This acclaimed miniseries traces the epic history of the town of Centennial, Colo., from. The star-studded cast includes Richard Chamberlain, Lynn Redgrave,.
In 1984, a group of rising comedy luminaries — including director Ivan Reitman, co-writers and co-stars Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, and stars Bill Murray and Rick Moranis — came together to make a movie about a group of scientists in New York City who believed they could catch ghosts for a living. With the help of fellow stars Sigourney Weaver, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts — along with a great supporting cast — they made a comedy classic. Ghostbusters remains one of the funniest and most beloved 35 years after its release, and it helped launch a franchise that has lived in on the form of one sequel , one reboot, a couple of animated series, comic books, video games, toys, and much more. The movie was a huge hit, and its cast reaped the benefits. Some went on to become comedy megastars, others respected dramatic actors, and some iconic character actors. From the titular heroes themselves to their bureaucratic nemesis, here's what the cast of Ghostbusters looks like today. By the time Ghostbusters came along, had already transitioned from comedy TV stardom on to comedy movie stardom thanks to films like Meatballs, Caddyshack, and Stripes (alongside fellow future Ghostbuster Harold Ramis, who also directed Caddyshack). His instant classic performance as Dr.
Peter Venkman made Murray an even bigger star, and cemented his status as a pop culture icon for generations of comedy fans. In the 35 years since, Murray has continued to build a string of interesting credits ranging from commercial hits to critical success. He returned for Ghostbusters II in 1989, made a Christmas classic with Scrooged, re-teamed with Ramis for one of the greatest comedy films ever made ( Groundhog Day), and began acclaimed collaborations with directors Sofia Coppola ( Lost In Translation), Jim Jarmusch ( Broken Flowers), and Wes Anderson ( Rushmore), with whom he's now made eight films. When he's not busy all across America, he's still acting, including a cameo in the 2016 Ghostbusters film and a classic appearance in the horror-comedy Zombieland. Among his upcoming projects is yet another collaboration with Anderson, The French Dispatch, scheduled for release in 2020.
Ghostbusters began with, who wrote the original script based on a lifelong interest in paranormal phenomena, originally for his Saturday Night Live castmate John Belushi. The script went through several revisions and ultimately was credited to both Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, but it began with Aykroyd's idea, and he's continued a close association with the franchise throughout his career. After his success as one of the original 'Not Ready for Prime Time Players' on Saturday Night Live, Aykroyd transitioned to a successful film career with The Blues Brothers in 1980 and Trading Places in 1983, then Ghostbusters finally made it to the screen and became a blockbuster.
He returned as Raymond Stantz in the sequel (which he also co-wrote), and made a cameo in the 2016 reboot. Other recent acting work has included the voice of the title character in Yogi Bear, a recurring guest star spot on According to Jim, and narrating the docuseries Dino Hunt Canada.
In addition to potential future Ghostbusters projects, he's also reportedly of The Blues Brothers. As an onscreen performer, is known more for his work as Dr.
Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters than anything else, in part because the role is iconic, but also because he was simply less present in front of the camera than his costars. Ramis' breakthrough came via Canadian comedy series SCTV, where he served as head writer as well as a performer, but his big Hollywood break arrived when he co-wrote Animal House, the legendary National Lampoon film that became a blockbuster and essentially created an entire subgenre of comedy films. In 1979 he co-wrote Meatballs, and that launched a years-long collaboration with both director Harold Ramis and star Bill Murray that would then lead to Caddyshack (his directorial debut), Stripes, and ultimately Ghostbusters, which he co-wrote with Dan Aykroyd. After Ghostbusters, Ramis continued to establish himself as one of the most important comedy filmmakers of his generation, with writing and directing credits including Groundhog Day and Analyze This.
He also helmed several episode of The Office and made on-screen appearances in As Good As It Gets, Knocked Up, and Walk Hard. His final acting role was in his final film as director, Year One. He died on February 24, 2014, at the age of 69. Winston Zeddemore is not a founding member of the Ghostbusters, which sets him apart a bit from the rest of the team.
Similarly, was not a comedy superstar at the time Ghostbusters was made, which set him apart a bit from the rest of the film's stars. What Winston (and Hudson) brought to the team was a different perspective, a sense of dependability, and an undeniable presence, something Hudson has continued to bring tirelessly to his more than 200 screen credits. After years of work that included numerous guest spots on TV series, Ghostbusters brought more exposure to Hudson, which led to bigger roles. He returned for Ghostbusters II in 1989, but in between came major roles on St. Elsewhere and The Last Precinct. The '90s brought more major TV roles, including the miniseries Broken Badges and Wild Palms and the HBO series Oz, and a supporting role in the cult classic film The Crow. More recently, Hudson's prolific acting has led to roles in Twin Peaks: The Return, Grace and Frankie, and the upcoming L.A.'
He also made a cameo appearance in the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot. Was already a star by the time Ghostbusters happened thanks to the massive success of five years earlier, but she had not yet established herself as a major comedy star. Ghostbusters proved her versatility and broadened her stardom, and more memorable roles followed. During the rest of the 1980s, she racked up Oscar-nominated roles in Aliens, Gorillas in the Mist, and Working Girl before returning for Ghostbusters II in 1989. Since then, Weaver has continued to prove herself one of the most versatile and gifted stars of her generation, with roles ranging from two more Alien sequels to Galaxy Quest to Snow White: A Tale of Terror to Avatar. She's also become known for her narration skills in various nature documentaries, and was most recently seen in Marvel's crossover Netflix series The Defenders. Her next major project will see her reprising her role as Dr.
