Richard Alan Simmons (whose credits include working on "Columbo" and writing the fine thriller "Juggernaut") wrote and produced this failed TV series pilot starring Paul Burke right after "Naked City", plus the dominating presence of guest star Joan Crawford in the title role. It fails to establish a workable story and characters for an intended series.
Falling into the category of psychodrama, the slow-paced hour establishes Joan as a powerful resident of the small town of Royal Bay, where narrator-costar Charles Bickford founded and owns a local shipyard, while his son Paul Burke is a prominent lawyer. Burke is repping local interest working on a vast project that will create 3,000 new jobs and be a key to the town's future, but it requires the sale of Joan's vast land holdings and she refuses.
Other than Crawford, the presumed regular characters are uninteresting, and Burke's law practice doesn't present any compelling story material to work with. Pilot stars Diane Baker as Joan's adult daughter, with mystery and suspense why she seems trapped in Joan's family mansion, with a romantic interest with Burke dangled Segment's climax is contrived and unsatisfying
With compelling acting by Joan and Diane, the dramatics are worth watching, but represent a dead-end.
