Fatal Vision (miniseries)

Fatal Vision is a 1984 American true crime drama television miniseries directed by David Greene from a teleplay by John Gay, based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Joe McGinniss. The miniseries stars Karl Malden, Eva Marie Saint, Barry Newman, Gary Cole, and Andy Griffith. It recounts the celebrated case of Jeffrey R. MacDonald, the former Green Beret physician who was convicted of murdering his pregnant wife and their two small children.

The miniseries received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special, with Malden winning Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special for his performance as MacDonald's father-in-law, Freddy Kassab.

Cast

 * Starring
 * Karl Malden as Freddy Kassab
 * Eva Marie Saint as Mildred Kassab
 * Barry Newman as Bernie Segal
 * Gary Cole as Jeffrey R. MacDonald
 * Special guest star
 * Andy Griffith as Victor Worheide
 * Also starring
 * Gary Grubbs as James Blackburn
 * Joel Polis as Brian Murtagh
 * Mitchell Ryan as Paul Strombaugh
 * Wendy Schaal as Colette MacDonald
 * Scott Paulin as William Ivory
 * Barry Corbin as Franz Grebner
 * Albert Salmi as Judge Dupree
 * Co-starring
 * Alexandra Johnson as Helena Stoeckley
 * Paddi Edwards as Perry MacDonald
 * Frank Dent as Joe McGinniss
 * Carmen Argenziano as Col. Pruett
 * Andy Wood as Robert Shaw
 * Dennis Redfield as Peter Kearns
 * Joe Mays as William Posey
 * Rex Ryon as Jay MacDonald
 * J.P. Bumstead as Col. Rock
 * Brandy Gold as Kimberly MacDonald (age 5)
 * Judith Barsi as Kimberly MacDonald (age 3)
 * Dylan Galer as Kristen MacDonald
 * Lance Rosen as Dennis Eisman
 * Patricia Duff as Joy
 * Nadine van der Velde as Randi
 * Laurence Haddon as Gen. Flanagan
 * Jack Rader as Provost Marshal
 * Kenneth Tigar as Pathologist
 * Roy London as Dr. Thornton
 * Eugene Butler as Capt. Somers
 * Anne Betancourt as St. Mary's Sister

Production
NBC paid $130,000 for the rights to the book, according to McGinniss, a transaction that was complicated by a prior contractual claim by Dell publishers. The miniseries was filmed in Santa Clarita and Pasadena, California, as well as at NBC Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.

Critical response
John J. O'Connor of The New York Times called the story "chilling" and the miniseries "certainly compelling", but stated it was not "as overwhelming as Mr. McGinniss's book." O'Connor also praised the cast, writing that Cole, Malden, and Saint "contribute outstanding performances." Howard Rosenberg of the Los Angeles Times lauded Fatal Vision for its "superb, meticulous storytelling that will have you on the edge of your seat, with Greene managing to convey the brutality of the crime in a surreal way without showing actual violence." Rosenberg also named it "the highest-rated miniseries of the 1984-85 season."