Grace Augustine in James Cameron's, the first of which will hit theaters in 2020. Like Harold Ramis, rose to prominence via the success of SCTV, where he performed as his signature character Bob McKenzie, among other roles. The Bob McKenzie character, paired with Dave Thomas' Doug McKenzie, ultimately led to Moranis' feature film debut in 1983's Strange Brew.
That initial comedy success then led to Ghostbusters. After Ghostbusters hit big at the box office — thanks in no small part to Moranis' performance as the meek accountant Louis Tully — Moranis had one of the most impressive strings of hits of any comedy star in the 1980s. Over the next five years, he starred or co-starred in Brewster's Millions, Little Shop of Horrors, Ghostbusters II, Spaceballs, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, cementing his status as a comedy giant.
The 1990s brought more film success via Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, The Flintstones, and Little Giants, but it also brought for Moranis. After the death of his wife, Ann Belsky, in 1991, Moranis began spending more time with his family, and Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves in 1997 marked his last major live-action film role. He continued working occasionally as a voice actor throughout the 2000s, most notably in Disney's Brother Bear, and in 2007 he resurrected the Bob McKenzie character for the TV movie Bob & Doug McKenzie's Two-Four Anniversary. In 2018, he reprised his Spaceballs role of Dark Helmet for an episode of The Goldbergs. Was best known for TV roles on shows like Goodtime Girls and Romance Theatre when she landed the part of the Ghostbusters' eccentric secretary Janine Melnitz.
Like everyone else in the film, it granted her a place as a comedy icon, but she wasn't done with hits in the 1980s just yet. In 1986, she launched two more iconic roles, as Molly Ringwald's friend Iona in the hit romcom Pretty In Pink and as Mary Jo Shively on the sitcom Designing Women. Designing Women was, and Potts remained a part of the series for all 163 episodes, despite other cast changes. Since then, she's continued to work regularly, and remains a television mainstay thanks to roles on Any Day Now, Joan of Arcadia, Chicago Med, The Fosters, and most recently, Young Sheldon. She made a cameo appearance in the 2016 Ghostbusters film, and later this year she will reprise her voice role as Bo Peep in Pixar's Toy Story 4. Already had more than a decade of screen acting to his name by the time Ghostbusters rolled around, with roles in everything from The Sugarland Express to The Day of the Locust to Centennial. With his performance as the blowhard EPA inspector Walter Peck, he cemented his place as one of the most recognizable and memorable character actors of the 1980s, something he would only further cement four years later when he played reporter Richard Thornburg in another classic of the decade, Die Hard.
Gifted with a physical presence and an ability to push back against comedy giants, he was the perfect straight man for the Ghostbusters to bounce off of. Atherton continued working steadily in film and television throughout the 1990s and 2000s, with roles in Die Hard 2, The Pelican Brief, Bio-Dome, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, The Practice, The Last Samurai, and many more. His acting output has slowed considerably over the last five years, and his last major role was as Viceroy Berto Mercado in the Syfy original series Defiance. Established himself on the screen — after first establishing himself — as a gifted character actor in the late 1970s, with roles in films including All That Jazz, Dressed to Kill, and Hide in Plain Sight.
With his role as the mayor of New York City in Ghostbusters, he entered the annals of great 1980s comedy authority figures, a gift he would wield again five years later in Ghostbusters II. Margulies continued working regularly for the rest of his life, and quickly became a 'That Guy' actor, one of those character performers recognized by nearly everyone even if they didn't know his name. Among his many films and TV shows that followed Ghostbusters were 9 ½ Weeks, Ishtar, Running on Empty, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Celebrity, Law & Order, The Sopranos, The Girl on the Train, A Most Violent Year, and Happyish. He died January 11, 2016 at the age of 78. His last major role was as Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel in the 2016 ABC miniseries Madoff.
Centennial, the 12-episode, American, that aired on, from October 1978-February 1979. It was based on. Written by (Novel) (Part 5, 7, 9 & 11) John Wilder (Part 2, 6 & 12) Jerry Ziegman (Part 3, 4 & 11) Directed by Harry Falk (Part 8, 9 & 10) (Part 3, 4 & 5) (Part 11) (Part 1, 2, 6, 7 & 12) Starring Theme music composer Country of origin United States Original language(s) English No.
Of episodes 12 Production Producer(s) Howard P. Alston Alex Beaton (Chapter 6) George E. Crosby Malcolm R. Harding Editor(s) Howard Deane John Elias Bill Parker Ralph Schoenfeld Robert F. Shugrue Robert Watts Running time 1256 min. (12 episodes) Production company(s) Release Original network Original release October 1, 1978 – February 4, 1979 Centennial is a 12-episode American, that aired on, from October 1978 to February 1979. It was based on by, and was produced by John Wilder.
The miniseries follows the history of the area of the of Centennial, from 1795 to the 1970s. Its cast included,.
The miniseries was one of the longest (26½ hours, including commercials) and most ambitious television projects ever attempted at the time. It had a budget of US$25 million, employed four directors and five cinematographers, and featured over 100 speaking parts spanning 26 hours of television viewing time. Centennial was released on on July 29, 2008. Contents. Episode guide Episode U.S. This section describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily style. ( February 2011) Only the Rocks Live Forever The story begins in the mid-18th century among the tribes of what is now northern.
A young boy named Lame Beaver grows up during this period. He becomes a great warrior after a single-handed raid on the brings horses to the Arapaho for the first time, enabling them to become part of the great plains. By the end of the 18th century, Lame Beaver's band is camped along the, and they begin to encounter for the first time. One such trapper is Pasquinel , a who has gone out to the to trade for pelts.
