Better Late Than Never (1979 film)

Better Late Than Never
Genre	Comedy-drama
Written by	John Carpenter Greg Strangis
Story by	Robert Stitzel
Directed by	Richard Crenna
Starring	Harold Gould Strother Martin Tyne Daly
Music by	Charles Fox
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	William Hogan Greg Strangis
Producer	Robert Birnbaum
Production locations	Snoqualmie, Washington Paramount Ranch - 2813 Cornell Road, Agoura, California
Cinematography	Ronald W. Browne
Editor	Jerry Dronsky
Running time	120 minutes
Production company	Factor/Newland Productions
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	October 17, 1979 (1979-10-17)

Better Late Than Never is a 1979 American TV film. It was written by John Carpenter and directed by Richard Crenna.

Plot

Harry Landers (Harold Gould) resides in a retirement home in a quaint corner of Massachusetts. Strongly averse to the idea of being confined within the walls of this retirement facility, Landers likens himself to a bird stripped of its wings. Adding to his discontent, the hospice is under the strict and somewhat sadistic management of Miss Davis (Tyne Daly), a woman known for her harsh methods.

In contrast to the resigned acceptance of impending death by other residents in the home, Harry decides he will no longer tolerate the numerous injustices perpetrated by the director. He initiates a rebellion, rallying a colonel (Donald Pleasence), a former captain (George Gobel), and all the other elderly inhabitants of the hospice. Their collective message is a powerful one: that life remains precious in every moment, even as it approaches its end.

Cast

• Harold Gould as Harry Landers
• Strother Martin as J D Ashcroft
• Tyne Daly as Ms Davis
• Harry Morgan as Mr Scott
• Marjorie Bennett as Marjorie Crane
• Victor Buono as Dr Zoltan Polos
• George Gobel as Captain Taylor
• Jeanette Nolan as Lavinia Leventhal
• Donald Pleasence as Colonel Riddle
• Larry Storch as Sheriff
• Tom Spratley as Tom
• Lou Jacobi as Milton Cohen
• Paula Trueman as Alke Elam

External links

• Better Late Than Never at IMDb
• Better Late Than Never at the TCM Movie Database
• Better Late Than Never at AllMovie
• Better Late Than Never at the British Film Institute