Word of Honor is a 1981

1981 in film

-Events:*January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it....

 film co-written by David Ackles

David Ackles

David Thomas Ackles was an American singer-songwriter. He recorded four albums between 1968 and 1973.Describing Ackles's style in 2003, critic Colin McElligatt wrote, "An unlikely clash of anachronistic show business and modern-day lyricism...deeply informs his recorded output...

. It starred Karl Malden

Karl Malden

Karl Malden was an American actor. In a career that spanned more than seven decades, he performed in such classic films as A Streetcar Named Desire, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, On the Waterfront and One-Eyed Jacks...

 and featured appearances by a young Ron Silver

Ron Silver

Ronald Arthur "Ron" Silver was an American actor, director, producer, radio host and political activist.-Early life:...

 and the film debut of John Malkovich

John Malkovich

John Gavin Malkovich is an American actor, producer, director and fashion designer with his label Technobohemian. Over the last 25 years of his career, Malkovich has appeared in more than 70 motion pictures. For his roles in Places in the Heart and In the Line of Fire, he received Academy Award...

. It was directed by Mel Damski

Mel Damski

Melvin "Mel" Damski is an American director and producer of film and television.-Life and career:Damski was born in Manhattan, New York having Russian Jewish heritage. He has two brothers and one sister. Damski grew up in New York and attended Colgate University on a football scholarship...

. This film was produced by Alex Karras

Alex Karras

Alexander George "Alex" Karras , nicknamed "The Mad Duck", is a former football player, professional wrestler, and actor, best known for his stint with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League from 1958–1962 and 1964-1970 and for his role as Mongo in the film Blazing Saddles...

  and his wife Susan Clark

Susan Clark

Susan Clark is a Canadian actress, possibly best-known for her role as Katherine on the American television sitcom Webster, on which she appeared with her husband, Alex Karras.-Personal life:...

 ; Alex manages to make a brief appearance in films he produces, in this film he appeared as Penniman Butcher (uncredited). Much of this film was shot in Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

 in places such as Plymouth

Plymouth, Michigan

Plymouth is a city in Wayne County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,132 at the 2010 census. The City of Plymouth is an enclave completely surrounded by Plymouth Charter Township, Michigan.-Geography:...

, where the opening beauty-pageant scene was shot. The newsroom shots were filmed at The Daily Tribune offices in Royal Oak

Royal Oak

The Royal Oak is the English oak tree within which King Charles II of England hid to escape the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester in 1651. The tree was located in Boscobel Wood, which was part of the park of Boscobel House. Charles confirmed to Samuel Pepys in 1680 that while he was...

and the real-life editors and reporters were used as extras. Residential shots, including the main characters' home, was shot in the Seminole Hills subdivision of Pontiac.

Synopsis

A reporter refuses to reveal his source in the case of the murder of a young girl. As a result, he and his family are shunned by the residents of the small town in which they live. Virtually no one comes to his daughter's wedding, and at his office, the police search his desk, and his boss threatens to fire him.

Cast

• Karl Malden ... Mike McNeill
• Rue McClanahan ... Maggie McNeill
• Ron Silver ... David Lerner
• Largo Woodruff ... Amy
• Alexa Kenin ... Beverly
• Jacqueline Brookes ... Spinner
• Jeffrey DeMunn ... Dist. Atty. Burke (as Jeff DeMunn)
• Henderson Forsythe ... Peterson
• John Marley ... Gordon Agee
• Dan Lounsbery
• John Malkovich ... Gary
• Betsy Baker ... Denise McNeil

Production Crew

• Produced by Susan Clark .... executive producer
• John C. Dutton .... producer
• Alex Karras .... executive producer
• G. Chevalier Kevorkian .... associate producer
• Original Music by Bruce Langhorne
• Cinematography by Jules Brenner
• Film Editing by John Farrell
• Casting by Nancy E. Kelley (as Nancy Kelley)
• Set Decoration by Gary Papierski