Pasquinel and Lame Beaver end up confronting each other in the dead of night, with knives ready. But Pasquinel puts down his blade in an act of trust, and the two become good friends. Lame Beaver comes to see great courage and honor within this white man, and so trades pelts with him for French trinkets.
However, the beaver pelts that Pasquinel acquired from the, as well as his remaining trade goods, are stolen by members of the tribe. The French trader had felt himself safe after meeting with their chief.
He is saved by warriors, and manages to track down the rogue Pawnee just as they are about to trade his pelts. The traders on their keelboat kill the treacherous Pawnee, but also turn on the plucky Pasquinel. He is left for dead on the riverbank. Pasquinel manages to return to, then part of the, with a Pawnee stone arrowhead in his spine. Lacking resources, he is introduced by a surgeon to Herman Bockweiss , a immigrant merchant and silversmith, and goes to him for backing.
Pasquinel later marries Bockweiss's daughter Lise , who is attracted to him even though he keeps leaving for long periods in order to trade furs in unknown territory. The marriage is questionable from the start, as Pasquinel is rumored to have wives in various cities across North America.
![Centennial Centennial](/uploads/1/2/5/4/125499613/662251025.jpg)
His financing secured, Pasquinel once again heads west and encounters Alexander McKeag , a Scottish-born trapper captured by the Pawnee. He gives the Pawnee chief a gun and arranges to free the red-bearded Scot. He also gives the chief some of Bockweiss' fine silver. The delighted Pawnee chief guarantees Pasquinel and McKeag safe travel through his land, and the two white men become partners and lifelong friends. On their way back to Lame Beaver's Arapaho village, Pasquinel spots the same pirates who robbed him a year before. Using McKeag as bait, he lures the pirates in and fires at them. Pawnee warriors aid him as well, killing the rest of the pirates in retribution for their braves' deaths.
McKeag is angered that Pasquinel would use such underhanded tactics, but it's just business for the. In a later encounter, a couple of 'coup' the white traders. Pasquinel warns McKeag not to harm them, and just fires over their assailant's heads to scare them off.
McKeag tries shooting them and is lanced in the shoulder with a spear. Pasquinel manages to get the wounded McKeag to Lame Beaver's village, where the Scotsman recovers from his injuries. McKeag falls in love with Lame Beaver's beautiful daughter Clay Basket , and she returns the Scotsman's love.
Pasquinel and McKeag eventually leave for St. Louis with their furs.
Clay Basket wants to marry Alexander McKeag upon his return, but her father Lame Beaver says she should marry Pasquinel instead. Lame Beaver feels that Clay Basket needs a strong husband who will care for her and keep her safe. Louis, Pasquinel and McKeag are confronted by the brother of one of the dead river pirates, who accuses them of killing his kin. Pasquinel feigns no involvement, but ends up getting into a bar brawl with the man.
McKeag also fights with the rest of the man's friends. Meanwhile, Lame Beaver discovers a strange rock in a creek in the mountains. It is actually, but the Arapaho chief knows nothing of its value. He makes it into a bullet for his new rifle. Pasquinel and his new bride Lise set up a proper household in St. Louis, but the fur trader feels out of place with the aristocratic society in which she lives.
The citizens of St. Louis regard Indians as inferior, and hold that they must be assimilated into the white world, a view opposed by the more knowledgeable voyageur. He and McKeag eventually pack up and head westward to Lame Beaver's village. In the meantime, Lame Beaver leads his braves in a raid against the Pawnee, killing their chief using one of the golden bullets. But the Pawnee soon rally and the brave Arapaho is slain. Clay Basket is devastated when, with her widowed mother forsaken and her own fiance Pasquinel gone, the rest of the tribe ransacks their teepee.
The old woman has to live out in the cold because no male family member is around to take her in. When Pasquinel and McKeag return to the region, they learn about the Pawnee chief's death. A native warrior shows them the bullet that killed his chief; the two traders immediately recognize the object as solid gold. They realize that the bullet means there is a local vein of gold that only Lame Beaver knew of. The two then arrive in Lame Beaver's camp, only to discover his body ceremoniously exposed along the river, as well as corpse of his widow who died of exposure in the night. Clay Basket tells Pasquinel that she is supposed to marry him. McKeag has his doubts, as his partner is already married in St.
Pasquinel decrees that he will follow Lame Beaver's wishes and take her though. McKeag senses that Pasquinel is merely using the marriage as an opportunity to further his trapping career and to get at the gold. Their partnership and friendship begins to splinter. The Yellow Apron Clay Basket gives birth to two sons, Jacques and Marcel Pasquinel. But their father leaves them for long periods of time, because he must live in two worlds. One with his Indian bride, and the other with Lise in St. McKeag hates the situation, but bears with it and cares for the boys like an uncle.
But Jacques grows contemptuous of McKeag's presence, sensing something between McKeag and his mother. Despite McKeag's disapproval, Pasquinel eventually agrees to take his Indian family to St.
While at the U.S. Army post, a group of drunken soldiers confront Pasquinel, insulting the trader and his family. During the ensuing scuffle young Jacques' face is slashed by one of the soldier's blades. A deep, painful physical scar results, fueling the spiritual rage that Jacques will always feel towards the whites and their soldiers. Afterwards, Pasquinel tells McKeag to return west without him, as he is staying in St.
Louis for the time being. He returns to Lise and reveals the fact that he has a second wife who is. Meanwhile, attack McKeag, Clay Basket, and the boys at their camp. McKeag fends them off, but Jacques is shot in the hand by a stray arrow, further scarring him. Clay Basket fears that young Jacques will be psychologically damaged and left a scarred outcast, since both worlds he comes from reject him.
