The Dain Curse (miniseries)

The Dain Curse
GenreMystery crime
Based onThe Dain Curse by Dashiell Hammett
Written byRobert W. Lenski
Directed byE.W. Swackhamer
StarringJames Coburn
Beatrice Straight
Jean Simmons
Paul Stewart
ComposerCharles Gross
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes3
Production
ProducerMartin Poll
CinematographyAndrew Laszlo
EditorMurray Solomon
Running time300 minutes
Production companyMartin Poll Productions
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseMay 22 (1978-05-22) –
May 24, 1978 (1978-05-24)

The Dain Curse is a 1978 American television miniseries which originally aired on CBS in three feature-length episodes.[1] It is an adaptation of the 1929 novel of the same title by Dashiell Hammett. In the novel the lead character is known only as the Dashiell Hammett but for the series he is named as Hamilton Nash and played by James Coburn. It was decided to retain the 1920s period setting of the original novel, although the location was shifted from San Francisco to New York City.[2] Made on a budget of $5 million, it was the first time British actress Jean Simmons appeared in a miniseries.[3] It was nominated for three times at the 1978 Primetime Emmy Awards as well as an Edgar Award.[4]

Main cast

References

  1. ^ Grant p.155
  2. ^ Phillips p.229
  3. ^ Capua p.148
  4. ^ Capua p.148

Bibliography

  • Capua, Michelangelo. Jean Simmons: Her Life and Career. McFarland, 2022.
  • Grant, John. A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Film Noir: The Essential Reference Guide. Rowman & Littlefield, 2023.
  • Phillips, Gene D. Out of the Shadows: Expanding the Canon of Classic Film Noir. Scarecrow Press, 2012.