Movie-TV Credits
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(1991 cable series; aired 7/30/91 on Lifetime)
A short-lived detective series that successfully recreates the film noir atmosphere of the '40s, Laura Robinson stars as the title character, a husky-voiced female investigator who co-owns an art-deco jazz club along with her shadowy partner, a con-man named Duke (series regular Robert Beltran). Bruce Greenwood was special guest star in the second episode, playing Lieutenant Gil Reed, a mysteriously haunted police officer currently under departmental investigation. Seeking help from Duke - who seems to be an old acquaintance - the tense reunion between the two men turns even more uncomfortable when Reed and Veronica become romantically entangled.
Everybody has secrets in this series and most are not revealed, including the one between Veronica and Duke that prevents Reed’s romance from reaching its expected conclusion. Yet there’s an extraordinary aura to the show along with an off-guarded chemistry between Reed and Clare that is quite rare and notably effective. In addition, the sadly tormented Reed is a great character for Greenwood, utilizing his unique ability to bring understated integrity and utterly masculine sensitivity to a role.
Although the original episode may be lost forever, the show was later cut up and combined with episode #8 to create a 90-minute mini-movie entitled Naked Hearts, which airs occasionally over The Mystery Channel. The cut up version may explain some of the plot deficiencies, but the exceptional style and sheer class of the series excuses some of the flimsier story lines that aim for atmosphere over logic. A rather remarkable effort that never found an audience, only nine episodes of the series were filmed and shown over various times and dates in the Summer of 1991 on Lifetime, a new (at the time) cable station for women.
Lifetime Original Programming / Hearst Entertainment Productions, Inc.
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Sound Files from Veronica Clare
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Reed's memories clear the air for Veronica
| 1 min 7 secs |
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Reed's secret past
| 3 min 10 secs |
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Reed's farewell to Veronica
| 40 secs |