Home for the Holidays (1972)

An ailing man summons his four daughters home for Christmas and asks them to kill his new wife, who he suspects is poisoning him.

Director:

John Llewellyn Moxey

Writer:

Joseph Stefano

Stars:

Jessica Walter, Sally Field, Eleanor Parker

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jessica Walter	...	Frederica Morgan
Sally Field	...	Christine Morgan
Eleanor Parker	...	Alex Morgan
Julie Harris	...	Elizabeth Hall Morgan
Walter Brennan	...	Benjamin Morgan
Jill Haworth	...	Joanna Morgan
John Fink	...	Dr. Ted Lindsay
Med Flory	...	Sheriff Nolan

Storyline

Adult sisters Alex, Freddy, Jo and Chris Morgan have been estranged from their wealthy father Benjamin Morgan for nine years, whom they blame for their mother's suicide. Their animosity stems from Benjamin having had an affair with Elizabeth Hall - now Mrs. Morgan. Some of the girls could not tolerate not only what happened to their mother because of their father but that Elizabeth has taken her place. Freddy has turned to booze and pills to cope, while Jo has little to no thoughts of family in her partying ways. Chris, the youngest, is the innocent who can only take her sisters' word as to what was going on, being too young at the time to fully comprehend what was happening. Alex, as the oldest who they all turn to in times of need, and then the rest of the girls return to their isolated rural home on their now elderly father's request on Christmas Eve, he who has reinstated them in his will. Largely bedridden, he believes that Elizabeth is slowly trying to poison him to death and he...

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Plot Keywords:

christmas | made for tv movie | christmas horror | murderess | murder of a nude woman | 

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Taglines:

There's nothing more chilling... Than a warm family gathering!

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The cast boasts Oscar winners Sally Field and Walter Brennan and Oscar nominees Julie Harris and Eleanor Parker.

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Goofs

The night that Frederica was drowned in the bathtub, the shower curtain was a stripped color. The next day when Frederica's body was discovered, the shower curtain was a solid color.

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Connections

References Psycho (1960)

User Reviews

Fun, low-budget thriller

This is a neat little thriller by the prolific producing team of Spelling-Goldberg. It's written by the screenwriter of "Psycho"! When Christmas comes and a glut of weepy or cheerful specials are filling the airwaves, sometimes a dose of morbid, downbeat drama can be a nice change! Ever-cranky Brennan plays a father who is dying (and suspects his second wife, Harris, of doing him in.) He sends for his four daughters (Parker, Walter, Haworth, Field) to come to his aid. At 50, 32, 26 and 26, these ladies are the least likely sisters one could imagine! In fact, Parker had played Field's mother only two years prior. The ladies don't even look like they could be related. It matters little, though, once the drama sets in and the acting begins. Brennan apparently would have preferred sons as each lady has a male nickname: Alex, Freddie, Jo and Chris. Parker, still lovely when lit correctly, does a great job in her role. Harris matches her and gives a good performance in a difficult part. Walter is a touch over the top, but is fine and Field is charming...though eventually she gets to scream her head off. The film is very simple, made during a time when TV movies didn't feel the need to pad out to fill two hours if the material didn't warrant it. The movie, sans commercials, runs 78 minutes. The result is a pretty tight little story that builds to some genuine suspense. The climactic thunderstorm goes a long way in providing the right atmosphere.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 November 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

Home for the Holidays

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Ranch, Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Spelling-Goldberg Productions, ABC Circle Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

73 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1