Charges dropped against Timothy Busfield

I know nothing about Timothy Busfield. I watched one episode of thirtysomething and saw a movie I didn't remember him in. But child molestation charges against him were dropped. He was directing episodes of a show called The Cleaning Lady I never heard of. The show had two identical twin boys who played the same character.

The kids' parents were terrible con artists who defrauded people of millions, and they were mad at Busfield because the kids were fired from the show, replaced with another actor or with a couple more twins.

In his ruling, New Mexico Judge Joseph Montano said: "The prosecuting attorney failed to act in a fair and impartial manner, including the failure to properly instruct the grand jury on the law for calling witnesses and in instructing the grand jurors on a procedure that effectively withheld requested witnesses."

Montano determined that members of the grand jury requested additional witness testimony before returning the indictment. However, the prosecutor allegedly told the 12 jurors that additional witness testimony would require a subpoena and 36-hour notice, without saying that a judge could grant a shorter time frame or that witnesses could willingly testify without a subpoena at all.

I suspect that if the case against Busfield had been stronger or if the judge thought he was actually guilty, it wouldn't have been thrown out. 

It won't be any great loss to cinema if Busfield never directs another episode. It could be a boon to the art of film. Give someone else a turn. 

Lost Flight (made-for-TV, 1970)

 

A 1970 made-for-TV movie. An airliner crashes in the ocean, the passengers and crews reach an island where a power struggle ensues. IMDb says it was a version of Lord of the Flies with grown-ups, but I didn't quite see it.

I remember watching this as a kid. I was at least seven. I was home alone and had the TV on, probably playing with cars or army men, not really following the plot. The main thing I remember is the big round inflatable life rafts. A few passengers go off in one thinking they can get help. When the thing comes floating back with the passengers passed out, airline pilot Lloyd Bridges takes off his shirt and pants and swims out there in his big ol' boxer shorts. I remember wishing he had kept his pants on.

With Andrew Prine as a violent racist and would-be rapist, Bobby Van as a lounge singer, Billy Dee Williams as a Vietnam veteran Marine, Anne Francis,   

There's a child (Michael-James Wixted) with appendicitis and a pregnant woman ready to go into labor. There's a doctor but he doesn't seem very good.

The ending got a little weird, like it was the pilot to a serious Gilligan's Island-like drama.

Free on Movie Vault. 

There's a ten minute YouTube video called "Lost Flight Breakdown A Movie about Survival". It shows clips of the movie and a guy discusses realistic aspects of the film.