Silent Night, Lonely Night (1969) (TV)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Daniel Petrie

Writers:

Robert Anderson (play)
John Vlahos (writer)

Release Date:

16 December 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Over the Christmas holidays in a small New England college town, a man and a woman share a brief interlude...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Play

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Lloyd Bridges	...	John Sparrow
Shirley Jones	...	Katherine Johnson
Lynn Carlin	...	Jennifer Sparrow
Carrie Snodgress	...	Janet
Cloris Leachman	...	Ginny
Robert Lipton	...	Philip
Richard Eastham	...	Paul Johnson
Stefan Arngrim	...	Jerry Johnson
Nydia Westman	...	Mae
Woodrow Parfrey	...	Dr. Hyatt
Edward R. Leadbetter	...	Mac the cab driver
Walter Boughton	...	Walter, the desk clerk
Amzie Strickland	...	Saleswoman
Marjie Short	...	Young Ginny (as Marjorie Anne Short)
Jeff Bridges	...	Young John (as Jeffrey Bridges)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

Many buildings on and near the Amherst College campus were used in the filming of this movie.

Soundtrack:

Let It Be Me

Charming, although so very little actually happens

The film is watchable, especially if you have a soft spot for homey New England countryside in wintertime, or for Lloyd Bridges or Shirley Jones in fairly small roles. They circle each other, she: self-depriving and disciplined by principle, stunted socially; he: rougish in a restrained and admirable sort of way, but refusing to divulge a lie to her.

There is a hilarious scene in which John Sparrow (Lloyd Bridges) takes an afternoon jaunt on a Ski-Doo snowmobile, tearing around, laughing out loud and bailing out. This fad must have been in full swing in 1969 but looks bizarre and forced as an 'amusement' activity now! Later they take a picture perfect sleighride through Robert Frost country and you wish you were along.

Post-Airplane, it's indeed hard to see Lloyd Bridges open a bottle of scotch whiskey without saying aloud "Looks like I picked the wrong week to give up drinking!" Seeing son Jeff Bridges play Lloyd in a flashback to his college days (scene is shot inside the old Amherst College "Cage" basketball gymnasium) is fun. Carrie Snodgress appears as a student with her boyfriend, who admonish John and Katherine as the "establishment types" for their old tired ethics, and all share in the merriment of the season....

Cloris Leachman is wonderful in a cameo as the townie whom John may or may not recall from his past.

Nice film to watch at Christmastime -- the action all unfolds in the day or two before Christmas, and resolves on Christmas morning.