''Captains and the Kings'' is an eight-part television miniseries broadcast on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

in 1976 as part of its '' Best Sellers''

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a differ ...

. It is an adaptation of the 1972 novel ''

Captains and the Kings ''Captains and the Kings'' is a 1972 historical novel by Taylor Caldwell chronicling the rise to wealth and power of an Irish immigrant, Joseph Francis Xavier Armagh, who emigrates as a penniless teenager to the United States, along with his you ...

'' by

Taylor Caldwell Janet Miriam Caldwell (September 7, 1900August 30, 1985) was a British-born American novelist and prolific author of popular fiction under the pen names Taylor Caldwell, Marcus Holland and Max Reiner. She was also known by a variation of her mar ...

. Like the novel, the miniseries is about an

Irish American , image = Irish ancestry in the USA 2018; Where Irish eyes are Smiling.png , image_caption = Irish Americans, % of population by state , caption = Notable Irish Americans , population = 36,115,472 (10.9%) alone ...

family, headed by ambitious Irish immigrant Joseph Armagh (played by

Richard Jordan Robert Anson Jordan Jr. (July 19, 1937 – August 30, 1993) was an American actor. A long-time member of the New York Shakespeare Festival, he performed in many Off Broadway and Broadway plays. His films include ''Logan's Run'', ''Les Misérab ...

), which accumulates economic and political power during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Cast

Main

as Joseph Armagh *

Harvey Jason Harvey Albert Jason (born 29 February 1940) is an English actor and the co-owner of Mystery Pier Books, an independent book store that sells first editions. Career A character actor in films including ''The Gumball Rally'' and'' The Lost Worl ...

as Harry Zieff *

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 ...

as Bernadette Hennessey Armagh *

Blair Brown Bonnie Blair Brown (born April 23, 1946) is an American theater, film and television actress. She has had a number of high-profile roles, including in the play ''Copenhagen'' on Broadway, the leading actress in the films ''Altered States'' ( ...

as Elizabeth Healey Hennessey *

Robert Vaughn Robert Francis Vaughn (November 22, 1932 – November 11, 2016) was an American actor noted for his stage, film and television work. His television roles include the spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s series ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.''; the ...

as Charles Desmond *

Perry King Perry Firestone King (born April 30, 1948) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles on television and in films. King received a Golden Globe nomination for his role in the television film ''The Hasty Heart'' (1983), which is a rema ...

as Rory Armagh * Katherine Crawford as Mary Armagh *

Jane Seymour Jane Seymour (c. 150824 October 1537) was List of English consorts, Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII of England from their Wives of Henry VIII, marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen followi ...

as Marjorie Chisholm * Bernard Behren as Gentleman *

Cynthia Sikes Cynthia Sikes Yorkin (born January 2, 1954) is an American actress known for her work on ''St. Elsewhere'' and ''Blade Runner 2049.'' Life and career Cynthia Sikes was born Cynthia Lee Sikes in Coffeyville, Kansas, in 1954. Early in her career ...

as Claudia *

Charles Durning Charles Edward Durning (February 28, 1923 – December 24, 2012) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 movies, television shows and plays.Schudel, Matt (December 26, 2012) "''In real life and on the screen, he played countless role ...

as Ed Healey *

David Huffman David Oliver Huffman (May 10, 1945 – February 27, 1985) was an American actor and producer. Personal life Huffman was born on May 10, 1945, in Berwyn, Illinois, to Clarence and Opal Huffman (née Dippel). Huffman married casting director Ph ...

as Sean Armagh *

Terry Kiser Terry Kiser (born August 1, 1939) is an American actor. Besides portraying the deceased title character of the comedy ''Weekend at Bernie's'' and its sequel, ''Weekend at Bernie's II'', he has more than 140 acting credits to his name, with a car ...

as Courtney Wickersham *

Vic Morrow Victor Morrow (born Victor Morozoff; February 14, 1929 – July 23, 1982) was an American actor. He came to prominence as one of the leads of the ABC drama series ''Combat!'' (1962–1967), which earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstandin ...

as Tom Hennessey *

Barbara Parkins Barbara Parkins (born May 22, 1942) is a Canadian-American former actress, singer, dancer and photographer. Early life Parkins was born in Vancouver, British Columbia.Joanna Pettet Joanna Pettet (born Joanna Jane Salmon; 16 November 1942) is a retired English actress. Early life Pettet was born in Westminster, London, England. Her parents, Harold Nigel Edgerton Salmon, a British Royal Air Force pilot killed in the Secon ...

