Hogan's Goat (1971) (TV)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Glenn Jordan

Writers:

William Alfred (play)
William Alfred (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 October 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A young Irish ward boss has a chance to be elected mayor, but the disgraced current mayor makes sure the candidate's wife learns about his affair with a just-deceased rich girl. |

Plot Keywords:

Filmed Play | 1890s | Based On Play

Cast

Philip Bosco	...	Father Coyne
Kevin Conway	...	Peter Boyle
John Devlin	...	Confessional Priest
Faye Dunaway	...	Kathleen Stanton
Robert Foxworth	...	Matt Stanton
Margaret Linn	...	Bessie
Rue McClanahan	...	Josey Finn
Biff McGuire	...	Murphy
Patrick McVey	...	Haggerty
George Rose	...	Quinn
Betty Sinclair	...	Ann Mulcahy
Margaret Sinclair	...	Bessie Legg
Dee Victor	...	Maria

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

Dunaway Dazzles

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Anyone needing a reminder of just how captivating an actress Faye Dunaway was in her pre- "Mommie Dearest" years should rent a DVD copy of "Hogan's Goat," a 1971 PBS television adaptation of a William Alfred play Dunaway first appeared in back in 1965.

Taking place in the Brooklyn of 1890, "Hogan's Goat" is the story of a rather nasty race for mayor between two Irish-Americans; the corrupt Ned Quinn ( "A New Leaf"s George Rose), who has presided as mayor for 30 years, and young, ambitious Matt Stanton (Robert Foxworth), a man with more than a few skeleton's in his closet. As the fight for office escalates, both men attempt to destroy the other; heedless to the collateral damage they stand to leave in the wake of their ruthless ploys.

Dunaway is cast as Foxworth's wife, Kathleen Stanton, a devout Catholic fearful that her civil-service marriage to Foxworth (not recognized by the church) will bring about scandal. Foxworth, however, has concerns of his own, as he fights to keep Dunaway from finding out that he was once the out-of-wedlock boy-toy of a rich local woman instrumental in his advancement in the community.

Dunaway, decked out in stunning period gowns by Theoni Aldridge (Network, The Eyes of Laura Mars), is not only beautiful but the emotional epicenter of the entire piece. Surrounded by stellar performances ("The Golden Girl"s Rue McClanahan brings a surprisingly urgent agitation to her role) it's Dunaway who walks off with the honors, conveying the character's ladylike primness, her passion, weakness and strength.

Devoid of many of the mannerisms and stylistic excesses that would mar future performances, Dunaway is a star personified. You can't take your eyes off of her.

The title "Hogan's Goat" has the double meaning of referring to the derogatory name Foxworth tries to outlive (Agnes Hogan was the woman who kept him, therefore he was called Hogan's Goat, or Hogan's Stud), and to the old expression "… stink's like Hogan's goat" which could both be a reference to Brooklyn's dirty political climate and/or to the oft-referred to (in the play) stink of neglected corpses.

Definitely worth a watch!