Little Ladies of the Night

Last updated

Little Ladies of the Night
GenreDrama
Written byHal Sitowitz
Directed by Marvin J. Chomsky
Starring
Music by Jerry Fielding
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
ProducerHal Sitowitz
Production locationLos Angeles
CinematographyDennis Dalzell
EditorGeorge W. Brooks
Running time100 minutes
Production company Spelling-Goldberg Productions
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseJanuary 16, 1977 (1977-01-16)

Little Ladies of the Night is a 1977 American made-for-television drama film starring David Soul, Louis Gossett Jr. and Linda Purl. [1] [2] When it was broadcast, it became the highest-rated TV movie of all time.

Contents

Plot

Pretty young Hailey Atkins runs away from oblivious father Frank and jealous stepmother Marilyn, eventually arriving in Los Angeles. Ending up on Hollywood Boulevard, she is "befriended" by prostitute Maureen, who eventually "turns out" Hailey as part of Maureen's pimp "Comfort"'s "stable". Hailey comes to the attention of ex-pimp and current Los Angeles Police detective Kyle York, whose sister was murdered while working the streets a few years ago, and his partner Officer Russ Garfield, who are both working to help underage girls working in prostitution. Refused help from her own family, deep down Hailey wants to go straight, but has great difficultly escaping "Comfort" and has nowhere else to go.

Cast

Production

The film was one of a series of TV movies about teen prostitutes which followed Taxi Driver , another being Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway . [3]

Reception

The Los Angeles Times thought it had "wavering credibility". [2] It was the highest-rated program of its night, with a 36.9 rating and 53 share, [4] seen by 26,270,000 households. ABC claimed this made it the highest-rated TV movie of all time as it surpassed the 36.5 average rating for Helter Skelter (although the second part of Helter Skelter had a higher rating of 37.5). [5] [4] The rating for a made-for-TV movie was only bettered by 1983's The Day After . [4]

At the time of its broadcast, it was the twelfth-highest-rated movie to air on network television. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Manson</span> American criminal and cult leader (1934–2017)

Charles Milles Manson was an American criminal, cult leader and musician who led the Manson Family, a cult based in California, in the late 1960s. Some of the members committed a series of at least nine murders at four locations in July and August 1969. In 1971, Manson was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of seven people, including the film actress Sharon Tate. The prosecution contended that, while Manson never directly ordered the murders, his ideology constituted an overt act of conspiracy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Atkins</span> Convicted murderer and member of the "Manson family" (1948–2009)

Susan Denise Atkins was an American convicted murderer who was a member of Charles Manson's "Family". Manson's followers committed a series of nine murders at four locations in California over a period of five weeks in the summer of 1969. Known within the Manson family as Sadie, Sadie Glutz, Sadie Mae Glutz or Sexy Sadie, Atkins was convicted for her participation in eight of these killings, including the most notorious, the Tate murders in 1969. She was sentenced to death, which was subsequently commuted to life imprisonment when the California Supreme Court invalidated all death sentences issued prior to 1972. Atkins was incarcerated until her death in 2009. At the time of her death, she was California's longest-serving female inmate, long since surpassed by fellow Manson family members Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leslie Van Houten</span> American convicted murderer (born 1949)

Leslie Louise Van Houten is an American convicted murderer and former member of the Manson Family. During her time with Manson's group, she was known by aliases such as Louella Alexandria, Leslie Marie Sankston, Linda Sue Owens and Lulu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helter Skelter (song)</span> 1968 song by the Beatles

"Helter Skelter" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 album The Beatles. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song was McCartney's attempt to create a sound as loud and dirty as possible. It is regarded as a key influence in the early development of heavy metal. In 1976, the song was released as the B-side of "Got to Get You into My Life" in the United States, to promote the Capitol Records compilation Rock 'n' Roll Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Gossett Jr.</span> American actor (1936–2024)

Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. was an American actor. He made his stage debut at the age of 17. Shortly thereafter, he successfully auditioned for the Broadway play Take a Giant Step. Gossett continued acting onstage in critically acclaimed plays including A Raisin in the Sun (1959), The Blacks (1961), Tambourines to Glory (1963), and The Zulu and the Zayda (1965). In 1977, Gossett appeared in the popular miniseries Roots, for which he won Outstanding Lead Actor for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series at the Emmy Awards.

<i>Helter Skelter</i> (1976 film) 1976 American television film by Tom Gries

Helter Skelter is a 1976 American true crime drama thriller television film based on the 1974 book by prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry. In the United States, it aired over two nights. In some countries it was shown in cinemas, with additional footage including nudity, foul language, and more violence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marilyn Burns</span> American actress (1949–2014)

Marilyn Burns was an American actress. She was known for playing Sally Hardesty in Tobe Hooper's horror film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), which established her as a scream queen and a catalyst of the final girl trope. She was involved in two more films of its resulting franchise: a cameo in The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1995) and a supporting role in Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013). In 2009, she was inducted into the Horror Hall of Fame at the Phoenix Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Williams (actor)</span> American actor

Adam Williams was an American film and television actor.

