Hotline (film)
Encyclopedia
Hotline is a 1982
made-for-tv thriller film directed by Jerry Jameson
. The working title of the film was Reach Out.
) returns home longing for a good night's rest. Little does she know that she is being watched by a mysterious stalker, who even breaks into her house without her knowing. Around the same time, Justin Price (Granville Van Dusen
) arrives, a friendly psychiatrist from the bar who claims that he followed her home because she was being followed by the drunk. Believing that he scared away the stalker, Brianne shows her gratitude by taking on volunteer work at his hotline
practice, despite her busy schedule.
She makes a good start at the hotline, helping several people with their problems, and thereby impressing Justin and her colleague Rick Hernandez (Harry Waters, Jr.). However, it does not take long before she is receiving scary phone calls from a mysterious person admitting to recent murders from the newspaper headlines and instructing her with game rules. Brianne is worried about the situation, but Justin and Rick believe that she is the victim of prank calls. Nevertheless, she follows the instructions of the psychotic caller, who calls himself 'The Barber', and tries to unravel his clues, which provides her a list of his victims.
Despite other people's claims that she is reading too much into it, Brianne becomes obsessed with solving The Barber's clues. She starts to record his calls and another hint leads her to a deranged murder suspect in Reno, Charlie Jackson (James Booth
). Without gaining any information, she returns to the airport for a flight back home, and there she receives another call from The Barber. Failing to see a familiar face, Brianne returns home, where she concludes that the only ones who knew she was in Reno were Justin, bartender colleague Barnie (Frank Stallone
) and her boss Kyle Durham (Monte Markham
). The latter is close friends with Tom Hunter (Steve Forrest), an actor who has been in love with Brianne for a long time.
Afterwards, Brianne is fed up with The Barber's games and gets mad when he makes another call to her private number, which leads him to threatening to kill her. To prevent this from happening, she steps to the police, but The Barber informs her he knows about this and that he is not satisfied with it. Justin suspects Tom as the guilty one and collects evidence to prove it. Brianne is initially unwilling to believe Justin, until she one night at the bar concludes that Tom was on the spot during one of the murders.
Suddenly, after the shift, Kyle reveals himself as The Barber. She struggles to escape, but he easily overpowers her and tells her that he wants to kill her because of the pain she is putting Tom through by not responding to his love for her. As Kyle starts cutting her hair and preparing to murder her, Brianne is able to run away and fires at him with a harpoon, which kills him.
1982 in film
-Events:* March 26 = I Ought to Be in Pictures, starring Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret and Dinah Manoff is released. Manoff would not appear in another movie until 1987's Backfire.* June = PG-rated film E.T...
made-for-tv thriller film directed by Jerry Jameson
Jerry Jameson
Jerry Jameson is an American Film Director and Producer.- Filmography :*1970 : The Mod Squad*1971 : Dan August*1972 : Brute Corps *1972 : Search*1972 : The Dirt Gang *1972 : The Rookies*1973 : Cannon...
. The working title of the film was Reach Out.
Plot
After a long shift at the bar, which included serving a drunk demanding of sexual favors, art student Brianne O'Neill (Lynda CarterLynda Carter
Lynda Jean Carter is an American actress and singer, best known for being Miss World USA and as the star of the 1970s television series The New Original Wonder Woman and The New Adventures of Wonder Woman ....
) returns home longing for a good night's rest. Little does she know that she is being watched by a mysterious stalker, who even breaks into her house without her knowing. Around the same time, Justin Price (Granville Van Dusen
Granville Van Dusen
Granville Van Dusen is an American stage, screen, and voice actor who portrayed Race Bannon in the 1986 television series The New Adventures of Jonny Quest, Jonny's Golden Quest, Jonny Quest vs...
) arrives, a friendly psychiatrist from the bar who claims that he followed her home because she was being followed by the drunk. Believing that he scared away the stalker, Brianne shows her gratitude by taking on volunteer work at his hotline
Hotline
In telecommunication, a hotline is a point-to-point communications link in which a call is automatically directed to the preselected destination without any additional action by the user when the end instrument goes off-hook...
practice, despite her busy schedule.
She makes a good start at the hotline, helping several people with their problems, and thereby impressing Justin and her colleague Rick Hernandez (Harry Waters, Jr.). However, it does not take long before she is receiving scary phone calls from a mysterious person admitting to recent murders from the newspaper headlines and instructing her with game rules. Brianne is worried about the situation, but Justin and Rick believe that she is the victim of prank calls. Nevertheless, she follows the instructions of the psychotic caller, who calls himself 'The Barber', and tries to unravel his clues, which provides her a list of his victims.
