FLESH AND BLOOD {PART 2 OF 2} (TV)
Summary
Continued from B:82204. This two-part miniseries, based on the novel by Pete Hamill, tells the story of troubled ex-con Bobby Fallon and his attempts to become a professional boxer in Chicago. The second installment begins as Bobby continues training after the encounter with his mother, refusing to tell Kirk or Gus what is bothering him. Later, he dances with Kate at a bar and she reminisces about her first meeting with his father when she was only sixteen and he thirty. Michelle finds Bobby and he invites her to the semi-finals, and at the fight, Gus gives Bobby a personalized robe and he steps into the ring to battle Raymond North, who taunts him, try to inflame his infamously hot temper. Bobby gets angry and breaks the rules, earning himself a lifetime ban from amateur boxing, but Gus says that he will turn him pro. Michelle admits that the sport scares her, but she invites him back to her apartment. Bobby goes with her, but quickly leaves. He then learns that he will begin his professional career in Ohio, and he goes to tell Kate that he will be heading east for some months. She grows upset at the idea of his absence, but he declares that he is not like his father and will return.
In Ohio, Bobby's opponent is changed at the last minute, but he easily defeats the larger boxer. Michelle visits him in his hotel room and they end up in bed together, and they talk afterwards, with Bobby telling her about his discovery that his mother was still meeting with his estranged father even after he left, having followed them on a date. Later, he learns that the purse from the fight is quite small, but Gus assures him that more money will come and that "the beauty" is more important. Michelle works on news reports of Bobby's fights, and he considers fighting the "animal" Walker Lewis, but Gus says that he is not ready. When he briefly heads back to Chicago, Bobby learns that Kate has disappeared off to Florida. He continues winning fights and eventually ends up at Madison Square Garden and wins again, though Walker shows up and heckles him publicly, vowing to make him suffer during their fight. Gus objects to Bobby participating in a Las Vegas "double header," in which he and Walker will fight two other top boxers and then one another, if they win, but Bobby is intrigued by the six-figure prize. Kate arrives unexpectedly and meets Michelle, and when they go out together they encounter a policeman fan who knew Bobby's father Jack, and he praises him highly, unaware of the family estrangement. Bobby tells Kate about the Vegas fight and, ignoring Michelle, she suggests that the two of them head out to Nevada together. Insulted, Michelle dumps Bobby, saying that he is overly attached to his mother and inconsiderate of others' feelings.
Bobby and Kate head for Vegas along with Kirk and Freddie, and Bobby discovers that Kirk has a gambling problem and has lost a lot. He is then shocked to find that his father is there as well, and Kate swears that she was unaware. Jack confronts his son, and Bobby questions him about his contact with Kate over the years, demanding to know why he himself was ignored. They drive out to Jack's desert home and Bobby realizes that he is working with the other promoters , who encourage Bobby to fight Walker after all despite Gus' wishes. Bobby realizes that Kirk can escape his gambling debts if he convinces Bobby to do the fight, and Kirk reveals his resentment for the jail time and for always being Bobby's sidekick, saying that he owes him. Gus joins them and says that Bobby should go home, and though Jack tells him that he must fight or lose his shot at the title, Bobby sticks with his manager and refuses. Kirk tells Bobby that he has seen Kate staying at Jack's home, and Bobby goes looking for her, jealously saying that she "belongs" to him. Jack finally offers to leave Kate and Bobby alone if he will take the Walker fight, and Bobby agrees, giving his father a good-bye punch in the gut. Gus urges him not to do it, saying that he can fight Walker later once he has trained more and gained weight, but Bobby does not change his mind and the two part ways.
As the fight approaches, Freddie says that something is "off" and that he wants Gus back, but Kirk objects. Kate and Jack both attend the big fight, and Walker whales on Bobby fiercely, knocking him down repeatedly. Bobby gets back up, however, tended to by Kirk and Freddie, and even manages to knock Walker down a few times. Later, though, Freddie and Kate clean him up in the locker room, explaining that he lost and required stitches. Nevertheless, the press is elated by his underdog courage and skill, and he receives a loud round of applause as he exits. As he leaves, Bobby coldly tells Kirk that they are "even," as Kirk's debts are now forgiven, and that he does not want to see him again. Jack prepares to leave, as part of his promise, and Bobby realizes that Kate intends to go with him, warning her that he will disappoint her again. Back in Chicago, Bobby finds Gus and the two renew their partnership. Bobby tells him that Walker wants a rematch, and he heads back to the Imperial Gym to resume his training. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: October 16, 1979 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:45:23
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:82206
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Miniseries; Boxing
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1979
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Gerald W. Abrams … Executive Producer
- Herbert Hirschman … Producer
- Ervin Zavada … Associate Producer
- Jud Taylor … Director
- Eric Bercovici … Writer
- Pete Hamill … Based on the novel by
- Billy Goldenberg … Music by
- Tom Berenger … Cast, Bobby Fallon
- Mitchell Ryan … Cast, Jack Fallon
- Kristin Griffith … Cast, Michelle
- Denzel Washington … Cast, Kirk
- Suzanne Pleshette … Cast, Kate Fallon
- John Cassavetes … Cast, Gus
- Bert Remsen … Cast, Jorgenson
- Anthony Charnota … Cast, Freddie
- Bob Minor … Cast, Walker Lewis
- Peter Hobbs … Cast, Police Sergeant
- Jack Rader … Cast, Charlie
- Bill Elliott … Cast, Young
- Sam Weisman … Cast, Stevens
- Felix Shuman … Cast, Gloves Official
- Patrick Billingsley … Cast, Older Official
- Jerome Landfield … Cast, Man in Dressing Room
- Eddy Donno … Cast, North Referee
- Marques D. Houston … Cast, Raymond North
- Nathan Davis … Cast, North Announcer
- Ernest Robinson … Cast, North Corner
- James Andelin … Cast, Harding
- John Roselius … Cast, Soldier Bartlett
- Leo Ranieri … Cast, Bartlett Referee
- Joe Rodgers … Cast, Reporter
- Edward Grennen … Cast, Lewis Announcer
- Stan Berg … Cast, Lewis Referee
- Charles Warfield … Cast, Curly Anderson
- Nathaniel Morgan … Cast, Anderson Referee
- Al de Rose … Cast, Anderson Corner
- Luca Josef Bercovici … Cast, Bellhop
- Van Allen … Cast, Doctor
- Bob Smith … Cast, Ringside Reporter
- Tony Quintana … Cast, Ringside Reporter
- Edwin Jahiel … Cast, Ringside Reporter
- Clarence Davidson … Cast, Ringside Reporter
- Paul Napier … Cast, Television Producer
- Pat Corley … Cast, Madison Square Garden Reporter
- Mike Evans … Cast, Fight Reporter
- Bill Henderson … Cast, Fight Reporter
- Paul Tuerpe … Cast, Fight Reporter
- Richard A. Briggs … Supervising Producer