Pearl

1 9 7 8 (USA)
3 x 120 minute episodes

The film Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) cost $25 million to make. Not surprisingly, some of the footage ended up on the cutting room floor. Someone gathered up that footage and included it in this ABC miniseries, written by Stirling Silliphant, who also produced the series.

Pearl is set in Hawaii in the three days before the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour on 7 December 1941.

Two main subplots revolve around the attack: the loveless marriage between bigoted and ineffectual Colonel Jason Forrest (Dennis Weaver) and his wife, Midge (Angie Dickinson); and the relationship between Navy Junior Grade Lieutenant Douglas North (Gregg Henry) and his family – Navy Commander father Michael (Richard Anderson), mother Ellie (Marion Ross) and sister Patricia (Mary Crosby) – when Doug falls in love with Japanese girl Holly Nagata (Tiana Alexandra, who was married to Stirling Silliphant in real life).

Midge Forrest tries to take up with her husband’s executive officer Captain Calvin Lanford (Robert Wagner), a wealthy Southern gentleman, but he falls in love with suicidal obstetrician Dr Carol Lang (Lesley Ann Warren), whose husband was killed in the Battle of Britain.

Sally Colton (Katherine Helmond) is a friend of Midge and runs the local bordello where a lot of the film’s action takes place.

Meanwhile, Midge becomes set on seducing Private Finger (Christian Vance). When an MP sergeant (Brian Dennehy) tries to blackmail her about it, she shoots holes in the bottom of his jeep.

Finger’s alleged homosexual partner Billy Zylowski (Adam Arkin) is a sensitive boy who paints the girls in the brothel and his friends in the barracks.

Midge Forrest
Angie Dickinson
Col. Jason Forrest
Dennis Weaver
Capt. Cal Lankford
Robert Wagner
Dr Carol Lang
Lesley Ann Warren
Holly Nagata
Tiana Alexandra
Lt. (j.g.) Doug North
Gregg Henry
Sally Colton
Katherine Helmond
Pvt. Billy Zylowski
Adam Arkin
Sgt. Otto Chain
Brian Dennehy
1st Sgt. Walder
Max Gail
Shirley
Char Fontane
Lily
Audra Lindley
Cmdr. Michael North
Richard Anderson
Ellie North
Marion Ross
Harrison
Allan Miller
Pvt. John Finger
Christian Vance
Patricia North
Mary Crosby
Lt. Christopher
Charles Lucia
GMSN Cerruti
David Elliott
Looper
John Fitzgibbons
Chief Looper
Les Lannom
Cpl. Danny Nagata
Mike Miyashiro
Mr Nagata
Seth Sakai
Mrs Mioko Nagata
Marik Yamoto
Mrs Lihuha
Elizabeth Smith
Cpl. Perkins
Fred Stromsoe
Donny
John A. Lewis
Cpl. Stroke
Don Rockwell
Dr Begeham
Bill Edwards
Pvt. Dobbs
Tim Jefferies
Narrator
Joseph Campanella