Greatest Rescues of Emergency! (1978) (TV)

Director:

Robert A. Cinader

Writers:

Robert A. Cinader (writer)
Jim Page (writer)

Release Date:

31 December 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Firefighter/Paramedics John Gage and Roy DeSoto are each promoted to the rank of Captain in the Los Angeles County Fire Department...

Cast

Frank Aletter	...	Man with Back Injury
Art Balinger	...	Chief (from Pilot)
Boot	...	Boot - Station Mascot, episode 'The Promise'
Eve Brent	...	Mother (from episode The Hard Hours)
Lew Brown	...	Police Officer (from Episode Cook´s Tour)
William Bryant	...	Captain Engine *110 (from episode Seance)
Barry Cahill	...	Fire Chief of the Pasadena Fire Department
Randall Carver	...	Harvey Gibbs (from episode Women)
Leslie Charleson	...	Christie Todd (from episode Women)
Carole Cook	...	Nurse (from episode The Nuisance)
Susan Damante	...	Mrs. Gibbs (from episode Women) (as Susan Damante-Shaw)
Jack DeLeon	...	Billy Zimmer - episode 'Show Biz'
Angelo De Meo	...	Victim (from episode Seance) / Ambulance Attendant (from episode Snake Bite)
Tim Donnelly	...	Firefighter Chet Kelly
Harold 'Hal' Frizzell	...	Ambulance Attendant (from episode Kidding) / Photographer (from episode Show Biz)
Robert Fuller	...	Dr. Kelly Brackett, M.D. / F.A.C.S.
Elayne Heilveil	...	Karen Overstreet (from episode The Indirect Method)
Henry	...	Henry, the Station Mascot (from episode Insanity Epidemic)
William Henry	...	Captain Engine *68 (from episode Cook`s Tour)
Patricia Hindy	...	Paula Slayton (from episode The Promise)
Megan Landis	...	Betty (from episode 'Hard Hours')
Renée Lippin	...	Rosemary (from episode 'Peace Pipe')
Julie London	...	Nurse Dixie McCall, R.N.
Marco López	...	Firefighter Marco Lopez
Allan MacLeod	...	Helicopter Pilot
Randolph Mantooth	...	Firefighter John Gage, FF / PM, LACoFD
Michael Norell	...	Captain Hank Stanley
George Orrison	...	Ambulance Attendant (from episode Snake Bite)
Ron Pinkard	...	Dr. Mike Morton
Richard X. Slattery	...	Hector (from episode Snake Bite)
Mike Stoker	...	Firefighter Specialist Mike Stoker
Kevin Tighe	...	Firefighter Roy DeSoto, FF / PM, LACoFD
Bobby Troup	...	Dr. Joe Early, M.D. / F.A.C.S.

Runtime:

120 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Emergency Productions

Trivia:

Robert A. Cinader's directorial debut.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Most Deadly Passage (1979) (TV)

Paramedics no more

The final chapter of the career of Johnny and Roy as paramedics is basically a clip show.Revisiting some of the "greatest rescues" in the series history,accompanied by new background music (a longing,sad tune that plays throughout the 2 hour special),Gage and DeSoto arrive at the site where their promotions will take place and reminisce about their past events,and the people that touched them (Brackett,Chet and the like).Among those promoted are Craig Brice,however not played by the same actor that portrayed him a number of times in the series.(this was highly noticeable,and hit me as a rather cheesy way to fool longtime fans of the show).It was mentioned that once promoted,they could not be paramedics too,so,the EMT life of Johnny and Roy ended with this episode....even though 2 more TV movies aired later that led Gage and DeSoto to view paramedics in action in other locales. To fans of the series,this was a sad ending to such a powerful and informative juggernaut that changed the face of emergency medicine forever.At first I was looking forward to the movie,but after watching it,and letting it sink in,it was actually a cheap way to usher Emergency off the network schedule.Shame on NBC....they deserved the bleak years they got after losing Sanford & Son,and Emergency...those are 2 mistakes that NBC will never live down....they chose to anger loyal NBC viewers all for money.And yet,they lost more than they would have if the series continued.Such a loss....