"American Playhouse" Noon Wine (1985)

Director:

Michael Fields

Writers:

Michael Fields
Katherine Anne Porter (story)

TV Series:

"American Playhouse" (1981)

Original Air Date:

21 January 1985 (Season 4, Episode 6)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

On a hot day in Texas in the the 1890s, a stranger shows up at the small dairy farm of Royal and Ellie Thompson...

Plot Keywords:

Remake

Cast

Fred Ward	...	Royal Earle Thompson
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Olaf Helton
Pat Hingle	...	Homer T. Hatch
Jon Cryer	...	Teenage Herbert
Roberts Blossom	...	Mr. McClellan
James N. Harrell	...	Tom Allbright
Lise Hilboldt	...	Ellie Thompson
Brent Hadaway	...	Teenage Arthur
Adam Faraizl	...	Young Arthur
James Gammon	...	Sheriff
Wayne Tippit	...	Mr. Burleigh
Enrique Brown	...	Young Herbert
Billie Keller	...	Mrs. McClellan
Shawn Sattler	...	McClellan Boy
Jerry Biggs	...	Mr. Manning
Doris Hargrave	...	Mrs. Manning

Directed by
Michael Fields

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Michael Fields
Katherine Anne Porter		story

Produced by
Doro Bachrach	....	producer
James Ivory	....	executive producer
Ismail Merchant	....	executive producer
Marcus Viscidi	....	associate producer (as Marcus Vascidi)

Original Music by
Paul Chihara

Cinematography by
Juan Ruiz Anchía		(as Juan Ruiz-Anchia)

Film Editing by
Jeanne Jordan

Casting by
Lynn Kressel

Production Design by
Charles C. Bennett		(as Charles Bennett)

Costume Design by
Hilary Rosenfeld

Art Department
Ann Edgeworth	....	property master

Sound Department
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist
Rick Dior	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jay Dranch	....	dialogue editor
Michael Farrow	....	sound recording engineer
Mark Goodermote	....	boom operator
John Pritchett	....	sound mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Murray K. Campbell	....	gaffer (as Murray Campbell)
Michael Dunson	....	second key grip (as Mike Dunson)
Lars Hoiby	....	electrician
John Knight	....	key grip
Jon H. Lewis	....	second assistant camera
Deana Newcomb	....	still photographer (as Deanna Newcomb)
Roberto Rivera	....	assistant camera
Neil Roach	....	director of photography: additional photography
Dave Roberts	....	best boy
Bill Schwarz	....	electrician
Fred Vicarel	....	third key grip

Casting Department
Shari Rhodes	....	casting: Texas

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Roseann Milano	....	wardrobe supervisor

Music Department
Seymour Red Press	....	music supervisor
Andy Statman	....	musician: mandolin

Other crew
Danny Castaneda	....	teamster captain
Rick Dallago	....	location manager
Ned Dowd	....	production consultant
Richard Ericson	....	dialect coach
Jerry Fleming	....	key production assistant
Mamie Mitchell	....	script supervisor
Max Snow	....	production accountant
Kelly Wimberly	....	production consultant

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Thomas Herod Jr.	....	first assistant director (episode "Land of Little Rain" (1989), The")

Music Department
Michael Small	....	composer: theme music

Production Companies

• Merchant Ivory Productions
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

Distributors

• American Playhouse (1985) (USA) (TV)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1985) (USA) (TV)
• Fries Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS) (For Monterey Home Video)
• Monterey Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:81 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Merchant Ivory Productions

Movie Connections:

Version of "ABC Stage 67: Noon Wine (#1.9)" (1966)

Thought provoking adaptation

Katherine Ann Porter's short story about a poor farmer who takes on a fugitive as his hired man has a number of complexities which can provoke discussions for years. There is an earlier version with Jason Robards, Olivia DeHavilland and Theodore Bikel which captures the theme of the story but comes out a bit stodgy in spite of the cast. This feature with Fred Ward, Stellan Skarsgård, Pat Hingle and the very beautiful and talented Lise Hilboldt captures much of the shadow nuances of Porter's original work.

Ward is especially effective as the turn of the century farmer whose life is transformed by the mysterious Swede who won't talk, works like a horse and plays the harmonica. Skarsgård, seen recently as the brutal Saxon king in the revisionist King Arthur, is superb as the taciturn Swede. Great support comes from veteran character actor, Pat Hingle,as the villainous bounty hunter and craggy, James Gammon as the sheriff. But, the bright light is the delicate but solid performance of Lise Hilboldt, as the wife who is caught in the middle of mixed feelings about the mysterious Swede, her marriage to her mercurial husband and her own conflicts.

As looking at a slice of life in desolate, South Texas, this little film works. I suppose the amazing thing is that it is a made for TV movie that has some substance-- considering that 90% of what is viewed on TV is pure garbage and the remaining 10% is on its way to becoming garbage. So, how did a thoughtful, provocative film like this make it through? Amazing. Simply amazing.