Vanished

The very complicated mystery of this book was interesting but it felt like there was a rush to wrap things up in the last chapter.

Every man has a breaking point, especially the president of the United States", James Farentino says as part one concludes, and indeed, it does seen like president Richard Widmark (in a well deserved Emmy nominated performance) has gone over the deep end, either involved in something far too big for him to control, or just turning evil as the lust for power starts to control him. Widmark's assistant, Arthur Hill, disappears without a trace, leaving a worried wife, Eleanor Parker, and suspicions stemming from a traitorous act or even becoming involved in an affair with another man. Political enemy Robert Young (another well deserved Emmy nomination) uses all of this to his advantage as the bubbling pot of political stew heats up. While show more this is a complex plot, it is never confusing and certainly never boring. There are great supporting performances by Jim Davis, Larry Hagman, Skye Aubrey, Tom Bosley, Hayden Rorke, Robert Hooks, Murray Hamilton and E. G. Marshall. Everybody here serves a purpose in the plotline that at 3 hours does seem like a chore but turns out to be a rewarding viewing experience, surprisingly not mentioned when people talk about ground breaking TV movies. show less