THE PRESIDENT'S MISTRESS is a very dull American TV movie from 1978 focusing on a murder mystery involving the White House and the various security agencies (particularly the now-defunct CSA) as well as Russian spies. Unfortunately it takes an age to get going and the murder itself doesn't take place until at least halfway through which makes it a real slow to sit through, and the poor script means that it's often laughable rather than compelling.
I was hoping for something exciting and suspenseful, along the lines of a Columbo story from the era perhaps, but what I got was mere nonsense. The best thing about this is the presence of director John Llewellyn Moxey, best known for the atmospheric Christopher Lee horror film CITY OF THE DEAD in 1960 and who worked extensively in American TV after that point. Beau Bridges is the indifferent lead and very boring in the part too; rather hilariously he's made out to be a heart-throb in one scene which makes me wonder if the role wasn't intended for his brother Jeff. Larry Hagman is here too, but sadly gets only a very minor and inconsequential role. There's a little bit of action in the second part of the tale, but too much of the screen time is occupied by a lame and cheesy romance in which Bridges comes off as a creepy stalker rather than endearing suitor.
I was hoping for something exciting and suspenseful, along the lines of a Columbo story from the era perhaps, but what I got was mere nonsense. The best thing about this is the presence of director John Llewellyn Moxey, best known for the atmospheric Christopher Lee horror film CITY OF THE DEAD in 1960 and who worked extensively in American TV after that point. Beau Bridges is the indifferent lead and very boring in the part too; rather hilariously he's made out to be a heart-throb in one scene which makes me wonder if the role wasn't intended for his brother Jeff. Larry Hagman is here too, but sadly gets only a very minor and inconsequential role. There's a little bit of action in the second part of the tale, but too much of the screen time is occupied by a lame and cheesy romance in which Bridges comes off as a creepy stalker rather than endearing suitor.