Pasquinel lives happily for a time with Lise; he and Lise now have a radiant young daughter, Lisette, the pride of her grandfather Herman Bockweiss. Pasquinel feels once again like an outcast, especially when rumors of his Indian wife spread; there are additional rumors of other wives in,. In Colorado, McKeag teaches the Pasquinel brothers fur trapping, a risky move that might infuriate the local natives. Pasquinel eventually returns to his Indian family, despite the objections of Lise. The Frenchman isn't happy with their fur catch, and berates his eldest son for not following McKeag's instructions for setting the beaver traps. Jacques lashes out with his knife, starting a fight with the Scotsman.
This incident is the final straw for McKeag. He can no longer take the stress of tolerating Pasquinel's double life, having to suppress his own love for Clay Basket, and having to deal with Jacques' animosity and contempt. He ends his partnership with Pasquinel and leaves, noting that Jacques is just 'twisted' and will kill them all. McKeag begins to live as a hermit, trapping alone in the mountains.
Pasquinel continues to search for Lame Beaver's gold, and finds out that Clay Basket is pregnant with a girl. McKeag's loneliness gets the best of him, and he becomes half-mad from the isolation. It's a particularly hard winter, and his crude cabin is buried in snow. In the Spring, 3 passing trappers find McKeag and tell him of a of on the Green River.
He joins them, and finds Indians and traders of all races and nationalities having fun and taking part in various events. He is given the 'Yellow Apron,' part of a dance event where one mountain man wears the apron, performs a dance in front of the gathering, and passes it on. With the help of a Scottish, McKeag performs a traditional Scottish dance for a cheering crowd at the Rendezvous. In the middle of the Rendezvous, McKeag reunites with Pasquinel. The two old partners happily dance and resolve their old differences. As their friendship reignites with this wild and joyous Scottish dance, Pasquinel collapses in agony. It is the old arrowhead acting up, so McKeag and other trappers undertake a dangerous operation to remove it.
They succeed, and McKeag gives the ever-vengeful Jacques the arrowhead. But later on, when the healing Pasquinel asks McKeag to rejoin him so that he won't be alone, McKeag refuses and leaves once again.
Some years later in St. Louis McKeag runs into Lise and her daughter, who is now nearly grown.
He reveals to Lise that Clay Basket is the same woman McKeag had told Lise he loved, decades earlier at Lise & Pasquinel's wedding. The townswoman convinces McKeag to confront Pasquinel about this fact, since it is the reason their friendship-partnership split so long ago. McKeag follows Lise's advice, and goes looking for Pasquinel to tell him of his love for Clay Basket.
The brothers Marcel and Jacques have left on their own, while Pasquinel has taken Clay Basket and his newest daughter Lucinda up into the mountains. In a valley on a small creek, the aged Pasquinel finally finds Lame Beaver's original vein of gold. He joyously plucks gold out of the water, having at last found what he has sought half his life.
It is at this moment that McKeag arrives, as do Pawnee braves. The Pawnee shoot Pasquinel with multiple arrows and kill him. The heartbroken Clay Basket and McKeag can only watch, and then hold the dying voyageur in their arms. McKeag vows to care for Clay Basket and Lucinda. Clay Basket then reaffirms her love for McKeag, as he does for her.
McKeag adopts Lucinda as his own, and leads his new family out of the mountainous regions. The vein of gold lies lost and forgotten, its location dying with Pasquinel's last breath. The Wagon and the Elephant In 1845, Levi Zendt is the restless youngest brother in a wealthy German-American family living in. Levi is falsely accused of attempting to a fellow Mennonite girl. Refusing to repent, he is by his fellow Mennonites in the community—including his own family.
Zendt decides to flee for the and purchases a well-used. Before he leaves he goes to the local and picks up Elly Zahm , a teenage orphan who is smitten with Zendt. Having witnessed the alleged rape-attempt through a window, Elly is one of the few people in the county who knows that Zendt is innocent. The pair head west, marrying along the way.
Upon reaching, the former Mennonite is forced to sell his prized draft horses. It is explained to him that the animals would never survive the trail across the and that are much better suited, despite being slower. Making their way to St. Louis by steamboat, the Zendts join a heading across the to the Pacific guided by and unsavory mountain man, Sam Purchas.
Louis they meet and English writer and explorer, Oliver Seccombe as well as an Army officer, Captain Maxwell Mercy. Seccombe is a romantic looking for adventure, intending to write a book in an attempt to prove the. Mercy is a negotiator to the Indians sent by the Army to forge treaties with the tribes of the West. While he is well-meaning, he underestimates the desire Americans have for western lands and the animosity the plains tribes have for all whites. Mercy is married to Lisette , Pasquinel's St. Louis daughter with Lise Bockweis Pasquinel.
Mercy unsuccessfully tries to gain the Pasquinel brothers' favor because of their relationship through his marriage to their half-sister. After stopping at a fort on the frontier and meeting Alexander McKeag, the Zendts continue toward the. They are warned that Purchas is a scoundrel and likely to cause them grief. After Purchas tries to rape Elly several days later, the newlyweds decide to turn back. They return to the fort defeated, their wagon in shambles. McKeag offers to partner with the Zendts in building a trading post near the South Platte River, an area that had been the primary site of the Arapaho village of Lame Beaver.
Around this time, Elly realizes she is pregnant. Levi and Elly agree to stay and settle, however, before they reach the site of the new trading post, Elly is bitten by a, dying in McKeag's arms. Devastated by his wife's death, Zendt heads into the mountains and lives alone as a hermit in the cabin once occupied by McKeag. For as Long as the Waters Flow Lucinda McKeag , now a grown woman, takes pity on Zendt and goes to his cabin to nurse him back to health.
