Dummy (1979 film)

Dummy
Genre	Drama
Based on	Dummy; by Ernest Tidyman
Screenplay by	Ernest Tidyman
Directed by	Frank Perry
Starring	Paul Sorvino; LeVar Burton
Theme music composer	Gil Askey
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producer	Frank Konigsberg
Producers	Sam Manners; Ernest Tidyman
Production location	Chicago
Cinematography	Gayne Rescher
Editors	Donald R. Rode; Benjamin A. Weissman
Running time	96 minutes
Production company	The Königsberg Company
Distributor	Warner Bros. Television
Release
Original network	CBS
Picture format	Color
Audio format	Mono
Original release	May 27, 1979

Dummy is a 1979 American made-for-television drama film starring LeVar Burton as Donald Lang and Paul Sorvino as Lowell Meyers, Lang's attorney.[1] Based on Ernest Tidyman's nonfiction book of the same name, the film dramatizes the life of Lang, an African-American deaf man from Chicago who was acquitted of the murders of two prostitutes.[2]

Plot

Donald Lang is a young African-American who was born deaf. He has a loving mother who struggles to give him as normal an upbringing as possible and a brother and sister who are supportive as well. He finds employment on the loading docks of Chicago and wins the respect of his fellow workers. Donald is arrested and charged with the murder of a prostitute he was seen leaving a bar with. His case is handled by attorney Lowell Myers who is also hearing impaired. Investigating the crime, Myers becomes convinced Donald is innocent and another person committed the murder. Nevertheless, Donald Lang is convicted and sent to a mental institution. After several years of appeals, Myers finally manages to have his client released making an eloquent appeal to the state Supreme Court that a deaf mute is entitled to the same rights as one not impaired. In an ironic conclusion, after a few months of freedom, Lang is again arrested for the murder of a prostitute who was seen with him and was convicted of this murder as well.

Cast

Paul Sorvino as Lowell Myers
LeVar Burton as Donald Lang
Brian Dennehy as Ragoti
Rose Gregorio as Jean Markin
Gregg Henry as Assistant D.A. Smith
Steven Williams as Julius Lang
Helen Martin as Mrs. Harrod

Awards

The film won a Peabody Award and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie.[3]

Home media

The film was released on DVD by the Warner Archive Collection on October 2011.[4]

References

Witbeck, Charles (27 May 1979). "LeVar Burton in 'Dummy': The case that stumped the courts". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
Shales, Tom (26 May 1979). "Mistreated 'Dummy'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
Roberts, Jerry (2009). Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810863781.page 443
"Vault Dweller: Quint checks out 32 Warner Archive releases! Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Lupe Velez, JFK, Gobots, Twiggy, Mr. T and more!". Ain't It Cool News. 4 October 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2017.

External links

Dummy at IMDb

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[1] Witbeck, Charles (27 May 1979). "LeVar Burton in 'Dummy': The case that stumped the courts". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 10 September 2017.

[2] Shales, Tom (26 May 1979). "Mistreated 'Dummy'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 September 2017.

[3] Roberts, Jerry (2009). Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810863781.page 443

[4] "Vault Dweller: Quint checks out 32 Warner Archive releases! Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Lupe Velez, JFK, Gobots, Twiggy, Mr. T and more!". Ain't It Cool News. 4 October 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2017.