Terraces

Aired in 1977, this was one of the very very first TV movies that had a very sympathetic gay plot line! And for that time period, the plot line was and is very moving and touching. For that reason I think it's valuable to watch the film (now on Netflix Instant), even if only to see how daring it was for the times.

The overarching set-up of the movie is that it takes place in an LA apartment complex, and follows the inhabitants of five of the apartments on the eighth floor whose terraces adjoin one another. These include Julie, a gal getting her very first apartment and who has a bit of low self-esteem; Roberta and Martin, a retired Jewish couple; Beth and Gregg, a young "golden couple" who are having marital difficulties; a flakey glamour girl (Julie Newmar); and Alex, a young gay actor.

Alex is good-humored and bright but feels like a flake. His meeting and falling in love with and having a serious affair with an older, married doctor (Lloyd Bochner) however, has given his life meaning. But when the doctor's wife attempts to track down the "other woman" in her husband's life, things come to a head.

I found this riveting in 1977. Perhaps it's less so now, and certainly the 1970s' music and TV production values and even the dialogue can seem a bit dated now, but I think the movie still holds up as an interesting ensemble piece of multiple overlapping story lines, highlighted in particular by the excellent gay-related plot. Check it out.

This is very evocative of the type of shows offered in the mid 70's. A soap opera with all plot lines neatly tied up by the end of the movie. Everyone happy.

This is interesting to see for the look into the fashions, the slang, the morals and the music of that period.

-- Julie Newmar showing a belly button (I Dream of Jeannie wasn't allowed to show that part of the anatomy. -- a gay plot line that used the word "gay" and didn't hide it under euphemisms. -- Single women being the aggressor in sexual pursuit and openly saying they liked sex. -- bell bottoms -- dresses with high necklines and flowing skirts. -- culottes as part of business attire. -- adultery without someone being killed off.

I remember being 12 years old and deciding I wanted to watch an "adult" movie (no not THAT kind of adult movie). My recollection of it is hazy except to say nearly all of the movie occurs on the terraces of an apartment building and explores the lives and interactions of the tenants as they occur on the apartment terraces. I found it rich with human drama (remember I was 12 and thought Ricardo Montalban offered profound insights on Fantasy Island too) and remember Cat Woman (Julie Newmar) was in it. Nearly the only specific thing I can remember now was that it seemed there was a lot of decorating with avocado green (blech!) and women in pant suits and tilted, wide-brim hats (blech again). Someday I'd like to see it and really find out just what was going on but for now I'll just remember the always-wonderful Julie Newmar and the atrocious art design.

All of the characters are unrealistic, and the dialogue and interaction is what you would expect from an episode of Love Boat. In fact, this TV movie has the same structure as The Love Boat except all the stories take place in a high-rise apartment in L.A. rather than on a ship.

I've actually seen this one too...but recently! This was on cable one night at about 3:00AM when I was up with my infant daughter.

Not much plot here, just the daily lives of a group of people in an apartment building. Yes, there's lots of awful 70's home decor and clothing--probably why I watched. Hard to believe this was on late night cable, much less prime time network television!