Secrets (TV 1992)

Producer Mel Wexler is putting together "Manhattan," a night-time soap opera that will definitely be the toast of the town. He puts together a stellar cast, however, each member of this ... See full summary »

Director:

Peter H. Hunt

Writers:

Danielle Steel (novel), William Bast (teleplay),

Stars:

Christopher Plummer, Linda Purl, Gary Collins

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christopher Plummer	...	Mel Wexler
Linda Purl	...	Jane Adams
Gary Collins	...	Zack Taylor
Ben Browder	...	Bill Warwick
Josie Bissett	...	Gaby Smith
John Bennett Perry	...	Dan Adams
Nicole Eggert	...	Alexa Adams
Brenda Bakke	...	Sandy Warwick
Stephanie Beacham	...	Sabina Quarles
Lenny Wolpe	...	Harry Pizer
Ray Stricklyn	...	Bernie Majors
John Cothran Jr.	...	Mark
O-Lan Jones	...	Darlene Hooper
Tom Hallick	...	Dr. David Maltin
Dean Norris	...	Henderson

Storyline

Producer Mel Wexler is putting together "Manhattan," a night-time soap opera that will definitely be the toast of the town. He puts together a stellar cast, however, each member of this cast has his own little secret: Zach is a Hollywood leading man apparently being blackmailed by 2 mysterious women; Jane was a former daytime soap star who had to abruptly leave her popular role due to problems at home; Bill is a male model whose marital status would rather be kept secret by his agent; Gaby is a struggling actress determined to make it on her own; and Sabina is a legendary film star who must now take a role on a television series due to a serious "involvement" in San Francisco. One by one, their secrets unfold in this television movie based on the bestseller by Danielle Steel.

---

Plot Keywords:

soap | based on novel

---

Genres:

Romance | Drama

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 April 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Danielle Steel's Secrets

Filming Locations:

L'Orangerie - 903 North La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cramer Company, The, NBC Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Watching Secrets takes up a lot of energy

Jane Adams (Linda Purl) is a former TV soap actress who has retired to be the Pasedena housewife of Dan (John Bennet Perry) who is abusive. However producer Mel Wexler (Christopher Plummer) wants her for his ensemble cast of a new TV series entitled Manhattan. Jane gets romantically involved with co-star Zack Taylor (Gary Collins), and they help each other, with Zack being blackmailed for a video of sex with a minor, and Zack coming to Jane's rescue when Dan threatens her life.

Purl wears an amusing black wig when pretending to be a child welfare officer to expose the blackmailer, but unfortunately is dressed in a series of unflattering outfits. Her partnership with Collins gives them an awkward kiss and and an unconvincing sex scene, with the problem being Collins, though Purl is good when Jane is confronted by Dan and she answers him fearfully.

The teleplay by William Bast and Paul Huson, based on the novel by Danielle Steel, presents a narrative that is as trite as the glimpses of Manhattan that we see. Although it may be true in Hollywood, ever cast member has a secret which is counter-productive to their work, and the theme is voiced in `Keeping secrets takes up a lot of energy'. The one given the most time is that of Billy Warrick (Ben Browden), cast as the ubiquitous hunk though married in real life to a drug addict, former actress Sandy Westfield (Brenda Bakke). When Sandy is killed, Billy is tried for murder, and the cast all appear at the trial as a `family'. The other main secret is that of Sabina Quarles (Stephanie Beacham) who has an illegitimate dying son she is always flying out to see, though she is also sleeping with Mel.

Whilst the dialogue is on the level of `A drug addict is nobody's wife' and a Manhattan love scene is re-enacted line for line, there is one laugh in `I'm not about to put millions of dollars behind an unknown, although it was his behind that sold all those blue jeans'.

Director Peter H Hunt provides some ineffectual montages of the production process, a laugh with `That's lunch' after a cast slap, and an interrogating policeman eating a hamburger. Plummer and Purl survive without totally embarrassing themselves, but Beacham's poor-man's Joan Collins routine with deliberate mannered delivery undermines the flood of tears when she confesses her secret.