You don't see as many made-for-TV movies today as you used to. Sure, Lifetime does some and you'll find some on cable and the odd one on CBS, but the networks don't really do them anymore (and if they do they stretch them to two or more nights and call them a mini-series). But you could see them all the time in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Here are five they hardly show anymore, if ever, but I remember them fondly.
1. One Of My Wives Is Missing (1976): Mystery about a man who reports his wife missing, then a woman shows up claiming to be his wife and he says she isn't. Stars Jack Klugman, Elizabeth Ashley, and James Franciscus. I pride myself in being able to figure out the shocking endings and plot twists that so many movies have (that's what happens when you watch so much TV, not much surprises you anymore), but this movie completely blew me away. It doesn't just have a twist ending, it has about three, and you just smile at the end because it's so clever, and you try to think back to everything that happened to see if they played fair. I haven't seen this movie in about 15 years. It's not on DVD and I can't remember the last time someone ran it. (It was remade years later with a different title, but it wasn't as good.)2. Wonder Woman (1974): No, not the Lynda Carter version, this was the Cathy Lee Crosby version that came a few years before that one. It was the pilot for a TV series that never happened. Looking back on it, it's a little goofy, but I really enjoyed this as a kid and I'd love to see it again. Ricardo Montalban played the villain and Kaz Garas was Steve Trevor. It's a fun flick, set up like a cliffhanger serial in a way, about the search for a serious of stolen books and the people who took them. It involves donkey, if I remember correctly. Another bonus: the theme song is a cool instrumental, not that stupid one from the Lynda Carter series ("In her satin tights/fighting for your rights!"). Is this on DVD?
3. The Night Strangler (1973): Yeah, this is on DVD now, but why isn't it shown more on television. It seemed to vanish for several years, then sorta resurfaced when the DVDs were released and ABC did that horrid remake of The Night Stalker. This one was even creepier, with Richard Anderson (The Six Million Dollar Man) as a 100-something year old killer living under the streets of Seattle.
4. The Norliss Tapes (1973): Very Night Stalker/Night Strangler-ish pilot for a TV series (it was done by Dan Curtis, who did those movies too), about a reporter who discovers some strange goings on when he investigates a murder. Starred Roy Thinnes and Angie Dickinson.
5. The New People (1969) Actually an episode of the Journey To Darkness TV series, but I believe they repackaged the eps as movies several years ago. It's about a young couple (Robert Reed and Jennifer Hilary) that moves to a new town and strange things start to happen. Turns out the town is filled with devil worshippers and they want to sacrifice them. Really scary and unsettling.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-29-2007 @ 1:47PM
D Colin said...
Can't remember if it was a mini-series or TV movie, but I would love to see Billionaires Boys Club again. It had Judd Nelson. These young rich guys who somehow involved in murder. Can't really remember alot about it, but was on when I was either in middle show or high school (31 now). I often think about and would love to see it again.
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1-30-2007 @ 8:54AM
Hugeliver said...
Gimme Killdozer!
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1-29-2007 @ 2:23PM
Jack said...
You can watch the Cathy Lee Crosby version of Wonder Woman at http://video.aol.com.
No, this is not an ad. Just very weird coincidence, because we watched it last night for free on that sight. It's a pretty slow moving movie. I understand why it didn't get picked up. Plus, a blond Wonder Woman is wrong!
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1-29-2007 @ 2:43PM
Pete said...
What about "Play Misty for Me", with Clint Eastwood?
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1-29-2007 @ 2:33PM
Bob Sassone said...
Jack: thanks for the info. Working for AOL I probably should have searched, heh. Here's the direct link:
http://us.video.aol.com/video.index.adp?pmmsid=1726526
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1-29-2007 @ 2:46PM
Tele-Toby said...
The early 1970s were a great time for made-for-TV movies, and I wish TV Land would set aside a block of time on Saturday nights to play them again in a showcase.
Here are my five I'd love to see again:
"A Little Game" - A young boy who's homicidal and his step-dad fears the kid has him on his hit list.
"Seven In Darkness" - Seven blind people survive a plane crash and try to make it down the side of a mountain. Milton Berle in a serious role.
"The Girl Most Likely To..." - Written by Joan Rivers, it starred Stockard Channing as a former ugly duckling who dispatches all those who tormented her in school when she was ugly. The original "Ugly Betty" story, I'd say.
