This is simply one of the best made for television movies ever done. God only knows why it did not get a big screen release. In the title roles Ann-Margret and Claudette Colbert were simply flawless in their performances. This was one great capstone performance for Claudette Colbert who had not been on the big screen or small since 1961 in Parrish.
Dominick Dunne based his novel and this film on the famous William Woodward, Jr. and anyone who saw this under the age of 20 in 1987 would have known about that murder. Wife Ann Woodward(Grenville) murdered her husband ostensibly mistaking him for a prowler. She sold that story to the Grand Jury which returned no true bill and backed up her story.
In the court of public opinion however the widow Grenville was convicted and her public was the high society that her husband had introduced her too. The individual stories of the various Grenvilles as the Woodwards in real life end tragically all around.
Ann-Margret is an actress with a white trash background who meets and marries Stephen Collins the golden son of high society. The marriage is objected to by his mother Claudette Colbert and his three sisters who come off like the witches from MacBeth. And it's a rocky marriage with both partners cheating. But they in the end seem to care for each other.
That night in 1955 when life as all the Woodwards(Grenvilles)knew it is accurately depicted from what I learned. Curiously enough the role of the governor of New York with his name changed from Harriman to Milbank is also depicted. Averell Harriman was a member of the same upper crust crowd that the Woodwards were and I have no doubt that Claudette Colbert had his number on speed dial. What the governor did was remove the younger Mrs. Grenville from the investigation by the Nassau County Police and had her put in a psychiatric hospital. That may have saved her life and possibly cheated justice.
Ann-Margret and Claudette Colbert were just wonderful in their roles. The film was nominated for many awards with Claudette taking home a Golden Globe for her performance.
Dunne who was an observer of the high society scene meticulously dropped a lot of names and places that were quite accurate. Some were changed as the name of the unseen governor of New York. Others were quite real and none more so than the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. By the way Sian Phillips is also wonderful as the former Wallis Warfield Simpson who also had quite the scandalous story herself.
If you are a fan of any of the players here make sure to see this if broadcast or buy the DVD. You will be entertained and informed.
Dominick Dunne based his novel and this film on the famous William Woodward, Jr. and anyone who saw this under the age of 20 in 1987 would have known about that murder. Wife Ann Woodward(Grenville) murdered her husband ostensibly mistaking him for a prowler. She sold that story to the Grand Jury which returned no true bill and backed up her story.
In the court of public opinion however the widow Grenville was convicted and her public was the high society that her husband had introduced her too. The individual stories of the various Grenvilles as the Woodwards in real life end tragically all around.
Ann-Margret is an actress with a white trash background who meets and marries Stephen Collins the golden son of high society. The marriage is objected to by his mother Claudette Colbert and his three sisters who come off like the witches from MacBeth. And it's a rocky marriage with both partners cheating. But they in the end seem to care for each other.
That night in 1955 when life as all the Woodwards(Grenvilles)knew it is accurately depicted from what I learned. Curiously enough the role of the governor of New York with his name changed from Harriman to Milbank is also depicted. Averell Harriman was a member of the same upper crust crowd that the Woodwards were and I have no doubt that Claudette Colbert had his number on speed dial. What the governor did was remove the younger Mrs. Grenville from the investigation by the Nassau County Police and had her put in a psychiatric hospital. That may have saved her life and possibly cheated justice.
Ann-Margret and Claudette Colbert were just wonderful in their roles. The film was nominated for many awards with Claudette taking home a Golden Globe for her performance.
Dunne who was an observer of the high society scene meticulously dropped a lot of names and places that were quite accurate. Some were changed as the name of the unseen governor of New York. Others were quite real and none more so than the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. By the way Sian Phillips is also wonderful as the former Wallis Warfield Simpson who also had quite the scandalous story herself.
If you are a fan of any of the players here make sure to see this if broadcast or buy the DVD. You will be entertained and informed.