Monday, February 18, 2019

YouTube Theatre: The Missiles of October (1974)

It was big news in 1974 when ABC developed the first "docu-drama", a three hour special presentation that was presented in the style of a Broadway production, but, as memory serves me, it wasn't live, unlike the recent stream of live specials which have aired on NBC & Fox.

The Missiles of October chronicled thirteen important days in October of 1962 when President John F. Kennedy (William Devane) sought to block the development of nuclear arms imported to Cuba from the Soviet Union. The cast also includes Andrew Duggan (ex-Lancer), Dana Elcar, Howard da Silva, and Martin Sheen as Robert F. Kennedy. Thayer David is the narrator.

Edit, 5/21/19: The video has been deleted. In its place is a fan-made trailer:



Devane, a native of Albany, and Sheen would work together again years later on The West Wing. Devane would later star on Knots Landing for 10 seasons. The Cuban Missile Crisis would be explored again several years later in the film, "Thirteen Days", with Kevin Costner.

Rating: A.

No comments: