"Holly dear, a catholic will never be president." So says Eleanor Parker in a melodramatic manner, attempting to put her down in front of dull politician son Granville Van Dusen in this fourth version of the ancient early 1900's play, not much different than the 1966 version where the mother-in-law is the villain, not the husband as seen in previous versions. So it's a near recreation of that campy Ross Hunter version where Lana Turner allowed herself to be de-glamorized where Tuesday Weld steps into the long suffering shoes of bored wife and mother accidentally involved in the death of an over amorous acquaintance of her husband's, forced by Parker to fake her death and never return. Years as a glamorous wanderer go by, and all of a sudden she's a drunk forced into a blackmail scheme involving her past. This time, murder does happen, and guess who ends up being her public defender.
All right as far as early 80's soapy dramas go, but other than the fact that it's her daughter who ends up defending her, there's nothing special about this outside of Weld's much more intense performance than Turner's. Parker, once a Lana Turner like star herself, takes on the Constance Bennett role and while subtle in early scenes fails to be properly venomous when she should be. Jerry Stiller does all right in the role that Burgess Meredith chewed up and spit out, but the rest of the cast pretty much just walks through their parts. The bottom line is that this remake is completely unnecessary with the other film versions most likely occasionally seen on late night TV or at revival houses. Certainly no match for the 1966 version as far as audaciousness or colorful camp is concerned, and not the fun trash of that film or the popular nighttime soaps of the early 1980's where Turner would soon be seen.
All right as far as early 80's soapy dramas go, but other than the fact that it's her daughter who ends up defending her, there's nothing special about this outside of Weld's much more intense performance than Turner's. Parker, once a Lana Turner like star herself, takes on the Constance Bennett role and while subtle in early scenes fails to be properly venomous when she should be. Jerry Stiller does all right in the role that Burgess Meredith chewed up and spit out, but the rest of the cast pretty much just walks through their parts. The bottom line is that this remake is completely unnecessary with the other film versions most likely occasionally seen on late night TV or at revival houses. Certainly no match for the 1966 version as far as audaciousness or colorful camp is concerned, and not the fun trash of that film or the popular nighttime soaps of the early 1980's where Turner would soon be seen.