Pursuit (TV 1972)

A political extremist plans to spread stolen nerve gas in a city where a political convention is being held. Government agents are sent to catch him.

Director:

Michael Crichton

Writers:

Michael Crichton (novel), Robert Dozier

Stars:

Ben Gazzara, E.G. Marshall, William Windom

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Gazzara	...	Steven Graves
E.G. Marshall	...	James Wright
William Windom	...	Robert Phillips
Joseph Wiseman	...	Dr. Nordman
Jim McMullan	...	Lewis
Martin Sheen	...	Timothy Drew
Will Kuluva	...	Dr. Wolff
Hank Brandt	...	Agent
Quinn K. Redeker	...	Captain Morrison (as Quinn Redecker)
Conrad Bachmann	...	Second Officer
Joe Brooks	...	Cop
Robert Cleaves	...	Gleason
Walt Davis	...	First Officer
Dan Ferrone	...	Salesman
Sid Grossfeld	...	Stack

Storyline

A political extremist plans to spread stolen nerve gas in a city where a political convention is being held. Government agents are sent to catch him.

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Plot Keywords:

political convention | nerve gas | one word title | count down | threat | 

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 December 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

Binary

Company Credits

Production Co:

20th Century Fox Television, ABC Circle Films, American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

73 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael Crichton wrote the original novel while still in medical school. He had it published under the pseudonym "John Lange" because he was concerned it would cause him problems there.

User Reviews

Above average cat & mouse suspense thriller.

One of my local UHF channels showed this movie on a Saturday afternoon. Overall, it is very well done, especially for a made-for-TV movie. The movie moved along at a good pace and the acting was good all around. It is a little reminiscent of the early episodes of "Columbo". Ben Gazzara is pursuing E.G. Marshall, who he knows is planning to do something at a Democratic national convention in San Diego. The two repeatedly try to outwit each other, all the while knowing that the other guy is watching every move. This makes for some interesting plot twists and blind alleys. Crichton, as usual, pays very close attention to technological details, making the premise very realistic, unlike a lot of "caper" movies where plot hinges on an essential piece of knowledge the character could not possibly have had. I'm really surprised this hasn't been remade for the big screen, given Michael Crichton's popularity.