and stars Monte Markham as an astronaut killed by some sort of infectious bacteria picked up while he was still on Mars. Markham also plays the look-alike who is picked to impersonate the dead astronaut to prevent the space program from losing face and their funding. It's a marvelous little thriller (and may have inspired "Capricorn One").

"Killdozer" is based on a story by Ted Sturgeon a construction crew building an airstrip on a remote Pacific Island that disturbs a stranded noncorporeal alien intelligence that "inhabits" a bulldozer killing off the construction crew for some unknown reason. No doubt this inspired Stephen King's "Maximum Overdrive" (and was better than that flick). Director Jerry London does a great job with the limited budget and cast he has (including Clint Walker, Carl Betz, James Wainwright).


There were many others (and some dopey ones as well). I realize there's a small market for these films but I'd love to see them released in a set similar to Warner's "Camp Classics" set. Perhaps these are out of copyright certainly they've been forgotten.

[Cheepnik]

Many others were discussed here...

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/archive/index.php/t-55839.html

[rockclassics]

In "Night Slaves" James Franciscus plays Clay Howard and Lee Grant his wife Marjorie. They are stranded in a small town. At night the residents end up going out into the countryside on a mysterious project but have no recollection of the project nor seeing Clay when he greets them. Clay is immune to these night wanderings because of a metal plate in his head from an accident.They seem to be different people by night including Clay's wife. That's because they are! It seems that aliens are stranded on Earth and use the bodies of humans to do the repair work to their craft. Clay falls in love with one them who occupies the body of one of the residents played by Tisha Sterling.

It's directed by Ted Post and based on a great short story by Jerry Sohl.

"Killdozer" is based on a story by Ted Sturgeon a construction crew building an airstrip on a remote Pacific Island that disturbs a stranded noncorporeal alien intelligence that "inhabits" a bulldozer killing off the construction crew for some unknown reason. No doubt this inspired Stephen King's "Maximum Overdrive" (and was better than that flick). Director Jerry London does a great job with the limited budget and cast he has (including Clint Walker, Carl Betz, James Wainwright).



I remember "Night Slaves" - strange movie until you figure out what is going on.

In "Killdozer" didn't they stop/kill the bulldozer by having it drive on to some concrete rebarb and electrocuting it?

Seems to me like there was another movie similar to "Duel" where a black (Dodge Challenger/Charger?) was trying to run pedestrians down or other drivers off the road. Of course, you never saw the face of the driver of the black car. I can't remember the title - anyone else remember this one?

[wayneklein]

Many others were discussed here...

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/archive/index.php/t-55839.html

Thanks. Before I joined and when I looked it up I looked it up under ABC-TV silly me!

Trilogy of Terror definitely one of the best from that time as well. A pity the rest haven't found their way to DVD yet...offically.

[The Wanderer]

I always smile and think of Lloyd Bridges, who appeared in many including "Haunts Of The Very Rich" and "Deadly Dream".

Also, always liked the opening sequence with Burt Bacharach's "Nikki" theme.

[Lon]

I remember "Night Slaves" - strange movie until you figure out what is going on.

In "Killdozer" didn't they stop/kill the bulldozer by having it drive on to some concrete rebarb and electrocuting it?

Seems to me like there was another movie similar to "Duel" where a black (Dodge Challenger/Charger?) was trying to run pedestrians down or other drivers off the road. Of course, you never saw the face of the driver of the black car. I can't remember the title - anyone else remember this one?

Wasn't it called 'The Car'? I think it was out on dvd, don't know now.
A classic! Was James Brolin in it?

[HGN2001]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM-Vkd7On2Q

The original opening, with the Burt Bacharach "Nikki" theme, using the "slit-scan" technique pioneered by Stankel Kubrick in 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY.

Harry

[LesPaul666]

Wasn't it called 'The Car'? I think it was out on dvd, don't know now.
A classic! Was James Brolin in it?


Oh yes..."The Car". One of my favorite TV movies as a kid.

I just picked up an ABC Movie Of The Week called "Bad Ronald"(Directed by Buzz Kulik of "Twilight Zone" fame, starring Scott Jacoby and Kim Hunter) on a mint VHS rental tape, which is OOP. This was another one I saw when it aired in 1974. Gonna have a screening party for this one.:D

[Mister Kite]

I really liked, "The Girl Most Likely to..." starring Stockard Channing. She starts out as a frumpy, overweight, plain-looking woman who after falling victim to an accident is transformed into a beautiful knockout. She then proceeds to dish out her own personal brand of revenge on everyone who did her wrong beofre the transformation. Funny, DARK and memorable to be sure!

Also, I have to say that The Point is my all-time favorite ABC-TV Movie of the Week!

[Evan L]

I had The Car on VHS once.

I loved The Night Stalker too!


Evan

[Jeff H.]

Oh yes..."The Car". One of my favorite TV movies as a kid.


That movie was released theatrically back in 1977. I remember seeing it at the drive-in with my family. It was great!!:D In fact the Lincoln used in the film was designed by George Barris who also designed classic TV cars like the Monkeemobile and the Batmobile.

