Shadow on the Land (1968) (TV)

Director:

Richard C. Sarafian

Writers:

Sinclair Lewis (novel)
Nedrick Young (writer)

Release Date:

4 December 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Drama

Plot:

Patriotic freedom fighters struggle against a fascist dictatorship in a near-future USA.

Plot Keywords:

Unsold TV Series Pilot | Alternative History | Totalitarian Government | Political | Resistance Fighter

Cast

Jackie Cooper	...	Lt. Col. Andy Davis
John Forsythe	...	Gen. Wendell Bruce
Gene Hackman	...	Rev. Thomas Davis
Carol Lynley	...	Abigail 'Abby' Tyler
Marc Strange	...	Maj. Shepherd McCloud
Janice Rule	...	Capt. Everett
Michael Margotta	...	Timothy Willing
Bill Walker	...	Arnold
Scott Thomas	...	Felting
Myron Healey	...	Gen. Hempstead
Frederic Downs	...	Drucker
Jonathan Lippe	...	Lt. Allen
Mickey Sholdar	...	Paul
Ronnie Eckstine	...	David
Sandy Kevin	...	Ben
Ken Swofford
Kay Stewart
Paul Sorensen
Paulene Myers
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Jason	...	Man at airport

Directed by
Richard C. Sarafian

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Sinclair Lewis		novel "It Can't Happen Here"
Nedrick Young		writer

Produced by
Matthew Rapf	....	producer

Original Music by
Sol Kaplan

Cinematography by
Fred J. Koenekamp

Film Editing by
Henry Batista

Art Direction by
John Beckman
Ross Bellah

Production Companies

• Screen Gems

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1968) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Columbia TriStar Domestic Television
• Sony Pictures Television (2002-)

Also Known As:

United States: It Can't Happen Here (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Screen Gems

Trivia:

As the camera tracks with protagonist, a bookstore in the background displays copies of only one book: "My Struggle" by "The Leader", which is English for "Mein Kampf" by "Der Fuehrer" (Adolf Hitler).

Quotes:

Maj. Shepherd McCloud: I want to introduce you to a corpse.

More timely now than in 68

This is a movie that needs to be seen by everyone now. A fascist dictatorship takes over the country in an "election" when everyone is scared by events. No longer called the president, he is now "The Leader" (which is what Der Fuhrer means) and has taken emergency powers voted in by a panicked Congress (a la' The PATRIOT ACT) and has created a Gestapo called the Internal Security Force (Homeland Security). People can't pass from one part of the country to another without an internal passport, a la' the old Soviet Union (and the proposed national ID cards now). A small resistance called the Society of Man learns from a patriotic Air Force colonel that the INF is going to launch terrorist attacks to blame on the resistance to take even more control and erode public support for the Society of Man. No wander this movie is never shown on tv and isn't available on VHS or DVD. People would recognize the parallels to todays situation.