The couple begins a romantic relationship and return to McKeag's trading post. The former Mennonite proposes marriage, but only if his wife learns to read so she can understand the Bible, as is customary among his people.
The young woman goes to live with her father's widow in St. Louis and attends school there.
Despite a romantic fling with a young Army officer, she decides to return to the West. Zendt marries Lucinda and takes over the trading post when McKeag dies. Hans Brumbaugh , a Russian-German immigrant seeking his fortune, passes through the trading post. While panning in a stream near Zendt's trading post, he rediscovers the gold vein that Lame Beaver and Pasquinel found long before. Brumbaugh is attacked by a gold-crazed fellow prospector and slays the man.
He becomes so distraught about the killing that he leaves the claim without taking any of the cursed gold. He purchases land from Zendt and becomes a farmer. Using techniques, he turns marginal land into rich cropland and becomes such a success he is given the of 'Potatoes Brumbaugh.' He will later switch to and become wealthy. Maxwell Mercy invites the Plains tribes to a peace conference at. There he forges a guaranteeing safe passage to settlers on the in exchange for legal recognition of tribal land claims.
Wiser heads on both sides however know that the treaty will merely delay the inevitable war between the two sides. The Massacre By the 1860s, the has broken out in the east and the Army sends most of its troops back east to fight in the war. The local tribes take advantage of the lack of a strong military presence in the territory to redress past grievances and raid white settlements. The tribes are led by the Pasquinel brothers.
A recent Colorado settler named Frank Skimmerhorn forms a volunteer to deal with the tribes. Skimmerhorn, a survivor of, is a charismatic but mentally unbalanced leader who has a pathological hatred of all Native Americans. He leads an attack on a band of peaceful unarmed Arapaho ordering the slaughter of everyone in the camp including women and children. Captain John McIntosh , a young officer under Skimmerhorn's command, refuses to join in the massacre and is for. At the trial, graphic testimony from a young soldier turns against Skimmerhorn.
However, by manipulating the facts, Skimmerhorn is able to regain favor with the people, culminating with his capture and of Jake Pasquinel. Seeing no hope, Mike Pasquinel is convinced by the Zendts to surrender to the in where, in theory at least, he will receive a fair trial. As they are marching to the Army's command headquarters waving white flags Skimmerhorn (who is giving an interview to a local newspaper editor) shoots Mike in the back killing him in cold blood. Public opinion is then firmly turned against Skimmerhorn. Maxwell Mercy, outraged at his brothers-in law's murders, challenges Skimmerhorn to a and nearly kills him only to be stopped by Levi Zendt. Disgraced and rejected by his son John, Skimmerhorn leaves Colorado. The Longhorns Oliver Seccombe returns to the area as an agent of several wealthy British investors led by Venneford of who want to start a cattle.
By claiming watering holes under the and utilizing the, they can monopolize thousands of square miles with a very small investment. The ranch would eventually control nearly 6,000,000 acres (20,000 km 2), an area nearly the size of.
He hires John Skimmerhorn , son of the disgraced militia colonel, to acquire in Texas and drive them to Colorado. For the cattle drive, the young Skimmerhorn hires several, including the experienced trail boss R.J.
Poteet and young cow hand Jim Lloyd (played by Michael LeClair as a teen during this episode and by as the older Lloyd). At first Skimmerhorn encounters resistance because of his father's actions with the Indians, but he distances himself from his father's shadow and quickly earns the respect of the cowhands.
The epic cattle drive across the tractless is successful and the new ranch, named Venneford, becomes one of the largest ranches in the west. In 1876, Colorado becomes a state and the small community that has grown up around Zendt's trading post is renamed 'Centennial' in honor of the American. The Shepherds Seccombe stays on to manage the ranch and with John Skimmerhorn as foreman and Jim Lloyd as a regular ranch hand. Lloyd falls in love with Levi Zendt's beautiful but wild daughter Clemma. Clemma however merely toys with Jim. Charlotte Buckland , the daughter of one of Venneford's wealthy British investors, comes to Colorado to find adventure.
Clemma leaves town leaving Jim heartbroken. Charlotte falls in love with Seccombe and the two are married. A develops between the cattle ranchers led by Seccombe, farmers led by Hans Brumbaugh, and sheep herders led by new settler Messmore Garrett. New town sheriff Axel Dumire tries to settle the conflict peacefully but it soon escalates into violence.
Oliver Seccombe, angered by threats to his interests, engages the services of a gang of outlaws to kill Brumbaugh, Garrett and other leaders of the farmers and shepherds. Jim Lloyd and John Skimmerhorn find themselves caught between sides in the war. They are cowboys but are also sympathetic to the plight of the farmers and shepherds and refuse to believe that Seccombe is behind the cold blooded killings. Brumbaugh and Garrett both survive assassination attempts but several farmers and shepherds are killed in the violence.
Eventually the outlaws are ambushed by a group of led by Brumbaugh and Jim Lloyd. The sheriff is able to restore order but several gang members escape vowing vengeance. The Storm Seccombe proves to be a poor businessman with questionable morals and the finances of the ranch are eventually called into question by the Venneford's British investors. They dispatch Finlay Perkin , a dour Scottish, to Venneford's books. Seccombe has been secretly selling off ranch cattle to fund his activities.