as Katherine Hennessey * Doug Heyes Jr. as Kevin Armagh *

Jenny Sullivan Jenny Sullivan is an American film and television actress. She has starred in some TV movies, and her best-known role is reporter Kristine Walsh in the 1983 miniseries '' V'' and its 1984 sequel '' V: The Final Battle''. Early years Sullivan i ...

as Honora Houlihan *

Beverly D'Angelo Beverly Heather D'Angelo (born November 15, 1951) is an American actress who starred as Ellen Griswold in the ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' films (1983–2015). She has appeared in over 60 films and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for h ...

as Miss Emmy

Supporting

Peter Donat Peter Donat (born Pierre Collingwood Donat; January 20, 1928 – September 10, 2018) was a Canadian-American actor. Early life Pierre Collingwood Donat was born in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada, the son of Marie (née Bardet) and Philip Ernst ...

as Clair Montrose *

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics. Born and rai ...

as Sen. Enfield Bassett *

John Houseman John Houseman (born Jacques Haussmann; September 22, 1902 – October 31, 1988) was a Romanian-born British-American actor and producer of theatre, film, and television. He became known for his highly publicized collaboration with director ...

as Judge Newell Chisholm *

Celeste Holm Celeste Holm (April 29, 1917 – July 15, 2012) was an American stage, film and television actress. Holm won an Academy Award for her performance in Elia Kazan's ''Gentleman's Agreement'' (1947), and was nominated for her roles in ''Come to th ...

as Sister Angela *

Joe Kapp Joseph Robert Kapp (born March 19, 1938) is an American former football player, coach, and executive. He played college football as a quarterback at the University of California, Berkeley. Kapp played professionally in the Canadian Football Lea ...

as Strickland *

Ann Dusenberry Ann Dusenberry is an American film, stage and television actress. Biography Acting career The Tucson, Arizona-born daughter of Bruce and Katie Dusenberry, Ann Dusenberry played Amory (alias Angel Collins) in ''Stonestreet: Who Killed the Centerf ...

as Anne-Marie * Rod Haase as Mace *

Charles H. Gray Charles H. Gray (November 27, 1921 – August 2, 2008) was an American television and film actor. Gray was best known for his work in the TV series '' Highway Patrol'' as Officer Edwards, trail scout Clay Forrester in '' Rawhide'' and as Wil ...

as Captain Calvin * Charles O. Lynch as Hotel Clerk * Roberta Storm as Mrs. Calvin *

Ray Bolger Raymond Wallace Bolger (January 10, 1904 – January 15, 1987) was an American actor, dancer, singer, vaudevillian and stage performer (particularly musical theatre) who started in the silent-film era. Bolger was a major Broadway performer in ...

as R.J. Squibbs *

Sian Barbara Allen Sian Barbara Allen (born July 12, 1946) is a former American actress who mainly appeared on television throughout the 1970s. A native of Reading, Pennsylvania, Allen studied at the Pasadena Playhouse before appearing in her first screen role on t ...

as Cara Leslie *

Neville Brand Lawrence Neville Brand (August 13, 1920 – April 16, 1992) was an American soldier and actor. He was known for playing villainous or antagonistic character roles in Westerns, crime dramas, and ''films noir'', and was nominated for a BAFTA Aw ...

as O'Herlihy *

John Carradine John Carradine ( ; born Richmond Reed Carradine; February 5, 1906 – November 27, 1988) was an American actor, considered one of the greatest character actors in American cinema. He was a member of Cecil B. DeMille's stock company and later Jo ...

as Father Hale *

Lee de Broux Lee de Broux (born May 7, 1941) is an American character actor of film and television who is best known for his roles in such films and television series as '' Chinatown'', '' RoboCop'', '' The Gun'', '' Geronimo: An American Legend'', ''Norma ...

