Angel City (film)

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Angel City
Genre Drama
Based onAngel City
by Patrick Smith
Teleplay by James Lee Barrett
Directed by Philip Leacock
Starring
Music by Mark Snow
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Alan Jay Factor
  • John Newland
CinematographyJames Pergola
Editor Dann Cahn
Running time95 minutes
Production companyThe Factor-Newland Production Corporation
Original release
Network CBS
ReleaseNovember 12, 1980 (1980-11-12)

Angel City is a 1980 American drama television film directed by Philip Leacock and starring Ralph Waite, Paul Winfield, Jennifer Warren, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Mitchell Ryan. The teleplay by James Lee Barrett is based on the 1978 novel by Patrick D. Smith. It aired on CBS on November 12, 1980. [1]

Contents

Premise

In search of a better life, Jared Teeter moves his family from West Virginia to Florida, where they end up trapped with other migrant workers at a forced labor camp run by the sadistic Silas Creedy.

Cast

Production

It was originally known as Angel's Gates. [2] Filming took place in June 1980 at the migrant camp in Homestead, Florida where Smith had worked himself. Two weeks into filming, original director Steve Carver was replaced by Leacock after a dispute between Carver and Waite (Waite had worked with Leacock on The Waltons ). [3]

Carver later claimed "I had a problem with actor Ralph Waite who came on the set drunk. I told the producers to remove him or I would leave. They said they couldn't remove him, so I left. Then they blackballed me." He said this damaged his career. [4]

References

  1. Clark, Kenneth R. (October 23, 1980). "First impressions of the CBS television movie, 'Angel City,' slated for airing Nov. 12". United Press International . Retrieved November 7, 2025.
  2. "Angel's Gates". The Odessa American. June 1, 1980. p. 34.
  3. "Angel City: It's a book, it's a movie and a shocking reality". Florida Today. June 20, 1980. p. 1D.
  4. Haanen, Roel (August 2020). "Dangerous as hell:Steve Carver". Flashback Files.