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The Spirit

  • TV Movie
  • 19871987
  • 1h 14m
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
254
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
14,027
7,780
Sam J. Jones in The Spirit (1987)
Action
A legally dead police detective decides to battle crime as a masked superhero.A legally dead police detective decides to battle crime as a masked superhero.A legally dead police detective decides to battle crime as a masked superhero.
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
254
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
14,027
7,780
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Michael Schultz
    • Writers
      • Will Eisner(characters)
      • Steven E. de Souza
    • Stars
      • Sam J. Jones
      • Nana Visitor
      • Bumper Robinson
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Michael Schultz
    • Writers
      • Will Eisner(characters)
      • Steven E. de Souza
    • Stars
      • Sam J. Jones
      • Nana Visitor
      • Bumper Robinson
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 9User reviews
    • 17Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Photos

    The Spirit (1987)
    Nana Visitor and Sam J. Jones in The Spirit (1987)
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sam J. Jones
    Sam J. Jones
    • Spirit
    • (as Sam Jones)
    • …
    Nana Visitor
    Nana Visitor
    • Ellen Dolan
    Bumper Robinson
    Bumper Robinson
    • Eubie
    Garry Walberg
    Garry Walberg
    • Commissioner Dolan
    Les Lannom
    Les Lannom
    • Officer King
    Laura Robinson
    • P'Gell Roxton
    • (as McKinlay Robinson)
    Daniel Davis
    Daniel Davis
    • Simon Teasdale
    Philip Baker Hall
    Philip Baker Hall
    • Sevrin
    John Allen
    • Bruno
    Sarah Dammann Thomas
    • Hilde
    • (as Sarah Dammann)
    Janet Rotblatt
    Janet Rotblatt
    • Victim
    Ernestine Mercer
    • Martha
    Annibal Llende
    • Ricardo
    Ed Cambridge
    Ed Cambridge
      Bobby Jacoby
      Bobby Jacoby
        Bill Marcus
          Joe Newnow
            Robert Pastorelli
            Robert Pastorelli
              • Director
                • Michael Schultz
              • Writers
                • Will Eisner(characters)
                • Steven E. de Souza
              • All cast & crew
              • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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              Storyline

              Edit

              Did you know

              Edit
              • Trivia
                In the comic book on which the film is based, Eubie is called Ebony White and he is usually depicted as a racial stereotype. The movie changed his name and characterization in an effort to make him more acceptable to audiences of the time.
              • Goofs
                When Ellen climbs the fire escape she is wearing flats. Inside the factory she's in heels.
              • Quotes

                Ellen Dolan: Do I look like the kind of girl who goes around undressing men?

              • Connections
                Featured in The Movies That Made Us: Die Hard (2019)

              User reviews9

              Review
              Review
              Top review
              A decent, well-intentioned attempt at a classic character
              I just saw this unsold pilot for the first time since it aired in 1987, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was much better than I remembered. Sam Jones looked great as the Spirit and he played the part in a tongue-in-cheek manner that was just right. Nana Visitor (STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE 9) was also very good as Ellen Dolan and showed some real chemistry with Jones, as well as a gift for physical comedy (she did start out as a dancer, after all). The fellow who played Commissioner Dolan suited his part very well. The woman who played P'Gell was okay, but she didn't have quite the spark the role needed. A sultry young Joan Collins type would've been better. Eubie (formerly Ebony) White didn't have much to contribute to the plot and consequently didn't make much of an impression. The movie's plot (about some art forgeries at a Central City museum) is more of a straightforward adventure story than anything Will Eisner ever did, which does take away from some of the Spirit's uniqueness. There are a couple of plot holes here and there (why do they have a gravestone for Denny Colt in a Central City cemetery when he was just visiting?), but nothing too heinous. And, if you have more than a passing familiarity with the Spirit, it's all too easy to figure out who the mystery villain is. The movie takes place in 1987 instead the 1940s (with plenty of contemporary references to remind you of that fact). It was too expensive to do it as period piece, I'd imagine. Sometimes the budget limitations are all too evident (Wildwood Cemetery looks like nothing so much as a studio set). And a few too many scenes are daytime ones. But there are a few shots here and there which positively REEK of the right sort of film noir atmosphere. You can definitely tell the creators of the movie had a genuine affection for the Spirit. It would've been very interesting to see where this show would've gone if it had become a series. If you come across a copy somewhere (I was told it originally ran 90 minutes long but it was edited down to 70 before air), check it out, it's worth a look. For another cool movie with a Spirit reference, see THE IRON GIANT.
              helpful•11
              0
              • johntrumbull
              • Dec 2, 2001

              Details

              Edit
              • Release date
                • July 31, 1987 (United States)
              • Country of origin
                • United States
              • Language
                • English
              • Also known as
                • Duh
              • Production companies
                • De Souza Productions
                • Von Zerneck-Samuels Productions
                • Warner Bros. Television
              • See more company credits at IMDbPro

              Technical specs

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              • Runtime
                1 hour 14 minutes
              • Color
                • Color
              • Sound mix
                • Stereo
              • Aspect ratio
                • 1.33 : 1

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