Nights in White Satin

Something strange about the 80's; there was materialism and decadence, but stories were still written about the homeless, about career changes, about modeling.

This movie sort of encompasses all those stories, the young character at odds with her values, and the glamorous model (played by the then beautiful Wilhemina Model, Kim Waltrip).

It is basically a love story, with some lovely background music (Moody Blues: "Nights in White Satin"). There is a melancholy to it, and I am not sure if it is the innocence of the movie, or just the fact that we don't even see movies currently which are as basic as this. This is worth watching; the story is good, and I guess I am grieving that we no longer see such simple yet human stories as this in today's movies. 8/10.

Walker Jordan is a successful fashion photographer in L.A. He photographs the homeless community in his spare time and is taken by one particular girl named Lisa. He offers to take her portraits at his studio but she runs away. She's deliberately mute. Eventually she shows up at his place. His agent Marty Fiore pushes him to photograph Stevie Hughes. Soon, he's sleeping with Stevie while Lisa is sleeping downstairs in his loft. Lisa dances and still haunted by the drive-by murder of her social worker boyfriend Tony who tried to work with gang members.

This is a straight forward romance novel story. It is the white knight and a damsel in distress. I'm more taken with the great classic Moody Blues song. In the end, this is not bad but it doesn't exceed its TV B-movie genetics. The acting is functional. Priscilla Harris is not really an actress. She's more of a dancer but she mostly works especially since her character is a mute in the early parts. Nobody is breaking out from this functional dime store romance.

I have been searching for this movie for a very long time. For some reason it stuck with me like the OP said. Is there any way to get a copy of this film? I believe it was a "made for TV" film which makes it much more difficult to obtain.

I really cannot remember when I didn't search for this film over the years. This is the first time I found others looking for the film.

Does anyone know who the actor was that played the photographer or the homeless woman?

I didn't know the film was names "Knights in White Satin" I just thought they used the Moody Blues song in the film.

The final scene on the roof stuck in my mind all these years.

My review was written in September 1987 after watching the movie on HBO.

"Nights in White Satin" is a tedious romantic trifle, which if it were released theatrically would have the fans chanting "More plot!'. As is, it preemed late-late night on HO, ahead of its destined home video release.

Meager storyline has fashion photographer Walker Jordan (Kenneth David Gilman ) becoming obsessed with street waif Lisa (Priscilla Harris, who looks like a plain-Jane version of Cyndi Lauper). He has her move into his apartment, becoming one of his astants. They fall in love, she becomes a hit model, they part and happy ending reunites them.

Cornball material is merely an excuse for director-editor Michael Barnasrd to pour on technique that smacks of music videos and "Miami Vice". Beneath the flashy visuals and hit songs soundtrack is nothing. Even the film's ostensible theme, that of Gilman torn between his crass but lucrative glamor shoots and his real desire to do realistic photo studies of street people, is identical to the plot tag of earlier film-to-paycable effort (though a comedy) "Perfect Timing".

The Moody Blues theme song by Justin Hayward finally plays late in the picture to accompany rooftop jazz ballet turn by Harris, but most viewers will have nodded off by then. Cast is extremely bland, nudity minimal and other hits by the Thompson Twins, the Knack and Pat Benatar thrown in arbitrarily.

I saw Knights In White Satin when it first premiered on cable in 1987. It's kind of strange, but this film has stayed with me for many years. This is the type of film that touches a nerve in us all. It's that caring nerve that us humans often try to cover up. I had no idea that this film would move me the way it did some 14 years ago. There is something very poetic about this film, and you really start to care about the characters as you watch. This film plays like a well crafted love letter. I will not get into the plot of this film, but the flowing dance scene on the rooftop while "Knights In White Satin" is playing in the background gave me chills. That scene was magical. I highly recommend this film. This movie shows that it's not the budget of a film, but the story that counts, and remains with the viewer.