"Rich Man, Poor Man" (1976) TV mini-series 1976-

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

1 February 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

An examination of the trials and tribulations of the Jordache family, from the period following World War II to the late 1960s.

Plot Keywords:

Johny Falconetti | Repetition In Title | Family Relationships | TV Mini-Series | Based On Novel

Awards:

Won 4 Golden Globes. Another 5 wins & 24 nominations

Cast

Peter Strauss	...	Rudy Jordache (9 episodes, 1976)
Nick Nolte	...	Tom Jordache (9 episodes, 1976)
Susan Blakely	...	Julie Prescott (9 episodes, 1976)
Dorothy McGuire	...	Mary Jordache (7 episodes, 1976)
Tim McIntire	...	Brad Knight (6 episodes, 1976)
Ray Milland	...	Duncan Calderwood (5 episodes, 1976)
Robert Reed	...	Teddy Boylan (5 episodes, 1976)
Bill Bixby	...	Willie Abbott (4 episodes, 1976)
Norman Fell	...	Smitty (4 episodes, 1976)
Lawrence Pressman	...	Bill Denton (4 episodes, 1976)
Helen Craig	...	Martha (4 episodes, 1976)
Kim Darby	...	Virginia Calderwood (3 episodes, 1976)
Murray Hamilton	...	Sid Gossett (3 episodes, 1976)
Herbert Jefferson Jr.	...	Roy Dwyer (3 episodes, 1976)
Van Johnson	...	Marsh Goodwin (3 episodes, 1976)
William Smith	...	Falconetti (3 episodes, 1976)
Talia Shire	...	Teresa Santoro (3 episodes, 1976)
Edward Asner	...	Axel Jordache (2 episodes, 1976)
Dorothy Malone	...	Irene Goodwin (2 episodes, 1976)
Dick Sargent	...	Richards (2 episodes, 1976)
Eddie Barth	...	Papadakis (2 episodes, 1976)
Craig Stevens	...	Asher Berg (2 episodes, 1976)
Nate Esformes	...	Alsie (2 episodes, 1976)
Jo Ann Harris	...	Gloria Bartley (2 episodes, 1976)
Harvey Jason	...	Pinky (2 episodes, 1976)
Charles Tyner	...	Matusik (2 episodes, 1976)
Allen Price	...	Billy (2 episodes, 1976)
Walter Lott	...	Mr. McKinley / ... (2 episodes, 1976)
Anthony James	...	Wayne (2 episodes, 1976)
George Brenlin	...	Barry (2 episodes, 1976)
Terence Locke	...	O'Hara (2 episodes, 1976)
W.T. Zacha	...	Third Mate (2 episodes, 1976)
Bernie Kuby	...	Postman (2 episodes, 1976)
Mike Evans	...	Arnold Simms (2 episodes, 1976)
Eric Friedman	...	Billy Abbott (2 episodes, 1976)

Series Directed by
David Greene		(5 episodes, 1976)
Boris Sagal		(4 episodes, 1976)

Series Writing credits
Dean Riesner		(9 episodes, 1976)
Irwin Shaw		(9 episodes, 1976)

Series Produced by
Harve Bennett	....	executive producer (9 episodes, 1976)
Jon Epstein	....	producer (9 episodes, 1976)
Frank Price	....	producer (9 episodes, 1976)

Series Original Music by
Alex North		(9 episodes, 1976)

Series Cinematography by
Russell Metty		(7 episodes, 1976)
Howard Schwartz		(2 episodes, 1976)

Series Film Editing by
Richard Bracken		(5 episodes, 1976)
Douglas Stewart		(4 episodes, 1976)

Series Art Direction by
William Hiney		(5 episodes, 1976)
John E. Chilberg II		(4 episodes, 1976)

Series Set Decoration by
Joseph J. Stone		(9 episodes, 1976)

Series Production Management
Ben Bishop	....	unit manager (9 episodes, 1976)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Blank	....	assistant director (4 episodes, 1976)
Hap Weyman	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1976)
Ralph Sariego	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1976)

Series Art Department
John R. Jensen	....	construction foreman (1 episode, 1976)

