Deadman's Curve (1978) (TV)

Director:

Richard Compton

Writers:

Paul Morantz (story)
Dalene Young (writer)

Release Date:

3 February 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

The story of Jan & Dean.

Plot Keywords:

Beach Boy | Pop Music | 1960s | Skateboarding | Car Accident

Cast

Richard Hatch	...	Jan Berry
Bruce Davison	...	Dean Torrence
Wolfman Jack	...	The Jackal
Susan Sullivan	...	Rainbow
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jimmy D. Armstrong	...	Lead guitar player, Papa Doo Run Run
Pamela Bellwood	...	Annie
Jan Berry	...	Himself
Art Bradford	...	Army Sergeant
Hank Brandt	...	Dean Torrence Sr.
David Byrd	...	Surgeon
Dick Clark	...	Himself
Priscilla Cory	...	Linda
June Dayton	...	Clara Berry
Floy Dean	...	Dr. Vivian Sheehan
Denise DuBarry	...	Susan
Bruce Johnston	...	Himself
Harriet Johnston	...	Backstage fan
Noah Keen	...	Jim Arlett
Mike Love	...	Himself
Anne-Marie Martin	...	Nancy (as Eddie Benton)
James Oliver	...	Engineer
Susan O'Sullivan	...	Rainbow
Jim Rush	...	Bass player, Papa Doo Run Run
Jim Shippey	...	Drummer, Papa Doo Run Run
Leonard Stone	...	Herb Alpert
George Wallace	...	Bill Berry
Kelly Ward	...	Billy
Mark Ward	...	Rhythm guitarist, Papa Doo Run Run
Don Zirilli	...	Keyboard player, Papa Doo Run Run

Runtime:

USA:100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG (video rating)

Company:

EMI Television

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the scenes set from 1964 forward, Jan and Dean are shown wearing 'seventies-era feathered shag hairstyles. In reality, the duo donned brushed-back "dry" pompadours.

Quotes:

Jan Berry: You can't draft me! I'm a rock and roll star!
Army Sergeant: Well, Elvis was a lot bigger one and we got him! Now raise your hand!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Behind the Music: Jan and Dean (#1.37)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Like A Summer Rain

impact of "Deadman's Curve"

I vividly remember watching "Deadman's Curve" the night it aired on CBS in February 1978, and feeling both emotionally devastated and incredibly curious by the end of the film about the subject matter. I did not learn until much later (this was pre-Internet, remember) how much of an overnight impact this movie would have on people. DMC quietly changed two aspects of the music industry.

The movie itself, about the lives of Jan Berry and Dean Torrence between 1958 and 1973, is well-acted and deeply touching. Even now, after numerous viewings, I get a lump in my throat at the end of the film. I've learned over the years of the movie's flaws. It is not entirely accurate regarding the history of Jan & Dean, and the film is choppily edited in places. The movie was originally conceived as a mini-series (although I don't know how much was actually filmed), and the actual script is much longer. There are references in DMC to subjects that are not elaborated on, and someone unfamiliar with the story will wonder what the characters are talking about. The actual script goes into details about these subjects. And the film ends in 1973, with no explanation of what happened to the characters after that.

But the importance of DMC goes beyond just being one of the better TV movies of the 70s. This was the first of many such films made for TV in the past two decades that are biographies of rock and pop stars. There hadn't been any made prior to that, and "Deadman's Curve"'s unexpected popularity probably was the impetus for this new genre of telemovies.

More importantly, the movie reawakened an interest in Jan & Dean themselves, literally overnight, as radio stations that hadn't played their music for years got calls all night from viewers wanting to hear their tunes again. This little movie created such a "buzz" that the Beach Boys invited Jan & Dean to join them on tour, despite the fact that Jan was then, and still is, seriously disabled. I believe that Jan Berry was the first public person who was disabled to regularly make personal appearances (with the exception of FDR, and hardly anyone knew about his polio). Jan & Dean may have decided to tour again anyway, even if the movie had never been created, but the publicity about them would have been much less, and they might never have had the chance to make the dramatic comeback that they did, because of "Deadman's Curve."