| Tail Gunner Joe | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Biography Drama |
| Written by | Lane Slate |
| Directed by | Jud Taylor |
| Starring | Peter Boyle Burgess Meredith Patricia Neal John Forsythe Ned Beatty |
| Music by | Billy May |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | George Eckstein |
| Cinematography | Ric Waite |
| Editor | Bernard J. Small |
| Running time | 145 min |
| Production company | Universal Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | February 6, 1977 |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
Tail Gunner Joe is a 1977 television movie dramatizing the life of U.S. Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, a Wisconsin Republican who claimed knowledge of communist infiltration of the U.S. government during the 1950s. The film was broadcast on NBC. It was nominated for six Emmy awards and won two: best writing and best supporting actor for Burgess Meredith's portrayal of attorney Joseph N. Welch. It starred Peter Boyle (as McCarthy) and John Forsythe. Robert F. Simon appeared as journalist Drew Pearson.
The nickname 'Tail Gunner Joe' is a derisive term for the Senator that originated from his false claim to have been a tail gunner on American bombers during World War II.[1]