Well Deserved Praise

Just so...so bad

Better than most people think

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

As mid-70s military oriented mini series' go this one is okay, but it does not do the book justice. The book, by Anton Myrer, is a sweeping epic that follows Sam Damon from his late high school years where, failing to get an appointment to West Point, he enlists in the peacetime Army, much to the chagrin of his uncle whose tales of the Spanish American war had inspired him to seek a military career; "Boy, you don't join the Army in peacetime!". The book ends at the beginning of the Vietnam era, before the USA has become involved in it, but Courtney Massengale is more than eager for the conflict to escalate and Sam Damon, well, I don't want to drop any spoilers about the book (read it!) If I'm not mistaken, the book is still required reading at West Point; if you can find a copy I urge you to read it. I forst encountered it as Reader's Digest condensed book in the late 60s-early 70s and loved it so much that the first time I saw a copy for sale I bought it. For what it what it is, the mini series is okay, as okay as any 1976 mini series can be. The Banzia attack was a bit disappointing, especially the Japanese jibber-jabber and for the most part it seems as if it was made on are a very tight budget. The casting was great; lots of BIG names and names that would be big in the future (Melanie Griffith). The opening sequences were a little disorienting, mostly from the inclusion of Indy-style race cars that the Unsers would have been driving as well as 70s-80s model Formula One cars. What's up with that? The formatting of the discs was a rather "unusual" but, it was likely one of the first mini series' of its type to be put on a DVD. Personally I would recommend The Winds of War and War and Remembrance over Once An Eagle. I enjoyed the mini series for what it was. but the ending with Sam walking away from a screeching Massengale was pretty lame, especially if you know that the story still has another 20-years to go

1976 Called ... and it wants this overly long soap opera miniseries back!!! No, we are not talking Winds Of War or War & Remembrance … which were also pretty soapy (Rhonda almost sunk the franchise) … they at least had ample historical context. Nor are we talking about Holocaust ... the best of all … but this one right here. Now at writing this has an 8.1 rating on IMDb. This IMHO reflects the nostalgic vote because having just seen the series for the first time I can tell you it's not that good. No I did not see this when I was 15 with my parents in the living room… nor did I read the book … nor was I part of the greatest generation … just a person accessing history through film. Now there are good things to say, especially Sam Waterson & Cliff Potts in the leads … more so the rest of the cast was quite solid (it is fun to have one of those "I remember her" moments like with Juliet Mills). And I do like the theme of disgusting politics and self-promotion at the expense of others … in war time. My biggest problem remains the sappy soap … which was needed to attract big audiences … over the course of many nights … to offset the great expense of the production. It just made this show way too long. I guess it all comes down to what you like … a little soap with your history or a little history with you soap? I go prior all the time … history is juicy enough. 6 of 10

I am working to bring Once An Eagle, the absolutely outstanding television miniseries, to the market after a 30+ year absence. Please visit my website www.once-an-eagle.com and leave your email message at "give us the miniseries" in the right-hand column. It will be consolidated and sent to NBC Universal as I am in touch with the appropriate executives. You will find plenty of other interesting information as well on the novel on which the miniseries was based, on the author Anton Myrer and much more. You can also see what numerous other miniseries fans have had to say. Site also includes the most comprehensive "Film Credits" on the internet and a reverse script of the miniseries. Let's make release of the miniseries a reality! NEW: go to www.youtube.com/onceaneagleguy to see miniseries excerpts.

I saw the TV mini-series and read the book several years later. The mini-series does an excellent job of following the book. Both are excellent. As far as purchasing this TV mini-series on DVD or Tape goes, Universal Pictures (NBC Now) owns it and they apparently do not have any plans to re-release it. Which is too bad because my wife and I are both big fans of Sam Elliot and this would be a must-buy for our DVD collection. Oh well......One of the things that the book and TV mini-series covers in great detail is the every day life of a career military person and what it actually entails to have to deal with some of the idiots that make life miserable for honest hard working military people. Also during the historical period covered in this mini-series the U.S. Military was in a downward spiral right after WWI. So no funds were available to maintain the military facilities or provide opportunities for advancement in rank or cost of living raises like we have days.So for a person to try and make a career out the military, they had really had to be committed to it.