The Disappearance of Aimee

A dramatisation of the unexplained six-week disappearance in 1926 of evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson after which a court hearing had to decide whether she had been kidnapped to Mexico as she claimed or had been trysting with a married man as the police and her mother (played by Bette Davis) suspected. This was Faye Dunaway's TV movie debut in a role that was scheduled to be played by Ann-Margret.

 

Extract from The Danville Register, Virginia dated November 15-21, 1976

Sister Aimee made international news in the 20s, 30s and 40s with her evangelism, and her temple remains a Los Angeles landmark to this day.

Another temple, nearly 1,000 miles away, served as the setting for the filming of the special. That temple is in Denver, Colo., where the drama was filmed, and once a synagogue - the temple now is part of the Denver Indian Center. For three days in August, however, it was "Aimee's temple."
 
Art director Chuck Rosen said "we achieved a great deal of the feeling of the original. She used a lot of flowers and that's what we did. In fact, we acquired most of the artificial flowers available in Denver, and had to send to Los Angeles for more."
 
All went well except for one bizarre incident. The company started filming on a Saturday and planned to return the following Monday: the Indians needed the place Sunday evening for a wake. "One of the Indians was an actor, and he explained the proceedings to us", said Rosen. "The wake, we were told, lasts all night, and the funeral follows in the morning. Unfortunately, the body was still there when our production assistant went to make coffee at 9 am. She really needed a cup after that!"
   
Country of origin
US

Genre
Drama
Director
Anthony Harvey
Original language
English
Teleplay
John McGreevey

Cast List:

Sister Aimee McPherson .............Faye Dunaway

Minnie Kennedy ............................Bette Davis

District Attorney Asa Keyes ...........James Sloyan

Assistant DA Joseph Ryan .............James Woods

Captain Cline .................................John Lehne

Emma Shaffer ................................Lelia Goldoni

S I Gilbert ......................................Severn Darden

Kenneth Ormiston ..........................William Jordan

Judge Blake.....................................Sandy Ward

Wallace Moore................................Barry Brown

Benedict..........................................Irby Smith

Clerk...............................................Hartley Silver

 

 

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