Once an Eagle
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| Once an Eagle | |
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 Promotional image |
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| Directed by | Richard Michaels E.W. Swackhamer |
| Produced by | Peter S. Fischer |
| Written by | Peter S. Fischer Story: Anton Myrer |
| Starring | Sam Elliott |
| Music by | Dana Kaproff |
| Cinematography | J.J. Jones |
| Editing by | Howard Deane John Elias Chuck McClelland |
| Distributed by | NBC |
| Release date(s) | December 2, 1976 |
| Running time | 540 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Once an Eagle (1976) is a nine hour American television mini-series directed by Richard Michaels and E.W. Swackhamer.The picture was written by Peter S. Fischer and based on the Anton Myrer novel of the same name, written in 1968.[1]
The first and last installments of the seven-part series ran two hours each, while the interim episodes each ran for 60 minutes.
The mini-series tells of the thirty year careers of two military men, from the outbreak of World War I to the aftermath of World War II.
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[edit] Plot
Sam Damon (Sam Elliott) is a straight-arrow type who is an excellent family man and praiseworthy warrior.
Courtney Massingale (Cliff Potts) is completely the opposite. He's a womanizing, self-aggrandizing conniver who knows how to play the angles all the way to the top.
[edit] Background
Once an Eagle was the second of four story arcs seen on the NBC anthology series "Best Sellers;" it was preceded by Captains and the Kings, and followed by Seventh Avenue and The Rhineman Exchange.
The picture is based on the Anton Myrer's novel Once an Eagle, one of the most important military novels written in the United States. The novel is noted for its stark and realistic descriptions of men in combat and in its penetrating analysis of human and technical challenges and leadership and the moral dilemmas faced by the command structure.
It is one of only two novels (the other being The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara) on the US Army's recommended reading list for Officer Professional Development; interestingly, the one common element in both novels is that Sam Elliott has a starring role, playing a US Army general officer, in the film adaptations of both.
[edit] Filming locations
Some of the scenes of the film were shot in Napa Valley, California.
[edit] Cast
- Sam Elliott as Sam Damon
- Cliff Potts as Courtenay Massengale
- Darleen Carr as Tommy Caldwell
- Amy Irving as Emily Pawlfrey Massengale
- Glenn Ford as George Caldwell
- Ralph Bellamy as Ed Caldwell
- Dane Clark as Harry Sheppard
- Andrew Duggan as Gen. McKelvey
- Lynda Day George as Marge Krisler
- Gary Grimes as Jack Devlin
- Clu Gulager as Alvin Merrick
- Robert Hogan as Ben Krisler
- Kim Hunter as Kitty Damon
- David Huddleston as Earl Preis
- Juliet Mills as Joyce
[edit] Awards
Nominations
- Emmy Awards: Emmy; Outstanding Cinematography in Entertainment Programming for a Series, J.J. Jones; for part I; 1977.
- Golden Globes: Golden Globe; Best Supporting Actress - Television, Darleen Carr; 1977.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ Once an Eagle at the Internet Movie Database.
[edit] External links
- Once an Eagle at the Internet Movie Database
- Once an Eagle at Allmovie
- Once an Eagle synopsis of story
- Once an Eagle on-line resource; website dedicated to novel and miniseries
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