"Carter's Army" - A bigoted Southerner in charge of a platoon of black soldiers in WWII, with Stephen Boyd, Richard Pryor, and Rosey Grier among others.
"Wake Me When The War Is Over" - As a 13 year old, I was old enough to read between the lines as to how Ken Berry was spending his time in hiding from the Nazis with Eva Gabor. (Or was it Zza Zza?) Sadly, it was a source of um, inspiration.....
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1-29-2007 @ 4:22PM
greg said...
FYI, "The Norliss Tapes" is also out on DVD. It came out last year.
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1-29-2007 @ 9:55PM
Anthony said...
"One Of My Wives Is Missing" was based on a great stage play called "Catch Me If You Can". The triple twist works really well on-stage and the audience loves it. Also one of the best 70's tv movies was "The Night That Paniced America". It was a movie based on the Orsen Wells War of the Worlds radio broadcast. I have that on videotape from a re-play on late night tv years ago.
Tony
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1-29-2007 @ 3:50PM
Francisco said...
The Jericho Mile. One of the greatest sports movies ever and I do not think anyone has aired it in at least 10 years.
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1-29-2007 @ 3:56PM
Challabuck said...
One that really sticks in my mind all these years later is "Murder by Natural Causes" with Hal Holbrook and Katherine Ross. That was one humdinger of a thriller.
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1-29-2007 @ 4:19PM
Hank said...
"Birds of Prey" (1973) with David Janssen. Wish I could see that again!
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1-29-2007 @ 4:12PM
RSL said...
@Pete, as much as they played on Saturday/Sunday afternoons when I was growing up, I don't think "Play Misty for Me" is a Made-for-TV movie.
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1-29-2007 @ 5:59PM
BlackViking said...
Anybody remember one that had OJ Simpson as a bus driver, and I think it was hijacked, it had some crazy plot twist, and I think Arte Johnson was in it. I always wanted to see that one again. Anyone?
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1-29-2007 @ 5:21PM
M.Christian said...
Here's a few for ya:
AB&C with Henry Fonda -- part of a 'series in a series' of crime dramas on ABC's Mystery Movies
A Cold Night's Death -- creepy!
Isn't it Shocking? -- with Alan Alda
The Questor Tapes -- failed Roddenberry Pilot
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2-04-2007 @ 10:17AM
s fowler said...
How about the 70's Christmas favorite at my house The Waltons - A Homecoming with Patricia Neal or The House Without a Christmas Tree.
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1-29-2007 @ 5:53PM
John Pearley Huffman said...
How about "The California Kid" with Martin Sheen driving a wicked '34 Ford and Vic Morrow playing his crazed cop pursuer. No one played crazed cops better than Morrow.
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1-29-2007 @ 9:19PM
Maven said...
"Duel"
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1-31-2007 @ 12:19PM
Gary said...
Some of my favorites have been mentioned already:
1) Murder by Natural Causes - Plus the follow-up from Levinson/Link, "Rehersal for Murder"
2) One of My Wives is Missing - Jack Klugman was great in this. The remake, "Vanishing Act" wasn't even close to being as good, although Fred Gwynne was pretty good.
3) The Killer who wouldn't Die - A pretty good detective/action movie with Mike Connors.
4) Murder Among Friends - Actually a filmed stage play, it was a nice little murder plot with twists with Leslie Nielson, Sally Kellerman, and Daniel "someone" (from Hardcastle and McCormick).
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2-05-2007 @ 2:04PM
pat said...
"The Day After", I think, a chilling tale of the aftermath of a nuclear explosion on the citizens of a suburb. Most, frightening, the way it begins with news spots in the background that suggest the world discard we here and read today as we go about our lives.
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5-22-2007 @ 11:40AM
TVMOVIEMISS said...
to "BlackViking"....the o. j. simpson tv movie that he plays a bus driver in is titled "detour to terror" (1980), i have it as well as a few of his other "made for tv" movies, "cocaine and blue eyes" (1983), "goldie and the boxer" (1979), and i think i still have somewhere the one where he has an affair with liz montgomery "a killing affair" (1977).
and to anyone...i have a vast collection of never released or no longer in print 70's "made for tv" movies and am always happy to trade titles with other collectors. mary (tvmoviemiss@yahoo.com)
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