Queen of the Stardust Ballroom (1975) (TV)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Sam O'Steen

Writer:

Jerome Kass (writer)

Release Date:

13 February 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Drama

Plot:

A lonely widow and a postman find romance late in life at the local dance hall.

Plot Keywords:

Dance | Widow | Postman | Ballroom | Singing

Awards:

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Maureen Stapleton	...	Beatrice 'Bea' Asher
Charles Durning	...	Alvin 'Al' Green
Michael Brandon	...	David Asher
Elizabeth Berger	...	Jennifer 'Jenny' Asher
Lewis Charles	...	Johnny
Natalie Core	...	Pauline Krimm
Alan Fudge	...	Louis
Florence Halop	...	Sylvia
Danna Hansen	...	Martha
Jacquelyn Hyde	...	Angie
Holly Irving	...	Marie
Gil Lamb	...	Harry
Nora Marlowe	...	Emily
Charlotte Rae	...	Helen
Guy Raymond	...	Petie

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Tomorrow Entertainment

Trivia:

This TV-movie was the basis for a short-lived 1979 Broadway musical called "Ballroom," which starred Dorothy Loudon and Vincent Gardenia with mostly new songs by composer Billy Goldenberg (though the main theme and "I Love to Dance," with some new lyrics, as well as some tango music, remain.)

Soundtrack:

A Big Mistake

Well remembered performances

I haven't seen this film in over 20 years and yet I still recall scenes from it quite vividly. The performances by both Stapleton (who I was researching now when I saw this film in a list of her credits) and Durning are both wonderful. The characters seemed very "real"...even more so when the film came out, as back then middle aged+ characters were *very rare* as romantic leads in a movie. And it's also quite touching. I recall crying quite a bit near the end on the 3 occasions I saw this movie on TV years ago. Bravo to Stapleton and Durning for this one!