Della (1964)

Della (alternate title: Fatal Confinement) is a 1964 made-for-television film that was intended as a pilot for a television series named Royal Bay. The film stars Joan Crawford, Paul Burke, and Diane Baker

Following the successful film-to-television progressions of movie stars such as Lucille Ball and Barbara Stanwyck, Crawford attempted the same maneuver with Royal Bay, a soap opera in a fictional seaside town where she was the wealthy matriarch and daughter of the town's founder. However, the pilot centered on the two characters that would most likely not reprise their role for the series, mother and daughter Della and Jenny Chappell. This may have been one of the reasons the pilot was released as a stand-alone feature instead of the start of a series.

Synopsis

Della Chappell (Joan Crawford) is a reclusive wealthy woman, consumed by power and dedicated to protecting her daughter Jenny's (Diane Baker) future. Her father founded the town of Royal Bay and she still owns most of it. An outside company wants to buy parts of the town for development but Della refuses to consider the option. Barney Stafford (Paul Burke), a lawyer representing the developers' interests, butts heads with Della frequently.

Actors