Once an Eagle
Encyclopedia
Once An Eagle is a nine hour American
television
mini-series directed by Richard Michaels and E.W. Swackhamer
. The picture was written by Peter S. Fischer and based on the 1968 Anton Myrer
novel of the same name
.
The first and last installments of the seven-part series broadcasted two hours each, while the interim episodes were 60 minutes.
The mini-series concerns the thirty year careers of two military men, from the outbreak of World War I
to the aftermath of World War II
.
) is a good family man and praiseworthy warrior.
Courtney Massengale (Cliff Potts
) is the opposite—a womanizing, self-aggrandizing conniver.
anthology series "Best Sellers;" it was preceded by Captains and the Kings, and followed by Seventh Avenue and The Rhineman Exchange.
The picture, based on the Anton Myrer's novel, is a military novel written in the United States. The novel is noted for its stark descriptions of men in combat and in its analysis of human and technical challenges and the moral dilemmas of command. It is one of only two novels (the other being The Killer Angels
by Michael Shaara
) on the US Army's recommended reading list for Officer Professional Development; the one common element of both novels is that Sam Elliott has a starring role, playing a US Army general officer, in the film adaptations of both.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
mini-series directed by Richard Michaels and E.W. Swackhamer
E.W. Swackhamer
Egbert Warnderink "E. W." Swackhamer Jr. was an American television and film director....
. The picture was written by Peter S. Fischer and based on the 1968 Anton Myrer
Anton Myrer
Anton Olmstead Myrer was an American author, known best for writing the historical fiction military novel Once An Eagle .-Early years and military service:...
novel of the same name
Once An Eagle
Once an Eagle is a war novel by American author Anton Myrer. A #1 New York Times Bestseller, Once an Eagle has been a favorite of American military men and women since its writing. The novel tells the story of Sam Damon, career Army officer, from his initial enlistment to his rise to general...
.
The first and last installments of the seven-part series broadcasted two hours each, while the interim episodes were 60 minutes.
The mini-series concerns the thirty year careers of two military men, from the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
to the aftermath of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Plot
Sam Damon (Sam ElliottSam Elliott
Samuel Pack "Sam" Elliott is an American actor. His rangy physique, thick horseshoe moustache, and deep, resonant voice match the iconic image of a cowboy or rancher, and he has often been cast in such roles.-Early life:Sam Elliott was born in Sacramento, California, to a physical training...
) is a good family man and praiseworthy warrior.
Courtney Massengale (Cliff Potts
Cliff Potts
Cliff Potts is an American television and film actor most noted for supporting roles and guest appearances in more than sixty episodic television series between 1967 and 1999....
) is the opposite—a womanizing, self-aggrandizing conniver.
Cast
- Sam ElliottSam ElliottSamuel Pack "Sam" Elliott is an American actor. His rangy physique, thick horseshoe moustache, and deep, resonant voice match the iconic image of a cowboy or rancher, and he has often been cast in such roles.-Early life:Sam Elliott was born in Sacramento, California, to a physical training...
as Sam Damon - Cliff PottsCliff PottsCliff Potts is an American television and film actor most noted for supporting roles and guest appearances in more than sixty episodic television series between 1967 and 1999....
as Courtney Massengale - Darleen CarrDarleen CarrDarleen Carr is an American actress best known for a recurring role in the 1981–82 television series Bret Maverick opposite James Garner...
as Tommy Caldwell - Amy IrvingAmy IrvingAmy Davis Irving is an American actress, known for her roles in the films Crossing Delancey, The Fury, Carrie, and Yentl as well as acclaimed roles on Broadway and Off-Broadway. She has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Golden Globes, and has won an Obie award...
as Emily Pawlfrey Massengale - Glenn FordGlenn FordGlenn Ford was a Canadian-born American actor from Hollywood's Golden Era with a career that spanned seven decades...
as George Caldwell - Ralph BellamyRalph BellamyRalph Bellamy was an American actor whose career spanned sixty-two years.-Early life:He was born Ralph Rexford Bellamy in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Lilla Louise , a native of Canada, and Charles Rexford Bellamy. He ran away from home when he was fifteen and managed to get into a road show...
