''The China Lake Murders'' is a 1990 television film starring

Tom Skerritt Thomas Roy Skerritt (born August 25, 1933) is an American actor who has appeared in over 40 films and more than 200 television episodes since 1962. He is known for his film roles in ''M*A*S*H'', ''Alien'', '' The Dead Zone'', ''Top Gun'', '' A R ...

. It is about a small desert town that experiences a series of murders. The film was rated

PG-13 The Motion Picture Association film rating system is used in the United States and its territories to rate a motion picture's suitability for certain audiences based on its content. The system and the ratings applied to individual motion pictures ...

and first aired on the

USA Network USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madison ...

and for many years held the record for the highest rated basic cable film. It is an adaptation of the 1983 short film "

China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake is a United States military facility in California. China Lake may also refer to: Places in the United States *China Lake, Kern County, California, an unincorporated community named for a nearby dry lake *Chi ...

" by Robert Harmon.

Synopsis

The sheriff of China Lake is confronted with a series of grisly murders that have shocked the small desert town. During the investigation, he befriends a vacationing highway patrolman who is eager to join in the investigation. As facts about the killings surface, the sheriff is forced to put his new friendship to the test.

Cast

as Sheriff Sam Brodie *

Michael Parks Michael Parks (born Harry Samuel Parks; April 24, 1940 – May 9, 2017) was an American singer and actor. He appeared in many films and made frequent television appearances, notably starring in the 1969–1970 series ''Then Came Bronson'', but ...

as Officer Jack Donnelly *

Lauren Tewes Cynthia Lauren Tewes () is an American actress. She played Julie McCoy on the television drama anthology series ''The Love Boat'', which originally aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986. Early years Tewes was born in Braddock, Pennsylvania, of German ...

as Kitty *

Nancy Everhard Nancy Everhard (born November 30, 1957) is an American former actress. She became known for her roles in the films ''DeepStar Six'' (1989) and ''The Punisher'' (1989). She also appeared in television series such as ''Reasonable Doubts'' (1991– ...

as Cindy * Doug Mears as Deputy Bobby * Gary McGurk as Wyler *

Bill McKinney William Denison McKinney (September 12, 1931 – December 1, 2011) was an American character actor. He played the sadistic mountain man in John Boorman's 1972 film ''Deliverance'' and appeared in seven Clint Eastwood films, most notably as Capt ...

as Captain Finney * Hans Howes as Assistant Watch Commander * Tom Dahlgren as Lewis Harrelson *

Lara Parker Mary Lamar Rickey (born October 27, 1938), better known as Lara Parker, is an American television, stage, and film actress known for her role as Angelique on the ABC-TV serial ''Dark Shadows'' which aired from 1966 to 1971. Early life Parker ...

as Helene Harrelson * David L. Crowley as Unknown *

Lonny Chapman Lon Leonard Chapman (October 1, 1920 – October 12, 2007) was an American actor best known for his numerous guest star appearances on television drama series. Early years Chapman was the son of Elmer and Eunice Chapman, He was born on Oc ...

as Unknown * J.C. Quinn as Unknown * Mary Maldonado as Enid * Jack Kehler as "Germ" * Dennis Rucker as Police Sergeant *

Danny Hassel The ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' series, created by Wes Craven, focuses on several characters who survive attacks by Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), the spirit of a child murderer who gains the ability to stalk and kill people in their dreams ( ...

as Highway Patrol Officer * Roger Rook as Handcuffed Man

References

External links

* 1990 television films 1990 films 1990 crime thriller films 1990s English-language films 1990s mystery thriller films American crime thriller films American mystery thriller films American thriller television films Crime television films Films directed by Alan Metzger USA Network original films 1990s American films {{crime-thriller-film-stub