[HGN2001]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM-Vkd7On2Q

Stankel Kubrick

Quite a typo, no? :)

Of course I meant "Stanley Kubrick!"

Harry

[rockclassics]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM-Vkd7On2Q

The original opening, with the Burt Bacharach "Nikki" theme, using the "slit-scan" technique pioneered by Stankel Kubrick in 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY.

Harry

This opening brought back some memories. Thanks for posting it.

It's a shame none of the networks are doing TV movies like this now. I guess they wouldn't be successful these days. Unless it is a reality show or similar to American Idol, most shows don't stand a chance. :shake:

And thanks for identifying the movie I asked about.

[bencasey]

They were produced by many different production companies. A lot of them were done by Aaron Spelling of course but others were by various producers and studios. So where they came from varied week to week.

[lasvidfil]

I don't know if these were ABC movies but i always remembered Terror On The Beach with Dennis Weaver and Susan Dey about a family camping on the beach who are terrorized by a biker gang & Where Have All The People Gone with Peter Graves about a heat wave that turns all the people into dust. They were smoking interesting stuff in the 70's.

[Merseyside]

Satan's School for Girls
The Dead Don't Die
Phantom of Hollywood
Home for The Holidays
Death at Love House
What's the Matter with Helen?

[HGN2001]

How about THE STRANGER WITHIN with Barbara Eden? She played a pregnant woman with ever-more bizarre eating habits and strange begavior. It played out like it was going to be a ROSEMARY'S BABY/THE OMEN hybrid, but the ending turned out to be a surprise. It was written by Richard Matheson and ran in 1974.

It's one I've always wanted to see again, but never have. I see that it was released on VHS but not DVD.

Harry

[reechie]

Pray For The Wildcats

Andy Griffith, Robert Reed, Shatner, Marjoe Gortner as a middle aged motorcycle gang wearing Star Trek shirts. Hilarity ensues! :D

[wayneklein]

Wasn't it called 'The Car'? I think it was out on dvd, don't know now.
A classic! Was James Brolin in it?

The Car was a theatrical release although it could have just as easily been an ABC-TV movieof the week.

[racerx20]

Oh yes..."The Car". One of my favorite TV movies as a kid.

I just picked up an ABC Movie Of The Week called "Bad Ronald"(Directed by Buzz Kulik of "Twilight Zone" fame, starring Scott Jacoby and Kim Hunter) on a mint VHS rental tape, which is OOP. This was another one I saw when it aired in 1974. Gonna have a screening party for this one.:D

I just watched this movie last week! I got a decent DVDR copy of the VHS. This movie freaked me out as a kid, as did The Car. I never could recall the name of the movie and it drove me crazy because I remember a few of the scenes so vividly. I googled some key events in the movie and found it right away. I think I probably only watched half of it as a kid because when I watched it last week, I did not recall anything about the entire second half of the movie.

[Drawer L]

The Boy In The Plastic Bubble!!!!!
Maybe I'll Come Home In The Spring--with Sally Field,c.'71,Linda Ronstadt does several (unreleased?)songs on the soundtrack--I found a copy in a 'two-movies-on-one-DVD-for-$1!' bin in the supermarket.Grainy print....

[wayneklein]

Reviving this thread--remembered another excellent ABC TV Movie of the Week "The Love War" with Lloyd Bridges and Angie Dickenson. It's about aliens that come to fight their battle one-on-one on Earth and must use a special set of glasses to see their true form. The last shot of the alien as seen through the glasses on the ground has haunted me for years.

I'd love to see this released on DVD although I doubt we'll ever see it.

[Vidiot]

I worked on a great ABC movie of the week (for syndication -- I'm not that old!) back in the 1980s: Sole Survivor, from 1970. Man, that's one of the good ones, where a bunch of WWII soldiers are hanging around their plane wreck in the middle of the Sahara desert, and then the Army guys find the plane and you realize... well, I'm not gonna spoil it. I was blown away when I saw it as a kid, and I thought it still held up almost 20 years later. Several big surprises in that little film.

[rogertheshrubber]

Wasn't "Trapped"--the James Brolin movie where he finds himself locked in a department store after closing and chased by a pack of guard dogs--a Movie of the Week? Really memorable for me--

[W.B.]

Two of the TV-movies from ABC's Movie of the Week are worth mentioning, both deserving of "official" DVD release, I.M.H.O.:
- Isn't It Shocking? (1973), starring Alan Alda and Louise Lasser, with Ruth Gordon, Will Geer and Edmond O'Brien
- Judge Dee and the Monastery Murders (1974), starring Khigh Dhiegh, featuring such names as Keye Luke

Another thing to be mentioned has to do with the 1971-72 Movie of the Weekend which ran on Saturdays. The opening segment, with a silhouetted rotating shot of a bespectacled cameraman operating a 35mm camera, later had that aspect recycled for use by ABC's New York O&O, WABC-TV, starting in 1973 for its key movie shows, namely The 4:30 Movie and Saturday / Sunday Night Movie. A comparison:
- Movie of the Weekend open: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cckf1FHG-c
- The 4:30 Movie open: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eE6CTjSwH9I (NOTE: sync's a little off if you compare it to this: )
- Saturday Night Movie open: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWxylm5RyVc