Despite other people's claims that she is reading too much into it, Brianne becomes obsessed with solving The Barber's clues. She starts to record his calls and another hint leads her to a deranged murder suspect in Reno, Charlie Jackson (James Booth
James Booth
James Booth was an English film, stage and television actor and screenwriter. Though handsome enough to play leading roles, and versatile enough to play a wide variety of character parts, Booth naturally projected a shifty, wolfish, or unpredictable quality that led inevitably to villainous roles...
). Without gaining any information, she returns to the airport for a flight back home, and there she receives another call from The Barber. Failing to see a familiar face, Brianne returns home, where she concludes that the only ones who knew she was in Reno were Justin, bartender colleague Barnie (Frank Stallone
Frank Stallone
Frank P. Stallone, Jr. is an American actor, singer/guitarist and Golden Globe and Grammy Award-nominated songwriter. He has appeared in many Hollywood films and television. He is the younger brother of Sylvester Stallone.-Early life:...
) and her boss Kyle Durham (Monte Markham
Monte Markham
Monte Markham is an American actor. During his career, Markham has appeared in film, in television, and on Broadway.Markham was born in Manatee County, Florida, the son of Millie Content and Jesse Edward Markham, Sr., who was a merchant.Of his television roles, Markham is perhaps most famous for...
). The latter is close friends with Tom Hunter (Steve Forrest), an actor who has been in love with Brianne for a long time.
Afterwards, Brianne is fed up with The Barber's games and gets mad when he makes another call to her private number, which leads him to threatening to kill her. To prevent this from happening, she steps to the police, but The Barber informs her he knows about this and that he is not satisfied with it. Justin suspects Tom as the guilty one and collects evidence to prove it. Brianne is initially unwilling to believe Justin, until she one night at the bar concludes that Tom was on the spot during one of the murders.
Suddenly, after the shift, Kyle reveals himself as The Barber. She struggles to escape, but he easily overpowers her and tells her that he wants to kill her because of the pain she is putting Tom through by not responding to his love for her. As Kyle starts cutting her hair and preparing to murder her, Brianne is able to run away and fires at him with a harpoon, which kills him.
Cast
- Lynda CarterLynda CarterLynda Jean Carter is an American actress and singer, best known for being Miss World USA and as the star of the 1970s television series The New Original Wonder Woman and The New Adventures of Wonder Woman ....
as Brianne O'Neill - Steve Forrest as Tom Hunter
- Granville Van DusenGranville Van DusenGranville Van Dusen is an American stage, screen, and voice actor who portrayed Race Bannon in the 1986 television series The New Adventures of Jonny Quest, Jonny's Golden Quest, Jonny Quest vs...
as Justin Price - Monte MarkhamMonte MarkhamMonte Markham is an American actor. During his career, Markham has appeared in film, in television, and on Broadway.Markham was born in Manatee County, Florida, the son of Millie Content and Jesse Edward Markham, Sr., who was a merchant.Of his television roles, Markham is perhaps most famous for...
as Kyle Durham - Joy GarrettJoy GarrettJoy Garrett was an American actress and vocalist. She is best known for her role on Days of our Lives as Jo Johnson #1 . She was the lead vocalist for Ted Weems Orchestra for two years...
as Judy - James ReynoldsJames Reynolds (actor)James Reynolds is a long-time American dramatic television actor.Reynolds orignated the character of Abe Carver on the long running NBC dramatic serial Days of our Lives in 1981. He has been on contract with the show since 1981 with only two short breaks in 1991 and 2003 where he still appeared...
as Ron Chandler - Harry Waters, Jr. as Rick Hernandez
- James BoothJames BoothJames Booth was an English film, stage and television actor and screenwriter. Though handsome enough to play leading roles, and versatile enough to play a wide variety of character parts, Booth naturally projected a shifty, wolfish, or unpredictable quality that led inevitably to villainous roles...
as Charlie Jackson - Frank StalloneFrank StalloneFrank P. Stallone, Jr. is an American actor, singer/guitarist and Golden Globe and Grammy Award-nominated songwriter. He has appeared in many Hollywood films and television. He is the younger brother of Sylvester Stallone.-Early life:...
as Barnie