Rich Man, Poor Man (1976)

Plot: We follow two NY small-town brothers and their girlfriend from 1946-1965
Stars: Nick Nolte (Tom), Peter Strauss (Rudy) Susan Blakely (Julie)

Pros: Falconitti character, Nolte, action scenes, supporting actors, Susan Blakely is hot
Cons: Peter Strauss and the Rudy character, too long, mediocre story and writing

Rich Man, Poor Man was as enormous hit on American TV in 1976, leading the Networks to produce other famous min-series such as The Winds of War and nighttime soaps like “Dallas” and Falcon Crest. Nolte is the main reason to see the show. The series comes alive whenever he’s onscreen and he fits his character perfectly. Blakely is effective and sexy - but asked to do too much as her character goes through wild/unrealistic changes of emotion and attitude. Strauss is a disappointment. While his part is dull, he does nothing to improve it, and is charisma-free. The supporting actors are good - especially Smith as the unforgettable villain “Falconitti”. The overrated Asner is adequate as the father.

Based on the Irwin Shaw novel, the story isn’t art but a glorified soap opera. Starting out strong it falters in the last third. The series (and novel) try to make a grand statement about “Post war America” but accomplish nothing more than: "America is corrupt, everything stinks and unracist good guys should move to France."

Summary: Not as good as I remember but still OK. Fast-forward when Strauss appears without Blakely or Nolte. Rating **1/2