# In Cold Blood (miniseries)

In Cold Blood is an American true crime drama television miniseries directed by Jonathan Kaplan and written by Benedict Fitzgerald. It is based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Truman Capote, which reconstructs the 1959 murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. The miniseries stars Anthony Edwards, Eric Roberts, and Sam Neill, with Leo Rossi, Louise Latham, Gwen Verdon, Bethel Leslie, L. Q. Jones, Gillian Barber, and Kevin Tighe in supporting roles.
In Cold Blood received critical acclaim and two Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Miniseries. Roberts was nominated for a Golden Satellite Award for his portrayal of mass murderer Perry Smith.

## Plot

Prisoner Dick Hickock, 28, overhears a cellmate talking about a farmer who keeps $10,000 in cash in a home safe. When Hickock is paroled, he convinces 31-year-old ex-con Perry Smith to rob the safe with him.
One night in November 1959, the two ex-cons break into Herbert Clutter's farmhouse in Holcomb, Kansas, a small town where people often leave their doors unlocked. Angered that no safe is to be found, they murder Clutter, his wife, and their two children. Friends of the Clutters who come by before church on Sunday find the bodies of the Clutters. The murders shock the town and baffle the investigative team led by Detective Alvin Dewey of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation because no clues can be found and no motive can be determined, thus preventing the team from identifying any suspects.

## Cast

* Anthony Edwards as Dick Hickock
* Eric Roberts as Perry Smith
* Sam Neill as Alvin Dewey
* Kevin Tighe as Herbert Clutter
* Gillian Barber as Bonnie Clutter
* Margot Finley as Nancy Clutter
* Robbie Bowen as Kenyon Clutter
* Bethel Leslie as Bess Hartmann
* Gwen Verdon as Sadie Truitt
* Leo Rossi as Harold Nye
* Troy Evans as Carl Duntz
* Don S. Davis as Roy Church
* L. Q. Jones as Tex Smith
* Louise Latham as Eunice Hickock
* Campbell Lane as Walter Hickock
* Tom McBeath as Alfred Stoecklein
* Brad Greenquist as Floyd Wells
* Stella Stevens as Hotel Keeper
* Ryan Reynolds as Bobby Rupp
* Lindsey Campbell as Susan Kidwell
* Emily Perkins as Kathy Ewalt
* Susan Hogan as Marie Dewey
* Harry Northup as Minister
* Frank C. Turner as Clarence Ewalt
* Greg Lawson as Insurance Salesman
* Matthew Lerigny as Little Perry
* Stephanie Anne Mills as Dorie
* Mark Herring as Tom Sawyer
* Liese McDonald as Eveanna Clutter
* Brenda Shuttleworth as Beverly Clutter
* Valerie Planche as Mrs. Ketchum
* Veronika Sztopa as Jolene Ketchum
* Renae Morriseau as Flo Smith
* Jesse Lipscombe as Tommy
* Rhys Williams as Bill

## Release

The two-part miniseries aired on CBS on November 24 and 26, 1996.

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| 1996 | Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing – Dialogue – TV Films, Pilots, Miniseries | David C. Eichhorn and Oliver Barth | Nominated |
| 1996 | Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing – Music – TV Films, Pilots, Miniseries | Chris Ledesma and Bob Beecher | Nominated |
| 1997 | American Cinema Editors Awards | Best Edited Episode from a Television Mini-Series | Michael D. Ornstein (for "Part II") | Nominated |
| 1997 | American Society of Cinematographers Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Mini-Series | Peter Woeste | Nominated |
| 1997 | Artios Awards | Best Mini-Series Casting | Julie Selzer, Patrick Rush, and Lynne Carrow | Won |
| 1997 | Cinema Audio Society Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television – Movie of the Week, Mini-Series or Specials | Larry Sutton, David E. Fluhr, Adam Jenkins, and Don Digirolamo (for "Part II") | Nominated |
| 1997 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Miniseries | Tom Rowe and Robert Halmi | Nominated |
| 1997 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Special | Michael D. Ornstein | Nominated |
| 1997 | Satellite Awards | Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Eric Roberts | Nominated |