The Blue Knight (film)

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
The Blue Knight
Genre Police procedural
Based on The Blue Knight
by Joseph Wambaugh
Written by E. Jack Newman
Directed by Robert Butler
Composer(s) Nelson Riddle
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of episodes 4
Production
Executive producer(s) Lee Rich
Producer(s) Walter Coblenz
Cinematography Michael Margulies
Editor(s) <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
  • Marjorie Fowler
  • Samuel E Beetley
  • Gene Fowler Jr.
Running time 100 minutes
Production company(s) <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Release
Original network NBC
Original release November 11 (1973-11-11) –
November 14, 1973 (1973-11-14)
Chronology
Followed by The Blue Knight

The Blue Knight is a 1973 made-for-TV film based on Joseph Wambaugh's 1973 novel The Blue Knight. It gave rise to the 1975 TV series also named The Blue Knight. It ran originally on NBC TV in November 1973, was directed by Robert Butler, and starred an all star cast headed by William Holden as Police Officer Bumper Morgan. The additional cast includes Lee Remick, Anne Archer, Sam Elliot, Joe Santos, and Vic Tayback. The film was a four-hour series.

Plot

The film follows one week in the life of 20-year LAPD veteran Bumper Morgan, who is scheduled to retire. Before he leaves, he must work on the murder of a prostitute in one of LA's far corners. Along the way, he must grapple with vicious thugs, his fellow officers who feel mixed on his leaving, and his woman who wants him to leave the streets behind.

Cast

Production

Holden said he was surprised to be cast as Morgan, as he thought Ernest Borgnine or Rod Steiger would have been preferred.[1] Shooting took seven weeks.[2] The Blue Knight was filmed as a four-episode miniseries of 100 minutes each for the US market and a 100-minute theatrical film for European markets.[3] It was one of the first miniseries on American television.[4]

Reception

The first episode aired on November 11, 1973, and continued over the course of the next three days.[2] The Blue Knight received positive reviews.[4] Jay Sharbutt of the Associated Press praised the miniseries' realism and wrote that readers "ought to catch this show".[5] Rick Du Brow of United Press International wrote that the miniseries' length allows it to unfold slowly and create a "cohesive dramatic atmosphere", unlike typical TV shows.[6] Time Out London, in a retrospective review of the theatrical cut, called it "seminal stuff" and wrote that it is more interesting for its influence on following police dramas than its story.[7]

Awards

Emmys went to William Holden (in his first TV film role),[8] director Robert Butler, and editors Marjorie and Gene Fowler Jr. Lee Remick received an Emmy nomination. The show was also nominated for Outstanding Limited Series.[9]

References

  1. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links


<templatestyles src="Asbox/styles.css"></templatestyles>