| Producer: | Bill Brademan Edwin Self |
| Director: | Joseph Sargent |
| Starring: | Walter Matthau Susan Blakely Robert Carradine Peter Firth Harry Morgan Barnard Hughes |
| Cinematography: | Kees Van Oostrum |
| Editor: | Debra Karen |
| Music: | Laurence Rosenthal |
| Network: | CBS |
| Runtime: | 100 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Related: |
The Incident is a 1990 American made-for-television drama film directed by Joseph Sargent and starring Walter Matthau and Harry Morgan which was originally broadcast on CBS on March 4, 1990. The film marked Matthau's return to television after over 20 years.[1]
The film was followed by two sequels: (1992) and Incident in a Small Town (1994).
The story takes place in the year 1944 in Lincoln Bluff, a fictional, small Colorado town.[2] The Second World War is still raging when the town's only doctor, George Hansen, is murdered at a local US Army camp, Camp Bremen, holding German prisoners of war.
Harmon J. Cobb, a local lawyer, is railroaded by Judge Bell into being the defense attorney for Geiger, the German prisoner accused of killing the doctor, who also happened to have been Cobb's friend.[3] Cobb has no desire for Geiger to be acquitted; in addition to sharing in the wartime anti-German sentiment, Cobb's son is an American soldier fighting the Germans. However, to preserve his hard-earned standing as a top-notch attorney, he begins to build a nominal defense by asking several of Geiger's subordinates who are also prisoners at Camp Bremen to act as character witnesses. However, they all refuse to testify, and when Cobb asks Geiger to pull rank on them to get them on the stand, he refuses. Moreover, he angrily accuses Cobb of being disinterested in the real goings-on in the camp.
Cobb does not press Geiger for more explanation of his comments. However, when a local acquaintance comes forward with more information, Cobb begins to suspect not only that Geiger is in fact innocent, but that Hansen's death is only the tip of the iceberg in illicit operations at Camp Bremen.
John J. O'Connor gave the film a highly positive review in The New York Times, deeming it "a first-rate production". While he found a number of details in the script didn't make sense, he praised the historical authenticity of both the story and the production, as well as Matthau's immense presence in the lead role.[1]
| Year | Award | Result | Category | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won (tied with Caroline?) | Outstanding Made for Television Movie | |||
| Won | Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries or a Special | |||
| Nominated | Outstanding Writing in a Miniseries or a Special (Michael Norell and James Norell) | |||
| 1991 | Won | (category unknown) | ||
| 1991 | Nominated | Best Television Feature or Miniseries | ||
| 1991 | Won | Original Long Form |