, ▁California , ▁sust ained ▁head ▁inj uries ▁after ▁falling ▁from ▁a ▁horse ▁at ▁the ▁Alt fill isch ▁R anch ▁in ▁Cor ona ▁▁ ▁According ▁to ▁testim ony ▁that ▁would ▁be ▁offered ▁two ▁years ▁later ▁at ▁Sir han ' s ▁trial ▁for ▁the ▁assass ination ▁of ▁Robert ▁F . ▁Kennedy , ▁his ▁person ality ▁seemed ▁to ▁change ▁and ▁he ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁res ent ful ▁of ▁authority ▁ ▁and ▁he ▁became ▁more ▁self - obs essed . ▁ ▁September ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁( S und ay ) ▁The ▁rival ry ▁between ▁the ▁American ▁film ▁industry ▁and ▁American ▁television ▁reached ▁a ▁major ▁turning ▁point ▁when ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 6 0 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁view ers ▁( a ▁ 3 8 . 3 ▁rating ▁and ▁a ▁ 6 1 ▁share ) ▁tun ed ▁in ▁to ▁ABC ▁Sunday ▁Night ▁at ▁the ▁Mov ies ▁to ▁watch ▁The ▁Bridge ▁on ▁the ▁River ▁K w ai , ▁more ▁than ▁had ▁ever ▁seen ▁a ▁feature ▁film ▁on ▁TV . ▁ ▁ABC ▁had ▁paid ▁Columbia ▁Pictures ▁two ▁million ▁dollars ▁for ▁the ▁rights ▁for ▁two ▁show ings ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁hit ▁film ▁( which ▁had ▁had ▁a ▁second ▁successful ▁run ▁in ▁cin emas ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 ) ▁and ▁re aped ▁$ 1 . 8 ▁million ▁in ▁commer ci als ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁night , ▁as ▁the ▁Ford ▁Motor ▁Company ▁spons ored ▁the ▁entire ▁film ." F ord ▁TV - Show ▁Cost ▁a ▁Record ",