"Rich Man, Poor Man" (1976) TV mini-series

User Rating:

8.6/10   

Directors:

Bill Bixby
David Greene
(more)

Writers:

Dean Riesner (writer)
Irwin Shaw (novel)

Release Date:

1 February 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

An examination of the trials and tribulations of the Jordache family, from the period following World War II to the late 1960s.

Plot Keywords:

Johny Falconetti | TV Mini-Series | Family Relationships | Based On Novel

Awards:

Won 4 Golden Globes. Another 5 wins & 25 nominations

Cast

Peter Strauss	...	Rudy Jordache
Nick Nolte	...	Tom Jordache
Susan Blakely	...	Julie Prescott
Steve Allen	...	Bayard Nichols
Edward Asner	...	Axel Jordache
Bill Bixby	...	Willie Abbott
Dick Butkus	...	Al Fanducci
Kim Darby	...	Virginia Calderwood
Andrew Duggan	...	Col. Deiner
Mike Evans	...	Arnold Simms
Norman Fell	...	Smitty
Fionnula Flanagan	...	Clothilde
Lynda Day George	...	Linda Quales
Gloria Grahame	...	Sue Prescott
Murray Hamilton	...	Sid Gossett
Herb Jefferson Jr.	...	Roy Dwyer
Van Johnson	...	Marsh Goodwin
Kay Lenz	...	Kate Jordache
George Maharis	...	Joey Quales
Dorothy Malone	...	Irene Goodwin
Dorothy McGuire	...	Mary Jordache
Tim McIntire	...	Brad Knight
Ray Milland	...	Duncan Calderwood
Lawrence Pressman	...	Bill Denton
Robert Reed	...	Teddy Boylan
Dick Sargent	...	Richards
Talia Shire	...	Teresa Santoro
William Smith	...	Falconetti
Craig Stevens	...	Asher Berg
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frank Aletter	...	Mr. Tinker
Ben Archibek	...	Jay Ledbetter
Martin Ashe	...	Martin
Mike Baird	...	Buddy
Josette Banzet	...	Miss Lenaut
Eddie Barth	...	Papadakis
William Bronder	...	Theater manager
Bo Brundin	...	Harold Jordache
Antony Carbone	...	Lou Martin
John Carlyle	...	Minister
Aneta Corsaut	...	Miss Erdlatz
Helen Craig	...	Martha
Patrick Culliton	...	Ad Executive
Dennis Dugan	...	Claude Tinker
John Furlong	...	Dr. Tinker
Nicholas Hammond	...	Walters
Jo Ann Harris	...	Gloria Bartley
Julius Harris	...	Augie
Harvey Jason	...	Pinky
Roy Jenson	...	Pete Tierney
Leigh McCloskey	...	Billy
Michael Morgan	...	Wesley
Gavan O'Herlihy	...	Phil McGee
Bob Purvey	...	Richard
Rick Sawaya	...	Rick
Steve Stafford	...	Tom Connors
Smith Wordes		(as Smith Evans)
Jeff Chamberlain	...	Corporal (uncredited)
John Tuell	...	Bus Driver (uncredited)

Directed by
Bill Bixby
David Greene		(parts 1, 2, 7, 8)
Boris Sagal		(parts 3-6)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dean Riesner		writer
Irwin Shaw		novel "Rich Man, Poor Man"

Produced by
Harve Bennett	....	executive producer
Jon Epstein	....	producer
Frank Price	....	producer

Original Music by
Alex North

Cinematography by
Howard Schwartz

Film Editing by
Richard Bracken
Douglas Stewart

Art Direction by
John E. Chilberg II

Set Decoration by
Joseph J. Stone

Sound Department
Gary Thomas	....	boom operator

Stunts
Craig R. Baxley	....	stunt double (1976)
Russ Dodson	....	stunts

Music Department
Tommy Tedesco	....	musician: guitar

Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	driver (1976)

Production Companies

• Universal TV

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1976) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Critics' Choice Video (video)
• Studios USA Television
• Universal Pictures (2005) (Germany) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Rich Man, Poor Man - Book I

Runtime:

720 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

In Italy, this mini series was broadcast with three different titles on three different channels in subsequent years: "Il sogno americano dei Jordache" (The Jordaches' American Dream) in 1977, "Il sogno americano" (The American Dream) in 1982 and "Il ricco e il povero" (literal translation) in 1984.

Goofs:

Continuity: After the fight with Tom Jordache, Falconetti is taken off the ship with his left eye bandaged up. When we see him later he has his right eye covered with the black patch.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "That '70s Show: The Keg (#1.5)" (1998)

Terrific mini series

Arguably the best mini series ever. I was in high school when ABC was airing RMPM and I definitely didn't miss any of the episodes. I guess most high school kids, well boys anyway, could relate to Tom Jordache. All you want to do is get the heck out of school and move on. As for the series itself the diamonds in the rough were Ed Asner as Axel Jordache and Bill Bixby as Willie Abbott. Asner did a great job getting away from the Lou Grant persona and becoming the brutish Jordache and everybody knew Bill Bixby as the nice guy dad on "The Courtship of Eddie's Father". Bixby did a great job playing the role of the lazy, irresponsible Willie Abbott. For eye candy there was Lynda Day George playing the wife of one of Tommy's boxing rivals. She was really a knockout in that bathing suit. And Susan Blakely wasn't too bad either. Another surprise was William Smith as Falconetti the bad guy. Hey, I was used to seeing him as one of the good guy Texas Rangers on "Laredo" back in the mid 60s. At any rate I wish they'd pull both RMPM parts 1 and 2 out of the archives for another generation.