Little Ladies of the Night
Little Ladies of the Night is a 1977 American made-for-television drama film starring David Soul, Louis Gossett Jr. and Linda Purl.[1][2] When it was broadcast, it became the highest-rated TV movie of all time.
| Little Ladies of the Night | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Written by | Hal Sitowitz |
| Directed by | Marvin J. Chomsky |
| Starring | David Soul Louis Gossett Jr. Linda Purl |
| Music by | Jerry Fielding |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Leonard Goldberg Aaron Spelling |
| Producer(s) | Hal Sitowitz |
| Production location(s) | Los Angeles |
| Cinematography | Dennis Dalzell |
| Editor(s) | George W. Brooks |
| Running time | 100 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Spelling-Goldberg Productions |
| Distributor | Sony Pictures Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Picture format | Color |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release | January 16, 1977 |
Cast
- David Soul as Lyle York
- Louis Gossett Jr. as Russ Garfield
- Linda Purl as Hailey Atkins
- Clifton Davis as Comfort
- Carolyn Jones as Marilyn Atkins
- Paul Burke as Frank Atkins
- Lana Wood as Maureen
- Kathleen Quinlan as Karen Brodwick
- Vic Tayback as Finch
- Katherine Helmond as Miss Colby
- Dorothy Malone as Maggie
- Bibi Osterwald as Matron
Production
The film was one of a series of TV movies about teen prostitutes which followed Taxi Driver. The other being Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway.[3]
Reception
The Los Angeles Times thought it had "wavering credibility".[4]
It was the highest rated program of its night with a 36.9 rating and 53 share,[5] seen by 26,270,000 households. ABC claimed this made it the highest-rated TV movie of all time as it surpassed the 36.5 average rating for Helter Skelter (although the second part of Helter Skelter had a higher rating of 37.5).[6][5] The rating for a made-for-TV movie was only bettered by 1983's The Day After.[5]
At the time of its broadcast, it was the twelfth-highest-rated movie to air on network television.[5]
References
- The Networks Are Banking On The 'Super Programs' By LES BROWN. New York Times (1923-Current file); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]29 Aug 1976: 77.
- Runaway's Plight: Life as Prostitute Thomas, Kevin. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File); Los Angeles, Calif. [Los Angeles, Calif]15 Jan 1977: b4
- Alice Looks Like a Winner Los Angeles Times 1 Sep 1976: g13.
- Runaway's Plight: Life as Prostitute Thomas, Kevin. Los Angeles Times 15 Jan 1977: b4.
- "Hit Movies on U.S. TV Since 1961". Variety. January 24, 1990. p. 160.
- 'Little Ladies of the Night' Highest Rated Program Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File); Los Angeles, Calif. [Los Angeles, Calif]19 Jan 1977: e15