Certain Honorable Men

Last updated

Certain Honorable Men is a 1968 American TV movie starring Van Heflin and Peter Fonda. It was written by Rod Serling.

Contents

It was part of a series of specials called On Stage sponsored by Prudential. [1]

Cast

Production

It was inspired by the Thomas J. Dodd case. [2]

Fonda had to cut his hair to play his role. "I felt like a fag in drag trying to play Angela Lansbury", he said. [3]

It was filmed at NBC's studios in Brooklyn. [4]

Reception

The New York Times said it was "fair more interesting than the average TV drama". [2]

Related Research Articles

Henry Fonda American actor (1905–1982)

Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor who had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. Fonda cultivated a strong, appealing screen image in several films now considered to be classics.

Jane Fonda American actress and activist

Jane Seymour Fonda is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of various accolades including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, seven Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the AFI Life Achievement Award, the Golden Lion Honorary Award, the Honorary Palme d'Or, and the Cecil B. DeMille Award.

Rod Serling American screenwriter, playwright, television producer, and narrator

Rodman Edward Serling was an American screenwriter, playwright, television producer, and narrator/on-screen host, best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his anthology television series The Twilight Zone. Serling was active in politics, both on and off the screen, and helped form television industry standards. He was known as the "angry young man" of Hollywood, clashing with television executives and sponsors over a wide range of issues, including censorship, racism, and war.

Kim Hunter American actress (1922-2002)

Kim Hunter was an American theatre, film, and television actress. She achieved prominence for portraying Stella Kowalski in the original production of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, which she reprised for the 1951 film adaptation, and won both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Peter Fonda American actor (1940–2019)

Peter Henry Fonda was an American actor, director and screenwriter. He was the son of Henry Fonda, younger brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget Fonda. He was a part of the counterculture of the 1960s. Fonda was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Easy Rider (1969), and the Academy Award for Best Actor for Ulee's Gold (1997). For the latter, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama. Fonda also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for The Passion of Ayn Rand (1999).

Burgess Meredith American actor

Oliver Burgess Meredith was an American actor and filmmaker whose career encompassed theater, film, and television.

Tim Matheson American actor (born 1947)

Tim Matheson is an American actor and director. Some of his best-known acting roles include the title character of the 1960s animated Jonny Quest TV series, Eric "Otter" Stratton in the 1978 comedy film National Lampoon's Animal House, and the recurring role of Vice President John Hoynes in the 2000s NBC drama The West Wing, which earned him two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.

Van Heflin American actor (1908–1971)

Emmett Evan "Van" Heflin Jr. was an American theatre, radio and film actor. He played mostly character parts over the course of his film career, but during the 1940s had a string of roles as a leading man. Heflin won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Johnny Eager (1942). He also had memorable roles in Westerns such as Shane (1953), 3:10 to Yuma (1957), and Gunman's Walk (1958).

Keenan Wynn American actor (1916–1986)

Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn was an American character actor. His expressive face was his stock-in-trade; and though he rarely carried the lead role, he had prominent billing in most of his film and television roles.

<i>Patterns</i> (film) 1956 film by Fielder Cook

Patterns is a 1956 American "boardroom drama" film starring Van Heflin, Everett Sloane, and Ed Begley; and directed by Fielder Cook. The screenplay was by Rod Serling, who adapted it from his teleplay of the same name, which was originally broadcast January 12, 1955 on the Kraft Television Theatre with Sloane, Begley and Richard Kiley.

<i>The Twilight Zone</i> (1959 TV series) American TV anthology series (1959–1964)

The Twilight Zone is an American science fiction horror anthology television series created and presented by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from October 2, 1959 to June 19, 1964. Each episode presents a stand-alone story in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described as entering "the Twilight Zone," often with a surprise ending and a moral. Although predominantly science-fiction, the show's paranormal and Kafkaesque events leaned the show towards fantasy and horror. The phrase "twilight zone," inspired by the series, is used to describe surreal experiences.

<i>A Carol for Another Christmas</i> 1964 television film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz

A Carol for Another Christmas is a 1964 American TV movie, written by Rod Serling as a modernization of Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol and a plea for global cooperation. It was the first in a planned series of television specials developed to promote the United Nations and educate viewers about its mission. Originally televised on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) network on December 28, 1964, it was not shown again for 48 years, until Turner Classic Movies (TCM) broadcast it on December 16, 2012.

Murray Hamilton American actor

Murray Hamilton was an American stage, screen, and television character actor who appeared in such films as Anatomy of a Murder, The Hustler, The Graduate, The Amityville Horror and Jaws.

Cornelius Westbrook Van Voorhis was a narrator for television programs and movies. He is perhaps best known for his work on The March of Time radio and newsreel series, where he became known as the "Voice of Doom", as well as for the catchphrase, "Time...marches on!"

John Lupton American actor

John Rollin Lupton was an American film and television actor.

Allen Case Television actor

Allen Case was an American television actor most noted for the lead role of Deputy Clay McCord in NBC-TV's The Deputy (1959–1961) opposite series regular Henry Fonda, who received top billing, but appeared far less frequently than Case.

Patterns (<i>Kraft Television Theatre</i>) 16th episode of the eighth season of Kraft Television Theatre

"Patterns" was an American television play broadcast live on January 12, 1955, as part of the NBC television series, Kraft Television Theatre. Because of its popularity, it was restaged on February 9, 1955.

Michael Shea (actor) Actor

Michael Shea is an American former child actor. Beginning a prolific career at the age of ten, Shea is perhaps best known for portraying the title role in the NBC children's television series, The New Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as well as for his feature film roles; as Nick in the Ivan Tors family film, Namu, the Killer Whale, as Jimmy in the MGM western, Welcome to Hard Times, and as "Cav" in the Walt Disney drama, Ride a Northbound Horse. Although born and raised in New York City, Shea was primarily cast as the wholesome small-town "country boy" throughout most of his career as a child star.

<i>The Game Is Over</i> 1966 French film

The Game Is Over is a 1966 French-Italian French language drama film directed by Roger Vadim and starring Jane Fonda, Michel Piccoli and Peter McEnery. The film is a modern-day adaptation of the 1871-72 novel La Curée by Émile Zola.

The Dark Side of the Earth (<i>Playhouse 90</i>) 2nd episode of the second season of Playhouse 90

"The Dark Side of the Earth" was an American television play broadcast live on September 19, 1957, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. It was the second episode of the second season. Rod Serling's teleplay told the story of a band of Hungarian freedom fighters captured by the Soviets in 1956.

References

  1. "Serling Drama Due Sept. 12". New York Times. 25 July 1968. p. 26.
  2. 1 2 JACK GOULD (Sep 13, 1968). "T V Review: Serling Play Parallels Senator Dodd Case". New York Times. p. 95.
  3. LEE ISRAEL. (Sep 8, 1968). "For Peter Fonda, It's All Now". New York Times. p. D29.
  4. "Serling Drama to Be Shown on NBC Series". Los Angeles Times. 27 July 1968. p. b3.