TV FLASHBACK : THE MONEYCHANGERS ... 1976..

As Joan's 1976 miniseries will be soon available on dvd in the USA or if you are in Germany, you can buy it now! Here is my article from 2010 on the series for those who may be interested in buying this classic miniseries from the bestseller by Arthur Hailey..

NBC PRODUCTIONS
Presents
A Ross Hunter Production


THE MONEYCHANGERS 
Starring 
KIRK DOUGLAS as Alex Vandervoort 


PROMO AD

CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER as Roscoe Heyward 
ANNE BAXTER as Edwina Dorsey 
JOAN COLLINS as Avril Devereaux 
PATRICK O'NEAL as Harold Austin 
LORNE GREENE as George Quartermain 
SUSAN FLANNERY as Margot Bracken 
TIMOTHY BOTTOMS as Miles Eastin 
PERCY RODRIQUES as Nolan Wainwright 
RALPH BELLAMY as Jerome Patterson
ROBERT LOGGIA as Tony Bear 
MARISA PAVAN as Celia Vandervoort 
JEAN PETERS as Beatrice Heyward 
HAYDEN RORKE as Lewis Dorsey 
JAMES SHIGETA as Wizard Wong 
AMY TIVELL as Juanita Nunez 
& HELEN HAYES as DR McCartney 

Enter the world of high finance and city banking..Where it's a battle to stay at the top, interlaced with kidnapping, blackmail, fraud, prison rape and deceit!! They are all trapped in a world where power and greed is everything for The Moneychangers!!



VARIETY ANNOUNCEMENT

This star-studded mini-series lasting over six hours, was based on the best seller by Arthur Hailey and produced by legendary producer Ross Hunter, (Airport, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Madame X, Tammy, Pillow Talk), who commented on the production.
" It was like shooting 'The Ten Commandments'."

PROMO ART WORK

.. Joan played the role of sophisticated high class call girl Avril Devereaux, working for buisness magnate George Quartermain (Greene) and who ultimately causes the downfall of high flier Roscoe Heyward (Plummer).. Plummer won an Emmy award for his role and the series was nominated for four others..Joan first heard about the role from old friend Roger Moore, who himself was up for a role in the series. Moore was convinced that Joan was perfect for the role of Avril, a role that none other than Ann Margret was also interested in! . Joan read the novel and loved it, she recalled..
" I love baddies. So I called Ross. He told me to come over and see Boris (Sagal-director), it was six weeks before I got the call!"

ROSCOE FINDS AVRIL ALLURING AS QUATERMAIN IS SHAKEN BUT NOT STIRRED!

Joan had just shot a guest role with Angie on "Police Woman" and was in the process of beginning to shoot "The Stud". Both Joan and Jackie were trying to find the remaining finances to start shooting in the winter of that year.. Joan recalled..
" Hollywood has a short memory.. When I moved back to London in 1970, my career was going strong. But essentially it has been a matter of having to start all over again. Until Ross came back with the offer of playing Avril, all I was being offered was schlock. I was not too worried about the nude scene as I have done them in some of my European films. It's simply part of the new morality, that one cant have hangups about one's body any longer!"


SUSAN FLANNERY.. KIRK DOUGLAS .. ANNE BAXTER .. CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER .. JOAN COLLINS .. TIMOTHY BOTTOMS. AMY TIVELL..

Joan was only paid $5.000 for her work on the series, but she was glad of the exposure and the chance to work with some big names, who she also considered friends, like Kirk Douglas. Director Boris Sagal was impressed with Kirk's work on the series.

KIRK with ARTHUR HAILEY

" He has never been better. Perhaps best of all his scenes, is the love scenes with Susan.. He is soft, vulnerable, an uncertain human being, guilt ridden and not nearly as emancipated as the girl. You expect him to come in and grab her. He doesn't! Kirk worked hard for this softened quality."
Kirk recalled..
" It was a challenge! Most directors won't direct me. That is what happens when you have been a so-called big name for so long. I think Boris was a little apprehensive about working with me. We talked it all out, as this was a tough role and I wanted direction. He told me not to worry.. He directs everyone on the set."

CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER WITH JEAN PETERS .. ROSS HUNTER & BORIS SAGAL

JOAN as AVRIL

AVRIL ENTERTAINS ROSCOE!

Although most of Joan's scenes were with Christopher Plummer and Lorne Greene, she was delighted to be in a prestigious production. Joan was surprisingly nervous on her first day of shooting, she had just hot-footed it from London, exhausting herself trying to finance "The Stud". Another star who was just as nervous was the 40's star Jean Peters, this production is billed as her comeback, but she had made the 1973 TV movie "Winesberg Ohio", her first appearance since "A Man Called Peter" in 1955. It was a man called Howard, Hughes that is whom she married  and he persuaded her to give up her career. Jean commented on "The Moneychangers"..
" I ran into my old friend Ross Hunter one day and he told me he was producing the series and would I like to be in it! In a moment of madness, I agreed! It was a nice part.. Not too big and I greatly admire Christopher Plummer, whom I play opposite."
It would be 1981 before she stepped in front of the camera again, with a guest spot on "Murder She Wrote" in 1988 being her swan-song.
"The Moneychangers", is one of those typically 70's tv productions, that sadly could not be made anymore,apart from the expense, there are few big stars left to fill such a production. Hopefully it will get a DVD release at some stage...