''A Family Upside Down'' is a 1978 American

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

directed by

David Lowell Rich David Lowell Rich (August 31, 1920 – October 21, 2001) was an American film director and producer. He directed nearly 100 films and TV episodes between 1950 and 1987. He was born in New York City. He began directing on a regular basis in 1 ...

and written by

Gerald Di Pego Gerald Di Pego (born July 22, 1941) is an American screenwriter and producer. Feature film screenplays *'' W'' (also known as ''I Want Her Dead''), Cinerama, 1974 *'' Sharky's Machine'', Orion, 1981 *''Phenomenon'', Buena Vista, 1996 *'' Messag ...

. It stars

Helen Hayes Helen Hayes MacArthur ( Brown; October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was an American actress whose career spanned 80 years. She eventually received the nickname "First Lady of American Theatre" and was the second person and first woman to have w ...

and

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

as an elderly married couple, with

Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (November 30, 1918 – May 2, 2014) was an American actor known for his starring roles in the television series ''77 Sunset Strip'' and ''The F.B.I.'' He is also known as recurring character "Dandy Jim Buckley" in the se ...

Pat Crowley Patricia Crowley (born September 17, 1933) is an American actress. She was also frequently billed as Pat Crowley. Early life Crowley was born in Olyphant, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Helen (''née'' Swartz) and coal mining foreman Vincent Cr ...

, and

Patty Duke Anna Marie "Patty" Duke (December 14, 1946 – March 29, 2016) was an American actress and mental health advocate. Over the course of her acting career, she was the recipient of an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Aw ...

in supporting roles. The film was praised for the performances of the cast, earning Astaire a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama or Comedy Special. It also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Film.

Plot

Ted Long (Fred Astaire) is a retiree who suffers a debilitating heart attack that leaves him incapable of caring for himself. Unable to rely on his wife Emma (Helen Hayes), herself suffering from deteriorating health, Ted grows increasingly dependent on his adult children for his basic needs. Familial bonds are tested when Ted and Emma decide to move in with their son Mike (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) and daughter-in-law Carol (Pat Crowley) rather than face the prospect of living in a retirement home.

Cast

as Emma Long *

as Ted Long *

as Mike Long *

as Carol Long *

as Wendy * Brad Rearden as Scott Long *

Ford Rainey Ford Rainey (August 8, 1908 – July 25, 2005) was an American film, stage, and television actor.Myrna Oliver"Ford Rainey, 96; Performed Shakespeare, Shepard and Variety of Film, TV Roles" ''Los Angeles Times'', July 26, 2005. Early life Rainey ...

as Mr. Case *

Kim Hamilton Kim Hamilton (born Dorothy Mae Aiken; September 12, 1932 – September 16, 2013) was an American film and television actress, as well as a director, writer, and artist. Her career spanned more than half a century, from the early 1950s to 2010. H ...

as Paula * Phillip R. Allen as Dr. Russo *

Carl Held Carl Held (born September 19, 1931), sometimes credited as Karl Held and Christopher Held, is an American actor who has worked extensively in both American and British television. Career Held is best known for his role as Garth in the 1980s s ...

as Al *

Lanna Saunders Svetlana Nikolaevna "Lanna" Saunders (December 22, 1941 – March 10, 2007) was an American actress, best known for her role as Marie Horton on the television soap opera '' Days of Our Lives'', on which she appeared from 197985. She also pla ...

as Mrs. Lovell * Belinda Palmer as Rhonda *

Miiko Taka (born Miiko Shikata July 24, 1925 – January 2023) was an American actress, popular for her film and TV roles from the late 1950s until the early 1980s. Her best known role was as an elegant Japanese dancer starring opposite Marlon Brando in th ...

as Mrs. Taka *

David Haskell David Michael Haskell (June 4, 1948 – August 30, 2000) was an American film, stage and television actor and singer best known for his performance in Godspell. Early life He was born in Stockton, California. David graduated from Terr ...

as House Painter * R. Norwood Smith as Wes Allen * Charles Walker as Aide *

Gary Swanson Gary Swanson (born September 1, 1948) is an American film and television actor. Early life Born in Queens, New York, Swanson graduated from Long Island University (then C.W. Post College), in Long Island, New York, with a bachelor's degree in E ...

as Instructor * Gail Landry as Candy Striper * Matthew Tobin as Dr. Chisholm *

Nolan Leary George Nolan Leary (April 26, 1889 – December 12, 1987) was an American actor and playwright. Leary was born in Rock Island County, Illinois. His acting career started in France during World War I, providing entertainment for United States Tr ...

as Mr. Willy * Ernestine Barrier as Mrs. Willy

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * *
''A Family Upside Down''
at

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

A Family Upside Down at Internet Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Family Upside Down 1978 films 1978 drama films 1978 television films American drama television films Films about families Films about old age Films directed by David Lowell Rich Films produced by Ross Hunter Films scored by Henry Mancini Columbia Pictures films NBC network original films 1970s English-language films 1970s American films