House on Greenapple Road (1970)

A detective investigates the disappearance of the promiscuous wife of a timid salesman, and finds that everything is not quite as it appears.

Director:

Robert Day

Writers:

Harold R. Daniels (novel), George Eckstein (teleplay)

Stars:

Janet Leigh, Julie Harris, Tim O'Connor

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Janet Leigh	...	Marian Ord
Julie Harris	...	Leona Miller
Tim O'Connor	...	George Ord
Walter Pidgeon	...	Mayor Jack Parker
Barry Sullivan	...	Chief Frank Untermyer
Keenan Wynn	...	Sgt. Charles Wilentz
Christopher George	...	Lt. Dan August
Peter Mark Richman	...	Sal Gilman (as Mark Richman)
William Windom	...	Paul Durstine
Joanne Linville	...	Connie Durstine
Burr DeBenning	...	Bill Foley
Lynda Day George	...	Lillian Crane (as Lynda Day)
Edward Asner	...	Sheriff Muntz
Lawrence Dane	...	Reverend Ryan Hagen (as Laurence Dane)
Ned Romero	...	Sgt. Joe Rivera

Storyline

Told in flashbacks, L.A. detective Lieutenant Dan August investigates the disappearance of housewife, Marian Ord whose extramarital activities possibly provide clues to her absence. The police believe she has been murdered by her distraught husband George but they can't come up with a corpse and thereby hangs the mystery.

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Plot Keywords:

murder mystery | tv series pilot | police detective | flashback sequence | adulteress | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 January 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

Il mistero della cucina

Filming Locations:

Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Quinn Martin Productions (QM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 113 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Lynda Day George, who played the stoned receptionist Lilian Crane, married the film's leading man Christopher George just a few months later on May 15, 1970. They were together through his untimely passing in 1983.

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Goofs

When the detectives August and Wilentz go to the Ord house to meet up with George Ord they park their car at the curb. Later a patrol car arrives with George Ord and it stops at the same spot where the detectives parked their car but it is nowhere to be seen.

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Quotes

Mayor Jack Parker: Your man's getting a little insolent, Chief.
Chief Frank Untermyer: He's not my man. That's why I like him.
Mayor Jack Parker: Oh? Well, you get this straight. From now on don't expect any favors from me.
Chief Frank Untermyer: I don't think you owe me any. I didn't even vote for you.

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Connections

Spin-off Dan August (1970)

User Reviews

Just thinking of this movie scares me!

I saw this once when I was a kid (around 8)...all I remember is the opening scene, it scared the @#$% out of me!...a house, someone coming home, and blood everywhere...very chilling. Plus, I lived on Greenville Road so the fear "hit home" even more.

That 70's made-for-TV-movies genre is greatly under-appreciated and unrecognized. Other movies that I remember about the same time that were really creepy (you might too):

• "When Michael Calls" (Ben Gazzara, Elizabeth Ashley, Micheal Douglas)

• "The Screaming Woman" (Olivia DeHavilland)

• "Picture Mommy Dead" (Zsa Zsa Gabor)

• "How Awful About Allen" (Anthony Perkins)

• "Two On a Guillotine" (Connie Stevens)

• "The Victim" (Elizabeth Montgomery)