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The Letters

  • TV Movie
  • 19731973
  • 1h 14m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
219
YOUR RATING
The Letters (1973)
  • Drama
Story of people whose lives were changed because of a year-long delay in the delivery of some letters.Story of people whose lives were changed because of a year-long delay in the delivery of some letters.Story of people whose lives were changed because of a year-long delay in the delivery of some letters.
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
219
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Paul Krasny
    • Gene Nelson
  • Writers
    • James G. Hirsch(teleplay: The Andersons segment)
    • Ellis Marcus(story: The Parkingtons segment)
    • Hal Sitowitz(teleplay: The Parkingtons segment)
  • Stars
    • John Forsythe
    • Pamela Franklin
    • Ida Lupino
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Paul Krasny
    • Gene Nelson
  • Writers
    • James G. Hirsch(teleplay: The Andersons segment)
    • Ellis Marcus(story: The Parkingtons segment)
    • Hal Sitowitz(teleplay: The Parkingtons segment)
  • Stars
    • John Forsythe
    • Pamela Franklin
    • Ida Lupino
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 7User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    The Letters (1973)
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    Top cast

    Edit
    John Forsythe
    John Forsythe
    • Paul Anderson (The Andersons episode)
    Pamela Franklin
    Pamela Franklin
    • Karen Forrester (The Forresters Episode)
    Ida Lupino
    Ida Lupino
    • Mrs. Forrester
    Dina Merrill
    Dina Merrill
    • Penelope Parkington (The Parkingtons Episode)
    Ben Murphy
    Ben Murphy
    • Joe Randolph (The Forresters Episode)
    Leslie Nielsen
    Leslie Nielsen
    • Derek Childs (The Parkingtons Episode)
    Jane Powell
    Jane Powell
    • Elaine Anderson (The Andersons Episode)
    Barbara Stanwyck
    Barbara Stanwyck
    • Geraldine Parkington
    Lesley Ann Warren
    Lesley Ann Warren
    • Laura Reynolds (The Andersons Episode)
    • (as Lesley Warren)
    Henry Jones
    Henry Jones
    • The Postman
    Trish Mahoney
    • Stewardess (The Andersons Episode)
    Gary Dubin
    Gary Dubin
    • Paul Anderson Jr. (The Andersons episode)
    Mia Bendixsen
    • Lisa (The Andersons episode)
    Gilchrist Stuart
    • Michael (The Parkingtons Episode)
    Orville Sherman
    Orville Sherman
    • Minister (The Parkingtons Episode)
    Shelly Novack
    Shelly Novack
    • Sonny (The Forresters Episode)
    Frederick Herrick
    • Billy (The Forresters Episode)
    Ann Noland
    Ann Noland
    • Sally (The Forresters Episode)
    • Directors
      • Paul Krasny
      • Gene Nelson
    • Writers
      • James G. Hirsch(teleplay: The Andersons segment)
      • Ellis Marcus(story: The Parkingtons segment) (teleplay: The Parkingtons segment)
      • Hal Sitowitz(teleplay: The Parkingtons segment)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In 1973, Aaron Spelling developed two pilots with a similar theme: this one and Letters from Three Lovers (1973). In both pilots, letters were delayed in delivery by one year per accident or mischance; the delay would have a profound effect on the sender or the recipient. Henry Jones played the postman delivering the long lost letters in both pilots. Neither pilot was picked up for a continuing series.
    • Goofs
      As the postman drives up to Mrs. Forrester's house, it is raining, and the shot from inside the car shows both windshield wipers running at medium speed. In the next shot in the driveway, the wiper on the driver's side is running at high speed and the wiper on the passenger side is missing completely.
    • Connections
      Followed by Letters from Three Lovers (1973)

    User reviews7

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Three stories all bound together by letters lost for a year.
    "The Letters" is an interesting idea for a film and apparently was a pilot for a series that never came to be. You see three separate stories that are all tied together by a common thread...a letter which was sent but not delivered for a year. While you could argue that the Postal Service sucks, this is explained away by a bag of mail being on a plane that crashed in the mountains...and the missing sack of mail was only just discovered. In each story, you see the story up until the letter is written...then a break to show the plane crash...and then later the rest of the story once the letter arrives.

    The film has a cast of various A and B list stars including the likes of John Forsythe, Barbara Stanwyck, Dina Merrill, Ida Lupino and many others. One story is about an unfaithful husband, another about a slimy pianist who murders his ancient wife and the final about a man who is killed on the way to doing the right thing and straighten up his life! I was surprised how touching some of the stories were (particularly the first and third) and in hindsight I would have liked to have seen more. Too bad the series never was made. It was well written, had an interesting cast and was quite original.
    helpful•5
    0
    • planktonrules
    • Oct 31, 2016

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 6, 1973 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Cartas
    • Filming locations
      • 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • ABC Circle Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 14 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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