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