The Gentleman Bandit (1981 film)
The Gentleman Bandit is a 1981 TV movie directed by Jonathan Kaplan and starring Ralph Waite.[2] It is based on the real story of Reverend Bernard Pagano.
The Gentleman Bandit | |
---|---|
Written by | Milan Stitt |
Directed by | Jonathan Kaplan |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Producer | John E. Quill |
Production company | Highgate Pictures |
Budget | $2 million[1] |
Release | |
Original release | 6 May 1981 |
Plot
A priest is accused of armed robbery by various eyewitnesses.
Cast
- Ralph Waite as Reverend Pagano
- Jerry Zaks as his laywer
- Estelle Parsons as a parishioner
Production
Until the eve of the first screening,[3] the working title for the film was The Bandit Priest.[4][5]
The film was based on a true story of the Reverend Bernard Pagano[6] who was arrested in 1979 for five armed robberies and one attempted robberies. Eventually another man, Robert Clouser, confessed to the crimes.[7][8]
Writer Milan Stitt spent a week interviewing Pagano, his attorney, friends and parishioners in December 1979. He wrote the script in four days.[1]
Filming took place in New York City and Westchester County.[9] It began on 19 January 1981. Pagano himself acted as technical adviser on the film.[1]
References
- Caparella, Kitty (11 February 1981). "Once notorious priest takes on reel life". Philadelphia Daily News. p. 2.
- Garafola, Peter (22 February 1981). "Optimism Carries Waite". Mount Vernon Argus. p. 51.
- Marill, Alvin H. (1987). Movies Made for Television: The Telefeature and the Mini-series, 1964-1986. New York Zoetrope. ISBN 978-0-918432-80-3.
- "The Gentleman Bandit (1981)". BFI. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved 2023-06-18.
- "The Gentleman Bandit". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
- Roberts, Jerry (2009-06-05). Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-6378-1.
- Freeman, Mike; Holmberg, David (6 May 1981). "Questions remain in Pagano Case". Philadelphia Daily News. p. 21.
- Malone, Peter (2019-08-19). Screen Priests: The Depiction of Catholic Priests in Cinema, 1900-2018. ISD LLC. ISBN 978-1-925872-91-0.
- "Ralph Waites portrays clerical bandit". The Ottawa Citizen. 18 April 1981. p. 248.
External links
- The Gentleman Bandit at IMDb
- The Gentleman Bandit at Letterbox DVD
- The Gentleman Bandit at TCMDB
- The Gentleman Bandit at BFI