Series Sound Department
James F. Rogers	....	sound (9 episodes, 1976)
Dennis C. Salcedo	....	optical sound recordist (8 episodes, 1976)
Gary Thomas	....	boom operator (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
Paul Baxley	....	stunt coordinator (8 episodes, 1976)
Craig R. Baxley	....	stunt double (unknown episodes, 1976)
Russ Dodson	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Waldo	....	costumes / costumes: women (9 episodes, 1976)

Series Editorial Department
Richard Belding	....	editorial supervisor (6 episodes, 1976)
Rick Mitchell	....	assistant editor (5 episodes, 1976)

Series Music Department
Hal Mooney	....	music supervisor (6 episodes, 1976)
Tommy Tedesco	....	musician: guitar (unknown episodes)

Series Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	driver (unknown episodes, 1976)

Series Other crew
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer: main titles (9 episodes, 1976)

Production Companies

• Universal TV

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1976) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• A&E Home Video (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Critics' Choice Video (video)
• NHK (1979) (Japan) (TV)
• Studios USA Television
• Universal Pictures (2005) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Universal Title  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

Runtime:

60 min (12 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

The film that Tommy Jordache and Claude Tinker watched at the Port Phillip cinema on VE Night was Wake Island (1942)

Goofs:

Continuity: When Tom picks up his son from the military academy, in a long shot he is leaning on his car roof with his right elbow. Switch to a close up and he is not leaning at all. Switch back to the long shot and he is still leaning just as before.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 47th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1995) (TV)

Mini series which I consider AMBITIOUS!

This was the first mini series I had seen on Polish TV at the end of the 1980s. I was a kid and did not care much about what's going on on TV but I remember that a lot of people absolutely loved the series, there were discussions about the strange fates of Rudi and Tom at parties. These 45 minutes of one part every Sunday was a time of a breath-stop in most families. A wedding reception of my aunt and uncle had to be paused for this time because all the participants flocked to take a seat in front of TV sets in order to see another part of RICH MAN POOR MAN (in my country the title was translated into "A weather for the rich"). Nowadays, it may seem strange that people were so much influenced by a mini series, especially when there are so many of them. But, the seria that are made recently appear not to be as good. There is something extraordinary about it, something magic. I could feel it two years ago when I had a chance to see the mini series again.

It teaches a lot. There are a lot of moments that show life as it is: strange, unexpected, paradoxical, ambiguous. Rudi, a proper son of the Jordache family, knows what he wants from the beginning. He is ambitious and goes very far. But does he do his best to make use of his riches? Tom, a "bad son" who gets himself and his family only into trouble, treats life as it goes. Irresponsible, light-hearted but in the end, it is him who is with his mother at the moment of her death... Julie Prescott, a beautiful girl who loved Rudi and wanted to be loved by him from the very beginning (living in sin in New York), falls into a wrong marriage, has a son and is not able to be a "good mother" But is it her character or her loneliness that lead her to drinking and depression?

Each character in the movie is a very psychological interpretation of the complicated nature of human being. Even a villain Falconetti is like that due to something that happened to him earlier in his life. The experience while watching this mini series for me was that I could not judge a single character. All of them were good and bad at the same time. All of them were ambiguous. Nobody is, in fact, absolutely good or absolutely evil. That is, I think, the core of human nature, and the series presents it memorably.

The action also kept me to my chair. Although there are boring moments, they do not last for long and very soon comes something that makes the blood run faster.

The cast are GREAT! Peter Strauss and his portrayal of Rudi is unforgettable. When I read the book, I saw his face. REALLY FITS TO THE ROLE! Nick Nolte - PERFECT! I think that most people will agree with me that it's difficult to imagine a better Tom than him. Rebellious, hyperactive, irresponsible, but emotional! Susan Blakely's portrayal of Julie also, without doubt, deserves appreciation. And finally William Smith as Falconetti. I heard that although he has had many roles since then (1976) most people have always associated him with this role. That is what I call the "everlasting impact of portrayals". Despite there will be (or already were) other people who will be cast to this role, a certain portrayal will always be seen as the best.

Not to make my review go forever and bore the readers to death (which is my huge drawback), this mini series is one of the few that I call AMBITIOUS. It is worth watching due to many factors. It is, first of all, about life as it is, not as it should be. It is universal. Therefore, you will find yourself in some of the characters as I did.

AT LAST ON DVD, A MUST HAVE!