Amos (film)

1985 American TV series or program

Amos

Based on| Amos: To Ride a Dead Horse
by Stanley Gordon West
Screenplay by| Richard Kramer
Directed by| Michael Tuchner
Starring| Kirk Douglas
Elizabeth Montgomery
Dorothy McGuire
Pat Morita
James Sloyan
Ray Walston
Composer| Georges Delerue
Country of origin| United States
Original language| English
Production
Producers| William R. Finnegan
Sheldon Pinchuk
Cinematography| Fred J. Koenekamp
Editor| David Campling
Running time| 100 minutes
Production companies| The Bryna Company
Amos Productions
Original release
Network| CBS
Release| September 29, 1985 (1985-09-29)

Amos is a 1985 American made-for-television drama film directed by Michael Tuchner and written by Richard Kramer. It is based on the 1983 novel Amos: To Ride a Dead Horse by Stanley Gordon West. The film stars Kirk Douglas, Elizabeth Montgomery, Dorothy McGuire, Pat Morita, James Sloyan and Ray Walston. The film premiered on CBS on September 29, 1985.[1][2][3]

## Plot

[edit]

The opening of the movie reveals a couple having breakfast, then going on a road trip or outing, when suddenly Amos (Kirk Douglas), who is driving, and his wife are involved in a major accident that claims her life and severely injures him. Amos wakes up in a hospital, to realize that his wife died as a result of the accident and his home has been sold.

Amos is sent to the Sunset Nursing Home. There, he meets an old baseball friend and gets in a relationship with a female resident, Hester. The head nurse, Daisy Daws (Elizabeth Montgomery), is notorious for running the facility with strict rules that are enforced by Roland, an orderly (male CNA). Daisy also has an affair with the local Sheriff so none of the residents dare to complain about her. Even when a County Commissioner, Burt, pays a surprise visit, he is only told good things about the facility and Daisy.

One night, Daisy administers an overdose of barbiturates to Amos' roommate, while Amos pretends to be sleeping. He watches it happen and can't do anything about it. Later, after the remains are picked up by morticians, Amos questions Daisy of why she did that and she threatens to do the same to him unless he puts his life insurance policy in her name.

Amos' grandson pays him a visit and offers to let his grandfather come live with him, but Amos does not want to abandon his friends in the nursing home.

Amos then sneaks into Daisy's bedroom to steal a syringe, needle, and the barbiturates which were used to euthanize her residents. He picks a fight with Roland so that he suffers bruises and other skin injuries, injects himself with the barbiturates and is found dead the next morning. Just before he administered his own lethal injection, Amos had written a letter to the state that Daisy forced him to put his life insurance on her name, he fears she will kill him, and if he dies, an autopsy should be performed and that the benefits from his life insurance policy should be shared between his grandson and Hester.

Faced with the letter that Amos wrote and the results of the autopsy (which reveals "enough barbiturates to kill seven people"), the Sheriff arrests Daisy despite her screams and threats to expose his infidelity.

## Cast

[edit]

* Kirk Douglas as Amos Lasher
* Elizabeth Montgomery as Daisy Daws
* Dorothy McGuire as Hester Farrell
* Pat Morita as Tommy Tanaka
* James Sloyan as Sheriff John Thomas
* Ray Walston as Johnny Kent
* Jerry Hausner as Sol Kessler
* Don Keefer as Winston Beard
* Camila Ashland as Mildred Lasher
* Frances Bay as Lydia
* Frederick Coffin as Roland
* Lois de Banzie as Dorothy Dearborn
* Helen Martin as Mrs. McKenzie
* Royce Wallace as Helen
* Pamela Dunlap as Leah
* Jack Blessing as Scott Lasher
* Jordan Charney as Commissioner Bert Daniels

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Farber, Stephen (1985-09-23). "DOUGLAS IN TV FILM". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
2. ^ Jeff Jarvis (1985-09-30). "Picks and Pans Review: Amos". People.com. Retrieved 2018-07-05.
3. ^ Hal Erickson. "Amos (1985) - Michael Tuchner". AllMovie. Retrieved 2018-07-05.

