Dream West is a 1986 American television miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain and directed by Dick Lowry.
| Dream West | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Historical novel-based Drama |
| Based on | Dream West by David Nevin |
| Written by | Evan Hunter |
| Directed by | Dick Lowry |
| Starring | Richard Chamberlain Ben Johnson Rip Torn |
| Theme music composer | Fred Karlin |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 3 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Chuck McLain |
| Producer | Hunt Lowry |
| Cinematography | Robert M. Baldwin David Eggby Jack Wallner |
| Editors | Byron "Buzz" Brandt Jack Fegan Dennis Mosher |
| Running time | 337 minutes[1] |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | April 13 – April 20, 1986 |
Development
editThe seven-hour miniseries was broken into three parts (2 hours, 2 hours, and 3 hours). Part 1 aired on Sunday, April 13, 1986.[2] It was the 16th most-watched show of that week.[3] Part 2 had been intended to follow the next day, but was postponed a day until April 15 due to a press conference by President Ronald Reagan about Libya (see 1986 United States bombing of Libya). Part 3 was moved to Sunday, April 20. Part 2 was the 15th most watched television show for its week, and Part 3 came in 8th place.[4]
Plot
editThe film was based on the 1984 novel of the same name by David Nevin, based on the life of 19th century explorer and politician John C. Frémont.[5][6][7][8][9][10]
Cast
edit- Richard Chamberlain as John Charles Fremont
- Alice Krige as Jessie Benton Fremont
- F. Murray Abraham as President Abraham Lincoln
- René Enríquez as General Castro
- Ben Johnson as Jim Bridger
- Jerry Orbach as Capt. John Sutter
- G. D. Spradlin as General Steven Watts Kearney
- Rip Torn as Kit Carson
- Fritz Weaver as Senator Thomas Hart Benton
- Anthony Zerbe as Bill Williams
- Claude Akins as Tom Fitzpatrick
- John Anderson as Brig. Gen. Brooke
- Lee Bergere as 'Papa Joe' Nicollet
- Jeff East as Tim Donovan
- Michael Ensign as Karl Preuss
- Mel Ferrer as Judge Elkins
- Gayle Hunnicutt as Mrs. Maria Crittenden
Reception
editThe Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors (2009) refers to the film as a "bracing yet relatively little remembered miniseries."[11]
The film was released on DVD as part of the Warner Archive Collection in 2012.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b (13 November 2012). Dream West (mini-series) - Only Broadcast Once, This 1986 Richard Chamberlain Miniseries Comes to DVD Archived 2017-09-06 at the Wayback Machine, tvshowsondvd.com, Retrieved 6 September 2017
- ^ Holston, Noel (11 April 1986). Cbs' 'Dream West' Spirited Miniseries, Orlando Sentinel
- ^ (17 April 1986). Nielsen Ratings, Chicago Tribune
- ^ (24 April 1986). Nielsen Ratings, Chicago Tribune
- ^ Hevesi, Dennis (29 March 2011). David Nevin, 83, author of epic novel 'Dream West', The Boston Globe (reprint of New York Times obituary)
- ^ (13 April 1986). "Dream West' has Oklahoma flavor, Oklahoman
- ^ (11 April 1986). Up-and-down `Dream West` Tosses And Turns With Script, Chicago Tribune
- ^ Jarvis, Jeff (14 April 1986). Picks and Pans Review: Dream West, People (giving the series a D minus rating)
- ^ Shales, Tom (12 April 1986). TV Preview, The Washington Post
- ^ Bobbin, Jay (13 April 1986). Miniseries Kingpin Richard Chamberlain Blazes Another Trail As Adventurer In Cbs Drama, Orlando Sentinel
- ^ Roberts, Jerry. Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors, Part I, p. 350 (2009)
External links
edit- Dream West at IMDb