Pilot (2 Oct. 1978)

Louisa May Alcott's classic novel about four sisters growing up in Civil War New England. Jo, the tomboyish sister with a literary flair, recounts the trials and joys of her coming of age ... See full summary »

Director:

David Lowell Rich

Writers:

Louisa May Alcott (novel), Suzanne Clauser (teleplay)

Stars:

Meredith Baxter, Susan Dey, Ann Dusenberry

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Meredith Baxter	...	Meg March (as Meredith Baxter Birney)
Susan Dey	...	Josephine 'Jo' March
Ann Dusenberry	...	Amy March
Eve Plumb	...	Elizabeth 'Beth' March
Dorothy McGuire	...	Marmee March
Greer Garson	...	Aunt Kathryn March
Robert Young	...	Grandpa James Lawrence
Richard Gilliland	...	Theodore 'Laurie' Lawrence
Cliff Potts	...	John Brooke
William Shatner	...	Prof. Friedrich Bhaer
William Schallert	...	Jonathan March
Virginia Gregg	...	Hannah
Joyce Bulifant	...	Mrs. Kirke
John de Lancie	...	Frank Vaughn
Carlene Watkins	...	Sally Gardiner

Storyline

Louisa May Alcott's classic novel about four sisters growing up in Civil War New England. Jo, the tomboyish sister with a literary flair, recounts the trials and joys of her coming of age with her sisters Meg, Amy, Beth.

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel

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Genres:

Drama | Family | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 October 1978 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Colonial Street, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Groverton Productions, Universal TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

200 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Beth is making the slippers she later gives to Mr. Laurence, she mentions that she had knitted them for her father. However, she is clearly crocheting them. Then, when Mr. Laurence holds up the finished slippers, they are knit, not crochet.

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Connections

Version of Little Women (1949)

User Reviews

My favorite film version of this book

Even though I haven't seen this movie in years, I still think it is the best version of Little Women I've ever seen, particularly for a TV movie. It was very well cast, was fairly faithful to the book, and contained good performances. Susan Dey and Meredith Baxter were excellent in their roles as Jo and Meg, and Robert Young, Dorothy McGuire and Greer Garson gave it class; an added extra is William Shatner as Prof. Bhaer. The care taken with costumes and other period details is obvious. It is an excellent production, and I highly recommend this version to anyone who has enjoyed the book. The other film versions are fine, too, but this one deserves more attention. What I don't understand is why this wonderful family film has not been made widely available to the public on video or DVD.