## External links

[edit]

* Amos at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Michael Tuchner

* Villain (1971)
* Fear Is the Key (1973)
* Mister Quilp (1975)
* The Likely Lads (1976)
* Summer of My German Soldier (1978)
* The One and Only Phyllis Dixey (1978)
* Haywire (1980)
* The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1982)
* Trenchcoat (1983)
* Adam (1983)
* Not My Kid (1985)
* Amos (1985)
* Trapped in Silence (1986)
* Mistress (1987)
* Internal Affairs (1988)
* Desperate for Love (1989)
* Wilt (1989)
* When Will I Be Loved? (1990)
* Captive (1991)
* The Rainbow Warrior (1992)
* Awake to Danger (1995)
* Back to the Secret Garden (2001)
* A Place Called Home (2004)

* v
* t
* e

Bryna Productions

Presidents|

* Kirk Douglas (Filmography) (1949–1982)
* Anne Douglas (1982–1989)
* Peter Douglas (1989–1996)

Vice-Presidents and General Managers|

* William Schorr (1952–1955)
* Norman A. Cook (1955)
* Jerry Bresler (1955–1958)
* Edward Lewis (1958–1966)
* Eleanor Wolquitt (1966–1968)
* Norman Kurland (1968–1970)
* Anne Douglas (1970–1982)

Key Executives|

* Allan Balter
* Joseph A. Barry
* Myer P. Beck
* Barney Briskin
* George M. Cahan
* Eric Douglas
* Joel Douglas
* Michael Douglas
* Charles K. Feldman
* James B. Harris
* Charles Levy
* Stanley Margulies
* Martin Melcher
* Seymour Poe
* Norman Retchin
* Milton Shapiro
* Robert Siodmak
* Linn Unkefer
* David E. Weshner

Films|

* The Indian Fighter (1955)
* Spring Reunion (1956)
* Lizzie (1957)
* The Careless Years (1957)
* Ride Out for Revenge (1957)
* Paths of Glory (1957)
* The Vikings (1958)
* The Devil's Disciple (1959)
* Last Train from Gun Hill (1959)
* Spartacus (1960)
* Strangers When We Meet (1960)
* The Last Sunset (1961)
* Lonely Are the Brave (1962)
* The List of Adrian Messenger (1963)
* Seven Days in May (1964)
* Seconds (1966)
* Grand Prix (1966)
* The Brotherhood (1968)
* Summertree (1971)
* A Gunfight (1971)
* The Light at the Edge of the World (1971)
* To Catch a Spy (1971)
* Scalawag (1973)
* Posse (1975)
* One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
* The Final Countdown (1980)
* Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
* Tough Guys (1986)

Television|

* King of the Vikings (1957)
* Tales of the Vikings (1959–1960)
* Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1973)
* Draw! (1984)
* Amos (1985)
* Sperry Goes Hollywood (1986)

Stage|

* One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1963–1964)

Subsidiaries|

* Bryna Corporation
* Bryna Industries
* Bryna International
* Brynaprod
* Cameron Productions
* Douglas and Lewis Productions
* Eric Productions
* Joel Productions
* Michael Productions
* Peter Vincent Music
* Public Relations Consultants
* TBC Merger
* The Brotherhood Company
* The Bryna Company

Affiliates|

* Aspen Productions
* Astral Film Productions
* Barbizon Productions
* Barcarola
* Bigstick Productions
* Capitole Films
* Cayuga Productions
* Cherokee Productions
* Columbia Broadcasting System
* Curtleigh Productions
* Douglas/Reuther Productions
* Edward Lewis Productions
* Fantasy Films
* Film Finance Group
* Further Films
* Gibraltar Productions
* Harris-Kubrick Pictures
* Harvest Productions
* Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Films
* Inex Film
* Jet Films
* Jerry Bresler Productions
* John Frankenheimer Productions
* Les Films de la Pléiade
* Ludgate Films
* Martin Ritt Productions
* The Mirisch Corporation
* Oceania Produzioni Internazionali Cinematografiche
* Polyc International
* Quine Productions
* Rizzoli Films
* Seven Arts Productions
* Silver Screen Partners II
* The Stone Group
* Stonebridge Entertainment
* Thoroughbred Productions
* Touchstone Pictures
* Triumfilms
* Vincent Pictures
* Vulcano Film
* Wallis-Hazen Productions
* Walt Disney Productions
* Winters/Rosen Productions
* Zeeuwse Maatschappij
* Zwaluw

Distributors|

* Buena Vista
* Columbia Broadcasting System
* Columbia Pictures
* Home Box Office
* Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
* NBC
* National General Pictures
* Paramount Pictures
* Rank Film Distributors
* United Artists
* United Artists Records
* United Artists Television
* Universal-International Pictures

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template