My Name Is Bill W. (1989) (TV)

Director:

Daniel Petrie

Writer (WGA):

William G. Borchert (written by)

Release Date:

30 April 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Based on the true story of Bill W. (James Woods), a successful stock broker whose life falls apart after...

Plot Keywords:

Support Group | Alcohol | Character Name In Title

Cast

James Woods	...	Bill Wilson
JoBeth Williams	...	Lois 'Lo' Wilson
James Garner	...	Dr. Robert 'Dr. Bob' Holbrook Smith
Gary Sinise	...	Ebby, Bill's best friend
George Coe	...	Frank Shaw from Rice & Co.
Robert Harper	...	Dr. Jeremy Partlin, Administrator of Elmwood Sanitarium
Ray Reinhardt	...	Dr. Silkworth, Alcoholic Specialist at Towns Hospital
Fritz Weaver	...	Dr. Burnham, Lois' Father
Rick Warner	...	Bill Dotson, Drunk in hospital
Joe Inscoe	...	Fred, AA Member
Susan Duchow	...	Adele Gentry, Manager of Childrens ware in Dept. Store
Rich Valliere	...	Charley
Mark Joy	...	Guy Kolb, Lois' boss at Dept. Store
William Aylward	...	Controller (as Bill Aylward)
Richard Travis	...	Stockquoter
Mike McBlair	...	Mayflower Hotel Desk Clerk
Wally Doyle	...	Mayflower Hotel Bartender
Norman Aronovic	...	Hospital Attendant
Bruce Ed Morrow	...	Chief Engineer (as Bruce Morrow)
Catherine Shaffner	...	Head Nurse
Celia Clark	...	Nurse
Greg Baber	...	Soldier #1
Walter Borchert	...	Soldier #2
Daniel K. Moore	...	Soldier #3
Jim Scopelitis	...	Pete, AA Member
Jack Garner	...	Zack, AA Member
William Borchert	...	Wade
Norman Max Maxwell	...	Casey, GE Research man
Rick Marshall	...	Artie, AA Member
Belle Doughty	...	Ellen, AA Member
Bev Appleton	...	Hank
David Frisinger	...	Shorty
Bill Sullivan	...	Michael
Meredith Strange-Boston	...	Dorothy Strong
John Badila	...	Leonard Strong
Margo Tully	...	Henrietta Seiberling
Helen Carey	...	Anne Smith, Dr. Bob's wife
Joseph P. McCartney	...	Customer
Chris Bass-Randolph	...	Norene, AA Member
Gail Summer	...	Lottie Rich
Kweli Leapart	...	Lizzie, Dr. Bob's maid
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anthony Harbour	...	Man in train station (uncredited)
Steven Mehler	...	Man Walking From (uncredited)

Directed by
Daniel Petrie

Writing credits (WGA)
William G. Borchert		(written by)

Produced by
Peter K. Duchow	....	executive producer
James Garner	....	executive producer
Paul Rubell	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Laurence Rosenthal

Cinematography by
Neil Roach

Film Editing by
Paul Rubell
John Wright

Production Design by
Fred Harpman

Set Decoration by
Richard Spero

Costume Design by
April Ferry

Production Management
Dick Gallegly	....	executive in charge of production
Dick Gallegly	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Donald Hauer	....	first assistant director (as Don Hauer)
Sandra M. Middleton	....	second assistant director
Patricia Dyer Walden	....	second second assistant director (as Patricia Ann Dyer)

Art Department
Richard Blankenship	....	construction coordinator
Terry Clark	....	set dresser
Ted Haigh	....	signwriter
Frank Irving	....	property master
Thomas C. Mentzer	....	construction foreman

Sound Department
Gregg Barbanell	....	foley artist
Doug Botnick	....	sound re-recording mixer
Norval D. Crutcher III	....	sound effects editor
Norval D. Crutcher	....	supervising sound editor
Tom Gunn	....	supervising sound editor
Walter Hoylman	....	sound mixer
Jeffrey Perkins	....	sound re-recording mixer
John T. Reitz	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Dwight Benjamin-Creel	....	special effects coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Driskell	....	gaffer
Charles A. Harris	....	electrician
Robert Horne	....	camera operator
Tony Poston	....	key grip
David P. Shannon	....	electrician
Jean Whiteside	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lois DeArmond	....	costume illustrator
William Smith	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Sally Dixon	....	negative cutter
Dan Muscarella	....	color timer

Music Department
Bunny Andrews	....	music editor (as Bunny K. Andrews)
Steven Bramson	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Charles Thomas Baxter	....	location manager
Jan Evans	....	script supervisor
Gwendolyn Glenn	....	choreographer
Anthony Harbour	....	paramedic
Martha Yates	....	production coordinator
John Marston	....	location projectionist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Garner-Duchow Productions
• Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions
• Warner Bros. Television

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1989) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Excalibur Benelux (1990) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Lorimar Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"Hallmark Hall of Fame: My Name Is Bill W. (#38.3)" - USA (anthology series)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Richmond, Virginia, USA

Company:

Garner-Duchow Productions

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies (#9.12)" (1997)

A definite must see for anybody who is in a 12 Step Program

Hi, my name is Gary H. and I am a recovering addict/alcoholic, amongst other things ... I have been clean and sober for over 10 years now and watching Bill W. helped me get a better insight of what and how the program was started. I choose and chose to break a certain part of my own anonymity as I am writing this review, so that you may know really of what I thought and how I really feel about this movie.

Bill W., was a very stirring and sensitively portrayed movie as James Woods took on the role of Bill W. His performance was second to none and I don't think anyone else could have portrayed Bill W.'s part any better and James Garner made an excellent Dr. Bob. Many times as I was watching this film I really related to both Bill W and Dr. Bob which shows the level of acting of these two fine performers.

I have the utmost respect and admiration of this movie as it was well performed and having been in a 12 Step Program for over 15 years now. In addition to having the knowledge of Bill W's life and teachings as well as Dr. Bob's story this wonderful Program of AA and the many other fellowships that have sprung up to help the addict/alcoholic who is still suffering. After visually watching this movie I found a greater peace and understanding that I never realized before and that I am not alone.

Thanks to the Grace of God, that Bill W. was there to have such a tremendous story to tell and how he and Dr. Bob help create the fellowship of AA. And thanks to the people who decided to create this project that James Woods and James Garner have immortalized forever. In twenty-five (25 words or less) ... "It's a Classic!"