- Once an Eagle (TV miniseries)
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Once An Eagle 
Promotional posterDirected by Richard Michaels
E.W. SwackhamerProduced by Peter S. Fischer Screenplay by Peter S. Fischer Story by Anton Myrer Starring Sam Elliott
Cliff Potts
Darleen Carr
Amy Irving
Glenn FordMusic by Dana Kaproff Cinematography J.J. Jones Editing by Howard Deane
John Elias
Chuck McClellandDistributed by NBC Release date(s) December 2, 1976 (United States) Running time 540 minutes Country United States Language English 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 1968 Anton Myrer novel of the same name.[1]
The first and last installments of the seven-part series broadcasted two hours each, while the interim episodes were 60 minutes.
The mini-series concerns the thirty year careers of two military men, from the outbreak of World War I to the aftermath of World War II.
Contents
Plot
Sam Damon (Sam Elliott) is a good family man and praiseworthy warrior.
Courtney Massengale (Cliff Potts) is the opposite—a womanizing, self-aggrandizing conniver.
Cast
- Sam Elliott as Sam Damon
- Cliff Potts as Courtney 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
- Andrew Stevens as Donny Damon
- Melanie Griffith as Jinny Massengale
Background
Once An Eagle was the second of four story subseries of 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, based on the Anton Myrer's novel, is a military novel written in the United States. The novel is noted for its stark descriptions of men in combat and in its analysis of human and technical challenges and the moral dilemmas of command. 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; the one common element of both novels is that Sam Elliott has a starring role, playing a US Army general officer, in the film adaptations of both.[2]
Filming locations
Some of the scenes of the film were filmed in Napa Valley, California.
DVD Release
Timeless Media Group released the complete television series on a two disc DVD set on August 31, 2010.
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.
Once-an-Eagle Origin
The "once-an-eagle" is derived from a famous Persian poem:
- That once an eagle, stricken with a dart,
- Said, when he saw the fashion of the shaft,
- "With our own feathers, not by others' hands
- Said, when he saw the fashion of the shaft,
See also
References
- ^ Once an Eagle at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ Military Times newsweekly web site. Last accessed: February 9, 2011.
External links
- Once an Eagle at the Internet Movie Database
- Once an Eagle film clip at You Tube
- Once an Eagle in the news
- Once an Eagle website
Categories:- 1976 films
- English-language films
- Films based on military novels
- World War I television drama series
- World War II television drama series
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