Lady Killer (1995 film)

*Lady Killer*
Lady Killer
Genre	Thriller
Written by	Michael L. Grace
Directed by	Steven Schachter
Starring	Judith Light ; Jack Wagner ; Tracey Gold
Music by	Micky Erbe; Maribeth Solomon
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	Donald Kushner; Peter Locke
Producer	Janet Faust Krusi
Production locations	Niagara Region, Ontario; Toronto
Cinematography	Bryan England; Peter Luxford
Editor	Bernadette Kelly
Running time	85 mins
Production company	The Kushner-Locke Company
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	April 5, 1995

Lady Killer is a 1995 drama television film directed by Steven Schachter, and stars Judith Light as a married woman who breaks off an affair with a younger man (Jack Wagner), who doesn't react well and targets her daughter (Tracey Gold). The film aired on CBS on April 5, 1995.^[1]

Plot

Janice Mitchell is a married woman who has a brief affair with attractive younger man Dr. Guy Ellisman. When she breaks off the affair, he doesn't react well, first by stalking and raping her. Janice and her husband decide to take an island vacation with their daughter Sharon, who brings along her boyfriend, who turns out to be Guy Ellisman. Janice soon finds herself at risk of telling her family about her affair.

In the end, everything comes to a head at a lighthouse, when Guy attempts to kill Ross by shooting him, then chases Janice up to the top of the lighthouse, trying to claim that Ross died in an accidental shooting and that they can finally be together, and tries to rape her again. Sharon, having discovered Guy's true nature, attempts to stop him by taking his gun and revealing to Janice that Guy shot Ross on purpose, causing Guy to attack her, throw the gun away, and violently push her down to the ground. Having now been exposed for attempting to kill Ross in front of Janice, Guy begs Janice to not hate him, only for Janice to angrily push him off the lighthouse tower, sending a screaming Guy falling to his death. Janice and Sharon then reach Ross, who is still alive, and the reunited family wait for medical officials to help, leaving Guy's corpse behind.

Cast

Judith Light as Janice Mitchell
Jack Wagner as Dr. Ellisman
Ben Masters as Ross Mitchell
Tracey Gold as Sharon Mitchell
Diana Leblanc as Dr. Sachs
Patricia Caroll Brown as Helen Oakes
J.R. Zimmerman as George Oakes
Wendy Hopkins as Sgt. Ryan
Raymond O'Neill as Bob
Sheila Brand as Wendy

Critical reception

The website Cranky Lesbian praised Judith Light's performance, but said, "Rape as a sensationalized trope in TV movies has always made my skin crawl and the salacious way it's handled (and flashed back to) in Lady Killer is no exception."^[2]

Home media

Lady Killer was released on DVD on June 17, 2003 through Live/Artisan Studio.^[3]

References

^ Martin, John (April 5, 1995). "Judith Light to star in 'The Lady Killer'". Gadsden Times. p. C6. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
^ "In Lady Killer, Judith Light's Affair with Jack Wagner Imperils Her Family". Cranky Lesbian. January 13, 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
^ Lady Killer (DVD). Live/Artisan. 2003.