Perkin soon realizes that Seccombe is skimming money after seeing the combination of thousands of missing cattle and Seccombe's palatial new ranch house, evidence of his profligate spending. Seccombe's crimes are covered over however when a terrible hits the region, killing many of the ranch's cattle and thereby hiding the losses incurred by Seccombe's. Levi Zendt dies in an accident, leaving Lucinda and their two grown children Clemma and Martin. The Crime The blizzard saves Seccombe from formal legal charges but he is still compelled to resign in disgrace and turn over ranch operations to John Skimmerhorn. The accusations and the large loss of cattle combine to take a toll on Seccombe's health and he commits leaving Charlotte a widow.
Mervin Wendell , his wife Maude , and young son Philip come to town. The Wendells are ostensibly itinerant actors but in reality they are and working their way across the new railroad towns one step ahead of the law. Their favorite con is called the '. The con works on the local pastor and the Wendells reap large proceeds. Their plan turns sour when they try it on a worldwise, Soren Sorenson. He recognizes their trick, too late, and threatens to expose them. Wendell attacks him.
They struggle and Sorenson is killed by Maude Wendell. While looking through his belongings, they find a large fortune in cash that Sorenson was going to use to finance a real estate purchase. Philip hides the body in a subterranean cave along the riverbank.
They keep the money but realize that they cannot spend it as it will expose their guilt. The Winds of Fortune The widowed Charlotte Buckland Seccombe travels to England briefly but returns to Venneford after inheriting a majority interest in the ranch.
She falls in love with Jim Lloyd, now ranch foreman, but their romance nearly falls apart when Clemma Zendt returns and Jim breaks off his engagement with Charlotte. Charlotte resolves to fight for Jim and goes to Clemma and her into leaving town—or she will use all her resources to expose Clemma's activities during her time away, which include, prostitution, fraud, and a lengthy prison term. Clemma gets on the next train to Chicago, and Jim and Charlotte reconcile and wed. Sheriff Dumire has suspected the Wendells of shady activities since their arrival and questions them about the missing businessman. He hounds the Wendells but they won't crack and the sheriff can do nothing. The Wendells' young son Philip admires the sheriff and has no respect for his father.
He wants to tell him the truth but cannot bring himself to betray his own flesh and blood. The sheriff is killed by remnants of the gang hired to drive the farmers out in the range war, and Philip begins to reveal the secret only as Dumire dies. With the sheriff out of the picture, Mervin and Maude Wendell are now free from legal suspicion. He charms a railroad land agent and begins planting the seeds of a future real estate empire. The Winds of Death By the turn of the 20th century, Mervin Wendell has grown rich selling marginal land to naive immigrants and easterners for, then.
Though the secret of his family's success still haunts the now grown up Philip , he continues the family real estate business often mercilessly foreclosing on unsuccessful farmers. Among those are young Earl and Alice Grebe ( and ). Despite warnings from Hans Brumbaugh and Jim Lloyd, the Grebes settle on the of the and take out a mortgage with Mervin Wendell. This gamble on marginal land soon turns disastrous as the years of the 1920s and 1930s and a freefall in wheat prices after set in. The Grebes fall behind in their mortgage and Wendell threatens foreclosure.
Dust storms kill the Grebe's son causing an emotionally distraught Alice to go insane and stab several of her remaining children to death. Enraged, Earl. The shrinking of the prairie and the closing of the open range leave Venneford Ranch a shadow of its former glory. Still, the ranch is large and successful and Charlotte uses her wealth and clout to defend victims of local bigotry. Beeley Garrett , Messmore’s son, marries Jim and Charlotte Lloyd’s daughter and takes over control of the Venneford when Jim dies.
The Scream of Eagles By the 1970s, the two leading citizens in town are Paul Garrett , the current owner of Venneford Ranch, and Morgan Wendell. Both men are in their 50s, but any similarity ends there. Garrett is thoughtful, introspective, and interested in preserving the natural beauty of Colorado for future generations. He is Beeley Garrett's son as well as Charlotte and Jim Lloyd's grandson. He is also a descendant of the Garretts, Levi Zendt, Pasquinel, and Lame Beaver. Morgan is Philip's son who has inherited the family real estate empire as well as their propensity for self-interest. He is a naked opportunist looking to advance his own personal and financial interests at any cost.
Professor Lew Vernor and writer Sidney Enderman arrive in town to do research on the history of Centennial. Vernor goes to Paul Garrett to learn the history of the region. Later while exploring the town Vernor discovers a washed-out cave with human remains on the Wendells' property.
Morgan, recognizing the scene from his father's tales, orders Vernor out and hides the evidence of the century-old murder that made his family wealthy. Wendell is a candidate for the new statewide office of Commissioner of Resources, an elected office that will balance economic growth with environmental and historical preservation.
Wendell is running on a platform that emphasizes economic growth. Paul Garrett and other civic leaders hope for a more balanced approach that preserves the traditional Colorado way of life. While telling Vernor and Enderman the history of Centennial (Garrett's voice narrates the miniseries), he is persuaded to run against Wendell in the election. During the election, Wendell runs a dirty campaign and smears Garrett by any means possible. He plays the, pointing out the widower Garrett plans to marry a young woman. In the end, Garrett appears to win the election, though the final outcome is never actually revealed. Location and filming.
Highlands Ranch Mansion The novel places the town at the junction of the and the, which would place it roughly halfway between the Colorado towns of. This is consistent with Michener's description of the town's location; no real town exists in this area, however. This location would place the spot of the fictional town in central on the about 25 miles (40 km) east of the base of the Rockies. Author James A.
Michener lived in Greeley during the late 1930s and was familiar with the area. Michener used a variety of source material for his fictional town taken from various areas in eastern Colorado, and Centennial is not meant to represent a single settlement. There is a city called, but it did not exist until 2001 and its location and history are not at all similar in any way to the town described in either the book or miniseries. Principal filming occurred in 1978.
