The Golden Gate Murders (1979) (TV)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Walter Grauman

Writer:

David J. Kinghorn (writer)

Release Date:

3 October 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

An elderly, venerable priest, goes over the Golden Gate bridge and everyone except his nurse, Sister Benecia...

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Golden Gate Bridge | Murder | San Francisco California

Cast

David Janssen	...	Det. Sgt. Paul Silver
Susannah York	...	Sister Benecia
Lloyd Bochner	...	Dr. Hamill
Paul Coufos	...	Johnny Butler
Tim O'Connor	...	Capt. Dan Bradley
Kim Hunter	...	Sister Superior
Alan Fudge	...	Sgt. McNally
Regis Cordic	...	Father John Thomas (as Regis J. Cordic)
Richard O'Brien	...	Bridge Foreman
Richard Bull	...	Deputy Coroner
Kenneth Tigar	...	Father O'Brien
Sandy Ward	...	George Walker
Lee Paul	...	Willie Petersen
Jon Lormer	...	Archbishop
Jason Wingreen	...	Larkin
Hank Brant	...	1st Detective
Byron Morrow	...	Chief Sullivan
Michael O'Dwyer	...	Father Connelly
Olive Behrendt	...	Sister Theresa
Sam Honia	...	Chinese tourist
William Boyett	...	Bridge Supervisor
David S. Cass Sr.	...	Biker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bill Bovett	...	Bridge Supervisor
Wayne Hefly	...	Bridge Officer
Vince Howard	...	Second Detective
June Saunders	...	Saleslady
Eric Server	...	Stacy

Directed by
Walter Grauman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
David J. Kinghorn		writer

Produced by
Jerry Davis	....	producer (as Jerome L. Davis)
Carl Foreman	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Sol Kaplan

Cinematography by
Jack Swain

Film Editing by
James T. Heckert

Art Direction by
Seymour Klate

Stunts
John Moio	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
David Morton	....	best boy
Keith Peterman	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mary Lou Reinbold	....	costume supervisor

Production Companies

• Universal TV

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1979) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Also Known As:

Specter on the Bridge (USA) (theatrical title)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12

Company:

Universal TV

Surprisingly watchable

David Janssen growls his way through this movie, playing an initially hard-assed cop who is ordered to investigate what seems like the obvious suicide of an internationally renowned priest. Susannah York plays a nun friend of the priest from South Africa who doesn't believe he'd commit suicide. Strangely, she always seems to appears in soft focus. The relationship between the two gradually becomes smoother and gentler, as he begins to believe that it may have been murder after all, and not suicide. There are some brief shots of Alcatraz, the Japanese Tea Garden, North Beach, Coit Tower and the Bridge itself appears briefly but the majority of the movie is set indoors. It's definitely a TV Movie story, but the decent performances make up for the lack of impetus in the investigation. The final scenes bring the action up to speed as the killer is confronted at night on a typically foggy Golden Gate Bridge. Janssen's fellow detective has to get past his fear of heights in order to save Susannah York from a drop of 200 feet or so. At the conclusion, the two protagonists say their farewells, and it's nice to see the affection they have for each other grow. Janssen appears to have mellowed in the last few days by getting to know someone decent, and not the usual cops and criminals he usually associates with. A surprisingly schmulzy ending aboard the plane could have been left out. Janssen's cat is named Dirty Harry after one of the city's better known hard-assed cops.