Murder in Peyton Place (1977)

Interesting facts

Murder in Peyton Place is a 1977 American made-for-television mystery-drama film directed by Bruce Kessler. The film is based on the 1964–1969 TV series Peyton Place and it was billed as a reunion movie. It first aired on NBC Monday Night at the Movies on October 3, 1977. It focuses on the mysterious deaths of Rodney Harrington and Allison MacKenzie, as well as a diabolical plot of a powerful person to ruin the community.

Production

Based on the prime time soap opera that aired from 1964 to 1969, Murder in Peyton Place brought back original cast members Dorothy Malone, Ed Nelson, Tim O'Connor, Joyce Jillson, and Christopher Connelly. Barbara Parkins declined an offer to reprise her role of Betty Anderson, and Lee Grant (Stella Chernak in the original series) and James Douglas (Steven Cord in the original series) had commitments to other projects.

Connelly admitted that he was not enthusiastic on returning as Norman Harrington, but he took the role anyway because otherwise he would be unoccupied:

"It was like going back while everyone else was moving on. Like Ryan and Mia and Lee. It was like going back and doing your first job over again. But I wasn't busy. It can only really do me good, which it has. The really strange thing was sitting around the set with the other original cast members and trying to figure out who was who. Trying to remember what character was married to who, who was the father. It became hysterical."

Connelly recalled that the most positive aspect of the film was that, while filming, he made contacts that landed him the role of Mark Twain in another TV film, Incredible Rocky Mountain Race (1977). He signed on to the film in June 1977 along with Ed Nelson, and shortly after Tim O'Connor and Dorothy Malone were revealed as cast members. Meanwhile, actor Christopher S.

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