A year after their classic comedy series, "I Dream of Jeannie" , left the air, stars Barbara Eden & Larry Hagman made this wonderful TV movie in 1971. After five years, Liza Crocker ( Eden ) returns to the small town that her family founded generations ago--Stainesville, out west in Nevada. She has come out here because she is seeking a divorce from her husband, Eddie ( Hagman ), back in New York. When she reaches Stainesville, she finds that old friends she grew up with have a mysteriously hostile attitude toward her, and old acquaintances are even worse. She drives up to the Stainesville Lodge where her step-mother, Rose ( Vera Miles )greets her. Rose introduces Liza to her new step-brother, Justin ( John Rubenstein ). Liza is very anxious to see her archeologist father, but , as Rose puts it, "He's down in Mexico poking through those ruins of his. We had no idea you were coming." Shortly after Liza's arrival, she learns that a little girl had been murdered in the town recently and the girl's body had been thrown in the lake. A stray dog can be heard howling in the woods. There is a bizarre double-murder / conspiracy that has occurred in Stainesville, and the locals are determined to keep a lid on things forever. Only Rose seems to be aware that, now that Liza has returned, it is only a question of time before the entire truth comes out. Eddie has followed Liza to Stainesville because he does not wish to lose her. "A Howling in the Woods" was filmed entirely in and around beautiful Lake Tahoe, Nevada and features excellent performances from a wonderful cast. The audience can't help but root for Barbara Eden's character ( the former 'Jeannie' is extremely gripping here ! ). The viewer gets bits & pieces of relevant information all through the film, but the suspense never really let's up right until the very end. This is one of the finest TV movies of the early 1970s and it sometimes is shown in the late evening on a local station. You should set your VCR to tape this one if you can. A marvelous and very well written mystery / thriller that could rival even a similar theatrical film shown today, "A Howling in the Woods" is a small screen cinematic triumph that should not go ignored...if you can help it!
Review of A Howling in the Woods