Teddy Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

Robert Donner Robert Donner (April 27, 1931 – June 8, 2006) was an American television and film actor. Early life and career Donner was born in New York City and raised in New Jersey, Michigan and Texas. He spent four years in the United States Navy ...

as Wounded Texan *

George Gaynes George Gaynes (born George Jongejans; May 16, 1917 – February 15, 2016) was a Finnish-born American singer, actor, and voice artist. Born to Dutch and Russian-Finnish parents in the Grand Duchy of Finland of the Russian Empire, he served in the ...

as Orestes Bradley *

Stefan Gierasch Stefan Gierasch (February 5, 1926 – September 6, 2014) was an American film and television actor. Career Gierasch made over 100 screen appearances, mostly in American television, beginning in 1951. In the mid-1960s, he performed with the Trin ...

as Gannon *

Alan Hewitt Alan Hewitt (January 21, 1915 – November 7, 1986) was an American film, television, and stage actor. His most prominent TV roles were Detective Brennan in ''My Favorite Martian'' and the district attorney in ''How to Murder Your Wife''. Earl ...

as Gov. Hackett *

Cliff De Young Clifford Tobin DeYoung (born February 12, 1945)According to the State of California. ''California Birth Index, 1905-1995''. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. At Ancestry.com is an Ame ...

as Brian Armagh *

Burl Ives Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives (June 14, 1909 – April 14, 1995) was an American musician, actor, and author with a career that spanned more than six decades. Ives began his career as an itinerant singer and guitarist, eventually launching his own rad ...

as Old Syrup *

Clifton James George Clifton James (May 29, 1920 – April 15, 2017) was an American actor known for roles as a prison floorwalker in ''Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), Sheriff J.W. Pepper alongside Roger Moore in the James Bond films '' Live and Let Die'' (197 ...

as Gov. Skerritt * Roger Robinson as Cpl. Lincoln Douglas *

Pernell Roberts Pernell Elven Roberts Jr. (May 18, 1928 – January 24, 2010) was an American stage, film, and television actor, activist, and singer. In addition to guest-starring in over 60 television series, he was best known for his roles as Ben Cartw ...

as Braithwaite *

Ken Swofford Kenneth Charles Swofford (July 25, 1933 – November 1, 2018) was an American film and television actor often cast as a villain or a police officer. Between 1962 and 1995, Swofford's film credits included ''Thelma & Louise'', '' Skyjacked' ...

as Capt. Muldoon * Terence Locke as Faylen * William Prince as Jay Regan *

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 ...

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

Richard Herd Richard Thomas Herd Jr. (September 26, 1932 – May 26, 2020) was an American actor, appearing in numerous supporting, recurring, and guest roles in television series and occasional film roles, from the 1970s to the 2010s. He was well known in th ...

as Talmadge * Walter O. Miles as Doctor *

Mills Watson Mills Watson (born William Oscar Watson on July 10, 1940)shockcinemamagazine.com Issue No. 5cover/ref> is an American actor who is probably best known for his comedic portrayal of the law enforcement character Deputy Perkins, first on ''B. J. and ...

as Preston * John Herbsleb as Young Courtney *

Macon McCalman Willis Macon McCalman (December 30, 1932 – November 29, 2005) was an American television, stage and big screen movie actor. Acting career Nicknamed "Sonny", McCalman helped form the Front Street Theatre in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. ...

as Dolan * James O'Connell as Orren Teale *

Ann Sothern Ann Sothern (born Harriette Arlene Lake; January 22, 1909 – March 15, 2001) was an American actress who worked on stage, radio, film, and television, in a career that spanned nearly six decades. Sothern began her career in the late 1920 ...

as Mrs. Finch *

Patrick Labyorteaux Patrick Francis Labyorteaux (born July 22, 1965) is an American actor, television producer and television writer. In many of his earlier credits, his last name is spelled as "Laborteaux". He is best known for his roles of Andrew "Andy" Garvey on ...

as Young Rory * Leslie Simms as Mrs. Teale *

Johnny Doran Johnny Doran (1908 – 19 January 1950)Sleeve notes compiled by Jackie Small and published with ''The Bunch of Keys'' audio tape, Comhairle Bhéaloideas Éireann (CBÉ 001), 1988 was an Irish uilleann piper. Life and family Johnny Doran was bo ...

as Young Joseph *

Harvey Gold Tin Huey is an American experimental rock and new wave band from Akron, Ohio, United States, that formed in 1972 and disbanded in 1982. History Original lineups Initially named Rags, the band started with Mark Price (then known as Wesley the Sta ...