<i>Whore</i> (1991 film) 1991 film by Ken Russell

Whore is a 1991 American satirical drama film directed by Ken Russell and starring Theresa Russell. It follows the life of a jaded street prostitute in Los Angeles. Benjamin Mouton, Antonio Fargas, Jack Nance, Danny Trejo, and Ginger Lynn Allen appear in supporting roles. The screenplay by Russell and Deborah Dalton is based on David Hines' monologue play, Bondage. The film is partly presented in a pseudo-documentary format, with the lead character often breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience with monologues consisting of her observations and reflections on her career as a prostitute.

The Helter Skelter scenario is an apocalyptic vision that was supposedly embraced by Charles Manson and members of his so-called Family. At the trial of Manson and three others for the Tate–LaBianca murders, the prosecution presented it as motivating the crimes and as an aspect of the case for conspiracy. Via interviews and autobiographies, former Family members related what they had witnessed and experienced of it.

Paul Alan Watkins was an American man who was a member of Charles Manson's "Family". In the period leading up to Manson's trial for the Tate–LaBianca murders, Watkins provided the prosecution with information that clarified the "Helter Skelter" motive. He is not to be confused with Tex Watson.

<i>Roots: The Gift</i> 1988 television film

Roots: The Gift is a 1988 American historical drama television film directed by Kevin Hooks and written by D.M. Eyre Jr. It is the third installment of the Roots miniseries. The film premiered on ABC on December 11, 1988, with AT&T as the sole national sponsor for the broadcast, and was crafted as a Christmas film. LeVar Burton and Louis Gossett Jr. reprise their respective roles of Kunta Kinte and Fiddler. The film takes place between the second and third episodes of the original Roots series. It was watched by 23.3 million viewers.

Philip Capice was an American television producer, most notable as the executive producer of the dramedy Eight Is Enough and the first nine seasons of the soap opera Dallas.

Lois Lee is the founder of Children of the Night, a non-profit organization that works to support youth who were involved in prostitution, based in Van Nuys, California. The organization was depicted in a movie by the same name. She received the President's Volunteer Action Award from President Ronald Reagan in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tate–LaBianca murders</span> 1969 killings by the Manson Family in Los Angeles

The Tate–LaBianca murders were a series of murders perpetrated by members of the Manson Family during August 9–10, 1969, in Los Angeles, California, United States, under the direction of Tex Watson and Charles Manson. The perpetrators killed five people on the night of August 8–9: pregnant actress Sharon Tate and her companions Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, and Wojciech Frykowski, along with Steven Parent. The following evening, the Family also murdered supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, at their home in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles.

Bruce McGregor Davis is an American criminal and former member of the Manson Family who has been described as Charles Manson's "right-hand man".

Love Hate Love is a 1971 American made-for-television drama film starring Ryan O'Neal.

Young Pioneers is a 1976 American Western television film which aired in March 1976 on ABC. Elements of novels Let the Hurricane Roar and Free Land by Rose Wilder Lane were used as the basis for the movie, with Roger Kern and Linda Purl starring as the focal characters David and Molly Beaton. Although produced as a TV series pilot by ABC Circle Films and ranked #7 in the Nielsen ratings for the week it aired, the movie was not immediately picked up by ABC as a series. A second pilot attempt was made in December 1976 with Young Pioneers' Christmas, but ranked lower at #37 in the Nielsen ratings. In 1978 The Young Pioneers (miniseries) was broadcast.

Black Market Baby is a 1977 American film directed by Robert Day. It was the second TV movie made by Brut Productions, the first being Sweet Hostage.

Sidney Shorr: A Girl's Best Friend is a 1981 American made-for-television drama film written by Oliver Hailey and directed by Russ Mayberry. The film is based on a short story by Marilyn Cantor Baker. It stars Tony Randall, Lorna Patterson, Kaleena Kiff and David Huffman. It premiered on NBC as a two-hour pilot for the NBC series Love, Sidney on October 5, 1981. Oliver Hailey and Marilyn Cantor Baker won a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Anthology - Original or Adapted and it was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special. The movie was one of prime time's first depictions of a gay man on television, and was protested by conservative organizations.

References

  1. Brown, Les (August 29, 1976). "The Networks Are Banking on the 'Super Programs'". The New York Times . p. 77. ISSN   0362-4331. OCLC   1645522.
  2. 1 2 Thomas, Kevin (January 15, 1977). "Runaway's Plight: Life as Prostitute". Los Angeles Times . p. b4. ISSN   0458-3035. OCLC   3638237.
  3. "Alice Looks Like a Winner". Los Angeles Times. September 1, 1976. p. g13.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Hit Movies on U.S. TV Since 1961". Variety . January 24, 1990. p. 160.
  5. "'Little Ladies of the Night' Highest Rated Program". Los Angeles Times. January 19, 1977. p. e15.