Black Noon
Encyclopedia
Black Noon is an American
made-for-TV horror
western feature film
that debuted in 1971. It was written and produced by Andrew J. Fenady and directed by Bernard L. Kowalski
.
The film originally aired November 5, 1971 as part of CBS
's The CBS Friday Night Movies, and was shown repeatedly in 1982.
Jerry Beigel wrote in the Los Angeles Times
about the premiere stating that the film's release would have been more fitting a week earlier, before Halloween
.
) and his wife Lorna (Lynn Loring
) arrive in a western town and find that there is mysterious force causing bad luck to plague the settlers. Once the Reverend is able to get the recalcitrant residents to speak about the ongoing troubles, he finds his spiritual leadership is being challenged by a cult of devil worshippers who practice voodoo, and have to get to the heart of a strange relationship between a mute young girl and a gunslinger who seem possessed by Satanic spirits.
It was noted in The Monster Book, that in Black Noon, Roy Thinnes' character was sacrificed by devil worshippers, but that in a later film, Satan's School for Girls, he led his own cult.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
made-for-TV horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
western feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
that debuted in 1971. It was written and produced by Andrew J. Fenady and directed by Bernard L. Kowalski
Bernard L. Kowalski
Bernard Louis Kowalski, often credited as Bernard L. Kowalski was an American film and television director, nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys...
.
The film originally aired November 5, 1971 as part of CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's The CBS Friday Night Movies, and was shown repeatedly in 1982.
Jerry Beigel wrote in the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
about the premiere stating that the film's release would have been more fitting a week earlier, before Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
.
Plot
When Reverend John Keyes (Roy ThinnesRoy Thinnes
Roy Thinnes is an American television and film actor best known for his portrayal of lonely hero David Vincent in the ABC 1967-68 television series The Invaders. He also played Alfred Wentworth in the pilot episode of Law & Order...
) and his wife Lorna (Lynn Loring
Lynn Loring
Lynn Loring is an American actress and producer.She first started acting at the age of seven, playing the role of Patti Barron on the soap opera Search for Tomorrow. She played the role until 1961, when she graduated from high school and explored other opportunities...
) arrive in a western town and find that there is mysterious force causing bad luck to plague the settlers. Once the Reverend is able to get the recalcitrant residents to speak about the ongoing troubles, he finds his spiritual leadership is being challenged by a cult of devil worshippers who practice voodoo, and have to get to the heart of a strange relationship between a mute young girl and a gunslinger who seem possessed by Satanic spirits.
It was noted in The Monster Book, that in Black Noon, Roy Thinnes' character was sacrificed by devil worshippers, but that in a later film, Satan's School for Girls, he led his own cult.
Partial cast
- Roy ThinnesRoy ThinnesRoy Thinnes is an American television and film actor best known for his portrayal of lonely hero David Vincent in the ABC 1967-68 television series The Invaders. He also played Alfred Wentworth in the pilot episode of Law & Order...
as Reverend John Keyes - Yvette MimieuxYvette MimieuxYvette Carmen Mimieux is a retired American movie and television actress.-Early life and career:Yvette Mimieux was born in Los Angeles, California, to a French father and Mexican mother, Carmen Montemayor...
as Deliverance - Ray MillandRay MillandRay Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting...
as Caleb Hobbs - Gloria GrahameGloria GrahameGloria Grahame was an American Academy Award–winning actress.Grahame began her acting career in theatre, and in 1944 she made her first film for MGM. Despite a featured role in It's a Wonderful Life , MGM did not believe she had the potential for major success, and sold her contract to RKO Studios...
as Bethia - Lynn LoringLynn LoringLynn Loring is an American actress and producer.She first started acting at the age of seven, playing the role of Patti Barron on the soap opera Search for Tomorrow. She played the role until 1961, when she graduated from high school and explored other opportunities...
as Lorna Keyes - Henry Silva as Moon
- Hank WordenHank WordenHank Worden was an American cowboy-turned-character-actor who appeared in many Westerns.-Biography:...
as Joseph - Stan BarrettStan BarrettStan Barrett is a Hollywood stuntman, stunt coordinator and actor. His biggest act was however outside the movie world. On 17 December 1979, he attempted to break the Land Speed Record, and the sound barrier in the Budweiser Rocket rocket-powered three-wheel vehicle...
as Man in Mirror - Joshua Bryant as Towhead
- Leif GarrettLeif GarrettLeif Garrett is an American singer and actor. He became famous in the late 1970s as a teen idol, but received much publicity in later life for his drug abuse and legal troubles.-Early life:...
as Towhead
External links
- Black Noon at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Black Noon at All Movie GuideAll Movie GuideAllrovi is a commercial database launched by the Rovi Corporation in 2011. It compiles information about music and movies from the former services Allmovie and Allmusic.-Content:...
- Black Noon at New York Times