as Miles Lawrence *

Sally Kirkland Sally Kirkland (born October 31, 1941) is an American film, television and stage actress and producer. A former member of Andy Warhol's The Factory and an active member in 1960s New York avant-garde theater, she has appeared in more than 250 fi ...

as Aggie * George Skaff as Prosecutor *

Philip Bourneuf Philip Bourneuf (January 7, 1908 - March 23, 1979) was an American character actor who had a long stage career before appearing in films. Early years The son of engineer Ambrose Bourneuf and his wife, the former Josephine Comeau, Bourneuf was ...

as Father Scanlon * Edward Edwards as 1st Soccer Player *

John Dennis Johnston John Dennis Johnston (born May 14, 1950) is an American film and television actor. Career He appeared in a number of feature films including ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'', '' Streets of Fire'', and '' Flesh+Blood'', as well as various T ...

as Medical Orderly *

Ronald Long Ronald Long (January 30, 1911 – October 23, 1986), was a British actor who appeared principally in American television shows of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Early years Long was born in London and performed at the Old Vic Theatre ther ...

as Hotel Clerk *

Connie Kreski Connie Kreski (September 19, 1946 – March 21, 1995) was born Constance Joanne Kornacki. She was an American model and actress. In January 1968, Kreski posed in the centerfold as ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month. She subsequently w ...

as Pearl Gray *

Kermit Murdock Kermit Murdock (20 March 1908 – 11 February 1981) was an American film, television and radio actor known for his avuncular and professorial character portrayals. His more prominent character roles in major motion pictures included Dean Poll ...

as James Spaulding * Eldon Quick as Albert * Randy Shields as 2nd Soccer Player * William Bryant as Skeeter * William D. Gordon as Doctor Gill *

Sandy Ward Sandy Brown (July 12, 1926 – March 6, 2005) was an American film and television actor. He was perhaps best known for playing the recurring role of "Logger Pete" on 11 episodes of the American sitcom television series ''Malcolm in the Middle''. ...

as Louie * Vincent Milana as 1st Striker * Norman Stuart as Swiss Gentleman * Ned Wilson as Van Cleve * Stephen Coit as President

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...

John de Lancie John Sherwood de Lancie, Jr. (born March 20, 1948) is an American actor, television director, director, film producer, producer, writer, and comedian, best known for his role as Q (Star Trek), Q in various ''Star Trek'' series (1987–present); ...

as Timothy Armagh * Sterling Swanson as Spokesman *

Ted Gehring Theodore Edwin Gehring Jr. (April 6, 1929 – September 28, 2000) was an American film and television actor. He is known for playing the recurring role as "Charlie" on 16 episodes of the American sitcom television series '' Alice''. Life and ca ...

as Heckler * Patrick Whyte as English Gentleman *

Todd Martin Todd Martin (born July 8, 1970) is an American retired tennis player. He reached the men's singles final at the 1994 Australian Open and the 1999 US Open and achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 4. Playing career Martin was bor ...

as Bensinger * Ben Wright as German Gentleman *

Albert Carrier Alberto Carrieri (October 16, 1919 – May 23, 2002) was an Italian-American film and television actor. He was perhaps best known for playing "Pedro Quinn" in the 1983 film '' Scarface'', with also being known for playing the role of "Captain Ja ...

as French Gentleman * Byron Webster as

William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, running ...

* Grant Owens as Captain O'Neill *

Elizabeth Cheshire Elizabeth Cheshire is an American actress known for appearing in the films as ''Airport '77'' (1977), '' Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977), ''Sunshine Christmas'' (1977), '' Melvin and Howard'' (1980) and '' Strange Behavior'' (1980), and telev ...

as Young Bernadette

Awards

Both Patty Duke and Jane Seymour were nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for their performances; Duke won the award.Captains and The Kings NBC's Best Seller
Emmys.com Jordan won a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

and an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

nomination for his performance. Durning was nominated for both an Emmy and a Golden Globe.

made her debut.

Cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

Ric Waite Ric Waite (July 10, 1933 – February 18, 2012) was an American cinematographer whose numerous film and television credits included ''Red Dawn'', '' Footloose'', ''48 Hrs.'', and ''The Long Riders''. Waite received four Emmy nominations during hi ...

won his only Emmy Award for his work on the miniseries.

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, 73971 1970s American television miniseries Television series by Universal Television Cultural depictions of Abraham Lincoln Cultural depictions of William McKinley Cultural depictions of Theodore Roosevelt