Winter Kill

Director: Jud Taylor

Overview

Winter Kill was the pilot film for a potential Andy Griffith TV series, to be titled MacNeil. Griffith plays the easygoing sheriff in a Northwestern ski resort town (actually Big Bear, California). The object of Griffith's attentions is a mysterious serial killer, who leaves puzzling spray-painted messages at the scene of each crime. The plot was adapted from the 1972 James Garner film They Only Kill Their Masters, which was set in Southern California. Winter Kill didn't sell, but Griffith and his producer/manager Richard O. Linke attempted to promote the concept with two subsequent TV movies: Adams of Eagle Lake, in which Andy played the same basic character with a different name, and The Girl in the Empty Grave (77), wherein Griffith appeared again as Sam MacNeil.

Product Details

Release Date:	11/17/2009
UPC:	0883316222249
Original Release:	1974
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[Full Frame]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:34:00
Sales rank:	6,190

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Andy Griffith	Actor
Sheree North	Actor
John Calvin	Actor
John Larch	Actor
Tim O'Connor	Actor
Lawrence Pressman	Actor
Louise Latham	Actor
Nick Nolte	Actor
Eugene Roche	Actor
Joyce Van Patten	Actor
Jerry Goldsmith	Composer

Technical Credits

John Hayes

John Hayes

Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

This unsold murder-mystery television pilot would have made a fine series. Winter Kill boasts a compelling script from John Michael Hayes, who wrote big-screen favorites like Butterfield 8 and Peyton Place, and it combines a compelling murder-mystery plot built on taboo social issues with well-crafted characters and an effective use of its wintry setting. Director Jud Taylor helms the tale with confidence and style, infusing the murder sequences with some effective stylistic flourishes (he uses slow-motion well) and getting a strong level of performance from a very good cast. Andy Griffith dominates the proceedings, mixing the folksy charm he developed on The Andy Griffith Show with a tough-mindedness that makes his character a solid detective. There's also strong support from Joyce Van Patten as an amusingly bitchy socialite and Charles Tyner as the town's sharp-tongued postman (be sure to also watch for a young Nick Nolte as a ski-bum/lothario). To sum up, Winter Kill is a strong example of the made-for-t.v. mystery film and well worth the time for fans of the genre.