''On Wings of Eagles'' (also known as ''Teheran'') is a 1986 American television
miniseries
A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. " Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries forma ...
starring
Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...
and
Richard Crenna
Richard Donald Crenna (November 30, 1926 – January 17, 2003) was an American film, television and radio actor.
Crenna starred in such motion pictures as '' The Sand Pebbles'', '' Wait Until Dark'', '' Un Flic'', '' Body Heat'', the first thr ...
, and directed by
Andrew V. McLaglen. It was adapted from
Ken Follett
Kenneth Martin Follett, (born 5 June 1949) is a British author of thrillers and historical novels who has sold more than 160 million copies of his works.
Many of his books have achieved high ranking on best seller lists. For example, in the ...
's
1983 book of the same name.
Synopsis
The story is set during the
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...
(1978–1979). As Shah
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
, title = Shahanshah Aryamehr Bozorg Arteshtaran
, image = File:Shah_fullsize.jpg
, caption = Shah in 1973
, succession = Shah of Iran
, reign = 16 September 1941 – 11 February 1979
, coronation = 26 October ...
is overthrown by Ayatollah
Ruhollah Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Khomeini, Imam Khomeini ( , ; ; 17 May 1900 – 3 June 1989) was an Iranian political and religious leader who served as the first supreme leader of Iran from 1979 until his death in 1989. He was the founder of ...
in the takeover of Iran, two executives of
Electronic Data Systems
Electronic all cash BSN acc: 1311729000110205 Data Systems (EDS) was an American multinational information technology equipment and services company headquartered in Plano, Texas which was founded in 1962 by Ross Perot. The company was a sub ...
, are arrested on false charges and then imprisoned. The head of the company,
H. Ross Perot (Richard Crenna), travels to
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
to negotiate for their release. Meanwhile, a retired
US Army Special Forces
The United States Army Special Forces (SF), colloquially known as the "Green Berets" due to their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force of the United States Army.
The Green Berets are geared towards nine doctrinal mi ...
Colonel,
Arthur D. 'Bull' Simons (Burt Lancaster), is hired by Perot to formulate a rescue plan at any cost.
Cast
Awards
The miniseries was nominated for
Outstanding Miniseries at the
38th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 38th Primetime Emmy Awards were presented on September 21, 1986, at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California. The Emmy ceremony was cohosted by David Letterman and Shelley Long. During the ceremony, Letterman saluted Grant Tink ...
.
References
*''Burt Lancaster: An American Life'', by Kate Buford
External links
*
*{{tcmdb title, 21731, On Wings of Eagles
1986 American television series debuts
1986 American television series endings
1980s American television miniseries
1986 television films
1986 films
Adaptations of works by Ken Follett
English-language television shows
Films set in Iran
Films shot in Mexico
Iranian Revolution films
Ross Perot
Television series set in 1978
Television series set in 1979
Television shows set in Iran
Films directed by Andrew McLaglen
Films scored by Laurence Rosenthal