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Image Credit: IMDb & Amazon[/caption]
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.
Joe the Dog as Reggie
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)
slicethelife 
have heard of them but didn’t know what they were about. Selleck seems made for that part. We got into watching ‘Blue Bloods’ for a few seasons back 7 or 8 years back here…he’s good in his role as commissioner in that too.
And, to think he was almost Indiana Jones…
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Tom Selleck is a big draw for me.
Oh, yeah. He’s up there with Connery for me.
I never heard of these before…He seems just right for that role.
I was living in Texas when the ex-Marine & I caught it/them. And, when I saw this character, you know who I thought of? Ken. LOL! I’ve never read any of the books.
LOL…by the looks of the stories that is a good thing!
Ken was nearly the Chief of Police of Pine Knoll Shores but, lost to a Major with Raleigh PD. He also came close to being the Chief of Morrisville PD but, the money was too low, the office was a closet and the only officer in employ was part time. When the town asked him to move and offered him more money if he would read water meters, he declined. All of that took place in the late 70s when he was still with Durham PD. He went on to make more money with Durham County SD.
To read water meters? Seriously?
Yeah. That’s what he said. LOL!
That is crazy!
I agree. Fast forward to today and Morrisville PD is pretty big. The Chief makes over $100,000, now. They offered Ken $9,000 in the late 70s.
That is crazy…I still don’t understand where the meters came in
It was a small town, then. The town council had a small budget. They only had so much money to go around. A little extra money to the Chief kept them from having to cough up more money for a second person to read meters, alone. Unfortunately for Ken, even the extra money didn’t match what he was making with Durham PD…let alone an extra cost for moving to Morrisville. It was just too much trouble all the way around.