And the Band Played On (1993) (TV)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Roger Spottiswoode

Writers (WGA):

Randy Shilts (book)
Arnold Schulman (teleplay)

Release Date:

11 September 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A threat no one dared face. A word no one wanted to speak. A fight for many, fought by few.

Plot:

The story of the discovery of the AIDS epidemic and the political infighting of the scientific community hampering the early fight with it.

Plot Keywords:

AIDS | Virus | Epidemic | Gay | Political

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 9 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Matthew Modine	...	Dr. Don Francis
Alan Alda	...	Dr. Robert Gallo
Patrick Bauchau	...	Dr. Luc Montagnier
Nathalie Baye	...	Dr. Françoise Barre
Christian Clemenson	...	Dr. Dale Lawrence
David Clennon	...	Mr. Johnstone
Phil Collins	...	Eddie Papasano
Bud Cort	...	Antique shop owner
Alex Courtney	...	Dr. Mika Popovic
David Dukes	...	Dr. Mervyn Silverman
Richard Gere	...	The Choreographer
David Marshall Grant	...	Dennis Seeley
Ronald Guttman	...	Dr. Jean-Claude Chermann
Glenne Headly	...	Dr. Mary Guinan
Anjelica Huston	...	Dr. Betsy Reisz
Ken Jenkins	...	Dr. Dennis Donohue
Richard Jenkins	...	Dr. Marc Conant
Tchéky Karyo	...	Dr. Willy Rozenbaum
Swoosie Kurtz	...	Mrs. Johnstone
Jack Laufer	...	Brian McDonough
Donal Logue	...	Bobbi Campbell
Steve Martin	...	The Brother
Richard Masur	...	William W. Darrow, PhD
Dakin Matthews	...	Congressman Phil Burton
Ian McKellen	...	Bill Kraus
Peter McRobbie	...	Dr. Max Essex
Lawrence Monoson	...	Chip
Jeffrey Nordling	...	Gaetan Dugas
Saul Rubinek	...	Dr. Jim Curran
Charles Martin Smith	...	Dr. Harold Jaffe
Stephen Spinella	...	Brandy Alexander
Lily Tomlin	...	Dr. Selma Dritz
B.D. Wong	...	Kico Govantes
Walter Addison	...	Blood Bank executive
Jill Andre	...	Red Cross spokesperson
Alan Barry	...	Hemophiliac patient
Neal Benari	...	Dr. Tom Spira (as Neal Ben-Ari)
David Dean Bottrell	...	Man #3
Rico Bueno	...	Bellevue Hospital Patient
Bill Carmichael	...	Delivery Man
Christopher Carroll	...	Dr. Aaron Kellner
Reg E. Cathey	...	Staff Doctor #2
John Del Regno	...	Man in Grand Central
John Durbin	...	6th Man
Mogens Eckert	...	Chief Executive (Copenhagen)
Carey Eidel	...	Tennis Player
Robert Briscoe Evans	...	2nd Reporter
Richard Fancy	...	Dr. Michael Gottlieb
Keythe Farley	...	Lab Technician
Christopher John Fields	...	Lawyer
Dave Florek	...	Doughnut Shop Counterman
Niki Gilbert	...	Sudanese Girl
Yasmine Golchan	...	Dr. Françoise Brun-Vezinet
Patrick Gorman	...	Charles Dauget
James Greene	...	Dr. Alvin Freedman-Kien
Jeff Hayenga	...	Dr. Bruce Voeller
Daniel Henning	...	Blaine
Ike Ikediashi	...	Sudanese Boy
Laura Innes	...	Hemophiliac Representative
Laura James	...	Margaret Heckler
Michael Kearns	...	Cleve
Erasor Kemie	...	Sudanese Student
Jack Kenny	...	San Francisco Activist
Thomas Kopache	...	Blood Bank Executive
Clyde Kusatsu	...	Blood Bank Executive
Frank Li'Bay	...	Desk Clerk
Rob LaBelle	...	Gay Rights Activist
Neal Lerner	...	1st Man
René Le Vant	...	Blood Bank Executive
Geoff Lower	...	Dr. David Simpson
Anthony Lucero	...	Mailroom Man
James Mastrantonio	...	8th Man
Jon Matthews	...	Greg
Rosemary Murphy	...	Blood Bank Executive
Susanne Olsen	...	Intern (Copenhagen)
Angela Paton	...	Woman in Denver
Sierra Pecheur	...	Female Reporter
Miguel Pérez	...	Reporter
Martin Raymond	...	4th Man
Jeremy Regan	...	Ticket Seller
Robert Martin Robinson	...	Chief Administrator (French)
Valeri Ross	...	Jim's Secretary
Hildur Ruriks	...	Female Danish 2nd Executive
Tom Schanley	...	Waiter
Sean Whitesell	...	Country Club Attendant
Michael Winters	...	Middle-aged Man
William Wintersole	...	Dr. Paul Florino
Lenny Wolpe	...	Dr. Joseph Bove
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Allen	...	Himself (archive footage)
Edafe Blackmon	...	Sudanese Driver (as Edafe Okorume)
Arthur Ashe	...	Himself (epilogue sequence) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Aric Cushing	...	Street Walker (uncredited)
Brad Davis	...	Billy Hayes (epilogue sequence) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Denholm Elliott	...	Undetermined film role (epilogue sequence) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ryal Haakenson	...	Physician / Conference's Audience Member (uncredited)
Rock Hudson	...	Himself (epilogue sequence) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Magic Johnson	...	Himself (epilogue sequence) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Giorgio Kokosin	...	Hospital patient (uncredited)
Liberace	...	Himself (epilogue sequence) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Geoffrey Lower	...	Dr. David Simpson (uncredited)
Roger Gail Lyon	...	Himself (uncredited)
Richard Marcus	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Freddie Mercury	...	Himself (epilogue sequence) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Paul Moncrief	...	Court photographer (uncredited)
Anthony Perkins	...	Himself (epilogue sequence) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Princess Diana	...	Herself, in epilogue sequence (archive footage) (uncredited)
Richie Solomon	...	Procession Marcher (uncredited)
Michael Szymanski	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Herself (epilogue sequence) (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Roger Spottiswoode

