Created by Andy Lewis
Intended as a pilot, the 1974 TV movie Big Rose: Double Trouble, starred Shelley Winters as “BIG ROSE” WINTERS, a big, brassy Los Angeles private eye who’s been around the block once or twice, and doesn’t let much stand in her way, including her young partner, Ed Mills (Barry Primus). He’s struggling just to keep up.
They added a few little touches to soften her up — Rose does needlepoint and has a small dog called Poukie, but as Winters told Johnny on The Tonight Show, “Basically, it’s Cool and Lam.”
At the time, former starlet Winters was making something of a comeback, having been recently nominated for an Oscar for her star turn in 1972’s The Poseidon Adventure, while creator Andy Lewis was on a bit of a roll himself — his last script, for the P.I. flick Klute (1971), had been nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Meanwhile, the airwaves were full of new cop and private shows.
How could it miss?
TELEVISION
- BIG ROSE: DOUBLE TROUBLE
(1974, 20th Century Fox)
Originally aired: March 26, 1974
Teleplay by Andy Lewis
Directed by Paul Krasny
Executive Producer: Joel Rogisin
Starring Shelley Winters as ROSE WINTERS
and Barry Primus as Ed Miller
Also starring Lonny Chapman, Michael Constantine, Joan Van Ark, Peggy Walton-Walker, Paul Mantee
Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.