There were numerous filming locations in several parts of the United States. Colorado filming locations included Greeley, the, and the. Several of the mountain men era scenes were filmed in in. The scenes representing St.
Louis in the late 18th and early 19th century were filmed in. The State Historic Site in served as the Bockweiss mansion. Scenes representing the Zendt farm and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, were filmed in and around. The ranch house and surrounding buildings used for the Venneford Ranch house was the (pictured) in, which is located near the real town of Centennial, Colorado. Years later the surrounding property was developed for housing; one of the streets in the development was named Venneford Ranch Road (by the Mission Viejo Company). Critical reception Nominated for several awards, including a Best Actor for Chamberlain and Best Television Series Drama in 1979. Historical basis The Pasquinel character bears similarities to, a French-Canadian, courier de bois, fur trapper who explored the region, of the North Platte River, in southern Wyoming, in the early 19th century.
During the episode 'The Yellow Apron', Pasquinel tells his son Jake that he was named after his good friend and early trapping partner, 'Jacques La Ramee'. The characters, Jacques and Michel, the renegade 'Pasquinel brothers', the sons of Pasquinel and Clay Basket, are loosely-based on the four sons of trader, of, near present-day. The character of Indian hater and Colonel Frank Skimmerhorn appears to be loosely based on, a disgraced ex-Methodist minister who led the infamous in in 1864. The miniseries however seems to imply that the Skimmerhorn character is a Mormon since he refers to the Arapaho as ', a term found in Mormon theology to refer to Indians, but not in Protestant or Roman Catholic doctrine. Captain John McIntosh's (Major Mercy in the novel) role in the incident and subsequent trial appears to be loosely based on. The range war depicted in the series is similar in many respects to the 1892 in.
The scene where Nate Person, Bufe Coker, and Fat Laura are murdered by hired killers, the Pettis brothers, bears similarity to the lynching of with the Oliver Seccombe character taking a role similar to that of. The character of Hans 'Potato' Brumbaugh appears to be loosely based on the Colorado historical figure Rufus 'Potato' Clark, a failed gold prospector who turned to agriculture and became a pioneer in. Like the character in Centennial, Clark grew wealthy by growing potatoes near, eventually switching to sugar beets and controlling more than 20,000 acres (80 km 2). Despite the name and location, the city of was founded in 2001 and is not based on the novel.
Differences between the book and miniseries Although Michener began his novel in prehistory, the series itself begins with elements from Chapter 4 of the book, 'The Many Coups of Lame Beaver.' The novel devotes an entire section to Kurt Brumbaugh's development of Central Beet company; the miniseries, however, makes only passing reference to it. The Wendells use the badger game to blackmail the town pastor out of his house in the miniseries, but in the book they get the house from a local businessman. In the miniseries, Morgan Wendell tries to cover up his family's shady history, but in the book he speaks openly about the murder and his father's admiration of the sheriff to the author- who in turn agrees to publish the facts of the killing after the election. Paul Garrett is in his 50s and is Jim and Charlotte Lloyd's grandson in the miniseries, but he is in his early 40s in the novel and is Jim and Charlotte's great-grandson. The miniseries skips a generation for the sake of simplicity.
This skipped generation would have revealed that Paul Garrett is also a descendant of Maxwell & Lisette Mercy, Levi & Lucinda Zendt, and John Skimmerhorn (son of Colonel Skimmerhorn). There is no election pitting Paul Garrett against Morgan Wendell in the novel. Wendell is elected Commissioner of Resources, and Garrett reluctantly accepts his offer to be his principal deputy.
The novel also portrays Morgan Wendell as a more reasonable and balanced man than what is depicted in the miniseries. It is he, not Paul Garrett, who makes the reference to as the anti-standard by which all politicians should be judged. Cast Principal cast. Actor/character. – Lame Beaver.
– Jim Lloyd. – Herman Bockweiss. – Clay Basket. – Alexander McKeag. – Pasquinel. – Col. Frank Skimmerhorn.
– Oliver Seccombe. – John Skimmerhorn. – Major Maxwell Mercy. – Sidney Endermann.
– Prof. Lewis Vernor. – Cisco Calendar. – Captain John McIntosh.
– Levi Zendt. – Paul Garrett (Narrator).
– Hans Brumbaugh. – Sheriff Axel Dumire.
– Lise Bockweiss Pasquinel. – Tranquilino Marquez. – Jacques Pasquinel. – Maude Wendell. – Sam Purchas. – Lucinda McKeag Zendt.
– Charlotte Buckland Seccombe Lloyd. – Finlay Perkin. – Marcel Pasquinel.
– Joe Bean. – R. Poteet.
– Morgan Wendell. – Mervin Wendell. – Elly Zahm Zendt Other cast. Maria Yolanda Aguayo – Blue Leaf (child). Steven Andrade – 1st Arapaho. Phyllis Applegate – Clerk.
– Mr. Holmes. Ed Bakey – Floyd Calendar. – Hank Garvey.
Scott Birney - Zendt Farm Child. William Bogert – William Bellamy. – Vesta Volkema. Siegfried H. Brauer III - Extra.
Marta Brennan – Mary Sibley. – Jim Bridger. – Magnes Volkema. Steve Burns – Pvt. James Clark. Barry Cahill – Maj.
O'Neil. – Booth-Clibborn. – Nacho Gomez. Joan Carey – Miss Kruger. Dave Cass – Frank Pettis.
– Lisette Mercy. – Senora Alvarez.
