NEW CBS FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIES, THE: TRUMAN CAPOTE'S "THE GLASS HOUSE" (TV)
Summary
One in this series of made-for-television movies. This drama, based on a story by Truman Capote and Wyatt Cooper and filmed at Utah State Prison, features Alan Alda as Jonathon Paige, a college professor who enters prison to serve a one-year sentence for manslaughter. Among the new prisoners arriving with Paige is Allan Campbell, a frightened young man convicted on marijuana charges. As Paige and Campbell are processed into the huge institution, a new guard named Brian Courtland is trained by veteran Officer Brown. Paige is assigned the job of dispensing drugs at the prison pharmacy and soon receives a visit from by Hugo Slocum, a drug-dealing inmate with a stranglehold on prison life. Slocum offers Paige protection if he assists in trafficking drugs through the pharmacy to Slocum's couriers, and Paige refuses. Meanwhile naive Campbell gladly works for Slocum -- who lavishes drugs and gifts upon him -- until Campbell discovers what Slocum wants in return for his protection. Paige survives quietly, day to day until he witnesses the results of Slocum's revenge on Campbell, when the boy spurns his sexual advances. Later, Slocum's "accountant," Sinclair, slips Paige a record book detailing years of Slocum's drug transactions, as well as pay-offs to guards, including Brown. Sinclair has had a falling-out with his brutal boss and tells Paige he expects to be killed. He urges Paige to use the book to destroy Slocum. Paige asks advice of Lennox, an inmate who heads a group of black prisoners seeking prison reform. Paige finds himself on his own, however, when Lennox suggests the only way to end Slocum's reign is to kill him. Later, Officer Courtland receives a baptism by fire when Slocum goes after Paige for the book. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: February 4, 1972 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:15:24
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:27133
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Prisons - Drama; LGBTQ+ Collection - Drama
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV, 1972
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Roger Gimbel … Executive Producer
- Robert W. Christiansen … Producer
- Rick Rosenberg … Producer
- Tom Gries … Director
- Tracy Keenan Wynn … Writer
- Truman Capote … Writer
- Wyatt Cooper … Writer
- Billy Goldenberg … Music by
- Vic Morrow … Cast, Hugo Slocum
- Clu Gulager … Cast, Brian Courtland
- Billy Dee Williams … Cast, Lennox
- Kristoffer Tabori … Cast, Allan Campbell
- Dean Jagger … Cast, Warden Auerbach
- Alan Alda … Cast, Jonathon Paige
- Scott Hylands … Cast, Ajax
- Edward Bell … Cast, Sinclair
- Roy Jenson … Cast, Officer Brown
- Alan Vint … Cast, Bree
- Luke Askew … Cast, Bibleback
- Tony Mancini … Cast, Steve Berino