Writing credits (WGA)
Randy Shilts		(book)
Arnold Schulman		(teleplay)

Produced by
Marcia Basichis	....	associate producer
Omneya 'Nini' Mazen	....	associate producer
Karen J. McCabe	....	line producer: San Francisco
Sarah Pillsbury	....	producer
Midge Sanford	....	producer
Arnold Schulman	....	co-producer
Albert M. Shapiro	....	associate producer (as Albert Shapiro)
Aaron Spelling	....	executive producer
Edward Teets	....	co-producer
E. Duke Vincent	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Carter Burwell

Cinematography by
Paul Elliott

Film Editing by
Lois Freeman-Fox

Casting by
Judith Holstra
Nikki Valko

Production Design by
Victoria Paul

Art Direction by
Lee Mayman

Set Decoration by
Diana Allen Williams

Costume Design by
Patti Callicott

Makeup Department
Allan A. Apone	....	key makeup artist
Adam Brandy	....	makeup artist
Martin Christopher	....	additional hair stylist
Arturo Rojas	....	hair stylist
Michael Spatola	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
Jeffrey Downer	....	production manager (as Jeff Downer)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Scott Bryant	....	dga trainee
Albert Cho	....	second assistant director
Mark Hansson	....	second second assistant director
Toby Lavallo	....	first assistant director: San Francisco
Albert M. Shapiro	....	first assistant director (as Albert Shapiro)

