The Awakening Land is a 1978 television miniseries based on Conrad Richter's trilogy of novels: The Trees; The Fields; and The Town, published from 1940 to 1950. The series originally aired on NBC in three installments from February 19 to February 21, 1978; directed by Boris Sagal, it starred Elizabeth Montgomery and Hal Holbrook.
Premise The storyline follows the struggle of Sayward Luckett (Montgomery) after she travels to the unsettled Ohio Valley frontier from post-revolutionary Pennsylvania. She and her family carve out a homestead in the forest, and a community with other settlers. The series follows Sayward from a young single woman, left with three sisters to raise after their mother dies and their father abandons the family, to a married woman who has her own family of seven. Her faithful devotion to her family is recounted against the day-to-day struggle for survival.
Main cast Elizabeth Montgomery ... Sayward Luckett Wheeler Hal Holbrook ... Portius Wheeler Jane Seymour ... Genny Luckett Steven Keats ... Jake Tench Louise Latham ... Jary Luckett William H. Macy ... Will Beagle Jeanette Nolan ... Granny McWhirter Bert Remsen ... Isaac Barker Charles Gowan ... Alan Hamilton Sean Frye ... Resolve Wheeler, as youth Tracy Kleronomos ... Dezia Wheeler Katy Kurtzman ... Rosa Tench Byrne Piven ... Dr. Pearsall Julie Gibson ... Lady Peddler
Production notes
Location The series was shot in historic New Salem, Illinois. Interiors were filmed in a set constructed in a gymnasium in Springfield, the state capital. The gym was also used to house the prop and wardrobe departments. Filming took months. As an incentive for the production company to choose the area, the Springfield city council agreed to fill a nearby lake to resemble the Ohio River. The city arranged for animals from the Elgin Zoo to be transported to the set.
Coaching of cast The production was faithful to Richter's use of language characteristic of the Ohio Valley in those years. Actress/choreographer Marge Champion instructed the actors in both speech and body language of the region to add to the authenticity of the historical drama.Hal Erickson, Overview: The Awakening Land, The New York Times
Crew Directed by: Boris Sagal "The Trees" and "The Fields" script: James Lee Barrett "The Town" script: Liam O'Brien Novels written by: Conrad Richter Executive Producer: Harry Bernstein Associate Producer: Robin S. Clark Executive Producer: Tom Kuhn Producer: Robert E. Relyea Original Music by: Fred Karlin Cinematography by: Michel Hugo Film Editing by: Bernard J. Small Production Design by: Jack DeShields Set Decoration by: Fred Price Costume Design by: Frank Tauss Key Costumer: Bill Blackburn Hair Stylist: Sugar Blymyer Assistant Director: Alan R. Green First Assistant Director: Dennis E. Jones Property Master: Matt Springman Sound Mixer: Glenn E. Anderson ADR Editor: Jerry Jacobson Assistant Cameraman: Jim Mazzula Choreographer: Marge Champion Dialogue Supervisor: Marge Champion Extras Brian Halcomb, Allen Tomlin, Dan Yeager
Award nominations Year Award Result Category Recipient1978 Emmy Award Nominated Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Series Jeanette NolanFor part one Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series Elizabeth Montgomery Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series Hal Holbrook Outstanding Individual Achievement in Any Area of Creative Technical Crafts Sugar BlymyerFor part three Outstanding Cinematography in Entertainment Programming for a Series Michel Hugo Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) Fred Karlin
References
External links Hal Erickson, The Awakening Land, The New York Times