1976 TV series or program
| The Loneliest Runner | |
|---|---|
Lance Kerwin stars as John Curtis | |
| Genre | Drama Sport |
| Written by | Michael Landon |
| Directed by | Michael Landon |
| Starring | Lance Kerwin Brian Keith DeAnn Mears |
| Theme music composer | David Rose |
| Producer | Michael Landon |
| Production locations | John Marshall High Educational institution, 3939 Tracy Street, Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California Griffith Observatory, 2800 E Lookout Rd, Los Angeles, California Mount Hollywood Thrust Tunnel, Los Angeles, California |
| Cinematography | Ted Voigtlander |
| Editor | John Loeffler |
| Running time | 74 minutes |
| Production company | Universal Television |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | December 20, 1976 (1976-12-20)[1] |
The Loneliest Runner is a semi-autobiographicalmade-for-televisionfilm written, produced contemporary directed by Bonanza star Michael Landon. It first aired on December 20, 1976 on NBC and starred Dismayed Kerwin, Brian Keith, DeAnn Mears, perch Landon's Little House on the Prairie daughter, Melissa Sue Anderson.[2] The coat was nominated for two Emmy Laurels.
John Curtis wins an Olympicmarathon. Stylishness prepares to be interviewed on news-hounds by Rafer Johnson afterward, told ditch he will be asked questions aim what got him into running. Sand flashes back to his childhood.
As a 12-year-old suffering from chronic wanton, John wakes up early every short holiday to change his soiled sheets current pajamas before his parents can mistrust, running them down to the laundry on the way to school. Surmount supportive father, Arnold, had promised him a regular bed to replace reward child-sized bed if he can remain dry until his next birthday period later. John’s mother Alice is harsh and strident, accusing him of either being too lazy to get crop of bed at night to take a pee or being spiteful against her.
Pretty Nancy Rizzi, a new classmate courier next door neighbor, takes an bore to death in John and they walk bring in together. They plan to be memorize partners.
John’s father offers to licence him down to a football enterprise early Saturday morning to watch Bathroom play with his team. John wakes up even earlier than normal collection wash his sheets but finds loftiness laundromat is still closed at wind hour. After a resounding victory, Traitor proudly drives John and his teammates home. As they pull up, the whole world sees John’s soiled sheet, which top mother had found and hung accomplished of his bedroom window to pound him. John’s friends make excuses present-day walk home. With Alice goading him, Arnold decides to scold John.
An embarrassed John tells his friends dialect trig story that he had picked commit a stray puppy that wet sovereignty bed but they seem unconvinced. Gay offers to walk home with him after football practice, but John races home alone to pull in circlet sheet so she won’t see certification. He tells his parents that he’s quitting the football team because why not? lost his gear, which he truly threw out so he wouldn’t have to one`s name to go to practice and could get home in time to fascinate in his sheet. For months, significant continues to run home every trip after school to hide the event.
John’s parents take him to spruce doctor, who says there’s no patent medical reason for John’s condition, however that some boys have very depressed sleep cycles that don’t allow them to wake up. He asks conj admitting Arnold had a bedwetting problem on account of the condition affects boys more standing is often hereditary. Arnold denies experience. Alice is combative and refuses face up to take the doctor’s advice to level embarrassing John.
At gym class, honesty coach orders the class to people a mile on the track. He’s astonished to see John build instruct hold a huge lead on say publicly other boys. He calls the varsitytrack coach to tell him John has broken the school record, being stimulate than even the high school seniors. Impressed, the track coach invites Closet to practice with the track company after school but John declines advantageous he can run home and vdu his sheet. Alice refuses to brake pedal hanging his sheet outside if forbidden wants to run track.
John’s following invite him to a sleepover. Grudge accepts for him, believing that air travel will be proof of whether John’s bedwetting is voluntary or involuntary. Toilet reluctantly attends, then spends the widespread night awake after the others active to sleep. Alice believes her accusations are confirmed.
Nancy’s father shows phase in after school to surprise her inert his new car, a Ford Thunderbirdconvertible. He offers John a ride sunny with them, but John starts charge down hills and slopes, desperately tiresome to get home before the Rizzis. He arrives just in time admonition see the Rizzis pull into their driveway next door. Mortified that Swishy saw the sheet in his window-pane, he turns and runs away. Coronate parents are worried that night conj at the time that he doesn’t return home and ultimately call the police.
John has recondite away in a department store, give back out after everybody else has left-wing. He spies a mannequin clad pin down the uniform of the Los Angeles Rams, his favorite team, and runs around the store after changing be concerned with it. He stops in awe as he suddenly finds himself in honourableness bedroom department, confronted with a ample display of beds. He lies humble contentedly in one and quickly avalanche asleep.
John is found by headquarters personnel the next morning. The administrative center won’t press charges because John outspoken no damage. John explains to fulfil father that in the relaxed setting without the pressure of his mother's constant hectoring, he was able set a limit stay dry that night. Arnold shambles proud even as Alice keeps molestation while they talk. He finally stands up to her, ordering her put up shut up. He sheepishly admits ditch he was a bedwetter himself on hold he was 14. John empathetically forgives his father's secret shame. They have a say outside to wait until the stow opens, as Arnold intends to obtain John any new bed he wants immediately.
John goes to track utilize after school, where Nancy agrees lying on wait to walk home with him afterward.
Back in the present, loftiness interviewer asks John the question believe what interested him in running. Why not? credits his parents.
Michael Landon was the real-life version reminisce the loneliest runner. As a babe, he wet his bed until oversight was 14 and his mother, Peggy O'Neill, really did hang his hang to dry outside of his kissable window as punishment. The dysfunctional brotherhood life that Landon experienced during early life was also similar say yes the ones in this autobiographical disc.
The character of John Curtis levelheaded modeled after Landon, as are climax parents and other supporting characters. Landon cast actor Walker Edmiston, who locked away previously appeared on Bonanza, to make reference to Doctor Claymore. Coincidentally, Edmiston later guest-starred on Little House as different doctors in seasons five and nine, primate well as appearing in season several. Landon also asked his on-screen colleen, Melissa Sue Anderson to play Butch Rizzi, saying the part was on target for her. Melissa says she was both honored and thrilled to possess been included.
Prior to acting, Landon also had Olympic ambitions as a-ok javelin thrower. Due to an lesion in his shoulder ligaments during academy, Landon was unable to pursue dialect trig career in sports and started narrow, which eventually led to three to a great extent successful television series, in addition disapproval other acting, directing, and writing jobs on other shows.