Art Department
Michael Atwell	....	construction foreman
Kris Boxell	....	art director: San Francisco
Gary L. Brennan	....	gang boss (as Gary Brennan)
Richard J. Brown	....	assistant props
Tom Craig	....	set dresser
Charles Doane	....	swing gang
James Michael Drury Jr.	....	carpenter (as James M. Drury Jr.)
Peter Emshwiller	....	set dresser
Barry Franenberg	....	property master
Aaron Groszmann	....	swing gang
Aaron J. Harney	....	construction foreman
Franklin R. Healy	....	carpenter
Dannen King	....	carpenter
Josh Koral	....	property master: San Francisco
Christine Lanier	....	construction production assistant
David E. Leicester	....	construction coordinator
William Livingston	....	swing gang
Caryn Marcus	....	buyer
Ray Maxwell	....	propmaker
Paul McConnell	....	lead man
Kim McDonald	....	propmaker
Pat Morache	....	lead scenic artist
Roger Nall	....	on-set dresser
Steve Olson	....	gang boss (as Stephen E. Olson)
Hector Rivera	....	swing gang
John W. Rozas	....	swing gang
Erich W. Schultz	....	construction coordinator
Maya Shimoguchi	....	set designer
Wendy Smith	....	art department coordinator
Richie Solomon	....	swing gang
Ryan Wilson	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Peter Austin	....	supervising sound editor
David Beadle	....	sound editor (as David Mark Beadle)
Peter Bergren	....	sound editor
Paul Coogan	....	boom operator
Dean Drabin	....	adr mixer
Steve Dutkovich	....	sound editor
Scott Edelson	....	cable person
Ron Evans	....	sound editor
David Hawkins	....	supervising sound editor
James Hebenstreit	....	sound editor (as Jim Hebenstreit)
Sonya Henry	....	sound editor
Chris Jenkins	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gary Lewis	....	sound editor
Albert Edmund Lord III	....	sound editor
Walt Martin	....	sound mixer
Pat McCormick	....	sound editor
Brian Ruberg	....	foley mixer
Brad Sherman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mark Smith	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bruce Tanis	....	sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Steve Austin	....	video playback operator
Joseph P. Clem	....	best boy electric (as Joe Clem)
John L. Dardis	....	electrician (as John Dardis)
Willie E. Dawkins	....	electrician
Debra Dotts-Sladek	....	second assistant camera (as Debra Anne Dotts)
Doug Hunt	....	first assistant camera: San Francisco
Rick Kangrga	....	grip
Jules Labarthe	....	rigging gaffer
Michael Listorti	....	dolly grip (as Michael E. Listorti)
Jerry L. Mandley	....	electrician (as Jerry Mandley)
Bruce McCleery	....	gaffer (as Robert Bruce McCleery)
Gary Molyneux	....	grip
Steven Pehl	....	best boy grip
Michael Pizzuto	....	key grip
Dennis Pope	....	key grip: San Francisco
Scott Andrew Ressler	....	first assistant camera
Jeffrey P. Soderberg	....	rigging gaffer
Chris Squires	....	camera operator
Bill Summers	....	grip
Peter Thomas	....	gaffer: San Francisco
Ric Urbauer	....	key rigging grip
Janet Van Ham	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Jill Anthony	....	casting assistant
Bill Dance	....	casting assistant
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ariella Berbrier	....	costume assistant
Sandy Kenyon	....	costumer
Rosa Leo	....	assistant to costume designer (as Rozanna Leo)
Salvador Pérez Jr.	....	costumer (as Salvador Perez)
Garet Reilly	....	costumer
Sharon Rosenberg	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Camille Bourque	....	assistant editor
Bill Couturié	....	editorial consultant
Daniel Craven	....	assistant editor
Garth Craven	....	additional editor
Cynthia Fitzpatrick	....	editor: video montage
Carrie Elizabeth Foresman	....	assistant editor
Terry Kelley	....	additional editor
Dan Muscarella	....	color timer
Barbara Riley	....	negative cutter
Gary Weimberg	....	additional editor
Brent White	....	additional editor

Music Department
Gary Chester	....	scoring engineer
Adam Milo Smalley	....	music editor
Yvonne Yedibalian	....	second scoring engineer
Carter Burwell	....	conductor (uncredited)
Carter Burwell	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
John Moses	....	musician: clarinet soloist (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Ernie Adams	....	transportation captain
Fred Robbins	....	transportation coordinator
Jacqueline Travers	....	transportation coordinator: San Francisco (as Jackie Travers)

Other crew
Kevin Aiello	....	caterer
Bill Bence	....	unit publicist
Jeff Bova	....	craft service
Helen Caldwell	....	script supervisor
Donna Cline	....	medical advisor
Donna Cline	....	medical coordinator
Casey B. Collins	....	production assistant (as Casey Collins)
D. Michael Dahlquist	....	production assistant
Blake Danforth	....	production assistant
Robert Dawson	....	title designer
Sarah Elgart	....	choreographer
Anne Marie Feldman	....	assistant: Ms. Mazan
Maxine Garcia	....	production coordinator: San Francisco
Michael Haro	....	location assistant
Susan J. Hellmann	....	key set production assistant (as Susan Hellmann)
Steven E. Housewright	....	location assistant
Jay Hoyle	....	clips and photos: Mark Hoyle
B. Richard Jeffery	....	post-production accountant
Mia Levinson	....	assistant production coordinator: San Francisco
Richard Lorenzana	....	production accountant
Diana Lui	....	assistant production coordinator
Patt McCurdy	....	production coordinator
Nicholas Mook	....	first aid
Darryl Mori	....	assistant to producers
Deborah Ricketts	....	film/historical research
Nick Roberts	....	security officer
Lauren Ross	....	location manager
Richard Rothenstein	....	special consultant
Gail Stempler	....	location manager: San Francisco
Myles Troughgood	....	assistant choreographer (as Myles Thoroughgood)
Ron Cosmo Vecchiarelli	....	production assistant (as Ronald Vecchiarelli)
Sharon Vise	....	assistant accountant (as Sharon L. Vise)
David L. Wolfson	....	assistant location manager (as David Wolfson)
Chuck Workman	....	consultant: historical montage

