The Prince Of Central Park 1977 Part 1 of 7

This movie is one of my childhood favourites. Me my brother and sister would watch this again and again.
I never realised how hard it was to find this movie. but after some searching i found this on a forum site
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The Prince of Central Park is 11-year-old Jay Jay (T. J. Hargrave). An orphan from Hell's Kitchen who has been shunted from one foster home to another, Jay Jay is conditioned to despise, or at the very least distrust, all adults and authority figures. Running off to Central Park, Jay Jay and his kid sister Laurie (Lisa Richard) set up housekeeping in an abandoned treehouse. There they remain, cut off from the adult world, until a third "outcast" joins them: Mrs. Miller (Ruth Gordon), a lonely widow with a boundless capacity for loving, giving, and caring. First telecast June 17, 1977, the made-for-TV Prince of Central Park was adapted by Jeb Rosebrook from a novel by Evan H. Rhodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Category:

Film & Animation

[Coriakin100]

Many thanks for posting this--I've been looking for this for ages. Like you, this was one of my favorite TV movies when I was a kid, and just watching the whole thing earlier brought back a flood of many happy memories. The whimsical musical score was just fantastic--you don't get to hear something like that anymore. And the shots of Central Park & New York in the late 70's--totally mesmerizing.

I don't think I've ever smiled for a long time in many years--thanks again!

[chubbyhubby2]

Glad you were able to finally get your hands on this! I saw it on its first airing, and I'll soon be screening it for the wife and kids. Holding out hope for a proper DVD release someday.

R.I.P., T.J. Hargrave 9/28/62-9/11/01 (WTC Collapse)

[gymnastix]

@mackandryan789 [Continued post]: For example, videotape of ABC-TV's run of the game show "Password" is practically non-existent, because of the Alphabet Network's re-use of the "Password" tapes for episodes of its then-new game show, "Family Feud."

Regardless, as may be seen in this film, "The Prince of Central Park," Hargrave was a gifted, natural child actor. And, tragically, had Hargrave continued his acting career, he would probably still be alive today.

[gymnastix]

@mackandryan789 {Continued post]: It would also be great if someone could unearth and upload a clip of Hargrave's acting on the legendary CBS daytime drama. But video of daily and daytime programming of that period is scarce, due to TV networks' practice of "wiping" (erasure of previous content to enable re-use of then-expensive videotape for future daily TV programming). [Continued]

[gymnastix]

@mackandryan789 [Continued post]: Secondly, Hargrave originated the role of "T.J. Werner," adopted son of the character "Dr. Sara Werner" (played longest by Millette Alexander) on the CBS-TV soap opera "The Guiding Light," was replaced in the role by Kevin Bacon. [Continued]

[gymnastix]

@mackandryan789 [Continued post]: The Morton salt TV ad with Hargrave was, in its era, almost as well-known as the infamous "Mikey"/Life cereal ("He won't eat it./He hates everything") commercial. I wish some kind soul would upload the Morton ad (if any film of it exists) here on You Tube, in memory of Hargrave. [Continued]

[gymnastix]

@mackandryan789 Yes, and T.J Hargrave had two previous claims to fame even before this ABC-TV film.

First, Hargrave was the young boy in a memorable Morton Salt TV commercial of the early 1970s, who, wearing his rain slicker and hat, sloshed around outdoors in the rain, then came indoors to pour some of the advertised product from its container, uttering the line "It works!," in reply to the product's famous slogan of "When it rains, it pours." [Continued]

[mackandryan789]

@chubbyhubby it's so sad imma die I was only 1 I never knew him but he was my dads best friend my dad says every year at work he crys

[mackandryan789]

Just so u no TJ hargrave died in 2001 in the trade center accident he was only 38 he was my dads best friend he had a wife and three girls he left behind u can look up the hargraves on CNN.com plz do RIP TJ HARGRAVE A GREAT MAN AND FATHER (or atleast he was ;( ) RIP-3

[bergalini]

You are my hero for posting this. I am a child of 81 too. I have not seen this since 91 either. Thank you. Thank you.

[ufuckfacesonofabitch]

Lol "Central park they'll never find us there" except when your dead body shows up floating in the river.