NBC MONDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES: TERRACES (TV)
Summary
This made-for-television production concerns the interplay between various residents of Terrace Towers, a high-rise apartment building in Los Angeles. As the program opens, teacher Julie Bordon moves into the complex and runs into old friends Gregg, a lawyer, and Beth Loomis, a studio publicist. The couple is pleased that their efforts to get Julie to be their neighbor finally paid off. Alex Bengston, a struggling actor, helps her get settled. Julie then reflects on having put some distance between herself and her mother, with whom she used to live. She calls would-be boyfriend Steve and is thrilled when he accepts her dinner invitation. Wandering onto the terrace, Julie meets Martin and Roberta Robbins, meddlesome neighbors who are retirees. Roberta says she’s having a tenants’ meeting in her apartment that night to discuss the board’s attempts to get rid of doorman Louis Parizzi. At the meeting, Julie is introduced to more residents. Later, she tries to get over her disappointment at Steve blowing her off. Elsewhere, Alex has dinner with Roger Cabe, a doctor who professes his love for the thespian. Roger states that he never had a gay relationship before meeting Alex. In the lobby, Roger’s wife, Dorothea, then quizzes Louis about the identity of “the patient” that her husband keeps meeting at the complex.
Around midnight, Steve arrives at Julie’s place and tells her that his tennis instruction ran long. After the two have relations, Steve says he has to leave. Gregg and Beth argue over her continuing to do work for the studio while he wants to go to bed. Gregg and Beth then discuss why they’ve grown apart during their three-year marriage. As Roberta prepares for bed, she chastises Martin for making too much of their dog, Blossom. She remains upset that Mickey, their grown son in Cleveland, doesn’t care about them. When Roger leaves Alex, Alex begs him to call soon. The next day, Alex confides in neighbor Chalane Turner, an exercise fanatic, about his relationship with Roger. She then admits to her own love affair with married man Harold. When Julie has lunch with Gregg and Beth, she tries to arbitrate their arguments. Later, Dorothea goes to Alex’s apartment, where Chalane opens the door. After Gregg clarifies that he lives there, Dorothea openly laughs at the thought of Roger being in love with Alex. While taking Blossom for a walk, Martin stops by the haberdashery he used to own and tells the new owner that its gay clientele represents “filth.” As they prepare for a tenants’ meeting, Beth, Julie, and Roberta discuss how times – and men – have changed. At the meeting, Roberta downplays the concept of having buzzers replace Louis. When Roger interrupts the meeting, Alex tells him about his encounter with Dorothea. Roger says that he has to break things off, leaving Alex considering suicide.
After yet another argument, Beth tells Gregg that she won’t accompany him to a concert that night with Julie. Later, Martin vandalizes the store front while leaving Blossom unattended. He screams when Blossom runs into the street and is hit by a car. As Julie and Gregg get drunk, their friendship intensifies and they kiss. Roger races back to the complex after calling Alex, suspecting that he’d taken an overdose. Outside, Beth finds Martin carrying around Blossom’s corpse. Roberta can’t contain her glee at the dog’s death. Beth then joins Roger and Chalane as they try to break into Alex’s apartment. Knowing that Julie has the apartment next door, the trio parades through Julie’s living room – at which point Beth sees that Julie and Gregg have just slept together. Roberta and Martin then join the effort to save Alex, with Gregg climbing between terraces and finding Alex unconscious. Roger forces Alex to drink coffee until he wakes up, at which point Roger apologizes for his actions. Afterward, Julie says she’s sorry to Beth as Gregg goes to collect his clothes from Julie’s apartment. Alone with Beth, Gregg argues for why they should stay together. Beth admits that she’s angry, but isn’t ready to walk out on their marriage. The two ultimately kiss and decide to stay together. The police show up at the Dulos’ apartment, after which Martin admits throwing a trash can through the haberdashery’s window. As Julie reconciles with her mother on the phone, Steve shows up and Julie slams the door in his face. The next day, Martin buys a new dog as Beth agrees to be friends with Julie again. As Roger moves in with Alex, Chalane heads off for a rendezvous with Harold, leaving Roberta and Louis to compare notes on all the goings-on. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: June 27, 1977 9:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:14:44
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:56565
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Los Angeles; Relationships
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV, 1977
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV – Commercials – General Services Administration Consumer Information Center catalog
CREDITS
- Charles Fries … Executive Producer
- Lila Garrett … Producer, Director , Writer
- Ron Wright … Associate Producer
- George Kirgo … Writer
- Peter Matz … Music by
- Lloyd Bochner … Cast, Roger Cabe
- Jane Dulo … Cast, Roberta Robbins
- Arny Freeman … Cast, Martin Robbins
- Eliza Garrett … Cast, Beth Loomis
- Bill Gerber … Cast, Gregg Loomis
- Kit McDonough … Cast, Julie Bordon
- Julie Newmar … Cast, Chalane Turner
- James Phipps … Cast, Alex Bengston
- Lola Albright … Cast, Dorothea Cabe
- Timothy Thomerson (See also: Tim Thomerson) … Cast , Steve
- Allan Rich … Cast, Mr. Vogel
- Ralph Manza … Cast, Louis Parizzi
- Tom Lawrence … Cast, Neighbor
- Jack Deron … Cast, Officer
- Maurice Hill … Cast, Neighbor
- Raymond O'Keefe … Cast, Neighbor
- Gracia Lee … Cast, Neighbor
- Mark L. Taylor … Cast, Officer