Thanks
Matt Herron	....	acknowledgment: "The Quilt" photos courtesy of
Billy Howard	....	acknowledgment: "Epitaphs For the Living" photos courtesy of

Production Companies

• Home Box Office (HBO)
• Odyssey Motion Pictures
• Spelling Entertainment

Distributors

• Home Box Office (HBO) (1993) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Cipa (1994) (France) (theatrical)
• Escarlata Films S.A. (1994) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1993) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Odessa Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Sonet Film (1994) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Sonet Film (1995) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1994) (Sweden) (theatrical) (as Stiftelsen Svenska Filminstitutet)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (1994) (Argentina) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Makeup Effects Laboratories

Other Companies

• ABC News  additional footage provided by
• Bill Dance Casting  extras casting
• CBS News Archives  additional footage provided by
• Cable News Network (CNN)  additional footage provided by
• Cinema Research  titles and opticals
• Columbia Pictures Corporation  "Midnight Express" clips provided by
• Elizabeth Bardsley & Associates  script annotation
• Glen Glenn Studios  sound effects
• Glen Glenn Studios  sound post-production
• Group W Television  additional footage provided by
• Hollywood Records  clips: The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
• Inter Video  24 frame video playback
• KPIX  additional footage provided by
• KRON San Francisco  additional footage provided by
• KTVU  additional footage provided by
• Maryland Public Television  additional footage provided by
• Mercury Phoenix Trust  clips: The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
• Movie Movers  cast trailers
• NBA Entertainment  additional footage provided by
• NBC News Archives  additional footage provided by
• NW Aids Video Project  "Finding Our Way Together" clips provided by
• NYC Commission on Human Rights  "The Second Epidemic" clips provided by
• National Edison Recording Studio  music recording studio
• OM Productions Ltd.  clips: The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
• October Films  additional footage provided by
• Otto Nemenz International  Arriflex camera equipment provided by
• Pan American Health Organization  additional footage provided by
• Sichov  additional footage provided by
• Sipa Press  additional footage provided by
• The Sherman Grinberg Film Libraries  additional footage provided by
• Todd-AO Studios  sound effects provided by
• Todd-AO Studios  sound post-production

Runtime:

141 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Danish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Argentina:13 | France:U | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Home Box Office (HBO)

Trivia:

Mary Guinan, the role played by Glenne Headly, was Nevada's State Health Officer in the early 2000s. She has since retired.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Francis's Volvo has a Georgia license plate on the front. Georgia only issues rear license plates.

Quotes:

Dr. Dennis Donohue: When the doctors start acting like businessmen, who do the people turn to for doctors?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Chicago Hope: ...And the Hand Played On (#4.5)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

Play the Game

If this film doesn't touch you, you have no heart

HBO was beginning to choose projects other networks were afraid to touch. And the Band Played On is one of their all time top ten. The actors who participated in this film were only paid scale, and not a lot of money was used, but the message is the strongest. I viewed this on its premiere and couldn't sleep afterward. I view it more these days since I've had many friends die of "red tape" of AIDS.

According to this film based in Randy's book, what bothers me the most was the opportunities that existed by several people to catch this disease at various stages and it just wasn't done. Sure the government played its part, but so did commerce, so did vanity and so did the need for humans to be sexual beings.

Since the film I've read about the deaths of many as well as experienced deaths myself. One thing that stands out is "Patient Zero". The family of this gentleman has fought long and hard for that stigma to be erased. As the character says in the film: "If I got it, then someone gave it to me". I do understand terms that mark things as "the beginning" of the identified problem but with this film you will know there was a beginning BEFORE THAT beginning. Where it lies is still a mystery.

On the other hand if America could have shared information with other countries and paid closer attention we could have fought this is a world problem before it got to the point of where it did. But America was too busy allocating more money to military defense than to the medical defense.

America had discoverable AIDS cases as far back as the 1950's, but it didn't reach total epidemic status until the late 1970's early 1980's. This film brings that information out. It also brings out the information that this disease, although concentrated in the gay community, had no specific target, anyone could/would get it. The people in my life were not all homosexual who contracted the disease but a few were just receivers of blood transfusions. At the time they received the blood, the test was not developed for screening. Just like the film points out, they too (family, friends, associates) suffered.

There is so much to grab in this film, one or two viewings isn't enough. One or two pointed fingers is not the answer. It is equally as sad that almost 10 years later, I am writing this review and the band is still playing. It was my prayer that this would not be so.