Saturday, 18 September 2021 19:23
Telethon
TELETHON
US, 1977, 90 minutes, Colour.
David Selby, Red Buttons, John Marley.
Directed by David Lowell Rich.
Telethon is a typical (and quite enjoyable) telemovie. It resembles many television series e.g. Love Boat. There are the usual number of stars in glamorised and heightened situations. This time it is the conducting of a telethon at Las Vegas. Everybody has problems. These are explored and come together (generally happily) at the end. The character actors are quite good at this kind of thing and invest their performances with perhaps more than they are worth e.g. David Selby and Red Buttons and John Marley. Direction is by David Lowell Rich who has directed so many of this kind of
film. Worth studying as an example of the typical American telemovie of the '70s.
1. Audience interest in and enjoyment of telemovies? The artificial and heightened plots? The gallery of characters quickly introduced, their crises indicated and explored, happy resolution? The background of soap opera and popular enjoyment of it? The human treatment of characters instead of mere emphasis on action? The strengths and weaknesses of the telemovie? The humanity and the cliches?
2. The colour photography of Las Vegas? The Dunes Hotel? The artificial glamour of the city in the middle of the desert? Its sinister gambling and violent undertones? The background of television production and its artificiality? The telethon - for charity yet playing on the sentimental values of Americans and the giving of money? The public image of entertainers and stars and the reality? The musical score? The star cast?
3. The audience the film was pitched at? Audience at home? Relaxing? A presentation of life yet situations larger than life? Fulfilling expectations? Helping audiences to understand different personalities and lifestyles from their own?
4. The film's emphasis on Las Vegas and its glamour as well as its ugliness? Crime? Mafia? Violence? The casinos? Contracts? Television world covering Las Vegas - and its unreality? The contrast with Matthew and his growing of cactus plants etc.?
5. The world of television, fast talk and promotion, phoniness? Telethon and celebrities using their images? Getting promotion? Exploiting the audiences?
6. The gallery of characters - the star interpretation of the role, the brief sketching of the character, the crisis, melodramatics, interactions, resolutions?
- Marty Rand and his reputation, comic style, TV personality, running of the telethon, the clash with Mrs. Goodwin and telling her off, his friendship with Roy, the discovery of Kim and his trying to keep her quiet, trying to help her, the clashes between the two, trying to get stars for the show, the threat of the end of the telethon, his living on his nerves, his managing at the end and doing what he did best?
- Kim and her arrival in Las Vegas on the bus, searching for Marty Rand, ringing, meeting him, telling him the truth, the background of her alcoholic mother, wanting to discover her father, her dependence on him, Roy's showing her round, her disappointment in seeming to be brushed off, the prospect of school, the confrontation between the two and his explanation of himself as a part-time father, her love for her father and her future?
- Roy and his family background, the Mafia, gambling, love for his family, the pressure by Tommy, his attempts to gamble and his being banned, trying to borrow from Marty and having his friendship, Arnie and his refusal and the irony of his being the contract, his accepting the contract only to warn Arnie. his gambling with Arnie's money and gaining his respectability, the clash with Tommy, Arnie's death?
- Tommy as the young Las Vegas hood, pressure on Roy, suave style, his explanation of his capacity for killing, his being defeated by Arnie and Roy?
- Arnie and his gambling background, jail, reaction against the Mafia especially with the attempt on his life and that of his wife, his pushing his weight around at the hotel, his wanting to do good, the encounter with the prostitute and her son.. her saving his life, his trying to reform her, visit her home, give her son presents, the air ticket, his being the target for the contract, his helping Roy, confrontation of Tommy, his death? His having a good influence before he died?
- Charlie and his work as Marty's manager, liaisons with his secretaries, his wife discovering him, the smooth talk, trying to arrange things, the callow producer?
- Mrs. Goodwin and her intensity, organisation, devotion to cause as well as to charity, her obsession about the cause. clash with Marty, reconciliation? Matthew and his fight, being an alcoholic, friendship with Elaine, the meal together, the night together, his discovering of the truth, the possible partnership, the clash, his coming to rescue Elaine - prospects for the future?
- Elaine and her money, giving it to charity, the television interview with Mrs. Goodwin, her loneliness in the hotel, her going for a walk, Charlie trying to pick her up, the chance encounter with Matthew, the evening, her hesitation, as an alcoholic, the final partnership and happy ending?
- The Las Vegas hooker and her work, saving Arnie's life, being oppressed by him, the encounter with Arnie at the pool, the present for her son, the ticket her grief at his death? Another happy ending?
- The management of the Dunes Hotel and their obsession with money. the threat to the telethon's future? The guest stars e.g. Jimmy Walker and Sugar Ray Robinson appearing? References to other stars?
7. How well did the film bind the characters and situations together? Sustaining audience curiosity and interest? The happy ending - what was the audience left with?