Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole (1972) TV Movie

In her final acting appearance, Susan Hayward is ironically cast as a research doctor who can no longer face up to the notion of dealing with death on a daily basis. Recently widowed, Dr. Maggie Cole is on the verge of giving up her job and going into seclusion. She is shaken back to reality by crusty but lovable "street doctor" Lou Grazzo (Darren McGavin), who coerces Maggie into accepting a job at a Chicago slum clinic. At first adjusting admirably to her new surroundings, Maggie undergoes a devastating assault to her emotions when she befriends a teenaged leukemia patient. Written by real-life M.D. Sandor Stern and originally telecast by ABC on September 27, 1972, Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole was supposed to have been the pilot for a weekly series, but plans for this project were abandoned after the death of star Susan Hayward. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Say Goodbye, Maggie Cole (1972) TV Movie

Cast: Susan Hayward, Darren McGavin, Michael Constantine, Michele Nichols, Dane Clark, Beverly Garland, Jeanette Nolan, Richard Anderson, Richard Carlyle

Ike: The War Years (1980) TV Movie

Five Emmy nominations were bestowed upon the TV miniseries Ike, which first aired May 3, 4, and 6, 1979. Later, these three two-hour installments were boiled down to two and retitled Ike: The War Years. Robert Duvall stars as General Dwight D. Eisenhower, with Lee Remick co-starring as Kay Summersby, his official driver, confidante, and (it has been said) lover. Part Two of The War Years finds Eisenhower, now the supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, dealing with political tangles involving Winston Churchill (Wesley Pitney) and General DeGaulle (Vernon Dobtcheff). The film concludes with Eisenhower's supervision of D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge. Two directors were credited for Ike: The War Years Boris Sagal handled the scenes filmed in England, while Melville Shavelson helmed the scenes set in the US and North Africa. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Ike: The War Years (1980) TV Movie

Cast: Joe Altieri, Dana Andrews, J.D. Cannon, Robert Duvall, Paul Gleason, Laurence Luckinbill, Darren McGavin, Lee Remick

Users, The (1978) TV Movie

A beautiful girl from a small town with dreams of making it in Hollywood marries an actor whose career is fading. Loaded with good Hollywood scenery, lots of good 70s flavor.

The Users  (1978) TV Movie
Cast: Alan Feinstein, Army Archerd, Carrie Nye, Darren McGavin, George Hamilton, Jaclyn Smith, Joan Fontaine, John Forsythe, Michelle Phillips, Red Buttons, Tony Curtis

Crackle of Death (1976) TV Movie

Crackle of Death is a hybrid feature film comprised of two episodes from the 1974 TV series Night Stalker. Series regulars Darren McGavin and Simon Oakland head the cast, playing, respectively, reporter Carl Kolchak and editor Tony Vincenzo. It was Kolchak's weekly habit on the series to run across an example of supernatural phenomena, then to try to convince the disbelieving Vincenzo to run the story. The two Night Stalker episodes represented herein are "The Energy Eater", in which a new hospital is bedevilled by a creature that thrives on electrical energy, and "Fire Fall", in which a famed pianist is troubled by his evil alter ego. Guest stars in the 94-minute Crackle of Death include Philip Carey, William Smith, Elaine Giftos. Directors for the individual components were Alex Grasshoff and Don Weis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Crackle of Death (1976) TV Movie

Cast: Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland

Banyon (1971) TV Movie

Banyon is an A-number-one detective yarn set (very accurately) in the 1930s. Robert Forster, emulating John Garfield in virtually every scene, plays private eye Miles C. Banyon. Right now he's in dutch because a beautiful young woman has been found murdered--and Banyon's gun was the murder weapon. This state of affairs plunges the detective into a maelstrom of deceit and double-cross involving (among many elements) a Winchell-style radio commentator (Jose Ferrer), a paroled big-time gangster, a scar-faced assassin, and a Nazi Bund camp. Once he solves the main mystery, Banyon is faced with the unhappy Maltese Falcon task of exposing a close friend as a murderer. First telecast March 15, 1971, Banyon spawned a brief TV series one year later, with Robert Forster still in the lead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Banyon (1971) TV Movie
Cast: Anjanette Comer, Darren McGavin, Herb Edelman, Hermione Gingold, José Ferrer, Robert Forster