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Tail Gunner Joe (1977) (TV)
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Overview
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Director:
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Release Date:
6 February 1977 (USA)
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Plot:
A dramatization of the life of Sen. Joseph McCarthy, the alcoholic senator from Wisconsin whose tactics...
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Awards:
Won 2 Primetime Emmys.
Another 4 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
TV writer Norman Chandler Fox dies at 71
(From The Hollywood Reporter. 26 July 2010, 1:00 PM, PDT)
Hollywood Producer Eckstein Dies
(From WENN. 15 September 2009, 9:06 AM, PDT)
(From The Hollywood Reporter. 26 July 2010, 1:00 PM, PDT)
Hollywood Producer Eckstein Dies
(From WENN. 15 September 2009, 9:06 AM, PDT)
User Reviews:
Well made but slanted
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Cast
(in credits order) (complete, awaiting verification) | Peter Boyle | ... | Sen. Joseph McCarthy |
 | John Forsythe | ... | Paul Cunningham |
 | Heather Menzies-Urich | ... | Logan (as Heather Menzies) |
 | Burgess Meredith | ... | Joseph Welch |
 | Patricia Neal | ... | Sen. Margaret Chase Smith |
 | Jean Stapleton | ... | Mrs. DeCamp |
 | Philip Abbott | ... | Sen. Scott Lucas |
 | Wesley Addy | ... | Middleton |
 | Ned Beatty | ... | Sylvester |
| Karen Carlson | ... | Jean Kerr |
 | John Carradine | ... | Wisconsin farmer |
| Charles Cioffi | ... | Logan's Boss |
 | Diana Douglas | ... | Sarah |
 | Andrew Duggan | ... | Dwight Eisenhower |
 | Henry Jones | ... | Armitage |
| Murray Matheson | ... | Publisher |
 | Allan Miller | ||
| Tim O'Connor | ... | Librarian |
 | Alan Oppenheimer | ||
| Addison Powell | ||
 | Andrew Prine | ... | Peter Gates |
 | John Randolph | ... | Gen. Larkin |
 | Allan Rich | ... | Ray Jenkins |
 | William Schallert | ... | Gen. Zwicker |
| Simon Scott | ||
| Robert F. Simon | ... | Drew Pearson |
 | George Wyner | ... | Roy Cohn |
 | Lin McCarthy | ... | Sen. Stuart Symington |
 | Kelly Jean Peters | ... | Mrs. Gates |
| Robert Symonds | ... | President Harry S. Truman |
| Charles Siebert | ... | James Juliana |
| Sam Chew Jr. | ... | Robert F. Kennedy |
 | John Chappell | ... | Sen. Karl Mundt |
 | Herb Voland | ... | Sen. Raymond Baldwin |
| Edward Anhalt | ... | Sen. Herbert Lehman |
| Alan Hewitt | ... | Dean Acheson |
 | Howard Hesseman | ... | Lt. Cantwell |
| Jack Bannon | ... | Eisenhower Aide |
| Charles Macaulay | ... | William Roberts |
| Richard M. Dixon | ... | Sen. Richard M. Nixon |
| Wallace Rooney | ... | Speaker of the House |
| Morgan Upton | ... | Clucas |
| Shirley O'Hara | ... | Marie |
| George Petrie | ... | Charles Kraus |
| Dallas Mitchell | ... | Reporter |
| James O'Connell | ... | Navy Doctor |
| Devra Korwin | ... | Divorced Wife |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
 | John Anderson | ... | Gen. George C. Marshall (uncredited) |
| Bill Quinn | ... | (uncredited) |
 | Jimmy Williams | ... | Congressman (uncredited) |
Directed by | |||
| Jud Taylor | |||
Writing credits(in alphabetical order) | ||
| Lane Slate | ||
Produced by | |||
| George Eckstein | .... | producer | |
| Norman Chandler Fox | .... | associate producer | |
Original Music by | |||
| Billy May | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Ric Waite | |||
Film Editing by | |||
| Bernard J. Small | |||
Casting by | |||
| Reuben Cannon | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Lawrence G. Paull | |||
Set Decoration by | |||
| Lloyd A. Linnean | |||
Costume Design by | |||
| Charles Waldo | |||
Production Management | |||
| Fred R. Simpson | .... | unit manager | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| Hap Weyman | .... | assistant director | |
Sound Department | |||
| Don Parker | .... | sound | |
| Don Weinman | .... | sound effects editor | |
Camera and Electrical Department | |||
| Richard Walden | .... | first assistant camera (uncredited) | |
Music Department | |||
| Bettie Biery | .... | music editor | |
Transportation Department | |||
| Chris Haynes | .... | driver (uncredited) | |
Other crew | |||
| Cliff Shirpser | .... | aviation technical advisor (uncredited) | |
Production CompaniesDistributors
- National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1977) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
Additional Details
Also Known As:
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Parents Guide:
Runtime:
145 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Company:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
Burgess Meredith, who plays the attorney Joseph Welch who finally stood up to Senator McCarthy, was himself named an unfriendly witness by the House Un-American Activities Committee, which nearly ruined his acting career.See more »
Quotes:
JOSEPH WELCH:Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness. Fred Fisher is a young man who is starting what looks to be a brilliant career with us. Little did I dream that you could be so reckless, and so cruel, as to do an injury to that lad. Have you no sense of decency, sir; at long last, have you left no sense of decency?See more »
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This is a great made for TV film, sporting a deep bench of wonderful actors. This is the kind of made for TV stuff above budget and vision of the major networks now. However, is this movie accurate history? Well, very few honest intellectuals could defend Joe McCarthy unless maybe after several big gulps of Jack Daniels. That said, a few facts? HUAAC was a House organ, not directly tied to the Senate in any way, and McCarthy was a Senator. Point being, there were lots of witch hunters back then. For purpose of drama, both this film and history have settled on McCarthy as the sole and thorough bad guy.
McCarthy directly hurt very few lives. He did amplify a current of nervousness already running through America, and this spawned many imitators. These Monkey-seers Monkey-doers were even more hurtful than Joe, by sheer force of numbers alone.
To honest intellectuals, it seems obvious Joe McCarthy couldn't catch a cold at the North Pole. As "The Haunted Wood" (Allen Weinstein) reveals, from briefly opened Soviet archives, there were plenty faithful Communist spies operating in the US. McCarthy...Keystone Cop versus Houdini basically.
If one can understand there were dangerous Communist spies working hard in the US in the early 1950's, but they weren't in Hollywood, they were in Washington. If one can understand early 50's Red Scare was kind of hangover from VE & VJ day, following Soviet detonation of A-bomb. If one can understand Joe McCarthy was not evil genius of persecuting many good folk who just held harmless unpopular views (personally, I wouldn't trust Joe McCarthy to mow my lawn) but only somebody who blew on something already smoldering? Then by all means watch this movie and enjoy it. It is well made with some wonderful actors. But it ain't accurate history.