as Ed Caldwell - Dane ClarkDane ClarkDane Clark was an American film actor who was known for playing, as he labeled himself, "Joe Average".-Early life:...
as Harry Sheppard - Andrew DugganAndrew Duggan-Career:During World War II, Duggan was in the 40th Special Services Company, led by actor Melvyn Douglas in the China Burma India Theater of World War II. His contact with Douglas later led to his performing with Lucille Ball in the play Dreamgirl. He developed a friendship with Broadway...
as Gen. McKelvey - Lynda Day GeorgeLynda Day GeorgeFor other entertainers with similar names, see Linda George .Lynda Day George is an American television and film actress whose career spanned three decades from the 1960s to the 1980s...
as Marge Krisler - Gary GrimesGary GrimesGary Grimes is a former American actor.-Biography:Gary Grimes' first major role was in the 1971 motion picture Summer of '42, playing a teenager who has an affair with a beautiful older woman, played by Jennifer O'Neill...
as Jack Devlin - Clu GulagerClu GulagerClu Gulager is an American television and film actor. He is particularly noted for his co-starring role as William H. Bonney in the 1960–62 NBC TV series The Tall Man and for his role in the later NBC series The Virginian...
as Alvin Merrick - Robert HoganRobert J. HoganRobert J. Hogan is an American actor. While not a stranger to the big screen or the stage, Hogan is best known to audiences for his highly prolific career in American television which began in 1961...
as Ben Krisler - Kim HunterKim HunterKim Hunter was an American film, theatre, and television actress. She won both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, each as Best Supporting Actress, for her performance as Stella Kowalski in the 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire...
as Kitty Damon - David HuddlestonDavid HuddlestonDavid William Huddleston is an American actor, best known for his roles in Blazing Saddles, Santa Claus: The Movie and The Big Lebowski.-Early life:...
as Earl Preis - Juliet Mills as Joyce
- Andrew StevensAndrew StevensAndrew Stevens is an American executive, film producer, director and former actor.-Early life:Andrew Stevens was born Herman Andrew Stephens in Memphis, Tennessee...
as Donny Damon - Melanie GriffithMelanie GriffithMelanie Richards Griffith is an American actress. She is an Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner for her performance in the 1988 film Working Girl...
as Jinny Massengale
Background
Once An Eagle was the second of four story subseries of the NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
anthology series "Best Sellers;" it was preceded by Captains and the Kings, and followed by Seventh Avenue and The Rhineman Exchange.
The picture, based on the Anton Myrer's novel, is a military novel written in the United States. The novel is noted for its stark descriptions of men in combat and in its analysis of human and technical challenges and the moral dilemmas of command. It is one of only two novels (the other being The Killer Angels
The Killer Angels
The Killer Angels is a historical novel by Michael Shaara that was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1975. The book tells the story of four days of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War: June 30, 1863, as the troops of both the Union and the Confederacy move into battle around...
by Michael Shaara
Michael Shaara
Michael Shaara was an American writer of science fiction, sports fiction, and historical fiction. He was born to Italian immigrant parents in Jersey City, New Jersey, graduated from Rutgers University in 1951, and served as a sergeant in the 82nd Airborne division...
) on the US Army's recommended reading list for Officer Professional Development; the one common element of both novels is that Sam Elliott has a starring role, playing a US Army general officer, in the film adaptations of both.
DVD Release
Timeless Media Group released the complete television series on a two disc DVD set on August 31, 2010.Awards
Nominations- Emmy Awards: Emmy; Outstanding Cinematography in Entertainment Programming for a Series, J.J. Jones; for part I; 1977.
- Golden Globes: Golden Globe; Best Supporting Actress - Television, Darleen Carr; 1977.
Once-an-Eagle Origin
The "once-an-eagle" is derived from a famous Persian poem:- That once an eagle, stricken with a dart,
- Said, when he saw the fashion of the shaft,
- "With our own feathers, not by others' hands
- Said, when he saw the fashion of the shaft,
External links
- Once an Eagle film clip at You Tube
- Once an Eagle in the news
- Once an Eagle website