Hans 2021 Movie Draft: Round Ten-Pick Three-Jesse Stone Series

Posted on May 12, 2021

Hanspostcard has a movie draft challenge. This is my Round Ten pick.

Category: Movie Series
Films: Jesse Stone

Chief Stone: “I *know* who killed them.”
Captain Healy: “Do you have a motive?”
Chief Stone: “No.”
Captain Healy: “Witnesses?”
Chief Stone: “No.”
Captain Healy: “Weapon?”
Chief Stone: “No.”
Captain Healy: “Hell, I’ll warm up a cell right now.”

Jesse Stone is a character in a series of novels written by Robert B. Parker (the creator of Spenser from the TV Series Spenser: For Hire, the film series and the recent Netflix movie). Portrayed by Tom Selleck, the first four films are based on actual novels but, produced and shown out of order. The last five films are a collaboration between Tom Selleck, Michael Brandman and Ronni Kern.

As the series begins, Stone is approximately 35 years old (despite Selleck’s age) and is a former short stop in the minor leagues, leaving the career due to a shoulder injury. After a painful divorce from his beautiful actress wife Jennifer, he begins to drink heavily and is asked to resign from his job with LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division. Traveling to the small town of Paradise, Massachusetts (loosely based on Marblehead), for an interview to be Chief of Police, he is visibly drunk. Thinking him easy to control, the president of the town council, hires him, anyway. Stone realizes that the president is corrupt and, the town has serious issues with the mob, money laundering and murder. Throughout each movie, except for one, Jesse & Jenn talk on the phone.

Characters (regular ones):
♦ Kohl Sudduth as Ofc. Luther “Suitcase” Simpson (nicknamed by Stone after first baseman/outfielder Harry Simpson)
♦ Viola Davis as Ofc. Molly Crane (first four movies)
♦ Kathy Baker as Ofc. Rose Gammon
♦ Vito Rezza as Ofc. Anthony D’Angelo
♦ Stephen McHattie as Captain Healy, head of the Massachusetts State Police Homicide Division
♦ William Devane as Dr. Dix (cop turned therapist)
♦ Saul Rubinek as Hasty Hathaway (former town council president)
♦ William Sadler as Gino Fish (crime boss)
♦ Sylvia Villagran (first movie) & Gil Anderson (voice of Jenn)

Additional characters:
♦ Polly Shannon as Abby Taylor (first two movies)
♦ Stephanie March as Cissy Hathaway (second movie)
♦ Leslie Hope as Sydney Greenstreet (with MSP/5th & last movie)
♦ Gloria Reuben as Thelma Gleffey (last three movies)

This series was never theatrically released. These are made-for-TV movies (CBS & Hallmark) and are still in development. These are great movies. ~Vic

Additional Reading:
List of Novels
Robert B. Parker (Author’s Legacy Website/09-17-1932 ~ 01-18-2010)

Stone Cold 2005 Trailer

Night Passage 2006 Trailer (Prequel Movie)