''Weekend of Terror'' is a 1970 American

made-for-television 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 ...

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

directed by

Jud Taylor Judson Taylor (February 25, 1932August 6, 2008) was an American actor, television director, and television producer. Early years Born in New York City, Taylor graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. Career Taylor is perhaps best ...

and starring

Robert Conrad Robert Conrad (born Conrad Robert Falk; March 1, 1935 – February 8, 2020) was an American film and television actor, singer, and stuntman. He is best known for his role in the 1965–1969 television series ''The Wild Wild West'', playin ...

Carol Lynley Carol Lynley (born Carole Ann Jones; February 13, 1942 – September 3, 2019) was an American actress known for her roles in the films ''Blue Denim'' (1959) and '' The Poseidon Adventure'' (1972). Lynley was born in Manhattan to an Irish ...

Lois Nettleton Lois June Nettleton (August 16, 1927 – January 18, 2008) was an American film, stage, radio, and television actress. She received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won two Daytime Emmy Awards. Early life Lois Nettleton was born on Au ...

and

Jane Wyatt Jane Waddington Wyatt ( ; August 12, 1910 – October 20, 2006) was an American actress. She starred in a number of Hollywood films, such as Frank Capra's ''Lost Horizon'', but is likely best known for her role as the housewife and mother Marg ...

. It was aired on December 8, 1970 in the ''

ABC Movie of the Week ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

'' space.

Plot

A nun returning from a sabbatical is met at a bus station by two of her colleagues. En route to their convent, their car breaks down on a desert road, so they decide to flag down a passing motorist. Meanwhile, two escaped convicts have abducted a local businessman's niece with a scheme to collecting a ransom, only to have the woman die while attempting to flee the abandoned house they are holed up in. Larry, the kidnapper under whose watch the victim died, passes the nuns in their disabled

Plymouth Belvedere Plymouth Belvedere is a series of American automobile models made by Plymouth from 1954 until 1970. The Belvedere name was first used for a new hardtop body style in the Plymouth Cranbrook line for the 1951 model year. In 1954 the Belvedere re ...

and decides to stop. The nuns mistake him for a helpful motorist and he tows them with his Volkswagen Type II to his hideout (in the opposite direction from

Victorville, California Victorville is a city in Victor Valley in San Bernardino County, California. Its population as of the 2020 census was 134,810. History In 1858, Aaron G. Lane came to what is now known as Victorville and founded a waystation called "Lane's Cro ...

, where repair facilities would be accessible). The nuns soon learn their fate and are held hostage in a locked room with boards nailed over the windows. The kidnappers devise a plan to get the ransom money from the rich uncle (who is unaware his niece is dead) by having one of the nuns pose as the dead girl. Eddie orders accomplice Larry to take Sister Ellen to a wig shop, then to a phone booth where she can call her convent and give false information to explain their not showing up. Larry is something of an unwitting party, not wishing to commit further crimes. Larry tells the hostages to hide and tells Eddie they have escaped. Eventually the captives are discovered hiding in a closet by Eddie, after which a commotion occurs and he is killed by his own gun. Larry feels forced to take Sister Ellen hostage and attempts to flee by stealing a light aircraft, but before he gets away there is a climactic scene on the runway.

Cast

as Eddie *

as Sister Meredith *

as Sister Ellen *

as Sister Frances *

Lee Majors Lee Majors (born Harvey Lee Yeary; April 23, 1939) is an American actor. Majors portrayed the characters of Heath Barkley in the American television Western series ''The Big Valley'' (1965–1969), Colonel Steve Austin in the American television ...

as Larry *

Kevin Hagen Kevin Hagen (April 3, 1928 – July 9, 2005) was an American actor best known for his role as Dr. Hiram Baker on NBC's ''Little House on the Prairie.'' Early life Hagen was born in Chicago, Illinois, to professional ballroom dancers, Haakon O ...

as Lt. Papich *

Gregory Sierra Gregory Joseph Sierra (January 25, 1937 – January 4, 2021) was an American actor known for his roles as Detective Sergeant Chano Amengual on ''Barney Miller'', Julio Fuentes, the Puerto Rican neighbor of Fred G. Sanford on ''Sanford and Son'' ...

as Police Sergeant *

Ann Doran Ann Lee Doran (July 28, 1911 – September 19, 2000) was an American character actress, possibly best known as the mother of Jim Stark ( James Dean) in ''Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955). She was an early member of the Screen Actors Guild and ser ...

as Sister Nadine

References

External links

* {{Jud Taylor 1970 television films 1970 films ABC Movie of the Week Films directed by Jud Taylor Films about kidnapping Films scored by Richard Markowitz 1970s English-language films