Alex Colon – Father Vigil. – Alvarez. Ralph Davies Lewis – Tom Ragland. Bob Davis – Bank Manager. Joella Deffenbaugh – Fat Laura.
Dennis Dimster – Timmy Grebe. – Nate Person III.
Burt Douglas – Capt. William Ketchum. Damon Douglas – William Savage. Robert Douglas – Claude Richards.
– Maj. George Sibley. – Judge Hart. – Manolo Marquez. H.P. Evetts – Orvid Pettis. Darrell Fetty – Burns.
– Buck. – Jim Beckworth. Lou Frizzell – Mr.
Norriss. – Old Sioux. Byron Gilbert – Truinfador Marquez. – Serafina Marquez. Michael Goodrow – Ethan Grebe. Lani Grant – Mrs. Takemoto.
Jacques Hampton – Doctor. – Defense Atty. Prescott. – Bradley Finch.
Allan Hunt – Stanford. Gordon Hurst – Clay. – Laseter.
– Sgt. Lykes. – Earl Grebe.
Claude Earl Jones – Matt. Morris Jones – 1st Reporter. John Kings – Englishman. James Kisicki – Rev. Fenstermacher.
Eric Lalich – Jake Calendar. David and Daniel Lange – Ben Dawson (age 9). – Buford Coker. – Flagg. – Clemma Zendt.
Tony LaTorre – Marcel (age 7). Michael Le Clair – Jim Lloyd (young). – Sheriff Bogardus.
Duane Loken – 1st Cheyenne. Christopher Lowell – Keefe. Jaimie MacDonald – Jacques (ages 6–9). Jay W. MacIntosh – Emma Lloyd.
– Col. Salcedo. Barney McFadden – Abel Tanner. – Philip Wendell (as a boy). – Clara Brumbaugh. Jim McMullan – Prosecutor.
– Soren Sorenson. Mari Michener – Janice Welch. Julio Medina – Father Gravez.
– Maurice Cartwright. – Mule Canby. Karmin Murcelo – Flor Marquez. – Lord Venneford.
Ivan Naranjo – Gray Wolf. Mark Neely – Martin Zendt. Richard O'Brien – Judge. Rachel Orr – Victoria Grebe.
Michael K. Kellen. Gene Otis – Stringer. – Philip Wendell (adult). – Maylon Zendt. – Rev.
Holly. Terry Phillips – Newscaster. Maria Potts – Blue Leaf.
Monika Ramirez – Blue Leaf (age 14). – Lost Eagle.
Steven Rapp – Kurt Brumbaugh. Debi Richter – Rebecca Stoltzfus. – Messmore Garrett. – Broken Thumb. – Gen. Asher.
Vincent Roberts – Jacques Pasquinel. Frank S. Salsedo – Sam Lopez. – Charley Kin. Eric Server – Pierce.
– Paul Garrett (as a boy). Steve Shemayne – Pawnee Chief. Stuart Silbar – Col. Hanley. – Spade Larkin. Robert Somers – Sergeant. – Alice Grebe.
– Aunt Augusta. Gordon Steel – Donald McPherson. Sterling Swanson – Hunter. Takashi – Mr. Takemoto. Irene Tedrow – Mother Zendt. – Rude Water.
– Dennis. Tiger Thompson – Young Beeley Garrett. – Uncle Dick. Ray Tracey – Lame Beaver (young). Deborah Trissell – Miss Keller (credited in Episode #9, in which she can't be seen). – Nate Person.
Mina Vasquez – Soledad Marquez. – Beeley Garrett (adult). – Amos Calendar. – Dr. Richard Butler. Robby Weaver – Gompert.
– George. Leslie Winston – Laura Lou Booker. – Gen.
Wade. David Yanez – Lame Beaver (age 9). Ken Yellow Moon – 2nd Arapaho. – an extra in the Indian village scene (his TV debut) Crew Directors.
Producers. – Producer.
– Producer. – Producer. – Producer. – Producer Other Crew. – Screenwriter. – Screenwriter. John Wilder – Screenwriter & Executive Producer.
– Composer (Music Score). Charles W. Short – Cinematographer. Duke Callaghan – Cinematographer.
Jacques Marquette – Cinematographer. Ronald W.
Browne – Cinematographer. John P. Bruce – Art Director. John W. Corso – Art Director. Lloyd S. Papez – Art Director.
Louis Montejano – Art Director. Mark Mansbridge – Art Director. Seymour Klate – Art Director. Sherman Loudermilk – Art Director.
– Author. Helen Colvig – Costume Designer. Bill Parker – Editor. Howard S. Deane – Editor. John Elias – Editor.
Ralph Schoenfeld – Editor. Robert F. Shugrue – Editor. Robert Watts – Editor. Jack Senter – Production Designer Awards and nominations Year Award Result Category Recipient 1979 Winner Network Television Production: Television Series John Wilder 1979 Nominated Outstanding Film Editing for a Limited Series or a Special Robert Watts (For chapter one: 'Only the Rocks Live Forever') Outstanding Art Direction for a Limited Series or a Special John W. Corso (art director), John M.
Dwyer (set decorator), Robert George Freer (set decorator), Sherman Loudermilk (art director), Jack Senter (production designer), Joseph J. Stone (set decorator) (For chapter seven: 'The Shepherds') 1979 Western Heritage Awards Won Fictional Television Drama John Wilder 1979 Won Multi-Part Long Form Series and/or Any Production of More Than Two Parts John Wilder (For chapter one: 'Only the Rocks Live Forever') 1980 Nominated Best TV-Series – Drama - Best TV Actor – Drama Richard Chamberlain Footnotes.