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Friendly Fire (1979 film)
Encyclopedia
Friendly Fire is an American television movie
first broadcast on the ABC
network on April 22, 1979. Watched that night by an estimated 64 million people, Friendly Fire went on to win four Emmy awards
, including Outstanding Drama Special.
The movie tells the real-life story of Peg Mullen
(played by Carol Burnett
), a woman from rural Iowa
who works against government obstacles to uncover the truth about the death of her son Michael, a soldier killed by American "friendly fire
" in the Vietnam War
in 1970. Mullen's husband Gene is played by Ned Beatty
.
Friendly Fire is based on the 1976 book of the same name, written by C. D. B. Bryan
, which in turn was adapted from a series of New Yorker
magazine articles Bryan had written about the Mullens and their ordeal.
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
first broadcast on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
network on April 22, 1979. Watched that night by an estimated 64 million people, Friendly Fire went on to win four Emmy awards
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
, including Outstanding Drama Special.
The movie tells the real-life story of Peg Mullen
Peg Mullen
Margaret E. Mullen , best known as Peg Mullen, became an antiwar activist, after the death of her son in Vietnam, who had been killed by shrapnel fired from friendly artillery in a 1970 incident. She became an active opponent of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and protested against the Gulf War...
(played by Carol Burnett
Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett is an American actress, comedian, singer, dancer and writer. Burnett started her career in New York. After becoming a hit on Broadway, she made her television debut...
), a woman from rural Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
who works against government obstacles to uncover the truth about the death of her son Michael, a soldier killed by American "friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
" in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
in 1970. Mullen's husband Gene is played by Ned Beatty
Ned Beatty
Ned Thomas Beatty is an American actor who has appeared in more than 100 films and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain and a Golden Globe Award; won a Drama Desk Award....
.
Friendly Fire is based on the 1976 book of the same name, written by C. D. B. Bryan
Courtlandt Bryan
Courtlandt Dixon Barnes Bryan , better known as C. D. B. Bryan, was an American author and journalist.-Biography:...
, which in turn was adapted from a series of New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
magazine articles Bryan had written about the Mullens and their ordeal.
Cast
- Carol BurnettCarol BurnettCarol Creighton Burnett is an American actress, comedian, singer, dancer and writer. Burnett started her career in New York. After becoming a hit on Broadway, she made her television debut...
— Peg MullenPeg MullenMargaret E. Mullen , best known as Peg Mullen, became an antiwar activist, after the death of her son in Vietnam, who had been killed by shrapnel fired from friendly artillery in a 1970 incident. She became an active opponent of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and protested against the Gulf War... - Ned BeattyNed BeattyNed Thomas Beatty is an American actor who has appeared in more than 100 films and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain and a Golden Globe Award; won a Drama Desk Award....
— Gene Mullen - Sam WaterstonSam WaterstonSamuel Atkinson "Sam" Waterston is an American actor and occasional producer and director. Among other roles, he is noted for his Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Sydney Schanberg in 1984's The Killing Fields, and his Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning portrayal of Jack McCoy...
— C. D. B. Bryan - Dennis Erdman — Michael E. Mullen
- Timothy HuttonTimothy HuttonTimothy Tarquin Hutton is an American actor. He is the youngest actor to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which he won at the age of 20 for his performance as Conrad Jarrett in Ordinary People . He currently stars as Nathan "Nate" Ford on the TNT series Leverage.-Early life:Timothy...
— John Mullen - Fanny Spiess — Mary Mullen
- Sherry HurseySherry HurseySherry Hursey is an American actress. She best known for her recurring role as Ilene Markham on the sitcom Home Improvement and her 1998–1989 stint as Paula Carson on the soap opera Days of our Lives....
— Patricia Mullen - Michael Flanagan — Father Shimon
- Hilly HicksHilly HicksHilly Gene Hicks is an American character actor, born May 4, 1950 in Los Angeles, California.-Biography:The role for which Hicks is perhaps best known is Lewis Moore in the TV mini-series Roots...
— Willis Huddleston - William JordanWilliam Jordan (actor)William Jordan is an American television and film actor. He played Major Jake Gatlin in the television series Project UFO.-Personal life:Jordan was born in the state of Indiana...
— Col. Byron Schindler - Vernon Weddle — Col. Georgi
- Jack Rader — Sgt. Fitzgerald
- Robert Wahler — Alan Hulting
- David KeithDavid KeithDavid Lemuel Keith is an American actor and director. He received Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor and New Star of the Year – Actor for his performance in An Officer and a Gentleman.-Career:...
— Leroy Hamilton